Add Power to Your Baseball Swing

By Jim_Bain

Once a player learns the basics of hitting a baseball and becomes more and more confident of his/her abilities to make contact, they seem to invariably want to start hitting home runs. A wise coach will immediately discourage this burning desire to become the next Babe Ruth, as nothing but a development of bad mechanics can result.

However, the ability to increase the power of your basic, fluid batting swing is quite desirable and achievable. Let's exam a drill which will increase the power of your swing quickly and safely.

One must consider baseball hitting in terms similar to a martial arts student, a boxer, football kicker or any other athlete who wants to increase his power. You're taught to power through your target. To envision the follow through of your fist, foot or bat, powering through the target, in this case, the baseball.

This simple, yet effective drill, is designed to increase your hitting power by actually hitting a heavy object and swinging the bat through it. Your power will increase as you progress, but perhaps more long term importance is you will train the hitting muscles and visually see (therefore your mind comprehends and believes) the success.

You'll need a partially deflated soccer ball or basketball, a hitting tee, a plumbers' plunger and a bat to execute the drill. Pay special attention to the ball as if there is too much air in it, the ball will explode off the tee offering little resistance. If there's not enough air it will simply collapse upon impact with the bat.

Slide the plumbers' plunger into the hitting tee with the plunger end up to hold the basket ball / soccer ball. Set the deflated ball into the cup of the plunger.

Using your natural batting stance and swing, hit the deflated ball off the tee. The first few strikes will seem awkward and there will be a large hesitation in your follow through swing, but that's Ok... keep swinging. The intended goal is to hit the ball off the tee without any hesitation in your swing as the bat makes contact with the ball.

As you eliminate this hesitation action your power will increase and the ball will travel farther. Additionally, you will be able to see results, positive or negative, rather quickly and you can see whether adjusting hip rotation or your strength training program is improving your power swing.

Jim Bain Has played and coached baseball for 50 years. He shares everything he knows as well as the insights and skills of the many coaches and players he used to compete against.

http://www.Learn-Youth-Baseball-Coaching.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jim_Bain

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5 Ways to Add Power to Baseball Swing and Improve Arm Strength

Increasing Baseball Swing Power and Improve Arm Strength
By Guest Author Jack Perconte

If there is one thing I would have done differently in my major league career it would have been to consistently use a strength building program during the season. Understand that for most of my early career lifting weights was frowned upon for baseball players. Why that was I am not sure. Probably because people assumed that lifting weights would make players build muscle that would inhibit the long fluid actions ballplayers need. Anyway, gaining and maintaining strength for ball players is essential and can keep a baseball player physically and mentally strong throughout the season. The great number of games during the season often zaps a player's strength which may lead to mental fatigue as well.

Of course, the best way to develop strength and power is to swing the bat and throw the ball more. Performing repetitions of the actual skills of swinging and throwing will lead to strength. For players who want to be their best, there is no substitute for swinging and throwing more than your competition. From experience I have noticed baseball players who throw and swing more months (up to nine), are the players who increase their power and arm speed the most. It is a good idea to give the body and mind a two or three month break from the skill training, but the conditioning and strength work can continue year round.

However, it has been proven over the years that bigger, stronger, faster can be improved through a weight training program. With that in mind, following are some basic tips that players of all ages can use to develop power and arm strength without having to hire a personal trainer or buy expensive exercise equipment:

1. Much of the bat speed, control of the bat and throwing speed comes from the forearms, hands, wrists and fingers. Players can work on these areas by squeezing things. There are many useful items on the market designed to help, but squeezing a tennis ball or water out of a towel will work just as well. Doing this a few minutes a day will develop the strength that will make a difference with how to get the ball to "jump off the bat" and have a "livelier" fastball.

2. The next set of muscles to develop is the core muscles of the midsection. Doing fast hip turns while holding a weighted object are good. Gradual increases in the amount of weight held will develop this core strength. Old fashioned sit ups or any variation of those are beneficial too.

3. Most of the time we think of running exercises only for running speed. However, working on fast crossover steps and explosive first moves of the lower body are just as important for hitting power and throwing speed. Much power is generated by the muscles around the thighs and rear end. Using these muscles with explosive movements will help. Working on explosive crossover steps will develop fast hip rotation for both the hitter and pitcher.

4. Old-fashioned pushups are still great strengthening tools that are good for any and all ages. They will help develop the bigger muscles around the chest and shoulders. Performing different variations like hands wide, hands together and finger tip push ups will work on different muscles.

5. Finally, doing lunges and knee bends will help develop the leg and rear end muscles, which are a major source of power for both a hitter and pitcher.

After a few weeks of this conditioning and continued work on the fundamentals, players will notice the difference with increased bat and arm speed. Working to be bigger, stronger, faster and fundamentally sound will allow players to reach their full potential, without future regret of what they might have done differently.

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



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