So, what did Softball Santa put under your tree?

[Ken Krause]

Now that we're a few days past Christmas/Channukah/Kwanzaa/Winter Solstice, I'm wondering what Softball Santa brought you. Would love to get a little dialog going on this topic. I'll start.

dozen TCB balls . The Lite Flites are actually for vision training, not hitting. I will be marking them with the numbers 1-4 in black and red Sharpie and adding them to the ones I already have. That way the girls won't be able to cheat by remembering which balls have already gone by and guessing by process of elimination.

The way we'll use them is to shoot them through a Jugs pitching machine and have the girls try to identify the color and the number on the ball as it whizzes by. Sounds impossible, but actually it's not.With a bit of practice and effort you can actually see the number as well as the color. It's a nice, cheap imitation of the expensive Vision Trak training that uses tennis balls and a specially designed machine.

The TCB balls are for hitting, obviously. I've heard a lot of good things about them. If you hit them square they fly well. If you're off a bit, they deform momentarily and you know you need to improve your bat path. I'm anxious to try them out at the next practice.

The other thing I received is a copy of the book The Talent Code . It's about how top performers are made, not born with innate ability -- and how you can create them too. Watch this space for a more detailed review.

So that's me. What did you get? And what are you still looking to get?

More...

 

[Bishop]

I got RVP software and some wiffle balls...oh, and a ticket for the softball clinic cruise. I did pretty good.

Some TCB balls, a new tee and a few DVD's, The Talent Code and a couple other books are on my want list.

 

[Coach-n-Dad]

Both of my girls were at home. That's what I wanted.

Santa was good

 

[quincy]

I was lucky enough to get the video recorder you recommended.

 

[Ken Krause]

The Kodak Playsport? You'll love it. I use it constantly, and it really makes a difference when you can show your players what they're doing.

It's funny with RVP. I use a different product called MotionView, which was a lot cheaper than RVP when I bought it originally. If I'm not mistaken they're now pretty comparably priced, but you don't get the video clips with MotionView. Lucky for me there's YouTube to borrow from.

Anxious to try out the TCB balls. A lot of folks seem to like them from the feedback I'm getting.

 

[quincy]

Yep, Kodak Playsport. Wish I had bought one earlier, it is great. Thanks for ther advice.

I acutally bought 2, one for me, one for my father.

 

[SoCalSoftballdad]

The other thing I received is a copy of the book The Talent Code . It's about how top performers are made, not born with innate ability -- and how you can create them too. Watch this space for a more detailed review.

So that's me. What did you get? And what are you still looking to get?

More...

Ken - you inspired me to pick up a copy of The Talent Code yesterday. Only two chapters into it but some interesting findings so far. Looking forward to your review and discussion of the book in the near future and how it can relate to coaching and training for softball.

 

[Quake Softball]

Softball Santa brought me a brand new DD. Something has clicked in her in the last 10 days. She is pitching alot harder and now comes to me to pitch in stead of the other way around. Best present ever!!!

 

[Ken Krause]

Quake, that's awesome! Hope it continues past the holidays.

 

[Ken Krause]

SoCal, still working my way through it too but I find it fascinating. If you like that one, pick up Talent Is Not Enough. It covers some similar ground but also looks at other things as well, particularly with regard to how to practice.

One thing that becomes apparent from the two books is top performers practice a lot, and take their practicing seriously. They challenge themselves and work on their weaknesses rather than their strengths. While there are certainly physical differences that account for some performance enhancements, for the most part excellence is achievable by anyone willing to the price. Unfortunately, most are not.