Derek Jeter Hurricane Hitting Machine by SKLZ

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Thursday, July 31, 2008

Hurricane Machine Hitting Drill
"Step-in-and-Hit" Drill

Objective: This drill emphasizes “stepping into” the ball to generate power and bat speed. This is an excellent drill to help young hitters eliminate the bad habit of “stepping out” during the swing.

Procedure: The batter starts the drill by standing farther away from the machine than normal. This starting position allows the batter to take two steps inward before swinging the bat.

The batter will step first with the back foot and then with the front foot. When the front foot “lands” the batter attacks the ball. The drill may be performed with a still or moving ball. The batter should take the time to set and observe all body movement before and after each swing.

It is sometimes good to have the batter freeze after the swing to see if the proper finish position is reached after each swing. The batter should make sure to make contact with the ball component and not the shaft.

Recommended Number of Swings: 10 Swings

Coaching Point:
The “Step-In-And-Hit” drill is a drill that every coach and parent should be familiar with and know about. At young levels of play we often see a batter “step-out”. The batter may have a fear of being hit. This drill works great in helping break this bad habit.

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Hurricane: A Great Tool for Off-Season Training

The Jeter Hurricane Machine is a great tool for keeping your hitters in shape during the off-season. Many people make use of this machine during the months that they cannot practice outdoors....especially in the Northern parts of the country where Winters are longer and more harsh.

Working out on the Hurricane Machine just 15-30 minutes a day 2-3 times a week can keep your hitters tuned up and have them that much closer to being ready when the season rolls back around. Every year, more and more kids and leagues play more and more games. Keeping your hitters in shape year 'round can be greatly beneficial to them and their success.

People all over the country are using the Hurricane Machine in the Winter months in places such as the garage and basement. All you need is 12' by 9' of open space to use this product indoors.

Set the Hurricane up and leave it so your players can practice hitting whenever they wish without having to go through any setup. This allows kids to practice on impulse, which will increase the amount of times they want to practice. If a player can just pick up a bat and start hitting, they are subject to practice hitting more often. No gathering balls, no feeding or loading balls, no coaches or other players needed......JUST HITTING!


To find out more great benefits of the Hurricane Batting Machine, visit www.HurricaneMachine.com.

Have a great day, Nick.

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

The Derek Jeter Hurricane Baseball Hitting Machine - Tip for Adjusting Height

Good morning. When adjusting the height of your new Hurricane Baseball Trainer, there are several things you must remember.
  • When making height adjustments, never grab the machine's axle. Always lift or lower the top component by the top head.
  • If you change your height you may have to readjust the tension of your powerbands. Make sure the powerbands are tight enough to return the ball after contact.
  • It is better to practice hitting the ball at all locations. Hitting must pratice hitting the low strike because pitchers are going to try and keep the ball down.
  • Arm strength and bat speed can be increased faster and easier when the batter pactices hitting the high settings.

Have a great day, Nick

Monday, July 21, 2008

Derek Jeter Hurricane Baseball Machine is great for learning to "Switch Hit"

Hello. I hope you had a great weekend.

There are many great benefits to owning a Hurricane Baseball Trainer. One such benefit is that the Derek Jeter SKLZ Hurricane Machine is a great tool for helping young players learn to Switch Hit. Points to remember when practicing switch hitting on the Hurricane Baseball Trainer are:
  • When doing switch hitting drills, there is no need to stop, adjust or change the machine's setting.
  • The batter can hit both right and left handed from the same spot without moving.
  • The batter should not work too fast. It is important to work at a pace that allows the batter to reset or reload between swings.
  • Full swings and power should be taken with each swing.

Good Luck till next time, Nick

Saturday, July 19, 2008

Hurricane Batting Trainer Hip Turner Drill

The Hip Turner Drill is a great drill for players who are having difficulty getting their lower body involved in their swing. This drill will help your hitter get maximim rotation in the hips during impact of the ball.

Hurricane Hip Turner Drill

  • This drill is the perfect drill for hitters who lack power or do not get their lower body and involved in the swing.
  • To perform the drill, the hitter points the Hurricane impact ball at his/her front side back pocket. So for a righty, the ball should be positioned towards the left back pocket of the hitter as if trying to hit an extreme inside pitch.
  • The hitter then contacts the ball opening the hips all the way up getting maximum rotation. The ball should be positioned so the hitter must exagerate hip rotation in order to make contact.
  • The hitter should get a swing every 10 seconds or so after the ball returns and comes nearly settled much like a tee drill.
  • The hitter should not take a stride in this drill- just rotate fully at the hips when making contact with the ball.

Note: Make sure the hitter does not step out or stride open during this drill. If the hitter opens up instead of rotating fully at the hips, the effectiveness of the drill is lost.

Good Luck until next time, Nick.

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Derek Jeter Hurricane Baseball Hitting Machine - Hitting Streak Drill

The Baseball "Hitting Streak" or "Batting Streak" Drill is one of the most pupular Derek Jeter Hurricane Machine baseball training drills. The drill is fun, entertaining and challenging for hitters of all ages and ability levels.

Hurricane Machine "Hitting Streak" Baseball Training Drill
  • The drill can be a competition between two or more players or the batter can compete against his or her personal best "Batting Streak" number.
  • The Batting Streak number is the number of times a batter makes contact with the Hurricane Machine's Ball before a swing and a miss.
  • Contact of any kind keeps the streak "alive". The batter is not allowed to touch the ball with the hands or the bat between swings. If the batter miss hits the ball, the ball will react in a bobbling motion. The batter must hit the ball as it bobbles. This requires great concentration. If the ball stops moving completely the drill is over. The ball must be kept moving.
  • The player with the most hits in a row wins the match. This is a great drill or activity for team competitions.
  • Tracking the ball at all times as it circles the machine is a must for a player to be successful.
  • Note: Make sure that players allow the ball to pass at least once or twice between swings. If the batter does not allow the BatAction Powerbands to unwrap, to release tension, they will continue to wrap tighter and tighter until they stess and break. This is usually not a problem because most users of this great baseball training machine realize that the Derek Jeter Hurricane Hitting Machine operates on a "wrapping and unwrapping" process.


Good Luck til next time, Nick.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Baseball Training Tips For the Derek Jeter Hurricane Machine

Hello,
Last night's MLB All-Star Game was incredible. I thought that game was going to last all night. It was a long game...but well worth the loss of sleep.

I just wanted to post a couple of recommended training tips for the Derek Jeter Baseball Trainer.
  • Remember the Hurricane Machine's "strike height" can be easily changed. Make sure that you change your height often to give your batter practice at hitting the ball at different levels.
  • Always remove the powerbands before changing height. If you lower your machine's height, you may have to tighten the tension of your powerbands to maintain the desired speed.
  • The higher the ball is, the more the hands and forearms must work. A great off-season drill is the "HIGH TEE" drill. You set the Hurricane Machine's Ball as high as possible. The batter must work hard to stay on top of the ball. It takes extra effort to get the baseball bat's barrel through the zome with the ball set at the high setting.

Good Luck til next time, Nick.

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

2008 MLB All-Star Game - A special night for all baseball fans!

It was appropriate that the 2008 MLB All-Star game be played in Yankee Stadium. It made the night a truly special night for all baseball fans! Visit MLB's Official 2008 All-Star Game Webpage.

Seeing such a great collection of Major League Allstars on the field for the National Anthem will always be a memory that I will cherish.I am proud to have the priviledge to coach such a great game.


It was great to Yogi Berra, one of my all time favorites Hall of Famers. The clips of him leaping high into the arms of Don Larson in the 1956 World Series were a special touch to the telecast. For more on the 1956 World Series visit the Baseball Almanac.

I can't talk about Yogi without including three of his famous quotes that I consider to be "classic":"You can observe a lot just by watching.""I always thought that record would stand until it was broken.""Baseball is ninety percent mental. The other half is physical."For More MLB Quotes - Baseball Amanac

As I type this chill bumps are appearing all over my body. "God Bless America" is being sang to a quiet Yankee Stadium in a tribute to the greatest country on earth! God has blessed us! America's is our Home Sweet Home! Makes you proud to be an American and a baseball fan!

Amazing Facts: Yogi Berra originally sined for $500 and $90 dollars a month. Yankee Stadium cost 2.5 mil to build. Now 41 MLB players make more annually than it cost to build that stadium.

Thank you Major League Baseball for a great 2008 AllStar Game. You again proved why Baseball is Truly America's Game!

Monday, July 14, 2008

My first official post..

I am creating this blog to help Hurricane Baseball Training Machine owners maximize the benefits they get from using their machine. I will include Hurricane Machine Know-how, Training Tips, Set-up Suggestions, and Recommended Hitting Drills.

The Derek Jeter Hurricane Baseball Training Machine is one of baseball's most popular training aids. This new baseball trainer is often seen on TV and is carried in most sporting goods stores. With speed and height adjustments, the Hurricane Baseball Hitting Machine can be used by players at all levels including Tball, Little League Baseball, High School Baseball, and College Baseball. The fast moving ball of the Hurricane Baseball Trainer Machine makes hitting the machine fun because it continually challenges the batter on every swing.

Thanks for visiting. Have a great day, Nick.