Pro Blogs | DuraHit+Unlock Your Hitting Confidence

By Greg Brown, Former MLB Hitting Coach & Co-Founder, Florida Baseball Ranch

One of the biggest breakthroughs a player can have is understanding who they are at the plate. Too many players chase someone else’s swing, someone else’s stats, someone else’s approach. But at the highest levels of baseball, it’s a player’s understanding of their identity that promotes higher performance and wins.

Three Types of Hitters We See at The Florida Baseball Ranch

From amateur to professional hitters, we’ve seen it firsthand at the Florida Baseball Ranch that hitters fall into one of three natural identities. This isn’t a matter of which identity is better—instead, it’s about the ownership players can take in their identity and training accordingly.

• The Slugger
• The Grinder
• The Gamer

The Slugger

Mindset: “I’m here to do damage.”

• Looks to hit the ball hard, early in the count
• Thrives on aggression and confidence
• Usually posts high exit velocities and slugging numbers
• May struggle when over-aggressive

How to Train:

• Fastball and spin hunting in training environments
• Zone/lanes drills—learning to control aggression in specific pitch windows
• Build decision-making to balance power with discipline

Pro Examples: Think of guys like Aaron Judge or Cal Raleigh who can change the game with one swing, and they do it with loud contact.

The Grinder

Mindset: “I’ll wear you down and find a way to get it done.”

• Sees a ton of pitches
• Values contact and battles
• Smart approach, hits to all fields
• May not light up the exit velocities on batted balls but finds barrels consistently

How to Train:

• Competitive BP with count leverage
• Two-strike approach games
• Strike zone training—getting swings off on B+ pitches instead of hunting A+ pitches only

Pro Examples: Dustin Pedroia, Luis Arraez, Stephen Kwan—hitters who are relentless and trust their bat control.

The Gamer

Mindset: “Whatever it takes to win this AB.”

• May not have a textbook swing but thrives in-game
• Performs better in live at-bats than in cage work
• High “Baseball IQ”—adjusts on the fly, situationally aware
• Often undervalued in metrics but crucial to winning baseball

How to Train:

• Game-like environments—variability and chaos
• Decision-making and adjustability work
• Don’t over-coach mechanics—support their confidence and instincts

Pro Examples: Think Jose Altuve, Brandon Crawford, and David Eckstein—unorthodox, but tough as nails when it counts.

Why Identity Unlocks Confidence

When a hitter trains who they actually are, not who they think they should be, everything changes. Confidence improves. Training becomes clearer. And in the box, they stop second-guessing and start attacking.

How to Discover Your Hitter Identity

Ask yourself (or your player):

• What are my typical outcomes?
• Do I shine in practice, games, or both?
• Do I feel more confident when attacking or reacting?
• What do I do in training that’s not translating to games that I should eliminate to focus more on my strengths?
• Do I watch video to help identify opportunities for growth or roadmaps to get back on track?
• Do I understand data and how it can enhance my performance from training to approach?
• What hitters do you watch to learn from?

Here at the Florida Baseball Ranch, we want our hitters to be honest with themselves and create real dialogue to identify opportunities to help them achieve their goals by aligning their identity with their training and approach.

Final Thought: Be the Best Version of You

There’s no one swing, one style, or one mindset that works for every hitter. Your job is to discover your identity, train with purpose, and compete with conviction. That’s the blueprint—not just for hitting, but for influencing winning.

Identify who you are.
Develop accordingly.
Win Every Pitch.

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Greg Brown is a former MLB hitting coach and co-founder of the Florida Baseball Ranch. His player development systems have contributed to World Series runs and national championships.