The Basics of Swing Building in Baseball

The Basics of Swing Building in Baseball
By Guest Author: John Peter Pero

Build a house or build a swing.it all starts with a good foundation.

You will play as good as you practice!

Writing a single article on something so complex that it causes sleepless nights for the best trained and paid talents in the world is daunting.at least to this coach.

Styles vs. Absolutes

First - I cannot and will not debate hitting styles, though I certainly have my opinion. The reality is that half of the Hall of Fame has an unconventional swing. I will leave this area to you in hopes that you will stay on the straight and narrow and will continue gaining the knowledge it takes to help ALL your players season after season.

Here's a hint

Anything resembling the teachings of Ted Williams or The Mike Schmidt Hitting Study will keep you on the right road.

For every bad swing a hitter practices...it may take three swings to correct!

Here's where I've chosen to start.by making one assumption.

(Be brutally honest with yourself before incorporating the steps below!)

I will assume that your player(s) have a basic working knowledge of good swing mechanics. Players who practice incorrectly not only waste time, but tend to go backwards to the point that it can affect their future success and love of the game. The baseball road is littered with talented players who have been eliminated from the game prematurely when poor youth baseball swing mechanics become overmatched by superior pitching and the improvement of their own teammates.

Let's Get to the Point.And to the Progression

The following are six (6) areas that can simplify this building block process.

many which can be incorporated into a basement, garage or your own backyard.

Mirror Station - Simply put.if a player visually sees what he's doing incorrectly, he will make the adjustments necessary to improve.

I recommend swinging in front of a full-length mirror beginning at 50% power, then 75%, progressing to game speed and maybe even a few swings beyond 100% power.

Be logical about the number of swings depending on the player's age and strength.taking breaks in between. Focus on fewer great swings.less is more!

(yes. take extra precautions when working indoors)

Tee Station - Simply put, you never grow out of hitting off the tee. It is the one station where players can focus on every aspect of the swing.without having to track a moving object. This is critical! Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn said something like, "I do nothing but tee work until January." I wish I could remember the exact quote, but you get the point.

Toss Station - Also known as soft toss or flip drills, this is a basic drill generally done with two players. Balls are hit into a net after being tossed underhand in a short arc and at a 45° angle on the open side of the hitter from a distance of around 6 feet. These consistent tosses (aimed at the hitter's front thigh or hip for straight-away hitting and adjusted for hitting to various areas of the field) incorporate the lessons learned from tee work, adding the skill it takes to hit a moving ball.

This important station allows players to get tons of swings in a short period of time and in a small area.

Hitters get tired quickly when the tosser doesn't allow time between swings. Be patient!

Front Toss & Short Toss - This is another important building block in the progression. A coach or player will sit on a bucket behind a screen and toss pitches from directly in front of the player; usually in a cage or on a baseball field. This can be done from a distance of 15 to 20 feet and then from a 35 foot distance. Pitches should be thrown consistently and to particular zones, allowing the player to duplicate each swing as precisely as possible.

Note #1

Make sure your screen is in place and not in need of repair! Players and coaches should all be cautioned and taught to focus on staying completely behind the protective screen during every pitch.

Note #2

When utilizing short toss drills from shorter distances of 15 to 20 feet, balls should be tossed underhand so that the pitch will come in to the hitter at an angle more resembling that of a live pitch. This eliminates the "loopy" throws which encourage the poor mechanics of an uppercut swing.

Dead BP - (Batting Practice) - Dead batting practice is simply the batting practice you see on every field and at every level. You will see great examples of this when you go to a college or pro game two hours before the first pitch. It is thrown from 55 feet (not the official pitcher-to-hitter distance of 60' 6"), generally from a platform or portable mound. Pitches are thrown straight at around 55 to 65 mph.into particular hitting zones. These consistent pitches are designed for the hitter to repeat his swings over and over with consistency; hitting balls hard and to particular areas of the field.

A ball field and a batting cage with or without a pitching machine is all that is needed.

Live BP - (Batting Practice) - Take dead BP and add the battle of pitcher (coaches or pitchers doing the throwing) versus hitter, preferably in game conditions. In a team practice, I find maximum benefit when all defenders are also playing this as a real game.

The backyard version of live BP incorporates a pitching machine and pitching machine with an autofeeder for single player practices or a batting cage with a live pitcher behind a protective L-Screen.

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

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Good Hitters Hit, Great Hitters Hit More

By Mike Posey

Recently, I was talking to a friend that works in Major League Baseball. We were having a discussion about hitting and agreed many instructors say things to hitters that do not actually happen. Here are a few examples:

1. Stay Back - The hitter does not have their weight all the way back when swinging the bat. What should be said is stay centered. Do not let your weight come forward too soon.
2. Line Up Your Knocking Knuckles - The knuckles are usually off centered with the knocking knuckles on one hand and the big knuckles on the other hand lining up.
3. Rotate on Your Back Foot - On hitting contact the back foot is usually toe down and in some cases off the ground.
4. Hit It Out Front - If the pitch is away, you will actually hit it farther back on the plate. Out front would be for a pitch on the inside half of the plate.
5. Extend Your Arms - Extension only occurs after contact has been made with the ball.
6. Roll Your Wrist Over - On contact the top hand is under the bat. Wrist roll happens after contact.

With all the instruction being given today, one has to wonder why some of the same mechanical flaws still occur over and over in youth players. Too many expect paid lessons to be the answer to develop their players hitting abilities.

It might be better to let a hitter develop naturally and not put a lot of extra ideas in their heads to confuse them. Good hitters will hit alot and develop a feel for their swing as they grow. Proper instruction can help a good hitter become better. Many have an expectation that paying for a lesson will somehow cause magic to occur and the good swing appears, "poof", before the next game. Without hours of hitting practice on their own (outside of instruction) a good swing will never be developed.

Hitting is rhythm and timing, this can only be developed through live swings. Good hitters hit, Great hitters hit more.

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Baseball Hitting Drills - Teaching Plate Discipline

Baseball Hitting Plate Discipline


By Hunter Sendefer

Hitting drills are very important for young players and one of the best hitting drills that a coach can utilize teach plate discipline. It is very important that a hitter learns to have an approach at the plate, rather than simply swinging away at every pitch, so this drill is vital to the hitter's overall makeup.

This drill starts with the screen close enough to the plate that the batting coach pitcher can have excellent control. Each hitter then gets up to ten pitches, although only three strikes will be permitted. Before the hitter steps up to the plate, he or she will be told how many strikes he or she currently has, as this will directly influence how the hitter handles the pitches.

If the hitter is stepping up to the plate with a fresh count, he or she will begin by showing the pitching coach where he or she likes the ball. If the pitch is in the hitter's hitting zone and he or she takes a swing, the pitch count is reduced by one. If the pitch is outside of this hitting zone, but the player still swings, the hitter not only loses that pitch, but one additional pitch. If the pitch is outside of this hitting zone and the player does not swing, the pitch does not count at all. If the pitch is outside of the strike zone altogether and the player swings, however, he or she will lose half of his or her swings remaining.

If there is one strike, the penalty for swinging at a pitch outside the strike zone is less strict, as the player will only lose that pitch plus one more. This is because when there is one strike, pitchers will tend to come after the hitter a little more, which makes these pitches a little harder to lay off.

Finally, when there are two strikes, the hitter's goal is to be as tough an out as possible. If the player swings at a pitch that is in the strike zone, he or she only loses that pitch plus one more. If a pitch that is around the strike zone is taken, it is an additional pitch penalty because umpires tend to call borderline pitches strikes when there are already two strikes. If an obvious strike is taken, that player is done completely because it is never a good idea to take a third strike.

The goal of each hitter turning this drill is to make sure that he or she gets through all ten pitches without striking out. Also make sure that your players know that each strike that you call will be a judgment call, which is exactly how an umpire will make the call. By teaching your players to have an approach at the plate based on the strike count, you can turn them into smarter hitters. You will also be giving them a better idea of where the strike zone is, so they will know which pitches to take and when to take a cut.

Hunter Sendefer is a former player and current youth baseball coach who consistently coaches his teams to the winners column including an active 26 game winning streak. He frequently contributes to http://www.Batting-Trainer.com where you can sign up for free baseball batting videos and hitting tips or learn about the revolutionary new Insider Bat batting trainer. http://www.Batting-Trainer.com/features

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

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Understanding the Baseball Swing

Bat Action Hitting Machine - BatAction.com
By Nate Barnett

If I asked you to give a five minute lecture on hitting mechanics start to finish, could you do it? If the answer is yes, then you've undoubtedly done some research on the baseball swing. If the answer is no, then there is some work to be done, and you'll want to read on, especially if you're in a role where you provide any type of baseball instruction.

Coaches must be continual learners if they are going to stay in this game for long and attract some success. The most dangerous attitude anyone of influence can obtain is an attitude of arrival. Therefore, be a constant learner.

The baseball swing can be broken down into various parts and movements. The key for any good coach or athlete is to understand first what these parts are, and secondly, to understand the sequence of these moving parts throughout the swing. Without getting into depth on the specific parts in this article, my purpose in writing this is to introduce how energy is created within the baseball swing.

Much like other athletic activities the energy created to produce a quick swing comes from the back side of the body. The lower half of the back side of the hitter's body is responsible for generating momentum directed toward the pitch. This movement does not happen automatically, unfortunately. Most hitters begin their swing with the front side of the body or their hands which greatly reduces the speed of the baseball swing.

The two most common and incorrect swing starters are the hands and the front hip. Here are the drawbacks for using those parts to begin the energy creation process.

Hands: The baseball swing is a movement where energy is created from the ground up. The back knee turns first, back hip second, and hands third. While this sequence happens very quickly, it's important that it remain consistent. The reason is because this process creates torque. It is a core body movement that creates a whip action and propels the bat into the zone. If the hitter's hands are responsible for generating power, little power can be generated comparatively.

Front Hip: As explained above, the back side of the body creates energy. Therefore, if the front hip of the hitter begins to rotate at the same time of the back side of the body, momentum begins to move away from the play instead of being directed at hitting the baseball.

Consistent drill work should be focused on minimizing the above two movements. While Little Leaguers can get away with some of these mistakes and have relative success, athletes in high school cannot. Therefore, the best time to correct these incorrect movements is between the ages of 10 and 15.

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 Tips on Hitting - How to Focus on Three Things to Improve Your Hitting!

By Larry Cicchiello

Work On Your Weaknesses

Human nature can be very funny at times. When a lot of hitters practice, they have a bad habit of practicing what they do well and NOT practice on their weaknesses. It probably has something to do with the fact that hitting the ball well, whether it's during a game or at practice, makes us feel better. Now you can decide. Do you want to temporarily feel better and have your ego massaged or do you want to improve as a player? It is a very simple fact of life that real good hitters do NOT have glaring weaknesses! They may be able to handle some pitches better than others, but the differences are not that great. The reason they don't have any glaring weaknesses is quite simple. They work on their weaknesses to eliminate them as soon as possible! They don't practice and spend time working on their strengths. That's why they are real good hitters.

Keep The Bat In The Hitting Zone

One of the baseball hitting problems that many hitters encounter is they do NOT keep the bat in the hitting zone long enough. On the other side of the coin, the one thing that all great hitters have in common is that they DO keep the barrel of the bat in the hitting zone longer than other hitters.

An outstanding baseball hitting drill is to visualize four baseballs being pitched to you when you are batting, instead of just one. They are one after another, and maybe two inches apart. The batter who keeps his bat in the hitting zone longer, will have a better chance to hit all four of the baseballs. A batter that does NOT keep the bat in the hitting zone long enough would probably only be able to hit the first ball and not the next three. Getting back to one baseball, the LONGER you keep the bat in the hitting zone, the BETTER chance you have to make solid contact.

Line Drives Are The Goal

Try to hit line drives and the doubles, triples and home runs will come, as well as the good batting average to go along with the extra base hits! If you hit it squarely, you have a very good chance for a hit. If you slightly top the ball, it may be a hard grounder for a hit. If you are slightly under the ball, it just might be an extra base hit. Many great power hitters say over and over again that the home runs almost happen "by accident." The reason is that they simply try to hit a line drive. If they are a hair "under" the ball, it may very well leave the yard. It may seem a little ironic, but it's true. They truly try to hit line drives and yet they are tremendous power hitters!

I'm well aware that some power hitters try strictly for the home run, and in almost all their cases, they have lower batting averages that reflect just that. Why not try to have both a high batting average as well as some power to go along with it?

Larry Cicchiello is the successful author of several very user friendly eBooks covering 320 topics on playing or coaching excellent baseball. ANY player, coach or parent who wants to help their child will be fully equipped! Check out some FREE baseball tips on hitting and FREE baseball pitching tips at LarryBaseball.com.

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


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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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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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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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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

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Teaching the Professional Baseball Swing

Teaching the Professional Baseball Swing
By Joe Brockhoff

For over 25 years thousands of happy clients have learned the correct way to become better hitters using Joe's unique and effective baseball hitting tips. ... Article Word Count


First, let us understand the direction the ball comes to us. A pitcher pitches off of a 10 inch mound and because he is elevated when he pitches the ball, the ball will come to the hitter diagonally down. If you we can visualize a ball coming to a hitter on a downward plane and the hitter also swinging on a downward plane, the hitter has only one chance to intersect with the ball on contact.

When hitters hear the term "swing down", they will almost always swing on a vertical plane. Perhaps coaches teach this because in their minds, this would be a short stroke. However, while swinging down would be shorter, which would be beneficial, this action does not place the bat in alignment for the best contact with the ball.

Swinging down is also popular with coaches because they feel it will hit ground balls in little league and youth baseball, where fielders struggle to make these plays. In other words, more chances for errors give them a better chance for getting on base.

This is a negative way to think about learning how to be teaching the professional baseball swing because it does not maximize hitting ability. As a player grows in the game, there will be other players who will be excellent in fielding and throwing out grounders.

Here is another important point, and we have tested this time and time again. Swinging down hits more pop-ups than ground balls. We identify the action of "swinging-down" that hits a pop-up as a "scrape". The ball counter acts the downward swing and can actually hit a pop-up each time.

So where is the adjustment? We do not swing down. But we do go down. By driving to the ball diagonally down, keeping our hands above the ball, and the bat head above the hand as we pivot (drive), this puts us in perfect position to make the best contact. We then invert the bat so that the top hand goes under the stroke, then goes diagonally up. This perfectly matches the pitch.

We go to the ball diagonally down, and our stroke goes diagonally up. NEVER do we want the bat head to point to the ground after contact.

If that happens you will usually see a pop up because the bat will hit the face of the ball rather than the core of the ball.

Techniques that show teaching the professional baseball swing are fully explained in our baseball hitting drills web site for the"Super 8 Hitting System", completely demonstrated in a series of baseball hitting videos, which includes many baseball coaching tips and baseball coaching drills. Former Tulane Hall of Fame Baseball Coach, Joe Brockhoff, fully explains his baseball hitting drills with the Super 8 Hitting System, completely demonstrated with videos and hitting drills to help you hit with more power and raise your batting average.http://www.LearnBaseballHitting.com/blog.

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3 Baseball Hitting Instruction Tips For Better Hitting Mechanics

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Article Title: 3 Baseball Hitting Instruction Tips For Better Hitting Mechanics
By Rob Bucher

Baseball hitting instruction comes in many forms and from many different people. Dads bark out instructions to their sons and coaches do the same.

As a player and a coach all this terminology not only confuses the hitter, but is usually wrong.

Let me explain...

Most of the time coaches instruct using the same coaching they received as a player. If they had a great coach then they teach proper hitting mechanics...usually.

And players have to listen to the coach or they fear getting lodged in the dog house for a season.

It's why I want to share three baseball hitting instruction tips to help players and coaches.

First I want you to throw out all your terminology and if your a player, erase them from your memory.

A good coach does not instruct a player without showing him the correct way and the wrong way. They also put the player into swing mechanics positions so he can feel what's right.


Never throw your hands or arm at the ball. The further your arms get away from the body, the less strength you have in your swing. Get in a strong position by keeping your hands closer to the body. Think of a ice skater, they spin faster with their arms closer to the body.
You don't swing with the arms first. You allow the hips to trigger the swing and pull the upper body through the hitting zone.
You make contact with the ball with your arm closest to the pitcher slightly bent and the other arm in a L position slotted next to your side. You should not cast your bat out and make contact with the ball with your arms extended.

Hopefully these tips will help both player and coach when looking for better baseball hitting instruction.

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How to Create Consistent Hitting Mechanics

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Article Title: How to Create Consistent Hitting Mechanics
By Nate Barnett

I'm sure you know from experience that hitting a baseball consistently for any length of time is one of the most difficult and frustrating things to do in sports. There are two areas of your overall baseball preparation you'll need to develop on a regular basis if you want the most consistency possible as a competitive athlete - the mental game of baseball, and proper hitting mechanics. If you're interesting in learning more about baseball psychology there are quite a few resources online as well as my blog. This article is reserved for teaching a little on the topic of hitting mechanics.

I get the chance to work with dozens and dozens of athletes individually each year. It's truly a rewarding experience much of the time, though at times it can be extremely frustrating to see such talented athletes fail to put in the necessary work to achieve some consistency in their swing. I never have a tough time getting the athletes to work hard when I work with them in the cage. It's when athletes have to motivate themselves to work outside of their practice days when their work habit breaks down.

In order to become a highly consistent and effective hitter, I prescribe the following "medicinal procedure" to be used away from practice:

1. Dry Drills: These are hitting mechanics related drills that are meant to reinforce muscle memory. It is impossible to only put in two to three days on a specific hitting technique and make it stick long-term. The problem you'll run into is that during a game your focus will be placed on the pitcher and not your mechanics. If you have failed to put in the necessary time to build quality muscle memory, you'll revert back to the problems you were initially trying to fix.

2. Mental Rehearsal: The mind is a powerful tool for good or evil. When you use your mind for positive imagery or visualization you will increase your effectiveness as a hitter. If your mind pollutes your body with thoughts of failure, your body will respond in a negative way. Lack of confidence and fear can destroy a good hitter. To make sure you are conditioning your brain in the right way, it's highly important that you replay mental video clips of yourself succeeding offensively. This is easy to do, many of you do it all day long in other areas. Sometimes your mind wanders in church or school and you lose focus as to what is occurring around you. If you can slip into this mode and daydream about your performances, you can truly become a master of the mental game of baseball.

Nate Barnett is owner of BMI Baseball. His website is devoted to teaching the mental game of baseball and hitting mechanics. After finishing a professional career in the Seattle Mariners Organization, Nate pursued his coaching and motivational training career.

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Baseball Tips on Hitting - Hitting Against Power Pitchers

Article Title: Baseball Tips on Hitting - Hitting Against Power Pitchers
By Larry Cicchiello

If a hitter is a real good fast ball hitter who has very quick bat speed, he should not change his hitting style and should get up there and take his normal swing. On the other hand, not all hitters have that quickness in their swing and they should make adjustments to increase their chance for a successful at bat.

Against some flame throwers, many very good hitters cut down on their stride or even omit it completely, especially with two strikes on them. There is nothing wrong with conceding a little bit to a pitcher. The only goal is a successful at bat and it's not important how you achieve that success.

For those hitters who have trouble against "flame throwers," they should remember that it's not necessary to take any stride at all or to swing the bat hard. Some hitters, especially younger hitters, do not get this message. They quite often over swing and take this long, looping swing that is very late on the pitch and have very little if any chance at all. Unfortunately, this sometimes happens over and over again and is quite frustrating for a hitter of any age, whether it is a younger player or an older player. Younger players will not have fun on the baseball field if this continues to happen. If a young player continues to strike out three times a game, in no time at all he will lose interest in playing baseball in the future.

The name of this game, from a hitter's point of view is to get the "sweet" part of the bat on the ball. If you swing the bat so easy that it won't crush a grape, but can somehow manage to get the sweet part of the bat on the ball, you will get your share of hits. If you do the same thing against a power pitcher, you will get more than your share of hits. It's not important how weak a swing you had at the pitch and the weakness of your swing will go totally unnoticed. What will be very well noticed is how you hit the ball extremely hard against a flame thrower who has been striking out a lot of batters.

Leading bat manufacturers spend millions of dollars on research to have batted balls jump off the sweet part of the bats they manufacture. The hitter's chore is to just get that sweet spot on the pitched baseball. Hitter's should let the speed of the pitch do 90% of the work for them.

Against the flame throwers, the hitter who has trouble with the heater should keep it as simple as possible. Start the swing early and no need to stride at all. Throw the barrel of the bat down at the pitch. Remember, even if your swing is so easy that it could not crush a grape, the sweet spot of the bat and the velocity of the fast pitch will do 90% of the work for you. It's no guarantee for success but it will definitely increase your chances for a successful at bat.

Larry Cicchiello is the author of "Excellent Baseball Coaching: 30 Seconds Away." His very user friendly eBooks cover 320 topics on playing or coaching excellent baseball. ANY players, coaches or parents who want to help their child improve will be fully equipped! Some FREE tips are available at http://www.LarryBaseball.com/product/all

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Baseball Tips - 20 Minutes And Out

By Chico Reese

These baseball tips can maybe help you think of ways to keep your baseball training and drills productive in the off-season.

This is especially important for catchers who may have just put in a very long summer season behind the plate. Catchers have a greater number of skills that they need to practice compared to other players on the team. This can be a problem if there is a long layoff between the end of the summer season and the beginning of the High School season. The catchers now have to do a lot of training in a short time to get sharp on the throwing, blocking and footwork skills that catching requires.

It's never too early to start the catching training and drills. The trick is trying to keep a young mind and body motivated for most of the year if this is their only sport. The summer season for our team was long last year. It went right into fall ball. Some of the guys also started a conditioning program. There was not a lot of spare time left for our catchers to practice what they needed to and when I did start with them, there was a quick sense of general fatigue and I could tell the guys were "just not into it". I couldn't blame them.

I initially started getting some of the catchers' time after their conditioning, batting, tee work, etc. Bad news. I next tried to find some time for just catching drills and training...no bats. But with their busy schedule, an hour here and there still was too much. I'd hear stuff like, "You said it would only take a little bit last time and we were still there almost an hour." This in itself was the problem.

Here is the baseball tip for this article…I call this little idea, or training method, "20 Minutes And Out." I used it for catchers but obviously you can adapt the idea to anyone. The whole thing is strictly psychological, and it worked great! All I did was set a time limit…I just picked 20 minutes because I knew that I could get a ton of footwork reps done in 20 minutes. I'd only work one catcher on any given day or night and work only one type of drill in that training session, whether it was some type of footwork, blocking receiving or throwing.

I'd tell them something like, "Look, meet me at the training center and we'll do footwork only, and only for 20 minutes. Guaranteed. Twenty minutes and we're out of there. The thing is, you gotta work hard, be focused, no messing around and we'll get some good work in and leave."

Well at first, some of the catchers didn't believe me. But I did this, stuck to it and the results were great.

Sometimes they didn't even realize how fast 20 minutes would go. They'd be ready to do some more and I'd say, "Five more good ones, and we're done." And sure enough, we'd leave…no matter what. That's the key. Promise 20 minutes and get out. If they think they want to stay longer, don't. Tell them you have things to do.

Here's what I see happened and why I think it worked so well.


The time limit guaranteed an ending, always. That's big to teenagers.

As soon as the catcher saw me sticking to the 20 minute rule, he believed that he would truly be done soon and not only didn't mind going and doing the drills, he actually looked forward to it…all because he knew that it wouldn't drag out.

Since the time limit was relatively small, a catcher would really work hard in those 20 minutes and because of the "believable" guarantee he really didn't mind.



The end results were great because of the focusing on one drill each session. It was always a pretty good, intense workout and yet it wouldn't kill them. One catcher in particular improved his footwork tremendously because that's what we'd do each time. Tons and tons of reps for 20 minutes a shot. He really worked hard and got into it. Consequently, his throwing improved a great deal also.

Think about these baseball tips, try something like this and see what happens. This will make the short workout more enjoyable and at the same time you'll get a lot done. And it's all because of the "20 Minutes and Out", really. It's all psychological. Stick to the 20 minutes, no matter what. You'll be amazed how your players respond and what they can get done. You'll appreciate the short workouts too!


Chico Reese has been closely involved in youth baseball, softball and High School Baseball over the last twelve years and enjoys working with young catchers.

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Baseball Tips on Hitting - Hitting the Ball to the Opposite Field

By Larry Cicchiello

By now, we've all heard the expression, "hit it where it's pitched." It's very frustrating for a pitcher when he throws a perfect low and away strike and the batter hits the ball the opposite way for a hit. Most pitchers will make a mental note of it and know how well schooled the hitter is. Low and away strikes are almost always a pitcher's bread and butter and the very smart hitters will learn how to take some of the effectiveness of the low and away strike away from the pitcher. It's pretty much a baseball fact of life that if a hitter tries to pull everything, his batting average will suffer. It's also a baseball fact of life that hitters who hit effectively to the opposite field have a strong tendency to hit for higher batting averages.

When Hitting To The Opposite Field. The first order of the day is to avoid the common baseball hitting mistake of letting up on your swing. Many hitters will not swing as hard when going the opposite way. Their swing quite often loses its aggressiveness and this should be avoided. The hitter should attack the ball in the same manner as if it were a very hittable pitch that's belt high and over the middle of the plate. When you are trying to hit the ball to the opposite field, preferably you want the pitch over the outside part of the plate. The angle of the bat should be facing toward the opposite field. One of the best baseball tips on hitting to the opposite field is that you make contact with the ball deeper in the hitting zone. Contrary to what some may believe, you use the same exact swing that you always use. The only difference is you hit the ball when it is closer to the catcher.

Pitchers are not thrilled with hitters who use all fields and can efficiently hit the ball to the opposite field. As a hitter, you don't want pitchers to be thrilled when you are at bat. Just remember to attack the ball with the same aggressiveness, have your bat angled toward the opposite field and let the pitch travel and get a little closer to the catcher. There is a serious link between hitters who can do this and higher batting averages. It is not a coincidence.

Larry Cicchiello is the author of several very informative baseball coaching books. All of his editions are included in "Excellent Baseball Coaching: 30 Seconds Away." He is unique in that his site offers visitors several FREE TIPS that are straight from his books. Baseball tips on hitting, baseball pitching tips, baseball fielding tips, baseball base running tips, baseball coaching drills and more. Your baseball coaching "help desk" will be open 7 days a week, 24 hours a day and 365 days a year. Larry invites you to check out his FREE TIPS. You will be FULLY EQUIPPED as a manager, coach, player at any level or a parent who wants to help their child improve or overcome any baseball struggles.

You can visit his website at http://www.larrybaseball.com/

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How To Develop A Balanced Hitting Base For Youth Baseball Players!

By Chip Lemin

When I see a youth baseball player shooting line drives all over the field, there are certain things I look for in their swing. The first thing I usually notice will be that the player is balanced during the entire swing. Balance in a baseball swing is something that will deliver consistent results for the hitter. The balance in a baseball swing begins with the stance. The player's weight should be evenly distributed on both feet to start. When the player begins the trigger, or start of the swing, some of the weight will then shift to the back leg. These subtle movements were not always clear to me. I learned most of this from watching our team take hitting instruction from a professional instructor.

Some people will groan about paying someone to help a youth baseball player learn to hit properly. I must say years ago I was not a believer in hitting lessons. I thought I already knew all about hitting. My child has always been able to hit well, mostly due to natural talent luckily. My child was asked to play in a tournament with a travel team. This team used hitting instruction. As I watched how much it helped my child improve, I wanted to know more.

The best baseball swings are usually short and compact with a smooth follow through. Most parents teach their kids to take a long stride. I was guilty of this this. I also let their arms drop down too low, developing a long slow swing. Most of my mistakes were at the tee ball and coach pitch level with my first child. My eyes were opened at these hitting instructions that I had a lot to learn. Taking a wider balanced stance is the beginning of a solid base to hit from. The first thing the instructor did was widen up my kid's stance. This improved the balance right way. It also makes it harder to take a long stride to the ball. I am in favor of hitting instruction as early as the player will accept it. Don't ever force them to go. My child was a little hesitant until watching other kids having fun doing it.

My early ideas about keeping the elbow up, and the long stride, did not lead to a balanced powerful swing. I quickly learned to accept a new way of thinking. The earlier a youth baseball player learns to develop a balanced swing the better. A balanced swing makes it easier to hit to all fields. A balanced swing is much easier to repeat over and over from a good balanced base. The first move to the baseball from the trigger position will be with the hands. This is difficult for young players to learn at first. The are many drills to help instill this important part of the swing. I will share some of them with you soon in an upcoming article.

We have covered the very basics of the balanced hitting base of the swing. Most players will have to widen their stance to at least shoulder with. Some players even a little more may be needed. My child has a wide stance. This helps keep the toes on the ground during the beginning of the swing. If a player is lifting up the toes during the swing, they are shifting their weight improperly. The hands should be held as high as the player feels comfortable with. They should not be buried up against the body either, We are trying to eliminate movement that is not needed in the swing. When there is less movement, it is easier to stay balanced. So go find a quality hitting instructor that both you and your child feel good about. Get some references from others if needed. Go to lessons with an open mind. You will both learn a lot about balance in the baseball swing.

Thanks Coach Chip

Chip Lemin has been a promoter of youth baseball since they started using aluminum bats. That's a long time. I have witnessed many good people get into coaching without solid coaching skills and it is not fun for them or the kids.Today's newer coaches are also being shortchanged on sportsmanship, like there is none. Visit my site to sign up for a insightful, informational, free coaching e-course at http://www.baseballecourse.com

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