Making adjustments at the plate

MAKING IN-GAME ADJUSTMENTS AT THE PLATE   Baseball is a game of adjustments, especially for hitters.   The pitcher starts with an advantage and it #51 Cameron Hassert is up to you as a hitter to adjust to what he is doing in terms of pitch selection and timing.  The pitcher will not adjust until you force him to!  With that said, here are some tips to making adjustments after an unsuccessful plate appearance.  It is important to use this process in order to make the RIGHT correction.  Too many times hitters jump to the conclusion that there is something wrong in their swing instead of finding out if it may be pitch selection and/or timing. Pitch Selection - First and foremost, make sure you are swinging at the right pitches in the right counts.  Every hitter needs to have a plan of attack for every at-bat before stepping into the box.  Look for fastballs to drive early in the count.  Remember, the pitcher is trying to get ahead so look for a fastball to hit early and lay off of off-speed pitches.  Take the approach of driving the baseball up the middle and remember to track the baseball with your eyes!  Your zone expands and contracts based on the count and situations. Timing - Before making any mechanical adjustments to the swing, you first need to make sure you are getting your front foot down and the hands back ("Launch Position") when the baseball is approximately halfway to you.  Everything in the swing works from this position so if you are not getting there, that can cause you to have mechanical flaws in your swing such as flying open, collapsing the backside, rolling over, etc.  If you are beating balls straight down into the ground, chances are you are late getting the foot down. Mechanics - If you are making good decisions on pitches and getting your front foot down, then the problem lies in your swing.  Ask yourself these questions: "Is my head stable?" "Am I starting the swing with the backside?" "Am I working to use my hands to stay inside and throw the barrel?" "Am I 'palm up, palm down' at contact?" Finally, remember that you could be doing everything right and just missing "squaring it up".  You are hitting a round object with a round object so sometimes, you are going to just barely miss hit the ball.  Recognize that, too! By using this method to make adjustments, hitters can diagnose problems and make corrections from at-bat to at-bat.  Knowledge is power!  Knowing what you need to do will put your mind at ease so you can stay confident, avoid taking bad at-bats to the field and put a stop to prolonged periods of struggle.

Hitting Lesson 2 - Balance and Load

Hitting Lesson 3 - Proper Foot Plant in Hitting

Hitting Lesson 1 - Staying inside the Ball

2012 1st Place 11u Skills Competition

2012 Thunderhawks Football

Thunderhawks Football

2012 Diamond Club Summer Camp

2012 Elite 32 Orlando, Florida

Placed 17th in the Tournament

2011 Omaha Slumpbuster Champions

Hall of Fame Wade Boggs

2011 JCJBL Rocky Mtn Invitational Champions

Championship Awards Ceremony

Slammers Black Team photo

2011 Denver Super NIT CHAMPIONS

ROAD TO DISNEY WORLD

Bracket after Pool

Score was 9-8 in the last inning. 2 kids on 1st and 3rd, Cameron pitching the last 5 innings, Count 2-2, Pitch-Change Up, Ground ball to 1st, 3 outs. Slammers Win!

Slammers Black 10 MAJORS - CHAMPIONS
Brent Wood - Brian Givens - Mike Holman - Brent Moss - Mike Hassert
Jack Moss - Julian Vargas - Brayden Wood - Ethan Long - Eric McKnight - Sam Kane
Colter Rodak - Luke Anderson - Cody Holman - Cameron Hassert - Tyler Robinson

Cameron receiving his CHAMPIONSHIP Ring

Cameron with the CHAMPIONSHIP PLAQUE

My brother and I going to the Rockies game

I'm so proud of my brother. He is one of the best swimmers in Colorado. Brothers and friends forever!

2012 USSSA Les Cooper Memorial Tournament

After a 2 game lost on Saturday. Playing 5 games on Sunday, and WINNING THE CHAMPIONSHIP with an easy sweep against the RM Hit Club Rampage 17-5

2011 Elite 32 USSSA Colorado Super NIT Tournament-June 3, 2012

Cameron with his sore chin enjoying his candy as he sleeps in between games.

Teams: Slammers Black, Slammers Grey, Hitstreak Bulldogs, Golden Demons, Colorado Crawdads, Chatfield Thunder, and CS Rippers 10U

Pool Standings: Slammers Black 7 - Chatfield Thunder 4
Slammers Black 14 - CS Rippers 10U 4
2nd Seed

2011 My Auntie's Hot Rod Cars

LINK TO CAMERON'S TEAM

http://www.usssa.com/sports/Team3.asp?TeamID=1729015

2011 Diamond Club

2011 LVBA Camp

Greeley Tournament - March 3, 2012

Start of our first game

First Place in the Greeley Tournament

Cameron in Junior Baseball Magazine - January 2012

Order your copy at www.juniorbaseball.com

2011 SLAMMERS BLACK 9'S BASEBALL CARD

Hello Friends and Family,

It's been a great year for baseball. We moved organizations from Broomfield to Lakewood, and I'm now playing for Slammers Baseball. My team name, Slammers Black 9's, ranked number 1 in colorado. It's a tournament travel team that plays up in the 10 major teams in Colorado. Playing over 80 games a year, I've had a great experience this year playing in Kansas City-Missouri, Omaha, and Florida. I play shortstop, center, but play mostly second base. It's a great experience for being only 9 years old and I appreciate all the support, and training from all my coaches, MLB players, family, friends, and especially my dad. I'll be sending everyone my new 2011 baseball card.