Batting Tips for Little Leaguers

Batting Tips for Little Leaguers
By guest author: Jeffery A Wise

There aren't too many differences between the batting tips for Little Leaguers and everyone else. But there are a few differences you should know about.

One of the differences is the ability of the players. A seven year old little league player can't do everything a 12 year old player can. The first thing you need to cover are the basics. Like many things in life, building a strong foundation is needed before you can develop other baseball batting skills. Here are the tips you should learn early on.


How to choose the best bat for you
How to hold the bat
How to stand in the batter's box
Where to look
How to stride
How to swing
How to have fun

The last tip is especially important for young players because they need to be able to love baseball. It is the best sport in the world and they should have fun playing it. It's okay to be serious sometimes, but baseball needs to be fun first.

After mastering these tips, older Little League players can then focus on skills that will improve their abilities so that they can excel at the sport and continue playing into their teen and college years. These skills include:


Bunting
Recognizing the difference between a curve ball and a fastball
Hitting the ball to the opposite field
Situational hitting
Trigger mechanism to get the swing going
How to avoid slumps
And more!

Whether you are a coach or a young player, please be patient with the learning process. Skills can't be developed overnight. With enough hard work you can take these Little League batting tips and turn them into Little League batting success.

It's good to watch events like the Little League World Series and the pros because then you will see these tips in action.

Jeffery A Wise invites you to learn more batting tips so that you can become a better hitter and help your team win. Start learning today at our site through articles, blog posts and videos and begin hitting the baseball with confidence.

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

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Gain a Competitive Advantage With Baseball Training Aids

Shown above are two exciting new baseball products and baseball equipment for 2011. BatAction.com BattingCageDoor.com

Gain a Competitive Advantage With Baseball Training Aids
By Louis Seeley
Are you looking to take your baseball skills to the next level? Do you dream of throwing harder, batting better, and fielding with ease? These are skills that can be learned, honed, and perfected and baseball-training aids can make it possible.

Practice is the key to success in any athletic endeavor, and baseball is no exception.
The old adage "practice makes perfect" may be cliché, but it is true. Unfortunately, many sports, specifically a team sport like baseball, typically require a group of people to practice effectively. Conventional wisdom tells us that effective baseball training requires at least two athletes. Fortunately, this is no longer true as baseball training aids allow athletes to perform effective and efficient training without a partner or team.

Baseball and softball training aids are athletic training tools designed to develop and improve baseball specific skills. There are a variety of different training aids, each designed to perfect a specific area of your game. Each training tool improves skill-specific muscle memory; so effective training with these tools will vastly improve game performance.

Muscle memory is a form of procedural memory that stores the physical mechanics behind a specific task inside the brain. Muscle memory training is a very important part of athletic success. While it is always great to get faster and stronger, an athlete should really focus on getting faster and stronger in a way that is relevant to his or her specific sport or even his or her specific position.

Baseball training aids not only improve strength, conditioning, and hand-eye-coordination, they do so in a way that directly correlates to baseball success. For example, the Swift Stik lightweight training bat allows hitters to practice hundred of swings in one training session without the injury risks of a heavier bat. This type of repetition is the most important factor in building effective muscle memory.

Another training tool, the Arm Strong, improves throwing strength, accuracy and speed by combining light resistance training with a natural throwing motion. The benefits of this type of training are plain to see. In order to see the same results with an outdated training regimen, an athlete would have to spend hours in the gym, followed by hours playing catch and taking batting practice. That's not exactly efficient.

While no training tool can ever replace real-game experience, there is no reason to risk injury and waste time by treating skill and strength conditioning as different types of training. With baseball training aids, all of these necessary training steps can be combined into one simple program.

That's not all. The best part about these types of training tools is the fact that they can be used alone. There are no more excuses to slack off in the off-season. These training tools put success squarely in the hands of the competitor. It is time to gain a competitive edge with professional baseball and softball training aids.

Louis Seeley is an expert in the area of baseball training aids. For more information on top-of-the-line baseball training aids, visit: http://www.pikproducts.com

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



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Baseball Hitting Drills - Tips and Drills For Using Hitting Stick Trainers

By: Nick Dixon - Product Inventor

There are many versions of the "ball-on-a-rod" trainer. The first and original version was the HitnStik*. Then later came other versions including the Hit2win Trainer^ and the SKLZ Target Trainer. All of these are handheld units. They have different names but they all are great trainers to teach and train young players. All of these baseball trainers basically work and perform the same. These trainers are some of the most popular baseball batting trainers used today.

The popularity come from the benefits they offer the baseball player, baseball coach, and the baseball parent. You can learn to hit without having to chase, pick-up or retrieve a single ball. The unit is portable and requires no setup. It is welcomed in complexes and parks because it allows safe pre-game warm-up, requires little space, and does not damage fences. It is important to know the proper angles when using this product.

As the inventor of the HitnStik*, Hit2win Trainer^, and SKLZ Target+ Trainer, I sometimes cringe when I see someone using the product incorrectly. First, the product is to be used as a "still" ball trainer. You should not move the ball when using these trainers. Second, the holder must stand at the proper angle to the batter and direct the ball at the correct angle to the batter. I often see coaches and parents working with players when I visit a park. I sometimes get frustrated because I observe the product being used incorrectly.

The key to proper use of any hand-held batting device is KNOWING AND USING THE CORRECT ANGLE FOR THE DRILL YOU ARE DOING! If you do not direct or point the ball at the proper angle, the batter will always make poor contact. The first thing to remember is that the holder should always direct the rod and ball toward the hitter's back foot. This simple rule insures that proper bat-to-ball contact is made. If the angle is wrong, the end of the bat will hit behind the ball and the bat will never actually touch the ball. This is what I call "coning out".

The 4X5 Baseball and Softball Pre-game Warm-up Drill

The batter takes 5 swings at 5 different ball locations. Remember to direct the ball toward the belly button or back foot of the batter.

1. HIP TURNER LOCATION - The holder stands slightly behind the batter directing the ball at the batter's bat pocket. The purpose of these swings is to make the batter use the hips as the batter turns and hits the ball. The batter should take a step and drive the ball.

2. INSIDE STRIKE - The holder moves toward the direction of the pitcher from the batter. This location simulates hitting a pitch over the inside 3rd of the plate. The ball should be positioned slightly in front of the batters front foot. The batter should attack the inside strike earlier to keep from getting jammed.

3. MIDDLE STRIKE CONTACT - The holder will move around a couple more feet. The ball will be positioned in a location behind the front foot. The batter will drive the bat through the box. The ball hit is on the middle 3rd of the plate. The ball should be positioned at a location inside the batters front foot. This teaches the batter to allow the ball down the middle to get inside the front foot so that maximum power can be generated during the swing. Allowing the ball to pass inside the front foot allows the batter to use the front foot and leg as a anchor and leverage to generate a more powerful swing.

4. AWAY STRIKE LOCATION - The holder will move around a couple more feet to give the batter a ball to hit that is on the outer 3rd of the plate. The ball should be at a location just inside the batters back foot. The batter swings and drives the ball in a direction that would be to the opposite field. The batter may have to take a slight inward step with the front foot to properly execute this swing.

The holder changes location and height and allows the batter to take 6 swings at each location. Every player on the team can take 30 warm-up swings each in less than 10 minutes.

Coaching Points:

1. Make sure the ball is directed at the batter's back foot.

2. Make sure the batter does not over stride.

3. The batter should keep the head still and the head should stay down with the eyes on the ball throughout the swing.

4. The batter does not move. The holder will change the location of the ball by moving.

5. The height of the ball should be raised and lowered in the strike zone to give the batter swings at both high and low strikes.

6. Make sure that the hitting area is safe with no one within 15 feet of the holder or the batter.

7. Make sure that the batter is swinging in a direction that is free of persons should the batter lose the grip on the bat.

8. Check to make sure the batter is using proper grip, stance and stride mechanics.

9. Positive reinforcement should be given when the batter makes good solid contact.

10. The holder should make sure that the trainer safety strap is used to prevent the holder from losing their grip on the trainer when the batter hits the ball.

*HitnStik is a registered trademark belong to Easton Sports. ^Hit2win is a registered trademark of Nedco Sports Products. +SKLZ Target is a registered trademark of Pro Performance Sports.


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

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

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

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Baseball Training For Power Hitting

By Vic Read

Watching a 5' 8", 160 pound shortstop hit a 400 foot bomb is always amazing. Sure, the 6' 4", 235 pound first baseman has the natural strength to put the ball out of the yard, but how does the smaller player do it? What does he possess to produce such power? And how do some larger players consistently hit for distance, while others just have the occasional home run?

The three main components to hitting the baseball consistently and for distance are:

1. Proper mechanics - feet comfortably spread apart, hands back, and a smooth transfer from load to swing.
2. Good eye-hand coordination - seeing the ball all the way in and watching the ball hit the bat.
3. Good bat speed - the faster the bat, the faster the ball flies out.

Each one of these components can be improved upon by every baseball player.

1. Proper Mechanics - Watch some major league games and check out the different styles of batting stance. Then grab a bat and see what is most comfortable for you. Being tense at the plate cuts down on your reaction time. And when that fastball is coming in, you have to be relaxed and ready to release the perfect swing. Once you have found a stance you like, go hit off the tee and then take some cuts at a batting cage and continue to refine your mechanics. Once you like your stance, then do some research and learn about loading up, staying back on the ball and swinging thru the pitch.

2. Good eye-hand coordination - soft toss, which is hitting a ball into a net when tossed by someone from a short distance, is a good tool to work on and improve your eye-hand coordination. Have the person toss the ball at different angles and different locations. Start off with slow tosses, and then increase the speed.

3. Good bat speed - there are many methods to help improve your bat speed. Try using a heavier bat or a wood bat during practice or in the cages. Swing off the tee using only one hand. Take a medicine ball, hold it out in front of you and rotate your hands like you were swinging a bat. The idea is to get your hands and hips moving faster to strike the ball at a greater speed.

Once you find that comfortable batting stance, and you have worked on the eye-hand drills, and you have improved your bat speed, than take a 100 swings a day. It can be off a tee, during soft toss, in a cage, or just in the backyard swinging at the air. But take a 100 good swings a day to make your swing as natural as breathing.

After my many years of coaching, watching and traveling to out of town baseball games, I decided to share my baseball tips and stories that I have learned and experienced along the way. To check out more articles that I have written, please visit my website at http://baseballknowledge.info.

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

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---15 Reasons To Buy a Hurricane Trainer
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Baseball2u.com has a one of the internet's largest selections of baseball coaching and training dvds.

Baseball Homework Blog: Free Baseball Articles for Our Readers

Good Wednesday Morning to you. Here are 4 articles that I recommend.
Have a great day. Nick

Coaching Baseball - Two True Base Running Blunders That Teach a Lesson

We all know the importance of good base running. We know that "solid" base running scores runs and wins games. We also know that poor base running can easily cause a team to lose a game. The following two stories are true stories of base running mistakes that cost the team a win. All the team had to do to win was to have the base runner advance to the next bag. These two stories are great stories that you can tell to your players to teach young players two important rules of base running.


Coaching Baseball - Strategies For Facing Overpowering Pitchers

Every one of us has at one time or another, either as a player or a coach, had to face what is considered the "unhittable" pitcher. You know what I mean, the pitcher that is undefeated because he has an overpowering fastball, nasty curve ball, and a 3 pitch arsenal of potent pitches that intimidates the average team while he is just warming up. Coach Dixon discusses is strategies that can used when your team faces a dominating and overpowering pitcher. The main strategy in this situation is that you must have a "strategy" that you and your kids believe will work. The trick is have several scenarios and plans that you will apply as the game progresses.


Youth Sports Coach - Watch What You Say

Volunteering to coach youth sports can be one of the most rewarding experiences in your life. It is a privilege to spend time teaching, coaching and mentoring youngsters in one of the most critical stages of their mental and physical development. Many kids do not have positive role models in their life. Many kids do not get the attention and the discipline that they need and desire. The main thing I want to discus today is the importance of thinking before you speak and the fact that your words greatly affect the self esteem of your players.


Coaching Baseball Pitchers - Two Windup Variations Used to Disrupt a Batter's Concentration

There are two simple actions that a pitcher can use to distract or disrupt a batters concentration. The two actions are the "double pump windup" and the "start over" pitch deliveries that are done to change a pitchers regular windup. Both of these actions are used when there are no base runners on base. They both serve as effective ways to disrupt the concentration of opposing batters.

Recommended Baseball Sites:
Baseball Coaching Digest
Baseball Coaching Digest - Today's Post
Baseball Coaching Digest: Daily Post Archive
New Articles for Coaches
Baseball Coaching Articles by Coach Nick Dixon
New Baseball Blogs
Videos for Baseball Coaches

YouthBaseballDigest.com
Homepage
Today's Youth Baseball Coaching Feature Article
Videos for Coaches
Blogs & Knols for Baseball Coaches, Players & Parents

BaseballParentGuide.com
Homepage
Baseball Parent Guide: Today's Post
Baseball Articles for Coaches
Baseball Blogs
Teaching Your Child to Hit
Throwing and Pitching Fundamentals
Buying Guide For Baseball Parents
Current Topics and Issues Related to Safety in Baseball

Also:
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Blogger (Blogspot) - baseballcoachesdigest
Blogger (Blogspot) - baseballparentguide
Blogger (Blogspot) - baseballhomeworkhelp
Blogger (Blogspot) - batactionbaseballtraining
Blogger (Blogspot) - battingcagebuyingguide
Blogger (Blogspot) - coachesbest
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Blogger (Blogspot) - teeballparentsguide
Blogger (Blogspot) - youthbaseballcoachingclinic

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 BatAction.com.

Little League Baseball Coaching

Little League Baseball Coaching

By Joe Brockhoff

If we hold our hands up and pop our wrists, we can do that over and over again very quickly. If someone were to throw a punch at us, our hands would quickly and automatically pop up in defense.

As an infielder, we don't have to think about a ball thrown to us. Our hands will react to the direction of the ball and make the catch without having to think about it.

Think of the catcher after he gives the sign. He is taught to frame the pitch. His hands automatically go to the pitch without any thought or direction.

So the hands are auto reactors. Is this good for the hitter? The answer is: No! The hitter who allows his hands to react automatically as his first movement towards the pitch will never have full body support.

When the hands go too early, this is when we hear the coach yell out, "Wait on the pitch!"
Now, let's apply this to our baseball hitting mechanics.

These are the steps:

1. Coil (Load): The hitter collects his weight on the backside
2. Stride: a linear step towards the pitched ball (30-40% of weight transfer)
3. Body Rotation: Hips rotate toward the ball
4. Hands will then, and only then, execute the stroke

Here is one of our best little league baseball coaching tips: "HIPS TAKE US TO THE BALL. HANDS TAKE US THROUGH THE BALL."

So, when we are leaning how to hit a baseball, do we trust the hands? The answer is:

Don't trust the hands. Then, trust the hands. In other words, discipline the hands to wait until we get into the launch position, which is with the hands inside the ball and the hips rotated.

Our hands do not initiate the stroke until we rotate to the pitch. They travel in rotation with the pivot, but they do not commit to the pitch until the rotation is complete. This rotated position with the hands still back is what we call the DRIVE position. It is at this time that the hands will launch.

NOW we can trust them. Let them explode the bat to the ball.

One final note. Remember that when we hit, the hands are in a double lever system. That is, they don't personally go to the ball. They are holding the bat, which goes to the ball. The hands always end up in front of the body. They are responsible for directing the bat to the proper cut line on the pitch.

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.kewego.com/video/iLyROoafMM8J.html.

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

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HurricaneMachine.com - Links

---15 Reasons To Buy a Hurricane Trainer
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Level Swing Baseball Or Softball - What Does it Really Mean?

Level Swing Baseball Or Softball - What Does it Really Mean?


By Bryan Ciconte

Alright let's talk hitting! So how many of you baseball or softball hitters out there heard the term of having a level swing. I will, in this article, review the word level in other ways in order to submit this properly. I will use words such as flat or correspond to etc. when it comes being on plane or level. Yes, having a flat swing is vital to becoming a complete hitter whether you play the game of baseball or the game of softball. The concept of achieving this is vital to consistency in your game.

As a baseball player you will have to be on plane with your swing in reference to the pitch that is delivered. What does this mean? If your trying to hit a fastball that is coming to you on a down angle your swing must be adjacent to the pitch in order to hit the ball square at impact. This will in return take out the idea of creating backspin etc... Lets get that word out of your mind. Good square contact is important, not backspin. In addition if you heard the concept of rotational hitting or linear hitting this will also play a factor in your swing plane. Keep these swings in mind when it comes to developing your swing plane. Both result in different attack angles. To further understand what these hitting styles are please do your research for further information.

Some relative factors with swing plane:
If a pitch is up in the zone you will obviously have to relate your swing to the path of the ball. So you may hear the term getting on top of a pitch. In reality this term means leveling your swing up to the plane of the pitch, which in return creates a much flatter swing plane.

If your trying to hit a breaking pitch you are obviously going to have some type of an upswing when it comes to attacking the angle of the pitch properly. If you try to attack the pitch on a downswing there is a good chance that you will either cut the ball and pop up or pound it in the ground.

I just wanted to touch on some of this idea. I have a lot more information on this concept in depth on my website. I hope this short article gave you a basic concept of what having a level swing is all about. Thanks and good luck - Bryan.

Your #1 source for online hitting information! Bryan @ Hitting Made Simple: Hitting Made Simple.

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

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HurricaneMachine.com - Links

---15 Reasons To Buy a Hurricane Trainer
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---20-Minute Hurricane Batting Practice Workout
---Hurricane Hitting Machine Video Demo Clips

Baseball2u.com has a one of the internet's largest selections of baseball coaching and training dvds.


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Video demo of the Hands Back Hitter baseball batting trainer.

The HandsBack Hitter teaches the mechanics of the perfect baseball swing. It teaches hitters the proper "stride and swing" fundamentals for correctly hitting a baseball.



The Hands Back Hitter™ Pro Model is the simplest, most affordable, yet most instructive training aid on the market. And to insure that you will practice often, it makes you a better hitter while you are having fun.

The Hands Back Hitter Pro-Model.
Uses ALL type balls real and plastic; baseball or softball.
The unique popper design allows the operator to adjust pitch height for any type ball.
The same unit assembles for righties and lefties.
It comes with an extra string, 12 medium weight plastic balls, and a CD-ROM training disc.
This patented pitching machine/ batting tee hybrid controls the swing sequence for teaching rotational hitting and opposite field mechanics .
Extremely durable and used from LL to D-1 Programs. The trainer players love to use.
Easy to use...

Push down on the popper.
Place a ball on the launcher.
Load your hands back as you stride to landing on the firing cord.

The Hands Back Hitter™, the affordable, portable, personal batting station that keeps them training and swinging right even when your not there.