Getting Your Players to Practice As If it Were a Game

By Stephen K Reynolds

When it comes to practice all coaches deal with the same challenges of getting their players to practice hard! You see it all the time with young players they want to goof off in warm ups and then when it is time to make solid throws they can't do it consistently.

At our practice the other night for my sons travel team I saw kids doing the same thing. I talked to the boys about a better commitment on the field and in particular in practice! My message was simple. You need to play better all the time in order to compete at a travel level other wise you will get more of the same result!

One thing to remember in practicing keep the players involved. Short groups when you are doing drills to keep the talking to a minimum! Keep them running as much as possible at all time. Make sure you vary the drills and don't stay on the same thing too long or players loose focus!

Stations are good also so they stay in small groups. I stay away from batting practice on the field because it allows too much standing around and players aren't accomplishing any thing constructive.

Another thing that is important is to get your better players or leaders to set an example of the importance of practicing properly and treated it with a sense of urgency! When the other players hear it from their peers it always helps!

Coaches remember Practice is our time to Shine and take care of business once the games begin let the players have fun and play hard!

Stephen K Reynolds is publisher of the LSR Unlimited "Free" newsletter which focuses on helping newcomers & seasoned pros learn the secrets to marketing in the ever changing world of the internet! He is also a youth baseball coach in Western Montana Working on the Internet allows him the freedom to coach little league baseball. For more information on this e-mail coachsteve56@gmail.com

(800) 758-1282

http://www.mindsetiswealth.com

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

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.

Characteristics of Division I Baseball Players

By Andy Pohl
Below are the athletic measurables and characteristics needed to play at each level of competition. These numbers were put together from general feedback by college coaches. While there certainly are exceptions to the given parameters, these numbers will give you a better idea as to where you stand and what you need to work on.

For the most part, college coaches are looking for pitchers, catchers, shortstops, and centerfielders. Many college coaches will only recruit these four positions and move them to other positions once they arrive on campus. It is very important for high school baseball players to be aware of this fact.

Division 1 Baseball:

RHP: 88-90+ MPH consistently with movement; command of at least 3 pitches;

over 1K per inning pitched in HS

LHP: 86-87+ MPH consistently with movement; command of at least 3 pitches;

1K per inning pitched in HS

Catcher: 1.9 Pop Time or below; superior leadership skills & ability to call games

1B/3B: Tremendous size and power potential (8 + HR in HS)

SS/2B: 6.8 60 yrd or below; 85+ MPH from INF to 1B, 1.35-1.40 turn time

CF: 6.7 60 yrd or below; 87+ MPH from OF

Division II Baseball:

RHP: 85+ MPH consistently with movement; command of at least 3 pitches;

1K per inning pitched in HS

LHP: 83+ MPH consistently with movement; command of at least 3 pitches;

1K per inning pitched in HS

Catcher: 2.0 Pop Time or Below; superior leadership skills & ability to call games

1B/3B: Tremendous Power Potential

SS/2B: 6.9 60 yrd or below; 82+ MPH from INF to 1B; 1.45 turn time

CF: 6.8 60 yrd or below; 82+ MPH from OF

Division III Baseball:

Division III baseball/softball are highly competitive, despite the fact that they do not offer athletic scholarships. Some DIII programs are playing on a DII level, and professional players have been drafted from DIII schools. Due to the discrepancies between DIII schools, it is important that you research each program that you are interested in order to get a better idea as to what type of player they are looking for.

NAIA Baseball:

Like DIII schools, the discrepancies are far too wide to find any similarities in characteristics. Be sure to fully research each individual program to get a better idea as to what type of player they are looking for.

Junior College Baseball:

Junior Colleges have 3 divisions for the purpose of separating stronger JC programs from the weaker ones. While there may be somewhat of a drop off in talent between Division III Junior Colleges and Division 1 and Division II Junior Colleges, there is little difference between a DI and DII Junior College. Many Junior College players lack the 'polish' to be considered D1 players coming out of high school, but they already possess the necessary physical tools to be successful at the D1 level.

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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Happy Holidays & Season’s Greetings From Nick

Happy Holidays & Season’s Greetings From Nick



Thank you for being a regular reader of our blog. We are taking some time off for the Holidays. Our post schedule is normally 5 to 6 daily articles posted per week. During the Holidays and until Jan. 4, 2010, or post will not be daily because of Holiday activities. 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

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Extraordinary Baseball Strength - The Gospel When it Comes Down to the Best Workout For Baseball!

By Brandon Richey

Strength and conditioning for baseball is a must if you want to be competitive in today's game. When it comes down to getting the best workout routine for baseball players I have to exert my professional opinion by telling you about the single arm kettlebell swing. As you may know by now the kettlebell is an ancient strength and conditioning device that has been used by the world's greatest athletes for over three centuries. This ancient strength and conditioning device brings a style of training with it that is dynamic in nature and translates better than anything over to any athletic sport, especially baseball.

The base strength endurance lift that is performed with the kettlebell is known as the double arm kettlebell swing, but for this article I am going to address the single arm swing. It doesn't matter if you are looking for a baseball pitching workout, rotator cuff exercise, or just a generic workout routine for your baseball performance the single arm swing satisfies them all! To perform the single arm swing you must first understand the proper technique which is performed with the double arm version known as the hip snap. The hip snap is a movement that is done by you fluently and constantly flexing and extending at both your hips and knees in order to create the necessary momentum to swing the kettlebell up to chest level.

With the single arm swing you first want to properly set your grip before beginning the exercise. With the bell on the ground simply grab the handle towards the inner half of the bell depending on which hand you want to start with. Next, make sure that when you grip the handle to rotate your knuckles so that they point to the sphere of the kettlebell. This is known as a hooking grip and allows you to firmly hold the bell with the hook of the palm of your hand and not exhaust your grip by using your fingers. From here pick the bell up and begin the hip snap. As the bell elevates to chest height make sure that your palm is pointing down and as it descends to between your legs allow your forearm to rotate to a thumbs down position. Continue this natural rotation back and forth with each swing. You will quickly realize how much of a major league baseball workout this drill is once you start.

Take the time to endure the learning curve with kettlebell training my friend. This will no doubt take your strength and conditioning workouts to the next level. Remember that anyone can train hard, but only champions train smart!

To learn more about how to utilize your body, Kettlebells, and to achieve Mind Blowing fitness get your copy of My "Better Than Steroids Ebook" by clicking here: http://www.betterthansteroidsebook.com/www.betterthansteroidsebook.com/Better_Than_Steroids_Ebook.html.

You will become one of my Free Elite Members if you make your "Better Than Steroids" purchase, but to just become one of my Elite Members and receive my free Newsletter just go to http://www.efandps.com/www.efandps.com/Brandons_Members_Newsletter.html.

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

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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 HandsBackHitter.com.

Players develop incredible bat speed and confidence when they regularly use the Quick Swing Trainer. See it at QuickSwingTrainer.com. See the world’s most advanced batting tee at AdvancedSkillsTee.com.

Are you looking for a great batting cage at discount prices? Are you considering building your own backyard batting cage and training center? If so, you should visit BattingCagesDirect.com now!

Preparing Your Baseball Team Mentally For the Big Game

By Bob Hines

An all star or travel team's mental state is a major contributing factor of whether or not they reach their goals. Whether the opponent is weak or strong if your team believes they can win they will be up for the game. Coaches sometimes mistakenly try to pump their team up for a big game. I believe players (and coaches) should treat each game the same. Provided that you prepared them physically through solid practice... If they believe they are good enough to be successful that is all the game prep they need.

When coaches tell players that they have to "play the best game they can in order to win" that's when teams usually get into trouble. When players try to push it past what they are able to do... that's when you start to see the mistakes. Good teams lose because most players don't react well to pressure from parents and coaches. Kids will "check out" when you put it in their minds that they have to perform flawlessly to succeed... that they have to play the best game possible.

So what to do? Keep it light but focused. Reinforce that they are a good team. Tell that player who's struggling at the plate that "you know he's trying hard... relax, have fun and the hits will come". If you've practiced and prepared your team for the big game then they are ready. After that the two "C's" are the most important factors to success.. Concentration & Confidence. So before the big game lighten things up with a fun team activity and think of creative ways to bring out the two "C's". Then rest assured you are giving them the best prep you can.

Coach Bob

Visit Coach Bob's Youth Baseball Blog @ http://youthbaseballblog.blogspot.com

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


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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!

Hitting a Baseball - Finding the Root Cause of a Mechanics Problem

By Nate Barnett

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

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

The Problem: Hips floating forward

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

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

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

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

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

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Baseball Fielding Tips Grounders A to Z

By Larry Cicchiello

Here is an alphabetized list of some baseball fielding tips for ground balls:

Arm extension. You should extend your arms almost straight out and field the ball in front of your body. You should never field grounders near your body or underneath your body. In at least 90% of the cases where a grounder goes through an infielder's legs, it's because the arms and hands were not out in front of the body.

Back-handing the ball. Try to keep your glove hand relaxed and don't stab at the ball unless you have to. You want to really focus on "soft hands" and sort of ease the ball into your glove.

Backside should be down. Your rear end should be down and kept down, almost like you're sitting in a chair. By doing this, there is less of a chance for the ball to go under you and your eye level will be much better to read the ball very well.

Ball stops rolling. The easiest way to pick a ball up if it has stopped is to push it into the ground. Scooping it up takes more time and increases the chance for a miscue. By pressing down, in essence you are pushing the ball into your hand, which is exactly what you want.

Bare-handed play when the ball is rolling very slowly. Many players make the common fielding mistake of trying to scoop it up with a couple of their fingers so their fingers are in position to throw the ball. The proper way is to cup the hand and field the ball with all of your fingers. Now comes the tricky part. You only have a very small amount of time to go from cupping the ball and getting it into your four-seam throwing grip. It takes a little practice to perfect this fundamental but it is worth the time and a little effort to learn the proper technique.

Bounces can be very tricky. All the good infielders read the ball off the bat immediately and they often determine the bounce they will get and the batted ball does not determine the bounce they will get. The expression is that "you play the ball and don't let the ball play you." It's important to sometimes charge in and get the friendly hop. Try to avoid the hop where the ball bounces about three feet in front of you. There is a huge difference between the friendly and the unfriendly bounce.

Egg and not a baseball. If possible, catch every ground ball like you are catching an egg and don't want the egg to break. Watch the soft hands of all of the outstanding infielders and how they ease the ball into their glove.

Getting in front of the ball. Always try to get in front of the ball. The real good infielders get in front of almost everything. The error prone infielders do not and stab at too many balls.

Glove down. One of the best baseball fielding tips when attempting to field grounders is never get beat under your glove! We play from the ground up. Get the glove out in front of your body and on the ground early. You will notice that almost every time a grounder goes through an infielder's legs, it's because their glove was not low enough, was too close to their feet and not out in front of their body.

Hands. Like we mentioned, the hands should always be out front. If the ball takes a bad hop and your hands are close to the body, you have very little chance to adjust. And remember, you are catching an egg and not a baseball. Keep your hands soft.

Knees bent and pointing outward. The baseball expression is "the arms and knees out and the waist straight."

Playing from the ground up. Playing from the ground up means keep the glove down and only bring the glove up when and if needed. It's so much more difficult to have your glove high and have to go downward to get the ball and you'll have more of a tendency to stab at the ball and miss it.

Pop up drill should be practiced. After fielding the grounder, "pop up" as quickly as possible, with the front shoulder facing your target. The real good infielders practice the pop up drill to save valuable fractions of a second. That's one of the reasons they are real good infielders. Quite often on ground balls, the out or safe call is determined by a fraction of a second and the good infielders realize this and practice the "pop up" drill often.

Slow roller. Call for a slow roller just like you would call for a ball that is popped up. You don't just call for pop ups but call for grounders as well. It will avoid a lot of confusion. It's very frustrating when you see two fielders stop dead in their tracks because each thought the other was going to field the slow roller. What a shame for a game to be decided in that manner! You should make every attempt to approach it so that the ball is just outside your plant foot. This enables you to have your feet set and in the proper throwing position beforehand. Sometimes it is possible to do this and sometimes it is not. Remember, a fraction of a second is an eternity in baseball.

Throwing the ball. Bring your elbow up to throwing height, which is usually about shoulder height. Throw the ball and follow through. Almost every errant throw that sails high when thrown by an infielder is because he did not raise his elbow high enough!

Your face when fielding a grounder. When fielding a grounder, no one should see your face and if they do, something is wrong. They should only see the top of your cap as your face is looking down at the ground and the baseball.

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

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

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



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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 Batting Machines - The Backyard Basketball Goal For Baseball Players

One of my pet peeves in life is that there are many hundred thousands of future high school baseball players that will spend millions of hours of their spare time shooting basketball today. They will go out into their own backyard and spend hours and hours shooting games of “Horse” or playing “Pick-up” basketball.

Why does this bother me? The reason is that I know that these players could be having just as much fun and entertainment swinging a baseball bat if they had the right batting machine at home. They could be building skills in the game of baseball that will benefit them greatly when they compete for a spot on their high school team later.

Backyard batting machines such as the BatAction Hitting Machine and the Derek Jeter Hurricane Hitting Machine are the “Backyard Basketball Goal” for the Future Baseball Prospect. The future baseball prospect “lives” to swing the bat like the future basketball prospect “lives” to shoot the hoop.

Here are my 5 reasons the Batting Machine is like a Backyard Basketball Goal:

1. It is pure fun to hit. It offers a variety of fun and entertaining games and batting drills that kids love to play. The batting machine makes your backyard the most popular backyard in the neighborhood.

2. It is always ready for action. When the player gets bored at home, the machine is readily available.

3. There is not set-up required. To shoot basketball, all you need is a basketball. To hit the batting machine, all you need is a bat.

4. There is no energy required. The batting machine is fully self-contained. It operates off its on energy source. It uses the energy of the bat’s contact to propel the ball for the next swing.

5. A player can shoot basketball solo. The player can hit the batting machine without having to have a second person also. The “Streak” hitting game is comparable to shooting “Horse”. Players can play the “Streak” game alone.

So you can see why I call the batting machine, the backyard basketball goal for hitters. The two batting machine that are most poplar today are the BatAction Hitting Machine by Nedco Sports and the Derek Jeter Hurricane Machine by SKLZ.

You can see the batting machines described in theis article at BatAction.com and HurricaneMachine.com

Nick Dixon is the host for BaseballCoachingDigest.com, the YouthBaseballDigest.com, and BaseballParentGuide.com.

Hitting Ground Balls? - Turn Them Into Line Drives

By Jack Perconte

Putting the ball in play on the ground is not always a bad thing, but turning ground balls into line drives will definitely help the hitter's batting average and chances of playing baseball at the higher levels. Hitters with good speed can prosper by hitting the ball on the ground, especially in youth baseball, but at some point the ability to drive the ball into the outfield is necessary. Of course, hitting ground balls is better than hitting pop-ups but hitting the ball consistently on the ground is a sign of a faulty fundamental swing.

People generally think that hitting the top of the ball, which results in ground balls, is caused by hitting down on the ball or chopping at it. In my 21 years of coaching baseball, rarely would I come across hitters who actually chopped at the ball. I observed that most ground balls hit were caused by the hitters hands were on an upward path on the initial portion of the swing, usually caused by the lead elbow coming up at the beginning of the swing. This incorrect action is generally known as a chicken-wing, which does not allow hitters to bring their hands to the correct palm-up, palm-down hitting position at contact.

With this in mind, here are the drills which will generally turn ground balls into line drives.

Drill # 1 - To rid the player of the chicken wing problem, have them place their fielder's glove under their lead armpit and take numerous swings this way, allowing the glove to fall out on the follow through.

Drill # 2 - Have the hitter stand belly button away from a net and take swings with the end of the bat just scraping the net as it comes through the hitting zone. This will prevent the hitter from casting the bat out and over the ball which can cause ground ball hitting. This drill and the next on will help players develop the correct hands to the ball and hand position necessary to hit the ball in the air.

Drill # 3 - Place a tee at knee high level and have hitters work on hitting balls at this height until they begin to hit line drives or solid fly balls. Hitters with incorrect swings will continually hit ground balls at this pitch level. Hitters will have to develop the correct hip turn and swing in order to hit solid line drives on the knee high pitch, as stated.

* Hitters can combine these drills and perform all three at the same time. This becomes more difficult but can accelerate the process of developing the correct baseball swing.

For hitters who consistently hit solid ground balls, as opposed to weak or chopped ground balls, a slight adjustment in their stance or hand position may lower the bat position on the ball just enough to hit the lower back portion of the ball instead of the top of the ball. Hitters who widen their stance and bend their knees slightly may see the necessary line drives. Also worth a try is lowering the height of the hitter's hands a couple of inches in their initial set-up position. This may allow the hitter to get to the back of the ball more consistently. Following these few guidelines should turn those ground balls into solid line drives. For photo illustrations of these drills please refer to my book, The Making of a Hitter: A Proven & Practical Step-by-Step Baseball Guide.

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

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

What are Coaches Saying About AST Batting Training?

Our team trains daily on the Muhl Tech Advanced Skills Tee. The forward arm and outside barrier helps our players create a proper swing plane and stay short to the ball. These tees are extremely durable and the brush cup ball holder is a great idea, they have held up for years. I would recommend them to any baseball program.

Stan McKeever
Head Baseball Coach
La Cueva High School
Albuquerque, NM
2004 Collegiate Baseball America/Easton Sports Poll National Champions

"We bought 3 AST's last year after running across them at an opponent's field. Immediately upon seeing the tee, I noticed the bad habits that could be corrected with the simple design it employs. The AST has become an important teaching tool for Lafayette High Baseball. One pleasant suprise has been the durability of the AST. My satisfaction prompted me to buy 3 more for the upcoming year.

Coach Jay Domengeaux
Head Coach
Lafayette High School Mighty Lions - Louisiana

How Important is Baseball Training?

www.HandsBackHitter.com

By John Peter Pero

These are essentially four places where youth baseball players and their families can get the information needed to improving ball players beyond their current or recreational level:

Dad and his baseball knowledge from his own youth.

The player's youth coach(es).

Continuous home training and use of training aids.

Paid coaches and lessons.

Possibility #1

I have no doubt that an average baseball dad/coach can learn enough from the free information, tips newsletters and instructional articles that we give away at Baseball Tips to offer help to most young players to improve. This takes interest and time of both dad and player and makes for potentially lifelong memories!

Possibility #2

Youth coaches tend to be a player's dad, so the opportunity and limitations tend to be the same as option number one.

Possibility #3

Backyard training is typically a joint effort where Dad sees the player's continued interest in this great game and sees benefit in owning a few pieces of reasonably-sized baseball training equipment. He then grants his blessing to using some of the family backyard or baseball for this purpose. This is where a player can learn to get the most quality repetitions and become more skilled most quickly.. assuming that proper mechanics are being learned to begin with (no use in ingraining bad habits...right?)

Possibility #4

Paid coaches and lessons are where the most knowledge can be gained most quickly...especially if a parent will attend at least some lessons to learn what to help the player with and to reinforce and maximize the money invested in these lessons! It does cost money and those dollars are best spent as lesson packages with a set schedule and with a set plan of goals and a realistic time frame.

So what's the best way?

All and all at once is the absolute best answer.

However, the reality is that most families will be limited by time, money or the motivation to follow through. So now that you know where the sources of this powerful information lie...it is like any other family decision and is based on you and yours.

It all works...If you can and will do it. But it is worth nothing if there is a lack of consistency or honesty about your own situation.

My Summary

I have had a lifetime of hearing parents who tell me how talented and athletic their young players are but an equal number of players who never flourish because these interested players are not offered the tools or the time needed to develop both the passion or the positive results that result from graining knowledge and the positive experience that ends to follow.

The old days are gone...sandlot baseball has given way to many different organized sports and choices, all demanding time and effort.

If we truly want our players to stay in the game longer, we will need to influence them with any or all of options 1-4 above.

Life happens quick...so don't miss an opportunity!

And remember...you may never be closer to your own child than you are at 60 feet away tossing a ball and having a simple game of catch!

Baseball tips & youth baseball equipment, training aids & instruction! It's all here for baseball coaching of pitchers & hitters, little league to high school.

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

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StayBack Tee Baseball Trainer by SwingBuster

Video shows the Stay Back Batting Tee and its advantages. The video has no audio. See how the StayBack Tee teaches players of all ages to "Stay Bak" and use the rotational hitting technique. The Stay Back Tee is a great team or home trainer. It is an excellent mid-season or off-season trainer that can be used indoors and outdoors. The unit folds in seconds and can easily be transported to team practices and workouts.

One Drill That Guarantees the Correct Baseball Swing

By Jack Perconte

There are very few coaches of young baseball players who can look at a baseball swing and know it is a good fundamental swing. Even many high school coaches are not experienced enough to do this. There are some fine technical ingredients that are hard to notice by an untrained eye. The good news is that anyone can help a player with their swing with one drill.

One common saying that I tell hitters is, "It takes perfect fundamentals to hit an outside pitch solidly to the opposite field." For example, a right handed batter would be able to solidly hit a pitch on the outer half of the plate into right field. Hitters' hands and bat barrel position, as well as their timing must be perfect to continually drive this ball the other way. Many hitters hit pitches to the opposite field because of swinging late or because of incorrect fundamentals. However, in order to consistently hit a pitch "the other way" on a ball that is on the outside half of the plate, it takes a perfect fundamental swing. This is very important because the odds of hitting the outer half pitch solidly when it is pulled are not good. Pulling a ball is hitting a ball to the same side of the field as the side a hitter stands in the batter's box. Believe it or not, a ball that is fouled off to the opposite side of the field or straight back is often a better sign of a good fundamental swing than when this pitch is put in play to the pull side of the field. A foul ball is a positive on a tough pitch.

Coaches can get an indication of a good fundamental swing by noticing which direction players hit balls depending on the location of pitches. Players should work on the correct baseball swing by working on driving outside pitches to the opposite field with the following drill.

Drill

Very simply, set a batting tee on the outer half of home plate making sure the batter stands in their normal position at the plate, as in a game. Have hitters work on hitting line drives the opposite way until they can do it repeatedly and until it becomes very natural. A continuation of this drill would be to do the same thing with balls flipped by a coach to this part of the plate and following that with batting practice on outer half pitches.

As mentioned, it takes great fundamentals to consistently do this on this pitch. Hitters will find that as they become more consistent with this pitch, their swing will be correct on all pitch locations.

This drill is also another way of analyzing a player's swing to see if it is a good fundamental swing, especially for people who don't have a trained hitting instructors "eye." Players, who cannot consistently drive this pitch to the opposite field (8 or 9 out of 10 times), need improved baseball swing fundamentals. Additionally, because of the use of aluminum bats and their fear of hitting batters, pitchers throw more pitches "away" from hitters so becoming better at hitting outside pitches can only help hitters' batting averages.

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

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

A Message to Baseball Parents from Nick Dixon, President of Nedco Sports

Hello,

Thanks for visiting our blog. Your concern for your child's sports success is evident. Your child is fortunate to have a parent that cares so much about their success! I sincerely want your child to experience success, just like you!

Our company is founded upon the principle that every player is a winner when they reach their maximum potential as a player.

If you feel that your child has the potential to be a better hitter, I know that we can help! If you want to give your child every advantage possible when competing with the opposition or with peers for a team position, we can help! Our training equipment and training "Know-how" can help you help your child!

Maybe your job or work restricts the amount of time you are allowed to spend helping your child. If this is true, I want you to know that we offer the best home training equipment available today!
The best and most efficient trainer we sell is the BatAction Hitting Machine. It produces incredible results faster than anything else. It carries our "Success and Satisfaction or Money-Back" offer. You can not go wrong when you buy this great machine! We have thousands of collegiate hitters playing today that grew up hitting this fine machine! It has been helping young hitters improve for 10 years!

If you have questions about the BatAction Machine, please call our customer support, toll free number, 1-877-431-4487.

Happy Hitting,

Coach Nick
President
Nedco Sports

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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.

Batting Tee - It is Not Boring at All and is Simply Outstanding!

AdvancedSkillsTee.com

By Larry Cicchiello

Do yourself a favor and never underestimate the importance of working off the batting tee.

Let's just make sure we use it properly.

The batting tee is very versatile and can be set up almost anywhere and by no means is a baseball field even required.

During bad weather for example, you can hang an old piece of carpeting against the garage wall, set up your tee, and start hacking.

Sometimes it takes many, many repetitions to break a bad habit and proper use of the batting tee can speed up the entire process.

Instead of getting just 10 swings in practice, you can get an additional 100 off a batting tee.

If a player is struggling at the plate, life will be made much easier if he can get back on the right track in a week or so compared to a month or so.

Two Things Are Necessary For Getting the Maximum Benefit From the Batting Tee:

1. That it's set up properly.

2. That you take the same swing that you would normally take in a live game. If you are willing to spend your time, you are certainly entitled to reap the benefits.

Position yourself and the ball on the tee so it is at the point where you would be making normal contact with a live pitch in a game.

A good place to set up the ball is across from your front striding foot, before the stride is taken.

You can change this as you see fit because you are the one doing the baseball hitting.

Waist high is a good height when working on your overall swing but you can vary the height of the batting tee if you want to practice at a specific height.

Feel free to position the tee so you can practice hitting both inside and outside pitches as well.

Young Players And The Batting Tee


As a rule, youngsters are NOT a big fan of the batting tee and quite often feel it's boring.
To motivate them, remind them that MANY outstanding professional hitters take as many as 500 swings a day off the tee.
Always take your work off the batting tee very seriously and you must swing like you are swinging at a live pitch in a ball game!

It is one of the best baseball coaching drills for a coach to use with his players.

What can possibly be better than speeding up the process if one of your players has "lost" their stroke?

Or to maintain your swing if you are in a good groove?

If you have developed a bad habit at the plate, it may take 300 repetitions for your muscle memory to take over.

If doing this on a ball field, it will take quite a long time.

On the other hand, you can hit 100 balls off a tee in no time at all.

Why should a player struggle for a couple of weeks if he can get back on track in two or three days?

Remember, practice doesn't make perfect but perfect practice makes perfect.

If you're working off the batting tee, obviously you are willing to put in the time so don't cheat yourself and make sure you get the full benefit that you deserve.

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

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

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



The 4 Best Batting Tees in Baseball:
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5 Position Batting Tee

Three Tips For Improving a Pitcher's Control

www.HurricaneMachine.com

By Mike Posey

Are you confident the next pitch will go exactly where you planned? How can you be sure your pitcher will locate the next pitch exactly where you want it? A pitcher with great control can sure make the the coach look good.

A few years ago we had one of our HS pitchers throw a perfect game. Not only did no one reach base (zero hits, zero walks, and zero errors) but he had ten strikeouts. What's even more amazing is that it only took 55 pitches (in a five inning ten run game) and 42 of them were strikes.

So, he must have had a blazing fastball? No, his fastball was in the neighborhood of 82 MPH with a 70 MPH change up. The most impressive feat? Every pitch was exactly where he wanted it to be. He was in complete control at all times. A real thing of beauty to watch and enjoy.

Here are three tips to help your pitcher maximize their control.

1. Good control starts with practicing good mechanics--every day.
Pitchers must practice quality mechanics daily. A secret is to develop a good visual image of how to perform correctly. From a good balance point, properly breaking the hands, a good landing, release, and follow thru. A Tip to help pitchers develop visualization: purchase a full length mirror and have the pitcher practice each day facing the mirror. Balance point, break the hands, release, and follow thru. Practice and visualize.

2. Pitchers must master both sides of the plate with their fastball.

Assuming the pitcher is practicing correct mechanics daily, emphasize that importance of pitching in and away. Many young pitchers today are afraid of pitching in. Teach your pitcher the importance of throwing to the inside half with confidence and accuracy. It will make the pitches away more effective. If you pitcher can not do this consistently with their fastball, don't go to another offspeed pitch until they have mastered the fastball to both sides of the plate.

3. More important than a pitch count is the ratio of strikes.

Pitchers must have feed back of the total percentage of strikes thrown during the game and the total percentage of first strikes thrown to each hitter. Use a pitch count device that will give you these percentages during the game.

Mike Posey "CP"
Expert Baseball Pitching Stats

Expert Baseball Tips from a championship coach's perspective and experience, offering creative insights into helping others learn the game of baseball.

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


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Tips For a Great Batting Practice

By Mike Posey

Batting practice is an important ingredient to every practice, but it can also be a time waster. Many players at a young age accomplish little during an ineffective BP session. Here are a few tips to help every coach run a quick paced, exciting, BP session.

Batting Practices that Rock!


Stay in Small Groups.
Divide your team into groups of 4 or 5. One group can hit BP, one can be in the field shagging balls, and one group can be with another coach in the batting cages working on tee drills or toss drills.

Good Batting Practice Pitchers Throw Strikes.
A good BP pitcher must throw a lot of strikes and keep the pace moving. We also use a hack-attack pitching machine twice a week to supplement our pitching. Use coaches to throw BP when possible and let the players throw in scrimmages.

Take Quick Short Rounds
Hit in quick short rounds of no more than eight (8) swings. Keep the hitters moving in and out. Usually hit 3-5 rounds.

Have a Goal for Each Round
Each round must have a purpose. First round can be to the opposite field, second round can be hit and run, third round can be moving runners over from second, etc.

Use a Lightning Round at the End.
Lightning rounds can be fun as the last round. The concept of a lightning round is every hitter gets one pitch, if he hits a line drive then he gets a second pitch. Every line drive will result in another chance. If they miss, then the next player jumps in. Keep them moving in and out.

Use a Roll On Batting Tunnel
A portable roll on tunnel will help BP move much faster. Every league should invest in a good roll on to use every day at practice.

Hustle
make sure everyone is busy and hustles when changing groups. Group in the field can rotate to the cages, the cage group rotates to the field BP, and the BP hitters go to the field. Use a stop watch or field timer if needed (you can even use an air horn when its time to change groups, train them to hustle)

Running the Bases
If you have enough players for a fourth group, then add a base running group. If not, you can have groups of four or five, with two base runners while the others hit. But plan to practice base running at times during BP.

Take Ground Balls
If possible, have fielders rotate into short and second. A coach (or volunteer) can hit fungo ground balls in between BP pitches.

Situational Hitting
Some BP sessions can include a round of situational hitting. The coach calls out the situation for the hitter to execute (if you have runners on base, put them in a situation). For example, runners on third with no outs. (hit a ground ball in the infield or outfield fly ball) Runner at second base with no outs (hit behind the runner to move him up to third base)

Batting practice should be fun. Keep them moving and throw strikes.

Mike Posey "CP"
Expert Baseball Tips
Baseball tips from a championship coach's perspective and experience, offering creative insights into helping others learn the game of baseball.

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


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!

How to Improve Your Baseball Hitting Simply Thru Practice by Author: Jack Elliott

Much like everything in life, you get better at things the more times you do them. Baseball Hitting is no different. For this reason, the best baseball hitting advice anyone can give you is to practice your swing. Mickey Mantle was said to swing the bat at least 100 times a day right handed and then do the same left handed. Also, modern day players like Barry Bonds are said to swing the baseball bat 500-1000 times a day. If this strategy works for the pros, it can also work for you.

How to implement this Baseball Hitting Strategy: Continue Reading

BatAction Hitting machines Allow You to Take 500 or More Swings a Day....The Easy and Efficient Way...Click Here For More Information.

The Best Christmas Gift Santa Can Give a Littlle League Player.

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Happy Thanksgiving to Our Baseball Coaching & Training Equipment Blog Readers

Happy Thanksgiving to Our Baseball Coaching & Training Blog Readers

The staff at Nedco Sports wishes you and your family a safe and Happy Thanksgiving Holidays.

Baseball Pitching Tips - Composure on the Mound is Critical For You!

By Larry Cicchiello

To constantly improve, pitchers quite often work on their control and improving the quality and consistency of their pitches. Let me be very bold and tell you that if you are NOT able to maintain your composure on the mound, you had better start working on that also!

You work on control, you work on the fastball, you work on breaking balls and you better work on your composure just as seriously. Having good composure is a very important part of a pitcher's arsenal of weapons. You can have "great stuff" but if you lose your composure, isn't the benefit of having "great stuff" severely diminished?

NEVER let a bad pitch affect your next pitch. I admit, this is easier said than done. What can be helpful is to allow yourself three seconds to be upset and then totally let it go. Have this understanding with yourself ahead of time and stick to it. Three seconds, that's it.

My son has a friend, who is a crafty left-hander who pitched in high school in 2007 and now pitches in college. In his senior year of high school, he really impressed a college scout. He gave up a tremendous home run over the left field fence. The scout who came to watch him, told him after the game that the bomb is a part of the game and is NO big deal at all. What the scout was impressed with was that after the bomb, he calmly struck out the next batter on three pitches and maintained his composure! College scouts have a tendency to be extremely sharp baseball people. They look for composure in a baseball player and realize the importance of it. The scout never mentioned his six innings, three hits, two earned runs, eight strikeouts and only two walks. Hopefully, just as the college scout realized, you will realize the importance of maintaining your composure.

Please don't ever let a bad pitch get the better of you. You are not going to strike out every batter on three pitches. You are not going to pitch a shutout every time out. You are not going to pitch a no hitter every time out. The only certainties in baseball pitching are that you ARE going to make some mistakes and sometimes things are just not going to go your way.

Allow yourself three seconds to be upset and then get back to work. If someone hit a bomb off you ten seconds ago, it's the same as if it was hit twenty years ago. It is in the history books. The same with an error by one of your teammates. The same with a bloop hit. If you truly want to be a good pitcher, your only thought process should be on making your next pitch a quality pitch.

You can not rewrite the history books. The only pitch that matters is the next one you throw.

Please "let it go" and get back to work!

Larry is the president of Larwenty Online Enterprises Inc and 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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Baseball Training Pitching Tips

By Eugene Rischall

Pitching is very important in winning baseball games. Pitching the proper way with the help of your baseball training will greatly improve your teams chance of winning.

Your pitching plan should include located fastball, quick breaking ball, change speeds, pick off and hold runners, and fielding. Pitchers should do three things when they pick up a baseball. Locate, change speeds, and throw with a proper mechanical delivery.

Proper delivery mechanics should help a pitcher increase velocity, throw better breaking balls, have better control, reduce injury, and build confidence. Pitchers should be able to pitch from a wind up or stretch position.

The delivery is broken down into five phases. The initial stance or set up is where you analyze, visualize, centralize, and execute. The primary balance point is where the pitcher achieves balance. The break phase is when the pitcher starts his movement toward the plate. Secondary power position starts the moment the pitchers foot hits the ground. The last phase is the follow-through which is extremely important to how your ball is pitched.

A great baseball training aid is the designated hitter which is a silhouette dummy at the plate. Great for good pitching location mechanics.

Baseball training drills are very important in a pitchers development. The knee drill drill is important in developing upper-body technique. Power emphasizes lower-body technique. There is also balance drill, full delivery drill, dry drill, clap drill, and glide-to-stride drill.

With a lot of practice your training will help you develop into a great pitcher. There are different baseball training aids which will greatly improve your chance of success. Remember, practice, practice, and practice.

Author-Eugene Rischall, Owner, Baseball Training Emporium http://www.baseballtrainingemporium.com

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

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Baseball Training Aids - Finding the Best Ones

www.AdvancedSkillsTee.com

Using good baseball training aids can help improve your practices and make you a better player. The difficulty is trying to find the good ones and avoiding the others.

By Jack D. Elliott

All baseball players want to have a quicker bat, throw harder, or run faster. Many Baseball Training Aids sell this vision to baseball players tempting them to by their new product. However, the training aids do not always deliver what they promise. This can not only be frustrating to the young baseball players, but it can also be counterproductive. In some cases, it can even hurt the performance of an aspiring ball player. For this reason, to help combat the proliferation of bad products and to promote the good baseball training aids, I have put together this list of things you should review before buying:

Reputation of the Company or Sponsor

If the company is an established company in the baseball world that has been selling products for a number of years, they are far more likely to put out legitimate and solid products. The reason for this is their reputation as a company is dependent on how customers feel about their product offerings. If they have been in the competitive baseball equipment market for a number of years, odds are they have done this the right way. This essentially means you can be more trusting of their products and you should give a more critical review to new companies offering unproven products.

Look at the performance information that is included

Most baseball training aids will include some type of empirical evidence to show why their training aid is such a great product. If the product fails to include this type of information, this is a sign right away that something may be amiss. Another thing you should look at is to think critically over the source and meaning of the information provided. Essentially, you are trying to determine if the study or numbers are valid. Questions you should think about are what other factors might have caused this spike in performance that is unrelated to the product or who is putting their name behind this product. Often times, the best products will be getting a vote of confidence from former baseball players and coaches. Just a general endorsement by some guy in some town is not enough. What you are looking for is "recognized experts" who are giving their approval. Don't settle for anything less.

Does the baseball training aid have a track record?

Do not be fooled into believing the best things are those that are brand new. The best baseball training aids will be those that have been on the market for a few years and have been field tested by plenty of different people. These are the training aids you should seek out because there will be a number of reviews and comments made about them that you can look over to see if it delivers what it promises. In fact, it is almost always best to let others be the guinea pigs for new products. You reap the benefit by letting them deal with poorly performing products and get to use the products that everyone endorses. In this way, you significantly cut down on the risk that you will get a bad product.

Using this advice, will help you find some quality baseball training aids. One of the biggest lessons in life is to be happy with what you have. By being content with established baseball training aids and not always looking out for the next great thing, you increase your odds off having better practices through using quality baseball training aids and reduce the risk of getting either frustrated or picking up bad habits with poor training aids.

For more information on the best Baseball Training Aids, try visiting http://www.baseballtrainingtechniques.com - it is a website offering solid tips and information on baseball training aids and baseball instruction.

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

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