What do baseball hitting lessons with Coach Cinz cover?
Every hitter is different, so every lesson starts with the athlete's goals. Coach Cinz has spent more than 25 years in baseball as a player and coach, including five years before the pandemic as a hitting, fielding and pitching instructor with the Chicago White Sox organization, working mainly with pre-draft players in the local area. That experience shapes how he teaches the swing.
His baseball hitting lessons focus on three things:
- Timing: getting the foot down, the hands loaded and the barrel moving at the right moment, so a good swing actually meets the ball. This is the most important piece.
- Movements: how the body loads, strides and rotates, and where energy leaks out.
- Mechanics: hand path, bat path and contact point, adjusted to the hitter rather than forced into one textbook model.
He also works on the mental side of hitting: confidence, mindset and consistency. A hitter who trusts the swing takes better at-bats. Parents often tell us Coach Cinz explains the "why" behind each adjustment, so athletes understand what they are fixing and can keep working on it between lessons.
Lessons are open to baseball and softball players, from young kids learning to make solid contact to older players chasing more power. If power is the goal, start with our guide on how to increase exit velocity.
Why is timing the key to a better swing?
Many hitters have a good-looking swing on a tee and still struggle in games. The usual reason is timing. If the swing starts late, the hitter gets jammed or beaten; if it starts early, the hitter rolls over or pulls off. Even a strong, well-built swing produces weak contact when it arrives at the wrong moment.
Coach Cinz treats timing as the most important element of hitting. In lessons he helps athletes build a repeatable rhythm: when to start the load, when to get the front foot down, and how to stay ready for the fastball while still adjusting to off-speed pitches. He also looks for a swing that is too long, because a long path gives the hitter less time to decide. Our post on how to fix a long swing and timing problems walks through the common causes and drills.
Timing is tied to confidence, too. A hitter who is afraid of the ball often bails out or freezes, and that ruins timing before the swing even starts. We cover that in how to stop being afraid of the ball at the plate. One family shared that their 12-year-old went from freezing at the plate to hitting his first home run.
How do hitting lessons work?
We do not guess at what a hitter needs. Training follows a simple path:
- Benchmark Step 1 (free): the athlete answers a few goal questions online on the Benchmark Process page.
- Benchmark Step 2: Coach Cinz measures current metrics with the athlete, so both know exactly where the swing stands today.
- A plan: a training plan is built around the athlete's goals, whether that is making more contact, hitting for more power or getting ready for tryouts.
- Lessons: private lessons, clinics or video work that follow the plan, with progress checked along the way.
Between sessions, hitters get work to do on their own. Our list of hitting drills you can do at home or off a tee is a good place to start. Every athlete who books training also gets a Play 2 Earn Sports player profile to track stats, goals and progress.
For older hitters who want a real test, Beat the Coach is a 30-minute session for players 16 and older: four charted live at-bats against Coach Cinz, with results tracked by HitTrax. Get two hits and you get your money back. Players can use a wood or drop-3 bat.
Where can I find hitting lessons near me?
If you are searching for hitting lessons near me in the western suburbs, Coach Cinz is based at The Play & Thrive Club Naperville, 808 Illinois Rte 59 #120, Naperville, IL 60564. Lessons, camps and clinics are held there in the off-season and on rainy days.
Private lessons can also take place at a location of your choice within the Chicagoland area, such as your team's field or a local park. We serve most areas from Chicago to Aurora, including:
- Naperville, Aurora and Plainfield
- Bolingbrook, Oswego and Lisle
- Wheaton, Warrenville and Downers Grove
- The rest of the western Chicago suburbs
Families looking for hitting lessons for kids get the same approach as older players, with the pace and language adjusted to the athlete. Parents often mention that Coach Cinz is patient with kids who learn differently.
Not local, or busy during the week? Zoom lessons and video analysis let a hitter work with Coach Cinz from anywhere. Send a clip of the swing and get drills back.
How much do baseball hitting lessons cost?
Pricing is simple and listed on our Programs page:
- Private Lesson: $65 for 30 minutes, one-on-one, in person in Chicagoland or virtual. Book multiple 30-minute blocks for a longer session.
- Hitting Clinic: $204 for a 1.5-hour group clinic on swing technique.
- Personal Assessment: $195 for a one-on-one look at where you stand and a personal opinion on what to work on.
- Video Analysis: $35 for a five-minute review of a submitted video, with drills sent back.
- Beat the Coach: $55 for 30 minutes, ages 16 and older.
Members save $20 per lesson, with no limit, which makes weekly baseball hitting lessons more affordable. Every program except the Private Lesson and the Personal Assessment also has a group option at three times the price, which works well for teammates or siblings who want to train together.
Not sure where to start? The free Benchmark Process is the recommended first step. You can also text 312-493-3067 or email [email protected] with questions, or read what families say on our reviews page.
