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! 

Coach RAC talks about what he puts into his game day bag!

1. Glove

2. Turfs

3. 2 Baseballs

4. Protective Gear
5. 2 Pairs of Batting Gloves

6. Tension Bands

7. Game Bat

8. Cleats

9. Hacky Sack!
If you know, you know.

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

Coach RAC talks about why swinging for the fences actually works.

• In practice, you should swing at 100% effort at least once a week.
• You aren’t taking game-like intensity reps if you swing at 80% power.
• But, swinging 100% intensity doesn’t mean ELEVATE everything.
• Swinging for the fences or “swinging at max intensity” should be practiced at least once a week, so that our body can be under control once our game adrenaline kicks in.

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

Coach RAC Discusses 4 Gameday Hitting Drills that WORK.

1. Top Hand

2. Bottom Hand

3. Deep Tee

4. Extended Tee

5. Feel Good

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

Coach RAC Discusses 3 mental hacks for a tryout.

You suck at tryouts, but it’s not because you can’t play, it’s because you get in your head and have that fluttery nervous feeling in your stomach and then you get jumpy and your muscles tense up.
Save these 3 practical mental hacks to watch before your next tryout or test.  

1. Plan your next meal

2. Extra work.  

3. Ignore everyone

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

Coach RAC discusses two Tips to Overcome Overthinking.

Baseball rewards the simple minded, but I believe even the "overthinker" has an advantage if they can learn to leverage their mental game. As someone who has always been an overthinker, these are my best two pieces of advice.

1. You can't shut off your brain
The harder you try to shut off your brain, the harder it gets. So rather than trying to "not over think things" let yourself over think, but redirect your thoughts.

2. Positive reinforcement through video review
Don't watch your bad swings on gameday.   Good swings only. Use video to reinforce ideal movement patterns on gameday.

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

When we play free and easy, we perform better. The problem is, when the game matters more, we tend to tense up and try harder which in turn harms our performance. Often times coaches will place far more pressure on their players when the game "means something" which will result in poor play. Today I hit a grandslam in a Father/Son tournament in Arizona. It is very possible that this can be attributed to the level of competition (lol) however, I undoubtedly felt more comfortable in the box than I ever had before.

So:

1. Coaches should strive for a fun and free dugout culture

2. Players should strive to prioritize enjoying the game and steering clear of frustration This will not only make the game more fun, it just might help you hit a grand slam.

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

Welcome back to another episode of RAC's Corner! In today's episode, Coach RAC Discusses what your hits on a TEE are telling you.

This is What Your TEE is Telling You

1. Problem: Top Spin

If you find yourself top spinning the ball off the tee, your bat path is working too much UP into the baseball.
Fix:  
- Work in to out
- Hit a hard ground ball right in front of the plate to correct your path, and then try to back spin one to the back net

2. Problem: Side Spin/Pop Ups

If you find yourself hitting with too much side spin, you will need to think about hitting the ball with the bottom of your bat knob.

Fix:
- Knob to the ball
- Focus on taking your back hip to the baseball

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

Welcome back to another episode of RAC's Corner! In today's episode, Coach RAC Discusses Hb Sports' Black Friday Specials!

Here are some RAC approved deals from HB this month!  

First up, RAC swung a Marucci Cat 8 and Cat 9 in college (one piece) so there is a special place in his heart for the Marucci Cat X. The Cat X will be $50 off 11/24-11/27. Victus Nox 2: Save $100 11/20-12/13. Easton Hype Comp, Encore Hybrid, ALX, around 50% off!
There are the RAC approved deals, but before you buy, here is a word of advice.
 
1. The bat won't fix you

2. Don't jump sizes too quickly

Happy Shopping!

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

Can you get fitted for a baseball bat? With so many bats to choose from, how do we make sure we get fitted properly?

Baseball is not like golf. Our goal with a baseball bat is not to fit the bat to our swing, but to give our swing a tool for ADJUSTABILITY. Adjustability is the key to picking the perfect bat. Every pitch is different, which means every swing is different. With so many variables, the most important skill is adjustability at the plate.

Here are my general recommendations for bat sizing by age:
5-7: 26-28 inch
8-10: 28-30 inch
11-14: 30-32 Inch
HS: 31-33 Inch
College+: 33-34.5 Inch

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

Welcome back to another episode of RAC's Corner! In today's episode, Coach RAC Discusses Methods of Breaking a Glove In and what you should NOT be doing!

So you just got a new glove from HB... make sure you avoid these common mistakes.
DO NOT use too much OIL-BASED leather conditioners. It’s okay to use a little bit, it is good for the leather! But using too much will make it an irreversibly heavy weight.
Use a petroleum based conditioner. This won’t make the glove heavy! This will soften the leather.
Make sure to ALWAYS wipe the dirt off your glove, it will eat away at the leather!
IF you have a really nice glove that you want to last. Don’t heat the leather or try anything out of the ordinary. Just play catch. A lot of catch.  
If you break in your glove by playing catch, DO NOT squeeze your glove the wrong way.   We want our thumb to close the glove to our ring finger.  
If the glove is too stiff to close, do this:
Apply some petroleum based conditioner
Put on a batting glove on your glove hand to prevent rubbing
Put your hand in the glove, and try to play catch, or use a pitching machine.
Each catch will loosen up the glove the right way.

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

Welcome back to another episode of RAC's Corner! In today's episode, Coach RAC Discusses 3 Quick Fixes for Rollovers When Hitting!

1. Fix your posture

2. Think DOWN not UP

3. Work AGAINST the Front Side (Not ON the Front Side)

Let's Grow!

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

Welcome back to another episode of RAC's Corner! In today's episode, Coach RAC Discusses various ball gripping techniques!

How do we grip the baseball?
Does it depend on our age?
Does it depend on our position?
The answer is yes.

Let's Grow!

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

Welcome back to another episode of RAC's Corner! In today's episode, Coach RAC Discusses a few tools to use to train this offseason!

1. Mobility!
2. Explosiveness
3. Heart-Rate Regulation

Let's Grow!

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

Welcome back to another episode of RAC's Corner! In today's episode, Coach RAC talks about What You Should Expect at a D1 Baseball Practice! Here's What you should Expect!

15 Minute Dynamic Warm Up
15 Minute Catchplay
10 Minute Isolated Skill work on Defense
20 Minute Individual Defense
30 Minutes Team Defense
60 Minutes On Field BP (4 Rotations)

Group 1: Cage
Group 2: On Field BP
Group 3: Baserunning
Group 4: Defense

Let's Grow!

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

Welcome back to another episode of RAC's Corner! In today's episode, Coach RAC Discusses 3 Tips To Mentally Prepare You For a New Team!

1. Get Reps Before You Get There! (Visualize)

2. You Belong

3. Be Quick to Hear, and Slow to Speak

Let's Grow!

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

Welcome back to another episode of RAC's Corner! In today's episode, Coach RAC Discusses 5 reasons you may not like Pro Ball

1. Dieting

2. Exercise

3. Mentally Taxing On and Off the Field

4. No Days Off

5. The Pay

Let's Grow!

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

Welcome back to another episode of RAC's Corner! In today's episode, Coach RAC Discusses the Road to Pro + Advice to our 14 Year Old Self!

Key takeaways:

1. Don't be married to your plans. They are liable to change, so be flexible!

2. Prioritize relationships, don't be so obsessed with your results on the field. It is easy to get caught up in the endless pursuit of perfection, but remember to enjoy the process.

Let's Grow!

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

Welcome back to another episode of RAC's Corner! In today's episode, Coach RAC Discusses his 3 main takeaways from professional hitting lessons.

Here's Coach RAC's 3 Biggest Takeaways:

1. Tee vs. BP

2. Approach sets your Timing

3. Tunneling

Let's Grow!

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

Welcome back to another episode of RAC's Corner! In today's episode, Coach RAC Discusses how to determine what hitting advice is Good or Bad.

There are three "constants" that make a great hitter, and regardless of style, these three things are always there.

1. Rhythm
   
   
2. Timing
   
   
3. Balance
   
   

Let's Grow!

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

Welcome back to another episode of RAC's Corner! In today's episode, Coach RAC gives his MLB level breakdown of every count as well as a full breakdown of "Effective Velocity". Every count is different, and we need to know how to use it to our advantage. Here is an MLB level breakdown of every count.

1. Even
2. Ahead
3. Behind (2K)

Let's Grow!

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

Welcome back to another episode of RAC's Corner! In today's episode, Coach RAC gives a full breakdown of "Effective Velocity".

90 miles per hour can feel like 86 or 94 depending on what pitch was thrown before it. Sadly very few people even at high levels know how this works.

To pull the ball, we have to hit it out front, which means we have less time. Feels like 92mph So a pitch at the same speed will seem faster inside vs. outside. The same is true up and down! Because of the vertical-horizontal illusion and maybe even gravity, we seem to have more time on low pitches.

Let's Grow!

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

Welcome back to another episode of RAC's Corner! In today's episode, Coach RAC discusses Hard Focus vs Soft Focus.

Look at your screen all at one time. Look at the room you're sitting in. That is soft focus.

Now look at one single object in the room or on your screen. That is Hard focus!

Let's Grow!

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

Welcome back to another episode of RAC's Corner! In today's episode, Coach RAC discusses the D1 or bust mentality.

Coach RAC discusses the D1 or bust mentality at the current home of the reigning national champions LSU at Alex Box stadium.

Very few players are good enough out of high school to play at a place like LSU… so what should you do? Swing by Coach RAC's latest video to find out!

Let's Grow!

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

Welcome back to another episode of RAC's Corner! In today's episode, Coach RAC Discusses 8 Things He Didn't Expect as a Freshman in College.

Swing by Coach RAC's latest video to find out!

Let's Grow!

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

Welcome back to another episode of RAC's Corner! In today's episode, Coach RAC Discusses How You Can Raise Your Batting Average.

How I Raised my Batting Average from .220 to .340 Part of it has been luck, but part of it has been my mental approach over these last few weeks that has taken my batting average from .220 to .340 for the Savannah Bananas.

Swing by Coach RAC's latest video to find out more!

Let's Grow!

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

Welcome back to another episode of RAC's Corner! In today's episode, Coach RAC Discusses his methods for picking pitches.

These are elite pitch-picking tactics that will allow you to pick pitches off most pitchers! It's a lot easier to hit when you know what is coming.

Swing by Coach RAC's latest video to find out more!

Let's Grow!

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

Welcome back to another episode of RAC's Corner! In today's episode, Coach RAC Discusses 3 Unpopular Opinions about Swinging and Missing.

Swinging and missing is bad right?

Striking out looking is bad right?

These are opinions I had growing up, and they seem to be common sense. However, I have since developed 3 unpopular opinions about what makes a great hitter, and I now believe that the best hitters actually swing and miss and strike out looking more than you think. In fact, it might just be part of what makes them so great.

Swing by Coach RAC's latest video to find out more!

Let's Grow!

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

Welcome back to another episode of RAC's Corner! In today's episode, Coach RAC Talks About Flowing Like Water and the benefits it serves. Bruce Lee talks about becoming "like water".

To flow like water on the ball field, we must have a fearless mentality. Any inhibitions will mess with our flow and ultimately mess with our performance.

Swing by Coach RAC's latest video to find out more!

Let's Grow!

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