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Texas Softball Set To Hire Second Assistant Coach | Wednesday 2:15 PM

THookem

By THookem
in On Texas Football Forum

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BornOrange Redshirt

BornOrange

Posted
Posted
19 hours ago, Blake Munroe said:

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 😄

Call one of them Ham and the other one Lam.

That’s worked before.

Deep in the heart All-American

Deep in the heart

Posted
Posted
20 hours ago, Buck Travis said:

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).

Do you have a link to this?

HonkEm Senior

HonkEm

Posted
Posted (edited)
1 minute ago, Deep in the heart said:

The coaches insider link? If so, I got that one too. 👍

yeah.....didn't know if you seen that one...did an edit on my original post

 

Edited by HonkEm
  • Hook 'Em 1
HookemTexas All-American

HookemTexas

Posted
Posted

Coach White has softball set up to be competing for championships for a while.  Expectations have been elevated much like the volleyball team.  Hopefully Coach Bates gets Soccer there and with WBB that takes care of the mandatory women's sports for director's cup.  The men's side have some catching up to do.

HookemDTX All-American

HookemDTX

Posted
Posted
1 minute ago, HookemTexas said:

Coach White has softball set up to be competing for championships for a while.  Expectations have been elevated much like the volleyball team.  Hopefully Coach Bates gets Soccer there and with WBB that takes care of the mandatory women's sports for director's cup.  The men's side have some catching up to do.

T&F and CC on both sides needs to pick it up.

LonghornFan4Ever Lifetime Longhorn

LonghornFan4Ever

Posted
Posted
3 minutes ago, HookemTexas said:

Coach White has softball set up to be competing for championships for a while.  Expectations have been elevated much like the volleyball team.  Hopefully Coach Bates gets Soccer there and with WBB that takes care of the mandatory women's sports for director's cup.  The men's side have some catching up to do.

Coach Metzger already has beach volleyball humming too.

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