Did you have a Johnny Bench Batter-Up Trainer When You Were Young?

The Johnny Bench Batter-up was one of the first serious baseball batting trainer ever. This popular rotational hitting machine was on the market in the late 70's. If you grew up hitting on one, you know the value of the rotational hitting machine. You will glad to know that there is a modern version of these opular trainer, the Derek Jeter Hurricane Machine offers the same benefits and advantages. http://store.baseball2u.com/husotrmajese.html... Visit the Hurricane Machine Training Blog at http://hurricanebaseballtrainingmachine.blogspot.com/... for free training tips, drills and coaching articles.

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The Highly Acclaimed 20-Minute Hurricane Batting Practice Workout
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Derek Jeter Hurricane Hitting Machine

Teaching the Professional Baseball Swing

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BatAction Hitting Machine Baseball Softball Trainer

BatAction Hitting Machine Baseball Softball Trainer
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Short video demonstration of the BatAction Hitting Machine baseball softball trainer, The BatAction offers high speed ball movement drills that are 100% Guaranteed to Improve batting averages, bat speed and hitting skill. Unit is suitable for all ages from t-ball to high scholo. Great for Little League team parctices and home backyard workouts. The BatAction is often called the "Backyard Basketball Goal" for baseball and softball players. Visit the Official BatAction Training Blog at http://batactionbaseballtraining.blog... for free drills, tips, and baseball coaching articles. http://www.BatAction.com

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Derek Jeter Hurricane Machine Training Blog

HurricaneMachine.com - Links

---15 Reasons To Buy a Hurricane Trainer
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---Message to Parents From Coach Nick
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---20-Minute Hurricane Batting Practice Workout
---Hurricane Hitting Machine Video Demo Clips

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Remembering the "Johnny Bench Baseball Batter-Up" Baseball Trainer

By: Nick Dixon - Inventor of BatAction and Hurricane Hitting Machines

My son loved absolutely loved his Johnny Bench batting trainer. It was so simple and easy to use. He would hit that tiny rubber ball with the molded seams and it would wrap around the pole, return, and he would hit it again. Only God really knows, how many times he watched that ball circle that pole. It was the youth hit trainer that made him a great hitter. It made him a major leaguer in his own mind. He would imagine himself being Johnny Bench. With 2 outs, bases loaded, and the World Series on the line, he had a lot of pressure on him for a 12 year old. He would track that ball around the pole as if it was a 90+ miles per hour fastball. He learned to concentrate on the ball and to keep his head still during his swing.

It was tough be a big league hitter in those days. When that ball got to him, he would hit it so hard that he would almost come out of his shoes. Grand Slam, he would yell! Then he would trot around the backyard smiling and basking in the glory that only a World Series title could bring. It was so sweet to be named the MVP of the whole world. Baseball was fun and his Johnny Bench trainer was his pitcher. As an only child and with no neighbors living close by, it was his best friend and his way of having a great make believe baseball game in his own backyard. It was those backyard games that developed the hitting skills he needed to become a great little league all-star, high school standout, and college baseball player.

Back in those days training aid manufacturing technology was a bit behind the times. There were certain things about the JB trainer that were a bit frustrating. The major problem was those confounded rubber bands. They would dry-rot and break. Eventually most people made their own from cut pieces of old tire inner tubes. Eventually the ball broke off the rod and the JB trainer playing days at our house were over. And the big mass of concrete it was mounted in proved to be a major problem to move when wanted it gone.

Years ago I looked at young players and I realized just how much they too needed a good wholesome home trainer that was fun, practical, entertaining, and productive to hit. That need is the reason I invented the BatAction Hitting Machine and the Hurricane Hitting Machine. Both of these patented batting machines have similar ball motion paths, high speed ball movement, and both offer the same levels of fun and excitement. These popular machines feature adjustable ball speeds and height settings for all ages and ability levels. If you experienced the Johnny Bench trainer as a youngster and appreciate what it did for you, you will want your child or grandchild to have the same opportunities. If you are looking for a rotational hitting machine at a good price, I recommend the BatAction and Hurricane Hitting Machines. I know that you will love the results that you see from regular backyard workouts on these hitting trainers. Good luck till next time, Nick Dixon.

The CoachesBest Baseball Store has a great selection of 1400 Baseball Products. Check out the BatAction Hitting Machine baseball pitching simulator. This high speed training machine is 100% Guaranteed to raise Batting Averages and has a full year warranty.

Nick Dixon is the President and founder of Nedco Sports, a sports training company established in 1999. Dixon is also an active and full time high school baseball coach with over 25 years experience. Coach Dixon is better known as the inventor of the BatAction Hitting Machine, the SKLZ Derek Jeter Hurricane Hitting Machine, the SKLZ Target Trainer, the SKLZ Derek Jeter ZipnHit Pro, and the SKLZ Strikeback Trainer. Dixon is also a contributing writer for BaseballCoachingDigest, the Youth Baseball Digest, the Baseball Parent Guide, the Baseball 2Day Coaches Journal, and Blog4Coaches.

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

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Baseball Pitching and Warming-Up Properly

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By Nate Barnett

Many baseball players warm-up the wrong way before they start playing catch. They tend to throw to warm-up and not to warm-up before they throw. Warming up the wrong way can cause injury to your throwing arm or any part of your body. Many injuries occur during spring training games or just before big super league tournaments when multiple consecutive games are played. Players often think they already warmed up enough from a previous game earlier in the day and they aren't as loose as they think.

Before a pitcher or any position player begins to play catch they need to warm up their entire body. Why? Players with good mechanics understand that you don't just throw with you arm, you throw with your entire body. Warm up the entire body to throw not just your arm.

What I like to do is start warming up my legs, hips, core, shoulders, arms and then fingers; yes fingers. I am not about to share with you all warm up exercises you should do because there are many. I just want to share some with you so you can get a fairly good idea how you should be warming up to play catch.

I will start with a light jog around the field followed by high knees forward and backward for about 30 yards each way. This gets the blood flowing. I will continue warming up much like football players do. Karaoke forward and back, jumping jacks, high knee skips, form running etc.

Warming up your core is also important before you play catch. I won't do old school sit ups anymore like I used to throughout High School and College. Prone holds serve the purpose, side prone holds with one leg in the air and so on. There are literally hundreds of core warm ups you could do, but I prefer the prone holds to simply activate the core and get it warm.

To get your shoulders and arm simply do arm circles forward and back; thumbs up for a set, thumbs down for another and then palms down. This ensures you warm up each of the three shoulder muscles. Front and forward claps are great and then fence shakes palms out, palms in and palms down.

When you feel loose you can start playing catch with your teammates. Again it is imperative that you warm up to throw and not throw to warm-up. Don't just start playing catch right away, you will increase the risk of injury.

Nate Barnett is co-owner of The Pitching Academy.

You can find The Pitching Academy's articles, blog, and videos on baseball pitching, and hitting mechanics when you visit the website.

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

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Sports Psychology and Baseball Hitting Tips - How and Why to Relax at the Plate

Hurricane Hitting Drills offer high speed batting pratice indoors and outdoors. 1005 Guaranteed to Improve Batting Skills and Bat Speed - HurricaneHittingMachine.com
By Jay Granat

The baseball season is about to begin and I already getting calls from parents, players and coaches who are concerned about hitting slumps.

Anyone who has played baseball for any length of time has experienced the frustration of an extended hitting slump. And there are many causes of these performance valleys.

Some of the causes are physical. A breakdown in mechanics, poor balance, poor technique, a moving head, a tight grip on the bat or an injury can contribute to poor performance by baseball players.

Some of the causes of hitting slumps are mental. A batter who has been hit by a pitch can be scared in the batter's box. A player who has been hitting poorly can lose his confidence. A batter who is worried about impressing his coach, his parents or a scout can become quite anxious. A player who is conflict with teammates may find it hard to hit to his potential. Similarly, a player with stress related to his or her life off the field can have difficulty concentrating when he or she steps up to the plate.

Also, it is important to understand that there are many relationships between the mind and the body where hitting a baseball is concerned. For instance, a nervous player is apt to grip the baseball bat too tightly. Likewise, a tense player is apt have difficulty turning on a pitch.

Interestingly, some people believe that our vision gets worse when we are tense and that it improves when we are relaxed.

There are many ways to relax one's mind and one's body before you get up to bat.

Players can learn relaxation techniques, meditation, visualization or self-hypnosis. Some players benefit from listening to music in the dugout or before a game. Others do some aerobics before they take the field as they find that this helps them to relax when they get up to bat.

Tension will work against you at the plate, so it is important that baseball players learn how to get very comfortable when they face the opposing pitcher.

Jay P. Granat, Ph.D. is a psychotherapist and the founder of http://www.stayinthezone.com. He is also the author of 101 Ways To Break A Hitting Slump With Sport Psychology And Self-Hypnosis. http://www.stayinthezone.com/shop-stay-in-the-zone.html?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=21

Dr. Granat can be reached at 888 580-ZONE.

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

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Fun Indoor Baseball Drills For Kids - A Tip From the Pros For What to Do on a Rainy Day

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Fun Indoor Baseball Drills For Kids - A Tip From the Pros For What to Do on a Rainy Day
By Matt Mc Dermott

Have you ever been at a loss for what to do on a day when it rains before youth baseball practice? You want to keep the kids' enthusiasm high, but you may not have access to a huge indoor facility where you can do all sorts of advanced practice techniques. If that is the case, you may be wondering how you can beat the other team which may have better access to indoor equipment and facilities.

Take a tip from the pros on what they do on rainy days. It will help your kids have a new indoor baseball "drill" they can do any time; and it works perfectly with what they do already!

One of the benefits of having been in the minor leagues is that you see kids when they have the opportunity to come on the field after games. They imagine all sorts of fun scenarios such as hitting the winning home run, striking out the last batter, and turning an amazing 6-4-3 double play. If you use their imaginations properly, you will have a great "rainy day" technique which will help your kids get better.

Here are some visualization suggestions:


In a quiet room tell the kids that they are going to work on hitting. Choose a specific task to help them focus, such as seeing the pitch leave the pitcher's hand. Instruct them to see the situation as if the kids are already at bat (not like they are watching themselves on a movie screen). Have the kids see themselves successfully completing the task. While the ideal number of repetitions is 21 or more visualizations, that is probably unrealistic. Have the kids do 3 or 4 repeats of successfully accomplishing the task, and then make a change. For example, have them repeat everything again except this time the pitcher is throwing from the other side, the sky is overcast, or the team is down by 2 runs. Again, choose one change and have the kids repeat a successful visualization 3 or 4 times
Move on to defense and choose one aspect on which to work, such as fielding a ground ball to the back hand side (or catchers blocking a ball to the back hand side). Again, have them visualize 3 or 4 times and then make a change (overcast, team is up by a run, bases loaded and 2 outs, etc.).
Move on to base running, repeat as above
Move on to throwing, repeat as above

There have been numerous reports of basketball players improving their free throw percentages just by using mental imagery and many other articles citing the benefits of mental imagery for athletes (e.g. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/siforwomen/issue_three/think/). Teaching your kids this skill early will give them a jump on their competition.

Over time, you can have your kids successfully practice all sorts of situations so that they are familiar with the scenario before it ever happens. In addition, they have only practiced success in their minds so they reduce the odds of making errors or failing to perform in clutch situations.

This indoor baseball drill for your kids will help them go a long way in learning what elite athletes already do today. Since young kids already have active imaginations when it comes to baseball, it should be an "easy sell" on your part. If there is any hesitancy, tell them that pro baseball players use this skill to overcome hitting slumps and they should be fine with it!

Matt was a backup and bullpen catcher in professional baseball for parts of 5 seasons, and he gave post-game lessons to kids after home games throughout his career. He gave these suggestions to kids and their parents during some of these lessons, and repeatedly was thanked by parents for how much their kids improved. If you are a youth baseball parent and want to better enjoy your time as a parent in the youth leagues, then learn the same advice which professional baseball men give their closest friends who are a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/siforwomen/issue_three/think/">http://www.youthbaseballparents.com/">Youth Baseball Parents. You also can get a free report taking these visualization suggestions to the next level, and you will help your kid overcome being nervous when at bat.

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


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Baseball Batting Machine - 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.