A Guaranteed Way to Get Better

Steve Bernhardt: Building the Better Ballplayer

I don’t have a secret formula for getting faster or throwing harder or hitting with more power. I’m also not going to generically tell you to work harder and subsequently get better. What I am going to do is to offer one piece of advice that I guarantee, if followed, will lead to better results.

What is this great advice?
Keep your eye on the ball.

I know – you heard this in tee ball. It’s elementary. It’s below you as a player. But is it really? Do you properly track each pitch as a hitter? Do you follow ground balls and fly balls into your glove every time?

What I really mean by “keep your eye on the ball” is to improve your head and eye discipline as it relates to all parts of the game. If you consciously work to watch the ball longer at the plate; you will have more success as a hitter. If you work to track the ball all the way to the glove; you will be a better defensive player. If you, as a pitcher, lock your head and eyes on the target earlier and keep them there longer, you will throw more strikes. If catchers will lock their eyes on their target at second base earlier and infielders will lock on the first baseman earlier after fielding ground balls; their throws will be consistently more accurate.

I don’t have proof of the old saying, “your head is the heaviest part of your body,” but I do know that where your head goes…your body follows. When a hitter “pulls” his head, his front shoulder and hips follow the head and open early. The result is a poor mechanical swing that rarely results in a hit. When a right handed pitcher’s head leans to the first base side, his shoulders and hips also open early. This usually results in a bad pitch, strain on the arm or both.

It may be simple, but watching the ball longer at the plate and in the field and seeing the target longer when pitching or making a throw will immediately make you a better player. I guarantee it!


Bernhardt played for five years in the Colorado Rockies organization. As Executive VP of Baseball Operations at Baseball Factory, he oversees all events and instruction. Bernhardt currently serves as an Associate Scout with the Colorado Rockies. He received his B.S. from the University of Richmond where he was an All-Conference player.