Baseball Coaching and Training Blog: baseball hitting drills

Showing posts with label baseball hitting drills. Show all posts

Monday, August 5, 2013

Baseball Hitting Instruction - Top Hand Progression

I hop you find these baseball batting instruction video informative and useful. I viewed it and found quality instruction, Its a bit short but it makes some great coaching points that I wanted to share. Thanks for dropping it. Have a great day! Nick

Joe Francisco, former baseball player in the Atlanta Braves organization and Head Performance Specialist at Performance Factory Baseball, in Long Island NY, with Cam Maron, New York Mets catcher, using hitting drills to get the barrel into the strike zone more efficiently and drive the baseball with more power. The Francisco Hitting System improves technique, strength, power and dynamic movement to transform your swing and take your game to the next level. www.PerformanceFactoryBaseball.com

For the latest in baseball hitting videos, baseball defensive DVDs,
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Monday, July 18, 2011

Baseball Coaching Digest - Can You Name 20 Ways to Score From Third Base?

Baseball Coaching Digest - Can You Name 20 Ways to Score From Third Base?
By guest author: Nick Dixon

How many ways can you think of that a runner can score from third base.

I am a firm believer in the strategy of getting the runner to third base with less than two outs any way you can. Below, I have listed 23 ways of scoring a runner from third base that do not score the same runner from second base.

I am sure that there are more than 23. That is all that I could think of today.

1. Pitcher throws a wild pitch.

2. Catcher allows a passed ball.

3. Pitcher commits a balk.

4. Batter hits a sacrifice fly.

5. Batter properly executes a squeeze bunt.

6. Catcher commits interference.

7. The pitcher allows a base on balls.

8. Runner steals home.

9. Baseball hit ground ball that is fielded quickly by an outfielder.

10. A "bounce away" error by an infielder which requires the infielder to make a move to recover the ball.

11. Fly ball misplayed or dropped by an infielder in fair territory with 2 outs.

12. Fly ball misplayed or dropped by an outfielder in fair territory with 2 outs

13. Short fly ball hit in the outfield that is misplayed or dropped.

14. Soft line drive hit over the infielders head.

15. Pitchers hits batter with bases loaded.

16. The catcher makes an errant throw back to the pitcher. The pitchers misses the ball thrown back to him by the catcher.

17. With no outs, the batter hits a double play ground ball, with runners on 1B and 3B and the opposition turns the double play.

18. An infielder while attempting to make a play to first on the batter makes an errant throw.

19. Catcher throws the ball into center field attempting to throw out a runner trying to steal second base.

20. Middle infielder misplays and drops the throw from the catcher on a runner stealing second base.

21. Pitcher throws the ball away at third base while attempting a pick off.

22. Pitcher throws the ball away at first base while attempting a pick off.

23. Catcher throws the ball into left field while attempting to pick the runner off at third base.

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Make sure to visit Blog4Coaches and the Baseball Coaching Digest for free coaching articles, drills and tips.

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

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Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Baseball Batting Tips for Coaches - How to Improve Your Players' Swings

Baseball Batting Tips for Coaches - How to Improve Your Players' Swings
By guest author: John B. Miller

Many baseball batting coaches claim to have "mastered" the art of the baseball swing. I do not claim to be a "know all" baseball coach or expert. I coach a local little league team and I would like to share four simple batting tips that have helped my team.

Tip 1. Coach your players to shorten up their swing. A compact swing is desired because it focuses and directs all of the swing's power into the ball. By shortening up the swing, it does not give the player time to waste on a long swooping swing that disperses all of the swing's power before hitting the ball.

Tip 2. Instruct your players to swing slightly up. It is important to swing slightly up because the pitcher's mound is raised above the batter's box. A perfectly level swing will actually cause the batter to hit a ground ball at best. By instructing your players to swing in a slight upward motion, beautiful line drivers are ensured to follow. Warning: make sure your players do not over exaggerate the swinging up motion. This will result in fly balls which will easily be caught and discourage your players.

Tip 3. Make solid contact with the ball! It may be difficult for your players to feel the proper sensation of solidly hitting a ball with an aluminum bat. For this reason I would recommend having a few practices using wooden bats. The use of wooden bats will allow your players to feel the proper sensation of a solidly hit ball. Once they learn this feeling, transition your players back to aluminum bats, and tell your players to try to emulate the same feeling they had when using the wooden bats.

Tip 4. Lastly, consistency is king! Once you coach your players proper swing technique and form, you must coach consistency. This is the most important step! A technically sound swing may take months or even years to achieve. This hard work can be for nothing if your players cannot learn to swing with proper form in a consistent manner. It is important that you first strip your players of the years of bad habits and poor technique before drilling in consistency. You don't want your players repeating bad habits! Once correct form and technique is coached, drill in consistency!

Follow these four simple batting tips and you should see an improvement in your players' swings.

John is a little league baseball coach who works with players between the ages of 11 and 13.
In just a few short seasons as a coach, John was able take his previously winless team to a recreational baseball league championship. He writes about the baseball drills his team works on http://www.baseballbattingdrillsblog.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_B._Miller

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Monday, January 17, 2011

Baseball Softball Coaching Tips - Batting Drill - Hitting to All Fields - Hurricane Hitting Machine

Video demonstrates how baseball softball coaches can use the Hurricane Hitting Machine to teach and practice hitting the ball to all fields. Video shows a college baseball player hitting the inside, middle, and away pitch locations without having to stop or change th machine. Video audion by Nick Dixon, inventor of the Hurricane and BatAction Machines, also gives tips and details about the correct way to hit each of the pitch locations. Visit the Derek Jeter Hurricane Hitting Machine Training Blog for more free coaching tips, drills,a dn articles. http://hurricanebaseballtrainingmachi...
Also visit http://www.HurricaneMachine.com or http://store.baseball2u.com/husotrmaj... for more info on this baseball batting trainer.

Saturday, October 30, 2010

How To Hit a Baseball - A Great Example

How To Hit a Baseball - A Great Example
By Jeffery A Wise

This year there was a story about a prep baseball player who is a great example for others to learn how to hit a baseball. Ethan Bennett plays for a high school in Knoxville, TN called Farragut. He amazed fans and spectators with a state record 27 home runs and 73 RBIs.

In addition, Bennett made a national record by hitting a home run in 10 consecutive games. He also has won three state championships in a row. It's not surprising that he's signed with the University of Tennessee next year.

It's extremely difficult for a high school student to have numbers like this. Seasons in high school are pretty short. They play less than a third of the games Major Leaguers do. Needless to say, it's not common to find a player like Bennett.

If you were to talk to Bennett, he would most likely tell you how hard he practiced to be a successful hitter. Let his story encourage you. With a lot of practice and hard work, you could have great numbers too.

You may have a desire to hit as many home runs as Bennett did in a season, but please remember that home runs aren't the most important when it comes to hitting. Every team needs all types of hitters including power hitters, those who move runners over, those who are fast, those who hit for average and those who bunt well. Don't be discouraged if you're not the power hitter. Your team still needs you.

You may already know what type of hitter you are. Ask your coach how you can be even better at what you're good at. Practice hard and be committed to being your best!

Jeffery A Wise invites you to learn the proven system of how to hit a baseball so that you can help your team win. Start learning today by visiting our baseball hitting blog, reading our information and watching our videos.

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

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Friday, September 24, 2010

Baseball Hitting Drill: "Stay Back"

Baseball Hitting Drill: "Stay Back"
ebaseballtips
http://www.baseballsmith.com is another great resource for players, coaches and parents involved in youth baseball.

In coaching youth baseball have you ever wondered what stay back actually means to a hitter? This video explains the key reference points in this concept.
www.ebaseballtips.com

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Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Baseball Hitting Drill: The Grip

Sunday, July 18, 2010

TOP 5 Hitting Drills Every Serious Ballplayer Needs

TOP 5 Hitting Drills Every Serious Ballplayer Needs
By Guest Author Joey Myers

There are so many hitting drills out there; it can leave you wondering where to start. This article will reveal Swing Smarter's greatest baseball drill hits! These drills are the cream of the crop when it comes to hitting success. You won't:

Need an expensive hitting contraption,
Require a hitting partner (one exception), or
Waste anymore time with hitting drills doing absolutely nothing to help your swing.
Future reference: these drills go into more depth under the Smart Hitting Tips tab on the navigation bar.

Also, the hitting drills included here are arranged in of importance. The rotational lower half drills are mentioned first because they need to be mastered before moving onto the linear upper body drills.

Before we get started, there are two issues before starting any baseball drill work to keep in mind...

A less is more approach, AND
Making smaller circles.
Taking a less is more approach means to slow the hitting drills down at first until muscle memory can be created, and even then, move into a 60-70% game speed swing. Swinging under control transfers power generated in the hips and core without tense muscles into the upper body.

Making smaller circles means to break each movement down into digestible parts. The first drill we talk about does just that...

1. Balance & Reach
For a right handed hitter, stand sideways on a small 3 inch platform, feet together with bat in hands (we're NOT swinging, just holding it in a starting position).

Lift the left foot slightly off the ground, then raise the left knee up to hip level; you should be in a solid balance position.

Now, balancing on the right leg, have the hitter reach out with a closed left foot like they're striding towards the pitcher, then have them tap the ground softly (about 2-3 feet out) like they're striding on eggshells, and slowly return to the starting position. Reverse directions for a lefty.

The goal of the drill is for the player to get what it feels like to really load up the backside with a majority of their weight. And, tapping the ground lightly simulates what a correct stride should be. So, in short, they learn:

Maximum load of the back leg, and
How to be light with the stride foot.

Building into the next hitting drill...
2. Bat Behind the Back Drill
We start with the bat behind our lower back gripping it like in a karate punch stance.

Step 1 is to transfer our weight to the back leg (70/30),
Step 2, keeping our weight back, we stride with the front foot 1-3 inches (a separation occurs between our front foot and weight shift), and
Step 3 we squish the bug, or rotate the back foot, so the toe finishes pointing at the pitcher.
The latter two hitting drills help train the central nervous and muscular systems with the right rotational energy transfer, while the next few drills will train the upper body to harness that power and transfer it into the baseball.

Remember, less is more with the following...

3. Top/Bottom Hand Drills Off the Tee
First, when doing this drill, we want to choke up to the top of the bat grip tape, so we have more control. Take the off hand and lay it across the stomach, and don't let it flop around while swinging.

Two things to focus on with the TOP hand (besides the footwork we've been working on with hitting drills 1 & 2 above), is to:

Take the knob DOWN to the incoming baseball (imagine it's incoming off the tee), and
Take the barrel through three imaginary baseballs hovering an inch apart past the contact point.

The TOP hand is our push and power hand ALWAYS, no matter what side you're hitting on...

would you rather PUSH a big giant heavy dresser or PULL it, to move it? We impress the girls (or boys) with the power in our TOP hand NOT our bottom hand.

Two things to focus on with the BOTTOM hand:

Take the knob DOWN to the incoming baseball, and
Keep the front elbow DOWN.
The bottom hand guides the hands DOWN, it's like the rudder on a boat, steering the barrel as short as possible into the swing plane. The bottom hand starts to work first, then the top hand takes over like the thruster on a rocket ship, pushing through the ball.

4. Two Tee Drill
This is the best drill for practicing the DOWN part of Down & Through, shaving down to a shorter swing.

You set up 2 tees, one behind the other, with about 2-3 feet distance between a ball sitting on top of each. The back ball should stand about 6 inches higher than the ball on the front tee.

Once we're all setup, then we take our stance...the object of the drill is to NOT hit the back baseball, only the front one. If we hit the back one, then our swing is too long and we need to shorten it. The best key to shorten it is to tell ourselves to take the knob DOWN to the incoming baseball.

Last but certainly NOT least...
5. Hitting Through 3 Baseballs
This part of these hitting drills requires an extra pair of eyes or a video camera, in the beginning, to give the hitter proper feedback.

You're going to set 3 baseballs an inch or so apart on the ground spanning a straight line from the contact point of the tee. As you hit the ball, try to extend the TOP hand out, palm up, through the three baseballs (imagine the baseballs you set on the ground in front of the tee are floating in mid-air after the contact point).

Martial Artist do this all the time when breaking boards...they envision a spot well past their striking point because they know a broken hand would result if they didn't, so they strike THROUGH the board 3-4 feet past.

This drill should be done in slow motion at first to get a feel for how the top stays palm up well past the contact point. This is one of the hardest things for young hitters to do because they've gotten in the bad habit of rolling over too early.

If you're hitting the ball on the ground too much, then use the TOP hand to push through more...AND, if you're hitting the ball in the air too much, then take the knob down more to the incoming baseball.

I didn't get this concept until after my college career had ended, from a Rod Delmonico book. I had a hard time keeping my barrel in the hitting plane, which meant I was rolling over too soon.

If you like this, then please check out the two Part Series that cuts through swing flaws like a hot knife through butter...

Also, rolling over too soon causes a bump in the pitched ball path...do a swing in slow motion while rolling too soon and see for yourself.

SHORT to it, LONG through is the only way to create the vital backspin, helping us to swing smarter NOT harder!

My name is Joey Myers, and I played 18 total years of baseball finishing my career after my fourth year of college (2000-2003) as a Fresno State Bulldog (the 2008 College World Series Champions). I'm very grateful for the success I had at Bullard High School, and getting a scholarship to play at a Division I university, Fresno State, where I started 110 out of the 178 games I played, in the outfield. Now I devote most of my life to baseball swing coaching and personal fitness training. My website are http://www.swing-smarter-baseball-hitting-drills.com/ and http://www.corecreationsonline.com/

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

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Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Explosive Rotational Hitting for Beginners thru High School

Using the rotational power of the hips, exerpts from this 60 minute dvd, show 4 drills and help parents and athletes undertstand powerful hitting in easy to follow terms. For baseball and fastpitch

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Monday, June 28, 2010

More Effective Baseball Hitting by Better Training Techniques

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Better Baseball Hitting Training Techniques
By Guest Author: Chris Moheno

Baseball is one of the most popular sports on the planet. People flock to the stadiums and pile around their televisions to watch the games. Beyond that, however, hundreds of people want to become more successful as baseball players. But their ability to succeed requires working on their skills. Just because you don't have a personal trainer, that doesn't mean you can learn how to make the most of your baseball training.

Baseball: What is Considered as Effective Hitting?

Effective hitting, in a nutshell, is hitting that results in the bat connecting with the ball. While this may sound simple, most experts agree that hitting the ball is the hardest skill to master. Even some professional players strike out or end up having to walk the bases during a game. The key to being successful in learning how to improve your baseball hitting is obviously practice but you have to practice the right way.

Here's where trouble often comes from. When you're on a team, everyone receives the same training. If you're learning the rules of the game or how to catch the ball, there's nothing wrong with using a standard method of baseball training. Baseball hitting is different. Each player is going to come to the game with a different level of skill and with different techniques that are going to hurt or help their performance. Good training finds ways to work with these existing skills and to maximize them for an overall positive performance. In many cases, that's not going to be possible without one-on-one training.

How Do You Train for It?

If baseball training is important to you but you can't afford to hire a personal trainer, there are other ways to improve your game. As mentioned above, practice is definitely going to be the key to ongoing success. The most effective approach to improving baseball hitting is to practice the individual components of good hitting, including the grip, the stance, and the approach.

Approach, for example, is something that is essential for good baseball training. However, most people have real trouble learning this information because it conflicts with their earlier training. For example, most players are taught from an early age that when they see a pitch coming they need to swing. They are not asked to judge the effectiveness of the baseball pitching. When the people doing the baseball pitching aren't very skilled either, this technique can work. As they improve, however, the will stop pitching strikes when they know the hitter is going to be swinging at every potential shot.

Instead, good hitters need to be able to determine which of the pitches have potential and which do not. Only then will they be able to get those doing the baseball pitching to send them balls with the potential to be great hits.

Another part of training to be a good hitter is practicing the swing. Even a good pitch for the hitter can not connect if that hitter does not have a good swing. Hitters need to realize that more than their arm movements are playing a role in the connection of the bat to the ball. The process actually involves the legs, the hands, the hips, and even the head. One main difference between good hitters and exceptional hitters is their ability to keep their eyes on the ball all the way through contact.

Additional Advice

Professional baseball players who have spent a good portion of their lives and their careers perfecting their ability to make that connection can provide some good advice for newer players, too. One of the most common pieces of advice involves bat selection. Again, no one recommendation is going to work for all players, except the recommendation to find a bat that feels comfortable in your hands. Try out a few and find one that delivers results.

Some pros also suggest that you have someone else watch your performance to provide feedback. That's a benefit of having a trainer but you can get around that problem if you can't afford a trainer. Instead, have someone record your actions so you can watch them later yourself and tweak your performance. You might also be able to watch the recording of your hitting performance with a coach who can evaluate your performance.

The pros also know that good baseball hitting training includes lots of practice. You'll need to complete countless numbers of drills if you want to start seeing an improvement in how often your bat makes that connection with the ball.

Chris Moheno has a long time passion for sports in general and for baseball coaching more specifically.

His goal is to spread the word about effective non-fluff baseball training techniques for both more experienced and young baseball players, to help them perform better during the game. Discover more about baseball training secrets on baseballtrainingsecrets.com

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

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Monday, June 21, 2010

Top 5 Baseball Drills to Improve Your Baseball Game

Free Baseball Drills for Team Practices
By Kendra L Fagan

Open professional baseball tryouts are designed to help scouts determine the physical talents and abilities of aspiring baseball players.

Though many of the drills that young MLB hopefuls are put through might seem random. This is because different drills are put to people to test their skills level. While one person trying out might have a killer pitch and he knows it, a scout might want to see what the person's skill level is with other types of baseball maneuvers.

Scouts look for speed, arm strength, glove skills, and hitting skills and overall mechanics. The tryouts are grueling and not like any version of American Idol you've seen. There is no "nice" judge. Instead, baseball scouts simply call out the names of those they like. The rest of the players go home, and many of theme eventually give up on their dream.

But not unlike any talent-based industry, hearing "no" is just part of the game. It is up to you and your trainers to make sure you are getting all the necessary drills and skill-building exercise to take you to your goal of becoming a professional baseball player.

I have compiled some of the best drills for cross-skill development that will give you a leg up in the competition and hopefully win you the interest of a baseball scout.

AROUND THE WORLD DRILL

The "Around the World" drill is a great conditioning exercise that will help any baseball player develop physically.

Here's how it works.

Take the players to the foul pole in left or right field. Then time them from foul pole to foul pole to get a good accurate base time. Then have a set time that they should complete each of the laps. Some choose seven laps, some others. The number should be based on the number of innings one would play professionally. A good hint is that coaches should remember to adhere to is to not let a lap count if it is under time. This will help the player push himself to get it right. There is no "almosts" in pro baseball.

DIVE BACKS

Besides basic conditioning, this drill helps to build the players speed and quickness back to the bag. Also, it is helpful to work on quickly leaving the bag as well as helping the players to recognize how big of a turn they can make around a bag to make sure that they get back in case of a throw. Here's how a good Dive Backs drill is set up.

The players start out at Home Plate and run around first base, making an aggressive turn, and then dive back into the bag. After diving back they get up as fast as they can and head to second base to do the same thing. They do this also at third then slide feet first into home plate to end their round.

A good way to prove the get back theory is to have an outfielder and a second basemen trying to get a player out every couple of times through. This exercise works wonders for agility and speed skills which is an absolute necessity to play in the major leagues.

THE GLOVE BASEBALL DRILL

Conditioning is a grueling task, so some fun elements need to be used as well. A good fun conditioning drill is great because you can make them the hardest and the fun elements makes it not so bad.

The glove drills starts off with separating players in groups of 4 or 5. (If you are just with yourself and your coach, find a friend or two to help.) Line the people up and put their gloves in the outfield at about 25 foot intervals apart, away from them. They start the drill with a ball in their hand and run to the first glove and set the ball on it and come back to the line and go back and get the ball and come back to the line and go to the second glove and set the ball down and go back to the line and so on and so forth, until all the players have gone through and the winners get out of laps at the end of the practice.

SPEED QUICKNESS AND POWER

In any good baseball training program, player development is a primary concern. As players get older they also raise their level of function in the game. One of the areas to try to improve is the physical or talent area. If you are at all seriously about playing professionally you must first be in the talent pool of players. If you can't do the physical levels, no one will look at the skill or playing abilities.

A well rounded pre-season conditioning program starts when the players get back from Christmas break. Work should be focused on 3 areas essential to playing baseball at a professionally competitive level - speed, quickness, and power.

The first day should be spent testing the components of each skills set that are vital to an overall skill matching assessment. Test items can include:

· 40 yard sprint
· 10 yard sprint
· Standing 2 footed vertical jump
· 30 second dips
· 30 second sit-ups
· Home to 1b
· Bench press
· Dot jumps
· Diamond push ups

After the testing is done, you should have a good two months dedicated to a program that incorporates exercises, running, and strength training. Once this part is done, practice the test points listed above again. This will help you accurately measure your progress and where to improve.

THE 60 YARD DASH DRILL

This is used to determine sheer sprint speed, and it is chosen to determine the athlete's ability to run from the length of two bases. If you decide to incorporate this for your child, do so sparingly and make sure that your child is warmed up. Also reduce the length from 60 yards to only twice the distance from home to first. Of course, make sure that your child is medically approved to do sprinting. Keep the number of such dashes very low and GRADUALLY build up over time.

Here is a good pointer:

When asked to hit, scouts do not look at the end result of whether the ball was a hit, home run, foul ball, etc. Instead, they look at mechanics in order to determine if there is a "loop" in a batter's swing, weight transfer, and the batter's overall approach to the plate appearance. If you are able to introduce your child to one of the scouts during a break at the tryout, ask the scout to give you a minute to understand what he likes to see in his ideal batter. You may learn quite a bit.

Baseball Pros Store has excellent online deals on baseball equipment, strength training books, and off-season training guides to help you get into the major leagues in no time! BaseballProsStore.com baseball shop is your one stop shop for baseball bats, gloves, and training equipment. Plus items are updated everyday so you don't have to waste time driving from sports store to sports store. Begin your dream of playing professional baseball and visit http://www.BaseballProsStore.com today!

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

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Thursday, May 20, 2010

Zone Hitting - Working the Pitch Count

Zone Hitting - Working the Pitch Count
By Fred Bonds

Undisciplined hitting has two major pitfalls. First, the batter is not swinging at pitches that are located where he hits most effectively, resulting in weak grounders or fly balls and easy outs. Second, a team of undisciplined hitters will never (and I mean NEVER!) press the opposing pitcher to the point of breakdown. Bottom line is that the pitcher will always maintain control of the ballgame as long as he can count on hitters swinging at his pitch and not theirs.

There are many ways to have a good at bat (let's call it a QAB or quality at bat) from this point on. QAB's come from good clean hits. The pitcher throws the all, you hit it hard, it finds a hole and you're on base. That's the most obvious QAB. The less obvious ones come from forcing the pitcher to throw you your pitch or taking him deep into the count before getting a walk or making an out. Both should be rewarded by teammates for reasons I will explain later.

Let's start by defining a QAB. This is a concept you must learn, understand, and apply every at bat from this point on. A quality at bat is any at bat you have that results in either you getting on base via a hit or walk, or you forcing the pitcher to throw more than four pitchers. Why four? Because if I, as a pitcher, can get you out in 4 pitches and I can do it again for each of your teammates, then my pitch count is 12 pitches per inning, 108 for the game. That's not too bad for a pitcher. Also, it means that you, as a hitter, are only getting 12-16 pitches (if that) per game to hit. Later in the game, you'll not have seen enough pitches to get your timing down and get comfortable. Have you ever wondered why a pitcher, who is cruising along in a game with no real problems but is going to full count with nearly every batter, suddenly gets rocked even though he is doing well? The batters got comfortable with him. They saw enough pitches to figure out how to hit him effectively. That's why closers are so effective even if they throw only one type of pitch.

By forcing the pitcher to throw more pitches, you get to see him longer, and see all of his pitches. Also, you wear him down. So instead of 4 pitches, it now takes 7 pitches to get you and the rest of your team out. Assuming no one gets on base, the pitcher ends up throwing 21 pitches per inning or 147 per game. That is a very high pitch count for anyone, especially high school or collegiate pitchers.

Let's assume that most pitchers have an effectiveness ceiling of 80 pitches. You face a pitcher and get on base in 5 pitches. The next hitter flies out in 6. The number 3 hitter hits a ground ball through in 4 pitches. The cleanup hitter is out in 7. The last batter of the inning fights back from 1-2 only to ground out in 7 pitches. No runs score, but your team has made the pitcher throw 29 pitches in one inning. At that pace, the pitcher should lose his effectiveness in the third inning. If your team continues to wear him down, you will have created a window of opportunity to break the game wide open somewhere in the third or fourth inning.

How do you have a QAB? The answer depends on the situation present when you enter the batters box. For now, let's discuss your first at bat, no runners on, and no outs. You should have a good idea of where your "happy spot" is in the strike zone. A "happy spot" is your power zone. Normally, it is mid-thigh to belt high on the inner half of the plate. Where ever it is, this is the spot that you want to hit the ball for power and solid contact. When you are at the plate, you are looking for a fastball in that specific location. You will not swing at any pitch outside that zone even if it is a strike. Also, you will not swing at any off speed pitch. You will keep looking for a pitch in this zone until you have one strike on you.

With one strike, the zone you are hitting in expands slightly. Now you are looking fastball (or hanging off-speed) across the heart of the plate. Height-wise look just above knees to hip high. You must make a mental note to stay closed as you expand your zone. The odds of getting pitched outside increase dramatically when you have one or more strikes on you. Also, your mind-set should be to hit the ball up the middle. You should not swing at pitches outside of the zone or at off-speed pitches that are not mistakes. You will hit this zone until you have two strikes.

With two strikes, the zone is wide open, extending at least 2 in. on the corners and a ball width up and down the zone. Make note of what the ump is calling and adjust your zone accordingly. Your swing shortens slightly as you look to put the ball in play or foul it off. You are now looking for the ball away and will keep your front hip closed as you approach the ball. You are looking to hit opposite field as a majority of pitches will be thrown to the outer half of the plate with two strikes. You will react to the inside pitch.

Now with this mind-set, the pitcher must throw a minimum of 3 pitches to get you out or get a walk. So, a minimum of 3 pitches to get you out or 4 to walk you. You have that many pitches to find one that is in your hitting zone to hit for power. Expect to go at least 5 pitches as we can expect the pitcher to waste a pitch or miss the zone. It is very likely one of those five pitches will be the money pitch for you. Be ready. The big difference between amateur and professional hitters is that pros can hit the pitch when they get it a majority of the time.

With runners on, your zone will change depending upon where you want to hit the ball, but for the most part, those three zone situations will suffice. Also, should you face a pitcher who is throwing strikes and a lot of them; you will need to match his aggressiveness. Still looking for your pitch, your zone should expand larger after the 1st strike to incorporate the zone the pitcher is hitting. If he's not missing much, you have to step it up a notch and match him. Sure, you are not going to drive up the pitch count (unless you hit him a lot and keep him out there) but you will see pitches you can hit so go get them.

Working the count is extremely important when hitting against a pitcher you haven't seen before. A team effort is required to gain info on what the pitcher has in way of velocity, location, and pitch types. Done properly, batters can swing the advantage to their side of the plate while possibly increasing their batting averages. Will this work every time? Probably not, but it will make you a better hitter and increase the odds of your team winning.

Variations of this approach can be made by moving your initial zone to wherever you want to hit the ball. If I know I can hit the outside pitch away with power, I may want to go after the first fastball I see on the outer half of the plate (very likely the first pitch). It's up to you. The important part of all of this is to learn discipline at the plate and not go up there hacking at anything that moves. Have a plan and stick to it unless the conditions make you change.

Ultimately, QAB's will help raise your batting average, RBI count, and on-base percentage. In order to be effective, however, you must learn to recognize pitches as well as developing a short quick stroke to the ball. Putting it all together is what it's all about!

Fred Bonds is the Director of Research for Area51Sports, an innovative new wood baseball bat company, http://www.area51bats.com. He was director of the Central Michigan Sports Center, director of the BPR Nationals Baseball HS Prospect team, and a former associate scout for the Cincinnati Reds and Global Scouting Bureau. Be sure to visit the Area51Sports website and get on the email list for the latest advances in hitting, coaching, and great discounts on the hottest baseball bats in the game. For more info on wood baseball bats or to contact Fred, go to http://www.area51bats.com.

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

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

A Few Little League Baseball Drills to Teach Swing Mechanics

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A Few Little League Baseball Drills to Teach Swing Mechanics
By Joseph Harrison Jr

Batting a baseball is no easy task. Often it is especially frustrating and discouraging for a child. A successful swing requires control and sound technique. This article will cover basics of hitting and introduce some very simple and effective little league baseball drills, aimed at improving mechanics and technique.

First of all and most importantly your child should watch the ball all the way to the bat. Meaning when they hit the ball they should actually see the ball hit the bat.

There are several simple little league baseball drills you can do to improve "picking up", or seeing the ball.

Perhaps the most common is to stand, chin on front shoulder. As the swing is completed the chin will rest finally on the other shoulder. A batting tee can be used to develop this skill. Soft toss is equally as effective and can offer a change of pace. Both of this little league baseball drills are very effective at improving eye hand coordination and increasing bat speed.

To be a successful hitter balance is a must. Most people feel comfortable with feet shoulder width apart, although this is the norm there are a wide range of stances out there so go with what feels comfortable and more importantly with what works. However they stand be sure they are firm footed and well balanced.

A fluid swing is the result of several parts of the upper and lower muscle groups working together. Bat speed is created by the hands and wrists and is as important, if not more, than lower body muscle groups in hitting for power. A short, quick swing will generate more power than a long over extending of the arms. A shorter swing speeds your bat up, generating more power.

The hands are also extremely important in hitting. Hands should be held at chest level with the bat in front. This is a generalization, many prefer to hold their hands high and others low but chest level is the best point from which to begin a swing for most.

Avoid dropping the hands before swinging. This cuts the time a batter has to react to a pitch. The soft toss drill is one of several little league baseball drills that will develop wrists and hands. A tennis ball can be used to promote hand strength. Stronger hands mean more bat speed can be generated.

The lower body is also an important part of hitting. Many players over stride when swinging, creating an awkward swing. Have your child lift the front foot off the ground and simply place it back. This helps in keeping their weight back, creating more power in the swing.

Proper hip usage is crucial to a good fluid swing. Squashing the bug is one of several little league baseball drills to teach proper hip usage. Your child can practice swinging by placing the left hand out in front of the body over an imaginary strike zone. Then have them swing through with the right and make contact with the left in the center of the zone, keeping in mind to pay attention to form and technique. The drill is used to teach correct balance. The batter will sharply turn the right, or back, ankle as if to squash a bug with the toe as the hand swings through the zone.

The key aspects of hitting are balance, seeing the ball and precise timing of the body's lower and upper muscle groups. Hitting is very difficult by any measure. Improvement will come through good habits and practice.

I am Joseph Harrison, a baseball coach since 20 years ago. I love baseball since I am young, especially the feeling when you know you will absolutely crush the ball. Training your kid to gain interest in baseball will benefit him from both mentally and physically. In with he will gain team spirit, learn how to cope with teammates, and at the same time train up his physical, and concentration (to have good eye and hand coordination and the ability to use both at once). Go through my article and you will know all the benefits of baseball.

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

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Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Baseball Tips on Hitting - Hitting Problem Against Tough Low and Away Strikes

By Larry Cicchiello

When trying to overcome any baseball hitting struggles, you should always look for the "easy fix" first before getting more complicated. Here is a list of things to try if low and away pitches are causing baseball hitting problems for you:

• The two most obvious reasons can be you are standing too far away from the plate or maybe your bat is not long enough and you cannot effectively reach the pitch over the outside corner. Like I said, we always start out simple.

• You may be opening your front side too early, one of the most common baseball hitting problems for hitters at any level. It simply means that you are opening up too quickly and are pulling away from where the hitting is taking place. It simply takes you too far away from the pitch, especially pitches over the outside portion of the plate. Baseball hitting is not taking place out toward the third base coach if you are a right-handed hitter or by the first base coach if you are a left-handed hitter. The hitting is taking place right in front of you and not to the side. You can try striding with your front foot closed instead of pointing straight out across from your body or even worse yet toward the pitcher. In other words, turn the toes on your front foot and point them a little bit back toward the catcher. This will encourage you to "stay closed" and not "fly open" and away from the pitch. Baseball hitting does not take place out toward third base or out toward first base. It takes place right in front of you. Please, stay closed

• You can try bending at the waist if you are not bending already or bend a little more if you are bending already. This will give you better extension and better plate coverage of the outside corner simply because you will be closer to it.

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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Tuesday, March 30, 2010

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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Thursday, March 4, 2010

Hitting a Baseball - Using the Gaps

By Nate Barnett

How do you tell if a hitter is creating the correct energy and movement at bat? One simple way (there are obviously more technical ways) is to observe where most of the balls are traveling while hitting a baseball. If a hitter is directing balls into the gaps (regardless if they are ground balls or fly balls) he's on the right track. On the flip side, if a lot of balls are being sliced down the opposite field line or hooked to the pull side, some mechanical alterations are necessary. Two common causes are found here:

1. The most common root cause of hooking or slicing while hitting a baseball is improper control of the front side of the body. A good baseball swing begins with the movement of the back part of the body (specifically the back knee and hip). During this brief period of time the front side of the body (basically all joints on the front side) need to remain relatively unmoved. The purpose of this is so that the back side of the body moves towards the play. If the front side moves at the same time as the back side of the body, momentum is being taken away from the pitch. It is then more difficult for the athlete to keep his bat moving through the zone. Instead, the bat cuts across the zone and creates a lot of side spin on the baseball as well.

2. Another cause of hooked or sliced balls is how the hands enter and pass through the strike zone. The path any hitter needs to take with the hands is a direct and straight path into the hitting zone. Unfortunately, the problem of a weak front side (described in #1) tends to drag the hands away from the body. The end result is hands that progress through the zone in a sweeping fashion. This type of problem only increases the likelihood that side spin will occur while hitting a baseball.

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

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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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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Monday, March 1, 2010

How to Hit a Baseball - Is the Stride Necessary?

Article Title:
How to Hit a Baseball - Is the Stride Necessary?
By Joe Brockhoff

An instructor during my pro days who was teaching me how to hit a baseball told me that if the pitch is straight down the middle, step forward. If the pitch is outside, step toward the outside, and if the pitch is inside, step inside. The problem is that against good velocity, there is absolutely no way for a hitter to wait until after he determines the direction of the pitch before he takes his stride. He will always be late getting to the pitch and will have extreme difficulty with his timing.

Another method made famous by Kirby Puckett, is to raise the front foot in an exaggerated hop-step stride. Many hitters who try this method struggle because they cannot get the front foot down in time to start the stroke.

Super 8 Hitting System techniques are simple, easy and repeatable.

Here is a very important principle: THE STRIDE DOESN'T HIT THE BALL. It merely gets us in position to hit the ball. This means the hands are still back at the completion of the stride. The stride overcomes inertia and supports the hitter against the fastball.

If the pitch is a fast ball, the action would be "stride-stroke". If the pitch is slower, there would be a momentary pause. Example: "stride-(pause) stroke".

The stride is initiated by the large muscle in the upper leg (hip thigh area), which keeps it consistent.

Here are the rules:
1. The stride travels only 6 inches, directly forward, in the same place every time.
2. It occurs at the time of pitcher release.
3. It distributes approximately 30-40% of the weight to the front side, and lands on the ball of the foot, which remains closed, open no more than 45°, which usually happens during the pivot. Some players stride in a "toe tap", with no significant weight on the front foot. If a player places only 10% of his weight down on his stride, how will he get 90% more of his weight off his back side when he rotates to the pitch? He can't.
4. It happens quickly, getting the batter into position to hit.
Finally, never underestimate the importance of a good stride. It is part of the hitter's timing. When he's striding, he's deciding.

The hitter must work on his stride in his baseball hitting drills, using either live or pitching machine practice, so that he can drill "stride and take", just concentrating on technique.

These techniques are fully explained in our baseball hitting tips web site for the "Super 8 Hitting System", completely demonstrated in eight baseball tips which include many tips on how to hit a baseball.

Former Tulane Hall of Fame Baseball Coach, Joe Brockhoff, fully explains his baseball hitting drills with the Super 8 Hitting System, completely demonstrated with videos and hitting drills to help you hit with more power and raise your batting average. http://www.LearnBaseballHitting.com/lcp.

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

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