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I think Mike White made two home run hires

For those who like to geek out on teaching hitting technique, here you go: Amber Freeman shares practical hitting drills primarily through The Art of Coaching Softball (where she contributed content around 2020 while at Vanguard University) and coaching education platforms like Coaches Insider. Her drills align with her philosophy of simplifying swings, generating power through proper mechanics (especially extension), building individualized plans, and understanding swing planes.Here are the main hitting drills directly associated with her: 1. Extension Drill (Her Daily Staple) Purpose: Develop full arm extension through contact for maximum power and to drive the ball to the gaps or over the fence. Freeman emphasizes that “extension is power” and calls this a hitting staple she uses with athletes every single day. How to perform (based on her video demonstration): Hitter starts in their normal stance and goes through their full swing sequence/load/stride/rotation as usual. Instead of following through completely, stop/freeze at the point of full extension right after contact. At the freeze point, the barrel should be pointing directly at the pitcher (or straight ahead through the hitting zone). Focus on staying long through the ball rather than cutting the swing short. Repeat for reps, emphasizing controlled power and proper sequencing. Key coaching points from Freeman: Getting to full extension helps hitters develop power. It counters the misconception that a big, loopy swing is needed for distance—simpler, extended mechanics work better.Where to see it: Search Facebook for “Extension Drill - The Art of Coaching Softball” (video posted March 2020 with Freeman demonstrating). 2. Swing Planes Drill / Awareness (Uppercut vs. Flat) Purpose: Help hitters understand and optimize their natural swing plane to match pitch locations and maximize contact/power.Key concepts Freeman teaches: There are uppercut swingers and flat swingers. Uppercut swingers generally perform better on pitches down in the zone. Flat swingers generally perform better on pitches up in the zone. The goal is to stay in the right plane for the situation rather than forcing one style. She demonstrates with video examples and explains specific hitting drills tailored to each type of swinger to reinforce the correct plane.How it’s typically practiced: Hitters take swings (tee, soft toss, or machine) while focusing on plane awareness. Coaches or hitters analyze whether the swing is naturally uppercutting or flattening out. Drills adjust hand path, launch angle, or contact point to reinforce the desired plane for different pitch heights/locations. Where to see it: Search “Understanding Swing Planes with Amber Freeman” on Coaches Insider or Instagram (softballcoachesinsider account). It includes video breakdown and drill recommendations. 3. Separation Drill (Swing Breakdown) Purpose: Isolate and strengthen the early phases of the swing, particularly engaging the backside (loading/separation) before the front side fires. This helps hitters feel proper sequencing and prevents front-side dominance.How it works (from descriptions in the same coaching series): Break the swing into phases. Focus on the load/separation portion: Create separation between the upper and lower body, engaging the back hip/shoulder while keeping the front side quiet initially. Hitters often start with a paused or controlled movement to feel the backside leading the swing. Progress to full swings or live reps while maintaining that feel. Freeman breaks down the swing this way to help hitters understand and own each part of their mechanics. Where to see it: Related content appears in The Art of Coaching Softball videos (search “Separation hitting drill” on their Facebook page). Additional Methods from Freeman’s Approach While not always named “drills,” these are core to her hitting instruction (drawn from her interviews and success developing power hitters like Sydney Stewart): Machine Work (eHack or similar): Program specific pitchers into hitting machines and take full at-bats. This builds pitch recognition and approach in a controlled environment. Zone/Targeting Work: Identify each hitter’s strengths/weaknesses and “particular zone.” Practice hunting pitches in their hot zones with a specific plan (count leverage, pitch selection). Simplified Mechanics Reps: Focus on clean, repeatable swings rather than complex movements—especially for power hitters. These drills and methods contributed to major offensive improvements at Arizona (top Big 12 offense with multiple high-average/power hitters). Tips for implementation: Start with the Extension Drill daily—it’s simple, effective, and reinforces power. Film swings to check planes and extension. Individualize: Not every hitter needs the same emphasis (e.g., power hitters vs. slap hitters). Most of Freeman’s content is video-based for visual learning. Search the titles above on Facebook, Instagram, or Coaches Insider for the demonstrations. Her content is also part of broader The Art of Coaching Softball libraries (some behind membership).

It could be a coaching 3peat.

Happy Birthday CJ! Safe travels and cheers to another year of awesome football coverage and a Texas natty 🤘🏼

Happy Birthday, CJ!

Bill Simmons and J. Kyle Mann on Swain:

Agreed. Hated reading that just a few minutes after he posted it.

Looks like another great hire by Coach White.

Is that the same Vanguard that is an investment company? 🤣 I have heard of the company.

Prayers to a speedy recovery for Matt

Eh, what do you know Hank? LOL.

I love this hire and I'm a huge fan of the Fremin hire as well. Fremin and Freeman. I bet that won't get confusing 😄

Sounds like a tremendous hire and addition to staff. Now we have Coach Fremin and Coach Freeman-Carrington.

In a 34-man roster era, almost all depth is going to have to come from your HS class. The days of the bench being stacked with guys that would start at other SEC schools are over.

As first reported by Softball America, Texas Softball is set to hire Arizona's Amber Freeman to fill it's second coaching vacancy. Freeman was hired at Arizona in August 2024 as an assistant coach, working primarily with the Wildcats’ hitters and catchers. In her first season, Arizona had the best offense in the Big 12, leading the conference in batting average, home runs, on-base percentage, RBI, scoring, slugging, total runs and triples. In 2026, she helped Arizona hit .340, a mark that ranked third in the Big 12 and 10th in single-season program history. Before Arizona, Freeman had stops at Georgia, Cal and Vanguard, and is part of the USA Softball coaching pool. At Georgia, she helped the Bulldogs go 43-19 and reach a Super Regional while producing one of the nation’s top power offenses, and before that she helped Cal reach the NCAA Tournament after going 35-21-1. Freeman is the second hire this offseason for Head Coach Mike White, as White hired Rick Fremin just a little over a week ago.

Doug Dawson would be in my top 10.

As a player: https://thesundevils.com/sports/softball/roster/player/amber-freeman

Prayers up for Matt. Hes a Longhorn fan too 🤘🏼

Bio: https://arizonawildcats.com/sports/softball/roster/coaches/amber-freeman/6231

Leonard Davis and Mike Williams deserve some mentions here IMO. Historically underrated bc they didn’t play on great teams and didn’t start every year. I think Trevor Goosby might be in that category, too.

Greedy Haugs for NIL

Counter point to this could be the success and support the Canes have had in Raleigh in the middle of the CBB holy land without taking away from NC State or any of the other teams.

Kept scrolling, waiting for this one.

Brutal.