When it comes to learning how to get better at the plate, there are an overwhelming number of options to choose from. Players and parents can feel like they’re drowning in a sea of information, unsure of what’s truly important and what’s just surface-level filler. A simple Google search returns millions of results, while YouTube offers nearly endless videos to watch. This amount of information can be paralyzing, leading to inaction—and inaction doesn’t produce results in the batter’s box.
To solve this problem and make life easier for hitters everywhere, WIN Reality is introducing Training Tracks. This program is uniquely designed to put players on a path to improving the most important aspects of their hitting approach.
Above all else, this new program was created so that players know exactly what to work on next, and extract everything they can out of their WIN Reality membership. So with that said, let’s get into the what, the why, and the how of Training Tracks.
What do Training Tracks look like?
Training Tracks are five-week programs that include recommended workouts, VR drills, exhibition modes, and even live competitions! Each individual session will last at least ten minutes, making it easy for players to get through their work throughout the week. We’ve found that this timeline allows hitters to fully embrace new concepts, make necessary adjustments, and improve, without the risk of boredom or stagnation creeping in.
There are two ways to get started, however we highly recommend beginning with the guided assessment for two reasons:
1. Taking the assessment gives us an immediate understanding of their strengths and weaknesses. This removes any guesswork and is critical to ensure that we put them on the right Training Track.
2. It provides us with a baseline so we can accurately track their overall improvement. In time, this will allow us to make increasingly better recommendations as our platform advances and learns more about them.
After completing the assessment, WIN Reality’s dynamic recommendation system will analyze the results, and start hitters on the area that shows the most room for improvement. Alternatively, if they already have a gameplan in mind, players can select from one of our three generalized Training Tracks.
- Timing: Be On Time, All the Time. Master the rhythm and timing necessary to crush high velocity while dominating the offspeed. In this Training Track, players will be graded by their On-Time Rate.
- Vision: Win the Zone. Our Vision Track trains hitters to identify pitch types as quickly as possible, and develop their understanding of the Strike Zone. The defining metric here for players is their Swing Decision score.
- Power: Swing Hard, and Do Damage. The Power track helps players perfect their swing mechanics, and how to approach each at-bat with controlled aggression. Hitters should strive for high Exit Velocities in this track.
These three areas form the foundation of our Training Tracks because we know from extensive experience in baseball and player development that they’re absolutely critical to success for any and all hitters. As players progress through the Training Tracks, they’ll rotate through each one, and be exposed to new challenges, harder competition, and situations that put their skills to the test.
Why have the Training Tracks been structured this way?
Over the last five years, through the millions of pitches that have been seen in WIN Reality, we’ve learned that consistency is the key to improvement. Hitters who practice for 20 minutes a day at least three times a week see significant performance increases compared to those who train sparingly and sporadically.
While players are in a Training Track, the most important thing is to just see pitches. Every pitch they see, every sequence they’re exposed to, and every pitcher they face provides valuable data they can deploy later in real-game situations. The extra work put in behind the scenes when nobody is watching is what shows up when it’s their time to deliver.
If taken seriously and done regularly, our Training Tracks will make hitters incrementally better each and every week. They shouldn’t worry about being inch perfect, or scoring 100% in every training mode. As long as they are training consistently and putting in the effort, the results will follow.
How do hitters progress through the Training Tracks?
Each week, hitters will be expected to complete four sessions that will develop their skill set in the specific Training Track they’ve been recommended (timing, vision, or power).
- Workouts: This is where players should kick-off their work within the Training Track. These workouts have been designed to teach specific concepts which become increasingly more difficult, allowing players to showcase their mastery of timing, vision, and power.
- Exhibition Mode: Here, hitters will be placed into a game-like environment, and be asked to step up and succeed in specific situations. With varying degrees of pitcher difficulty available, hitters should try to work their way up the ladder and beat the best of the best.
- VR Drill Work: In VR Drill sessions, hitters will work on tracking pitches across different practice modes that are available within WIN Reality’s platform. One week a player may be asked to correctly identify pitch type and location, while another will be tracking pitches that disappear when they get close to home plate.
- Live Competitions: This is where the competitive spirit comes alive. Hitters will compete against other WIN Reality athletes in real-time, putting their new-found skills to the test and working their way up the leaderboards. Live Competitions are designed to simulate the pressure and intensity of real-game situations. As they climb the rankings, they’ll earn bragging rights, but more importantly, prove to themselves that their hard work is paying off.
During the training, progress can be tracked in the WIN Reality mobile app, and we’ll also reach out through email to keep players and parents up to date with what they’ve accomplished, and what’s still left to be done.
All that’s left is to get started and get after it! WIN Reality users can log into their headset and select the guided assessment from the WIN Reality menu. However for those still looking to get their own membership, there’s no better time to get started than today. Don’t wait to start the journey to becoming a better hitter, just click here to build a personalized WIN Reality plan!
