Coaching Little League Baseball - Tips for teaching proper batting stance and stride.

The batter's stance should be wide enough to insure a solid base and wide enough so that the batter can use a "soft or short" stride technique. It is best that the batter simply picks the front foot up less than an inch and puts in back down in the same place. There is little or no movement forward by the front foot. This is known as the "no stride" technique.

A wider base and shorter stride allow the batter to keep the head still and prevents the head from dropping during the swing. When a batter assumes a narrow stance with the feet close together, the batter must take a long stride during the swing. This long stride causes the batter's head and eyes to "fall or drop" during the swing. This is the reason that many coaches teach and preach a no stride technique. Of course, another reason is the fact that "long-stride" hitter's often cannot catch up with the velocity of many pitchers in the game today.

The optimum width of the feet would be slightly wider than shoulder width. The batter's weight should be on the "balls" of the feet and off the heels. The front foot or stride foot should be "placed softly as if it is on a carton of eggs". This softness allows the foot to be lifted and placed back down easily. The back foot or pivot foot is also important during the swing. The back foot should not "move or leak forward" but should turn up "shoe laces to pitcher" when the front foot settles into place during the swing.

COACHING POINT: It is recommended that all batter's use an even stance meaning that the toes of each foot are even when the stance is assumed. A closed stance is one with the back foot farther away from the plate than the front foot. An open stance is one with the front foot farther away from the plate than the back foot.

COACHING POINT: You may actually use a simple demonstration to illustrate how a long stride causes the head to drop and the eyes to move. Have a batter assume a narrow stance. As you face the batter, hold your hand palm down exactly even with the batter's eyes. Have the batter take a long stride while you hold your hand perfectly still at the level where the eyes were when the stride began. A long stride will cause the batter's head to drop and the eyes to drop also. This movement of the head and eyes makes it more difficult for the batter to "see and hit" the ball as it travels through the strike zone.

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Easton Stealth IMX & Synergy IMX Baseball Bat Reviews

By Robert V Nelson

Easton has been the leader in composite bats for the last several years and will undoubtedly continue this trend with the IMX, their new 100% composite bats for 2009. Easton is extremely smart to their approach in manufacturing baseball bats by not putting all their eggs in one basket. They leave no stone uncovered by making top notch models in every category and design. Their top priority is pushing the 2 piece design and flex handle which they pioneered some 6 years ago with the Connection introduction. But they also make and market quality one piece bats with stiff handles that directly compete with manufactures that rely on this design, most notably Louisville and Rawlings.

They say the IMX or Integrated Matrix Technology optimizes composite design, materials and process for maximum performance. With the IMX Easton offers two bats made from the same IMX composite material in two distinct designs. They are the:


Stealth IMX 2 piece bat with a flex handle they say increases the trampoline effect. The flex handle has a rating of 75. This has been Easton's traditional bread and butter design for the last several years.The Stealth IMX has a swing weight (m.o.i) of 90 making it more end loaded than the Synergy IMX.
Synergy IMX 1 piece bat with a stiff handle. Easton added stiff handles to their Stealth Comp bats last year to combat Louisville. They upped the ante in 2009 by making the stiff handle IMX a one piece bat. The handle has a rating of 90. They claim this design provides increased balance and bat control through the hitting zone. The Synergy IMX is aimed directly at the heart of the Louisville baseball bat consumer. As mentioned, an extremely smart move by Easton. The swing weight (m.o.i) is 80 making it more balanced than the Stealth IMX.

Both are quality high grade bats that are by far the most popular new composite bats on the market. You'll see these bats at every age level from youth to college. The Stealth IMX is more popular at the moment which indicates a preference for the 2 piece design. Last year the Stealth Comp stiff handle was more popular than the Stealth Comp flex handle, both Stealth Comp models were 2 piece bats.

The IMX is my top choice for those looking to purchase a high end composite bat.

The Baseall Bat Reviews Blog

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robert_V_Nelson

Hurricane Hitting Machine - Derek Jeter Series

HurricaneMachine.com - Hurricane Machine Q&A

Mental Training For Baseball Hitters

By Kenny Buford

Be Prepared for the Good Pitches

The times a batter will have a perfect pitch thrown to them are few and far between. For this reason, a batter must be ready to aggressively go after a ball they believe is perfect for what hit they need and their personal hitting strengths. Aggression is essential in batting because players need to believe that they can successfully hit the ball they are being pitched.

Preparation for the good pitches comes first in practice. Coaches must help develop confidence in their players.

Coaches can help batters prepare for good pitches by building their confidence in practice. If you encourage players to hit the balls they think they can hit, you show them that you trust their judgment. If you congratulate them when they have a good appearance at the plate, you show that you recognize and appreciate their good technique and hard work.

By teaching players when and where to hit a ball, as well as helping build their confidence during practice and in games, you will soon find that your players are ready to jump all over good pitches when they come. Those players with less encouragement and support hesitate more at good pitches and are not prepared to meet the challenge with confidence and the aggression necessary.

Stay Focused in the Box

While in the batter's box, players should be thinking of nothing more than connecting with the ball and doing their job properly. All thoughts of technique and preparation should be gone, because the player has focused on this during practice to the point that all motions come like second nature.

The batter should also keep his focus on the pitcher. Once in place, the batter should look only at the pitcher, so as to better read what pitch is coming and how to hit it. Finding a central focus point like the pitcher also helps batters tune out the noise and other distractions threatening to take the player's focus from the ball.

Kenny Buford is a baseball coach with over 20 years of experience and a founding member of Baseball Inner Circle. Discover the ultimate source for baseball drills, videos, and coaching tips that will immediately improve your players' skills and win more games for your team:

Baseball Inner Circle

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kenny_Buford

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6 Questions often asked about the Derek Jeter Hurricane Hitting Machine

QUESTION: What is the main benefit of owning a Hurricane Baseball Hitting Machine?
ANSWER: I feel the number one benefit is that the Hurricane Machine gives the player a wide variety of hitting drills that allow a player to perform specific drills designed to target a players individual needs and weaknesses. Each of these drills teaches or reinforces an important fundamental of hitting.

QUESTION: How long does it take to assemble the Hurricane? Are tools required for set-up?
ANSWER: No tools are required. You should read the owners manual completely from front to back cover before assembling or using your new Hurricane Batting Machine. The first time you assemble your new machine may take 10 minutes. After that, it should take only 5 minutes are less. If you can do so, we recommend setting your machine up in an unused corner or area of your yard. This allows hitters to practice more often or on impulse when they are bored during the day when Mom or Dad may not be at home. Of you must store your machine in a secure spot between uses, it will only take minutes to set up and take down each time you use it. The Hurricane is a totally user-friendly machine when it comes to use and set-up. If you should have trouble during set-up, please do not hesitate to call our toll free customer service number to talk directly to someone that can answer your questions or walk you through set-up. Call 1-877-431-4487.

QUESTION: What is involved in adjusting the height or speed of the Hurricane Machine?
ANSWER: The height is adjusted by loosening the height adjustment knob, raising or losering the machine to the desired height, and tightening the height adjustment knob. This should take less that 20 seconds to do. Speed adjustment is done by added a Powerband to increase speed and removing a Powerband to decrease speed. Make sure to always connect the Powerband to the bottom hook-bar first and then to the top hook. This prevents a Powerband from "popping" you in the face should your hand slip off of it when you are connecting it to the hook. Speed adjustment takes about 2 minutes.
QUESTION: How fast does the Hurricane Machine ball travel? What pitch speeds does the machine simulate?

ANSWER: The Hurricane ball return speed is determined by the power and bat speed of the batter. With two Powerbands in place, and a average high school hitter swinging the bat, the machine's return speed will simulate speeds reaching up to 60 to 65 mph. With younger players, the speeds simulated may average 45 to 60 mph depending on the power and bat speed of the batter. The harder the ball is hit; the faster the ball's speed when it returns to the batter.

QUESTION: Do you hit the ball moving or should the batter let it stop moving before each swing?
ANSWER: The real beauty of the Hurricane Machine is that you can do both. Players love to hit the fast moving ball. Most of the drills outlined in the owners manual are moving ball drills. However, some of the isolation drills that allow the batter to hit specific pitch locations are performed by allowing the ball to stop before each drill. I would say that 90% of the drills and workouts on the Hurricane Machine are fast ball moving drills. These are highly productive when it come to improving skill, building confidence and increasing bat speed.

QUESTION: What is the number one thing I need to make sure my player knows about the Hurricane before he or she uses it?
ANSWER: I would say that there are actually three things that I would tell them. First, they should always make sure no one is near when they are swinging the bat. They should clear the area before they begin to work. Second, they must realize that the Hurricane operates with a "wrapping and unwrapping" action. They must always allow the Hurricane Machine Powerbands to unwrap between bat swings. If they do not allow the machine to unwind before they swing again, they will stress and break the Powerbands. And last, I would make sure that they take time between swings to reset and assume a proper stance everytime. The Hurricane Machine is so easy and convenient that many times kids tend to work to fast. They must make themselves slow down, get in a proper stance, and take a quality swing each time. The emphasis should be on QUALITY and not QUANTITY when it comes to practice swings.

ONE LAST IMPORTANT POINT: Make sure that your hitter has batting gloves. The Hurricane will greatly increase the number of practice swings a players takes each day. Kids will sometimes take 300 to 500 swings a day. Often times they are not used to taking so many swings. Until their hands get used to it, they must have protection. They will get blisters if they do not have a good pair of batting gloves. So make sure your player has a good pair of batting gloves to wear when hitting the Hurricane Machine.
Note: If you have a question that we did not answer here, please do not hesitate to call us at our toll free number, 1-877-431-4487. We will gladly answer any other question that you might have.

Remember, we give you a Money-Back Guarantee when you buy the Hurricane Machine from us! You will not get that guarantee in other places. We want you to feel comfortable with your decision to buy by knowing that this is a RISK FREE OFFER. And most of all, we want you to be totally happy with the product you buy! ORDER NOW!


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Youth Baseball Coaching Drill For Timid Hitters

By Chip Lemin

I'm sure most of you have worked with batters who constantly bail out of the batters box no matter what. It seems that this player will begin his bail out before he even really knows where the pitch is going. Here is a drill to try that may have some impact; I'm not saying it is a cure for this problem. It will get the hitter to look first at least before they start their getaway.

Start out using tennis balls for this drill. Have the batter get into the box, and throw some pitches behind them. This should get the batter to realize that they can't just blindly back out of the box, because in youth baseball, they will see pitches behind them, only not on purpose! This will give the timid batter some level of comfort by making them feel safer at the plate. This will get the hitter to really focus on the ball, which is what we want them to do anyway. Throw lots pitches to them, this is not a quick fix method but it should begin to help. After some time, the hitter will begin to notice that they don't have to duck away from good pitches. They will stay put and try to hit the ball instead. You can also have the hitter take a bunch of short strides toward whichever side of the field you need them to. Have them over compensate to begin with, because you know when a pitch comes they will most likely start to move back out in to middle which is closer to our goal anyway.

You can also have the batter just stand in the box when you have a pitcher and catcher warming up. Tell them just to follow the ball into the catcher's glove. This will let them relax some with out the stress of having to hit the ball. Learning how to hit a baseball is a difficult skill to master anyway. When your player is afraid of the ball is makes it much harder to learn to hit. Youth baseball players will respond to good teaching techniques when properly applied. Make sure not to embarrass the player, and do not tolerate any other players doing so.

Coaching youth baseball at any level is great privileged, so get all the info you can. Make sure you are kind and patient even if you don't feel like it at the time. I commend anyone would will take the time and responsibility to coach youth baseball, we need more like you.

Thanks Coach Chip Lemin


About Coach Chip

Hello My name is Chip Lemin. I'm a long time youth baseball coach who loves to promote this great game of youth baseball. Promoting sportsmanship in this game of youth baseball is something that really needs I feel. I have a free e-course that will give you some solid coaching information along with great help on the inter-personal relationships we must have to be good youth baseball coaches.Things such as parents, travel baseball, getting parents to help out, how to communicate better to parents and players, just to touch on a few. This course will help to organize practices like an elite coach. How to motivate players and other coaches with your positive attitude. It really is not very hard to be a great coach when you know what to do.Best of all you will learn how to have fun with these great kids that you have the privilege of coaching. Do yourself a favor and check it out, it's free,you will get 1 part every couple of days in your e-mail. Coaching can be fun and rewarding if you have a plan in place first, and you have an idea what you are doing.http://www.baseballecourse.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chip_Lemin

Baseball Parent - Make Your Kid a Major League MVP

By Nick Dixon

I know that the title got your attention. Everyone knows and respects the Major League Baseball players like Derek Jeter, Albert Pujols, Alex Rodriguez and Manny Ramirez. Many parents dream of having their little league player growing up to play college baseball, becoming a college all-American, going to Omaha and play in the College World Series, being drafted in the 1st round of the MLB draft, signing for a 2.5 million dollar signing bonus, being voted to the MLB All-star team, going 3 for 4 in the All-Star Game, having their team win the pennant, wining the league championship, playing in the MLB World Series, leading MLB in RBI, Homeruns, Stolen Bases, Pitching Wins and also being selected as the Cy Young award winner, being named MVP of the MLB World Series, signing a deal with Nike Shoe for 2 million a year to endorse their new line of baseball shoes, and finally getting voted into Cooperstown Hall of Fame on his first vote. That is the ultimate dream of a baseball parent. But, do you know and realize how small the actual percentage is of little league baseball parents that ever see that dream come true? Now, I need to get to the point. Just helping your kid become a solid little league player that loves and enjoys the game of baseball should be the goal of every baseball parent. Here I discuss what I feel are the major requirements for big time baseball success at every level.

Odds are stacked against the little league baseball player and the youth baseball player when it comes to playing college and major league baseball. Less than 1 out every 15 kids playing little league and youth baseball ever make their high school baseball's varsity team. It is a known fact that less than 10.1 percent of all high school varsity baseball players go on to play college baseball. That figure includes both scholarship and walk-on players. Just 1 out of every 936 high school players is drafted to Pro Baseball each year. What all of this adds up to is this statement that says it all. Less than 1 out of every 15,000 little league or youth baseball players ever make a MLB baseball team. In, fact the percentage may be much lower when you consider the fact that less than 20,000 players have played MLB baseball in its 130+ year history. Chances are good, if your child is playing Little League, Dixie Youth, Babe Ruth or Cal Ripkin baseball, you are expecting your child to try out for the high school baseball team one day.
What does it take to make the high school team? The main three things are body build, playing skill, and pure luck.

THE IMPORTANCE OF BODY BUILD IN BASEBALL

I know that many of you are saying "Body Build" is not very important in baseball. I know and realize that size and height are less important in baseball than basketball and football. You do not have to block or tackle to play baseball. Baseball is not a game played in the rafters of a gym. But, "Body Build" is not all about body size to me. When I talk about "Body build", I mean more than height and size. Body build to me includes all of the results of a player's work and training to build strength, stamina, endurance, power and speed. The players that dominate at each level are the ones that have the dominate bat speed, dominate pitch velocity, and the faster feet.

THE IMPORTANCE OF SKILL DEVELOPMENT IN BASEBALL

The next important key to becoming a great high school, college or major league baseball player is playing skill development. If you are going to get to the next level, you have got to learn to play the game! Personal instruction by a baseball hitting coach, baseball pitching coach, and great baseball instruction and teaching of baseball fundamentals, early in youth baseball, are so important to baseball skill building. Many advanced players today rely on baseball indoor hitting facilities, year round baseball training and travel baseball that's played all year. These things help, but the main thing is for a player and his parent to take an interest in the game and become students of the game. You have got to do your baseball homework if you are going to maximize baseball skill development. Baseball homework is that extra work you do in the off-season and at home year round. Your baseball homework many include a backyard pitching mound, a backyard batting cage, baseball training equipment, or one-on-one training with a baseball instructor.

THE IMPORTANCE OF LUCK IN BASEBALL

Many people do not believe in luck. They say luck has nothing to do with winning or success. They say luck is made in practice time. Many others have a different opinion, they say that it is better to be lucky than to be good. I have a different attitude toward luck. I know that we are all lucky to get a chance to grow up in such a great country and to play such a great game as baseball, but I am talking about a different kind of luck a player must have to succeed in baseball. A player must be lucky and get top quality coaching early in life! Fate is a better word for what I am talking about. It is good luck that a player gets chosen on a little league team with a coach that takes special interest in a player and dedicates a great amount of time and energy in making that player better. It is good luck for a youth player to have a parent or coach that knows how to motivate and inspire that kid to keep working and practicing to get better. Players are extremely lucky to have the right inspiration and instruction during their childhood playing days. The coach they have may be a streak of good or bad luck depending on the attitude and competence level of the coach. Getting the right coach is a great stroke of luck!

Yes, I believe body build, playing skill and luck are the 3 keys to high school baseball success. Good luck to your child and his or her team. Happy Hitting, Coach Nick.

The CoachesBest Baseball Store has a great selection of BASEBALL HITTING, COACHING and TRAINING DVDs. Check out the Bat Action Hitting Machine baseball pitching simulator. This high speed training machine is 100% Guaranteed to raise Batting Averages and has a full year warranty

Nick Dixon is the President and founder of Nedco Sports, the "Hit2win Company". Dixon is also an active and full time high school baseball coach with over 25 years experience. Dixon is widely recognized as an expert in the area of baseball training, practice and skill development. Coach Dixon is better known as the inventor of several of baseball and softball's most popular training products such as the Original BatAction Hitting Machine, SKLZ Derek Jeter Hurricane Hitting Machine, Original Hitting Stick, Hit2win Trainer, SKLZ Target Trainer, SKLZ Derek Jeter ZipnHit Pro, and Strikeback Trainer. Dixon is also a contributing writer for BaseballCoachingDigest, the Baseball 2Day Coaches Journal, Batting Cage Builder, the American Baseball Directory and the Hit2win Baseball Coaches Monthly Newsletter. Dixon has 5 blogs related to baseball training including the BaseballCoachingDigest Blog, CoachesBest Training Blog, Hurricane Machine Training Blog, Batting Cage Buyers Blog, and the Bat Action Training Blog.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nick_Dixon

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Applying Mental Toughness Daily is Not Easy

Applying Mental Toughness Daily is Not Easy
Sports psychology experts often talk about the importance of learning mental toughness to improve your performance. However, my 15 years of teaching the mental game to students makes me think that understanding mental toughness skills is not the whole enchilada. To be successful with mental toughness training, athletes must learn how to apply it.

You can be taught to improve concentration and focus all day long. You may understand the information and concepts by hearing it or reading about it (see “The Focused Athlete” at peaksports.com). However, until you actually are able to put the focusing skills into practice and competition, you can’t make any progress and *really* learn mental toughness.

If you're serious about getting the most from what you've learned, then you must be sure to apply consistently the mental skills you understand on a conceptual level. This is the biggest challenge in my work – helping athletes apply the concepts.

Take confidence, for example. Teaching athletes and coaches strategies to enhance confidence (such as how to fight doubt) and how to put it into action is the first step. Until athletes actually implement, practice, and add these techniques into their routines, you won't see improvement.

The biggest challenge is the commitment to work on mental toughness daily over weeks, months, and even years. It’s easy to pick up a book on mental training and then forget about the strategies one week later. The key is to apply your new mental toughness strategies to practice and competition on a daily basis.

This is similar to the skill of visualization (seeing what you *want* to happen). When an athlete visualizes her performance, she can see it in her mind, but can she truly believe it and feel it?

Visualization can be just wishful thinking on the part of the athletes. If you don’t believe in the images you create in your mind and have complete control over those mental images, it just will not be effective.

I asked one of my golf students if she visualizes each shot before she executes. Her reply, “Oh no! I stopped visualizing my shots because I would only see a bad shot in my mind before I hit it.” Is this athlete really using visualization the way it was intended?

The best athletes truly feel, sense, and believe in what they see in their minds *and* have total control over the images when they use visualization. When you can join your mental pictures with true confidence, then you have power to change your performance by just using your mind.


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About the Author: Want to learn simple, proven mental toughness skills that you can apply to competition? Grab my free online mental training newsletter, Sports Insights Magazine - for athletes, coaches, and sports parents:
http://www.peaksports.com/free_newsletter.php
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dr. Patrick Cohn is a master mental game coach who work with professional and amateur athletes, sports parents, and teams of all levels. Visit http://www.peaksports.com for more information.


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Teaching Young Batters to Use the No-Stride Technique For a Good Baseball Swing

By Nick Dixon

If you watched the College World Series on ESPN SPORTS TV last June, I am sure that you saw, as I did, player after player, use the no-stride technique. The abundance of players using the "No-Stride" technique at the College World Series in Omaha shows how many baseball coaches today teach the "wider stance and no stride approach" to hitting. Here I cover the basics of teaching and coaching the "No-Stride" hitting method.

The "No-stride" technique is simply the process of swinging the baseball bat without taking a big step or stride forward during the swing. The front foot is the stride foot. The back foot is called the pivot foot. The "No-stride" technique allows the batter to swing and keep the head still, the weight back, and the eyes on the ball.

When using the "No-Stride" approach, the batting stance should be wide enough to insure a solid base and wide enough so that the batter can use a "soft or short" stride technique. It is best that the batter simply lifts the front foot up less than an inch and puts in back down in the same place. There is little or no movement forward by the front foot.

A wider base and shorter stride allow the batter to keep the head still and prevents the head from dropping during the swing. When a batter assumes a narrow stance with the feet close together, the batter must take a long stride during the swing. This long stride causes the head and eyes to "fall or drop" during the swing. This is the reason that many coaches teach the no stride technique. Of course, another reason is the fact that when a batters uses a "close stance" and "long stride approach" they often cannot hit the fastball velocity of many pitchers in the game today.

The optimum width of the feet would be slightly wider than shoulder width. The weight should be on the "balls" of the feet and off the heels. The front foot or stride foot should be "placed softly as if it is on a carton of eggs". This softness allows the foot to be lifted and placed back down easily. The back foot or pivot foot is also important during the swing. The back foot should not "move or leak forward" but should turn up "shoe laces to pitcher" when the front foot settles into place during the swing.

COACHING POINT: I recommended an "even toed" stance meaning that the toes of each foot are even when the stance is assumed. A closed stance is one with the back foot farther away from the plate than the front foot. An open stance is one with the front foot farther away from the plate than the back foot.

COACHING POINT: You may actually use a simple demonstration to illustrate how a long stride causes the head to drop and the eyes to move. Have a batter assume a narrow stance. As you face the batter, hold your hand palm down exactly even with the eyes. Have the batter take a long stride while you hold your hand perfectly still at the level where the eyes were when the stride began. A long stride will cause the head to drop and the eyes to drop also. This movement of the head and eyes makes it more difficult for the batter to "see and hit" the ball as it travels through the strike zone.

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Check out the Bat Action Hitting Machine baseball pitching simulator. This high speed training machine is 100% Guaranteed to raise Batting Averages and has a full year warranty

Nick Dixon is the President and founder of Nedco Sports, the "Hit2win Company". Dixon is also an active and full time high school baseball coach with over 25 years experience. Dixon is widely recognized as an expert in the area of baseball training, practice and skill development. Coach Dixon is better known as the inventor of several of baseball and softball's most popular training products such as the Original BatAction Hitting Machine, SKLZ Derek Jeter Hurricane Hitting Machine, Original Hitting Stick, Hit2win Trainer, SKLZ Target Trainer, SKLZ Derek Jeter ZipnHit Pro, and Strikeback Trainer. Dixon is also a contributing writer for BaseballCoachingDigest, the Baseball 2Day Coaches Journal, Batting Cage Builder, the American Baseball Directory and the Hit2win Baseball Coaches Monthly Newsletter. Dixon has 5 blogs related to baseball training including the BaseballCoachingDigest Blog, CoachesBest Training Blog, Hurricane Machine Training Blog, Batting Cage Buyers Blog, and the Bat Action Training Blog

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nick_Dixon

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Remembering the "Johnny Bench Baseball Batter-Up" Baseball Trainer

By Nick Dixon

My son loved absolutely loved his Johnny Bench batting trainer. It was so simple and easy to use. He would hit that tiny rubber ball with the molded seams and it would wrap around the pole, return, and he would hit it again. Only God really knows, how many times he watched that ball circle that pole. It was the youth hit trainer that made him a great hitter. It made him a major leaguer in his own mind. He would imagine himself being Johnny Bench. With 2 outs, bases loaded, and the World Series on the line, he had a lot of pressure on him for a 12 year old. He would track that ball around the pole as if it was a 90+ miles per hour fastball. He learned to concentrate on the ball and to keep his head still during his swing.

It was tough be a big league hitter in those days. When that ball got to him, he would hit it so hard that he would almost come out of his shoes. Grand Slam, he would yell! Then he would trot around the backyard smiling and basking in the glory that only a World Series title could bring. It was so sweet to be named the MVP of the whole world. Baseball was fun and his Johnny Bench trainer was his pitcher. As an only child and with no neighbors living close by, it was his best friend and his way of having a great make believe baseball game in his own backyard. It was those backyard games that developed the hitting skills he needed to become a great little league all-star, high school standout, and college baseball player.

Back in those days training aid manufacturing technology was a bit behind the times. There were certain things about the JB trainer that were a bit frustrating. The major problem was those confounded rubber bands. They would dry-rot and break. Eventually most people made their own from cut pieces of old tire inner tubes. Eventually the ball broke off the rod and the JB trainer playing days at our house were over. And the big mass of concrete it was mounted in proved to be a major problem to move when wanted it gone.

Years ago I looked at young players and I realized just how much they too needed a good wholesome home trainer that was fun, practical, entertaining, and productive to hit. That need is the reason I invented the BatAction Hitting Machine and the Hurricane Hitting Machine. Both of these patented batting machines have similar ball motion paths, high speed ball movement, and both offer the same levels of fun and excitement. These popular machines feature adjustable ball speeds and height settings for all ages and ability levels. If you experienced the Johnny Bench trainer as a youngster and appreciate what it did for you, you will want your child or grandchild to have the same opportunities. If you are looking for a rotational hitting machine at a good price, I recommend the BatAction and Hurricane Hitting Machines. I know that you will love the results that you see from regular backyard workouts on these hitting trainers. Good luck till next time, Nick Dixon.



The BaseballCoachingDigest.com has a great collection of baseball articles. Check out the Bat Action Hitting Machine baseball pitching simulator. This high speed training machine is 100% Guaranteed to raise Batting Averages and has a full year warranty. Check out the Baseball Dealz Super Store on ebay. Buy your baseball training equipment at discount prices.

Nick Dixon is the President and founder of Nedco Sports, the "Hit2win Company". Dixon is also an active and full time high school baseball coach with over 25 years experience. Dixon is widely recognized as an expert in the area of baseball training, practice and skill development. Coach Dixon is better known as the inventor of several of baseball and softball's most popular training products such as the Original BatAction Hitting Machine, SKLZ Derek Jeter Hurricane Hitting Machine, Original Hitting Stick, Hit2win Trainer, SKLZ Target Trainer, SKLZ Derek Jeter ZipnHit Pro, and Strikeback Trainer. Dixon is also a contributing writer for BaseballCoachingDigest.com, the Baseball 2Day Coaches Journal, Batting Cage Builder, the American Baseball Directory and the Hit2win Baseball Coaches Monthly Newsletter. Dixon has 5 blogs related to baseball training including the BaseballCoachingDigest Blog, CoachesBest Training Blog, Hurricane Machine Training Blog, Batting Cage Buyers Blog, and the Bat Action Training Blog.

Effective Baseball Hitting

By Chris Moheno

There is much more to baseball hitting than meets the eye. When it comes to this technique, it is imperative that body and mind work together in order to achieve the best hitting results.

When you love to play baseball, your goal will be to become a better hitter. Each individual will have their own opinion and give you their advice and hitting tips.

Take all of the advice on board and eliminate everything that does not fit your hitting style. Try different variations of hitting, stances, approaches and hitting drills.

If something in particular suits you, then keep it; if it doesn't, then eliminate it. There will always be something that can be improved. However, listed below is some of the best advice that you will ever wish to receive.

• When hitting, it is important to always remain calm. You will not be able to hit the ball successfully if you are nervous.

• Stand in a loose comfortable position parallel to the plate with your legs approximately shoulder width apart and your knees and hips well bent. Your body weight should be perfectly centered in the middle. Your hands should be placed approximately five inches away from your body and only a couple of inches above your shoulder height.

• Paint a picture in your head of a box shaped area for following the ball. When the pitcher goes through their motion, imagine a box surrounding his or her shoulder where the ball comes out. This will assist you in determining what he or she is going to pitch.

• Wait until the pitcher is in their windup with approximately 60% of your body weight on your back leg. When the pitcher separates their hands, which were previously together with one in their glove, you should take a light smooth stride of approximately 2 inches long.

• Now you need to be prepared for receiving the ball. As your front foot steps forward, you need to shift approximately 80% of your body weight onto your back foot. Your hands should be moving backwards very slightly whilst at the same time ensuring that you keep a 90 degree bend in your front elbow. Your front shoulder should be heading forward towards the plate with the backwards motion of your hands. This action is done very quickly and is known as the load.

• Never take your eyes off the ball when baseball training or when undergoing a real game. Once the ball is in the air, you have a fraction of a second to identify the pitch. You then need to pivot, twist your hips and bring your hands straight down with the knob of the bat going straight to the ball whilst transferring your body weight back to the center. The bat then needs to be extended whilst keeping it on a level downward plane. Once you make contact you flick your wrist and extend the bat pointing the end of it to the pitcher and finish with the bat on your shoulder.

• When baseball hitting you will experience inside pitches, outside pitches, and pitches down the middle. When hitting an inside pitch you should hit the ball out in front of your body. When hitting an outside pitch you should let the ball get back in the zone and hit it behind yourself or at your body. When hitting a pitch down the middle, you should hit it right on top of your body with good extension.

• You will sometimes identify a curve ball, which will look as though it is going to hit you. No matter what you do when baseball hitting, you should never buckle backwards. It is important to stand your ground and if anything, turn into it and stay low. This will assist you in hitting the ball with a great deal more consistency and power.

• Don't be afraid of fast pitchers. A fast pitch will simply result in the ball going further. If you see the ball coming towards your midsection, do not lift your hands and allow it to make contact with your ribs. What you need to do is press your arm into your side and allow the ball to hit you in your arm. Trust me; a ball hitting your arm is much better than hitting you in the ribs.

The final, and probably most important piece of information that you should always follow when it comes to baseball hitting, is that you must, at all times, wear protective gear and a helmet. Baseball is a fantastic sport, but not so great when you do not play by the rules and wear the appropriate protection. Pitchers can very often slip up, sometimes accidentally and sometimes on purpose, and a baseball is not one that you want to be hit with on several occasions when you are not correctly kitted out.

Chris Moheno has a long time passion for sports in general and for baseball coaching more specifically.

His goal is to spread the word about effective non-fluff baseball training techniques for both more experienced and young baseball players, to help them perform better during the game.

Discover more about baseball training secrets on baseballtrainingsecrets.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_Moheno

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Coaching Youth Baseball: Five Badit Hitting Habits and How to Correct Each

Quick Swing Baseball Training Aid by Joe Mauer uses a unique delayed automated gravity-drop design to help baseball batters develop greater baseball bat speed, hitting hand-eye coordination, reflexes, and batting muscle memory. The Joe Mauer Quick Swing makes a great hitting station for improving hitting mechanics and perfecting the perfect baseball swing.

Improper Stance Width
PROBLEM:
The batter's stance is to wide or too narrow. A stance too wide causes a loss of power and prevents hip involvement during the swing. A stance with the feet too close often causes the batter to stride too far or long. This causes the head and eyes to drop during the stride. This makes the hitters success ratio drop tremendously. It is hard enough to hit with a "quiet" head or with no movement. Overstriding makes it even more difficult to see the ball, identify the speed and type or pitch nand to hit the ball where it is pitched.
SOLUTION:
Have the batter assume a stance with the feet shoulder width apart. Have the batter take a short stride of no more than 6 inches. If the stance is slightly wider than the shoulders, simply picking the front foot straight up only an inch or two and putting it down may be all the stride the batter needs.

Overstriding
PROBLEM:
Overstriding is a common mistake. Batters that often get "jammed" may be in fact causing their own problems by overstriding. Overstriding causes the batter's head and eyes to drop often causing the batter to "loose" the ball during the swing. Tracking the ball visually is made very difficult. The batter's overstriding can also cause the swing to be long. A batter's wide feet that are too wide tend to prevent hip involvement during the swing.
SOLUTION:
Batters should use a short or a "no stride" approach. A short stride of 3 to 6 inches is often enough. In fact simply picking the front foot up and putting it back down is all the stride that is needed.


"Hitch" In The Swing
PROBLEM:
Batters that have a "hitch" in their swing often have difficulty hitting the fastball. They often get "jammed" and are often late on medium speed pitches. The batter is not "triggering" correctly. The batter is dropping the hands before taking them to the "power position" or what is often called the "launch position". This lowering of the hands causes the batter to be late to the strike zone.
SOLUTION:
Take the hands slightly up and then back rather than dropping them.


"Locking" The Front Arm
PROBLEM:
The batter "locks" or straightens out the front arm when the hands and bat are taken back to the "power" or "trigger" position. This flaw causes the batter to be late starting the swing. It also cause the the bat speed to be too slow and increases the bat's distance to the ball. Locking the front arm also often causes premature wrist roll.
SOLUTION:
Keep a bend in the front elbow. Keep the hands together and working together. Keep the hands close to the body and do not take them back so far that front arm flex is lost.


Opening Up Too Soon
PROBLEM:
The front side is opening too soon causing the batter's "whole body" including head and eyes to pull off the pitch. This flaw often causes the barrel to lag and a reduction in bat speed. Much less plate coverage is allowed. Another result of dropping the hands is an increase in flyballs.
SOLUTION:
Have the batter strive to keep the "knob to belly button" relationship during the swing. The belly button rotates with the knob of the bat. On inside pitches the batter will still "open" but the timing will be perfect. On middle and away pitches the batter will not open or rotate so much. "The belly button to knob" relationship maintains correct timing mechanics.

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The highly acclaimed Hurricane Hitting Machine 20 Minute Daily Workout

This workout is the absolute best batting practice available today! The workout covers all mechanics and skills required for hitting success. The batter spends just 20 minutes a day, 3 days a week, to become a hitter that dominates the plate.

Directions: Each drill targets a specific part of the body to build strength.
Drill #1- Top Hand Drill- 10 Swings- Batter should work fast taking swings as quickly as possible. Each swing counts whether the bat hits the ball or not.
Drill #2- Bottom Hand Drill- 10 Swings- Batter should work fast taking swings as quickly as possible. Each swing counts whether the bat hits the ball or not.
Drill #3- Hip Turner Drill- 10 Swings- Batter should make sure that the ball is directed at the front side back hip pocket. The batter should take a swing every 10 seconds.
Drill #4- Inside Contact Drill- 15 Swings- Batter should make sure the ball is directed at the batters back foot in the INSIDE CONTACT POSITION. A swing is taken every 10 seconds.
Drill #5- Regular Contact Drill- 15 Swings- Batter should make sure the ball is directed at the batters back foot in the REGULAR CONTACT POSITION.
Drill #6- Away Contact Drill- 15 Swings- Batter should make sure the ball is directed at the batters back foot in the AWAY CONTACT POSITION. A swing is taken every 10 seconds.
Drill #7- Hurricane Hitter “BP” Drill
Drill #8- Hitting Streak Drill
Drill #9- Step-In-And-Hit Drill

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7 Keys to Building Good Work Habits in Young Baseball Players

Today the four letter word for baseball coaches is W-O-R-K: Working and learning to work are one of the vital elements required in the building of a successful baseball team and program. In baseball coaching work and baseball playing involves a lot of things. Work is practice. Work is hustle. Work is execution. Work is commitment. Work is being focused. Work and knowing the value of work may be the most important thing that you will teach your players. A player can have all the talent in the world, but if that player is not willing to work hard to develop that talent, the player is destined to be an underachiever.

Work is what allows a player, a team, and a coach to reach their maximum potential in the game. Every player has the potential to be great at something in the game! Hard work is the key element that will determine a the level of success a player will have later in life. Learning to work hard is a life skill that every youth player can benefit from. We all know of players that we played with or that we coached that had great God-given abilities but terrible work habits. They refused to push themselves to greatness. They would always spend more time looking for a way to get out of work, than actually working. They were simply lazy. They did not have the drive. It made no difference what the coach did, what the parent did, or what their peers said, they simply did not have the focus and commitment to work hard. These underachievers always come to their senses but it is always too late. When they look back to the good old day, they always say that wish they would have worked harder. A common saying of underachieves is that if they only had known then what I know now, they would have pushed themselves harder and made themselves work harder.

Players and coaches must understand the value of hard work. Anything worth having is worth working for. You must work hard. The assistant coaches must work hard. The players must work hard.

What are the keys to teaching players to work? Here are 7 keys to building good work habits in young players:

1. Praise
Praise the player when work is done. Instant positive feedback can serve to motivate players to work harder and harder. You should always correct a player when he does something incorrect. But when you do verbally get on a player, always find a reason to pat that kid on the back later. Keeping a balance between corrective criticism and praise is a valuable skill every coach must learn. Always try to send the players home on a positive note with a positive frame of mind.

2. Fun
The kids must enjoy practicing, playing and spending time together. If going to the baseball field feels like going to the dentist, they are going to lose interest and drive. When they lose interest and drive, they will stop working. Plan your practices with a variety of drills and activities to prevent boredom from setting in. Always include a couple of competitive games or drills to make the practice as fun as possible. I am not saying make your practice all fun game and play-time. I am just suggesting that you plan and organize your practices to include as many fun and motivating activities as is practical.

3. Discipline
Team discipline and player self discipline are two crucial elements for having a successful season. Players should be expected to have a high level of self control and follow all team rules. One important team rule is always showing respect to coaches and adults on and off the field. You can be firm and still keep a fun and comfortable atmosphere.

4. Role Model
The players must see their coach work. Kids can sense when a coach practices what he preaches. Do not expect a kid to work for you if you do not work for him.

5. Short-term Goals
Setting a goal for a drill or workout activity will often motivate players to put forth more effort. Have the goal be something simple and have the reward instant.

6. Long-term Goals
Setting team goals for the season is an important tool to improve player mental focus and to add value to the work done at practice.

7. Individual Goals
If you have a gifted player that is more advanced and skilled that most of the other players on the team, you may want to have each player set 3 individual goals for the season. Have players set a target batting average goal, a goal of stolen bases, a goal of a number of base hits or such. Such individual goals often can motivate players to work harder than ever.

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Nick Dixon is the President and founder of Nedco Sports, the "Hit2win Company". Dixon is also an active and full time high school baseball coach with over 25 years experience. Dixon is widely recognized as an expert in the area of baseball training, practice and skill development. Coach Dixon is better known as the inventor of several of baseball and softball's most popular training products such as the Original BatAction Hitting Machine, SKLZ Derek Jeter Hurricane Hitting Machine, Original Hitting Stick, Hit2win Trainer, SKLZ Target Trainer, SKLZ Derek Jeter ZipnHit Pro, and Strikeback Trainer. Dixon is also a contributing writer for BaseballCoachingDigest, the Baseball 2Day Coaches Journal, Batting Cage Builder, the American Baseball Directory and the Hit2win Baseball Coaches Monthly Newsletter. Dixon has 5 blogs related to baseball training including the BaseballCoachingDigest Blog, CoachesBest Training Blog, Hurricane Machine Training Blog, Batting Cage Buyers Blog, and the Bat Action Training Blog.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nick_Dixon

Hurricane Machine Batting Drills

The Hurricane Machine uses specially designed powerbands to return the ball after each swing. The machines action is a “wrapping and unwrapping” process. The batter must allow the machine to unwind between swings to allow the tension on the bands to release. If the batter hits the ball without allowing the machine to “unwrap” the powerbands will stretch too tight, fatigue, and break. Powerbands should last at least one year.

Drill: Hurricane “BP”

The most common and frequently used drill

Directions:

The batter assumes a position with the ball-rod directed at the middle of the batters body. The batter starts the drill by hitting the ball the first time from the “still” position.
After the first swing the batter will step one step to the right or left. Right-handers move right and left-handers move left. This puts the batter in a position to insure proper contact is made with the ball component.

The batter continues to hit the ball as it comes by every third pass.

The batter must take the time to reset after each swing to insure proper hitting mechanics and fundamentals are being practiced.
When the ball is hit hard with a level swing, the ball will return level at a good speed.

If the ball is missed or miss-hit, the ball will “bounce or bobble” up and down.

When the ball is bouncing, the batter may wish to stop and start the drill over. The batter may choose to hit the ball as it bounces. This is a difficult and challenging task.
Drill: “Streak Drill”

Build skill and entertains at the same time.

Directions:

The STREAK DRILL is a competitive drill that allows a batter to compete against the best previous score or against other batters.
The object of the drill is to hit the ball as many times as possible, in succession, without a clean miss. The number of times the batter makes contact with the ball, without a clean miss, is the batters STREAK NUMBER for the competition.

If the batter cleanly misses, the batters “time to hit” is over. It is now time for another batter to hit.

When two batters compete, the players take turns batting and competing to see who can build the longest hitting streak. Any bat contact with the ball keeps the “batters streak” alive.

If a batter touches the ball with a hand, a non-swung bat, or stops the ball in any other way, the batters streak is stopped. It is now the next batters turn to hit.
The batter should make sure to make contact with the ball component and not the shaft.

The batter must allow the machine to unwind between swings to allow the tension on the bands to release. If the batter hits the ball without allowing the machine to “unwrap” the powerbands will stretch to tight, fatigue, and break.

HurricaneMachine.com

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Hurricane Hitting Machine - 100% Guaranteed to improve skill, batspeed, hitting confidence!

If you are looking for the "Edge" to give your player or team a "definite advantage" over the competition, you can stop looking! You have found it, the Derek Jeter Hurricane Baseball Hitting Machine by ProPerformance Sports! 100% Guaranteed to improve skill, batspeed, hitting confidence!

It will definitely help get more basehits, hit more linedrives, score more runs and win more games! In fact we back this machine with one of the best product guarantees in the sporting goods industry.

We back the Derek Jeter Hurricane Baseball Hitting Machine with a 100% MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE! If you have questions, we can help! We will gladly answer an questions that you may have. We want you to buy the perfect machine for your needs! Call 1-877-431-4487 now!

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With adjustable height and speed settings the Hurricane Baseball Batting Trainer can be used by baseball and softball batters of all ages and skill levels. The high speed moving ball makes batting practice much more fun and productive.

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Questions and answer related to the Derek Jeter Hurricane Hitting Machine

QUESTION: What is the main benefit of owning a Hurricane Baseball Hitting Machine?
ANSWER: I feel the number one benefit is that the Hurricane Machine gives the player a wide variety of hitting drills that allow a player to perform specific drills designed to target a players individual needs and weaknesses. Each of these drills teaches or reinforces an important fundamental of hitting.

QUESTION: How long does it take to assemble the Hurricane? Are tools required for set-up?
ANSWER: No tools are required. You should read the owners manual completely from front to back cover before assembling or using your new Hurricane Batting Machine. The first time you assemble your new machine may take 10 minutes. After that, it should take only 5 minutes are less. If you can do so, we recommend setting your machine up in an unused corner or area of your yard. This allows hitters to practice more often or on impulse when they are bored during the day when Mom or Dad may not be at home. Of you must store your machine in a secure spot between uses, it will only take minutes to set up and take down each time you use it. The Hurricane is a totally user-friendly machine when it comes to use and set-up. If you should have trouble during set-up, please do not hesitate to call our toll free customer service number to talk directly to someone that can answer your questions or walk you through set-up. Call 1-877-431-4487.

QUESTION: What is involved in adjusting the height or speed of the Hurricane Machine?
ANSWER: The height is adjusted by loosening the height adjustment knob, raising or losering the machine to the desired height, and tightening the height adjustment knob. This should take less that 20 seconds to do. Speed adjustment is done by added a Powerband to increase speed and removing a Powerband to decrease speed. Make sure to always connect the Powerband to the bottom hook-bar first and then to the top hook. This prevents a Powerband from "popping" you in the face should your hand slip off of it when you are connecting it to the hook. Speed adjustment takes about 2 minutes.

QUESTION: How fast does the Hurricane Machine ball travel? What pitch speeds does the machine simulate?
ANSWER: The Hurricane ball return speed is determined by the power and bat speed of the batter. With two Powerbands in place, and a average high school hitter swinging the bat, the machine's return speed will simulate speeds reaching up to 60 to 65 mph. With younger players, the speeds simulated may average 45 to 60 mph depending on the power and bat speed of the batter. The harder the ball is hit; the faster the ball's speed when it returns to the batter.

QUESTION: Do you hit the ball moving or should the batter let it stop moving before each swing?
ANSWER: The real beauty of the Hurricane Machine is that you can do both. Players love to hit the fast moving ball. Most of the drills outlined in the owners manual are moving ball drills. However, some of the isolation drills that allow the batter to hit specific pitch locations are performed by allowing the ball to stop before each drill. I would say that 90% of the drills and workouts on the Hurricane Machine are fast ball moving drills. These are highly productive when it come to improving skill, building confidence and increasing bat speed.

QUESTION: What is the number one thing I need to make sure my player knows about the Hurricane before he or she uses it?
ANSWER: I would say that there are actually three things that I would tell them. First, they should always make sure no one is near when they are swinging the bat. They should clear the area before they begin to work. Second, they must realize that the Hurricane operates with a "wrapping and unwrapping" action. They must always allow the Hurricane Machine Powerbands to unwrap between bat swings. If they do not allow the machine to unwind before they swing again, they will stress and break the Powerbands. And last, I would make sure that they take time between swings to reset and assume a proper stance everytime. The Hurricane Machine is so easy and convenient that many times kids tend to work to fast. They must make themselves slow down, get in a proper stance, and take a quality swing each time. The emphasis should be on QUALITY and not QUANTITY when it comes to practice swings.
ONE LAST IMPORTANT POINT: Make sure that your hitter has batting gloves. The Hurricane will greatly increase the number of practice swings a players takes each day. Kids will sometimes take 300 to 500 swings a day. Often times they are not used to taking so many swings. Until their hands get used to it, they must have protection. They will get blisters if they do not have a good pair of batting gloves. So make sure your player has a good pair of batting gloves to wear when hitting the Hurricane Machine.
Note: If you have a question that we did not answer here, please do not hesitate to call us at our toll free number, 1-877-431-4487. We will gladly answer any other question that you might have.

Remember, we give you a Money-Back Guarantee when you buy the Hurricane Machine from us! You will not get that guarantee in other places. We want you to feel comfortable with your decision to buy by knowing that this is a RISK FREE OFFER. And most of all, we want you to be totally happy with the product you buy! ORDER NOW!


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Coaching Baseball: The Hurricane Baseball Hitting Machine will give your team the EDGE!

If you are looking for the "Edge" to give your player or team a "definite advantage" over the competition, you can stop looking! You have found it, the Derek Jeter Hurricane Baseball Hitting Machine by ProPerformance Sports! 100% Guaranteed to improve skill, batspeed, hitting confidence!

It will definitely help get more basehits, hit more linedrives, score more runs and win more games! In fact we back this machine with one of the best product guarantees in the sporting goods industry.

We back the Derek Jeter Hurricane Baseball Hitting Machine with a 100% MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE! If you have questions, we can help! We will gladly answer an questions that you may have. We want you to buy the perfect machine for your needs! Call 1-877-431-4487 now!

The Derek Jeter Hurricane Machine is available at:
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What I Know and Remember about Baseball - Batting Slumps

Author: tmbrguy

For what ever the reason, nearly every person who has played baseball runs into a slump. The prospect of buying a base hit is all that seems left for the player to get past the desperation of hitting anything.

Pressure placed upon ourselves for letting the team down, pressure from out statistics going in the toilet and pressure from teammates; while nothing is said, the looks and actions tell the real story of what they are holding back. It can be a spiral that places doubt in all your abilities, creating hesitation and second guessing what you already know what to do.

Batting slumps can do far more that merely divot the batting averages. It is important for Players and Coaches to recognize these slumps and do all they can to get their player, teammate back on track. Any chain is only as strong as its weakest link. All links get fatigued and need the time and attention of restoring the temper.

Baseball Players in batting slumps have great difficulty in observing their actions objectively. The best meaning parent can have this same trouble of objective detachment. Even they Players coach can loose the objective focus it takes to figure out what the real trouble is.

Younger Players have the most difficulty developing a consistent swing throughout the season. Constantly changing bodies is the number one culprit. Growth spurts, hormone changes, broader interests, emotions; you name it, everything a healthy growing body goes through affects their swing to some degree.

Intensity changes in activity is largely overlooked as contributors to swing changes. If your Player was dynamite during spring ball but seemed to unwind in summer ball, look to the off diamond activity. It is likely you will find the during spring ball and the school year the Player was on a good regiment. The freedom of summer and no school the structured day to day is gone.

Enterprising Players take the summer time to earn the dollars necessary to support their dreams. Jobs available to these people are usually heavy on the labor. Its simple physics to deduce that heavier work plus longer work hours will invariably build strength. Now that 31 they had been swinging like a pro is coming around too fast and at all sorts of wood chopping angles.

Now that we have covered the detrimental affects of a batting slump, the never ending array of reasons why the slump started and that the inner circle of the Players world may not be able to identify the issue, is there a fix?

Back to the basics, first up, put the bat on the ball. Do the T work under the Coaches eye. Use video to slow things down to take a bit by bit look. If the corrections are not working, seek a once over from a different coach. One of the wonderful things about baseball is the willingness of all Coaches to see all Players succeed. Be it League, Division or School, there is someone closer than you think that would be more than happy to spend and hour to two getting your swing back on track.

Time spent at the batting cage can be useful too. Particularly good is bunting in the cage, yes bunting. The batting slump is a simple result, the bat is not being put on the ball. So, when you can go to the cage and drop a tokens worth of pitches dead, you are now putting the bat on the ball. Start by being square to the machine and catch each pitch with the bat. Once that is done, take your normal stance and go through the whole motion. Drop another token and drop those pitches.

Even if your batting slump is mid season, developing your bunting skills are practical training. If your not ready to swing away, bunting yourself on base is still a base. While your out there, go ahead a steal one too. Plus when you are at the plate, and the pitcher hangs a cure ball, well, smashing that one is going to be a confidence builder.

No access to a baseball batting cage, no problem. Toss yourself the baseball and hit it into the backstop or other net that is not likely to break or get you into trouble. Again, the object is to put the bat on the ball. Even a bad toss you have to chase a little bit to hit is ok. Hitting from different locations, walking to retrieve the ball and hit again; drills like this add variation you will not find at stationary batting Ts or cages.

Inner city Players have options too. Grab your buddies and go play some stick ball. When your buddies are not available, do the toss drill above with a stick bat and golf ball size whiffle ball.

The solution to a baseball batting slump is to discover what has changed and make the corrections to bring back your success. Get back to the basics of putting the bat on the ball in varying situations not all customary and usual.

Above all, the most significant thing you can do to end your slump is to be patient with yourself.

About the Author
Mr. Dowdy is the father of 3 and after re-entering competitive baseball with his oldest that lead to frustration of finding suitable glove, he became an Official Distributor for NW Kelley USA Baseball you can also click over to Hirsch Group for more news/tips/articles


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Two Myths Concerning Baseball Batting Cages

Two Myths Concerning Baseball Batting Cages

Two Batting Cage Myths that are simply not true are (1) A Batting Cage must be long for it to be usable for all ages and (2) A batter must see 75 mph pitches to receive maximum benefit from cage work. Coach Dixon discusses how many batting cage buyers are mistaken or misled in buying or building a new baseball batting cage.

Read thie article at BaseballCoachingDigest.com