Recommended Baseball Sites for Coaches, Players and Parents!

Visit the Little League Digest at LittleLeagueDigest.com for the very latest articles on coaching Little League Baseball. Make sure to bookmar the LLD to your favorites for future visits.

Visit YouthBaseballDigest.com for free baseball articles on coaching youth baseball. Site features daily articles, tips, drills, and coaching strategy.

Visit the Baseball Coaching Journal at http://www.bb2day.com for the very latest baseball coaching drills, tips, and articles.

also

Visit the Baseball Parent Guide for Free Articles and Tips for Baseball Parents

BaseballParentGuide.com - This informative sites features articles is many interesting categories realted to helping a baseball player imrove and deal with issues related to today's game.

make sure to bookmark the BaseballParentGuide.com for future visits.

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What Could Cause This Batting Flaw? Player Hits Great in Batting Drills But Does Not Hit in Games

Have you ever had a kid that had the perfect baseball swing but sometimes has difficulty hitting live pitching? In drills, the player simply kills the baseball. Every soft-toss rep is a line drive. Every front toss rep is a line drive with power. The player is perfect in every drill that your team but has difficulty hitting live pitching. The player often struggles to hit in games although he has one of the best swings on the team. What could cause a player to perform perfectly in practice but have a difficult time hitting the ball when a pitcher is pitching from regulation distances? This article discusses one cause of poor hitting performance that baseball coaches sometimes fail to detect.

Youth Baseball Digest: One Cause of Poor Hitting Performance that Often Goes Undetected Have you ever had a kid that had the perfect baseball swing but sometimes has difficulty hitting live pitching? In drills, the player simply kills the baseball. Every soft-toss rep is a line drive. Every front toss rep is a line drive with power. The player is perfect in every drill that your team but has difficulty hitting live pitching. The player often struggles to hit in games although he has one of the best swings on the team. What could cause a player to perform perfectly in practice but have a difficult time hitting the ball when a pitcher is pitching from regulation distances?

I am speaking from experience here. I once had a right handed player on my high school team that was absolutely a dream hitter in practice and a nightmare hitter in games and live inter-squad games. He would dominate every hitting station with his high velocity bat speed, precision bat control, and unbelievable ability to adjust to every pitch location with the perfect swing adaptation. However, when he faced live pitching he simply looked like "Ned in the First Grade". He would miss or be late on routine and average fastballs. He would be late or completely misjudge curve balls and when he should attack them.

I quickly realized that there was a problem and began to do some research. I soon found some definite performance tendencies. In day games, when he made contact, he almost always hit a ground ball to the second baseman. On ball he should pull, he nearly always got jammed. At night, he hit for 150 points less than in day games. With all these facts considered, we realized his cause for poor hitting. The cause was poor eye sight. We sent him to have his eyes checked. He had extremely poor vision in his dominate eye. He could perform well in our hitting stations and toss drills because they were all done at short distances. When the distance the pitch came from was increased, his ability to see and pick the ball up quickly was diminished. A new set of contact lens got him back on his "A" game. He quickly became as dominate in games as he was in drills.

So the moral of is that if you have a kid that is inconsistent from his hitting in practice to hitting in a game, make sure to have his vision checked. Poor eye sight may be the cause of his poor hitting performance.

I hope that you found this article to be informative and useful. I thank you for taking the time to read it. For more great articles on coaching baseball visit the Baseball Coaching Digest, Youth Baseball Digest, Little League Digest, and the Baseball Parent Guide. Good luck to you and your team. Have a great day, Nick

The CoachesBest Baseball Store has a great selection of 1400 Baseball Products. Check out the BatAction 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, a sports training company established in 1999. Dixon is also an active and full time high school baseball coach with over 25 years experience. Coach Dixon is better known as the inventor of the BatAction Hitting Machine, the SKLZ Derek Jeter Hurricane Hitting Machine, the SKLZ Target Trainer, the SKLZ Derek Jeter ZipnHit Pro, and the SKLZ Strikeback Trainer. Dixon is also a contributing writer for BaseballCoachingDigest, the Youth Baseball Digest, the Baseball Parent Guide, the Baseball 2Day Coaches Journal, and Blog4Coaches.

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

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The Categories they have are: Baseball Training Equipment, Youth Baseball Training Equipment, Training Bats, Pitching & Throwing Trainers, Defensive Trainers, Batting Cages, Pitching Machines, Jugs Equipment, Game and Practice Baseballs, Protective Practice Screens and Nets, Portable Pitching Mounds, Baseball DVDs & Books, Clearance Items on Sales, BatAction Hitting Machines, Hurricane Hitting Machines, NEDCO Bataction Replacement Parts, SKLZ Hurricane Replacement Parts and Much Much More! Visit Baseball2U.com today!
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Hitting a Baseball - Finding the Root Cause of a Mechanics Problem

Derek Jeter Baseball Trainers - HurricaneMachine.com
By Nate Barnett

There is nothing more frustrating for a hitter than having a mechanical problem with the baseball swing and not knowing what the issue is or how to find a solution. While I don't have the ability here (nor do you have the patience to sort through it) to discuss all of the root causes to the countless mechanical failures of a baseball swing, I will give you one for today. Of course, you will need to consult with your hitting instructor for more depth and practical baseball drills to help solve the problem I discuss.

Let me point out the biggest lower body problem for hitters. I say the biggest problem in the sense that it does the most damage when trying to hit a baseball effectively.

The Problem: Hips floating forward

At the beginning of the swing, the hitter must begin to transfer some weight from the (presumably balanced) stance position onto his back leg. The weight distribution will then be roughly 60% weight on back leg, and 40% on front leg. Most hitters can do this step quite easily without a lot of baseball drills to assist.

The second movement a hitter makes is to begin to take some of the weight he has loaded onto his back leg and move it forward to create energy (this is the trigger process). At this time the back knee and foot begin to rotate towards the pitcher. This is when the hips floating forward problem begins for most hitters.

The weight that was originally placed on the back leg MUST remain there as the rotation occurs. You can see if this is happening by looking at the angle of the back leg. If there is a bend in the back leg at the knee (during contact with the baseball), there is a good chance this hitter is keeping his weight back. If the back leg is relatively straight when the hitter makes contact with the pitch, then the problem of hip floating forward has occurred. The only reason this happens is that many times younger hitters think they must move towards the baseball and begin turning their body with their rear hip and moving it forward towards the pitcher. This does nothing to create energy, and in fact, destroys the ability to create a quick and powerful swing.

Nate Barnett is owner of BMI Baseball designed to improve the mental game of baseball in athletes. Learn how to help your game by improving the skill of mental baseball

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

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Baseball Hitting - The Movement of the Head is Critical

Article Title:
Baseball Hitting - The Movement of the Head is Critical


By Larry Cicchiello

It is very important to make sure your head is turned and facing the pitcher to ensure that you get a good view of the pitch that will soon follow. Your head should be totally relaxed and pretend that you are simply watching TV. Make sure both the front shoulder and arm are out of the way.

A good point of focus is the pitcher's cap because it's approximately the same height as where the pitch will be released from. The advantage is that your eyes will not have to refocus on the baseball and will be focused already.

What you do when the pitch is released is very important for being a successful baseball hitter. If your head remains turned toward the pitcher at the point of contact, you will be seeing the ball out of the corners of your eyes and this must be avoided. It will not work.

If your head is facing half way between the pitcher and the point of contact, you will see the ball a little better.

If you turn your head directly toward the point of contact, you will get the best possible look at the baseball and this is what you must do. It's a medical fact that you can not see an object as well when looking at it out of the corners of your eyes.

If it's a medical fact, imagine the importance when trying to see a baseball that takes less than a second to get to the catcher's mitt, may have movement on it and you have to decide if it's a ball or a strike! And all this happens in less than one second so you need to see the baseball as clearly as possible.

When it comes to baseball hitting, it is an absolute that you must turn your head if you want to achieve success.

Larry is the president of Larwenty Online Enterprises Inc. and also the author of "Excellent Baseball Coaching: 30 Seconds Away." If you are a baseball player or are involved in baseball coaching at any level of play or a parent who wants to help your child improve, you will be fully equipped! His baseball website offers several FREE baseball tips from his very informative and very fairly priced eBooks.

Larry's baseball website is http://www.larrybaseball.com/

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

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Youth Baseball Digest - 4 Important Factors That Can Help New Little League Coaches Be Successful

By Nick Dixon

Coaching Little league is a great way for baseball and softball players to give back to your community. Every baseball player remembers his first t-ball coach, coach pitch coach, little league coach, and high school coach. Baseball coaches have a profound effect on the lives of the players they coach. Being or becoming a great youth baseball coach requires a high level of commitment and dedication. There are 3 important rules that every new little league coach must always follow.



Those rules are

1. You must be a student of the game. To be a good youth baseball coach, you must have a good knowledge of how the game is played, how the rules are applied, and how certain skills and drills are performed. If you feel uncomfortable about a certain position, skill or fundamental, look for help. You may ask another coach. You may go to your local library or book store and find a book on how to coach baseball. You have access to an enormous amount of information about every aspect of the game through your computer and the internet.

2. You must have good help. You can never have too much help when coaching a youth team. Ask your parents and friends to find other volunteers to help you coach your team. It is best to have a parent meeting. Ask for parent volunteers. The parents that volunteer to help should choose a specific area in which they concentrate their effort. You will need at least 2 good assistant coaches. One needs to have enough knowledge and patience to be the pitching coach. One should be the hitting coach.

3. You must remediate your weaker players. In you draft, you may find that you must pick children that are good at certain skills but extremely week in other areas.One often overlooked and neglected aspect of coaching is remediation/ Remediation is special attention and help given to those players that need it. This is a job for what I refer to as the remediation coach. The coach that takes one or two players to the side and works on specific areas of the game in which they are too weak to compete. They may need help with swing mechanics, throwing mechanics, or simple footwork. These kids will master these skills easier and faster when they receive one-on-one personal attention. These "tutoring" lessons pay back huge returns if you can have enough help. The theory is that you must bring every player up to a certain level or much valuable team time will be lost to working with them during team drills. It is best to take these kids aside and work them separately from the team until they get their skill levels up. These lessons should be done in such a way to not embarrass the child or players involved.

4. You must work hard and set a good example. A willingness to work hard may be the most important trait of a successful coach. They work hard at planning, organizing, and executing individual and team drills for both offense and defense. They have high energy levels and are always willing to put forth that little extra effort to make a practice or game run smother.

I hope that you found this article to be helpful. Good luck to you and your team. Have a great day, Nick



The CoachesBest Baseball Store has a great selection of 1400 Baseball Products. Check out the BatAction 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, a sports training company established in 1999. Dixon is also an active and full time high school baseball coach with over 25 years experience. Coach Dixon is better known as the inventor of the BatAction Hitting Machine, the SKLZ Derek Jeter Hurricane Hitting Machine, the SKLZ Target Trainer, the SKLZ Derek Jeter ZipnHit Pro, and the SKLZ Strikeback Trainer. Dixon is also a contributing writer for BaseballCoachingDigest, the Youth Baseball Digest, the Baseball Parent Guide, the Baseball 2Day Coaches Journal, and Blog4Coaches.

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

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The Categories they have are: Baseball Training Equipment, Youth Baseball Training Equipment, Training Bats, Pitching & Throwing Trainers, Defensive Trainers, Batting Cages, Pitching Machines, Jugs Equipment, Game and Practice Baseballs, Protective Practice Screens and Nets, Portable Pitching Mounds, Baseball DVDs & Books, Clearance Items on Sales, BatAction Hitting Machines, Hurricane Hitting Machines, NEDCO Bataction Replacement Parts, SKLZ Hurricane Replacement Parts and Much Much More! Visit Baseball2U.com today!
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Hitting Mechanics and How to Crush Slow Pitching

By Nate Barnett

I hated slow pitchers when I was playing ball. I would have the best hitting mechanics, everything would be great with my swing coming into the game, and then there would be some puss-baller on the hill that would foul everything up. I'm sure you've experienced much the same. Since I've been done with my playing career I've cracked the code for how to hit slow pitchers (wish I would have learned this years ago). Here's the three-step trick to crush all the floaters you want.

1. Widen your stance just a bit. A wider stance will allow you to keep your weight centered better. Slow guys have a magical ability to make you shift your weight to your front foot. When that happens, the Jamie Moyer affect kicks in and you're screwed. Having a wider stance will make it quite a bit tougher to get up on your front foot simply because the angle of your front foot to front him is more gradual. Of course you can't stride as far with this adjustment. That's fine, you can mash the ball all the same.

2. Make sure your weight shift is slow. All kick butt hitters move some of their weight to their back leg prior to the rotation of their body. Just make sure when that ball comes in with an arc as big as a rainbow you shift your weight in a slow manner. Too quick of a weight shift will goof up your rhythm and timing. There is then a high chance you will continue to kill worms by beating the ball into the ground. No fun.

3. Give your ego a break and hit the ball the other way. Most guys love to pull the ball. I'm with you on that one. But, if you want to be successful with slow pitchers, learn to see the ball deep in the strike zone and allow your body to take the pitch the other way. If you make up your mind (BEFORE you get into the batters box) that the pull side of the diamond doesn't exist, you'll be far better off. Trying to yank the ball out of the park on a guy with low velocity will only further your frustration.

Nate Barnett is co-owner of The Pitching Academy.

You can find The Pitching Academy's articles, blog, and videos on baseball hitting mechanics, pitching mechanics, and pitching grips when you visit the website.

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

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---15 Reasons To Buy a Hurricane Trainer
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Coaching Baseball; Recommended Baseball Articles for Coaches

Coaching Baseball; Recommended Baseball Articles for Coaches


www.QuickSwingTrainer.com

Have a Great Weekend! Good luck to you and your team if you are playing. Here are some recommended baseball coaching articles for baseball coaches. Nick Dixon
Coaching Little League Baseball - Bad Habits Make For Bad Coaching

Article discusses 10 bad habits of bad Little League Coaches. These bad habits make it impossible for a coach to be an effective coach and role model.


Coaching Youth Baseball - Coaching Your First Baseman

Here are important points and skills that you must teach your First Baseman. Tips cover teaching the proper way to get to the bag, set up to receive the throw and how to stretch.


Baseball Coaching Digest - Stop and See - 1st & 3rd Double Steal Base Running Play

This 1st and 3rd Double Steal Play known as the Stop and See Steal. This play is used by offensive teams to score a runner from 3rd base by stopping the stealing runner short of the bag and tag.


Baseball Coaching Digest - Fake 3rd Out Defensive Trick

The Fake 3rd Out is a trick play ran by defensive teams to trick an unsuspecting base runner. If the base runner is not alert and aware, he may step off the bag and give the defensive team a cheap out to end the inning. Coaches should make their players aware of sure plays and tactics to prevent this trick from happening to their team.


Baseball Coaching Digest - Illegal Use of the Courtesy Runner Rule

Baseball coaches must be alert for one way that opposing offensive teams may illegally use the Courtesy Runner or Speed-Up rule. How does a team illegally use a courtesy runner? Here is the procedure outlined:


Baseball Coaching and the Importance of Goals For Team and Player Motivation

There are very few volunteer jobs more challenging, time-consuming or rewarding than being a coach in your local league. There are many four letter words used by coaches that I can not use here. Here I want to discuss the 4 four-letter words that can and will determine the amount of success a coach has during the coming season. The four words are Goal, Plan, Work and Time.




www.QuickSwingTrainer.com


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Shop CoachesBest.com for your baseball coaching needs including baseball training aids, training videos, and other coaching supplies. Check out the Derek Jeter Hurricane Hitting machine by SKLZ at HurricaneTrainer.com.

See the “Original” Rotational Hitting Machine at BatAction.com. Are you looking for the perfect trainer to teach proper timing and swing mechanics? You can stop looking and go to HandsBackHitter.com.

10 Tips to Make the High School Baseball Team

By Jack Perconte

There is an obvious, easy answer to the question of how a ballplayer can make the high school baseball team and that is practice, practice, and more practice. There is no substitute for players working at their skills from a young age, especially in populated areas where competition for high school teams is acute. Of course, there are other tips that players should follow to "cover all their bases," so to speak, to have the best opportunity to make the team.

10 Tips for Making the High School Baseball Team:

1. Size and strength are crucial when players reach the high school level, so conditioning and strength training programs should be done.

2. When travel ball is an option for ballplayers, they should play it at least a year or two before entering high school. The generally advanced competition level makes it worth playing. Coaches usually look favorably on travel ball players because it shows coaches that players are serious about playing baseball.

3. Attending the "high school of choice" summer camps before reaching high school age can be fruitful for good ballplayers. This gives players a familiarity with the coaches and coaches with players.

4. Ballplayers may think that grades are not important but nothing is further from the truth. Coaches prefer players that maintain good grades because they feel like players who work off the field will work hard on it. Additionally, if two players have equal ability, the player with better grades may get the nod because the coach knows that player will remain eligible throughout the season.

5. Players who display a "coachable" attitude at tryouts, around school, and around the coach give themselves a good opportunity to have a fair review from the coaching staff. Coaches do not look favorably on players who give the attitude that they already know it all and are un-coachable.

6. Game knowledge can make the difference also. Coaches do not like "know it all" players but they do prefer players who know the finer details and strategy of baseball.

7. Punctuality can make a difference. Players who walk in late to tryouts and don't take tryouts seriously can be in for a rude awakening.

8. Team players. Coaches like players who are sociable with other players and who want to be part of the group. They are leery of kids who appear to be loners.

9. Be helpful. Players who pick up gear and perform other tasks that coaches expect will enhance their chances of making the high school baseball team.

10. Hustle and work hard. Players should not give coaches an excuse for cutting them because they are fooling around at tryouts or goofing off in the classroom.

Finally, players who enjoy other sports should try out for those too, at least for freshman year. Often, high school coaches work two different sports or talk among the other coaches and this familiarity could be an advantage for hard working players at decision making during baseball tryouts.

Former major league baseball player, Jack Perconte gives baseball hitting tips and batting practice advice for ballplayers of all ages. His baseball hitting lessons advice can be found at http://www.baseballhittinglessons.com/baseball.

Jack is the author of two books, The Making of a Hitter and Raising an Athlete - his parenting blog can be found at http://positiveparentinginsports.com.

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

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HurricaneMachine.com - Links

---15 Reasons To Buy a Hurricane Trainer
---6 Questions Often Asked By Customers
---Message to Parents From Coach Nick
---Hurricane Hitting Machine Drills
---20-Minute Hurricane Batting Practice Workout
---Hurricane Hitting Machine Video Demo Clips

Baseball2u.com has a one of the internet's largest selections of baseball coaching and training dvds.


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How to Prevent a Hitting Slump - Eleven Baseball Hitting Tips For Players, Parents and Coaches

America's #1 Hitting Slump Breaker! The Hurricane Hitting Machine by SKLZ!
How to Prevent a Hitting Slump - Eleven Baseball Hitting Tips For Players, Parents and Coaches
By Jay Granat

Last week, I got a call from a baseball player who plays the outfield for a Triple A team connected with a major league club. The man was concerned because he has been in a hitting slump on and off for several seasons. He wants to make it to the major leagues and he feels that time is running out on him.

Yesterday, I got a call from a mother of a college player who is also stuck in a slump. This parent happened to be a psychiatrist. Like many parents who call me for help, this worried mother said, "My son has a beautiful swing. He works with a top hitting coach. He is great in the cage, but terrible once the game starts."

This concerned and worried mother had even tried medication to help her son perform better at the plate.

Baseball players frequently call me when they are stuck in a slump. Fortunately, over the years, I have
developed many techniques, strategies and tools for breaking slumps.

However, it is useful if players can learn how to start the season with a positive and effective mental approach to hitting. Here are a few tips to help you get your baseball season off to a good start:

1. Learn the strike zone very well and swing at strikes.
2. Know what kind of pitch you like to hit.
3. Be aware of the count and the game situation.
4. Train your mind to think of nothing or have just one thought at the plate.
5. Practice relaxation techniques.
6. Learn how to stay calm, focused, confident and relaxed at the plate.
7. Learn how to stay in the present and the here and now. The most important
pitch and swing are the next ones.
8. Watch the pitcher carefully from the dugout.
9. Try to hit the ball into the gaps. You will naturally pull some of these for homers.
10. Keep accurate records on all of the pitchers who you face. Record what they threw, what you did and what you learned about hitting against them in the past. This is extra work, but these data will pay big dividends for you.
11. Once your swing is mechanically sound, you need to master the mental aspects of hitting.

Jay P. Granat, Ph.D. is a psychotherapist and the founder of http://www.stayinthezone.com

He has written several books and developed several programs to help people perform to their fullest potential at sports, at work and at school. Dr. Granat, a former university professor, has appeared in The New York Times, Good Morning America, AP, ESPN, Golf Digest, The BBC and The CBC. His books include Zone Tennis and Get Into The Zone In Just One Minute. He is also the author of How To Get Into The Zone With Sport Psychology And Self-Hypnosis, How To Lower Your Golf Score With Sport Psychology And Self-Hypnosis, 101 Ways To Break Out Of A Hitting Slump and Bed Time Stories For Young Athletes. Golf Digest named Dr. Granat one of America's Top Ten Mental Gurus. He was recently featured in a documentary film on long distance running. Dr. Granat writes a weekly column for three newspapers.

His new program for baseball hitters 101 Ways To Break Out Of A Hitting Slump and a free sport psychology book is available at http://www.stayinthezone.com/shop-stay-in-the-zone.html?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=21

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

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---15 Reasons To Buy a Hurricane Trainer
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---Message to Parents From Coach Nick
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---20-Minute Hurricane Batting Practice Workout
---Hurricane Hitting Machine Video Demo Clips

Baseball2u.com has a one of the internet's largest selections of baseball coaching and training dvds.

Derek Jeter Hurricane Machine Questions, Answers, and Reviews

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.

HurricaneMachine.com - Links

---15 Reasons To Buy a Hurricane Trainer
---6 Questions Often Asked By Customers
---Message to Parents From Coach Nick
---Hurricane Hitting Machine Drills
---20-Minute Hurricane Batting Practice Workout
---Hurricane Hitting Machine Video Demo Clips

Baseball2u.com has a one of the internet's largest selections of baseball coaching and training dvds.


Hurricane Video

Here's Some Baseball Thoughts And Quotes For Youth Baseball Coaches And Players

By Chip Lemin

Here are baseball thoughts and some quotes that I thought all you youth baseball coaches would appreciate. There are far too many hot dog players and coaches in youth baseball today. I believe we must honor the game baseball by example. Most of it is just common sense and courtesy. I'm not giving you any secret formula to success. Let's behave like mature adults and remember we don't have a team full of future professional baseball players even though others may think otherwise.

Everyone on the team must be willing to trade sweat, effort, and sacrifice for success. When looking at yourself as a player, the critical. There are too many egotists among players today. Egotism is the anesthetic which deadens the pain of stupidity.

Success is costly. You must exchange something solid in yourself for success.

Concentrate on improving your weaknesses. It is more obvious than your strong points.

No player ever becomes a success by giving up. Keep trying.

If your coach criticizes you, it indicates that he is watching you, so appreciate that.

Never alibi. Excuses never win games.

Be confident. Say to yourself, I can I will, I must.

Be a good team player. Encourage your teammates and cooperate with them. They in turn will do the same.

Don't yell at the officials or umpires. They are seldom responsible for your success so don't blame them for your failure.

Your conduct, both on the field and off the field of, is a true test of you as an individual. It reflects your degree of dependability, responsibility, and the extent of your self sacrifice.

Here are some anonymous quotes...

If what you did yesterday still looks big to you, you haven't done much today.

The coach may not always be right, but he's always the coach.

When I won I thought I was lucky, but the harder I work, the luckier I got.

Every athlete has problems, the winners handle theirs.

The player who refuses to be beaten is tough to beat.

Not always a winner but never a loser.

If you know anyone who has always received a fair deal, get a witness- you're seeing a miracle.

Repetition is the mother of education.

I will get ready and perhaps my chance will come.

Enthusiasm is like a coat of paint- it covers up a lot of mistakes.

Little things make big things.

The surest way not to fail is be determined enough to succeed.

The player who does what he pleases is seldom pleased with what he does.

When a winner makes a mistake, he says I was wrong. One loser makes a mistake, he says, it was not my fault.

Hustle! You cannot survive without.

Enthusiasm and action will overcome fear.

The greatest key to success is a good attitude.

If You Think You are good, then why not be better. If you'd think you are better, then be the best.

Winning is not everything, but wanting to win is.

It takes a cool head to win a hot game.

I will leave you with this, it pertains to more than just baseball.

You can never get ahead of someone as long as you are trying to get even with them.

Thanks for your time, I hope these quotes, the ones without quotation marks around them, will help you get through this long winter waiting for baseball season start.

Thanks again, 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 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. I would like to help you with that.

Sign up at http://www.baseballecourse.com

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

Our sponsor:

Hurricane Video


HurricaneMachine.com - Links

---15 Reasons To Buy a Hurricane Trainer
---6 Questions Often Asked By Customers
---Message to Parents From Coach Nick
---Hurricane Hitting Machine Drills
---20-Minute Hurricane Batting Practice Workout
---Hurricane Hitting Machine Video Demo Clips

Baseball2u.com has a one of the internet's largest selections of baseball coaching and training dvds.

How to Prevent Strike Outs - Baseball Hitting Advice From a Former Major Leaguer

By Jack Perconte

Nothing is more frustrating for young baseball players and their parents than strike outs, especially if it is a recurring event. Strike outs may lead to very depressed ballplayers and to upset coaches and parents. Obviously, continual strike outs lead to athletes losing confidence, self-esteem and usually their desire to play the game altogether. What to do?

First, explain to ballplayers that hitting a baseball is one of the toughest things to do in sports and good fundamentals, practice and patience are necessary. Further explain that there are very few kids that have natural swings and the necessary hand-eye coordination to automatically be able to hit a ball. This explanation is important so players do not get too frustrated and depressed and to give them the message that they have control over the situation if they are willing to put in the work.

Next, the results of the hitter's at-bats must be analyzed. Sometimes, it is just a matter of the hitter becoming a little more aggressive when batting so they are not always behind in the count. Unaggressive hitters find themselves hitting with two strikes too often. If that is not the problem, check the results of the player's swings and misses. Are they under the ball (most common), over the ball, early or late? This will lead to what needs to be done.

Following are possible solutions for each of these situations:

1. When hitters are continually swinging late at the pitch - challenge them with higher velocity that approximate game speeds. Many hitters will make the necessary adjustments on their own when they begin to see faster speeds and get their eyes used to seeing the faster pitching.

2. Similar advice - when hitters are continually early they need to face much slower pitching so they learn to wait on the ball.

3. When hitters are under the ball they need to shorten the swing. This means keeping their swing path more direct by keeping the barrel of the bat above the ball on the approach to the ball. This can be done in a number of ways including the following drills.

Hitting Drill - With the use of two batting tees set the tees a bout a foot apart and in line with each other. Place a ball on both tees with the ball closer to the catcher about a balls width lower than the ball out front. Hitters should work on hitting the ball closest to the pitcher while missing the back ball.

Hitting Drill - Along the same lines as the previous drill, set the height of the batting tee a little above the back hip and place the tee under the hitter's hands in their stance. Pitch balls to the hitter and have them swing over the tee on the way to contact. This will help hitters develop a more direct swing path and should lead to more consistent contact.

4. When hitters are over the ball they should work on knee high pitches until they can begin to hit line drives on this pitch location. This will help them get use to driving their hands to the back of the ball while using their hips and legs in the correct way.

It is important to note that habits are tough to change and that there are times when I use "opposite drills" to change a players habits. These drills are extremely different then what the player is doing and often are not the fundamentally sound swing either, but they are the only way the hitter can break their initial bad habit. The hitting drills under point number 3 above could be considered opposite drills compared to what happens in reality with a great swing. The goal is to eventually meet in the middle with the correct swing and this is a way of doing that.

Finally, a great way to prevent strikeouts and promote more consistent contact is with front arm work. The hitters lead arm (hand) is the one that takes the bat to the ball so swinging the bat with just the lead arm will help contact. This drill will force the hitter to use the lead arm and get stronger with the front side, which is often the hitter's weaker arm.

Former major league baseball player, Jack Perconte gives baseball hitting tips and batting practice advice for ballplayers of all ages. His baseball playing lessons, books and advice can be found at http://www.baseballhittinglessons.com/baseball. Jack is the author of two books, The Making of a Hitter and Raising an Athlete - his positive parenting advice and books can be found at http://positiveparentinginsports.com.

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

=====================
There is no better baseball training machine for stopping those embarrasijng strikeouts than the Hurricane Machine by SKLZ and the BatAction Machine by Nedco Sports. Both are 100% Guaranteed to improve batting averages, reduce strikeouts and improve power.

Walmart Customers Share Their Reviews of the Hurricane Baseball Hitting Machine

The following are posted reviews from customers that have purchased the Derek Jeter Hurricane Hitting Machine from Walmart.com. Please remember that the Hurricane Machine carries a solid warranty and a Money Back Guarantee. The Hurricane Machine is 100% Guarnteed to Improve Hitting Success!


Great Product, 04/14/2010
By bstud

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5


Bought for my kid who loves it, I love it too! Great for working on batting skills.

Product Attributes:
Value: 5 out of 5
Meets Expectations: 5 out of 5

Recommends this product? Yes
Age: 35 - 44
Gender: Male
Has owned product for: 2 - 7 weeks
Uses product: Every few days
Share this Review:

Review 2 for SKLZ Hurricane Swing Training Machine
Great Tool. Great Quality., 02/15/2010
By msboyce, Milwaukee, WI

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5


The quality of the product is really top notch. This is not a toy it is heavy duty and meant to take a beating. After putting it together my son was more than eager to start swinging away.

Product Attributes:
Value: 5 out of 5
Meets Expectations: 5 out of 5

Recommends this product? Yes
Age: 35 - 44
Gender: Male
Has owned product for: 2 - 7 weeks
Uses product: Every day
Share this Review:

Review 3 for SKLZ Hurricane Swing Training Machine
Quality Product, 02/15/2010
By BaseballExpert, Atlanta, GA

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5


Definitely one of the better batting tees available today. Rugged and durable, well worth the money. Should last my 6 yr old for many years to come. Suggest that if you set it up in the basement to put tape on the floor to show your child where to put their feet and setup appropriately to the ball. Did this for both my 6 yr old and 3 yr old. After only a couple minutes for 2-3 times a week I've seen a dramatic improvement with their swings. Looking forward to ball season to see the improvement on the field.

Product Attributes:
Value: 4 out of 5
Meets Expectations: 5 out of 5

Recommends this product? Yes
Age: 45 - 54
Gender: Male
Has owned product for: 2 - 3 months
Uses product: Every few days
Share this Review:

Review 4 for SKLZ Hurricane Swing Training Machine
Great Investment, 10/29/2009
By DadCoach, New Berlin, WI

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5


This is a great practice tool for little league on up... The person who complained that this did not work right, did not read the directions-- you have to grease the shaft in order for it to operate smoothly-- this is revealed in the instructions. My teams have used this for three seasons and it works really well. You can't beat the current price!

Recommends this product? Yes
Age: 35 - 44
Gender: Male
Has owned product for: Longer than one year
Uses product: Once per week
Share this Review:

Review 5 for SKLZ Hurricane Swing Training Machine
Great Product, 08/05/2009
By Bearnone, CA

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5


A must have for anyone serious about improving their batting skills.

Product Attributes:
Value: 5 out of 5
Meets Expectations: 5 out of 5

Recommends this product? Yes
Has owned product for: 2 - 7 weeks
Uses product: Every day
Share this Review:

Review 6 for SKLZ Hurricane Swing Training Machine
Great Batting practice, 08/04/2009
By lacrosselover

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5


I purchased this for my 12 year old son and he loves it. He has been using it every day at least 2 hours per day and all the neighborhood kids have given it a try. My son's batting skills have improved greatly and he is looking forward to showing them off next season. Thanks for a great product.

Product Attributes:
Value: 5 out of 5
Meets Expectations: 5 out of 5

Recommends this product? Yes
Share this Review:

Review 7 for SKLZ Hurricane Swing Training Machine
Better than expected, 07/22/2009
By mtdewmountie, right here, WV

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5


I almost didn't purchase this aid as I thought it would be poorly built (not very heavy duty). Opened the package and put it together and found out right away that sombody put some thought into the design. Very nice piece of equipment and looks like it will hold up for years to come. My 8 yr old boy loves it as well as my 4 yr old daughter.

Product Attributes:
Value: 3 out of 5
Meets Expectations: 5 out of 5

Recommends this product? Yes
Age: 35 - 44
Gender: Male
Has owned product for: 2 - 7 weeks
Uses product: Every few days
Share this Review:

Review 8 for SKLZ Hurricane Swing Training Machine
Kids love it, 06/24/2009
By elderbuyer, PA

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5


My grandchildren are having a great time with this. It seems to be helping with batting.

Recommends this product? Yes
Age: 55 - 64
Gender: Female
Has owned product for: 1 week or less
Uses product: Every few days
Share this Review:

Review 9 for SKLZ Hurricane Swing Training Machine
06/22/2009
By ShooterMC, Mid-Michigan

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5


Great product overall, the only disappointment was the carrying case. Zipper broke first time I used it but the product is very nice over all and is a great tool for my two teams to practice and warm up

Product Attributes:
Value: 5 out of 5
Meets Expectations: 5 out of 5

Recommends this product? Yes
Age: 25 - 34
Gender: Male
Has owned product for: 2 - 3 months
Uses product: Every few days
Share this Review:

Review 10 for SKLZ Hurricane Swing Training Machine
excellent training tool, 06/18/2009
By ILovetoShare, Stuart, VA

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5


both daughter and teenage son are using, gives instant feedback, i shopped around b4 purchasing and this was the best value.

Product Attributes:
Value: 5 out of 5
Meets Expectations: 5 out of 5

Recommends this product? Yes
Age: 35 - 44
Gender: Female
Has owned product for: 2 - 7 weeks
Uses product: Every day
Share this Review:

Review 11 for SKLZ Hurricane Swing Training Machine
SKLZ Hurricane Swing Trainer, 06/01/2009
By Irish91, Bushkill, Pa

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5


This product is AMAZING!!! My son has used this product for 15 minutes everyday & it has made a tremendous improvement in his hitting. I'm going to start bringing the SKLZ Hurricane Swing Trainer to every practice for the rest of the team to use. I've even started to use this product to help improve my game.

Product Attributes:
Value: 5 out of 5
Meets Expectations: 5 out of 5

Recommends this product? Yes
Age: 35 - 44
Gender: Male
Has owned product for: 2 - 7 weeks
Uses product: Every day
Share this Review:

Review 12 for SKLZ Hurricane Swing Training Machine
05/12/2009
By bballfam

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5


This trainer was brought by a kid's dad the day of a major tourney our boy's team played in. The team put up 21 runs on the competition for that first game and then went on to run the bracket and win the tourney. I give much of the credit to the swing timing the kids developed from the short time on this trainer.

Product Attributes:
Value: 5 out of 5
Meets Expectations: 5 out of 5

Recommends this product? Yes
Age: 25 - 34
Gender: Male
Has owned product for: 1 week or less
Uses product: Every day
Share this Review:

Review 13 for SKLZ Hurricane Swing Training Machine
04/28/2009
By NewYorkCoach

Overall Rating: 1 out of 5
(Note Message From Nick Dixonin Response to This Review)


I purchased this item for my team during practice drills. The idea is great but the machine is not. Unfortunately when the batter takes a full swing, the rotating arm gets stuck on the return. Its looks as though the stretch bands that pull the rotating arm back to it's original position get jammed together. The machine is not perfected yet. It definitely needs to be reconstructed. It was a disappointment at any price. I Don’t Recommend this Product!
==============
==============

MESSAGE FROM NICK DIXON - President of Nedco Sports and the inventor of the Hurricane and BatAction Hitting Machines, ZipnHit,
SKLZ Target and Hitting Stick.

I am sorry that you have had problems with your machine. Please make sure that your top component knob and height adjustment knobs are aligned. I saw your post and made the previous blog entry to respond to it. Aligning these two knobs will completely eliminate your problem.(Further Deatils in Your Owners manual)

If you need further assistance or have any other questions please
call our customer service department, toll free, at
877-431-4487.

If you are unhapy with your purchase, your machine carries a Money-Back Guarantee. We back these products with the best guarantees and warranties in the industry.

Thanks for stating your problem. I can only help you when I know that you are having a problem. Again, I apologize for your problem.

Happy Hitting and Good Luck to You and Your Team,
Nick
==============
==============

Product Attributes:
Value: 3 out of 5
Meets Expectations: 1 out of 5

Recommends this product? No
Age: 45 - 54
Gender: Male
Has owned product for: 1 week or less
Uses product: Every day
Share this Review:

1 of 2 people found this review helpful.
Review 14 for SKLZ Hurricane Swing Training Machine
love it, 07/24/2008
By an anonymous customer, Chambersburg, PA

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5


my son uses the hurricane almost daily. it has improved his swing and made batting practice possible in our very small yard.

Product Attributes:
Value: 4 out of 5
Meets Expectations: 4 out of 5

Recommends this product? Yes
Gender: Female
Has owned product for: 2 - 7 weeks
Uses product: Every few days
Share this Review:

How to Prevent Powerband Tangles on the Derek Jeter Hurricane Hitting Machine

I have read a couple reviews on the Hurricane Machine and the customers were frustrated because the powerbands tangled or got stuck on the machines knobs when the ball rotated.

The powerbands should never tangle or get hung on the knobs. How is this problem prevented or eliminated? Simply make sure that the top component knob and the height adjustment knob or always on the same side of the machine. Keeping these aligned totally eliminates this issue. The manual clearly explains the correct way to align these when assembling the machine.

For other tips on assembling your machine do a search on "powerbands" or "assembly tips" on this blog. Thanks for stopping in. Have a great weekend. Nick

Baseball Hitting Tips - 100 Swings a Day

By Tom Read

An old baseball coach use to say after every practice, "go home and swing the bat 100 times each and every day. If you want to hit against the high level of competition we are going to be playing, swing that bat 100 times everyday". What he did not explain to the players was that doing something over and over makes it easier each time. It eventually becomes natural, second nature. So when that fastball comes flying in, and there is a half second to react, and you know where the swing needs to go, the muscle memory takes over and the swing comes naturally.

Hitting off the tee is a great baseball hitting drill. Take a 100 cuts a day off the tee and you will see your batting average start to climb. Another good baseball drill is soft toss. Here the tosser can change the location and the speed of the ball. Again, a 100 cuts a day of soft toss will bring improvement to your swing. The old coach used to tell the players that even if they did not have a tee to use, or no one was around to do soft toss with them, just go out in the yard and swing the bat thru the air. A 100 times a day. Doing this will get you comfortable with your swing. At game time, you want to be confident at the plate, and comfort brings confidence. You have swung that bat so many times, you know it is not going to let you down. You are concentrating on the pitch, not your swing. At just the right moment, you let loose with that same swing you have taken a 100 times a day.

The last thing I want to say is very important. You play like you practice. Before you start swinging a 100 time a day, you need to have found a good batting stance and good mechanics. It will not help you if each one of the 100 swings is different. Each swing needs to be identical. Find that perfect swing for you and practice it a 100 times a day.

After my many years of coaching, watching and traveling to out of town baseball games, I decided to share my baseball tips and stories that I have learned and experienced along the way. To check out more articles that I have written, please visit my website at http://baseballknowledge.info

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

Our Sponsor:

HurricaneMachine.com - Links

---15 Reasons To Buy a Hurricane Trainer
---6 Questions Often Asked By Customers
---Message to Parents From Coach Nick
---Hurricane Hitting Machine Drills
---20-Minute Hurricane Batting Practice Workout
---Hurricane Hitting Machine Video Demo Clips

Baseball2u.com has a one of the internet's largest selections of baseball coaching and training dvds.

Hurricane Hitting Machine Blog: Free Baseball Articles for Our Readers

Good Wednesday Morning to you. Here are 4 articles that I recommend.
Have a great day. Nick

Coaching Baseball - Two True Base Running Blunders That Teach a Lesson

We all know the importance of good base running. We know that "solid" base running scores runs and wins games. We also know that poor base running can easily cause a team to lose a game. The following two stories are true stories of base running mistakes that cost the team a win. All the team had to do to win was to have the base runner advance to the next bag. These two stories are great stories that you can tell to your players to teach young players two important rules of base running.


Coaching Baseball - Strategies For Facing Overpowering Pitchers

Every one of us has at one time or another, either as a player or a coach, had to face what is considered the "unhittable" pitcher. You know what I mean, the pitcher that is undefeated because he has an overpowering fastball, nasty curve ball, and a 3 pitch arsenal of potent pitches that intimidates the average team while he is just warming up. Coach Dixon discusses is strategies that can used when your team faces a dominating and overpowering pitcher. The main strategy in this situation is that you must have a "strategy" that you and your kids believe will work. The trick is have several scenarios and plans that you will apply as the game progresses.


Youth Sports Coach - Watch What You Say

Volunteering to coach youth sports can be one of the most rewarding experiences in your life. It is a privilege to spend time teaching, coaching and mentoring youngsters in one of the most critical stages of their mental and physical development. Many kids do not have positive role models in their life. Many kids do not get the attention and the discipline that they need and desire. The main thing I want to discus today is the importance of thinking before you speak and the fact that your words greatly affect the self esteem of your players.


Coaching Baseball Pitchers - Two Windup Variations Used to Disrupt a Batter's Concentration

There are two simple actions that a pitcher can use to distract or disrupt a batters concentration. The two actions are the "double pump windup" and the "start over" pitch deliveries that are done to change a pitchers regular windup. Both of these actions are used when there are no base runners on base. They both serve as effective ways to disrupt the concentration of opposing batters.

Recommended Baseball Sites:
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BaseballParentGuide.com
Homepage
Baseball Parent Guide: Today's Post
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Shop CoachesBest.com for your baseball coaching needs including baseball training aids, training videos, and other coaching supplies. Check out the Derek Jeter Hurricane Hitting machine by SKLZ at HurricaneTrainer.com.

See the “Original” Rotational Hitting Machine at BatAction.com. Are you looking for the perfect trainer to teach proper timing and swing mechanics? You can stop looking and go to BatAction.com.