Derek Jeter Hurricane Hitting Machine by SKLZ

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Showing posts with label coaching baseball. Show all posts
Showing posts with label coaching baseball. Show all posts

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Derek Jeter Hurricane Hitting Machine - Tips for Extending Your Powerbands Life



Derek Jeter Hurricane Hitting Machine - Tips for Extending Your Powerbands Life
Uploaded by Coach2winVideos Video shows several tips that can help Derek Jeter Hurricane Hitting Machine Owners Extend the life of their powerbands. Video has no audio, Visit the Hurricane Machine Training Blogs at http://hurricanebaseballtrainingmachine.blogspot.com/ for free Hurricane Machine Baseball Training Tips, Batting Drills, and Baseball Coaching Articles. http://www.HurricaneMachine.com

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Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Little League Baseball Practice Drills - Hitting Practice

Little League Baseball Practice Drills - Hitting Practice
By guest author: Chris Campbell

If you want to get good at anything, it's usually just a question of time. A little persistence, blood, sweat, and tears may help as well. There are a number of motivational quotes I could throw at your here, but let me just use a couple. First quote: "Persistence is omnipotent". Second quote: "Success is a result of one percent inspiration, and 99 percent inspiration". I know I'm paraphrasing somewhat, and I'm not sure exactly who the original author is for those. But, I think Emerson is responsible for the first. Either way, they both apply to many sporting endeavors, and baseball is no exception.

If you or your favorite little league baseball player has the desire, and is willing to put in the time, there no reason for them or you not to become a great baseball player. Of all the roles a player undertakes in the sport of baseball, the most fun packed one has to be hitting. It requires the most focus, concentrating, nerve, timing and skill. It's much more engaging than shagging fly balls, or base running.

It's a good thing, that hitting is so much fun, since that makes hitting practice even more fun, as you get to do it for even longer. With that in mind though, there are good ways to practice, and bad ways to practice. No sense in ingraining bad habits, when a few simple points to keep in mind will make you a big league hitter in no time.

Keep Your Eyes On The Ball

The number one thing to remember in batting practice, is to keep your eye on the ball. And even before the ball is thrown, keep your eyes on the pitcher. Studying the pitcher can reveal clues as to what pitch he'll be throwing next. Knowing you've got a curve ball or change-up, or fast ball, will affect the timing and speed of your swing.

Be A Smart Batter

Know what the count is, and where the other runners on your team are. Know how many are out, and know who's coming up to bat next. It's not just the coaches job to keep track of all these things. A strategic batter is a better batter.

Get A Good Grip On The Bat

The grip on your bat is were your swing starts. Don't tense up too much my holding on too tightly. You need to start of semi-relaxed, and then "load" and tighten up as you swing through the ball. Hand placement is important, and try to line up your middle knuckles from both your right and left hand.

Little League Baseball Drills is a great resource for helping your little leaguer get the most out of his or hers favorite pastime. With a little good training, amateur or even professional ball players will see a dramatic improvement in the way they play.

Article Source: tp://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_Campbell

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Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Baseball Coaching Digest - The 4 Keys to Hitting Success and Helping Your Team Win

Baseball Coaching Digest - The 4 Keys to Hitting Success and Helping Your Team Win
By guest author: Nick Dixon

Being a successful batter in today's game of baseball requires four things; strength, skill, confidence, and a proper approach. To improve your game, you must improve your level of proficiency in one of these three areas. This article explains each of these prerequisites and how each is a key to baseball hitting success.

Strength - Strength in hitting can be described by two words, "BAT SPEED". If you want to be a more powerful and more dominating batter, you have got to improve your strength to increase the speed of your bat. The harder that you hit the baseball, the more success you will have at the plate. Improving strength can come from workouts and growing mass. You need to do your research and fine specific workouts drills that will improve the strength of your arms, uppers body and lower body.

Skill - Hand and eye coordination is not something that a player is born with. Practice repetition of hitting a baseball is the absolute best way to improve hand and eye coordination. The earlier a child begins swinging the bat, the better. Many people believe in hitting small balls and using smaller diameter baseball bats. Regardless of your philosophy and beliefs, the key is to practice regularly and to make sure that your techniques practiced are fundamentally sound and proper.

Confidence - It is hard to complete when you feel like you are incapable of competing. Players must have confidence in their skill, ability and knowledge of the game. They must be ready to play and ready to accept the challenges that the game offers. Practice repetition, game-like practice conditions, and pressure during practice, all serve to increase confidence levels. The player must experience success in practice and be praised for it, if he is going to have a high level of confidence. My personal belief is that practice should be so disciplined, so challenging, and so organized with game like stress situations, that when the players gets in the game, the stress level is reduced or less than it was during the practice drill.

Proper Approach - Having an approach is basically having a plan when you step into the batter's box. The players knows the number of outs, the base runner locations, the time of the game, the tendencies of the opposing pitcher, and the capabilities of one's own self. The player will put that plan into action when he steps into the batter's box. He will do whatever his team needs at that moment to improve their chances of winning the game. He will not put himself before his team. He may bunt, hit and run, be patience and try to draw a walk, try to draw at a base on as a hit batter, move deeper in the box to aid a runner, or whatever else needs to be done to help his team. The best way to learn to have an approach is to improve one's knowledge of every situation that arises in a game. Knowledge of the game and how it flows is a must for having a great approach. A great approach really requires the first three things discussed in this article, strength, skill and confidence.

I hope that this article was useful to you. Thanks for reading it. Have a great day, Nick.

The CoachesBest Baseball Store has a great selection of 1400 Baseball Products. Check out the The Baseball Coaching Digest Blog for daily post providing baseball coaches with free baseball coaching drills, tips and articles on every aspect of coaching baseball.

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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Friday, February 11, 2011

Baseball Batting Coaching Conceptions: How To Connect With Your Players


Baseball Batting Coaching Conceptions: How To Connect With Your Players
By John McDuffy

I want you to think about all the coaches you have ever experienced in your lifetime. What do all the best coaches have in common? Is their overwhelming knowledge of the game, their ability to deal with adversity, or are they just simply the best communicators? I am going to go with the latter. In my experience, the best coaches are always the best communicators. I don't care how knowledgeable you are, if you cannot connect with another human being and help them to understand how to get better, then you are back to square one. If you are like most of us out there, we need a lot of work on our communication skills which is why I wanted to share 7 sure fire communication techniques that will help you become a better communicator in your next batting practice session.

#1: Play the why game. You remember this game as a kid. You ask your parents a question, they answer, and then you ask why? This may be annoying for parents, but asking a lot of questions goes a long way in your baseball batting sessions. The more questions you ask, the more you learn about your players. The more you learn about your players, the easier it is to understand what hurdles are holding them back. What do you feel you need work on? How did that swing differ from the previous one? These are just two powerful questions that you can use to help educate your player on what will take his batting skills to the next level. If you find yourself talking at your player, revert back to more questions.

The second baseball batting coaching strategy revolves around emotion and temper. Player emotions will always run high; it is in their nature. Performance feels very personal and when you?fail? it can be very embarrassing and self-deflating. This is exactly why your relaxed confident nature must never change. If you get frustrated and raise your tone you are only going to add pressure to the situation and fuel the fire. One of the main responsibilities of a batting coach is to ease player tension and get them back to a relaxed state so they can perform at a high level. Keep in mind that your frustration is a result of your lack of ability to help your player make the batting adjustments necessary. If you remain relaxed and positive, so will he.

#3: Change what you say. I was once told that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. If this is your fifth baseball batting training session and your player is still struggling to understand what you are teaching, change the words that come out of your mouth. It?s ridiculous to think that repeating yourself over and over again is eventually going to work. If you truly believe that, tape record yourself and play it back every time you meet because it will save you the trouble of talking! Be creative in your approach and find what connects with your player. Every player learns differently. If you find the sayings that connect with him, then you find the key to creating a better swing.

Batting Training Communication Technique #4: Give your players permission to fail. That's right, I said it! To many coaches and players believe that failure isn't an option. To that I say,'Good Luck!' Not only is failure an option, it's going to happen 7 out of every 10 times at the plate. Have fun trying not to fail! The real problem lies in the term failure which is why I want to give you a great quote from Thomas Edison. Yes, the guy who invented the light bulb.?I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.? Get the idea! Every baseball swing, good or bad, is a learning experience. Every failure just gives you a better idea of what not to do and gets you one step closer on what to do. Unfortunately, most people take failure personally instead of using it as a learning experience.

Batting Training Communication Technique #5: It's a two way street. You can improve your coaching by receiving feedback from your players. If you are going to dish it out, you have to be able to take it. Ask you players what you could do better to help them achieve their goals. If you go in with an open mind and take good notes, players will let you know what hurdles they are facing. By exposing any issues that are on the table, you can work together fix any issues. Working together towards a common goal creates a stronger bond and builds trust.

Batting Training Communication Technique #6: Be lavish in your praise, and short to criticize. This is an old sales technique. People like to know that they are making progress and are doing a good job. On the flip side, players hate to be criticized and will resent you for it. It has nothing do with you, it's just the way of the world. If you want to get your players to work harder, be lavish in your praise. Reward your players for the smallest accomplishments in your baseball batting training sessions and they will work twice as hard to get better.

Batting Training Communication Technique #7: Baseball is fun, make a joke or two. A lot of comedic things happen the baseball field. Let your players know that it is okay to laugh when something is funny. I have played for too many coaches who take the game to serious. Players play their best baseball when they are relaxed and enjoy the game. If you find things are getting a bit too tense, add some humor to the situation. After all, the reason you start playing the game is because it is fun.

The best baseball coaches are teachers of the game and learn just as much from their players, as their players learn from them. By using the techniques you have learned here today, you will not only become a better communicator, but will have a more rewarding coaching experience. Bridging the gap of communication will allow you build a much stronger bond with the players around you. If you want to take your players talent to the next level, take your communication to the next level.

Get more effective batting lessons from our blog! When you want to improve your baseball batting skills, you can get the complete information you need today!

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

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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

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

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:
Baseball Coaching Digest
Baseball Coaching Digest - Today's Post
Baseball Coaching Digest: Daily Post Archive
New Articles for Coaches
Baseball Coaching Articles by Coach Nick Dixon
New Baseball Blogs
Videos for Baseball Coaches

YouthBaseballDigest.com
Homepage
Today's Youth Baseball Coaching Feature Article
Videos for Coaches
Blogs & Knols for Baseball Coaches, Players & Parents

BaseballParentGuide.com
Homepage
Baseball Parent Guide: Today's Post
Baseball Articles for Coaches
Baseball Blogs
Teaching Your Child to Hit
Throwing and Pitching Fundamentals
Buying Guide For Baseball Parents
Current Topics and Issues Related to Safety in Baseball

Also:
Check out our network of baseball blogs:

Blogger (Blogspot) - baseballcoachesdigest
Blogger (Blogspot) - baseballparentguide
Blogger (Blogspot) - baseballhomeworkhelp
Blogger (Blogspot) - batactionbaseballtraining
Blogger (Blogspot) - battingcagebuyingguide
Blogger (Blogspot) - coachesbest
Blogger (Blogspot) - teeballcoachingclinic
Blogger (Blogspot) - hurricanebaseballtrainingmachine
Blogger (Blogspot) - teeballparentsguide
Blogger (Blogspot) - youthbaseballcoachingclinic

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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.

Friday, May 7, 2010

Baseball Strategies - Which Ones Should You Follow


Baseball Strategies - Which Ones Should You Follow
By Jack D. Elliott

One of the most intriguing areas of baseball is the use of different baseball strategies. People seem to know intuitively that using the right baseball strategies can help your team win and make good teams great. But the problem is trying to figure out what strategies to follow and when to use them. Nothing can get so heated and controversial as a discussion about what is the best strategy to use in a given situation among so called"baseball experts". For this reason, we have put together a list of tips to help you sort through the various strategies and find the ones that will benefit your team the most.

1. Experience of the advice giver. This is important in determining how much credibility you should give to the proposed strategy. Has he been able to test out this strategy or is this more of mental exercise for him? If he isn't willing to test his strategy, I would be inclined to pass on it without further support.

2. Key on quantitative results when you can. When you hear a certain baseball strategy proposed, are numbers used to back it up? Also, do these numbers really key in on what is important? If the coach is pushing a strategy and does not have numbers to back it up, you have to wonder how solid a strategy it is. Also, it is important to make sure the numbers used are actually relevant. For instance, if he is using batting average to determine whether a batter should swing away on a 3 and 0 pitch, is this really the best number to use? Wouldn't slugging percentage be a better number to use because a single is essentially the equivalent of a walk?

3. Don't be afraid to challenge long standing assumptions. Many things in baseball are the way they are because of custom and tradition. This does not mean they are the best way of doing things. Be willing to challenge certain assumptions. If you can not find legitimate reasons why one should not do something, odds are there are not any.

4. Be willing to be a trailblazer. Don't be afraid to try out different strategies, especially if they challenge existing assumptions. Just because no one else has thought of it does not mean that it won't work. Instead, I recommend you test these strategies in situations where the stakes are low. For instance, why not test these strategies in summer league games, pre-season games and regular season games where their impact will be minimal. The idea here is to find strategies that will be successful in the playoffs or helping your team reach the playoffs. By testing your strategies, you get to see first hand how successful or unsuccessful they really are. This is great to know when wondering whether to use one when deep in the playoffs.

5. Strategies can have success rates at different baseball levels. If you are a youth or high school baseball coach, it is easy to become in awe of the major leagues and the baseball strategies their coaches espouse. However, just because a strategy works well at that level does not mean it will work well at yours. Also, there are plenty of strategies that will work far better at the youth and high school level that would not work well in the major leagues. For this reason, keep this in mind when looking at certain strategies. The real question is will this strategy work for my team based on our league? How you answer this will dictate whether you should move forward in testing it.

Stop wasting time and energy trying to learn new Baseball Strategies. Instead, try visiting http://www.baseballtrainingtechniques.com to get some solid baseball strategies to test out for your team.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jack_D._Elliott


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Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Mental Training Tips to Improve Baseball Performance



Mental Training Tips to Improve Baseball Performance
By Luke Woodard

If you or your kid have played baseball long enough, I'm sure you have heard the phrase "mental toughness". In fact, you probably have heard those words used plenty of times in other sports and even outside of sports. But what exactly is it and how can you improve your mental toughness? We've all witnessed the guys who strike out, throw their helmet, and are obviously angry for the rest of the game. In the field, they make an error on an easy ground ball. Then, next time their up, with a chance to win the game, they swing at bad pitches and hit fly out to end the game.

Compared that to someone who is considered "mentally tough". Yes, he strikes out the first and he appears angry for a while, although he doesn't throw his helmet. As soon as he steps on the field to play defense, it appears that he has washed it away and he has. He makes a good play on the same ground ball, and when it comes time for him to hit again with a chance to win the game, he hits a line drive base hit up the middle.

So what is so different about these two example? It wasn't the amount of time they worked on their swing, the work they put into their fielding, or that one was better than the other physically. The difference was that the second example was better mentally. So if the mental aspect plays such a large role, how can you improve it? Here are some simple tips to getting better mentally.

1 - Clear the mind

Yogi Berra also said "I can't think and hit at the same time". While he may not have been the brightest fellow around, he was definitely on to the mental aspect of the game. When you step on the field, whether pitching, hitting, fielding or running, you have to totally clear you mind. I found that repeating to myself "ball, ball, ball, ball.." helps me focus. A game is NOT the time to think about mechanics. Tell yourself your mechanics are perfect and think only about the ball.

2 - Flush it

We've all seen it happen and probably it's happened to you. A player makes an error in the field, which leads to a second error because their mind was still on the last play. They then come up to bat and strike out. What where they thinking about? They were still thinking on the previous inning and the errors they made. When something doesn't go the way you want it too, take a second to think through what happened and how to fix it so you can work on it later and "flush it down the toilet". Re-focus on the task at hand with a clear mind.

3 - Think Positive

Especially if you're in a slump, or not having success on the mound, it is so easy to go to "Don't strike out this time" or "Whatever you do, don't walk this guy." Guess what, you're probably going to do what you are telling yourself not to do. Instead walk up to the plate saying to yourself "my mechanics are perfect, I know I WILL hit this guy hard" or on the mound "I have all my stuff today, this guy has no shot, and I am in control."

4 - Relax

You have to remember that you are playing baseball here and that failure is going to happen. We are all humans and any human will make tons of mistakes. The key is not to worry about mistake or anything else. To relax when you are feeling stressed, breath deep, and don't be afraid to take a mental "vacation". For me, I find that whistling any random tune helps me relax tremendously. Also, take deep breaths pushing your stomach out helps relaxation as well. This also provides your body with more oxygen, which is essential in anything athletic.

5 - Visualize

Take time everyday to visualize yourself succeeding on the baseball field. Visualize yourself with the perfect mechanics just absolutely drilling that curve ball the other way or yourself on the mound throwing your dirty change-up for strike three. Visualization can happen a number of ways. You can see yourself from the outside or see things through your eyes. You can do it pretty much anywhere, and you'll be amazed out how much this can help you prepare for when you are actually playing. Just remember to see yourself doing the right thing, just like you practice your swing the right way.

I hope this helps. The mental side of baseball is often overlooked and is such an important part of success on the field.

If you found this helpful, here is an awesome program that goes much deeper than this article:
Mental training for baseball

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


Suggested Links:

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Derek Jeter Hurricane Hitting Machine
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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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Monday, April 26, 2010

Ten Tips on How to Identify Who Can Pitch


Ten Tips on How to Identify Who Can Pitch
By John R Di Nicola

Coaching Little League Pitchers

Coaching little league pitchers is every coaches night mare. I will be discussing the level which it is right after T-Ball or coach pitch depending on when the player comes into the league. There are variation of the coaching experience in little league. Regardless of the coaches experience he will be faced with finding pitchers.

Three Types of Coaches:


Has coaching experience and has at least two assistant either moved up from coach pitch or T-Ball
First year coaching but has some experience but never a Head Coach in Little League
Never coached before
Drafted Coach, this is the coach who's team was picked for him and given to him

Each division will have approximately 8 to 12 teams depending on the size of the organization. The majority of the league will be combination of 2 and 3. The larger the division the greater chance there will be one drafted coach

Most leagues have a try out and a draft. You get your players list and first thing you ask yourself is how many pitchers do I have? You go home and call the parents one by one. You have your list of questions:


Has your son or daughter every played before?
How long have they played organized baseball?
What positions have they played?

You might get lucky and have one that has played in another league and has had some experience pitching.

How to identify players who can Pitch


How do they Grip the Ball?
While players are warming up watch how they throw the ball
How they bring their arm back. Is it short armed or fully extended?
Do they fall off to side when releasing ball
How is their follow through?
Do they snap their wrist downward when releasing the ball?
Does the ball go in an Arc or does it go more on a straight line?
How accurate is the throw? Does the receiving player have to move to catch each ball?
Watch their feet see if they stay flat footed and don't move as the ball approaches
Is the player aggressive while playing catch?

There are so many area's to cover when you trying to get your team ready for the first game. While pitching is one of the most important areas of the game you still have to be working on Defense, Hitting, and Running the Bases.

I found that if you work with the pitchers after practice or have a practice just for pitchers and catchers it works best. Pitching is too important to just rush through and give it only 20 minutes twice a week.

http://www.easypitching.com, http://twitter.com/easypitching

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

Sponsor Links:

=======================================
Derek Jeter Hurricane Hitting Machine
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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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Monday, April 19, 2010

Baseball Coaching Digest - What Are the 3 R's of Baseball Success?

Baseball Coaching Digest - What Are the 3 R's of Baseball Success?

By Nick Dixon

There are three R's by which every baseball coach should be judged. The main three indicators of baseball success are RESULTS, REPUTATION and RESPECT. This article discusses each and how important each is.

The three R's by which every baseball coach should be judged are:

RESULTS - The number one criteria by which a coach's proformance should be judged is results. Has the coach produced tangible results? Has the baseball team or program improved since the coach came on board? Positive results are an indication of a coach's effectiveness. Positive results includes increasing number of wins, winning at a level never before achieved, signs of improving player and team performance, and an overall increase in player and team pride.

Athletic directors and league officials look for coaches that they feel can take their baseball teams to a higher level of performance and competition. They want to see improvement. They want to see results.

REPUTATION - Every coach always earns a reputation. Reputation is one's overall personal and professional character and quality as judged by the people of the community. The only way to earn a good reputation is to work hard enough to earn it. The only way to maintain a good reputation is to continue working hard. A coach's behavior on and off the field plays a huge role in building a good reputation.

RESPECT - Respect is not given, it is earned. In coaching, you earn respect one day, one game, and one player at a time. To be successful in coaching, you must have respect. You must first earn the respect of your players. They must see you as a good leader and teacher with knowledge, drive, and skill. You must earn the respect of your parents. They must feel that you are qualified, dedicated and committed to your job. You must earn the respect of your administration. Your superiors must see enough positive results from your efforts to respect you as a coach and teacher. You must earn the respect of the community. Your fans will begin to respect you when they see a good product put on the field year after year. They want a team that will make them proud. They want a team that always competes. You must earn the respect of your peers. What other coaches think about you is a true indicator of what you have achieved and accomplished. There is no better measure of a coach's performance than having the total respect of opposing coaches.

I hope that you found this article to be informative and useful. Thanks for taking the time to read it. Have a great day, Nick.

The CoachesBest Baseball Store has a great selection of 1400 Baseball Products. Check out the Hurricane 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




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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Friday, March 19, 2010

Tips to Practice Good Baseball Pitching and Avoiding Injuries


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Tips to Practice Good Baseball Pitching and Avoiding Injuries
By Connor R Sullivan

Baseball is one game played by every other child as soon as he steps into school. Even better enthusiasm is seen in high school children. However, it is a dire need that one should have a good knowledge about proper baseball training aids and pitching techniques. Many people encounter serious pitching injuries because of limited knowledge about it. Pitching machines are hence a wise idea to select to avoid them.

Because pitching requires a great deal of wear and tear, it is better if you ensure that your body is in a proper shape before you even think about pitching. Arm injuries are one of the commonest of injuries faced by the players. It is also important that you should only start throwing pitches when you reach the maturing age. Bodies that are in their growing phase tend to easily get caught up by wear and tear. There are standard numbers of pitches thrown per day according to your age group and ability. Overuse will cause stress to build up in your tendons and ligaments and may even lead to ruptures in serious conditions.

Next area is of the legs. You should have strong and active legs if you have to start pitching. Training mechanics are usually seen to work out your legs at the primary stage. A tired leg will increase the stress on your arm as you will now happen to drag it once you get tired. This may lead to many leg injuries. Wear comfortable, running shoes to facilitate you while running fast.

Another trivial point is the warm up exercise. Players tend to be a victim of a lot of wear and tear if they fail to warm their body up before starting the game. A relaxed body is more likely to experience injuries. A small warm up exercise for about 5-8 minutes will minimize this problem.

Throw harder! Often baseball trainers deny this as this would cause an added strain on your arm, but this is how you will get used to it. Throwing harder is the only way how you will learn to be perfect at this game. However, you must not throw harder the very first time when you start. Begin with throwing with a little strain and gradually learn to throw harder and harder.

You should learn to stay healthy and eat a well balanced diet. Eat well but do not eat too much. Drink a large amount of water at least six to eight glasses per day to avoid dehydration of your body but do not drink too much water just before the game. Consult your coach or training mechanic to learn more about batting tees, handheld trainers, hitting machines, and soft toss machines. Health is the basic requirement for every game, so make sure you stay healthy and take full assistance from your coach. Discuss about your lacking areas and he will help you for sure. Work on these little areas and who knows, you might become the star player of tomorrow. Good luck!

Connor R. Sullivan owns and operates a top ranking web site to help people find pitching machines to improve their baseball skills. He offers a variety of baseball training aids for youth baseball coaches.

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


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Wednesday, January 27, 2010

I'm Positive You Will Want To Read This!

When you use positive mindset as a team concept you can find positive items almost any play or at bat, even if it appears to be non productive. The coach should shoulder most of the burden of displaying a building, positive mindset.

By Chip Lemin

If you've ever played baseball before, you know what it is like to be caught off guard and make a mistake. You probably know what it is like to not want the ball hit to you, or have to bat next, because of un-confident negative feelings. This type of thinking usually leads to poor results.

Why? because in our minds we have already visualized not doing well. That is the power of negative thinking or negative self talk.

Well guess what! we can use this same process, only let's visualize positive results. This is a team function also. From the manager, the Parents, and fellow players, positive thoughts will help produce positive results.

I'm not stating that every player will hit 500 on your team, or pitch no-hitters, just because they used positive thinking. I will guarantee that you will have more fun, fewer bad attitudes, and more production in all parts of the game when your team has a positive building mindset.

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This positive mindset, being a builder, has to start with your manager and coaching staff. In your team letter, state this season we are going to be a positive mindset team. This will set the tone to help keep everyone positive. Even if this season has already started, call a team meeting to announce this new attitude.

The coaches should shoulder most of the burden of displaying a building, positive mindset. This mind-set also means, no yelling or showing up players for mistakes made in practice or games.

• We talk of progress first, of what was done right first, then bring up mistakes. Coaches must keep to yelling out only positive instruction. Wait until after the inning is over to discuss mistakes. The game is not that important to show up players and upset family by public displays.

• Your team takes fun and mental makeup of its coaching staff to a large degree. IF your coaching staff is easily rattled and emotional, your team probably will be to.

• With the positive mindset, your team will be more relaxed. Your team will be more willing to visualize making the next good play. All you should demand from them is 100 percent effort.

• A positive mindset, will allow coaches to remain calmer during a tough parts of the game. It will help to keep you from lashing out or tearing down your players in frustration.

• Your parents will appreciate a calm confident composure even when things aren't going well. Once you have witnessed the power of positive mindset for yourself, you will become a believer.

• No player deserves to be put down, or criticized out loud. There's plenty of time to discuss mistakes after the game. That is why carrying a clipboard for notes is so important.

• Also put good things you see on the clipboard too. Make sure to praise all actions that indicate players are using positive mindset or sportsmanship.

• When you use positive mindset as a team concept you can find positive items almost any play or at bat, even if it appears to be non productive. Few players do everything wrong when they make a mistake. Go over what the player did right first, so they will be more receptive to instruction later.

• Encourage your players to use positive mindset outside the game, and other sports, at school, and at home. It is a great tool for anyone to use. Be sure to praise your players and coaches who practice using positive mindset. The best way to get others to try it is to be an example of it your self.

• Positive mindset training is something very powerful, to be used in all areas of life. It does take work, determination, and persistence to see the full benefit. It is indeed worth every bit of effort used to promote it.

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

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



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Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Baseball Players Need Quick Feet Too!

If you play baseball you have to be quick on your feet just like any other athlete. Permit yourself a minute to read and apply the following 2 quick feet drills to speed up your game!

By Brandon Richey

If you play baseball you should concentrate on your athleticism all year long! Agility is a necessary trait for baseball players because you have to have quickness when trying to react to making a play on a ground ball, getting the jump on a pop fly, or making the first move to dive back to the bag when leading off of the base! All of these are hard examples that define quickness and agility. Check out the following 2 drills that you can implement to help you to improve on all of these examples you encounter on the field of play.

1. 3 Cone Shuffle: For this particular drill you will need the availability of 3 agility cones. This is a great quick foot drill for baseball players to improve on lateral agility. To start, set up the cones in a straight line with about 2 feet of distance between each cone. Stand facing the 3 cones in an athletic stance with your inside foot lined up in front of the middle cone and your outside foot lined up in front of on one of the outside cones. From here the objective is for you to make a quick single lateral step shifting the middle foot to line up with the outside cone on the far side, and to bring the foot that was lined up with the outside cone to the middle cone. Remember to stay low and to shift your weight back and forth to the "outside" with each lateral shuffle. Count a repetition every time you shuffle to both sides. Stay low and touch the outside cones with your outside hand each time you shuffle. Perform each lateral shuffle as quickly as possible.


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2. 8 Cone Shuffle And Sprint: For this drill you will need the availability of 9 agility cones and some flat open space. Line the first 8 cones up in a straight line and place the 9th cone in line with the first 8 cones with a distance of 10 yards between them. Start the drill by lining up in front of the straight line of 8 cones. Shuffle laterally back and forth between the 8 cones progressing forward as quickly as possible. Once you shuffle around the 8th cone explode into a full sprint all the way past the 9th cone. This is great for improving a baseball player's overall athletic performance and conditioning! Give it a try.

To learn more about Kettlebells, Fitness, and achieving Total Mind-Blowing Strength come and visit me at http://www.efandps.com
To be one of my members and to receive more tips on INSANE BODY CONSTRUCTION please visit me at: http://www.efandps.com/www.efandps.com/Brandons_Members_Newsletter.html I'm Brandon Richey the Strength and Conditioning Pro!

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

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Youth Baseball Digest - Can You Name 10 Ways a Batter Can Safely Reach First Base?

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Have you ever thought about how many ways a batter can safely reach first base? I have pondered the question and I have come up with 10 different ways for a batter to safely reach first base.


The ways that I thought of include the following:


1) Base Hit - Batter swings the bat and hits a base hit. In baseball statistics a base hit is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory.
2) Walk or Base on Balls - A base on balls or walk is credited to a batter when the batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. The walk can be intentional or not intentional.
3) Error - A batter reaches on an error when, in the judgment of the official score book keeper, a fielder misplays a ball hit by the batter allowing the batter to reach first base. The ball misplayed is one that the official scorer judges to be a play that should have been made with reasonable or ordinary effort. What this means is that the fielder misplayed a routine play.
4) Passed Ball on a Strike Out: The batter strikes out but the catcher misses the ball. The batter becomes a batter-runner and reaches first base safely. This play should be officially scored as a strikeout and passed ball, a strikeout and wild pitch or a strikeout and a fielders choice.
5) Catcher Commits Interference - Catchers interference is called when contact is made by the bat of the batter. With catcher interference, the result is the same as with all interference, The batter is awarded the results of the swing or first base. The manager of the offense may advise the plate umpire that he elects to decline the interference penalty and accept the play
6) Fielders choice - A fielder`s choice is a play made on a ground ball in which the fielder chooses to put out an advancing base runner, thus allowing the batter to reach first base safely.
7) Batter-Runner Interference - Once the batter hits the ball the batter becomes a base runner. The batter becomes a runner and is entitled to first base without interference by a defensive player. If interference occurs, the manager of the offense may advise the plate umpire that he elects to decline the interference penalty and accept the play.
8) A Sacrifice - The batter hits a sacrifice fly or executes a sacrifice bunt.
9) Double Play - The batter reaches first on a double play by the defense that did not involve a throw to first base.
10) Hit by a Pitch - The batter is hit by a pitch thrown by the batter. The batter must be in the batting box and in the judgment of the umpire did not "lean" into the pitch.


I am sure that you may think of one or two more. These are what came to my mine because they are the 10 ways that occur most often. I hope that you found this article to be informative. Thanks for taking the time to read it. I wish you and your team good luck in the coming season. 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.
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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!

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Coaching and Strategy in Baseball

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By Jimmy Cox

School teams have one coach who directs all play, offensively and defensively. He usually sits on the bench and gives signals to the first-base and third-base coaches, who in turn pass them on to the batter or base-runner.

The head coach of a team is responsible for planning all the pre-game strategy and the tactics during the game. He makes up the lineup, placing his hitters in the batting positions he believes will bring the most runs. In planning the lineup, he must also consider which players are hitting the ball well, which players are in a slump and which players do well against the pitcher they will have to face.

Batting Order. - Most coaches stick to the same formula in making up a batting order. The No. 1 hitter is fast afoot, an excellent judge of a ball and a strike, and a player who is hard to pitch to because he is small or has an unusual stance. This player should have the ability to draw a great number of walks, thus getting in position to start his team toward a run.

The No. 2 hitter should have about the same qualifications as the lead-off man, but he should be good as a bunter and a batter who can hit to right field. A single to right field by the No. 2 batter, if the lead-off hitter is on base, most likely will result in a first-and-third situation.

The Nos. 3, 4 and 5 batters should be the power hitters. There is really not much difference in whether the No. 4 hitter should bat third, or vice versa. However, it is good policy to have your strongest batter hit in the No. 3 spot. In this way he is certain of getting up in the first inning, and over the nine innings may get more chances to bat than the Nos. 4 and 5 hitters. It's interesting to note that Babe Ruth, baseball's greatest slugger, batted in the No. 3 spot throughout most of his career.

The No. 6 hitter should be a bit stronger than the No. 7 batter since he may have more opportunities to drive in runs than the No. 7 man. The No. 8 batter is perhaps the weakest hitter in the lineup, with the pitcher following in the No. 9 position.

Many school coaches who have a pitcher who is also a fine hitter, will place the pitcher much higher in the lineup. There is nothing wrong with this strategy, particularly if the pitcher is strong and physically able to carry the hitting, as well as the pitching burden.

Signals. - Each hitter should know just when to be alert for a signal. Sometimes the situation is so obvious that the hitter automatically knows he is on his "own" at the plate.

With bases empty and one or two strikes on the batter, it's quite obvious that the coach is not going to tell him to "take" a pitch. To take a pitch means to let one go by. This signal is usually given when the batter is ahead of the pitcher in the ball-and-strike count, or if the coach wants the batter to take the first pitch from the pitcher in the hope that it will be a ball.

Don't be discouraged if you are ordered to take a pitch as you get to the plate. There is nothing wrong with this strategy, especially if the pitcher is inclined to have a little control trouble. A pitcher who gets behind in the count constantly is in trouble, and when the count gets two balls and no strikes, or three balls and one strike, you may then get the pitch which you will be able to drive out for a safe hit.

Follow your coach in all things, and your baseball will only get better!
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