13 Day Better Baseball Swing: The Kinetic Chain (Author Interview)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BTVYW5QT

13 Day Better Baseball Swing looks like a great book.  What can you tell us about it?

The 13 Day Better Baseball Swing program is a complete, step-by-step hitting plan designed to help players improve their swing mechanics and power. Structured into 13 days, each day focuses on a specific aspect of hitting, following the sequence of movements in the body known as The Kinetic Chain. The program is written in a way that is easy for players, parents, and coaches of all levels to understand and apply.

Any plans to turn it into a series?

No, but I am working on an illustrated children's book that will be published in April. It is titled “13 Steps to the Plate - A Baseball Tale of Practice and Perseverance.

The book follows the story of Jack, a young baseball player, on his journey to becoming a better hitter. Guided by his knowledgeable coaches, Jack learns the importance of hard work, practice, and perseverance as he faces challenges and improves his skills. Throughout the book, Jack discovers secrets to hitting, builds his confidence, and experiences the thrill of victory on the field. With themes of teamwork, determination, and never giving up, this book is a must-read for young baseball fans and aspiring athletes.

That’s an amazing cover.  Can you tell us about it?

I had a specific vision for the cover of the book and wanted to convey movement, power, and science. I hired  a cover designer to help bring my idea to life and completed the editing and cover designs myself.

Can you tell us a little about your background and experience?

I am self-taught full stack web developer, Air Force Veteran, author, and father of three.

As a dedicated coach and mentor for over 10 years, I have developed a wealth of experience in developing young athletes and helping them to reach their full potential. I have acquired a deep understanding of hitting mechanics and honed my skills in implementing effective strategies to quickly improve a player's performance at the plate.

I have  strong background in baseball, receiving a full scholarship to play in college. I continue to play today in the Kentuckiana Baseball Association league as a shortstop and pitcher.

What section did you have the most fun writing?

I had the most fun figuring out how and where to use images of my two sons in the book. I ended up using Lucas as “DAY 9: Hand Path and Hands Inside the Ball” and Brooks as “DAY 3: Walk Away from the Hands”.

What inspired the idea for the book?

In 2017, I started to document and formulate training plans for my boys. I used these as guidelines for coaching and training teams of players. At that time, my 7 year old son had bad technique in his swing known as bat drag and I started to build sets of isolation drills to improve his mechanics.

The results were impressive. The following summer he hit 5 out of the park home runs with distances around 180 feet and won the USSSA Kentucky State Showcase Homerun Derby the year after. As an 11-year-old in 2022, he had 10 home runs playing AAA/Open with distances up to 270 ft., with alloy.

Did anything stick out as particularly chllenging when writing 13 Day Better Baseball Swing?

It was somewhat challenging to put the drills and instructions into words. You don’t want the instructions to be so long that a reader loses focus and cannot follow along. At the same time, it is critical that certain movements are being performed correctly and are explained well.

What do you like to do when not writing?

How else could I answer this questions? Play baseball... I play shortstop, pitch, and bat in the top 4 in a competitive 18+ men's league (Kentuckiana Baseball Association). My team, the Kentuckiana Redbirds, was the 2022 league runner-up and won the 2022 Rocket City Classic tournament in Huntsville, Alabama.

I enjoy playing basketball at the park with my sons, taking family vacations, and spending time with the family getting into new activities and hobbies. Over the past year, there is a three-way competition that has developed in the household to be named the best chess player.

Where can readers find out more about your work?

You can visit https://betterbaseballswing.com/ to get a good overview of what is covered in the book.

To learn more about me and my professional side, you can visit https://nathanbolin.com/. You will find links to all of my social media at the bottom of the page.