Derek Jeter Hurricane Hitting Machine by SKLZ

Welcome to the Hurricane Hitting Machine Blog for Baseball Coaches, Players and Parents. Our daily posts can help you get the most out of your baseball drills and team practices. Our free baseball articles, baseball coaching tips, and baseball drills can help your baseball player or baseball team improve. Our archive has hundreds of articles related to baseball training and baseball practice.

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Derek Jeter Hurricane Batting Trainer

Derek Jeter Hurricane Batting Trainer
By guest author: Leny J


You've heard coaches preach practice, practice, practice. Work hard and good things will happen. But what I find interesting with this concept is that most of the players do work hard and practice practice and practice - but that's all they do - they work hard at practice at practice - which is great. But in my opinion, in order to improve on your game, particularly hitting a baseball, you not only need to work hard at practice but you need to also work hard after practice - on your own time. At home in the back yard, or at the park, or even in your garage. You need to spend time out of practice to work on your skills. There is not enough time during regular practice to fine tune your craft. Taking time for yourself to refine your skill is a must in this day and age of competitive athletics. I've found a great baseball hitting aid to help accomplish this.

Derek Jeter Hurricane Batting Trainer. This machine will help you to improve hitting a baseball. This solo swing training tool is ideal baseball swing trainer for the beginning Little League player to the high school all-star.

This durable machine with its integrated ball and stick means you can practice on your own anytime anywhere -- no more running after balls! It provides you with immediate feedback on bat speed, power and eye hand coordination. It is easy to set-up and transport. Workout in your garage or the backyard. Take it with you to the park and warm-up before the game. Have fun with it.

I'm a husband and a father of two. I enjoy watching all types of sports and spending quality time with my family. I'm also a former youth baseball coach and former president of a local Little League organization.

Practice hard and learn to be a better hitter.

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




Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3323377

====================
Thanks to our sponsors:

Baseball2u.com/CoachesBest.com is the ultimate online baseball training and coaching store. With over 1400 products organized into categories Baseball2u.com makes finding that baseball training product easy and simple. Order securely online or by phone. Baseball2u.com is a fully licensed company and has a full time staff available from 8:00 to 5:00 CST. Their toll free customer service number is 1-877-431-4487.

The Categories they have are: BatAction Hitting Machines, Hurricane Hitting Machines, 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, NEDCO Bataction Replacement Parts, Baseball Training Equipment, Youth Baseball Training Equipment, Training Bats, Pitching & Throwing Trainers, Defensive Trainers, SKLZ Hurricane Replacement Parts and Much Much More! Visit Baseball2U.com today!

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Overload / Underload Training: How It Works & Why Ball Players Should Use This Training Method

Overload / Underload Training: How It Works & Why Ball Players Should Use This Training Method
By guest author: Steve Zawrotny


There are some, particularly online, who continue to spread incorrect and misleading information about weighted ball training. Our discussion here will deal with Overload/Underload (OU) training in general, and its application to baseball and softball in particular.

1. OU Training Defined

2. A Brief History of OU Research and Training

3. Other Sports That Use OU Training

4. The Benefits of OU Training

5. Other Baseball Experts Who Are Proponents of OU Training

OU TRAINING DEFINED

Using weight-modified implements that are otherwise identical
to those used during competition

The weights of these modified tools weigh both more and less than the standard competitive weight.

Such tools allow athletes to train more precisely for their sport. Sport-specific strength and power are developed by movements with resistance or assistance that imitate the joint action of the skill - SPECIFIC RESISTANCE TRAINING. What makes this type of training so effective is that the weights of the modified tools used are heavy enough to produce a conditioning effect, yet light enough to not adversely affect the athlete's mechanical skills.

Generally, OU Training is employed to increase an athlete's POWER. Power is defined as the rate at which one can perform work, or the ability to exert muscle force quickly. This ability is related to, but distinct from strength, which is defined as the ability to exert muscle force.

As an example, strength is demonstrated as the ability to pick up a 30 oz. bat. Power is demonstrated by the ability to drive a baseball 400+ feet while swinging that 30 oz. bat.

As long as the tools used are not too heavy, mechanics are not affected, making OU Training what I call "skill-neutral." According to published data (see below) the ideal weight range for conditioning and performance enhancement is up to 20% +/- the weight of the competitive implement. I do NOT recommend using baseballs weighing more than 6 oz., or softballs heavier than 8 oz. There is some data that indicates using much heavier balls can negatively affect throwing mechanics, possibly leading to arm problems. Extra motor-units are recruited while throwing these heavy balls that are then not used when the regular competitive ball is used. As relates to our discussion here, the modified implements ball players can use are weighted baseballs and softballs, and various weights of baseball/softball bats, and/or devices attached to these bats.

Conversely, this type of training would not be useful for training other athletic skill areas, for example, shooting or throwing accuracy. OU training could help a golfer drive their tee shots further, but it wouldn't help eliminate their slice if they have one, or otherwise help them to hit straighter drives. OU training could help a young basketball player who is having trouble hoisting a basketball high enough to make a shot in a 10 foot hoop, but the shot still has to be accurate enough to go in. Accuracy training needed for a specific skill would therefore be performed apart from power work.

If I was working with a pitcher who had control problems, I would not break out the weighted baseballs and expect training of this type to help him throw strikes. I would look at his mechanics and make any needed adjustments, and possibly suggest some drill work to help reinforce the new concepts being taught. Such a player might also be working with weighted baseballs/softballs as part of their overall training regimen, but this would occur at a different time, and for the purposes of developing more power and speed behind his/her throws as well as conditioning the throwing structures of the arm.

A potential side-benefit of OU training is that a player could improve their accuracy by virtue of the increased number of reps or throws they are performing. This would be an artifact of the main goal of improving power, however, and not the main purpose of OU training.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF OU RESEARCH AND TRAINING

The first research involving OU training was performed in the 1970s by the Soviet Union and East-European track and field teams. A great deal of this research has been published in prestigious, peer-reviewed journals around the world. Shot-putters, javelin, discus and hammer throwers, and sprinters were the early adopters of this training method.

Research with baseball players dates back to the 1960s. This is just a sampling of studies involving OU Training and baseball. There are dozens more relating to OU Training generally: Read more.

===================
Thanks to our sponsors:

www.BatAction.com



---BatAction Machine at CoachesBest.com
---BatActionMachine on Ebay.com
---BatAction Machine Video Clips
---BatAction Trainer - 15 Reasons Why You Must Own This Machine
---Message to Parents From Coach Nick
---If you are looking for BatAction Replacement Balls or Power Bands Click Here