There has been a lot said about Josh Donaldson and his swing over the past few years. It’s been dissected, over-analyzed, debated and argued in many online forums, clubhouses and batting cages.
The former American League MVP has made himself a household name because of his performance on the field, but what is even more intriguing is the journey that led him to become one of the most feared hitters in the game.
When you ask around, you will find a lot of people buying what Josh is selling. There are entire hitting philosophies and systems built exclusively around what Josh Donaldson believes in. And on the other side of the spectrum, there are those who believe in what Josh calls the “old school” way of hitting, who despise everything he preaches and can’t stand the sight of another Josh Donaldson instructional video.
By now, I’m sure you’re wondering where I stand on Josh Donaldson and his swing, approach and mindset.
I don’t like it.
I LOVE IT.
Why do I love it? Let me explain.
If you listen carefully (and unbiasedly) to his interviews and what he says to his teammates, he believes 100% that he has found the best way for himself to swing a bat. He acknowledges that he had tried pretty much every other way, without much success, until he found “it.”
The Truth
There isn’t one way to do something, especially hitting a baseball. MLB is littered with hundreds of different body types, athletic abilities, swings and approaches. What may work for one guy, may not work for another. The moment that Josh stopped trying to be like someone else and started to tap into what his body and mind could do, he began to separate himself from the rest of the pack.
But if you pay attention, he’s not doing something with his swing that’s revolutionary.
He’s not the first hitter to learn about rhythm, timing, separation, balance and lining up his body to the point where all he has to do is be on time for the ball to run into his natural swing. But in between the 2012-13 season he found HIS way to be like the best hitters in the league.
There comes a moment in everyone’s career when they have to look themselves in the mirror and decide whether they want to conform to what other’s think they need to be, or fully invest in themselves and find what works best for them.
Early in Donaldson’s career, he didn’t give himself permission to be himself.
In his own words, he was awful.
When he was younger, he had swag. He had what some people called flair to his game. He was confident in his abilities. And because of this, he sometimes rubbed people the wrong way, so he tried to tone it back as much as he could.
But it wasn’t who he was.
So something had to change.
Whether you believe in the changes he made to his swing or not, the bottom line is that we all can agree that he made it a priority to seek out knowledge that would take him to where he wanted to go. As a result of his seeking knowledge, he feels that there are so many things as hitters that we have been taught, that are incorrect. Why? Because they were incorrect for HIM.
But be mindful that the same information that didn’t work for Josh could have helped someone else.
For example, the pictures above show us that Donaldson and another former MVP Mike Trout, get to similar positions with their swing upon contact. But how Donaldson got there differs from how Trout got there.
If you want to succeed in the game of baseball, find out what works best for you. There will be a lot of trial and error, fleeting moments of success and downward spirals of misery. But at the end of the day, if you are in pursuit of mastering what your body and mind can do at the plate, you will reap the benefits of the success that it will bring.
It’s OK To Be Yourself
Josh’s mother told him, “It’s ok to be yourself.” This is tremendous advice coming from a place of love and affection that only a mother can provide.
Here are some thoughts on how you can go about finding out what works best for you:
- Look in the mirror and ask yourself – “Am I swinging my swing, or my instructor’s swing?”
- What are my strengths?
- How do I think I should swing the bat?
- Where do I want to be as a hitter 1, 2, or 4 years from now?
- Which coach can I trust who will be flexible in his philosophy and empower me to become the best version of myself, rather than selling his own one-size-fits-all program?
You only have one chance at this game called baseball, and with hitting being the hardest thing to do in sport, you will want to make sure you are in total control of the information you’re digesting and the subsequent results you’ll produce.
If you find what works for you, don’t ever let it go. Be able to explain in detail WHY it works for you and when people try and poke holes in your theories, don’t defend them, simply give an explanation – just like Josh (and every other good hitter) gives us – on why you are as good as you are.
Remember, hitting is simple. It’s just not that easy.
Love,
KW
For more than a decade, Kevin Wilson has been one of the most respected hitting coaches in the game. He works behind the scenes as a private hitting consultant to some of the best hitters in Major League Baseball. In 2013, Kevin was the hitting coach for the USA Baseball 18U National Team. Team USA beat Japan for the Gold medal at the IBAF World Cup in Taichung, Taiwan.
He is the author of the Amazon #1 Best Sellers The #GoodBatting Book and Finding Clarity: A Mindful Look Into the Art of Hitting and co-hosts a popular podcast, KWB Radio, that showcases unique conversations with the pros. If you want Kevin to speak at your next event or if you want take advantage of his popular 2-day KWB Experience for players and coaches, contact Kevin today!
Follow Kevin on twitter @KWBaseball and visit his website KWBaseball.com