Great Christmas gift for youth baseball players.

www.BatActionHittingMachine.com

Happy Thanksgiving to Our Baseball Training Blog Readers

Happy Thanksgiving to Our Baseball Training Blog Readers

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

Baseball Training Aids

By Eugene Rischall

Baseball training aids are a tremendous benefit to ballplayers of all levels. This article will explain different baseball training aids.

Baseball pitching machines are a great baseball hitting aid to help hitters with their timing and focus. There are many types of baseball pitching machines that can throw different types and speeds of pitches. There are many different drills you can do with your pitching machines. Other great baseball hitting aids include batting tees, handheld trainers, hitting machines, and soft toss machines.

Baseball pitching aids include practice pitching mounds, pitching rubbers, silhouette batter, pitchbacks, and backdrops. A silhouette batter is like having a real batter at the plate. A great baseball pitching aid good for pitching location.

Batting cages and backdrops are excellent baseball training aids. There are many different types of batting cages, portable or foldable, with or without hoods and wings. Backdrops come in different sizes, they also come in vinyl or rubber. Training bases and plates are great baseball training aids. Baseball gloves and bats which come in different shapes, sizes, and weight are great for training.

Training booklets and videos are very important for training. They show all the right fundamentals on becoming a better ballplayer. Booklets and videos include all the right hitting techniques, pitching techniques, proper way to field any position, baserunning, coaching, strength and conditioning, tee ball, softball, and little leagues.

There are many different baseball training aids which can be used for training. With the use of the proper training aids, persistence, and hard work, you will be successful.

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

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


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.

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!

Unwritten Rules in Baseball

www.BatActionHittingMachine.com

By Christopher M. Hall

Baseball is a glorious game. It has history, pageantry, and beauty that no other sport has. And in the 100+ years that baseball has existed, unwritten rules have been created that the game is played around. Breaking these rules won't necessarily cause an out or affect the scoreboard, but they sure will cause you to lose respect from not only opposing teams, but members on your team as well.

Here are a couple of examples of baseball's unwritten rules.

1. Don't steal bases when you are leading by a wide margin. What is a wide margin? There is no concrete definition, but usually both teams know when that margin has been reached. As Davey Lopes once said about stealing bases in a lop-sided game, "You don't stop competing; what you stop doing is manufacturing runs."

2. Always run onto the field to support your teammates when a fight breaks out. Have you ever seen anything more pathetic than a wannabe-fight in baseball? These two guys start going at it. Then here comes the fielders running to the mound. Then everyone in the dugouts. Finally, several seconds later, the bullpen pitchers streaming in. And most of these people are just barely jogging. It is pathetic and rather childish.

You can tell by the way that everyone is lollygagging out there that they know nothing is going to happen. They are just fulfilling the unwritten rule that they had better be out on the field in support of their teammates during a fight.

Christopher loves to write articles on all types of subjects. Feel free to visit his newest website which helps people find the perfect Shermag glider rocker and glider rocker cushions.

http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christopher_M._Hall

===Advertisement from our sponsor:=====

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!

Baseball Batting Trainer Video

Baseball Batting Trainer Video

Video features five popular and productive batting trainers. The trainers are the BatAction Machine, Hurricane Machine, HandsBack Hitter, StayBack Tee, and SKLZ Target Trainer. Each batting trainer is shown being hit by a player. Each trainer's specific use and purpose is also given.




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!

Baseball Pitching Tips - Checkpoints Are Mandatory For All Pitchers!

By Larry Cicchiello

Checkpoints are something that a pitcher should do before every pitch in order for him to be the most effective!

Usually, baseball pitchers have about three or four. They will vary from pitcher to pitcher. Checkpoints are very simply mental reminders that a pitcher gives to himself before every pitch.

Some Common Checkpoints That Pitchers Use:

Step toward your catcher's target.

Keep the front shoulder closed when driving toward the plate so you don't "fly open."

Throw the ball and don't overthrow the ball.

Don't rock left and right and keep everything straight during the windup and delivery of the pitch.

Remember not to tilt the head and to keep it straight.

Remember to "stay back on the rubber" if you have a tendency to get your body ahead of your throwing arm.

Keep the windup slow if you have a tendency to rush and it causes pitching problems for you.

Get the legs involved in the pitch to share the work load.

Stay "on top" of your pitches or they will flatten out and be much more hittable.

Turn the hip enough when pivoting.

Raise the throwing elbow up to shoulder height.

Break the hands apart early so you don't have to rush the throwing arm.

Raise the front knee to at least waist height.

The list can go on and on. (And it almost did.)

As an individual pitcher, you have to decide what the three or four things are that should be your personal checkpoints. Only you will know what the things are that you should do, or should not do to pitch effectively.

Think about them before every pitch you throw.

It's not nearly as complicated as one might think. Simply think of an abbreviated form because it is not like you have to think of thirty, forty or fifty words before every pitch.

A typical checkpoint list may be staying back on the rubber, front shoulder closed and point the landing foot to the catcher's target.

A more logical and abbreviated version would be "stay back, closed and foot."

It takes about one second at the most.

Spending this one second will help you tremendously as a baseball pitcher.

Larry Cicchiello is the author of "Excellent Baseball Coaching: 30 Seconds Away." His site offers many FREE baseball tips on hitting, baseball pitching tips, baseball coaching drills, baseball fielding tips, etc. You will be FULLY EQUIPPED!

You can visit his website at http://www.larrybaseball.com/

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

Youth Baseball Practices Don't Have To Be Long To Be Good

By Marty Schupak
Back in the late 70's an old college professor of mine was fond of saying, "Don't confuse activity with accomplishment." Jump forward about eight years and imagine me observing a coach running practice for his Little League team. At the start of practice most of the 10, 11, and 12 year olds are very enthusiastic. As the practice progresses I notice only two forms of activity taking place. One has the head coach throwing batting practice, with each hitter getting 10 to 15 swings while each pitcher takes a turn throwing to the assistant coach as the others stand and watch. I, too, stand and watch and I don't know who is more bored–the players or me.
When I saw a member of the board of directors, I commented on how poorly I thought the practice had been run. The board member responded, "If you think you can do a better job, then volunteer to coach." (Me and my big mouth!) But I did just that. And my first practice, though planned differently, ended up being two tedious hours of batting practice and pitchers throwing on the sidelines. Exactly what I had been so critical of myself! After that first practice I told my wife that there must be a better way. Even though I had a master's degree in Phys. Ed from Arizona State University, baseball was the major sport I was least knowledgeable about.

So, I decided to research alternative practice methods. I observed a variety of teams during practice ranging from seven year olds to college level players. I noticed that the best practices were not necessarily the longest and that the most organized coaches wasted little time. On most of the drills every player was involved. It was amazing the way some coaches integrated fun and learning and how creative some of the drills and games were. I began to use some of these techniques with my team. After a little trial and error I was actually able to run a more effective practice in half the time.

To run a practice like this does take preparation, mostly at the beginning of the season. But coaches need not look at this as a chore. It can be as much fun for you as it is for the players.
The youth baseball coach, whether it's Babe Ruth League, Little League, or local Park and Recreation Dept., should make a list of drills at the beginning of the year that they are interested in trying. The idea is to be creative. When my oldest son was eight, I began a practice with a simple relay race, consisting of two lines of six players each. To put a baseball theme into the race, I had each player wear their glove and hold two baseballs in it. The learning benefit of this relay race was to teach kids the importance of squeezing the glove. Another year I was teaching players how to bunt. When the team took batting practice, I put one cone 10 feet directly in front of home plate and another cone 10 feet to the left of the plate. Each player gets two bunts before his regular swings. For each bunt that goes between the cones, the player earns two extra swings. This motivated the players to focus when they bunted. And, it worked!

If a coach plans five to seven drills of ten to twelve minutes in length for each practice, the players will be more attentive and less bored. Don't worry about players not liking certain drills. About a third through the season they will let you know which ones to weed out.

The youth baseball season is unlike any other season. Fathers sneak out of work early, families rarely eat dinner before 8:30 at night and the laundry room is active day and night. As parents and coaches, we should make practices more interesting and fun because during a typical youth baseball season, players spend as much or more time practicing than in actual games.
Be creative and have a great baseball season!

http://www.YouthSportsClub.com

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


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!

Increase Bat Speed Using Your Body's Natural Energy

By Rob Bucher

Looking for a way to increase your bat speed and hit for more power and catch up with the missiles pitchers are firing at you?

In a few short moments I will share with you the proven ways to have a quick bat.

Once you learn them and understand the physics of the swing you will be able to maximize the kinetic chain.

Most hitters except for the best in the game have poor hitting mechanics.

They don't use their entire body's force to whip the bat through hitting zone with lightening speed and the reason is they have been taught to throw their hands at the ball.

Not only is the movement fundamental wrong, but it zaps power and speed from the swing.

You should be turning into the ball with your hands closer to your body. It produces centrifugal force and speeds up the bat and allows the hitter longer time to react to the pitch.

In order to use the kinetic chain to improve bat speed you need to have a proper load and proper release.

Start out with your weight evenly distributed on your feet. As the pitch is delivered, stride forward and push your hands and weight back while turning your front shoulder in about an inch.



www.QuickSwingTrainer.com


This loading techniques allows you to stretch your body out like a rubber band.

As you begin your swing...allow your lower body to pull the upper body into the pitch while transferring your weight to your front leg.

Accomplish this movement and you will get to the hitting zone faster and with more power.

Ready to have a quicker bat and more power? Click here - Rotational Hitting Mechanics. Because your current mechanics make your swing look like molasses in December.

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

===Advertisement from our sponsor:=====

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!

3 Hitting Drills For Baseball to Build Correct Swing Mechanics

www.BatAction.com

By Rob Bucher

You've probably heard practice makes perfect, but if you're not using proper mechanics in your practice drills then you could build swing flaws into your swing.

Perfect practice makes for perfect baseball swing mechanics.

It's critically important when teaching players to hit that you break down the swing into tiny chunks. This allows the player and coach to identify the flaws in the swing.

I want to share three hitting drills for baseball to help you break down the swing and build better swing mechanics.


With both soft toss and tee work you should have the player swing to contact and stop. This will ingrain the proper contact position and allow them to feel the correct positioning of the body. Have your player take their normal swing but stop them at contact.. Some props you can use are old punching bags or a used tire.
Swift sticks and small whiffle balls can aid in in eye hand coordination. Stand slightly ahead of the player and to the side and toss the balls slowly overhand. Notice I didn't say underhand. Baseball players never see a live pitch underhand and your practice should always mimic live game action.
During batting practice have your pitcher stand at various distances from the hitter to simulate different speeds. Stand closer to give the action of a fast pitcher and stand further away for a slow pitcher. This allows the hitter to work on timing different pitch speeds.

These are a few tips to help you practice hitting and become more adept as a hitter and a coach.

It's important to pin point the flaws in the mechanics before maximizing repetitions. It bad swing mechanics are formed it will be harder to correct later on as the player develops.

Learn the proper mechanics of hitting?

Click here Baseball Hitting Mechanics

Because better mechanics lead to improved average.

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

Baseball Dealz Ebay Store
Visit the Baseball Coaching Digest for daily post and articles on every aspect of coaching baseball. The Baseball Coaching Digest Blog. Check out the Bat Action Hitting Machine baseball pitching simulator. This high speed training machine is 100% Guaranteed to raise Batting Averages and has a full year warranty. Check out Baseball2u.com/Coachesbest.com for all of your coaching and training equipment needs. Visit the Baseball Dealz Ebay Super Store to purchase top quality baseball training equipment at discount prices.

Overanalyzing the Baseball Swing Can Create Problems

By Steve Rau

Let's take a look at some of the most common swing faults that need to be addressed.



Dipping the back shoulder- This common flaw in young hitters is a killer. When the player strides, the back shoulder drops along with the hands, instead of loading with a short negative movement towards the catcher. This movement causes the hitter's swing path to be offline of the path of the pitch. Weak pop ups and groundballs are likely results.

Losing the barrel- So many little leaguers make their first move with the bat, a lowering of the barrel. This movement takes the hitter out of attack posture and produces a long, slow, looping swing to the point of contact. The result is being slow to the ball; a characteristic of .200 hitters.

No hip turn- If a hitter wants to have a weak swing and hit lazy fly balls all day, then not using the hips will do just that. Good hip action may be the most important mechanical skill hitters must possess if they want to drive the ball. The belly button needs to face the pitcher after contact.

Getting the foot down- The timing of the swing is an important skill that great hitters master and part of that timing comes at the point of toe touch. The swing does not start when the front foot lands, it does start on the hip turn. Young hitters think they need to start the hands in motion towards the ball on the stride and this is wrong. Starting the hands too early means that the hitter is committing to the pitch early; the result is not being able to adjust to the location and speed of the pitch efficiently.

The above mechanical faults are common among young, inexperienced hitters; coaches at the collegiate and professional level are usually not dealing with these issues. If your player is not experiencing gross flaws in the swing, it is likely that they are using the wrong mental approach to each at bat and the swing does not need to be tinkered with.

Before changing swing mechanics sit down and take a look at the approach to each at bat. Is the hitter studying pitcher tendencies? What pitches is he throwing for strikes on that day? Is the hitter chasing bad pitches? Does the hitter think about hitting the ball to the opposite field? Is the hitter chasing pitcher's pitches?

There are a number of questions that need to be answered before screwing with a nice swing. If there is an obvious flaw in the swing, then you should definitely work to rectify the problem, but don't try to fix what's not broken.

Coach Steve Rau is a long time baseball instructor and co-founder of Play Ball Academy. He has been a part of championship baseball programs as both a player and coach for over 20 years. He currently helps hundreds of coaches and young ballplayers improve their baseball knowledge through online and offline instruction.

Baseball coaches can find free baseball tips, video lessons, and audio sessions at: http://www.PlayBallAcademy.com

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



CoachesBest.com
HurricaneTrainer.com
BatAction.com
HandsBackHitter.com
QuickSwingTrainer.com
AdvancedSkillsTee.com
BattingCagesDirect.com
BattingCagesrUs.com

Instilling A Winning Effort Into Little League Baseball Players

By Stephen K Reynolds

Getting adults to understand the importance of a clear perspective on winning and losing is very difficult let alone do the same with little league baseball players. Here I will show why it is important that adults need to show the way for young athletes to understand the objective in sports.

Let's get right into it shall we. Too often i hear especially at the major boys level (11-12 year olds) it all about winning! Well that's great, I like winning as much as anyone and i get very competitive. However I am an adult and and the coach who needs to keep the players with a great understanding of competition.

The Great and not late John Wooden says you are only a failure if you have not given a complete effort at all times whether on the field of court. What do I mean? if you are get beat by another team or individual it's OK as long as you gave your best. It happens, you tip your hat and move on. Sure we're disappointed in the outcome but not in our effort. After the games are gone what are the players going to take with them about sports and competition?

We are not talking about pro sports here yet that same axiom should and does apply with them most of the time. My point is this you can win a game and not be happy with your players effort and they need to hear about it.

Just last week I watched the team my son is on and that I help with win a game 3-1 against a young team that we should have defeated 8-1 or more. To the other teams credit they played us hard and were right there at the end. Our team made base running blunders that took us out of innings and eliminated additional scoring opportunities.

We had players giving up on plays when they should have been going all out and making the other team beat us with their best instead we gave them easy outs. here is the main point I'm driving here is to make the other team beat you, don't hand it to them. That is not acceptable. I mentioned something to them at practice last night and the best player on the team said well we won anyway! Wrong answer!!

We play one of the better teams in our league and that 3 runs wouldn't have been enough and we left 3-4 runs out there on the field with a lousy effort.

Players need to understand to play aggressive baseball at all times and know that that is what competition is all about. My best against your best!

Remember coaches you are a teacher and these values go way past playing baseball. Teach them the right way to play the game and have fun with it.

Stephen K Reynolds is publisher of the LSR Unlimted "Free" newsletter which focuses on helping newcomers & seasoned pros learn the secrets to marketing in the ever changing world of the internet! Working from home on the internet allows him the time to coach little league baseball in western Montana. For more information on this e-mail lsrwealth@gmail.com

(800)758-1282

406-542-1723

[http://www.urticket.org]

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

Tips on Becoming the Baseball Player You Want to Be

By Jaclyn Azuela

If you want to become a baseball player that you want yourself to be, you should know how to set your heart and your goal into it. You need to define a more concrete way of doing things and you will really achieve that goal. You only need to believe not only in yourself but also in what you do. There are a lot of things you can do to become the baseball player that you really wanted to be and here we will mention few.

Before heading out to the field, take time to sit down and relax first. Think about how you want your baseball career be in ten years time. Do you only want this at the moment or do you want it to continue until it becomes your primary career. It really would make a big difference if you want this to be a full time career or you only want this for fun until you are done in your school. You need to make a clear-cut definition of what you really want. It is sometimes necessary to write down the things you want to do for you to be able to think about it more clearly. There are many things you can achieve by clearly defining your goals first. If you want to become a pitcher for that matter then you need to define this.

The next thing you can do is think about what you can do as a pitcher and what the abilities you already have for this position are. If you are not a pitcher to start with, then you will have a hard time to achieve this. Develop your potential. Discover where and what position you really excel. Don't just go into the battle field without even knowing what kind of abilities you have to defeat your opponent, before long, you'd be up against yourself for that matter. You need to know what position you most likely will have success with proper training and practice.

If you already know the best position you can have is the pitcher position then it is time for you to define what you really want as a pitcher. Your hand flexibility and accuracy of pitch are two major things you need to possess. Being a pitcher is a major role and should be played correctly. It is the number one defense of your team. The more accurate your pitch is the better will be your coordination with your catcher. If you have the proper coordination with your catcher, this will become the best defense you got against your opponent. You need to focus and do your own thing once you got to your pitcher's plate. If your fast ball only got 98 mph then make it a hundred but that is only when you still can control the ball. You can't just throw in a ball and let it be just like that. You need to have control over the ball or else you will only end the game in disaster. If you already have the skills then improve them. The only best thing you can do is to train until you master and excel in all that you do.

Always remember that being a pitcher is a key role that you must play well. If not well then make it better. Exceed that of the normal standard and I assure you, you will be the baseball player that you wanted to be in no time at all.

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

10 Tips to Make the High School Baseball Team

www.QuickSwingTrainer.com

By Jack Perconte

There is an obvious, easy answer to the question of how a ballplayer can make the high school baseball team and that is practice, practice, and more practice. There is no substitute for players working at their skills from a young age, especially in populated areas where competition for high school teams is acute. Of course, there are other tips that players should follow to "cover all their bases," so to speak, to have the best opportunity to make the team.

10 Tips for Making the High School Baseball Team:

1. Size and strength are crucial when players reach the high school level, so conditioning and strength training programs should be done.

2. When travel ball is an option for ballplayers, they should play it at least a year or two before entering high school. The generally advanced competition level makes it worth playing. Coaches usually look favorably on travel ball players because it shows coaches that players are serious about playing baseball.

3. Attending the "high school of choice" summer camps before reaching high school age can be fruitful for good ballplayers. This gives players a familiarity with the coaches and coaches with players.

4. Ballplayers may think that grades are not important but nothing is further from the truth. Coaches prefer players that maintain good grades because they feel like players who work off the field will work hard on it. Additionally, if two players have equal ability, the player with better grades may get the nod because the coach knows that player will remain eligible throughout the season.

5. Players who display a "coachable" attitude at tryouts, around school, and around the coach give themselves a good opportunity to have a fair review from the coaching staff. Coaches do not look favorably on players who give the attitude that they already know it all and are un-coachable.

6. Game knowledge can make the difference also. Coaches do not like "know it all" players but they do prefer players who know the finer details and strategy of baseball.

7. Punctuality can make a difference. Players who walk in late to tryouts and don't take tryouts seriously can be in for a rude awakening.

8. Team players. Coaches like players who are sociable with other players and who want to be part of the group. They are leery of kids who appear to be loners.

9. Be helpful. Players who pick up gear and perform other tasks that coaches expect will enhance their chances of making the high school baseball team.

10. Hustle and work hard. Players should not give coaches an excuse for cutting them because they are fooling around at tryouts or goofing off in the classroom.

Finally, players who enjoy other sports should try out for those too, at least for freshman year. Often, high school coaches work two different sports or talk among the other coaches and this familiarity could be an advantage for hard working players at decision making during baseball tryouts.

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

How do you develop a short, quick, compact swing?

There's no better way than with the Joe Mauer QuickSwing - Joe Mauer Signature Series. Invented by Jake Mauer II for his son, 2006 Batting Champion, Joe Mauer of the Minnesota Twins.

The Joe Mauer's QuickSwing uses a unique delayed gravity-drop design to help batters develop greater bat speed, hand-eye coordination, reflexes, and muscle memory.

Baseball Dealz Ebay Store
Visit the Baseball Coaching Digest for daily post and articles on every aspect of coaching baseball. The Baseball Coaching Digest Blog. Check out the Bat Action Hitting Machine baseball pitching simulator. This high speed training machine is 100% Guaranteed to raise Batting Averages and has a full year warranty. Check out Baseball2u.com/Coachesbest.com for all of your coaching and training equipment needs. Visit the Baseball Dealz Ebay Super Store to purchase top quality baseball training equipment at discount prices.

The Baseball Swing - Rotational Hitting Explained

Joe Mauer Quick Swing Trainer

By Nate Barnett

It seems like baseball instruction in the area of hitting mechanics is splitting into two different camps. Rotational hitting vs. Linear hitting. If you're new to the baseball world, or are just unfamiliar with the new exciting terminology, let me offer some explanation.

Rotational Hitting

The purpose of the baseball swing is to transfer the most energy into the baseball as possible. In order to get the most energy created, there are specific parts of the body that need to move at the correct time in order for this energy to occur.

A rotational approach offers that the energy used in creating a powerful baseball swing stems from the back side of the body, and more specifically the lower half of the back side. The controlled chain reaction that happens when the back side is moved at precisely the correct time toward the pitch is quite powerful. On the flip side, incorrect timing of the back knee and hip will produce a sluggish bat.

A rotational approach to hitting uses the follow steps to a good baseball swing:

1. A good weight shift to the back leg from the stance position as a hitter is preparing to hit. Make sure that this weight shift is not purely horizontal in motion, since this will create an imbalance.

2. The next step is the trigger. This is the most important movement that separates a rotational hitter from a linear hitter. The triggering process should begin with the back knee turning and moving towards the pitcher (as apposed to simply spinning in place). The back hip will quickly follow the back knee in the rotation process. Lastly, the hands will begin to enter into the hitting zone. It's important that the hands do not begin the swing since the power is stemming from the back knee and hip. Early hand movement would negate any effort to use energy from the back side of the hitter's body.

3. As the bat enters the zone, one will begin to see signs that a rotational approach has been utilized. The common tell tale signs are the balance points. The easiest to explain in writing is that upon contact with the pitch there will be vertical alignment with the inside shoulder joint, the back hip, and the back knee joint. This alignment shows that balance is retained and no weight has shifted forward onto the front foot (more of a linear style).

As an aside, rotational hitting is used by most major colleges and a vast majority of Major League hitters. It provide balance and power to the baseball 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

Baseball Dealz Ebay Store
Visit the Baseball Coaching Digest for daily post and articles on every aspect of coaching baseball. The Baseball Coaching Digest Blog. Check out the Bat Action Hitting Machine baseball pitching simulator. This high speed training machine is 100% Guaranteed to raise Batting Averages and has a full year warranty. Check out Baseball2u.com/Coachesbest.com for all of your coaching and training equipment needs. Visit the Baseball Dealz Ebay Super Store to purchase top quality baseball training equipment at discount prices.

5 Core Mechanics to a Good Baseball and Softball Swing

www.Baseball2u.com

By Todd Thomas

In hitting there are 5 core principles that as a hitter you hope to execute on every swing. No thanks to pitchers constantly attempting to mess up a hitter's timing and balance, these core movements aren't always present in every swing. These core mechanics are dependent upon each other for a player to really execute their best swing. In order to successfully execute one's best swing, these "parts" need to work together to maximize the hitting process. These five core principles are the "blueprint" of a hitters basic mechanics. They are:

1. Weight Transfer
2. Hips lead the hands
3. Matching the swing plane to the pitch plane or "leveling"*
*(this involves the shoulder dip, tilting, & getting the bat level to the ball)
4. Ideal contact
5. Staying inside the ball

These principles of hitting are the foundation and are present in every good swing but they are not all always present in EVERY swing from the same player. A player cannot, and will not, be consistently successful if they are regularly lacking in any one of these areas in the hitting process. This is why Ted William's said that hitting a baseball is the single most difficult thing to do in any sport. Although, I tend to disagree with Ted on this thought. Hitting a baseball(or softball) may be the second most difficult thing. I believe TEACHING someone to hit a baseball/softball may be the most difficult thing to do in sports!

Do great hitters always look great or even good at the plate? The simple obvious answer is NO. If the pitcher is successful as they often are, their pitch will take one of the core elements away from the hitter. When this happens take a look at what happens to their swing. The result are often less than favorable in these cases.

Oftentimes, a player who has excellent core hitting mechanics can be struggling at the plate and even look awkward. If you regularly watch a lot of games and hitters as I do, you will clearly recognize when a hitter gets into advantageous hitting positions and when they obviously did not. In the situations when their swing looked "bad", that doesn't mean that the hitter has poor hitting mechanics. Rather, something in the process was slightly off. One(or more) of the core mechanics was out of whack for whatever reason. A lot of times it's a hitter's rhythm, timing and tempo that are off and they are "chasing" a pitch the pitcher fooled them with. Whatever the pitcher has done, it has worked in that the hitters core mechanics are thrown off. As well all know, this doesn't always mean the hitter doesn't get a hit. We've all seen the crazy off-balance swing where the hitter drops one in for a base hit. As well as, we have all seen the "perfect" swing where the hitter smokes the ball only to have it fielded for an out by the defense.

One thing to add here is two-strike situation. A hitter should be less concerned with staying perfect with their mechanics and should be simply focusing on doing whatever it takes to make contact and put the ball in play. There is typically not much a hitter can do when they have two strikes on them except let the ball travel as deep as possible and simply put the bat in the path of the ball. Any thoughts of putting the perfect swing on a pitch when a hitter has two strikes must be out the window and he/she should focus on making the adjustments necessary to put the ball in play.

What is the perfect swing anyway? It's the adjustments a hitter makes appropriate to the pitch they get. This is the reason why a lot of times no two swings look very similar. It all starts with the core mechanics and then expands from there. Every element is necessary to maximize the swing process to a consistently high level. When a player is taught improper core mechanics or if core mechanics are not firmly established, hitting problems are exacerbated greatly and hitting frustration is escalated. Learning the core mechanics and learning them correctly while continually working on them is crucial to all hitters.

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

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

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.

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!
Blogs for Baseball Coaches Links:
BLogs4Coaches Twitter
Blogs4Coaches.com

It is Not Too Late to Develop Your Baseball Arm Strength!

Baseball Dealz Ebay Super Store

By Mike Lynch

One of the most overlooked attributes is a person's baseball arm strength. Now believe it or not, this isn't just relevant to pitchers, but just about all position players. How many times have you watched your favorite big league team play and they lose the game because someone didn't have the gusto on their throw to get someone out? It happens quite a bit.

Think about that for a moment. Every person on baseball field has many opportunities to field the ball. Anytime there is an opportunity to field the ball, there is also an opportunity showcase their how strong of an arm they have. Let us go through some of the examples of why having baseball arm strength is important:

1. Pitcher - This is a given
2. Catcher - Throwing runners out stealing
3. First Base - This is probably the least relevant to the discussion, but still important. what about turning a 3/6/3 double play?
4. Second Base - Quick throws to first on a swinging bunt
5. Third Base - Long pegs from the rim of the outfield
6. Shortstop - Bouncing ball that leaves little time to throw a runner out
7. Left Field - Runner on third that is trying to tag and score on a fly ball
8. Center Field - Runner trying to score on a single up the middle
9. Right Field - Runner trying to advance to second a long single down the line

Now these are just simple examples from each position that demonstrate the importance of having good baseball arm strength. The issue here is that this is often overlooked when you are a young, developing player. Most players focus on speed and power while neglecting the ever-important baseball arm strength.

The good thing here is that you CAN develop the baseball arm strength needed to be a good ball player. It really is in the matter of training properly. Yes, there are people that have a natural baseball arm strength, but they too need to continue to develop it.

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

Baseball Dealz Ebay Super Store

Baseball2u.com
QuickSwingTrainer.com
AdvancedSkillsTee.com
DerekJeterTrainers.com

Baseball Pitching Tips - Be Yourself With Men on Base

www.adancedskillstee.com

By Larry Cicchiello

Too many pitchers have a tendency to get "off track" when they have runners on base.

They try to have perfect control. They overthrow the ball instead of just throwing it in a natural manner. Basically what they are doing is they are getting away from what made them successful in the first place and are no longer themselves on the mound.

If you start to press too much, the odds increase that the other team will have a big inning and a good part of the reason is you may have brought it on yourself because you stopped being yourself and tried to do "too much."

It is simply not the end of the world if the other team scores a couple of runs.

Your best chance at damage control is by staying within yourself.

Some excellent pitchers actually pretend that there are NO runners on base. Of course they are aware of the runners and have to pitch from the stretch, etc. But their primary focus is on making their regular good quality pitches and let the chips fall where they may. It's almost an "I don't care" attitude.

Quality pitches are quality pitches whether nobody is on base or if the bases are loaded so don't let the baserunners stop you from making those quality pitches.

Relax and focus ONLY on the next pitch and not the tough situation you may be in.

In a very important playoff game, here is what a fabulous pitcher once did. The opposing team had the tying run on third base with two outs in the last inning and a very good hitter at the plate. The pitcher visualized the worse possible scenario that could take place. The worst scenario was that the hitter got the game tying hit off him and then his team scored an additional run to win the game. The pitcher reminded himself that even if that happened, the following day he would be vacationing at one of his favorite spots. This totally relaxed the pitcher and he retired the very good hitter on a popup to end the game and win the playoff game.

Larry Cicchiello is the author of "Excellent Baseball Coaching: 30 Seconds Away." His site offers many FREE baseball tips on hitting, baseball pitching tips, baseball coaching drills, etc. You will be FULLY EQUIPPED!

You can visit his website at http://www.larrybaseball.com/

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

Our Sponsors:

Baseball Dealz Ebay Super Store
Baseball2u.com
QuickSwingTrainer.com
AdvancedSkillsTee.com
DerekJeterTrainers.com