Joe Mannarino

If you've typed "softball hitting lessons near me" into Google, you're probably a parent trying to help your daughter break out of a slump, or a player who knows her swing needs work but isn't sure where to start. Here's what separates a good hitting lesson from one that's just batting practice with feedback — and why Albany Softball Training was built around that difference. Softball Hitting Lessons Near Me Start With a Real Swing Evaluation Before any drills happen, a hitting lesson should...

A Parent's Guide to the Recruiting Process One of the questions I hear most from parents is: "Should my daughter start playing in college showcase tournaments now that she's on a 16U travel team?" It's a great question—and one that doesn't have the same answer for every athlete. If your daughter is playing on a first-year 16U team competing primarily at the B level, my advice is usually this: Slow down and focus on development before exposure. That may sound surprising, especially with social...

Every parent who brings their daughter to a hitting lesson asks some version of the same question: "How do we get her swinging harder?" The answer is almost never "swing harder." After 13+ years coaching travel softball — including running our Westland Hills 16U program — the hitters who add real bat speed are the ones who fix sequencing, not effort. Here's what actually moves the needle. It Starts From the Ground Up Bat speed is a whole-body problem before it's a bat problem. Hitters who...