Coaching Baseball; Recommended Baseball Articles for Coaches

Coaching Baseball; Recommended Baseball Articles for Coaches


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

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


Coaching Youth Baseball - Coaching Your First Baseman

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


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

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


Baseball Coaching Digest - Fake 3rd Out Defensive Trick

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


Baseball Coaching Digest - Illegal Use of the Courtesy Runner Rule

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


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

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




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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

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

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

Free Youth Baseball Drills

Article Title: Free Youth Baseball Drills
By Kenny Buford

Defensive Drills that Don't Bore

One of the hardest things when selecting baseball drills for youth is coming up with drills that build muscle memory but don't bore the players so much they lose interest in the action altogether. This task is especially arduous when selecting defensive drills, since good defense is all about being prepared for whatever comes your way, and the only way to learn that is by playing out the various game-time situations. The following free youth baseball drills aim to keep players so engaged and interested they forget they're building defensive skills.

Catching the Notorious Pop Fly

One of the most important defensive skills is how to catch a pop fly. To prepare your team for these high, straightforward catches, try this drill. Give each player on the team a ball and have them line-up one behind the other. Player one runs towards the coach, tossing the ball when close enough. The player then runs long, starting around 50 feet, while the coach lobs the ball high up into the air.

Players then turn around, spot the pop fly and catch it. To up the competitiveness of the drill, players who fail to catch the ball are assigned a letter in a predetermined word, such as HORSE. Once a player gets all the letters, they are out. While players are running to catch the ball, remind them to stay on the balls of their feet, since it will keep their strides shuffling and quick.

Mastering the Unpredictable Grounder

The next of the free youth baseball drills is perfect for teaching players to properly field the often wildly unpredictable grounders that inevitably will come their way come game time. To set up the drill, set up your fielders in a row. To cut down on wait time, set up a number of different stations with a coach or assistant managing each station.

The coach hits five ground balls in a row to the first player in the line who fields each grounder and throws it back towards the coach. After fielding the five balls, the player returns to the back of the line. In this drill, the most important thing to remember is staying low when fielding the balls. Make sure players are standing with their feet slightly wider than their shoulders, and constantly keeping their eye on the ball.

When looking for free youth baseball drills for defense, sometimes you want a drill that players can perform on their own without much help so you can concentrate on watching each player and correcting them when you see errors. This drill is perfect for that, since players are set up facing a wall, which basically provides its own grounders.

Line up players facing a wall or fence. Players should be at least 15 feet apart and approximately 20 feet away from the wall. Give each player a ball and at the sound of your whistle, players begin throwing the ball towards the ball low enough to get a grounder back. Have players count the number of grounders that are able to successfully field in a row without having one slip past or between their legs in a one-minute time span. Encourage players to beat their personal bests, and if they are excelling at 20 feet try moving them further back from the fence.

About The Author

Kenny Buford has coached nearly every level of baseball in a career that spans several decades. You can get instant access to his championship baseball practice plans and more youth baseball drills by visiting his website:

http://www.Baseball-Practice-Plans.com/

For a limited time, all coaches who visit Kenny's site will also get a free copy of his special report: "The 7 Biggest Mistakes Baseball Coaches Make". Go get your free copy today!

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

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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.

Baseball Tips on Hitting - Two Common Baseball Hitting Problems

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Article Title:
Baseball Tips on Hitting - Two Common Baseball Hitting Problems

By Larry Cicchiello

Let's look at two baseball hitting problems:

Problem Balance Poor

First of all, make sure that you are very comfortable in your stance. A good starting point is to have the feet about shoulder width apart or slightly wider. Usually, the width is about the same as if you were guarding someone in basketball and want to be ready to move left or right very quickly.

Make sure you are standing on the balls of your feet and NOT standing there flat-footed or even worse yet, standing with your weight on your heels. Standing with the weight on your heels may very well have you spinning like a top and that is not a good, solid foundation for effective baseball hitting and will destroy your balance.

Make sure your front shoulder remains closed. Opening your front shoulder too early will cause your foundation and balance to be severely disrupted and you won't be steady on your feet.

Problem Uppercutting the Ball. Many good baseball hitters appear to be uppercutting the baseball. The only time you should be uppercutting is when you are into the follow through of your swing. Uppercutting is a sure way to lower your batting average. Let's look at some possible reasons for uppercutting the baseball.

Your stance may be too wide. This will encourage your actual swing to be going upward when making contact.

You may be lowering your back leg, back elbow or back shoulder. It's often referred to as "collapsing your back side." If the back side goes down or collapses, the hands and the bat will go down also and you will be swinging upward to the ball.

You may be holding your hands too low and when the actual baseball hitting takes place, they will have nowhere else to go except upward and causing an uppercutting of the baseball.

Larry is the 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

www.HurricaneMachine.com

Baseball Hitting Drills - Teaching Plate Discipline

Hurricane Hitting Machine - Baseball Swing Trainer

Article Title: Baseball Hitting Drills - Teaching 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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Baseball Hitting Tips - How to Recognize a Curve Ball Quickly!

By Larry Cicchiello



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Recognizing a curve ball quickly is not an easy thing to do. Hitting a well located curve is not easy either.That's why you will hear the expression, "he's a good fastball hitter" ten times for every one time you will hear, "he's a good curve ball hitter." I'm well aware that part of that is because there are many more fastballs being thrown, so of course more fastballs will be hit harder. But I'm also well aware that the movement on the curve makes baseball hitting much more difficult and the slower speed disrupts timing. The quicker you can recognize that it's the curve that the pitcher is throwing, the better chance you will have of hitting it well. Like we've said many times, a fraction of a second is an eternity when it comes to baseball hitting and it most certainly applies here. That's why pitchers who have "late breaking" pitches are usually very successful, because the batter does not realize it is a breaking ball until it's a fraction of a second too late.

Ways to Recognize the Curve Ball Quickly:


Watch the release point of the pitcher very closely. The pitcher's release point may be slightly different from the fastball point of release.
Watch the trajectory of the ball as soon as it's released by the pitcher. It could very well have a slight arc to it that is not present on the fast ball.
Watch the pitcher's arm angle. There's a strong possibility that with the fastball, the pitcher may come almost directly overhand and with the curve he may drop down a little bit. This happens very often.
Practice watching as many curve balls as possible.

Let's say you play three times a week and get about ten at bats per week. Out of those ten at bats, you see about one curve per at bat, which is about ten per week. I strongly suggest that to improve at recognizing a curve quicker, you must see more than ten per week. If you are serious about baseball hitting and having better at bats against the curve ball, here is what I highly recommend you do.

Whenever you have batting practice with your team, ask your pitcher to mix in some curve balls during your last ten or twelve swings.

If one of your pitchers is pitching batting practice, stand behind the backstop and practice trying to recognize his curve ball as quickly as possible.

If one of your pitchers is throwing a "bull pen," go stand nearby and watch him closely. Try to read the curve as quickly as you can. (If you're serious about your baseball hitting, you will find the time to do these things.)

By doing the things listed above, you may very well be seeing 50 curve balls per week instead of only 10 per week. I'm well aware that it's not as efficient as if you were up there hitting in the batter's box but it will still improve your recognition of the curve. How can it not help? It has to to help you.

Hitting the Curve Ball:


Quick hands are an essential part of successful baseball hitting. If your hands are quick, you can "stay back" longer. By staying back and not over committing, this is extremely useful when attempting to hit the curve ball. There is much less of a chance you will be fooled by it and be off balance and too far out in front. There is no substitute for having quick hands.
"Hit it where it's pitched." An old cliche but a tough low and away curve ball with very good downward movement is not an easy pitch to hit. I highly recommend hitting it to the opposite field. Very few well located low and away curve balls are pulled by a batter and hit well.Very few.

Larry is the president of Larwenty Online Enterprises Inc. He is also the author of "Excellent Baseball Coaching: 30 Seconds Away." If you are a baseball player or baseball coach 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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Rediscovering the Magic of Youth Baseball

Article Title:
Rediscovering the Magic of Youth Baseball

By Dave Rosene

I have seen significant changes how youth baseball has been 'taught' in the U.S. since the 1960's, and the changes haven't been positive. I didn't say coached because coaching refers to strategy and competition, and the concentration of youth baseball must be on skill development, rules understanding, and team play. We need teaching coaches for that, because today's players show deficiencies in these areas more than previous generations. When people of my era started playing baseball, it was the most popular sport in America and engrained in our culture. There were many different forms that helped improve individual skills: fast pitch, whiffle ball, ledge, penner, or just throwing popups to yourself, and we didn't need parents to organize these activities. We called our friends who would call their friends, we threw off walls or our house steps, and we had games with whoever was around and made up our own rules. We became better players by thinking or playing baseball every day. Plus we learned the game by watching baseball on television or going to major league games if we were lucky enough to get tickets.

Most youth American players today lack the knowledge and experience that we had because they have more options to take up their free time and they therefore have varied interests. By not spending more time practicing, playing, or watching baseball, they are lagging behind kids from other countries in skill development and general baseball knowledge. Why do Latin American players dominate professional baseball? In most cases playing baseball is the only sport available to kids there to participate in, and by playing constantly they progress quickly.

Can we and should we go back in time to help our youth rediscover the magic of baseball? How can we, as teachers and coaches, make the game relevant and necessary for players who get distracted and sidetracked easily. We have to show kids what made us love baseball, and pass along that love. That's the challenge we want to take on. In future articles we will discuss how to effectively teach and coach our youth athletes to maximize their talents while identifying the negative methods to avoid that I've seen too much of in the past 30 years.

DNA Sports specializes in personalized baseball and softball skill programs, college recruiting education and preparation, and coaching clinics. Learn more: http://www.dnasportsonline.com

Dave Rosene - Co-Founder, DNA Sports

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dave_Rosene
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If you are looking for great coaching articles, please consider one of our sites: The BaseballCoachingDigest.com, the YouthBaseballDigest.com or the BaseballParentGuide.com. Have a safe and happy season! Nick Dixon

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

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

Hurricane Hitting Machine Baseball Batting Trainer

Hurricane Hitting Machine Baseball Batting Trainer

The Hurricane Batting Machine is one of the absolute best baseball trainers ever. This amazing baseball batting practice machine produces incredible batting skill, bat speed and power. Endorsde by Derek Jeter and made by SKLZ.

Is Derek Jeter the Best Yankee Player to Ever Put on the PinStripes?

Is Derek Jeter the Best Yankee Player to Ever Put on the PinStripes?

By Brent Archer

If you haven't seen what Derek Jeter has done over the past 13 years, then you must have been sleeping. He has been the shining star in a somewhat clueless Yankee team at times throughout the year 2000. Once he came into the organization, he immediately made an impact helping bring a championship to the Yankees in 1996.

Many people thought he was just going to be a one year type of guy. They thought he was going to do great but eventually fall out of baseball or wind up in the minor leagues. But his coach Joe Torre had a lot of faith in him and knew he would be the rising star of the organization....and was he right!

In this past year, Derek Jeter past Lou Gerig for the all time Yankee hit leader position which is no easy feat to accomplish. Let's look back at all of the great Yankees that he had to battle with in order to get to the position he currently at.

Don Mattingly, which was one of the Yankee greats and such a dangerous hitter. Most pitchers always feared to face him.

Lou Gerig, who was also known as the "iron horse" who rarely ever missed a game and was a constant in the lineup behind the man I am going to mention next.

Babe Ruth, perhaps the best baseball player in the history of the game. This man alone brought baseball back and actually put it on the map.

These are only some of the names Derek Jeter had to pass in order to get where he is today. This shows he is a special player that will be in the Hall of Fame someday. He may even be the best Yankee to ever put on the uniform but that really relies on people's opinions.

Brent Archer has been writing articles for many months and has experience in many areas. His new interests is in his recently new website http://www.CustomBobbleHeadsShop.com where he provides the best custom bobble heads that everyone loves!

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



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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.

2010 Easton Baseball Bats

By R. Nelson

The 2010 Easton bats are essentially the same models as in 2009. They have made a few wise modifications by adding stiff handle versions to their best selling bats. Last year their composite bats were called the Stealth/Synergy IMX this year they're called the Stealth/Synergy Speed bats but they're essentially the same bats. The minor modifications include a slightly lower swing weight and stiff handle option on their Stealth Speed two-piece bat compared to the 2009 Stealth IMX and a stiff handle version of the hybrid SV12. For 2010 they're putting their marketing efforts behind the handle flex rating of their baseball bats. Each of their best selling bats are accompanied with a number, the higher the number on the bat the stiffer the handle. This continues Easton's efforts to be the leader in communicating detailed information about their baseball bats. They tell us the handle flex rating, swingweight (MOI) and hitting area for all of their bats. This is extremely helpful in selecting a bat and makes me wonder why the other manufacturers ignore or gloss over it. Don't forget to check out the My Bat Recommendations section for my recommendations on bats segmented by material and price.

Here's Easton's 2010 line-up: Easton Composite Bats


Easton Stealth Speed 75 and 95: 100% composite, two-piece end-loaded bat. The Speed 75 is the flex handle version that is essentially identical to the 2009 Stealth IMX, except that it is slightly less end-loaded this year (swing weight rating of 80 versus 90 in 2009). The Speed 95 is the new stiff handle version of this Easton bat design. It is exactly the same as the Speed 75 except it has a stiff handle. The handle is stiffer than the Synergy Speed bat. Easton's two-piece composite bats are by far the most popular composite bats on the market. Both the Stealth and Synergy Speed Adult -3 models retail for $399 a $20 increase from the 2009 models.
Easton Synergy Speed 90: 100% composite, one-piece end-loaded bat (80 rating) with a stiff handle (90 rating). This bat is identical to the 2009 Easton Synergy IMX. Eastonclaims this design provides increased balance and bat control through the hitting zone versus the Stealth model. The Synergy Speed 90 is aimed directly at the heart of Louisville's one-piece, stiff handle philosophy. This design is far less popular than the Stealth Speed/IMX design. If you like this bat you should look for the 2009 model. It's priced around $259 or $140 less than the identical 2010 model.

Easton Hybrid Bats


Easton SV12 65 and 90: Two-piece bat with a 100% composite handle, 100% alloy barrel and low swing weight rating of 70. The SV12 65 (yellow letters/handle) is identical to the 2009 model and has more handle flex than the Stealth Speed 75. The SV12 90 (red letters/handle) is a new stiff handle version of the SV12 bat. It has the same handle stiffness as the Synergy Speed 90. Once again Easton was wise to offer a stiff handle version of this bat. The stiff handle version was much more popular on teams swinging Easton bats in the 2009 College World Series than the flex handle model. I believe the stiff version will become a good seller for Easton. The Adult -3 models retail for $299 which is $50 less than last year's price. If you like the flex handle option you can purchase the 2009 model (yellow barrel) for less money. It's the same bat!

Easton Alloy Bats


Easton V12: One-piece, 100% alloy bat with the stiffest handle (100) and lowest swingweight (60) of any Easton bat. A solid choice for anyone who prefers an alloy bat with a stiff handle. The Adult -3 model retails for $199 which is a reasonable price.

Again, By far Easton does the best job of communicating detailed information about their bats making it easy to find an Easton bat with the characteristics you desire. Very, very smart marketing by the Easton people.

Take a look at other bat reviews at Baseball Bat Reviews Blog

http://baseballbatreviewsblog.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=R._Nelson


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Baseball Swing Mechanics - The Rotational Swing

Baseball Swing Mechanics - The Rotational Swing
By Todd Thomas

Rotational hitting...What is it?

My simple answer is that it is simply the big league swing. Prior to 2000, no one even knew what rotational hitting was. Now there are experts on every street corner. The facts are that Mike Epstein in his diligent study of the art of hitting isolated the core movements of the game's greatest hitters and defined their baseball swing mechanics in a term he coined Rotational Hitting.

You can call it what you want. Call it the rotational swing. Call it a hybrid swing. Call it weight shift hitting. There are many "names" now that other people have come up with, but I call it the big league swing. After all, that's what it is. Rotational hitting as Mike Epstein defined it encompasses and engulfs ALL of those other names that some are calling it. It IS the big league swing and that's what Mike Epstein Hitting teaches.

The bottom line is that there are really only TWO methods of hitting. A hitter is either Linear or he/she is Rotational with their swing mechanics. Now both techniques have elements of the other in them. Linear has some rotational and Rotational has some linear. The fact that each has elements of the other makes all of the other "techniques" or really names that people are calling baseball swing mechanics simply irrelevant and fictitious.

So let's define the Rotational Swing and the Linear Swing.

A rotational hitter establishes a stationary axis with the dropping of the front heal and with the front leg and they rotate around that stationary axis. This hitters "stays back" with their upper body. The head and chest do NOT come forward. They a very steady and do not lunge forward in the direction of the pitcher. You will occasionally see this happen when a hitter is completely fooled by a pitch and they break through their axis lunging forward in an awkward attempt to make contact. So the rotational hitter rotates around a stationary axis and stays back.

The linear hitter does not establish a stationary axis and they do not stay back. The linear hitter continues moving forward throughout their swing in a straight forward(linear) movement finishing their swing out over the top of their front foot or even slightly forward of it. The linear hitter typically swings in a downhill plane while the rotational hitter is typically taught to swing on the plane of the pitch because those swing planes match each technique. A linear hitter trying to swing on the pitch plane is very awkward and doesn't work well with all of the moving parts of this technique. Likewise, the rotational hitter swinging on a downhill plane is also an awkward unproductive swing. Staying back and swinging down do not match.

So to summarize the two basic baseball swing mechanics...The rotational hitter stays back and the linear hitter comes forward. See it's not as complicated as many desire to make it out to be. And remember, Rotational Swing Mechanics are simply the Big League Swing.

Todd Thomas is a Baseball Coach and Professional Hitting Instructor for Mike Epstein Hitting. Coach Todd's personal hitting website is http://www.HitItHere.net. Coach Todd also enthusiastically endorses http://PlayMyBestBaseball.com as a place where baseball and softball hitters can master the Confidence, Composure, Focus and Consistency of their game so they can reach their full potential.

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

Sponsor Links:

=======================================
Derek Jeter Hurricane Hitting Machine
=======================================

HurricaneMachine.com - Links

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

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

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.

For excellent Catching instruction, drills, training and other valuable baseball tips, consider the following sources:

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The Latest Greatest Baseball Hitting Training Device

By Todd Thomas

The latest, greatest training device for young hitters...

...may be EARPLUGS!

So many young hitters and even some of the not so young hitters are so confused at the plate. Why? They are hearing so many people in the ears telling them what to do and not to do mechanically WHILE AT THE PLATE. This is not the time or place to be working on mechanics. It's already hard enough for hitters to make the necessary adjustments needed to what the pitcher is throwing them without their head swimming with what every coach(and parent sometimes not even their own parent) within ear shot telling them what to do or not to do when in the box and when they swing. It's no wonder so many young hitters struggle not only with their swing, but even more tragically in most cases their confidence.

The problem is that most of the time they are hearing a variety of different cues: "swing down", "keep your elbow up", "don't dip your back shoulder", "keep your head down", "you're pulling your head out", "stay tall", "stay back", "swing level", "quit doing (this)", quit doing (that), (insert one you've heard or said here); ...and to add confusion to confidence destruction, some of the things they hear are physically contrary to each other even to actual physics itself. Have you ever tried to "stay back" AND "swing down"? Have you ever tried to "swing level" to a pitch at your knees?

What players should be hearing during game time situations and especially when they are actually at the plate are simple things like "look for something you can hit hard" or "make contact and put the ball in play". Before a player goes to the plate, I like the simple phrase "Don't try to do too much just look for a good pitch to hit and put a good swing on it." Save the intensive mechanical and technique instruction for practice and the cage. Another simple encouraging comment is simply, "Let's go! Make contact and put the ball in play". That's it. Tell them to do. More specifically, tell them what you want them to do, not what you don't want them to do. For example, "Hit the ball hard somewhere"... "Let's go! Hit a line drive"... "Hit the ball to the right side, let's move the runner"... "Drive one to the gap"... "Keep you focus on the ball and put the ball in play"... "Make contact"... "Drive this run in"... (insert your positive message of what you want them to do here)...

There's an old story of a pitcher in a tight situation that was facing a big hitter and his manager came to visit him on the mound. The manager didn't say much. He just said, "Whatever you do, DO NOT throw him anything on the inside half of the plate". The manager returned to the dugout. The first pitch... a fastball on the inside corner... Going, Going, GONE! Instead of planting the seed in that pitcher's mind of where he shouldn't throw the ball, wouldn't it have been better to say something like, "Keep the ball low and away on this guy. You can do it". I think so.

You would be surprised. A lot of young hitters have a very good natural swing and the ability to make on the fly adjustments to what the pitcher has thrown until some coach(es) and/or parents come and take it away from them with either bad hitting "instruction" cues or even good ones but at the wrong time. The problem with even the good ones(as far as mechanical or technique cues) is that the hitter is often hearing contradictory messages coming in the other ear. Now their head is swimming while confidence in what they can actually do is taking a nose dive.

The time to for a hitter to work on their hitting and their swing is at practice and in the cage. For those who think ONE practice a week and ONE trip to the cage a week is good, you should know that the best hitters in the world take batting practice and work on their technique every day! What does that tell you about hitting? It's HARD! Hitting a is a lifelong pursuit. It is something that must be constantly worked on with lots of repetition. Write down this simple phrase and put it somewhere that you see it everyday... Repetition Is The Mother Of Skill.

When it comes to actual instruction and the things we say to hitters or ask them to do, do we tell them why? If a hitter is given a piece of advice, tell them exactly why that is the best thing for them to do. We should show them, demonstrate, and explain why what we're showing them is proper and what they should expect from such technique? How about evidence? Do we show them visual evidence that what we are telling them to do is what the great hitters do? Show them a picture of Alex Rodriguez, Barry Bonds, or Derek Jeter doing what you are asking them to do. Show them. I can hear it already... "these kids are not ARod, they should not be trying be him or trying to do what he is doing. He's a home run hitter." First off.. why not? Secondly, okay then show them Derek Jeter. He's not a home run hitter. Derek has never hit more than 24 HRs in a season and he's only topped 20 HRs three times. He's just a career .317 hitter at the big league level. Show Derek. I guarantee you that Derek's and ARod's techniques are scary similar.

If you don't want your son/daughter/hitters to try to hit like the MLB hitters, that's okay. Show them some pictures of the best collegiate hitters or of the best high school hitters that you know. You might be surprised if you compared the best high school and collegiate hitters to the best big league hitters at what you might see. Similarities! OR... if you don't want to show them evidence of the best hitters at the high school and collegiate level, then show them evidence of average to below average hitters in their sport. It's up to you, but show them some visual evidence that what you are telling them to do is what is right.

I guarantee you kids are not stupid. They watch SportsCenter. Many have Tivo or some kind of DVR. They can stop, rewind, and slowmo. They can see the contradictions of what they often hear and what they are actually seeing the best hitters doing. Unfortunately, the highlights are almost always certainly the best hitters of the sport doing what they do. There aren't too many Highlights of the average or bad hitters so if that's what you want them to show them, you'll have to do that yourself.

Finally... Don't overreact to one at-bat or one game or even a few games for that matter. I doubt the Yankees hitting coach made any major changes to ARod's swing or approach when he struck out FOUR TIMES in one game last season(three of them LOOKING!). It happens. It ALL happens. Watch any big league game and you'll see it all... Strikeouts(swinging and looking)... Pop ups... Fly Balls... Ground Balls... Line Drives... Long Fly Balls.. Bloopers... Dribblers... Bleeders... Texas Leaguers...Home Runs!... Every hitter does all those things, save only for the home runs. Don't overreact or over coach, and in doing so you will give them a better chance to build confidence and succeed. Give or get them good instruction from someone who teaches what the best players at ever level are doing. An instructor's nice resume is just that. Nice. Check out what an instructor is teaching and as Mike Epstein says just ask yourself one simple question in regards to what a coach is telling them to do. And that is... "Does this make sense?"...

Bottom line... Give your young hitters a consistent, positive message about their technique and abilities.

Todd Thomas is a Baseball Coach and Professional Hitting Instructor for Mike Epstein Hitting. Coach Todd's personal hitting website is http://www.HitItHere.net. Coach Todd also enthusiastically endorses http://PlayMyBestBaseball.com as a place where baseball and softball hitters can master the Confidence, Composure, Focus and Consistency of their game so they can reach their full potential.

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

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The Professional Youth Baseball Coach

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The Professional Youth Baseball Coach
By Andy Pohl

Coaching is not just about winning games. In fact, winning is a very small component to the job. Successful coaches help athletes master new skills, enjoy competition with others, and develop a team first attitude. They are not only well versed in the techniques and skills of their sport, but they also understand how to effectively teach those skills through age appropriate practice regimens and skill building drills. The ability to apply and communicate life lessons learned from sports participation is also of extreme importance.

The influence coaches have on young adults is far too great to believe that the utilization of volunteer coaches diminishes the professional responsibilities for effectively executing the mission. In fact, any youth league organization that does not coordinate a mandatory coaching certification course for all volunteer coaches is doing a tremendous disservice to their community. Ultimately, the amount of accessible educational coaching materials and resources is far too great for anyone to make excuses for volunteer coaches who inadequately carry out their duties and responsibilities.

I like to term the coach who responsibly performs their various roles and obligations as a 'professional coach.' Anyone can be a 'professional coach,' even the dad who coaches his son's five year old T-Ball Team. The Professional Coach is one who understands that the physical, emotional, social, and psychological development of their athletes takes precedence over winning. They are individuals of sound moral character who understand the true meaning of integrity. They are organized, disciplined, focused, and value driven decision makers. The Professional Coach has a solid understanding of sport science, sport management, risk management, nutrition, and sport specific techniques and tactics. The Professional Coach always seeks to better him/herself by attending coaching conferences, reading books and professional journals, or exchanging ideas with peers and mentors. In addition, the Professional Coach has superior communication skills and understands the psychology behind reinforcement, motivation, and how young people learn.

Now that we have described what a Professional Coach is, let's examine what a Professional Coach is not:

• The Win-at-all-Costs Coach: Coaches who adopt this style care more about their win-loss record and personal ego than the development of their athletes. They will use every tactic imaginable to give them a competitive edge, even if these tactics are unsportsmanlike and dishonest.

• The Me Coach: Coaches who adopt this philosophy are more focused on 'me' than 'we.' For example, they may say, "I need you to play flawless today," or "I need you to work hard for me today." In order to build a team concept, this coach should be saying, "We (or the team) need you to play flawless today," or "We need you to work hard for the good of the group today."

• The Want to be Popular Coach: Coaches who adopt this style make few decisions as possible. They do not hold their players accountable, nor do they demand excellence from their athletes. The Want to be Popular Coach focuses more on having fun and giving meaningless praise and extrinsic reward than challenging the team to meet high standards and expectations. The Want to be Popular Coach provides minimal guidance and instruction, and cares more about being liked than doing the job right.

If you are thinking of being a volunteer coach, please take your responsibilities seriously. Understand that coaches at all levels of competition have the power to make a significant, life long impact on the lives of young adults.

Andy Pohl - Co-Founder, DNA Sports

DNA Sports specializes in personalized baseball and softball skill programs, college recruiting education and preparation, and coaching clinics. Learn more: http://www.dnasportsonline.com

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



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Youth Baseball Digest - The Power of Praise in Coaching Little League Baseball

By Nick Dixon

Praise is the easiest and most effective way to motivate young baseball players. Understanding and believing in the "Power of Praise" can make a Little League Baseball coach a better and more effective coach. Knowing how and when to praise is the key. This article discusses the value of praise in coaching youth baseball.

Good coaches have a variety of skills. They know how to teach the game of baseball. They know how to communicate their thoughts and observations almost immediately. They know how to correct without humiliation. They know how to motivate without intimidation. They love the game of baseball and that love is displayed through their actions and behaviors. But, one of the universal traits of successful youth baseball coaches is that they know the "Power of Praise".

Good youth baseball coaches know that kids respond differently when they are coached and taught the game of baseball. Many kids do not take constructive criticism. All kids do not respond the same to harsh words or loud instructions. But, one thing that 99.9% of all kids respond favorably to is praise. They love to hear words of encouragement and words that tell them that they did a task well.

What youth coaches must always remember is that many kids we coach never hear many positive words. It is sad and true that many kids never hear words or praise or encouragement at home. Words of praise are "words of respect" for a youngster. They want to love, appreciated, and respected just like most people do. Many kids we coach are hungry for attention, discipline and most of all praise. The more they are praised, the more they want to earn more praise.

So when you see a player struggling or having a bad day, find something that he is doing correctly and praise him for his action. Make his day a better day. I do not mean to give out unmerited or false praise. Make sure that the praise is deserved and merited. Kids can sense if a coach is sincere or genuine when the coach praises a player. False praise is useless and counterproductive.

One good rule to live by as a youth baseball coach is that you should find a way to praise every player on your team at least once a day. A pat on the head or back takes little time and energy on your part, but can do wonders for a kids self esteem and attitude.

I hope that you enjoyed this article. Thanks for taking the time to read it. Good luck to you and your team. Your friend in baseball, Nick.

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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

How to Hit in the Clutch - Baseball Batting Advice From a Former Major League Player

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By Jack Perconte

There are not too many feelings better than getting hits for baseball players. Actually, there is? Getting a hit in the clutch is an even better feeling. Of all the great memories I have of playing baseball, the ones that are most memorable are those of clutch hits that I had. Many people think of clutch hits as those that drive in runs or win games, but just as important sometimes are hits that players get to start a rally, break up a no hitter or knock a good pitcher out of the game. One of my great memories of a clutch at-bat did not involve a hit but a sacrifice fly that I hit in the 17th inning that drove in the winning run against the New York Yankees. This was as memorable as a hit because, being a player with little power, hitting a ball deep enough in the outfield was not an easy chore for me.

Developing young players to be good clutch hitters is one of my goals as a hitting coach. Of course, the best clutch hitters are generally the hitters who are the most fundamentally sound with their hitting mechanics. Having good fundamentals always give players the best chance at success. However, just having good fundamentals does not guarantee a great clutch hitter and all hitters can be taught to become better in the clutch. I have known many players who have the knack of going 1 for 4 in games for a.250 batting average, but that one hit always seemed to be a big hit for the team. Some players just have a sense of the moment and an inner confidence that they are the right person for the situation. Good clutch hitters are able to focus on the moment. They do this by focusing on the things they can control, which is simply taking a good swing at a good pitch. These clutch hitters do not over-swing, try to hard or get too "up-tight" to perform.

With this in mind, following are coaching tips to help ballplayers become good clutch hitters:

1. Explain to players what was alluded to above, that "clutch hitting" involves more than just an RBI hit or a game winning hit. For example, just getting on base with a walk or single can be very "clutch."
2. Put players in known clutch situations in practice as much as possible. "Two outs, bases loaded, game on the line and here is the pitch," is a good batting practice idea. When players are put in clutch situations often enough, they will develop the sense of having "been there before," which may enhance their confidence and give them reassuring feelings.
3. Explain to players that no one will remember for very long if they make an out but everyone will remember, for a long time, if they come through with a big hit. In this manner, players will begin to feel like they do not have much to lose, which should ease the pressure. This also serves to have players look forward to the opportunity.
4. Good coaches do not over-coach by making more of a situation than it is. This can be done by staying calm and just telling hitters to "get a good pitch to hit." Coaches should be careful not to change their demeanor or overload players with distracting instructional tips, especially during intense game situations.
5. Ask players in practice who wants to be up to bat with the game on the line. Most if not all will say they want to be, even if they are not sure. This "mental preparation" will help players prepare for the situation before they are in the actual situation.
6. Occasionally saying to different players that you want them to be the player up to bat with the game on the line shows your confidence in the player, which should help the player's confidence.
7. Coaches should not show disappointment in front of players when they do not come through in the clutch, so that players will not shy away from wanting to be up in that same clutch situation the next time. Parents of players should be sure and follow this point also, because kids definitely do not want to disappoint their parents.

Finally, one thing that I did as a player was to begin preparing myself for game ending situations. When a game was close in score, I would begin about the sixth or seventh inning to visualize being up in the last inning with the game on the line. This was great preparation for the eventual situation where I came to bat with the game in the balance.

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

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

Mental Baseball Instruction - Becoming a Mentally Tough Baseball Player

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By Nate Barnett

The assumption here is that you have either found the title of this article amusing to some extent, or you are looking for information on how to become more mentally tough as an athlete. Maybe both, which would be a bonus for you. Now, a little group participation... I want you to stop reading for a minute after you read the following question. Don't read past until you have an answer.

The Question: What did you do differently this season (compared to last) to prepare yourself for a successful experience in baseball?

If your answer is nothing, many athletes have since passed you and have consequently helped improve their chances of getting to the next level, whatever that may be for them. However, if you have added something else to your game, then the opposite is true.

In order to become a mentally strong athlete, players must develop two types of skills.

A. Physical skills: those that help you throw, run, pitch, hit, and field more effectively.

B. Mental skills: those that help you in dealing with failure, build confidence, get you in "the zone", keep you out of slumps, etc.

The problem is that there is consistently more importance placed on physical development over mental. There are a few reasons physical skills are taught far more than mental skills.

1. Physical skills are more easily taught through the ease of information access in videos, books, and private baseball instruction.

2. The fixation on massive home runs and big power numbers fuel athletes' desire to improve and learn the skill of hitting a baseball 400ft like the guys in the Bigs.

3. The results can often be noticed by everyone right away. Therefore, there is more of an immediate feeling of improvement with physical skill work through baseball drills, etc.

The mental side of baseball is taught far less for a multitude of reasons. Some include:

1. There are simply fewer resources available on the topic of sports psychology and mental training.

2. Many sports psychology and mental training information is written in a complex fashion making it difficult for a reader to comprehend the information.

3. Practice time is limited for many teams. Therefore, fewer coaches can afford to carve out the time to work on the mental game (assuming they know how to teach it).

So how do you begin to work on the mental game? You're doing it now. Read, listen, and search for pieces of information on the topic. Post-game interviews from professional athletes are a good source. Countless players like Derek Jeter and Cal Ripken have devoted time to writing some of their thoughts on the subject. Buy their books or find them at a library.

Why should you develop you mental baseball skills? The answer to this question is lengthy and is a topic for another article at another time. But the simple answer is that you will be noticed by more college and professional scouts because they look for indicators of a strong mental game. And secondly, it will help to cut out slumps that linger and take away from consistent performance.

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 your baseball psychology.

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

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

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

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HurricaneMachine.com - Baseball Batting Machine - Derek Jeter Series

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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.