Teacherman: Legit Or Not? - Pro Hitter Breaks Down His Methods

In this video I break down the methods of popular hitting guru “Teacherman”.
I go over some of his instructional videos and explain what’s good, what’s bad, and why.
I also talk about some of his more well-known hitting clients and why some have had success and others have not.
Are you a high school player looking who wants former pro players and D1 coaches to guide you through your recruiting process?
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#hittingcoach #teacherman91 #hittingtips #hittingdrills #hittingtraining

[@peytonthalman888]

I've hit with rich in person 3 separate times. It really comes down to stretching your body between 2 pivot points (back leg and hands) and then rapidly releasing that tension. It helped me a ton to get the feel that I am swinging "down" my back versus up out in front. When you get the leg tension right on your rear leg, stay back, and think swing down, the "snap" will take care of itself. Paddle bats are great for learning it

[@bobho-un7be]

I play high school baseball. Teacherman helped me increase my average from less than .100 to .295.

[@EliteSportsAdvisingESA]

Glad it helped you. Just keep monitoring your swings development.

[@bobho-un7be]

@@EliteSportsAdvisingESA Will do.

[@rafaelc.1410]

Aaron Judge completely changed his swing and it benefited him. He’s been working with Judge since 2018. I’ve only seen Judge get better and not worse like you say.

[@knot5150]

Post video evidence of what you are coaching he has hundreds of videos breakdowns of what he is saying from all the top hitters and they all are doing basically some version of what he’s coaching. From Judge,Manny, Kerry Carpenter, Barry and even Ted Williams. Even in Japan they are teaching one legged swing and seem to be taking over baseball considering they have won the world baseball classic 2 times in a row.

[@TGJS22]

Maybe if you worked with teacherman you wouldn’t be a “former” pro player

[@MIllerBaseball-e8y]

Exactly!!!! The guys are funny. They stand and defend what they were taught, even though it failed them. They never open their eyes to the possibility that there may possibly be a better way. Ask Bryce Harper. He became HLP 2 years ago and won the MVP again. His ego was not too big to know he could get better - but these young minor leaguers think they know everything. Funny and sad at the same time.

[@EliteSportsAdvisingESA]

Notice I never said his drills/hitting mechanics can't work for everyone. There are guys with steeper paths that will benefit from what he teaches. But if you take a guy with a big VBA to do what he teaches it will not help.

[@EliteSportsAdvisingESA]

I definitely had a steeper swing and probably could have benefited from some of his drills due to that inefficiency. Never said that all of his stuff doesn't work. Just won't work for certain types of hitters.

[@MIllerBaseball-e8y]

@@EliteSportsAdvisingESA Attack Angle is not what he teaches. My son is a college player - 155lbs 5'10. he is a contact hitter. Has been HLP for 8 years. It works for all players. It has 0 to do with Attack Angle. Your basing that off of exaggerated drills used to get a feel of the rear leg releasing. The bat launches from behind the leg, but it can even be a flat path and be HLP depending on the location of the ball. Why not take Rich up on his invitation to go work with him and learn what HLP is?

[@povertygarage705]

​@MIllerBaseball-e8y This exactly. People see him doing the wall drill and think he's teaching an extreme bat angle only swing for every pitch. The wall drill is only to teach how to have a parallel bath path up the middle without rolling over or cutting across in front. I think many people forget that a ball thrown across the knee/thigh is a strike. If you're not getting behind a pitch like that, you're gonna flare it for a dink hit to the edge of the grass or just hammer it into the dirt.

[@Smi77y1]

I’m teaching his swing to my 11u team. We went 26-9 averaging 10 hits per game. It works. Have to really understand all the pieces to it. His program is worth the buy.

[@EliteSportsAdvisingESA]

I'm glad its working for your team. But, professionally I don't consider at 11u team's performance as proof that something will work at a high level for the majority of hitters that do it.

[@Smi77y1]

@@EliteSportsAdvisingESA of course. But there’s countless proof it works at every level.

[@slpeteyAZ]

I’ve been doing research on his methods. I’ve come to the conclusion his techniques are legit. Teacherman has said he works with many MLB players confidentially because their organizations wouldn’t approve it. Just old school knowledge resisting a better way.

[@EliteSportsAdvisingESA]

But that doesn't make sense because MLB has totally embraced analytics and many coaches who are not old-school type instructors. So with all that information why has he not been given a job with an organization who would want an edge over the other teams?

[@MIllerBaseball-e8y]

@@EliteSportsAdvisingESA As stated above, he publicly has said he does not want a job with a org... Another reason is his polarizing persona on twitter. He criticizes many orgs and their coaches - including the Yankees.... He could care less - its about making his players the best in the game.

[@povertygarage705]

​@EliteSportsAdvisingESA Most of the guys that are super into the analytics are focusing on the wrong thing. They look at exit velocity and things like that. There are tons of guys that can hit 100+ EV but can't hit in the majors. What Rich focuses on is how quickly the barrel can be launched and put into plane early in the zone. Look up footage of your favorite pros and pay attention to what happens early in their swing. The best guys will damn near hit the catcher's glove with their bat because they're turning the barrel so early. Their are other trainers that teach this same thing. Rich just has his own methods and glossary of terms.

[@MIllerBaseball-e8y]

@@povertygarage705 Absolutely. Rich called out the EV LA fad in 2016-2017 I believe, which is when I started getting into HLP. Its right on his old website and guys like Body and Longsworth made fun of him - now, its all true. The barrel depth is one piece of HLP, but there are many others. His whole thing about hit the catcher was ridiculed by the Frye boys, but they refuse to listen. 90 degrees to the forearm is what Rich has always preached and often the others will cause barrel dump because they are parallel to the forearm.

[@jjoddo4530]

Garbage click bait talking in circles. I'll stick with the other guy

[@20byrd]

The only way these bottom feeder, no-name "coaches" get clicks is to use teacherman's name in their video titles.

[@EliteSportsAdvisingESA]

Nothing click bait about it. I said his drills will work for players with steeper paths 100%.

[@hyperkoala1758]

You threw out a baseless "guess" evidence against teacher man with another player who succeeded with teacherman (nicely done Techerman, you got him a 30mm contract) then you go on to talk about how when he got up to the majors struggled, blaming Teacherman, in your words "guessing" it was due to Teacherman instruction. Typical strawman argument from the gate keepers. Show me video of this guy's swing before, and now. Also, you go on to talk about mental approach and how that play a huge part into a players success. Fully agree! Perhaps the guy hitting tanks in the minors who failed in the majors blew his mental approach and I'm "guessing" his Major League hitting coaches changed him to jump on his front leg and undid what made him successful. That is a more common occurance. Blaming Teacherman without evidence is pretty pathetic on your part.

[@hyperkoala1758]

Since my first comment got deleted, I'll add it again here. Look at any barry bonds slow motion swing and watch his shoulder stay over his hip at all times, no separation at all. You say hip shoulder separation is critical 1:20. Show yourself breaking down a Barry swing with hip\shoulder separation.

[@EliteSportsAdvisingESA]

Never deleted your comment so don't know why it would have disappeared. I even said that his drills will work for guys that have a steeper type swing. You're mistaking what I said about separation. Its not about the shoulder staying over the hip, it's about the hips rotating separate of the shoulders. The hips rotate as the shoulder adjust to the plane of the pitch and rotate. I'd be glad to break down a Barry Bonds swing and show you what I mean.

[@povertygarage705]

@EliteSportsAdvisingESA I just watched a Barry Bonds slow motion video, and his hips don't separate from his shoulders. He gets a stretch across his body from his front toe to his back elbow while his hip stays closed and coiled on his back leg. When he initiates his swing, the shoulders rotate, and his hips pop open simultaneously as he whips the barrel.

[@YouMama1777]

The most important aspect of his teaching(for me) is having the weight on the back leg. Sitting down in the hip and rotating on the ball of the femur. Slightly leaning forward as you sit. And swinging out from your body and not around the body ... the "snap" thing. I can make it work but I also get the same results by just pulling the bat down w the top hand and throwing my hands towards 2nd base. If you do that w no stride your hands go towards second and the swing feels like you are reaching out towards 2nd. But If you do that with a stride toward the pitcher w your weight back. Your swing is normal. *I agree that everyone's base swing is different. Bodies are different. Flexibility. Strength.

[@brothert-nc]

Good vid. It’s hilarious to see all the comments who have bought into tm that are so sensitive to any criticism.

[@EliteSportsAdvisingESA]

It’s a bit incriminating.

[@MIllerBaseball-e8y]

Ok Kyle. You spent 7 years in the minor leagues and never made it to the MLB. In 7 years, you hit a total of 13 home runs - lol. With a career OPS in the minors of .739. Maybe, just maybe, what you were being taught and what you believe is right, is not right. LOL. Rich studied all of the methods of hitting with many different coaches and methodologies - he, just like me, saw they did not help most players. Rich coaches the best hitter in the MLB - let that sink in. He has a 19th rounder who was never supposed to make it to the MLB, made it and it one of the best hitters on the Tigers. You mention some of his hitters did not have success with HLP? Do share those names and how long and often they worked with Rich... What is funny, is you do not even know what HLP or what he teaches. Jeese, before you put a video up, learn what it is he teaches. Many drills he shows are exaggerated for teaching purposes. Many drills are isolated to build one part of the swing. He has dozes and dozens of pro players he works with. D1 baseball and D1 SEC softball programs use him. But ok, lets listen to some dude who hit 13 homes runs and never made it out of the minors... LOL!!!!

[@EliteSportsAdvisingESA]

I have watched his videos extensively and know what he teaches. How long did you spend in the minor leagues? You bring up homeruns but I was not a power hitter. I was a speed guy and power was always my worst tool. That being said I mentioned that his drills would probably work for guys with steeper swings like myself. As for hitters that have worked with him and not done well, I won't say their names because that's not my business. I played with many of them over my career and most of them did not turn into superstars. This is the problem though. A guy like me who hit .290 in professional baseball, majority of the time in AAA, get told that I have no idea what I'm talking about even when I lived it. I must have missed the part where Rich played in the big leagues so his points must be valid?

[@MIllerBaseball-e8y]

@@EliteSportsAdvisingESA Watching a few videos is not going to get what he teaches. It took me and my son months until we felt it and it could not have been achieved by watching a few videos. Its a process. A methodology with steps to it. All hitters, contact, power, anything will 100% benefit from having more time to make a decision, If, When and Where to swing. That is what HLP does. Steeper swings? Makes zero difference. There have been some players who worked with him a few times and did not get results - a few times are not going to cut it. It will take a few months to get it - that is what I have seen and heard anyways. The ones with the best success have worked with him and on HLP for 3+ months. Will it make everyone a MLB player? Absolutely not! It is just one element of hitting. As for Rich playing in the MLB, it irrelevant. He taught multiple players from college and minor leagues and got them to the MLB with his methodology. Playing has 0 to do with teaching hitting mechanics. How about Latte, Wallenbrock, Van Scoyoc? They were never pros, but they have got a lot of players to the MLB. Trust me when I tell you this (your young), Open your Mind, do not criticize something because it is different than what you were taught. The best players in the game have open minds and do not feel you needed to play to understand hitting. Ask Ramirez. Ask Harper. Ask Judge. Ask Carpenter, Ask Rizzo...... Do not just you skim videos and think you know what someone teaches. It is harder than that.

[@grahammarshall1199]

@@MIllerBaseball-e8ydoes a doctor prescribe the same medicine to every patient?

[@Bane_Diesel]

I don’t play baseball never, played baseball almost never watch baseball but he got into my algorithm and I watch his videos alot even though it has absolutely nothing for me.

[@owenjahnke1232]

Damn, didn't know he was that controversial

[@EliteSportsAdvisingESA]

He’s very “his way or no way” and believes he’s discovered the secret. He hasn’t unfortunately.

[@MIllerBaseball-e8y]

@@EliteSportsAdvisingESA How do you know he has not discovered the secret? Have you tried it? Have you actually felt what he teaches? I assure you that you have not. If you did, you would abandon everything mechanical you were taught in the minors...

[@TGJS22]

@@EliteSportsAdvisingESA he’s discovered part of the secret it he helped judge hit for average and power and win mvp

[@EliteSportsAdvisingESA]

@@TGJS22 everything he says is not backed up by the science now utilized across most of competitive baseball.

[@TGJS22]

@@EliteSportsAdvisingESA idk what u mean by that all I know is that without teacherman judge and Kerry carpenter wouldn’t be in the league

[@grahammarshall1199]

Great content

[@EliteSportsAdvisingESA]

Thank you!

[@Down4dhunt]

I’ve coached two 10u teams with his method of load and tilt. Both teams won Championship this year. My 7yo plays on 10u and now practices with 12u pitchers and hits all day. I respect your level of play but you gotta try and respect his level of coaching.

[@EliteSportsAdvisingESA]

Thats great. I don't find the success of a 10u or 12u player/team as proof for a teaching method. My problem with him is as follows: 1. He teaches the same thing to every single hitter he coaches. 2. Anyone who doesn't think he's right is an "idiot" or "uninformed". 3. He acts like he's the only one that has done the research on video/film. 4. When you critique his methods he and his followers say "You just don't understand his methods." If what I've described is wrong please point out where thats the case.

[@Down4dhunt]

@@EliteSportsAdvisingESAYou’re very narrow minded if you don’t see value in youth success. Seems like you just have hate for this guy. Sure there’s other ways to get people to hit and everyone is different. I can only speak to what worked for these kids success. It just sounds like you don’t like the dudes personality and I don’t see any success in that. No worries bro, just do you.

[@EliteSportsAdvisingESA]

@@Down4dhunt that’s not what I said at all. I could tell 12u players to swing straight down at the ground and a lot of them could have success. That wouldn’t be a proof of a theory. The principle is does the teaching help more people than it hurts. I believe the latter is true. He won’t admit the amount of players that have gone to work with him and never come back because their careers were ended. Any coach worth his salt will admit the things he’s gotten wrong and learn from it. Rich believes he’s found some super secret technique that makes every player a star. If that doesn’t sound fishy to you than I can’t say any more.

[@Down4dhunt]

@@EliteSportsAdvisingESAMaybe you’re taking me all wrong. I have no loyalty or think he is a genius. Most of his content is to advertise his methods for money. It is apparent you don’t think much of kids baseball which is all I’m really talking about. Hell I’m not even on your level of baseball man! Collaborate with Tman and make a video debating the aspects of how both of you teach! I’d sub for that.

[@patrickgoodman4576]

Yes what do you think about The swing mechanic- Jamie Cavellos?

[@EliteSportsAdvisingESA]

I’ll check him up and do a video on him.

[@ronsmith1349]

Thanks for the video! My son had a problem with getting too far forward in his swing. We tired the teacherman one-legged hitting, and it actually went very well for a while. However, through time (doing the drills), it led to collapsing on the backside. Honestly, to me, it looks like Aaron judge regularly collapses on his back side... but gets away with it...based on being a freak. My son had to go to the other extreme of thinking as if he was swinging down to stop collapsing.

[@EliteSportsAdvisingESA]

Thanks for filling us in on what your experience was with him.

[@Freelocked]

what do u think of ian jenkins baseball swing

[@EliteSportsAdvisingESA]

I need to watch more of his content. The things I've seen look good. I probably put out a video talking about his stuff soon.

[@Freelocked]

@@EliteSportsAdvisingESA ok thank you

[@MIllerBaseball-e8y]

@@Freelocked He is HLP and has worked with Rich. He also is a HLP instructor.

[@danielhoward4566]

@@MIllerBaseball-e8y I thought he gave up HLP sometime back?

[@AntonEberhart]

Here’s the deal, there’s no one way. You don’t like it, don’t use it. Some players respond to certain instruction while others respond to other instruction. Use what works for you! Use what triggers IT in your mind and helps you hit the ball! Period.

[@EliteSportsAdvisingESA]

Definitely. Have to understand that these drills have compounding effects and if you’re not staying on top of how your swing is developing it may cause serious issues.

[@AntonEberhart]

@@EliteSportsAdvisingESA again, it’s not about the drills or the methods. It’s just A way. There is no THE way. That’s what drives me bananas about all these people hating on “Teacherman”. He makes some valid points. If you just shut him out because you don’t like what he teaches or how he teaches, you may miss some good information that helps you in your journey.

[@EliteSportsAdvisingESA]

@@AntonEberhart that’s the point I’m making. My issue with him is that there is only HIS way and everyone else is a fool. He has the same prescription for every hitter.

[@AntonEberhart]

@@EliteSportsAdvisingESA my apologies. I understood your video to say his way was not correct or wasn’t right. That was my point. There is no the way. I’ve seen kids who understood what I was teaching them and other kids just didn’t get it but could go to another coach and thrived. Doesn’t make what I’m teaching any less relevant or what he was teaching any more relevant.

[@EliteSportsAdvisingESA]

@@AntonEberhartI get it. Though I also think my job as a professional and expert is to call out things that I believe are incorrect or know for certain is wrong.

[@mikedoyle106]

Boy tough one - I love so much of your other content on the mental side of hitting. Think you're dead wrong on this one. Proof is in the pudding, I don't know all the players Teacherman works with but I know he works with Judge, Carpenter, and Happ. Judge (leads by significant margin) and Carpenter are Top 10 in MLB in OPS and each lead their teams in OPS. Happ is 2nd on the Cubs in OPS. Those 3 are pro hitters, they've broken down Teacherman's methods and are all kicking tail. In 2 of the cases Judge/Carpenter, the swing change to Teacherman was transformational to their career (their words not mine). If you don't personally agree with Teacherman's approach that's cool, but use some hard data to provide more balance in your perspective.

[@EliteSportsAdvisingESA]

I'm not saying it won't work for anyone. I'm saying that when a coach's prescriptions for every hitter are the exact same, there is a problem. I know what I'm talking about. I've worked with some of the best and most respected "new age" hitting coaches in the game.

[@jumpman23823]

My son can hit 85 mph fast with backspin not by hitting man method

[@MIllerBaseball-e8y]

As for Scott Kingery, know what you are talking about before coming up with theories... Scott worked with Rich for several years before signing his big contract. He got the contract because of Rich. 2019, he had a great year. Then what happened? The Phillies took over and Rich did not work with him again until 2024. Let that sink in. Look at his stats in 2019 (working with Rich), then his stats working with other coaches...... Now, look at Scott's stats since back relearning HLP? You tell me the problem. BTW, Rich does not teach LA. HLP will give players LQ, and that is what the best hitters in the MLB have. Stop lying and guessing. No other players had this issue...

[@EliteSportsAdvisingESA]

I can promise you that no coach would have changed Scott's swing with the amount of production he was getting before making it to the major leagues. I actually know from guys in that clubhouse that nobody tried to tinker with Scott's swing until it became pretty obvious that what he was doing was not going to work at that level. This is another problem with people aren't involved in professional baseball acting like they know how it works. I repeat, no coach in professional baseball would tell Scott Kingery that he had to make changes with the number he was putting up before getting to the big leagues.

[@MIllerBaseball-e8y]

@@EliteSportsAdvisingESA They did! You are uninformed.... Phillies said you are not working with Rich, you are working with our guys. You compare his 2019 swing to his 2020 swing and if you cannot tell the mechanical differences, you should not be a hitting coach. The differences are very evident - but maybe only for guys who have studied hitting mechanics for years. How else do you explain Scott doing better than he ever did since 2019 after 1 off season of relearning HLP? Scott lost his LQ. Once again, comment on what you know.

[@iamswright1853]

I bet if you teach players your way, some will get it and some won’t. So what’s your point? How many baseball players never make it using your conventional training?

[@EliteSportsAdvisingESA]

I don't teach players "A WAY". I look at a player's swing and determine where the inefficiencies are. I can promise you if a player already has a big VBA then teaching them to sit back on the back leg and snap will not help.

[@MIllerBaseball-e8y]

@@EliteSportsAdvisingESA How can you tell where the inefficiencies are if you never felt a HLP swing? I assure you any other swing is inefficient compared to a HLP swing. Ask Kerry Carpenter. He talks about this on several videos.

[@docbledsoe]

Personally I'd just post videos of my success rather than attacking others for clicks…ubless i was a fraud…Kyle

[@EliteSportsAdvisingESA]

I've posted plenty of videos of my success. You can't even see what you're saying? Accusing me of being a fraud when I have 2500 professional ABs, most of which are in AAA. I had a ton of success in professional baseball. The formal pool hall owner who never played high-level baseball in his life or coached at a high level is not the fraud? Now I'm not saying he is, I just say I don't agree with a lot of what he teaches.

[@docbledsoe]

@@EliteSportsAdvisingESA buddy, I see the game. Clicks above everything. All that matters is content. Not getting clicks? Use someone else’s name to pervert the search results. 👎👎 I wonder what your most viewed video is? Probably your successes, huh? Lol

[@pedrocabral7650]

Love your channel going back to your early ones with a notebook. This is gold!

[@EliteSportsAdvisingESA]

Welcome back!

[@rick4790]

Typical boomer hater

[@jumpman23823]

Listen to this guy finally someone that realize how ridiculous teacherman is

[@EliteSportsAdvisingESA]

Thank you.

[@jumpman23823]

He sucks

[@EliteSportsAdvisingESA]

Don't agree with most of what he teaches.

[@arielvaras4893]

Bro stop it Kingery was already done when Richard tried to help him and actually Kingery got better. First of Judge works with him in the offseason so it wasn’t just a one time thing, secondly Judge isn’t the only successful player that trains with him and thirdly many other hitters that have the same approach are successful. I’m only half way through the video, I’m sure I’m going to find many more flaws lol. LUK

[@jumpman23823]

His teaching skills is teach swing under the ball and hitting pop ups ...people are getting rip off

[@EliteSportsAdvisingESA]

Yes, but if you say that his followers will immediately claim that you don't understand his methods.

[@haroldbirckhead9997]

Never agreed with anything he said and never saw a MLB player hit his way.

[@EliteSportsAdvisingESA]

Agreed.

[@hyperkoala1758]

Other than Aaron Judge, Manny, Barry... other than those right? Maybe you just don't watch baseball.

[@TGJS22]

You must not be watching enough baseball

[@MIllerBaseball-e8y]

Maybe you do not know what to look for.....

[@20byrd]

You must be a White Sox fan