Make your money back in about 4 hours.
At $150 an hour, a common rate for private fastpitch hitting lessons, teach about 4 hours of softball lessons and your certification has paid for itself.
OPENS NOV 15 · JOIN THE LAUNCH LIST →Simple math at that rate, not an income guarantee. Your rates and clients are your own.
Softball Hitting Coach Certification Complete Hitter Development for Fastpitch Coaches
The most detailed hitting instruction certification available, built for fastpitch too.
Learn how to assess, teach and develop the complete fastpitch hitter, from movement and strength to pitch recognition and confidence. One certification, earned four ways: complete all 8 courses, pass a final test in every course, pass the 50-question Certification Final, then pass the Practical Video Exam BK grades himself.
- 8 courses
- 144 coach lessons
- 8 course final tests
- 50-question final
- Practical Video Exam
- Lessons 1–3 free
- $599 founding price
- AHD Certified Coach
Coaching a whole staff? Team license: 5 coaches for $2,495.
Who it’s for
Fastpitch softball coaches at every level: travel ball, middle school, high school, college and private hitting 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
Built for fastpitch, not borrowed from baseball
AHD is one certification for baseball and softball coaches, and fastpitch isn’t an afterthought. Wherever the game is different, the lesson has a Softball note that tells you what changes and how to coach it.
- Less time to decide. At 43 feet (in most high school and college play), a fastpitch hitter has roughly the reaction time of a mid-90s baseball fastball. The Hitting Processor courses teach you to train recognition and timing for that window.
- Pitches that move up and down. A rise ball is released below the zone and carries; a drop ball is thrown down through the zone with forward spin. Learn how to coach hitters to read, lay off and adjust.
- The changeup and off-speed. The Off-Speed Coach Edition covers recognizing and adjusting to changeups and spin in both games.
- Short game and slappers. The Bunting Coach Edition covers sacrifice, drag, push and squeeze bunts, and slappers.
- The same complete-hitter standard. All 4 pillars (The Swing, Strength & Explosiveness, the Hitting Processor and the Mental Approach) taught with the same checkpoints, cues and practice plans.
Coaching baseball too? It’s the same certification: see the main Coach Certification page.
Free reading for fastpitch coaches: Online Softball Hitting Coach Certification · Fastpitch Softball Hitting guide
What's included: 8 courses
Every course is the coach version: what to teach, why it matters, how to teach it, the cues and a practice plan for one hitter or a whole team. Coach Lesson 7 lines up with Player Lesson 7, so you and your hitters stay in sync.
- 1 · Complete Hitter Coach Edition (24 lessons). All 4 pillars, lesson by lesson.
- 2 · Swing Structure Coach Edition (16 lessons). Every checkpoint from stance to finish.
- 3 · Athletic Development Coach Edition (24 lessons). Strength, speed, rotational power and arm care.
- 4 · Hitting Processor Coach Edition (16 lessons). Vision, pitch recognition, decisions and timing.
- 5 · Mental Approach Coach Edition (16 lessons). Plans, routines and the reset.
- 6 · Off-Speed Coach Edition (16 lessons). Recognizing and adjusting to spin and changeups.
- 7 · Bunting Coach Edition (8 lessons). Sacrifice, drag, push, squeeze and slappers.
- 8 · Certification Course: Assess, Plan & Teach (24 lessons, below). Assessment, priorities, practice design and the plans you’ll submit with your Practical Video Exam.
Every one of the 8 courses ends with its own final test, and all 8 are required.
Bought one at a time, the 7 Coach Editions alone come to $1,303. The founding price for everything, including the credential, is $599.
How AHD certification works
All 144 coach lessons: the 7 Coach Editions plus the 24-lesson Certification Course, each lesson with a learning objective, applied coaching work and a scored challenge.
Every course ends with a 20-question final test. 16 correct (80%) passes, and you can retake it.
50 questions across all 8 courses. 40 correct (80%) passes. It unlocks once all 8 course finals are passed.
A 10–15 minute filmed coaching session plus your video-assessment worksheet, 90-minute practice plan, four-week athlete plan and coaching philosophy, 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.
Practical Video Exam 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: stated objectives for every lesson, a final test in every course, a cumulative 50-question written final, a graded practical exam and kept learning records. Certification version 2.0, 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, the Certification Final and the Practical Video Exam.
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
- Certification Final and Practical Video Exam
8 coursesCERTIFIED COACH + PERSONAL REVIEW · $995
Everything above, plus BK reviews one athlete's swing assessment and the development plan you write for that athlete, with written feedback and approval. Your directory listing carries the "Personally Reviewed by BK" mark. Limited to 15 coaches a month.
OPENS NOV 15 · RESERVE A SPOTMAKE YOUR MONEY BACK IN ABOUT 4 HOURS
At $150 an hour, a common rate for private hitting lessons, the $599 founding price is about 4 hours of lessons. Teach 4 hours and the certification has paid for itself. Simple math at that rate, not an income guarantee. Your rates and clients are your own.
Coaching a staff? The team license certifies 5 coaches for $2,495. School invoices and purchase orders accepted. Or bring BK in for a camp or clinic.
Free reading for coaches
Questions
Is there a separate softball hitting coach certification?
No. AHD has one certification for baseball and fastpitch softball coaches. Every lesson has a Softball note wherever fastpitch is different, so softball coaches earn the same AHD Certified Coach credential.
Who is the softball certification for?
Fastpitch coaches at every level: travel ball, middle school, high school, college and private hitting instructors, plus parents who coach their own players.
Does it cover slapping and short game?
Yes. The Bunting Coach Edition covers sacrifice, drag, push and squeeze bunts plus slappers, and the Complete Hitter and Hitting Processor courses cover timing and decisions against fastpitch pitching.
How long does it take?
144 coach lessons across 8 courses, each with its own final test, then the Certification Final and the Practical Video Exam. You work at your own pace within your 1 year of access.
How do I become an AHD Certified Coach?
There is one certification. Complete all 8 courses, pass each course’s final test (80%), pass the 50-question Certification Final (40 to pass), then pass the Practical Video Exam: a 10–15 minute filmed coaching session plus your assessment worksheet, practice plan and four-week athlete plan, graded by BK 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 stated objectives, a final test in every course, a 50-question cumulative final, a graded practical video exam 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?
$599 founding price (regular $799) for all 8 coach courses with 1 year of access, all 8 course final tests, the 50-question Certification Final, the Practical Video Exam review and the credential. The Personal Review tier is $995. A team license certifies 5 coaches for $2,495. Lessons 1–3 of every course are free.
How long is certification valid?
Two years. To renew, submit a new Practical Video Exam 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 Aren’t Born. They’re Built… and Earned.