Complete Hitter Development for Coaches Hitting Coach Certification for Baseball & Softball
Coach the complete hitter, not just the swing, and earn the AHD Certified Coach credential.
The four pillars, the AHD assessment, practice design and player development, taught by BK in 24 lessons.
- 24 lessons
- 8 modules
- 12 hours
- Lessons 1–3 free
- $199 one-time
- AHD Certified Coach
Coaching a whole staff? Contact Coach for team pricing.
Who it’s for
Baseball and fastpitch softball coaches at every level: youth, high school, college and private instructors, plus parents who coach their own players.
What you’ll learn
- Use the AHD coaching sequence (Assess → Diagnose → Build Roadmap → Train → Reassess) with every hitter
- Diagnose swings with the chain Symptom → Checkpoint → Root Cause → Correction → Cue → Drill → Reassess
- Run a four-pillar assessment and find each hitter’s real priority
- Coach the swing by checkpoints and Mechanically Advantaged Angles (MAA), fixing causes instead of symptoms
- Train the athlete, the Hitting Processor and the Mental Approach, not just the swing
- Design practices, cues and feedback that carry into games
- Build a season-long hitting program and communicate it to players and parents
How AHD certification works
Complete 24 lessons across 8 modules and 12 instructional hours, each with a learning objective, applied coaching work and a scored challenge.
32 questions, 4 per module. 80% passes, and you can retake it.
A video-assessment worksheet, a 90-minute practice plan and a four-week athlete plan.
Your philosophy and a 10–15 minute filmed session, graded by BK on a 100-point rubric. Pass and receive a numbered certificate and a listing in the AHD certified coach registry, valid for two years.
Capstone rubric (80 of 100 passes):
- Assessment accuracy · 20 pts. Uses actual evidence and identifies a meaningful priority.
- Swing diagnosis · 15 pts. Uses checkpoints and traces the likely root cause before prescribing a correction.
- Four-pillar integration · 20 pts. Connects the athlete plan to the Swing, Strength & Explosiveness, the Hitting Processor and the Mental Approach.
- Practice and drill design · 15 pts. Uses purposeful progressions, clear cues, variation, decisions and game-transfer elements.
- Individual plan · 20 pts. Creates a realistic four-week roadmap with actions, tracking and reassessment.
- Communication and professionalism · 10 pts. Uses clear, athlete-centered, honest coaching language, on paper and on camera.
Built to continuing-education standards: 12 instructional hours, stated objectives for every lesson, a written exam, practical assessments and kept learning records. Course version 1.0, effective October 2026. Until outside accreditation is approved, AHD Certified Coach is an AHD credential, not an official CEU.
Learning outcomes by module
- Module 1: The AHD Standard (1 hour). Complete-hitter development, the four pillars and the AHD coaching sequence.
- Module 2: Evaluate Before You Prescribe (1.5 hours). Assessment, video and finding the one priority that matters most.
- Module 3: Pillar One: The Swing (2 hours). Movement, sequence, bat path and adjustability, coached by checkpoint and root cause.
- Module 4: Pillar Two: Strength & Explosiveness (1.5 hours). Force, speed, power and athleticism, built safely and connected to the box.
- Module 5: Pillar Three: The Hitting Processor (2 hours). See it, recognize it, time it, decide and attack it, from cage to game.
- Module 6: Pillar Four: The Mental Approach (1.5 hours). Confidence, approach, focus and resilience that hold up pitch after pitch.
- Module 7: Build Better Practices (1.5 hours). Practice design, cues and feedback, the 90-minute AHD practice and development by age.
- Module 8: Individual Plans & Certification (1 hour). The four-week athlete roadmap, family communication, the filmed session and the capstone.
Learn from BK
52 years of playing, coaching and scouting. BK has developed 100,000+ youth and high school hitters, 2,000+ college hitters and 200+ pro players across 39 states, and he still coaches hitters every week in Scottsdale, Arizona.
The full curriculum
Every lesson, in order. Tap a module to see its lessons. The first three are free.
MODULE 01The AHD StandardLessons 1–3 · 3 lessons
MODULE 02Evaluate Before You PrescribeLessons 4–6 · 3 lessons
- Assess Before You Instruct
- Video Assessment for Coaches
- Find the Priority, Not Ten Faults
MODULE 03Pillar One: The SwingLessons 7–9 · 3 lessons
- The Swing Checkpoints
- Sequence, Connection and Bat Path
- Common Swing Problems, Better Coaching Language
MODULE 04Pillar Two: Strength & ExplosivenessLessons 10–12 · 3 lessons
- Train the Athlete Behind the Swing
- Force, Speed, Power and Transfer to the Box
- Durability: Arm Care, Recovery and Referral
MODULE 05Pillar Three: The Hitting ProcessorLessons 13–15 · 3 lessons
- See It and Recognize It
- Time It, Decide It, Attack It
- Timing, Off-Speed and Cage-to-Game Transfer
MODULE 06Pillar Four: The Mental ApproachLessons 16–18 · 3 lessons
- Teaching Approach and Routines
- Confidence, Failure and the Reset
- Coaching Under Pressure
MODULE 07Build Better PracticesLessons 19–21 · 3 lessons
- The Practice Ladder, Cues and Feedback
- The 90-Minute AHD Practice
- Development by Age
MODULE 08Individual Plans & CertificationLessons 22–24 · 3 lessons
- The Four-Week Athlete Roadmap and Family Communication
- Your Coaching Philosophy and Filmed Session
- Capstone, Final Exam and Certification
24 lessonsCoaching a staff or an organization? Contact Coach for team pricing, or bring BK in for a camp or clinic.
Free reading for coaches
Questions
Who is this course for?
Baseball and fastpitch softball coaches at every level: youth, high school, college and private instructors. It is also a good fit for parents who coach their own players. Wherever fastpitch is different, the lesson has a Softball note.
How long does it take?
24 lessons and 12 instructional hours across eight modules. Most coaches finish in 4 to 8 weeks, about three to six lessons a week, at their own pace.
How do I become an AHD Certified Coach?
Complete the lessons, pass the 32-question final exam with 80% or better, complete three practical assessments (a video-assessment worksheet, a 90-minute practice plan and a four-week athlete plan), and submit your capstone with a 10–15 minute filmed coaching session. BK grades the capstone on a 100-point rubric; 80 passes. Pass and you receive a numbered certificate and a registry listing.
Is this an official CEU?
Not yet. The course was built to the standards continuing-education programs look for, including 12 instructional hours, stated objectives, knowledge checks, practical assessments, a scored capstone and kept learning records. Until outside accreditation is approved, AHD Certified Coach is an AHD credential, not an official CEU.
How much does it cost?
$199 one-time with 1 year of access, including the exam and the filmed-session review. Lessons 1–3 are free. Contact Coach for team or staff pricing.
How long is certification valid?
Two years. To renew, submit a new filmed session and complete any new AHD coach lessons.
Does it replace my state or league coaching requirements?
No. It does not replace ACE, background checks, SafeSport or your state association’s required courses. It is hitting-specific coach education that sits on top of them.
Guides for coaches: Free coach toolkit · Hitting coach certifications compared · Softball hitting coach certification · How to become a private hitting instructor · NFHS vs. hitting coach certification · Team & staff training · Coach launch list
Start free today.
Lessons 1–3 are free. Complete Hitters Are Built… It’s Earned!