By BK, Athletic Hitting Development
Complete Hitters Aren’t Born. They’re Built… and Earned.
Key takeaways
- The best online hitting program trains all 4 pillars, not just the swing.
- You should be able to do the lessons at home with a bat, a tee, balls and a phone.
- A real program starts with a test and ends with a retest, so you know whether it worked.
- Check coach access, the price, how long you keep access, and whether you can try lessons free before you buy.
The best online hitting program is the one that trains the whole hitter in the right order, works at home with a tee and a phone, and tests the hitter before and after so you can see if it worked. If a program can’t pass those three checks, the price doesn’t matter.
The best online hitting program trains all 4 pillars in order, works at home with a tee and a phone, and tests the hitter before and after. Check coach access, price and access length too; AHD’s Complete Hitter Masterclass is $250 founding, 1 year of access, with Lessons 1–3 free.
Train it: Complete Hitter Masterclass → Free tool: Free Hitter Combine →Parents ask me this every week: “Which online hitting course should we buy?” I’ve spent 52 years playing, coaching and scouting this game, and I’ll give you the same answer I give them. Don’t shop by how slick the videos look. Shop with a checklist.
Here are the five questions I’d ask of ANY program, mine included, plus an honest look at how the different types stack up.
1. What should I look for in an online hitting program?
Run every program you’re considering through these five questions. Write the answers down. The weak ones fall out fast.
- Does it cover all 4 pillars, or just the swing? Hitting is four skills: The Swing, Strength & Explosiveness, the Hitting Processor (see it, time it, decide, attack it) and the Mental Approach. A swing-only course leaves three of them to chance.
- Can you do it at home? Lessons should work with a bat, a tee, balls and a phone to film. If every drill needs a cage, a pitching machine and a sensor, most families won’t do it.
- Is there a test and a retest? You need a starting score and a way to measure again in 30 days. Without that, you’re guessing.
- Is there any coach access? Know up front whether a real coach ever looks at your hitter, and what that costs.
- What’s the price and how long is access? One-time or subscription? Months or a year? Can you try lessons free first?
Not sure where your hitter stands yet? Start with the free Hitter Combine or the 3-minute SwingChecker™. Knowing the priority makes the shopping easier.
BUYER’S CHECKLIST
BEFOREYOU BUY…
- All 4 pillars, not just swing
- Works with a tee and a phone
- Test now, retest in 30 days
- Know the coach access
- Price, access length, free trial
SHOP WITH A CHECKLIST.
2. What types of online hitting programs are there?
Most of what you’ll find falls into four types. Each one fits somebody. Know what you’re buying.
| Type | Good at | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Drill video libraries | Lots of ideas, cheap or free | No order, no plan, no retest. Easy to collect drills |
| Swing-only courses | Deep work on mechanics | Nice tee swing that falls apart against live pitching |
| Apps and trackers | Reps, reminders, numbers | Numbers without a coach telling you what they mean |
| Full development programs | All 4 pillars in sequence with a test | Takes real commitment. It’s a plan, not a highlight reel |
None of these is evil. A drill library is fine for a coach who already has a plan. But for a hitter who works hard and doesn’t know what to work on, the order matters more than the number of drills.
Don’t collect drills. Build a complete hitter.
3. What are the red flags in a hitting course?
- One swing for everybody. Every body is different. Good programs teach principles, like Mechanically Advantaged Angles (MAA), the strong positions at contact, and let the hitter own the rest.
- No mention of timing or pitch recognition. More at-bats are lost to being late, early or fooled than to an ugly swing.
- Promises of fast miracles. Real change takes weeks of focused reps, then a retest.
- Auto-renewing subscriptions you forget about. Read the fine print.
Still deciding between online and in-person? Read Online vs In-Person Hitting Lessons and How Much Do Hitting Lessons Cost?
4. How does the Complete Hitter Masterclass stack up?
I built the Complete Hitter Masterclass to pass that checklist. Here it is, question by question, straight.
| Checklist question | Complete Hitter Masterclass |
|---|---|
| All 4 pillars? | Yes. 24 lessons in 5 phases: Swing, Strength & Explosiveness, Hitting Processor, Mental Approach, then putting it together |
| At home? | Yes. A bat, a tee, balls and a phone. Most lessons take 10–20 minutes |
| Test and retest? | Lesson 1 is a test, Lesson 24 is a final assessment, and you retest with SwingChecker™ |
| Coach access? | It’s self-guided. If you want my eyes on your hitter, that’s 90-Day Private Coaching |
| Price and access | $250 founding price (regularly $349), one-time, 1 year of access, no subscription |
| Try it first? | Lessons 1–3 are free |
It’s built for baseball and fastpitch hitters, about age 10 through college. Most hitters do 2 lessons a week and finish in about 12 weeks, with practice days in between.
Honest limits: it’s not a coach watching every swing. If your hitter needs that, look at 90-Day Private Hitter Development, which adds my video analysis and a personal plan. If you want every course, The Whole System includes all 7.
5. How do I decide in the next 15 minutes?
- Test the hitterRun the free Hitter Combine or SwingChecker™ and write down the #1 priority.
- Score each programGive each one a yes or no on the five checklist questions.
- Try before you buyDo the free lessons with your hitter and see if they actually do the work.
- Commit for 30 daysPick one program, follow it in order, then retest.
The program your hitter will actually follow, in order, beats the one with more videos every time. It’s a great day to hit!!
THELESSON.
- Test the hitter first
- Train all 4 pillars in order
- Do the work at home
- Retest and adjust
Complete Hitters Are Built…Earned.
Want to go deeper? Read Are Online Hitting Lessons Worth It? An Honest Answer and Online Hitting Lessons vs In-Person: Which Fits Your Hitter?.
Quick answers
What is the best online hitting program?
One that trains all 4 pillars of hitting in order, works at home with a tee and a phone, and tests the hitter before and after. AHD’s Complete Hitter Masterclass is built that way, and Lessons 1–3 are free so you can judge it yourself.
Are online hitting courses good for softball too?
They can be, if the program is built for fastpitch timing and pitch shapes and not just copied from baseball. The Complete Hitter Masterclass is built for both baseball and fastpitch softball hitters.
How much does an online hitting program cost?
Prices vary a lot by type, from free drill libraries to monthly apps to full programs. The Complete Hitter Masterclass is $250 at the founding price, regularly $349, one-time with 1 year of access.
Can a kid really get better hitting at home?
Yes, if the work is focused and filmed. A bat, a tee, balls and a phone cover most of it, and a retest every 30 days shows whether the work is transferring.
Don’t collect drills. Build a complete hitter.
Complete Hitters Aren’t Born. They’re Built… and Earned.
