Q&A with Tylar Schmunk

Tylar is the Director of Hitting here at Bardo's and he's crucial in the development on how we teach "the swing".  He is a graduate of Chaparral High School where he played under Coach Steve Eaton (our Director of Curriculum) and later played at Campbellsville University on a baseball scholarship.  While he was there, Tylar was both a pitcher and an outfielder and went on to play in the NCCA World Series his senior year.

We sat down with him to ask a few questions raging from evaluating hitters to the history of his beard.


What are some of the valuable things you've learned being coached under Steve Eaton?
The two biggest things Coach Eaton taught me were accountability and leadership. He taught me not to sit back and hope it happens, but make it happen. Anytime I find myself in a situation that needs direction, I know I need to step up and take charge. It's just the way we were as Chaparral baseball players. 

What are some of the things you first notice about a hitter as you evaluate them?
One of the first things I look for in a hitter is if they have good balance throughout their swing. Good balance, good plane, and good direction are all things that I first reconize.

Bardo's has had their HitTrax system for a few months now. After looking over the data that the system provides, has it changed the way you teach certain mechanics? 
I haven't changed anything that I teach or that we teach as a group due to HitTrax. If anything, this system has helped us confirm what we knew about the swing. It has helped us validate that we are teaching power and adjustability at the plate. Two pretty awesome things for a hitter to have. 

How do you spend your downtime when your not at Bardo's?
When I'm not at Bardo's, I'm usually at home with family and friends. My wife and I are very family oriented people so we always make it a priority to be around them. 

Ok, what is the story behind your beard?
The beard is something I started about a year ago. When I was at Campbellsville, we always had to be clean cut and clean shaven. When I graduated, I started with the hair. I always kept it long. Last year I started growing my beard and just decided to keep it. One of my good friends, Jessie Lessard, helps me keep it tame.

To book a lesson or a lesson pack with Tylar (15% off till Dec 20th) visit his page here.

---