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

Hitting Like a Machine

By Todd Thomas

Line Drives. Statistics are clear on the fact that line drive hits go for base hits more than any other type of hit. So if you want a high batting average, hit more line drives. Sounds simple enough doesn't it? Sure, if you are a machine. But we (hitters) are not machines. We are human and prone to errors in judgment. Case in point... Even when the best hitters get the exact pitch they are looking for in the location they are looking and at the velocity they were expecting will miss hit that particular pitch, won't they? When all of those things line up for a hitter on a pitch, you don't want to miss (or "miss hit") it. But you have, haven't you? If a hitter is honest with themselves, the answer to that question if of course I have. But why?

It's as simple as understanding that players are not machines. A player will pop up a pitch they should have driven hard and many will react with a "you dipped your back shoulder!" Really? No kidding? He dipped his back shoulder? Of course he did. The pitch was thigh high and any good hitter trying to hit line drives WILL dip their back shoulder in an adjustment effort to get on plane with the pitch and hit a line drive. But he likely dipped his back shoulder too far as if the pitch were just above the knees. Ah, an error in judgment. That happens to us humans. But if he hadn't dipped enough (kept his shoulders too level on that low of a pitch), then he probably would have hit a dribbler or simple ground ball. By the way, statistics show that ground balls go for base hits the least amount of times than other type of hits. Too many ground balls equals a low batting average and the game not being very fun at all.

Should a player with those results go "back to the drawing board" on their mechanics? Most likely not, but maybe if it's a chronic problem. If the player is sound mechanically and is a normally a very good hitter, he should just try to be right on with his adjustment to the pitch next time as best he can. Knowing the difficulty in adjusting "perfectly" to any given pitch, should keep players, parents, and coaches from overreacting to a few not so good swings. But it doesn't. Overreaction is rampant. It's one of the things that keeps me in business, but I STILL discourage it. :-)

Ultimately, the BEST hitters will be the BEST at adjusting to pitches in different locations and speed changes and they often hit pitches with less than their best swing because they are gifted. Even though they may mis-adjust and miss-hit good pitches, they more times than not put their best swing on the best pitches to hit. It is my belief that the ability to adjust to different pitches is what separates hitters. It's the reason why Albert Pujols is a better hitter than some of his teammates even though they have the same core mechanics.

So how are players best prepared to put their best swing on the best pitches when they see them?

I ask players and parents all the time if they know how often the best players in the world (Major leaguers) take batting practice. More often than not they get the answer correct when they say "every day". So if the best players in the world take BP every day, how often should developing players take BP. Okay, maybe every day isn't practical for young players but frequent batting practice is essential for any player who wants to be their best. Does it always have to be live hitting? I say no. I believe in dry swing practice big time. Taking dry swings allows a player to practice their most important swing and that is their "A" (best) swing. I don't think players practice their A swing enough and taking dry swings is the best way to do it. Having that best swing ingrained when they get a good pitch to hit will help a lot of players simply hit better. Young hitters who have their best swing ingrained will normally do very well because there are a lot of mistake pitches being thrown. All of this said to say that BP (or dry swings) should be taken frequently (daily if possible and those with the most desire figure out how to make that happen). It's the best way to give oneself the ability to hit like a machine...or a close you can being a human. :-)

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

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

Baseball2u.com and CoachesBest.com is your online super store for baseball batting cages, pitching machines and protective screens and nets. This fully licensed company has a full time staff to help you from 8:00 to 5:00 CST. You may order securely online or by phone, toll free, at 1-877-431-4487.
Check out these categories that are featured at Baseball2u.com.
Jugs Complete Packages
Batting Cages
60' Portable Batting Cage
55' Portable Batting Cage
70' Portable Batting Cage
Extender Batting Cage 30'
Jugs Pitching Machines
Iron Mike Pitching Machines
BATA Pitching Machines
Heater Pitching Machines
Granada Pitching Machines
Phantom Pitching Machines
…and if you are looking for Youth Training Equipment, Advanced Baseball Training Equipment, Training Bats, and Pitching & Throwing Trainers, or Portable Mounds, they have those too!
Plus, they have one the internet's largest selections of Baseball Training and Coaching DVDs and Books. Make sure to chweck our their CLEARANCE DEPARTMENT for rock bottom prices on top quality equipment.

What kinds of batting drills can the BatAction Hitting Machine be used for?

Video shows three great baseball hitting drills being done on the Bat Action Hitting Machine. The BatAction baseball batting trainer's high speed ball movement and large ball path closely simulates real pitching conditions. The BatAction is often called the "Backyard Basketball Goal" for baseball players because it makes home batting practice easy, fun, challenging, and convenient. The BatAction Hitting Machine has height and speed adjustments for all ages and skill levels.



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.

Eliminating Minutia in the Baseball Swing

By Nate Barnett

It seems like the more you learn and know about the mechanics of a baseball swing, the more you think you have to learn and know about the baseball swing. Confused? It's simple. Many times baseball instruction, and specifically the area of hitting mechanics, can be taught to the extent that one loses focus on what is really important and necessary to produce a good baseball swing.

Let me explain. There are certain key movements in a hitting motion. The basics are, the stance, the load, the trigger, contact, and the finish. These five steps all have a few key mechanical movements within them that if done correctly will help a hitter develop a proper baseball swing. Notice that I paid special attention to the word few. The problem comes when one explains that there are more than a few movements in each of the five steps listed. This is what I refer to as "minutiaitis".

So what are the main reasons that coaches feel the need to instruct the minutia? Here are my top reasons.

1. Ego problems. 2. Lack of playing experience. 3. Over-analytical tendencies. 4. Enjoy having "new" answers to problems.

The reason why I am bringing to attention this problem of "minutiaitis" is simply because it confuses athletes. Heck, it confuses me! Players enjoy things that are put plainly and clearly. They enjoy a clear plan of action to solving a mechanical problem with their swing. Bringing in extra information that muddles and clutters the information flow hurts everyone involved. My suggestion is to learn the basics to hitting a baseball and then learn how to communicate those basics in a clear fashion. Athletes will learn far more with this style of instruction.

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.

Hitting With Big Barrel Bats in Youth League

BatAction.com

By Mike Posey

My eight year old was playing baseball this fall on a coached pitched team. It was the perfect situation for the fall with only one practice every Sunday afternoon from 2:00-3:30. It was a great experience, one in which he learned a lot. He also had a great time with the other kids on the team. We were also playing flag football during the fall, so we didn't have a lot of time for extended fall ball, plus he is only 8 so I wasn't interested in having him involved with a team that was going to play games every week in the fall. I'm not a big proponent of playing year round baseball, but I'll save that for another article.

The coaches decided they would try to play a couple of games and put into action what they had been teaching during the Sunday practices. We traveled about 45 minutes away on a nice Saturday during the mid fall to play a double header with another eight year old team. It was a good experience but I was shocked when I watched the other team hit. Yes, they beat us in both games 20-8 and 17-9, but that wasn't what shocked me, it was the bats they were using - Big Barrel Bats.

Let me back up a little bit first. My eight year old is our youngest. My oldest is 26 (I was 40 when our youngest was born) and we have already went through Little League, Babe Ruth, Summer Ball, etc...with our oldest. Also, as a high school baseball coach I host youth camps every summer and thought I was in tune with what was happening in youth baseball. But the bats I saw the other eight year old team using that day caught me by complete surprise. Every player on the other team was using a big barrel (2-5/8 inch diameter) bat, even though they were only eight years old.

The big barrel bat is designed for senior league play, which is typically 13-15 year olds. I did a little investigation and found that all the manufacturers (Easton, DeMarini, Louisville, etc...) specifically advertised that these big barrel bats are not approved for younger youth league teams. This was reinforced more when I found out that most youth leagues (Cal Ripen, Little League, Pony, etc.,.) do not allow players to use the larger barrel bats. However, I did find it odd that the manufacturers are making -10 to -13 drop bats (the unit distinction between the length and the weight of the bat, such as 27 inches long and 17 ounces in weight). It's obvious that the sale of these ultra-light, big- barrel bats are targeted at youth league players.

Youth league (ages 6-12) aluminum bats are typically 2 ¼ inches in diameter at the sweet spot and usually have a -8 in drop. The idea is to work up as they get older and eventually get to the -3 drop bat that is required in high school.

The problem with using big barrel bats at such a young age is it doesn't reinforce hitting mechanics. When a young hitter swings and misses the sweet spot, this reinforces the fact they need to use their hands to hit instead of their arms. The sweet spot is located 4-7 inches from the barrel end of the bat, located between the bat's trademark and the end of the bat. With aluminum (or composite bats) when the player misses the sweet spot, the bat jars in their hands. With a wood bat (which I think all young players should spend time learning to hit with) if the sweet spot is missed, the ball won't travel very far, maybe a ground ball to second or short. Anyway, it reinforces the need to rotate the hips and use the hands to get the barrel of the bat on the ball. With much practice, a player can become good at making consistent contact on the sweet spot of the bat. Using the hands correctly will strengthen the hands as they get older and allow them to progress in their mechanics as a hitter. Many players struggle with hitting on high school freshman or JV teams because they drag the bat head with the -3 bats that are required by the National Federation Rules. They have been swinging the -8 and -5 bats with their arms and the -3 is even heavier for them to swing. They haven't developed good strong hands from hitting properly.

The problem with the big barrel bats is the extended hitting zones. The player can have a long swing (one that disconnects with the arms getting away from the body) hitting the ball on the area below the sweet spot near the trademark and still get a solid base hit into the outfield. This was what I witnessed that Saturday this fall during the eight year old coached-pitched game. Most of the hitters in the opposing team line up used more arms than hands to hit, but they still had solid shots into the outfield. In fact, the few times they did make solid contact, the ball was sent like a laser to the outfield fences. Several times our players got hit with the ball (one in the head on a line drive to center field) and the coach was also hit by a hot line drive back to the mound. It was a little scary and these young players were not ready to be swinging these bats.

During my research I also found hitting with big barrel bats was common practice for travel league teams during the summer and fall. Most travel tournament sponsors do not have regulations against using larger barrel bats for youth league ages. With the manufacture warnings clearly listed on these bats, this may be a serious spot for litigation. The travel tournament sponsors and teams that use these bats against the manufacture warnings are exposing themselves to potential lawsuits.

From a hitting stand point, players will never understand their hitting flaws. It's like the weekend golfer that uses a monster head driver, one that corrects the flight of the ball if the swing is not perfect. As long as you make contact anywhere on the face of the club, you're in good shape. (I got one in my golf bag) The same is true for the large barrel bats for youth leagues. See, hitting a baseball is difficult and one that comes with much failure. A good big league player that hits around .300 will fail 7 out of 10 times. With young hitters, the failure is what makes them better. Missing the sweet spot on the bat reinforces the idea to use your hands and get the barrel on the ball.

If you're serious about your young player being a better hitter make him use the 2 ¼ inch barrel in youth league. He can also work with a wood bat in practices and scrimmage games. (or summer league play). Use bamboo when they are young (ages 6-9), moving to maple by the time they are 11 or 12 years old. Both of these bats are extremely durable and hard to break. By the time they are 15-16 years old they can graduate to a nice Ash bat. Most big leaguers use either Ash or Maple. All of our high school players have a wood bat in their bag and train with it regularly.

Don't delay the development of your youth league hitter by allowing them to use a big barrel bat. Rotate your hips and use your hands to hit the SWEET SPOT.

Mike Posey "CP"

http://www.expert-baseball-tips.com

Tips from a championship coach's perspective and experience, offering creative insights into helping others learn the game of baseball.

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

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

Bat Action Trainer Provides High Speed Batting Drills

Video Demo....Short video demonstration of the BatAction Hitting Machine baseball softball trainer, The BatAction offers high speed ball movement drills that are 100% Guaranteed to Improve batting averages, bat speed and hitting skill. Unit is suitable for all ages from t-ball to high scholo. Great for Little League team parctices and home backyard workouts. The BatAction is often called the "Backyard Basketball Goal" for baseball and softball players.



Baseball Dealz Ebay Store http://stores.shop.ebay.com/Baseball-Dealz-Super-Store__W0QQ_armrsZ1




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.

Visit the Baseball Coaching Digest for daily post and articles on every aspect of coaching baseball. The Baseball Coaching Digest Blog.

Game Time Hitting Struggles Solved!

www.BatAction.com

By Todd Thomas

As a hitter, your goal should be to have practiced your mechanics so repetitively that they eventually become second nature. I was reading in a book on muscle memory this week and it said it takes about 400 hours of repetition for a skill to become FULLY automatic. That's a lot. So if you are looking for a shortcut, you might want to consider an easier athletic endeavor.

The more a player works on their skill the more second nature it becomes. You want to (and should, beginning right now no matter what level you are at) step into the batter's box and think only of hitting the ball and where you want to hit it. NOT HOW in terms of mechanics you should hit it. If a player is thinking about their mechanics during live game swings, then their chances for success are being severely diminished. The odds are already not in the hitter's favor, why decrease them further?

Think about the animal kingdom. If a lion had the cognitive ability of man, it's hunting effectiveness would be greatly reduced as it would be thinking about HOW to attack it's prey rather than working from conditioned reflexes. A lion doesn't think about how far or high it needs to jump or fast it needs to run in order to catch it's prey. They don't think about what is exactly the proper technique or take lessons on it or question what it did wrong when the prey gets away.

Contrast that with a human with our left side brain power and think about the professional golfer. Cognitively (with the left side of his brain), he contemplates pin placement, prevailing wind conditions, uphill lie, downhill lie, and strategy when preparing for a shot. Then they execute their shot (from the right brain) without thinking about the mechanics of their swing by letting it come naturally. The weekend golfer, on the other hand, uses his cognitive abilities not to think about playing strategies so much but rather about the fundamentals of his swing and how he should execute them correctly. The weekend golfer reduces the swing to it's component parts by thinking about the back swing, hip action, wrist break, arms, legs, and so on. This results in stress and tension in the muscles causing the player to become a victim of "paralysis by analysis". He is trying to perform using the left brain instead of the right.

Such is the same with the baseball and softball player. Even if a player has reached a point from practice and repetition that the required muscle memory is built in for their best swing, IT WILL NOT HAPPEN (certainly not at it's fluid best) between the white lines when the pressure is on IF the player is not confident, relaxed, focused, calm(not nervous), or is afraid (fear ridden). Nervousness and fear manifest themselves from thinking too much or over-analyzing. Worrying (or having fear or nervousness) about what might happen or what has happened is devastating to the ability to relax and to perform at ones peak.

Read the last few sentences again.

The only time an athlete performs their best in an athletic move like a swing is when they are totally and completely confident and RELAXED. If any measure of nervousness is present, the muscles will not be as completely oxygenated as they need to be for smooth performance. As the degree of tenseness increases, performance plummets.

Ever wonder why a player performs like a animal in practice, but looks lost when they step into the batter's box during games? Who hasn't seen the player who crushes the ball at practice but can't hit during games? We all have. At practice, there's nothing to be afraid of. They step into the box relaxed and hit great. Come game time however, fear, nervousness, and worry about results rear their ugly heads and the results speak for themselves. If you've ever wondered why this is true about a player, then now you know.

Players that learn how to be confident, focused and RELAXED are your peak performers.

RELAX! And HIT!

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

BatAction Hitting Machine by Nedco Sports
The "Original Hitting Machine"

100% Guaranteed to Improve Your Hitting...or
You Get Your Money Back"

BatAction.com

To order the BatAction Machine...Click here.