Coach RAC's Corner

In 2021 Robert Anthony Cruz was signed by the Washington Nationals to live out his childhood dream of "Professional Baseball Player". This accomplishment of his was the result of professional coaching and a lot of hours. There were very few college offers out of high school for him, and he batted only .170 his freshman year at UC Riverside before transferring to Biola University (D2). Thanks to his hitting coach (Kip Gross), Robert Anthony turned around his college career finishing with a .326 batting average and 21 HRs. Without coach Kip, Robert Anthony likely wouldn't have played in college, let alone professionally. Robert Anthony was released in Spring Training of 2022, but his love for the game drove him to begin making coaching videos on TikTok with what he has learned throughout his playing career. Robert Anthony's story has made him passionate about sharing with the next generation, and he want parents and coaches to know how to best love their players with quality coaching.

Coach RAC has joined the HB Sports team! The video attached is his introduction for us, who he is, and a little of his background story.

Coach RAC is BACK with another exciting episode! In this episode he talks about 3 mental pitfalls you should avoid at the plate and how to change your mental approach from a negative to a positive.

Number 1: Don't say don't! Turn your negative thoughts into a positive outlook.

Number 2: No Mechanical Adjustments: "Keep your elbow up!" "stride bigger!"

Number 3: No Emotional Hitting.

Have a look at the full video here to learn more!

Coach RAC is BACK with another exciting episode! In this episode he talks about the three ways to wear your glove.

The three ways to wear your glove:

1. Straight up
2. Two in the pinky
3. Two in the ring

Recommended use:

Straight up:
Used for middle infielders to have a more shallow pocket to allow for faster exchanges on double plays and relays.

Two in the pinky:
Recommended for outfielders and infielders depending on preference.

Two in the ring:
For catchers only.  

Have a look at the full video here to learn more! 

Coach RAC is BACK with another exciting episode! In this episode He talks about his personal ultimate Tee hitting Routine.

1. Top hand/ bottom hand
2. Post side drill
3. Walk through
4. Just feel good! 

Have a look at the full video here to learn more!

Coach RAC is BACK with another exciting episode! In this episode He talks about the 3 Most Common Base-running Mistakes and how to avoid them.  

1. STOP Looking down 
Stop looking down at your feet and back at the base while you lead off!! Look at the ball. And make sure you get your signs BEFORE you lead off the base.

2. Stop Clicking the heels
The second you come up out of your legs there is nothing you can do until you land. That split second might be enough to get picked off. A good rule of thumb is to keep your head at the same level, which will keep us moving in our legs like this.

3. Stop Starting sideways
It’s slow, and hard to know how far away you are from the base if we start sideways.

It is good to step off the base with a consistent step so we can feel out the distance. When I played I always knew EXACTLY how far away from the base I was. So start with your heels on the base. Then go left, cross over, 1, 2!

Have a look at the full video here to learn more! 

Coach RAC is BACK with another exciting episode! In this episode He talks about the 3 Biggest Baseball Parenting Mistakes .  

1. Don’t correct mechanics during competition.

2. Stop Saying Too Much

3. Don’t punish poor performance

Sometimes less is more and being humble as a parent and or coach is essential to your players development.

Have a look at the full video here to learn more! 

Coach RAC is BACK with another exciting episode! In this episode He talks about the top 3 things that KILL your power when hitting.

1. The "Hip Slide"

2. Throwing Hands

3. You Have a Coil Missing!

Have a look at the full video here to learn more! 

Coach RAC discusses the 2 main things that will help stop the ball from popping out of your glove!

Rule #1: the "one foot" rule

Rule #2: Eyes BEHIND the ball

Have a look at the full video here to learn more! 

Exercising is always good, but it should be done properly, which is why you gotta ask the question, should kids be allowed to work out? Should young athletes be allowed to lift heavy weight? Does working out stunt your growth? What age should you start working out with weights? I wish more parents knew about these three truths about strength training.

Have a look at the full video here to learn more! 

Coach RAC is back with another exciting, informative video! In this episode of RAC's corner, Coach RAC discusses some training excercises on how to become more consistent with your hit like Mike Trout!

Have a look at the full video here to learn more! 

Coach RAC is back with another exciting, informative video! In this episode of RAC's corner, Coach RAC discusses the 3 main reasons why you strike out so much!

1.) Head movement
2.) Pitch Selection
3.) Mental approach

Have a look at the full video here to learn more! 

Coach RAC is back with another exciting, informative video! In this episode of RAC's corner, Coach RAC discusses his 30 second routine to shift your mental state so you get your game back on track!

1. View the situation through the eyes of your OPPONENT

2. Imagine they are scared of you

Have a look at the full video here to learn more! 

Coach RAC is back with another exciting, informative video! In this episode of RAC's corner, Coach RAC discusses The 3 Biggest Mistakes that are RUINING your transfers!

1. Out of Sync

2. The Swoop

3. The Ball Drop

Have a look at the full video here to learn more! 

Coach RAC is back with another exciting, informative video! In this episode of RAC's corner, Coach RAC discusses his 5 tips for base stealing!

1. Stay loose.

2. Stop looking at the pitcher's feet!

3. Stay low in the drive phase

4. Look at target

5. Always slide!

Have a look at the full video here to learn more! 

Coach RAC is back with another exciting, informative video! In this episode of RAC's corner, Coach RAC discusses his 2 methods on encouraging kids struggling with confidence.

High level Baseball and softball require 2 things: 1. confidence and 2. motivation.

So how do you give your kid or even yourself confidence and motivation?

Celebrate work ethic, not results.

Make it fun. If you want Motivation, then have fun.

Have a look at the full video here to learn more! 

Coach RAC is back with another exciting, informative video! In this episode of RAC's corner, Coach RAC asks: "If you had to raise a big leaguer, how would you do it?"

1. Prioritize TOOLS over perfect MECHANICS

2. PUSH LIMITS


Have a look at the full video here to learn more! 

Coach RAC is back with another exciting, informative video! In this episode of RAC's corner, Coach RAC discusses 3 drills that you can do in your own room.

1. The 4 Seam Drill

2. The Towel Drill

3. The Hitting Extension Drill

Have a look at the full video here to learn more! 

Coach RAC is back with another exciting, informative video! In this episode of RAC's corner, Coach RAC discusses how you can pull the ball better in 3 easy steps

1. Hit the inner half of the ball

2. Relax the upper body

3. Exaggerate the movement

Have a look at the full video here to learn more! 

Coach RAC Discusses the Three Pillars/Principles of Baseball When at the PlateCoach RAC is back with another exciting, informative video! In this episode of RAC's corner, Coach RAC Discusses the Three Pillars/Principles of Baseball When at the Plate.

Pillar 1: Realistic Goals

Pillar 2: Unrealistic Confidence

Pillar 3: Embrace Failure

Have a look at the full video here to learn more! 

Coach RAC brings Coach Murph on board and they both discuss Advice for Parent Baseball Coaches.

1. Prioritize fun
By prioritizing fun, you are prioritizing the long game as a parent. Enjoying the game is what keeps players in the game, so don't treat your players as employees.  
 
2. Take off the "Parent Hat" when you get to the field
If you coach your kid differently from the other kids, even with good intentions it can take the fun out of the game.

Have a look at the full video here to learn more! 

Coach RAC Discusses Three Drills You Can Do Rhat Requires ZERO Equipment

Baseball players can be spotted anywhere working on their swing or throwing mechanics. So if they are going to be practicing those movements with dry reps, they might as well make them useful!

Here's 3 "feel drills" that require zero equipment and can be done anywhere.

1. Arm Path

2. Whippy Arms

3. Head Isolation

Have a look at the full video here to learn more! 

Coach RAC goes over a Pitching Mechanics Masterclass with Bobby O'Neil.

1. Arm path Less is more!

We need to simplify our arm path. Baseball is a marathon, and especially with pitching, arm health is essential. We need a clean arm path if we desire a sustainable and consistent performance on the Mound. Have a smooth arm path that begins with the hand on top of the ball at the belly button

2. Lower Half Stop jumping forward!

Our lower half needs to maintain ground connection to produce optimal force and to have an efficient kinetic chain. A helpful thought here is to simply imagine there’s a piece of gum that’s stuck under your shoe. Maintain that ground connection through the ball released and then let the hip clear forward. Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.

Have a look at the full video here to learn more! 

Landon and RAC cover:

1. Types of Loads
- Toe Tap
- Leg Kick
- No Stride
- Small Step

2. Common Mistakes
- Wrong plane/axis
- Dropping the back side

3. How do loads change at the higher levels
- Slow is smooth, smooth is fast
- Feel vs. Real

Have a look at the full video here to learn more! 

Coach RAC Discusses 4 Types of Batting Practice to use and When You Should Use Them.

1. Tee

2.Front toss

3. Machine

4. Live/BP

Have a look at the full video here to learn more! 

Coach RAC Discusses Three Keys for infielders and how NOT to get sent to the Outfield.

3 Keys for Infielders

1. Fingers down

2. Gas Pedal

3. Out Front

Have a look at the full video here to learn more! 

Coach RAC gives a Crash Course on Every Infield Position!

As infielders we need to know WHERE to be and WHEN. Here’s a crash course on every infield position highlighting:
1. Pre-Pitch Positioning (double play depth)
2. Cutoffs and Relays

Each infielder has a unique responsibility, and while coaches and teams may have their unique styles, here are positioning principals that apply to every team out there.  

Positioning summary:
3rd Base: Cutoff to home from left field
SS: Cutoff to the left side of the field on Extra-Base Hits
2B: Cutoff to the right side of the field on Extra-Base Hits
1B: Cutoff to home from Right Field

Have a look at the full video here to learn more! 

There are so many variations of bats so instead of telling exactly what size you should use, RAC is going to give you 3 principles you should use when picking the right bat size.

1. Pick the bat, then go an ounce lighter

2. Pick a Grip size

3. “Feel” matters more than “tech”

Have a look at the full video here to learn more!