Welcome to the BatAction Baseball Training Blog

The BatAction Blog presents baseball batting training tips, baseball hitting drills, and other information to help Bat Action owners produce unbelievable results from working out on the BatAction Baseball Trainer. Baseball coaches, players and parents will find this information very interesting and extremely useful. The Regular posts include new and innovative training drills and techniques to increase bat speed, improve power, improve hitting skill, and increase batter confidence.

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Buying Discount Baseball Bats


HandsBackHitter.com

Buying Discount Baseball Bats
By Jason Gluckman

Whether you want a traditional wood baseball bat or a new, high-tech metal bat, there is a wide selection of discount baseball bats available. A baseball bat is a vital piece of equipment and its quality can greatly impact a player’s performance, so it is no surprise that many people are willing to pay a premium. Luckily, you can get a high-tech, top quality bat at discount prices. Discount baseball bats are available at most sporting equipment outlets, and especially at online stores.

Brand new aluminum baseball bats cost usually start at $200 and go up from there. Prices increase as technology introduces stronger and lighter materials. By crafting baseball bat barrels with cutting-edge metal alloys, manufacturers like Easton and Demarini arm batters with power while maintaining a quick, lightweight feel.

Discount baseball bats are abundantly available online. In many cases, online stores can offer discount baseball bats at great prices because there is less overhead than at a sporting goods store and, in many cases, there is no sales tax or shipping charged. When you shop for baseball bats online you have access to a vast and easily accessible selection user product reviews to help you get a feel for which bats are best for you, and also can save a great deal of time.

Don’t forget to check out blemished baseball bats. This little secret can save you 30 to 70 percent. Many baseball bat dealers offer blemished baseball bats at severely slashed prices due to a cosmetic imperfection such as chipped paint. Lucky for you, the baseball bat’s performance is untouched, but the price is hacked down significantly. Blemished baseball bats are available at many outlets and online. With a little looking, it is not that difficult to find a bat that offers premium performance at a reasonable price.

Baseball Bats Info provides detailed information on youth, wood, college, senior league, and discount baseball bats, baseball bat reviews and more. Baseball Bats Info is the sister site of Baseball Gloves Web.

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


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Friday, June 12, 2009

Training Your Mind For Baseball



Hit2win.com - Many of college baseball's best hitters grew up with us in the backyard! We have been helping hitters improve since 1999. Improved hitting success is 100% Guaranteed!


Training Your Mind For Baseball
By Ray Peters

Baseball is a sport which requires the perfection of body mechanics. A baseball player who is in control of his mechanics dramatically increases the consistently of his performance. Practice is of course the most critical aspect, in baseball, to retaining control over your pitching or hitting mechanics. You can tune your body to perform the way it should through practice, but equally important is to train the mind. The difference between quality and average lies in the mind of the player. A baseball player with a strong mind dramatically increments his chances of performing to the peak of his potential. Here are a few tips to working the mind for better performance when it matters, on the field.

Tip1: Practice Silencing the Mind: This technique is a brainchild of zen. The mindless state. When the mind is still your focus on the present mind increases by hundred folds. A noisy mind is the biggest distraction to performance. It is easy said than done though, to silence the mind is not an easy task. Samurai's were known to silence their mind before they went to war to ensure that they were immune to the distractions of emotional interference. Meditation was their method of silencing the mind. In the modern age of coaching mediation is not a alien from warm-ups. In baseball players are taught to meditate to still their mind even before starting their physical warm-ups.

Tip2: Practice Visualization: Before the actual act should come the imagination of what you want the end result to be. This gives focus and clarity of purpose. In your own mind you might be sure of which pitching lane you want to concentrate on but unless you visualize the process of actually pitching the ball through the angle to go through the pitching lane, it may not succeed. Golfers like Tiger woods are known to visualize the entire shot to the end before going for the putt. Its like playing a picture in your mind about the entire sequence of events. This gives focus to your mind. A calm mind will develop a sense of purpose and execute it to perfection. Many baseball players practice this technique of visualization before taking their pitching or hitting stance.

Tip3: The Art Of Concentration: Silencing the mind is one part of enhancing your concentration the second part is to be aware of your body. When you are playing unconsciously you tend to repeat mistakes of the past. Your mind even if its still would work on subconscious control. When you become aware of your body and the immediate surroundings you create a sense of stillness and awareness at the same time. From the awareness comes the instinct to act. Have you ever seen baseball players who are in the zone, you can feel a force of awareness radiating through them. Baseball is as much a mind game as a physical game.

Tip4: Going For the Kill: Your mind should not be meek before entering the field. There should not be a feeling of dullness or lack of purpose. The sense of a hunter going for the hunt should be the vital feeling present inside your body. Baseball like any other sport is a test of character. There is no space for weakness. With such a mindset you will never succumb to pressure and no amount of distraction from the opposition will ever faze you.

Building mind semantics to conquer sports is like entering the zen in sports. Hope this article helps. If you are into baseball you can check out the wide range of baseball gear available at Sport Diamond

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

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Baseball Product Spotlight - Hands Back Hitter 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.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Building a Batting Cage Is Easier Than You Think

Building a Batting Cage Is Easier Than You Think


Building a Batting Cage Is Easier Than You Think
Building a batting cage is the ultimate investment in a player's hitting success. There is absolutely nothing else that has a more positive effect and than offers greater benefits than building a batting cage for your player or team.
If you have decided to purchase a batting cage, you have made a wise decision. The money you spend on a batting cage net and frame will provide great benefits and give your team or player a difinite advantage for years and years to come.

Whatever, you do, if you have the money to invest, do not change your mind. Go through with this project. Batting cage construction is not rocket science. It will be easier than you think if you follow our batting cage guide's step-by-step plans and instructions for batting cage construction. You can do this....we can help!

The choices you make concerning your backyard batting cage or home batting cage should be determined by three things. 1) The amount of money you have to spend on your new batting cage. 2) The amount of time and energy you can devote to the project. 3) The amount of space that you have to work with when you install your batting cage nets and frames.

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Friday, June 5, 2009

Baseball Parent Advice: Consider the best training investment money can buy


BatAction.com








If you are a parent or coach, ask yourself these questions:

---Is your player an underachiever at the plate?
---Is your player a future prospect that loves to practice and improve?
---Do you know that your player is a much better hitter than past performances indicate?
---Would your player be willing to spend just 1 hour a week performing exciting and fun drills that develop incredible skill and confidence?
---Did you know that for less than the cost of a new bat, you can purchase a hitting machine that can help make a young player's dreams come true?
---If you answered "YES" to any of the above questions, you are about to make one of the best investments you will ever make in your player's baseball future.

BatAction.com

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Baseball Hitting Mechanics - Stride and Swing







Baseball Hitting Mechanics - Stride and Swing
By Kenny Buford

Stride

Each player has a preference about how big or small of a stride to take on the swing. Batters should do what is most comfortable for them, provided that they do not step on the line of the batter's box, as this will cause them to be called out.

When helping players determine how big of a stride to take, encourage them to experiment. A shorter stride is usually better than a longer one for control purposes, because it keeps the player over their body and does not allow things to get out of rhythm. As speed is a necessary part of batting, a short stride is desirable because it helps batters move to their next element, the swing, sooner.

As the batter is about to bring their hands forward to start the swinging motion, the striding leg should come forward toward the pitcher. The stride should be toward the area in front of home plate to help the batter get into better position.

Swing

During the swing, there are also small adjustments that players can make to ensure that they get the best swing possible. When working on hitting mechanics, even the smallest details count.

Throughout the swing, players should keep their back elbow up and close to the body. This allows the hands and the barrel of the bat to swing through completely. Finally, and perhaps most importantly when going through the swing, is to keep the head still. Keeping the head still ensures that you keep proper balance throughout the swing, which is otherwise hard to do because the batter is moving nearly every other part to connect with the ball.

Maintaining a still head also helps with creating a rhythm. If the batter's body has one still part that does not move or change during the swing, that batter will have a better idea of what part of their swing needs work or what part is not synchronized with the rest of the body. Whether in practice or in play, keeping a steady head is extremely important.

As the ball is pitched, batters should bring their hands to meet the ball. This mental picture will help players get the bat in contact with the ball in exactly the right place. At the same time that batters are bringing their hands to the ball, they should be keeping those hands level and still, so that the bat slices through the air on an even plane. A swing with any type of loop or wiggle can cause a dangerous pop-up, which can be detrimental to the team.

Run Drills

Just because a batter has been batting for years does not mean that they will maintain good form. In fact, more experience can lead to poor form because players become complacent and pay less attention to their form than when they were first learning it.

Every so often, at the discretion of the coach, players should go back and work on hitting basics. This means starting from a tee, using a whiffle ball. While some players may grumble about starting at such a fundamental level, you must show them the importance of being able to hit a whiffle ball off a tee, perfectly, every time. If players cannot hit a ball where they want it to go when it is sitting right in front of them, how are they going to be able to hit a ball moving toward them at 50 miles an hour or more?

When players hit a whiffle ball correctly from a tee, it acts like a knuckleball. When players hit is incorrectly, it spins uncontrollably and goes awry. Because of the air going through the ball, players will be able to see their mistakes easier and make adjustments as necessary.

After players become comfortable again with hitting from a tee, remove the tee and have them practice with regular pitches again. They will notice a difference in the way they hold themselves and approach the ball, and you will a difference in their effectiveness.

Kenny Buford is a baseball coach with over 20 years of experience and a founding member of Baseball Inner Circle. Discover the ultimate source for baseball drills, videos, and coaching tips that will immediately improve your players' skills and win more games for your team:
Baseball Inner Circle

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

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Wednesday, June 3, 2009

3 Drills That Make Batting Cage Batting Practice More Productive


3 Drills That Make Batting Cage Work More Productive
By Nick Dixon

Batting cage batting practice is a great way to improve batting skill, bat speed and batter confidence. Coach Dixon discusses three Hitting Drills That Make Batting Cage Work More Productive. The three drills are the MOVE UP, COUNT ADJUSTMENT and LINE DRIVE CONTEST. These drills are great ways to get maximum benefits from your baseball teams batting cage workouts. The three drills are:

Move Up Batting Drill

Purpose: Used to improve bat speed, visual concentration, and batter confidence.

Description: The MOVE-UP hitting drill: The batter learns to see and hit the ball quicker out of the machine or batters hand. Before the drill begins, 4 spots are marked on the floor, in measured distances of 40, 35, 30, and 25 feet. The machine or pitcher should maintain a safe medium speed velocity during this drill. The accuracy of your pitching machine must be checked and rechecked during the drill for safety purposes. The spots are the locations at which the batter will take a certain number of swings. The batter hits 4 balls at each spot and then move closer to the machine or pitcher at the next spot.

Procedure: The batter hits 4 to 6 balls at each spot, then moves to the next spot closer to the machine or pitcher. The machine or pitcher should not deliver the next pitcher until the batter assumes a proper stance, triggers or loads to the proper launch position, and has visual focus on the pitcher or machine. The batter starts the drill at 40 feet and hits at all spots until he has hit 4 to 6 balls at each spot, ending with ball hit at the closest spot to the pitcher, 25 feet. Distances can be shortened or made longer to meet the needs of your players.

Coaching Points: Sometimes you may have the player hit two balls at each spots moving toward the machine and then hit two balls at each spot moving away from the machine, until two balls are hit at each location or distance. This process makes the batter adjust to varying changes in pitch speed. This drill is great for teaching batters to stay-back and let the ball in.

Count Adjustment Drill

Purpose: The drill is great for teaching young hitters to make adjustments in their approach at the plate based on the current count. Batters learn to be properly aggressive for the following counts or situations 0-0, 2-0, 0-2, 3-1, runner at 3rd with 1 or less outs, and hit-in-run.

Procedure: We have 5 batting cages at our facility. Batters are always hitting in all cages. In a normal situation, the players would be hitting every pitch that they can reach to a location based on the pitch location. To change the approach, a coach calls a count such as 2-0. For the next two pitches, the batter will be properly aggressive as he would with that count in a game. Of course in this situation, the batter is looking for a pitch in that perfect spot. If the ball is at that anticipated location, the batter attacks, the ball. If the ball is not in that spot the batter will hold off the pitch and adjust to the new count of 2-1 or 3-0. If the coach calls, Runner at 3rd, the batter is looking for a pitch up to drive deep enough for a score or tag and score. The batter will try to lift the ball and drive a deep fly ball to the outfield. If the coach calls, Hit-n-Run, the batter will execute a hit-in-run approach at the plate.

Line Drive Contest Drill

After a session of batting cage workouts, we often end the day with a line-drive hitting contest. An assistant coach will do the pitching. The coach is protected by a L-screen. The player should only swing at great pitches. The contest is to see which player hits the most line-drives in a row. A line-drive is a ball that hits the side walls, back wall, or pitchers L-Screen hard and directly off the batters bat. The hit ball can not touch the top of the cage in front of the pitching protective L-Screen. As long as the batter hits line-drives with each swing, the batter continues to bat and his TOTAL COUNT increases. This drill tends to put pressure on the hitters making them learn to hit under pressure.

The CoachesBest Baseball Store has a great selection of BASEBALL HITTING, COACHING and TRAINING DVDs

Check out BattingCagesDirect.com for top quality batting cages at discount prices. They specialize in complete batting cage kits with net and frame included for one low price.

Nick Dixon is the President and founder of Nedco Sports, the "Hit2win Company". Dixon is also an active and full time high school baseball coach with over 25 years experience. Dixon is widely recognized as an expert in the area of baseball training, practice and skill development. Coach Dixon is better known as the inventor of several of baseball and softball's most popular training products such as the Original BatAction Hitting Machine, SKLZ Derek Jeter Hurricane Hitting Machine, Original Hitting Stick, Hit2win Trainer, SKLZ Target Trainer, SKLZ Derek Jeter ZipnHit Pro, and Strikeback Trainer. Dixon is also a contributing writer for BaseballCoachingDigest, the Baseball 2Day Coaches Journal, Batting Cage Builder, the American Baseball Directory and the Hit2win Baseball Coaches Monthly Newsletter. Dixon has 5 blogs related to baseball training including the BaseballCoachingDigest Blog, CoachesBest Training Blog, Hurricane Machine Training Blog, Batting Cage Buyers Blog, and the Bat Action Training Blog.

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

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Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Baseball Coaching Tips - Teaching Players to Have a Good Two Strike Approach at the Plate

Baseball Coaching Tips - Teaching Players to Have a Good Two Strike Approach at the Plate

Good Morning,
I hope the season is going great for you and your team! "Two Strike" hits
are a big part of every team's success. Team that score runs with 2 outs and that get hits consistently with 2 strikes on the batter are the teams that post winning records and win championships. Here are 5 points that I teach to make sure that every player on our team has the same proper "two strike approach":

1. The batter should assume a more balanced stance and take most of the weight off the back foot.
2. The batter will be prepared to swing at "anything close". My saying is that "if it is close enough for the ump to call a strike, it is close enough to hit".
3. The batter should get 3 inches closer to the plate than normal and choke up at least one inch on the bat. This is done regardless of the batter's ability or position in the batting order.
4. I would rather that the batter be late on the pitch than early. What this means is that the batter must keep the hands back and have trust in his or her hand speed.
5. Expect anything! Do not guess pitches. The even stance and "shorter bat" should allow the batter to hit or fight off any pitch location.
6. The batter should fight to saty alive. He or she should battle their butt off to get a hit or stay alive. The batter must win the battle by fouling off pitches, eveining the count, and fighting until the pitcher makes a mistake and throws a pitch that the batter can handle to get a basehit.

Good luck til next time.
Have a great day,
Coach Nick

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Monday, June 1, 2009

Baseball Hitting - The Basics to Success


Baseball Hitting - The Basics to Success
By Chris Moheno

Baseball hitting is a lot more then just swinging a bat around and hoping to get lucky. When it comes to learning how to hit a baseball, you have to remember that there is a lot more skill, technique, and focus needed then meets the eye.

There has to be a lot of practice hours put in or you will never be able to swing the bat like some of the great names in baseball history. By practicing hard and keeping a few simple tips and hints in mind you will be able to swing like a pro in no time at all.

Remember though, besides hard-core technique, there is also a lot of room for the practice of visualization and positive thinking in your baseball training, which has proven to help many people.

If you have been swinging for a while but just want to learn to hit better the first thing you need to do is to avoid any major changes in your stance. Even though this seems a little bit backwards considering you are trying to hit better, it is an important move. Many players, even the not so great ones, naturally develop certain stances in order to make up for something such as a dominant right eye. Before you make any drastic changes make sure that you figure out why it is that you do what you do. If there is no reason for the stance, the grip, or the swing that you have other then laziness or lack of knowledge then it is time to get to work on that.

Time to get ready for the hit. If you do not have a lot of experience with this then make sure that you have a bat you are comfortable with and get up to bat. Get in a proper fitted stance. Keep your chin tucked in along with your front shoulder. Make sure that your head is completely turned so that you are able to clearly see the pitcher. Stay off of the heals of your feet by remaining on the balls of your feet. And most importantly, keep your head still. Even though you may find that over time your stance will change, it is extremely important to keep those simple things in line. Always stay on the balls of your feet and never take one eye off of the pitcher. These are the rules no matter what stance you adopt.

Time to select the right ball to hit. Even though you may be willing to swing at anything that comes at you it is important that you do not. Not every pitch is a good pitch. Be selective and be patient about it. There is no reason to go in overly aggressive. Just make sure that you are concentrating on putting the ball in play and use the entire field to do it. As you are waiting for the ball to come your direction you will want to carefully think through what it is that you are trying to do at the plate.

Imagine and envision yourself striking the bat against the ball. Picture complete batting success before you even have the chance to hit the ball in real life.

The last step would be to take all of the skills you have learned and hit the ball. Make sure that you swing with force and that you follow through with it. Imagine where in the field you are sending the ball and see what happens.

If you feel you need more help with your baseball hitting then you need to seek out some one on one help. Having someone right next to you through your baseball training is always a great thing to have. There are also many DVD's that are being sold in order to perfect your skill. Watching the exact technique played out is a great way to make sure that you are doing everything you should be doing.

Keep practicing and then one day everything will suddenly click and you will be hitting every ball that comes your way.

Chris Moheno has a long time passion for sports in general and for baseball coaching more specifically. His goal is to spread the word about effective non-fluff baseball training techniques for both more experienced and young baseball players, to help them perform better during the game.

Discover more about baseball training secrets on baseballtrainingsecrets.com

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

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