Hitting Instructor Billy Johnson

Send me a emme.

Can I presume you son is NOT hitting with wood?

cheers
Bear

Bear,

I have snet you a PM. Nick

Nick, one back at you!

Bear you have a PM!!

One back at you!

For what it's worth, this is what I know.

Like with most instructors, I know people in the baseball world that love him and those who think his style of hitting (rotational) is only for certain types of players.

LJ Hoes (former St. Johns HS standout, 3 time All-Met selection, and '08 Balt O's draftee) was and is a student of his.

I've never met the man, but I've heard he's a nice guy. I've watched players play who are students of his, as my son played with several of them. The stronger players physically, do well; however, those who are not as physically strong, struggle with rotational style of hitting.

It never hurts to try something out, and if it isn't a fit, to move on.

I personally like Derrick Hacopian of Maryland Baseball Academy (Gaithersburg, MD) or Matt Knox of Elite Baseball of Lancaster Pennsylvania http://www.elitebaseballoflancaster.com/. Neither teach rotational hitting, although that doesn't mean RH won't work for you. Again, I use LJ as a prime example of a player who prospered under Mr. Johnson's direction.

Peace and God's Blessings...
Shane

LJ went to him but he didn't use his system. I don't see how every player has the same exact stance that he teaches.

quote:

Originally posted by coach scoop:
LJ went to him but he didn't use his system. I don't see how every player has the same exact stance that he teaches.

All I know is that if you talk to LJ or his father Jerome, they both endorse Mr. Johnson as do many others, and LJ saw him on a regular basis.

If LJ has recently changed his position on Mr. Johnson's system, then I stand corrected.

Under the coaching of Mark Gibbs (head coach of St Johns HS in DC) LJ might have changed his mechanics, as Mark and his father are very good coaches, however, I wouldn't know. I know that coach Gibbs preached solid fundamentals at the plate when my son attended SJ.

With that said, I agree with you. Personally, I don't like the hands low, upper-cut swing, unless you're Ted Williams or Barry Bonds. I've seen some players with great tools and potential, really struggle with this type of hitting. I overheard one DI coach say "We were really high on (player's name withheld here) but after seeing him take BP it's obvious he goes to BJ, and that really makes me nervous." That particular school never contacted said prospect again.

On the other hand, I've seen two other players (not LJ) crush the ball on a regular basis and accredit their talent and success to BJ. Both boys are 6'2+ and over 200 lbs. With my limited knowledge, it seems that the stronger players with good bat speed can make RH work. Other players with avgerage size, strength and bat speed (when I say average I'm talking colligiate level average or high level high school player types)struggle.

Peace and God's Blessings...
Shane

My son went to Derek Hacopian and really liked him.

However, we tried Larry Sheets and my son related to his style a little better.

Hitting instructors are very personal from what I have seen.

Bill

From my experience, I know and have had Billy J down to Nashville for some hitting clinics along with Dean W of southwest Va, I work with both of these guys with kids and my kid espically. I want to correct one thing that was posted on here. Bj does not teach rotational. His methods gives you power and a chance to hit the ball on a line. BJ is in constant communication with the MLB hitters. Everything he teaches comes from experience.
Something else needs to be noted is somone said a big kid really does do well with this. Big kids are stronger and in baseball and fastpitch the big kids do hit the ball harder. Small frame kids do well with what he shows them, a line drive is more productive than a grounder.
Just talk to BJ and he will explain everything behind what he is doing with your kid. There is a reason he is booked and they fly in from different parts of the country to see him. They also drive down from Boston.

Several SJHC players have gone to Billy including Matt Mack, Scott Silverstein and Jerome Hoes, Jr. Billy does teach one stance for all with a "flat bat swing" approach. His approach was modified/dropped by the players noted above -- cookie cutter approach does not work with hitters. Very nice guy -- he also evaluates talent for the Blue Gray Baseball Camps......

Personally, I would never take my player to see Billy Johnson. His method of hitting just doesn't work for everyone. The VERY BEST that I've ever seen is Matt Schilling at the Baseball Factory in Columbia. I've seen lots of guys talk about hitting but Schill takes what a player brings, identifies flaws quickly, applies drills for correction, and you see immediate improvement. Spend your money where you want, waste it where you will, but Schill is THE BEST!

Jerome and a White sox player worked with Billy this past month. So if he did change he changed back. The flat swing gives feet instead of inches to hit the ball, Also the flat swing gets the ball on a line drive. We all will not agree on who is the best out there. I do respect everyones input, from reading what you guys have posted. Nothing but first class adn some good feed back from every one on here.
This is some of the stuff you get and reasons why.

Wide Stance- keeps the hips under control, more leverage, Open hips makes it real hard to hit the outide. Hips stay out of it until your almost at impact.
Hands drop or start in the middle- bat straight up and down. This is the fastest way to any pitch, no downward swings, straight to it.
If your right handed, the left leads the butt to the ball, right catches up and passes on the bottom at impact.

Once the ball is as close to the plate as possible, the bat is lagged, which means you still have not used any power until the ball is ready to attack.

Extension- to where the ball is pitched, if it is down the middle, the full extension straight back to the where the ball is. More power, better chance to hit.

It may not be for everyone, really just from what my kid and kids that see me, I have not seen any player both FP and BB hit the ball harder. Garret Sanderson is a 12 year old in Rotary here in Nashville, He broke the HR record for the park last spring. He is strong and big, but he went from 6 HR last year to 23 this past season. The swing BJ teaches does work. BJ is constant communication with guys like Jim Edmonds, Matt Holiday, Tony Gwin, etc. He does know his stuff. I am sure the Schill is a Great. What I see is how kids relate to the person means alot.

I have witnessed many of BJ's sessions as my son swears by BJ and his methodology. Billy Johnson is a reputable hitting instructor as is so many others but sometimes a player needs a BJ but how can you know if you don't go.

We travel over an hour to get to BJ cause my boy has seen the power in his teachings.

My suggestion is to contact BJ and see if you can even get any time with him...The man has a full book! You can not go on other people's words you need to go by your own experience to know the truth for you.

I took all of my sons to Billy.  I have recommended him to others and have had only one who went to another and quickly to no one.  I sat through many sessions with Mack, LJ Hoes, along with LJ's father.  I also was there and watched Justin Maxwell (Maxwell has since changed, don't know for the better though).  Justin, when he was signed by the Nats, was very happy with what BJ did for him.  LJ's father was very pleased and so was LJ with what BJ was doing.  I can assure you that Gibbs didn't change anything that BJ worked with LJ on.  It was clear when he went there that Gibbs wasn't to change anything and if he did they would have one less player on the team.  Gibbs had no control over LJ.  The same can't be said about a couple of other players who were forced to  stop going to BJ.  This isn't unusual though.  High School coaches are notorious for wanting all the credit and control of players for the short time they are in high school regardless of how it affects the player.  He doesn't teach rotational hitting, BJ and I talked about that. 

 

I don't know if BJ is the best, I do know that at least one of those mentioned by others as a good alternative worked with a friend of mine's son and he left because there were no results and no relationship.  This boy went to BJ and loved what he did for him.  He led his JV team and was second in BA on his varsity, along with the most xtraBH and the coach told him if he didn't stop he would be benched.  So, you have to excuse me if I don't have high school coaches in high esteem.  All of my son's prospered.  One in particular was in the top three in the county in HR, 3B, 2B, and 6th in BA when his coach decided he didn't like his hitting style and wanted him to hit like Chuck Knoblaugh.  He promptly went 0-7.

 

I can't say how your son, or if you will do well, but I can say that for me and those I interacted with they liked the results he got.

 

Not even sure if he is still at the barn.  It has been a few years since I was there.