Nick Zona

Turn your setbacks into comebacks.

Watch a big leaguer during tee work or front toss. They’re rarely trying to hit every ball as hard as they can. They’re refining mechanics, finding the barrel, and making the adjustments they need. Once the movement is right, then the intent and intensity build.

The biggest differences between young hitters and professionals is the intensity they bring to a hitting session Young players want to swing at 100% from the first pitch. Most pros don’t. They use the early part of the session to dial in movement, timing with low effort levels

Your body movement creates your bat path. He stays coiled over the back leg while moving forward under control. Then he rotates from the middle as the front foot lands, and the barrel can slot earlier, stay on plane longer, and produce more consistent damage.

Most hitters get this wrong. They chase intensity before perfecting the movement If your swing falls apart at 50% effort, it won’t hold up at 100%. Slow it down. Build the movement first. Then gradually add intent. Speed exposes flaws.

Watch how the barrel works around his body and slots behind his back shoulder instead of being pushed to the ball. That keeps the barrel on plane longer, creating more adjustability, consistent contact, and elite power.

One of the biggest mistakes hitters make is trying to swing harder before they can move efficiently. Build the movement. Repeat it. Then layer on speed. Quality movement is what gives you a repeatable bat path—not maximum effort

This is why I don’t ask hitters to go full speed when learning a new movement. If the movement breaks down at 50%, it definitely won’t hold up at 100%. Slow the swing down. Own the movement first. Then gradually add intent.

If your bat path works down and across the baseball, you’ll struggle to stay on plane. Here’s why this happens—and why trying to swing harder usually makes it worse. 🧵

Good posture improves your adjustability. If your posture breaks down, it’s much harder to get to pitches at the top or bottom of the zone. Better posture gives you more coverage, better swing decisions, and more consistent contact.

Casey Schmitt (7.6 swing length) vs. Luis Arraez (5.9). Schmitt maintains more barrel depth, keeping the barrel on plane longer and creating more power. Arraez is more direct to the ball, maximizing contact and limiting strikeouts.

Keep your chest facing the dugout as long as you can to stay sideways, keep the barrel working through the zone, and create adjustability. Let the barrel work first, then let your body rotate through.

It’s about identifying the root cause, understanding the athlete in front of you, and building a plan that improves movement—not just mechanics. That’s where I believe real player development begins, and it’s the foundation I try to build with every hitter I work with.

Before I prescribe a single drill, I ask questions. What are you trying to feel? What are you thinking during your swing? Understanding the hitter’s intent helps me communicate in a way that makes sense to them instead of forcing my language onto their swing.

When a hitter starts working with me, I’m not looking for 20 different flaws. I’m looking for a few key things that tell me where we should start. Here’s my evaluation process: 🧵