What to buy a youth baseball prospect for Christmas.

www.BatAction.com

Happy Thanksgiving to Our BatAction Hitting Machine Blog Readers

Happy Thanksgiving to Our Batting Cage Blog Readers

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

Baseball Tips on Hitting - The Most Common Hitting Problem at Any Level of Play!

By Larry Cicchiello

If you have what is referred to as a "quick hip," please forgive my bluntness but you will have no chance of being a successful baseball hitter.

Only on an inside pitch, can you get away with opening the front hip a little bit early.

A "quick hip" is when the front hip opens a fraction of a second early. It is a common hitting problem and a very serious one for many hitters at all levels of play. The swing itself should force the front hip open.

If the hip is a fraction of a second too quick, it forces your front side to open too early and this is a recipe for disaster for a baseball player at any level of play.

Three Major Problems Occur if You Have A Quick Hip:

1. You will not see the ball well. Your head will go along for the ride with your "quick hip" and you will be looking at the ball out of the corner of your eyes when the moment of truth arrives and you attempt to actually hit the ball.

2. Your power will be lost. You will be leaning toward third base if you are a right-handed hitter or toward first base if you are a left-handed hitter. That is NOT where the hitting is taking place. The hitting is taking place in front of you, not to the left or right of you.

3. Your plate coverage will be poor. The only pitch you'll be able to hit with any success at all is the inside pitch and low and away pitches will cause many baseball hitting problems for you.

I wonder how much young players who are struggling at the plate would improve considerably if they made this fairly simple adjustment at the plate.

Keeping the front hip closed is one of the best baseball tips on hitting you will ever hear.

How common is the baseball hitting problem of having a "quick hip"? You can check it out for yourself.

When watching a game live in person or on TV at any level of play, observe the weaker hitters.

(The ones who are batting.220,.230 or.240.) Keep an eye on their front hip. In almost all cases, it will be opening too early.

On the other side of the coin, you can also check out the better hitters. They will be keeping their front hip closed!

Larry is the president of Larwenty Online Enterprises Inc and is also the author of "Excellent Baseball Coaching: 30 Seconds Away." If you are a baseball player or baseball coach at any level of play, or a parent who wants to help your child improve, you will be fully equipped! His baseball website offers several FREE baseball tips from his very informative and very fairly priced eBooks.

Larry's baseball website is http://www.larrybaseball.com/

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

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

Little League Baseball Coaching

www.BatActionBattingTrainer.com

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

===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 Practice Trainer Videos

Baseball Batting Practice Trainer Videos

Video shows the Hands Back Hitter baseball batting trainer. The Hands Back Hitter by Swing Buster is a great for all ages and ability levels. The HBH teaches and builds correct hitting fundamentals.



The Stayback Tee is designed to help teach and practice rotational hitting that can increase bat speed. The Stayback Tee helps the batter establish the proper axis to launch the swing. It virtually eliminates forward motion after swing initiation commonly called lunging. This enhances balance in the stride landing and allows the hitter to adjust to different speed pitches and maximize the power by leading with hips and turning into the ball.



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.




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 Tips on Hitting - How You Can Get to Know the Opposing Pitcher Very Quickly!

By Larry Cicchiello

If you don't know anything about an opposing pitcher, watch him closely and you may possibly get to know a lot about him very quickly. Beating the pitcher is plain and simply, a battle.

Pay attention to what he does well and what he does NOT do well.

You may know this before he takes the mound that day and if not, you can certainly learn much about him by watching him for an inning or so. Sometimes you can learn a lot after only one batter.

Good pitchers will stay awake at night trying to figure out how to get good hitters out.

Just like the pitcher is looking for your strengths and weaknesses as a hitter, you too better be looking for his strengths and weaknesses!

Pitchers at higher levels of play use pitching charts to get to know tendencies that hitters have. Why can't you, as a hitter, at least keep a mental chart of the pitcher's tendencies?

Some Very Important Things You Should Be Looking For

Look for where his release point is. Quite often pitchers have different release points for different pitches and you may know what pitch he's throwing before he releases the ball.

Time his pitches with your swing. You should have a good idea as to how fast the pitcher is before you face him.

Is the pitcher always throwing a first pitch fast ball all the time?

Does he lean back more toward second base to get some extra speed on his fast ball?

Does he slow down his windup at the last second when he's throwing a change up?

On the other hand, does he speed up his windup too much when throwing a change up because he is trying too hard to disguise it?

Does he always throw the curve ball with 2 strikes?

Is the first pitch to each batter too "fat" and an easy pitch to hit?

Is the pitcher always throwing a breaking ball after he shakes off his catcher's signal? (This tells you the catcher is not ever putting down the breaking ball as his first signal and then when the pitcher shakes off the catcher, you know the pitch will be his breaking ball)

Does the pitcher raise his front shoulder higher when throwing the fastball to try to throw it faster?

Is he ALWAYS pitching low and away and not using both sides of the plate by occasionally coming inside?

Does he drop his arm slot down a little to get more lateral movement on his breaking ball?

If you're serious about being a successful baseball hitter, you have to be thinking all the time.

While on the bench, sit next to a very good hitter and talk about the opposing pitcher throughout the game.

Baseball hitting is tough so try to get every possible advantage. Of the hundreds of baseball tips on hitting you may hear about, keep this one near the top of your list. It's not a complicated technique but merely requires you to be observant.

Remember, the pitcher is thinking of anything and everything he can do to get you out.

As a baseball hitter, you should be thinking of anything and everything you can do to have a successful at bat.

You will be very pleased with yourself if you have observed that the pitcher has started five straight hitters off with a first pitch fast ball. Then you get up, see a first pitch fast ball, and hit a seed into one of the gaps!

Even if you do not know anything at all about a pitcher, you can learn his strengths, weaknesses and overall tendencies VERY QUICKLY!

Beating the pitcher requires clever use of your mind as well as your body.

The pitcher is using both his brain and his arm to beat you and you must do the same if you truly want to be a successful baseball hitter.

Larry Cicchiello is the author of the very informative book "Excellent Baseball Coaching:30 Seconds Away." He is unique in that his site offers visitors several FREE TIPS that are straight from his book. Baseball tips on hitting, baseball pitching tips, baseball fielding tips, baseball coaching drills, base running tips, baseball coaching drills and more. Your baseball "help desk" will be open 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and very user friendly. Larry invites you to check out his FREE TIPS and then you can decide if Larry is a pretender or a very serious contender. Very shortly, you will be raising a few eyebrows!

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

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

Hitting Tips, Batting Tips, Sports Psychology and Baseball - How to Break Out of a Hitting Slump

By Jay Granat

Every week, I get calls from parents, from coaches and from baseball players who are concerned because they or someone they are concerned about is stuck in a hitting slump.

Hitting a baseball is difficult and when you lose your confidence and your focus, it is very hard to perform well when you are batting.

A lot of the players who call me or who come to see me have excellent swings. Many of these baseball players have had private hitting coaches for years. Some have hitting coaches, fitness coaches, flexibility coaches, speed coaches and nutritionists. The athletes are hoping for baseball scholarships and some are hoping to play Division I baseball or professional ball.

So, you might ask, why to players with great strength, great balance, great technique and good timing get into slumps? And what can be done to shorten the slump and get the hitter on track once again?

In my view, many of the hitters who I counsel know very little about their own psychology. That is, they don't know how to get their mind into the right place prior to getting up to the plate. In addition, they don't know how to adjust their mental attitude in a way that will allow them to break out of their hitting slump.

Sometimes, we need to revamp their whole approach to hitting to get them to hit to their potential.

In other cases, one minor adjustment can solve the problem. I try to start with something simple first. Changing something minute can sometimes free up a baseball player to feel confident and empowered at the plate.

One batter was given a confidence building slogan that he was to repeat to himself in between pitches.

Another was taught a simple way to relax when he got up to bat.

A very talented switch hitter needed a different way to focus when he got into the batter's box.

Another batter changed what he did in the on deck circle. This helped him to feel more comfortable when he came up to bat.

Many of these techniques can be found on 101 Ways To Break Out Of A Hitting Slump With Sport Psychology And Self-Hypnosis. Here is the link to get this program.

Jay P. Granat, Ph.D. is a psychotherapist and the founder of http://www.stayinthezone.com - He has written several books and developed several programs to help people perform to their fullest potential at sports, at work and at school. Dr. Granat, a former university professor, has appeared in The New York Times, Good Morning America, AP, ESPN, Golf Digest, The BBC and The CBC. He can be reached at info@stayinthezone.com - He is also the author of How To Get Into The Zone With Sport Psychology And Self-Hypnosis, How To Lower Your Golf Score With Sport Psychology And Self-Hypnosis, 101 Ways To Break Out Of A Hitting Slump and Bed Time Stories For Young Athletes. Golf Digest named Dr. Granat one of America's Top Ten Mental Gurus. His new baseball cd and free book is available at: http://tinyurl.com/yh3srae

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


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 Tips on Hitting - Contact Situations

By Larry Cicchiello

With two strikes on a hitter or any situation where it's important to just put the ball in play, there is absolutely nothing wrong with giving in a little and just trying to make contact and not try to do too much else. There is nothing wrong with conceding a little to the pitcher and facing the fact that if the count is 1-2, you have a little bit of a problem on your hands. Don't be afraid to choke up an inch or so on the bat and just try to make contact with the ball and put it in play.

An outstanding high school coach has two things he makes his players promise to do every time they come up to the plate.

One is that they completely relax and visualize before every pitch they will hit the ball hard.

The other thing is that everybody chokes up 2 inches when they have 2 strikes on them. No matter where they are hitting in the batting order, If they don't choke up with two strikes they are removed from the game immediately!

I didn't say good or very good coach, I said outstanding coach.

Hitters should not only focus on contact when they have two strikes on them.

There are many other situations where the sole purpose of the at bat should be putting the ball in play! It is extremely frustrating if your team has the tying run on third base late in a game with one out. Your team has a hitter at bat who is not an exceptionally strong hitter. He doesn't concede anything and takes this big, long, looping swing and he strikes out. Your base runner ends up stranded at third base. Why on earth this hitter didn't realize that a weak ten hopper to the second baseman could have tied up the game is a total mystery to me.



He can become somewhat of a hero just by hitting a weak ground ball and getting the tying run home.

As a hitter, the name of the game is being productive at the plate.

If a weak ten hopper to the second baseman gives your team a better chance to win, that should be your only approach during the at bat.

Put the ball in play!

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

BatAction Hitting Machines
Derek Jeter Hurricane Machines
Joe Mauer Quick Swing Trainer
Advanced Skills Tee
BattingCagesDirect.com
HomeBattingCages.com
BattingCagesrUs.com
BattingCageBuilder.com
Hands Back Hitter Swing Trainer
Stay Back Tee Baseball Swing Trainer

Good to Great Athletes - Where Many Hang Up

By Nate Barnett

During a conversation with a youth baseball coach the other day, he was telling me about his team and how they were struggling to get better. This team had over a 70% plus winning percentage the past two years. The kids are used to winning. And there in lies the potential problem that prevents so many talented players and teams from becoming truly great players or teams.

I told the coach I had a couple ideas as to why this was occurring with his group of guys. Many athletes (especially under the age of 16) who are physically talented and mature earlier than others have a relatively easy time competing. They win a lot, hit a bunch of home runs, and steal bases at will. This comfortability and ease of winning doesn't necessarily do any favors for these good athletes. If they find themselves at the top of the league in numerous statistical categories, what incentive is there for them to work harder and learn different skills? The solution is a mindset shift of competing against oneself.

When I was in college I broke the home run record for my school. The next year my goal was to beat my own record. In order to accomplish this, I needed to modify and improve in a few different areas at the plate. This required more attention to baseball hitting drills and pitch selection. I broke my previous record by three home runs my junior year. I used this same mentality for my senior season. I had room to learn I wanted to beat myself once again to prove I hadn't reached a plateau. This competition with myself kept me working hard in the off season and I was able to avoid any complacency that sometimes strikes good athletes. If you're wondering if my work paid off and I was able to increase my home run totals, I did. I was able to put up eight more home runs than my junior year. Always work hard, good things will come to the athletes who do.

Nate Barnett is owner of the The Pitching Academy, a pitching information website designed to improve your on the mound performance as a pitcher. The Pitching Academy contains information, products, training, free articles, and more on baseball drills, pitching, and much more.

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.

10 Techniques to a Better Fastball

By Steve Rau

Almost every pitcher aspires to throw that devastating fastball by any hitter. There is no better feeling than to know you can overpower the hitter at any time with your fastball. Some pitchers are simply gifted and are born with a rocket arm, while others need to work hard at increasing their fastball just a few mph.



Even though genetics plays the most important role in owning a good fastball, there are still a number of things a pitcher can do to increase velocity, these 10 items include:


Improve mechanics to maximize efficiency and timing when delivering the pitch.
Increase flexibility through stretching exercises; a loose and flexible body increase torque, which in turn, produces more arm speed.
Build strong legs. Power starts from the legs and is transferred through the trunk area, and then into the arm.
Hide the ball longer. Pitcher's that stay closed longer, and hides the baseball from the hitter, give the impression that the ball gets on the batter quicker.
Develop a great change-up. A great change-up will make any fastball appear better due to the fact that hitters must be conscious of the change-up.
Strengthen the midsection. The rotation of the abdominal region is a key component in delivering a good fastball.
Always ice after outings. As ballplayers get older it becomes more important to decrease the amount of inflammation, which causes shoulder and elbow pain. Pain when pitching will reduce velocity for even the toughest pitchers.
Learn to pitch to both sides of the plate. Pitchers who can control both sides of the plate with the fastball force hitters to protect the inside and outside corners, resulting in a fastball that can both freeze and jam hitters.
Increase movement by changing arm angles and grips on the ball. An 88 mph fastball that moves three inches is more effective than a straight 92 mph fastball.
Throw, Throw, Throw. The best way to build arm strength is to throw the ball. Good, effective long toss can help develop arm strength and a better fastball.


Again genetics plays an important role; it doesn't hurt to be 6' 5" and 230lbs.

Coach Steve Rau is a long time pitching instructor and co-founder of Play Ball Academy. He has been analyzing pitchers and hitters for a number of years and has helped a number of ballplayers become successful college and professional players.

More pitching tips, video lessons, and audio sessions can be found 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

Secrets to Coaching Youth Baseball

By Stephen K Reynolds

Coaching Youth Baseball is a great experience for men and women to be involved in. One of the awesome things about being involved in it is the opportunity to be around young people and motivate them to be their best.

There are tons of books and materials on youth baseball so i wont try to re-invent the wheel here.
I just want to hit on some things that need to mentioned. Keep it simple!! The majority of reasons why teams aren't as good as they could be is because they don't do the simple things!

Coaches want to be smart and try to employ strategies that are just to sophisticated for young players especially for 9-10 year olds. Stick to the basics ground ball practice, fly balls, throwing fundamentals, basis pitching mechanics.

Incorporate games into the drills that way kids can see the result of why they need to use a technique correctly. Keep it light and fun that way your players keep coming back for more.

Remember long after the games are over the players will remember how they were treated, not what the score was!! Here is one for you Dads... Your Son or daughter will never be as good as you Thought you were!

Another important key is using stations, less standing around. lets face it there is never enough time as it is. The secret is to make good use of your time while you have your players.

Bottom line have fun with this great game and enjoy your time with the players it goes by very quickly!!

Stephen K Reynolds is publisher of the LSR Unlimted "Free" newsletter which focuses on helping newcomers and seasoned pros learn the secrets to marketing in the ever changing world of the internet! For more information on this e-mail lsrwealth@gmail.com

(800)758-1282

[http://www.urticket.org]

406-542-1723

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

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.