"STREAK DRILL" - BUILDS SKILL AND ENTERTAINS AT THE SAME TIME!

"STREAK DRILL" - BUILDS SKILL AND ENTERTAINS AT THE SAME TIME!

DIRECTIONS:
1. The STREAK DRILL is actually a competition. The batter competes against their best score ever or against another batter.
2. The object of the drill is to hit the balls as many times as possible, in succession, without a clean miss. The number of times the batter hits the ball, in a row, is that batter's STREAK NUMBER for that day or competition.
3. If the batter cleanly misses. The streak ends and the other batter takes their turn at hitting.
4. When two players compete, the players take turns batting to see who can build the longest streak. Any contact with the ball keeps the streak going.
5. If a batter touches the ball with a hand, a non swinging bat, or stops the ball in anyway, that batter's streak is stopped.
6. The batter should make sure to make contact with the ball component and not the shaft.

COACHING TIP from Coach Nick: The STREAK DRILL is an excellent way to develop a player's ability to perform under pressure. It also brings out the competitive spirit in all players. You may wish to divide the team into ability groups. Make sure to carry your BatAction on the road to games and tournaments. The BatAction is great pre-game warm-up! It is so much fun, players love to hit it between games.

Buy the BatAction Hitting Machine at Discount Prices at CoachesBest.com.

Using the BatAction Machine Will Definitely Help Win More Games?

Using the BatAction Machine Will Definitely Help Win More Games?

The BatAction Machine offers teams many advantages including economizing time, energy and effort. It also maximizes drill productivity to develop incredible skills and bat speed. Championship teams have good pitching, play solid defense and hit the ball against good pitching. The BatAction Machine will double or triple the amount of actual practice swings that your players will take each day. More quality practice means increased skills, better hitters and more wins.

Using the Machine For Team Practices?

The machine is setup in a location that is safe and out of the way. There will be players hitting on it all day. I suggest having each player do a set workout including hitting all pitch locations and the specific purpose drills. I suggest writing the drills on a sheet of paper and attaching it to the fence near the machine. The player can follow the workout and this makes sure every drill is done daily.


Sample:
Daily Workout Sheet

BatAction Daily Workout
Drill..............Number of Swings
Hip Turner............10
Top Hand..............10
Inside Contact.......10
Middle Contact.......10
Away Contact........10
Hit & Bunt..............10
Bring-Bys...............10
See & Hit Drill.........30

Total Swings..........100

Have a great weekend. Nick

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The Prefect Bat to Use when hitting your batAction Hitting Machine

Center In On the Barrel. There’s no better way to increase your batting power than hitting consistently on the “sweet spot.” The Sweet Spot bat trains you to hit on the proper part of the barrel for easy power and going deep.


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=Strong enough for live pitching, great with swing trainers
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=Multiple sizes to simulate regulation baseball bat lengths (28”, 30”, 32”)

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The greatest blunder in baseball history

I always tell my players the following story. It is considered by many to be the greatest player msitake in baseball history.

"Merkle's `Boner'- A True Baseball Story"

It happened in September of 1908, in NY City. The Cubs were facing the Giants with the pennant on the line. Each and every game was a must-win situation. The score was tied 1-1, in the bottom of the 9th, the Giants had runners on the corners with two outs.

Fred Merkle, a 19 year-old rookie, was the runner on first.
The next batter lined a single. The runner at third came home. It appeared to be a Giants victory, they had
taken the lead for the pennant, the cheering fans swarmed the field.

Merkle looked toward home plate and saw his teammate cross the plate. Merkle, startled as the crowd swarmed out of the bleachers onto the field, stopped. Thinking the game was over, Merkle sprinted off the field. But, he had forgotten an improtant rule of baseball, he did not go touch second. The Cubs retreived the ball, went and touched second. The game was declared at tie because order could not be restored because the fans could not be removed from the field. The two teams went on to finish the season in a dead
tie for the pennant. They had to play a one-game playoff. The Cubs won and went to the World Series. One loss, the loss, that day knocked the Giants out!

Merkle was never forgiven by the NY fans for that blunder. He went on to have a solid career of 14 years and a lifetime average of 273. However, everywhere he went he always was reminded by fans of his terrible mistake on that day of his rookie season. A mistake that will always be called, Merkles Boner.

Baseball Swing - Three Core Movements

By Nate Barnett

When I teach hitting (or pitching for that matter) there are a few important core movements that if accomplished will lead to a greater chance that other movements further in the baseball swing process will be successful. Keep in mind that there are quite a few significant movements within the complete baseball swing. Please don't think the below is an exhaustive list.

Core Hitting Movements:

1. The load. Movement backwards where weight is stacked on back leg is valuable so as to make sure the back knee and hip are fully involved in the triggering (power creation) process. Without the load, little power can be effectively generated with the lower half and therefore, the front hip or hands will begin to take over to compensate (a bad thing).

2. The trigger. Movement forward with the back knee and hip are essential. If the front side (leg and hip mostly here) are doing their job, then the rotation with the back side first will create torque in the swing and allow the upper body to then whip through the bat through the zone.

3. Front side stability. I teach a lot on the lower half of the body. It's the source of the power. If it is not under full control, the upper half must work extra hard, sometimes too much in creating energy while hitting a baseball. Therefore, the front knee and hip should remain closed off to the pitcher as the back side begins it's initial movement. As the rotation continues, the front side will give way and allow full hip rotation to continue. If control of the front side initially is accomplished, the results will be energy (not to be confused with weigh transfer) being directed back into the pitch. If there is little front side control, meaning the hips begin to open too soon, the energy will not be directed into the pitch, but instead away from the plate.

As always, pictures or videos provide the best example for baseball instruction. However, understanding what one is looking at while viewing pictures or videos is the most important part in understand a fundamental baseball swing.

Nate Barnett is owner of BMI Baseball http://bmibaseball.com and is based out of Washington State. His expertise is in the area of hitting, pitching, and mental training. Coach Barnett's passion is working with youth in helping expand their vision for their baseball future. After finishing a professional career in the Seattle Mariners Organization, Nate pursued his coaching and motivational training career. For more information on hitting mechanics, find his instructional blog at http://bmibaseball.com/blog

Hitting Mechanics 101, an ebook on complete hitting mechanics will be released in June, 2008. Features include numerous illustrations, video clips, and a special offer to discuss your hitting questions over live on the phone strategy sessions.

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

Bat Certification - Ball Exit Speed Ratio (BESR)

By Wiley Channell

BESR Ball Exit Speed Ratio is a rule which applies to all non-wood bats used by all high schools who are members of the National Federation High School Associations.

All non-wood bats used must bear the BESR certification mark.

The Ball Exit Speed Ratio mark ensures a maximum exit speed of 97 miles per hour. The rules also a part of the BESR standard, have the following requirement a maximum of 2 5/8 inches diameter bat barrel and a minus-3 differential between the length and weight. (i.e.,a 33-inch-long bat cannot weigh less than 30 ounces).

Folks all of the above criteria and certification is dedicated to safety for our high school baseball players.

Good people first off let me admit some ignorance on this dedicated to safety part of this BESR certification. I originally thought the safety thing was referring to the bat staying in one piece and not flying apart when some over strength lad really laced into little white baseball.

That is not the safety bit at all it is the safety of those lads out there in the infield trying to corral the well hit ball. It seems the elasticity of materials used in a metallic bat will cause a baseball to leave the bat so fast and with such velocity it is or could be a dangerous missile.

Would you want your kid waiting patiently down there at third base trying to stop a baseball coming off a metal bat travelling like a shot from a 30 ought 6 rifle? Never ! so the BESR certification establishes that the flexibility or elasticity if that metal bat has been tempered to a control point so that the ball will not be leaving the bat at more than the specified 97 miles per hour.

So much for science and physics in the matter all we can hope for is that the manufacturing and production process is up to snuff and have it right all the time when the BESR mark is put on every metal bat.

Maybe the rules committee failed to certify or place a mark for size of the boy or muscle strength allowed to use a bat.

Collegiate use of non-wood bats might want to consider this Exit Speed Ratio thing to consider the safety net. A bat with a Ball Exit Speed Ratio maximum above 97 miles per hour might ruin the College home run records and statistics.

Since professional or major league baseball has placed non-wood bats off limits this BESR thing is of no consequence in professional baseball as of today.

I seriously doubt professional baseball leagues will ever adopt the use of non-wood bats. The sweet sound of that wood on the baseball has a sound so unique an experienced player can by the sound alone tell if the ball is well hit and heading to the far reaches of the ball park.

The sound of the metallic bats meeting the ball has a pinging sound and reminds one of the sound of a hub cap coming off the wheel of a car. The professional and sandlot players have yet to become attuned to judging the travel probability of a ball leaving these modern day metallic bats.

Major league teams still have to contend with the "Tar Baby Bat" because George just might knock the tar out of that hosshide.

Batter Up---Let's Play Ball...

BaseballFarming is for real so an Introduction to the concept of baseball farming which includes ideas on strategies, training, and winning! by Major Wiley B. Channell USMC (ret) is available at: http://www.baseballfarming.com

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Baseball Training - The BatAction Machine Makes Learning to Hit Easy and Efficient!

The BatAction Hitting Machine is the Original Rotational Hitting Machine. The BatAction Machine is a great baseball training device for baseball players of all ages and ability levels. The BatAction Machine has an innovative patented design that has a ball suspended horizontally. This simple design makes learning to hit easy, simple and safe. When a player hits the BatAction Ball, the ball is driven forward and around the machine. The machine then stops the ball and returns it to the player. The horizontal patented design of the machine suspends the ball in mid-air allowing the ball to react to bat contact like a real baseball or softball. The player can hit the ball moving or wait until the ball stops. The batter has ample time between swings to reset and prepare for the next swing.

The Bat Action Machine allows the batter work at a comfortable speed and pace. There is no need for another person. The batter has to do nothing but swing the bat. The Bat Action Machine does everything else. These are no balls to gather, no balls to chase and no balls to pick up. There are no levers to press, balls to toss, or pedals to step on. The Bat Action is absolutely 100% energy efficient and it is so much fun to hit! It's no wonder; the Bat Action Machine is one of the most popular and best selling baseball training machines ever!

The BatAction Baseball Training Machine offers 5 great benefits:
1. The BatAction Machine has a large circle of ball movement - This large path of ball movement allows the batter to see, hit and track the ball before and after each swing. The BatAction ball movement closely simulates live pitching!
2. The BatAction Machine allows the batter to read swing contact. The ball is suspended in mid-air without cables, string, or ropes. This unique patented design allows the ball to react to bat contact much like a real ball. The batter receives instant feedback as to the quality and power of every swing. The batter can immediately read the ball after contact to see if the ball hit was a line drive, ground ball or fly ball. This instant feedback is extremely useful and beneficial to rapid skill improvement and bat speed development.
3. Every swing is a challenge - The BatAction Machine features a moving ball with adjustable speeds. Players really love the challenge and fun of seeing and hitting a moving ball. The harder a player hits the ball, the faster it will return. This ball movement keeps the batter challenged and motivated to practice more and more.
4. The BatAction Machine fast moving ball makes every swing a challenge - The BatAction Machine features a moving ball with adjustable speeds. Players really love the challenge and fun of seeing and hitting a moving ball. The harder a player hits the ball, the faster it will return. This ball movement keeps the batter challenged and motivated to practice more and more.
5. The BatAction Machine is a great trainer for planned or impulse training - The BatAction is often used as a hitting station for team training. It is great for these planned activities. But, one of the benefits that makes it one of the most popular home trainers ever, is the fact that it can be set up as a hitting station in the backyard. This makes the BatAction Machine always available to a hitter for fun and recreational use. These impulse workouts can be done alone, even when Dad or Mom is not at home.

This is why the Bat Action Machine is often called the Backyard Basketball Goal for baseball and softball players. It is so much fun to hit that kids spend hours and hours of their free time hitting the fast moving ball. These fun workouts are the reason that BatAction Machine owners are some of the most dominate hitters in the game today.

Check out the BatAction Hitting Machine baseball pitching simulator. This high speed training machine is 100% Guaranteed to raise Batting Averages and has a full year warranty.

Did You remember the "Johnny Bench Batter-UP"?

Do You remember the "Johnny Bench Batter-UP"? If you had one, you know and realize the benefits of a rotational hitting machine with a high speed moving ball.

Did you love your "Johnny Bench Batter Up" Rotational Trainer From the 70's? Looking for similar machine for your player? The BatAction Machine features the same ball movement but with a heavy-duty space age design that offers superior performance and durability!

If you are old enough to remember the Johnny B "Batter-Up", then you will really appreciate what the BatAction Hitting Machine offers your hitters!
The BatAction Hitting Machine features the same high speed ball rotation but in a larger circle! The BatAction trainer is made with today's "space age" technology to offer a high performance machine that will provide your players with years and years of quality practice! In fact, Coach Nick owned a "Batter-Up" years ago!

BatAction Hitting Machine - Buy for less at Baseball2u.com and Coachesbest.com

Bottom-line, the BatAction Machine allows a coach to correct a batter's swing instantly, and it builds muscle memory in the players.

Here is a letter received from another happy youth baseball coach that knows what a great advantage the BatAction Machine gives his team.

Hello,
I just want to say that I have two BatActions and totally LOVE them and I'm looking forward to getting this third one!

I've been a youth coach for about 7 years and have always struggled with getting the kids that are less than good to develop a proper bat-swing. I've bought just about every kind of gizmo there is, read books on hitting, bought instructional videos, bought a Jugs pitching machine, thrown soft-toss for hours, thrown batting-practice till I couldn't lift my arm, and still had nominal success at developing a good powerful swing (having the essential elements of proper mechanics) in less than athletic kids.

Now all of that has changed! I'm coaching two teams this season (a 7-8 year old team and a 13-14 year old team). The results are unbelievable! Within two practices (just two) my weakest hitters are swinging like talented kids. They no longer simply try to put the bat on the ball, they have begun the hand-eye coordination swing with FULL POWER! I am able to show them that without proper mechanics they "really do" have a very poor swing that either bloops the ball or misses it. The talented kids' hitting has simply exploded!

Bottom-line, the BatAction allows a coach to correct a batter's swing instantly, and it builds muscle memory in the players. The kids love it! I believe they respond so well because they want to "HIT THAT THING" because it shouldn't be that hard, and they get 10 times the number of powerful swings as they would get using any other method. They get so much practice at it that I haven't had to tell one kid/parent to get batting gloves. They figured that out real quick.

With the BatAction I'm able to have quality batting practices every day we're on the field, while still getting all the rest done too! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

"Coach D J"

BatAction Baseball Trainer - Another BatAction Customer Tells it Like it Is

Coach,
Hello,
Can't tell you how happy myself, my two boys and the 13-14 select baseball team are with the BatAction Machine I purchased from you back in February. I am the teams hitting instructor. Since the day I received it, this machine has been an integral part of my hitting instructions.

The boys absolutely love to work with this machine! For the first time in team history, we have several boys that are carrying a 400+ BA after nine games, the remaining boys are in the 300+ range. Impressive stats based on the kind of pitching we face. The boys are more focused with clean crisp line drive swings. They now carry loads of confidence to the plate. Thank you! The machine is flat out great!

M.S. McKinney, TX

BatActionMachine.com - Site has a huge collection of informations, drills and tips
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Coaching Youth Baseball - Do You Have a "Cheat Sheet" for Your Hitters?

By Chip Lemin

Hello Coaches,
I have posted three drills and a small cheat sheet for hitting. I find it very helpful to catalog all my drills on my computer,print them off and save them.When I want to spice up practice, I get them out and make a new practice planner.

Know the Count drill

Station a coach seated behind an L-screen approximately 30 feet away from the hitter (coach should wear helmet and stay well behind the screen.) The coach can pinpoint the corners and move the ball up and down throwing a high percentage of strikes from this distance. The hitter is forced to react quickly
.
To further the effectiveness of the drill we have the coach shout a count just before delivering the ball (i.e. 3-0, or 1-2, etc.). This forces the hitter to think about the type of hitting situation that they are confronted with before offering. For example, in a 3 ball situation the hitter may decide to take a questionable pitch for ball 4 whereas in a 2 strike situation they must guard the dish. Also we will vary the situational hitting by having the coach shout out where runners are as well as out count. This further reinforces the concept of productive at bats while giving a mental focus to what can otherwise become a repetitive drill.

Continue reading This Great Article at BaseballCoachingDigest.com

Are you thinking about building your own backyard batting cage?

Build a Batting Cage
The "Batting Cage Builder" offers useful tips and valuable information for buying, building, owning, and using a batting cage.

6 Great Youth Baseball Training products that Produce Incredible Results

6 Great Youth Baseball Training products that Produce Incredible Results. Here are 6 of the hottest new training products in youth baseball and youth softball. These hit trainers are knwon and respected for producing rasining batting averages, improving hitting mechanics, and teaching the correct fundamentals of hitting a baseball.

1. BatAction Self-Trainer Hitting Machine by Nedco Sports - One of the best known trainers on the market. It is popular because it is simple to use, raises batting averages, and has speed and height adjustments for all ages and skill levels. The unit weight less than 35 pounds, packs away easily and travels in the truck of your car. Price under $200 http://www.bataction.com/

2. Target Handheld Hit Trainer - This hitting stick trainer by SKLZ offers easy, portable, inexpensive, and productive batting practice for teeball, youth baseball, and youth softball. The units is lightweight and can be carried to game for pre-game warm-up. Price under $50 http://www.baseball2u.com/prohitrbynes.html

3. Handsback Hitter by Swing Buster - This unique and innovative batting trainer features a mechanical tee that launches the ball into the strikezone. The players learns very quickly to trigger, stay back, and drive the barrel through the baseball or softball. Portable unit that can travel to games and practices. Price under $100 http://www.handsbackhitter.com/

4. Stay Back Batting Tee - This great training tee teaches players to stay back, to hit with leverage and power, and to keep the weight and hands back. This tee is simply to assemble and can be used at all ages because it has several adjustments. Portable with a weight less than 25 pounds. Price under $100 http://www.staybacktee.com/

5. Advanced Skills Batting Tee - This innnovative new batting tee by Muhl Tech is the one of the hottest selling training products of 2009. The lightweight tee has a unique design and barrier that teached the batter to have a compact, short, and prefect swing. Sells for under $100 http://www.advancedskillstee.com/

6. Quick Swing Trainer - This unique batting machine is automated. It produces incredible bat speed and builds batter confidence extremely fast. Lightweight and batter operated for complete portability. This is a great training tool and the cost is under $100. I suggest that you buy the combo that includes the net and machine for $129.95.http://www.quickswingtrainer.com/

Have a great day.Nick

The Baseball Swing - A Couple Fallacies

By Nate Barnett

Do you know why you teach what you teach to your hitters? If I stopped you right now and asked you to tell me a couple advantages of any part of what you're teaching, could you do it? If not, it's time to kick into gear your learning habit and pick up some instructional strategies.

I've picked a couple parts of the baseball swing mechanics I hear taught repeatedly that are incorrect. Don't worry, I'll follow my own advise and explain why. Don't just take my word for it, however, ask around. Get other perspectives. But most of all, build your baseball swing knowledge base. Baseball instruction is a funny thing. You can find information and hitting "experts" everywhere. However, please for your own sake make sure that you are qualifying your sources of information first before you accept it. If you don't, you'll end up spending a lot of money, and changing your philosophy often.

Two Mechanical Fallacies:

1. Keeping your back elbow up is NECESSARY for a proper baseball swing.

I hear this advice mostly in Little League or in some of the younger age leagues. There is no physical advantage or benefit for a hitter to keep his back elbow up (often sometime much above the back shoulder). I'm not quite sure where the idea originated, but I do know it spreads like wildfire. It's like the cure all for a poor baseball swing. When it doubt, it must be the back elbow! And you can be sure you'll sometimes hear from the dugout or the stands, "Keep your back elbow up, Johnny!"

Keeping the back elbow up for younger hitters is often a source of a slow and long swing. When the bat head travels into the zone, the elbow of the top arm on the bat is down and relaxed close to the hitters body (if done correctly). Because of that, it makes little sense for a younger hitter to move his back elbow from a stiff position in the stance to a relax and collapsed position in mid-swing. Extra parts moving during a baseball swing mean less consistency. As a hitter gets older, his preference may be of a back elbow that is raised some. At this point (assuming he understands swing mechanics) he can make the adjustments as necessary.

2. Rolling your wrists as your bat comes through the zone is a must to create bat speed.

I have to bite my tongue (quite hard actually) when I ever hear this advice being offered for baseball instruction. While the back elbow up philosophy can be dismissed somewhat as a youth baseball strategy that does relatively minimal damage, this wrists rolling business can not be ignored in order to create a fundamentally sound baseball swing.

What "Wrist Rollers" can't do:
A. Hit an inside fastball to the pull side (right field as a lefty and left field as a righty).
B. Hit an outside fastball with any consistency to the opposite field (left field as a lefty and right field as a righty).
C. Hit line drives with back spin consistently (you know the kind that get over an outfielders head in a hurry for a double).

Here is why I can make those statements so confidently. In order to roll the wrists through a baseball swing, your arms must be straight at the elbows on contact with the baseball to do so. Youth hitters can get away with this because the velocity of the pitch is not overpowering yet. Add another 10-15 mph to the pitch and those inside pitches cannot be hit (or if they do, it stings) because the bat will be slow to sweep into the hitting zone. Outside pitches will also be difficult because the barrel of the bat will only cover the outer portion of the plate a fraction of the time necessary.

So what to do?

Teach your athletes when hitting a baseball to have their palm facing up on their top hand as they come in contact with the baseball. As the hands stay close to the body through the swing, the hitter will extend his arms after contact is made with the pitch. This proper extension is extremely important for good bat speed and plate coverage.

About the Author
Nate Barnett is owner of BMI Baseball http://bmibaseball.com and is based out of Washington State. His expertise is in the area of hitting, pitching, and mental training. Coach Barnett's passion is working with youth in helping expand their vision for their baseball future. After finishing a professional career in the Seattle Mariners Organization, Nate pursued his coaching and motivational training career. His instructional blog is located at http://bmibaseball.com/blog

His new FREE ebook, Toxic Baseball: Are you polluting your game? can be found on the main BMI Baseball website.
Hitting 101, an ebook on complete hitting mechanics will be released by June 1st, 2008. Features include numerous illustrations, video clips, and a special offer to discuss your hitting questions over live on the phone strategy sessions.

CoachesBest.com has youth baseball trainers at discount prices.

Baseball Instruction - What to Change If You Hit Lots of Groundballs

Nate Barnett

Because there are so many intricate moving parts within the baseball swing, it's tough to keep everything moving well, all of the time. Add the fact that the pitcher is trying to mess up everything you've learned in all your hours of baseball instruction and you've got some serious challenges.
One of the most common questions I get as a hitting instructor is solving the problem of grounding out repetitively to the pull side (left side of the field as a righty, right side of the field as a lefty). There are multiple causes of this problem, but chances are that it's one of the below issues I'll cover.

1. The most common hitting mistake that leads to frequent ground outs is too much weight transferring forward onto the front leg. Good hitting stems from energy that is stored onto the back leg. Therefore, when preparing for the job of hitting a baseball, the hitter must shift some weight onto his back leg before the baseball swing begins. If the hitter doesn't shift the weight to his back leg, or doesn't keep the weight there as he swings, he will begin to transfer weight to his front foot and become off balance. This balance problem (too much weight on the front foot) will cause a lot of baseballs that are hit in a downward angle.

2. A second cause of hitting ground balls to the pull side is the opening of the front hip too soon. As mentioned above, the back side of a hitter's body creates power and energy. The front side of the body (front foot, knee, and hip) are then responsible for controlling some of that energy and channeling it into the correct direction, back to the pitcher. If the front hip begins to rotate at the same moment the back knee and hip begin to turn, energy will be moving away from the contact zone. Because of this, many times the bat will enter the hitting zone and come into contact with the ball as it's moving away from the plate causing a ground ball or top spin line drive (bad spin) to the pull side.

3. One last cause is an improper hand path into the hitting zone. Some of the problem can stem from poor front hip control, but sometimes it's just the hands that are the issue. In general, and without being too technical on this part of the baseball swing, the hands should stay near the body as they enter the hitting zone. Hands that stray away from the body will cause a bat that is sweeping through the zone. A bat that sweeps will not be moving towards the pitch on contact with the ball. Instead, the bat will be moving away and to the pull side. This is improper extension and will be the cause of multiple issues ranging from a slow bat to getting jammed on a lot of inside pitches.

Finally, my suggestion would be do a search on the internet for some pictures or videos of major league hitters and look for the parts of the swing mentioned in this article. It's only with a visual that you will begin to learn and understand the intricate details of a good baseball swing. Once you learn some of the techniques, implementing some exercises into your youth baseball drills will make all the difference in correcting this problem.

Nate Barnett is owner of BMI Baseball http://bmibaseball.com and is based out of Washington State. His expertise is in the area of hitting, pitching, and mental training. Coach Barnett's passion is working with youth in helping expand their vision for their baseball future. After finishing a professional career in the Seattle Mariners Organization, Nate pursued his coaching and motivational training career. His instructional blog is located at http://bmibaseball.com/blog
His new FREE ebook, Toxic Baseball: Are you polluting your game? can be found on the main BMI Baseball website.
Hitting Mechanics 101, an ebook on complete hitting mechanics will be released in June, 2008. Features include numerous illustrations, video clips, and a special offer to discuss your hitting questions over live on the phone strategy sessions.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nate_Barnett

Make a Solid Investment in Your Baseball Player's Career! Improved Baseball Hitting Guaranteed!

Buying a BatAction Machine is one of the smartest parental decisions you will ever make! You have our 100% Money-Back Guarantee to PROVE IT! For less than an expensive bat you can purchase the absolute best hitting machine ever! A machine known for producing 100 to 200 point increases in batting averages for both teams and players!

The BatAction Machine gives teams and players 3 distinct advantages:
1) More Quality Swings Year Round!
2) Instant Feedback on Swing Quality!Feedback that helps "coach" you to a perfect swing and better skill!
3) Practicing alone is one trait of a dedicated and motivated future prospect. There is no better machine for this purpose!

If you own the BatAction, you know what we mean when we say it is the very best breakthrough in hitting technology to come out in years! If you do not have one in your yard, we suggest that you make the call as soon as possible! Do not miss another day! You will always be glad that you did! Your player will be glad! Give your players the BATACTION ADVANTAGE, ORDER NOW and receive a FREE EXTRA BALL UNIT, a $49.95 VALUE, ABSOLUTELY FREE. Offer not valid with any other discount or offer. Order today! Remember, your purchase is protected by our 100% Money back Guarantee. Call toll free, 1-866- 500-4487 or 1-877-431-4487 to order now!

12 Things You Must Know Before You Purchase a Batting Cage

12 Things You Must Know Before You Purchase a Batting Cage
Purchase a Batting Cage Only After You Have Considered These 12 Things. There are some basic points that you must know before you buy a batting cage.

Click Here to Continue Reading This Article

How to make your BatAction Powerbands last for a full season.

The Powerbands are the energy source for the BatAction Hitting Machine. The Bat Action Batting Machine operates by the "wrapping and unwrapping" action of the powerbands. Most users use two powerbands. The powerbands should not be too tight. The Hitting machine should rotate at least two times when hit by an advanced high school ages hitter.

The key to making BatAction Hitting Machine Powerbands last:

BatAction Powerbands should last at least a year. Make sure that you always allow the bands to unwind between swings. What stresses and breaks the bands is a batter that keeps hitting the ball every time it approaches without allowing the ball to unwind and the bands to unwrap. When a hitter allows the machine to pass by a couple times between swings, the stress or tension on the bands is released. This prevents the powerbands from being stretched too tight and breaking.

Buy your replacement BatAction Ball units and Powerbands online...Click Here.

The BatAction Hitting Machine - This amazing baseball training machine is the absolute best backyard batting trainer that money can buy!

Click here to go to BatAction.com and read the 15 reasons you definitely need a BatAction Hitting Machine in your own backyard!

Did You Learn to Hit on a "Johnny Bench Batter-UP"?

Did you love your "Johnny Bench Batter Up" Rotational Trainer From the 70's? Looking for similar machine for your player?

The BatAction Machine features the same ball movement but with a heavy-duty space age design that offers superior performance and durability!

If you are old enough to remember the Johnny B "Batter-Up", then you will really appreciate what the BatAction offers your hitter! The BatAction features the same high speed ball rotation but in a larger circle! The BatAction is made with today's "space age" technology to offer a high performance machine that will provide your players with years and years of quality practice! In fact, Coach Nick owned a "Batter-Up" years ago!

Happy Hitters and Happy Customers are our best advertising method! Read what a recent customer had to say about his BatAction purchase!

Coach Dixon,
Hello, I can't tell you how happy myself, my two boys and the 13-14 select baseball team are with the BatAction Machine I purchased from you back in February. I am the teams hitting instructor. Since the day I received it, this machine has been an integral part of my hitting instructions. The boys absolutely love to work with this machine! For the first time in team history, we have several boys that are carrying a 400+ BA after nine games, the remaining boys are in the 300+ range. Impressive stats based on the kind of pitching we face.The boys are more focused with clean crisp line drive swings. They now carry loads of confidence to the plate. Thank you! The machine is flat out great!

M.S.McKinney, TX

The 12 Best Hitting Drills in Baseball

Here are 12 hitting drills that I feel every team should use in a year round training program.

Drill # 1 Top-Hand Drill The top hand on the grip is the hand that takes the bat to the ball. It is improtant to develop strength and skill with this hand. To do this we do a one-handed isolation drill. The batter uses just the top hand. Gripping the bat at the top of the grip and using the bat like a tomahawk, the batter tries to get over the top of the ball and hit it into the ground. The batter has a coach or player soft toss the ball above the waist. The batter hits the ball from the top and drives its straight into the ground. This drill is best performed with the Hit2win Handheld Trainer from Nedco Sports. Suggested - 25 Swings - 3 Times a week. Drill #

2 Power Hand Drill A hitters power comes from the bottom or pull hand. This drill develops bottom hand strength. This drill when done on a hitting machine, the machine should be set at a high strike setting. The hitter uses only the bottom hand in its regular position near the knob of the bat. We recommend the BatAction Hitting Machine for this drill. It works absolutely perfect! The coach must make sure that the ball is above the batters waist. It is best for the ball to be numbers high. The batter steps into the ball and hits its one-handed. Suggested - 25 Swings - 3 Times a week.

Drill # 3 Multiple Location Contact Drill The hitter is given three pitch locations to practice hitting; inside, away and middle. The ball may be presented to the batter using soft toss, batting tee, Hit2win Trainer coaching trainer, or Bataction Machine. On the inside location, the batter must learn to involve the hips and turn on the pitch, pulling it. On the middle pitch the batter hits the ball dead up the middle. On the away pitch, the batter makes sure to take the ball to the opposite field. The coach may want to put spots on the ground showing where the batter attacks each pitch location. The inside pitch is attacked on a spot located in front of the plate. The middle pitch is attacked on a spot located just behind the instep of the hitters front foot. The away strike is attacked on a spot located just inside of the hitters back foot. The batter can also use a Hitting machine and change location to the machine to get multiple strike contact work. Suggested - 20 At Each Location - 3 Times Weekly.

Drill # 4 Two Ball Soft Toss The hitter learns to concentrate and keep the weight back. The coach tosses two balls. The coach calls top or bottom after the balls are releasd. The hitter hits the called ball into the fence or screen. This drill can be done from different locations. The coach should also fake toss and change the release points as well as vary the speed of the balls. Tip: Players should Know All Hitting Terms Squash The Bug- The correct action of the hitters back foot. Trigger-The hitters final inside turn movement before the swing. See The Ball Flat-See the ball until it goes flat against the bat and comes off.

Many of our suggested top hitting drills can easily be performed with the Hit2win Trainer by Nedco Sports. We highly recommend this product for all ages. For more information, CLICK HERE!

BatAction Hitting Machine - The only hitiing machine 100% Guaranteed to improve hitting skill, bat speed, raise batting averages and reduce strikeouts!

Drill #5 Long Toss BP One of the best misconceptions in baseball is that to benefit from batting practice the pitcher must be at regular distance and throw game speed. Much more can be accomplished when the pitcher throws from half the regular distance. At this distance the pitcher has better control and more work is accomplished. The ball is thrown at a steady appropriate speed. The speed at this distance should make the batter develop a quicker bat and great skill.
The coach should never do this drill without a L-screen. This drill can also be performed with regular or golf-ball sized wiffles.

Drill #6 Bring-By Drill The purpose of this drill is the increase of bat speed. This drill is best performed with soft toss or the BatAction Hitting Machine. The batter hits a ball that is coming from his back side going toward the pitcher. The hitter must see the ball and catch-up with it before it gets by him. The speed of the ball is increased to challenge the hitter more and more. When performing this drill with a BatAction Hitting Machine, it is recommended that you remove the machines power bands to increase your swing counts and to vary the balls comeby speeds.

Drill # 7 Closed Eye Hitting Drill This is one of my favorite drills. The hitter assumes a comfortable and correct stance each time. Then the hitter closes the eyes. The coach or Hit2win Trainer coaching trainer holder will change the strike height and location each time. A verbal command is given, the hitter opens the eyes and hits the ball correctly wherever it is located. The batter must use the correct swing to hit inside, middle, and away pitches. The holder will also locate the ball out of the strikezone. Any ball above the hands or on the ground is a ball and should not be hit. Suggested - 15 Swings - 3 Times a week.
Hit2win Trainer By Nedco Sports A Drill "Dream Tool"!

BatAction "Rotational" Pitch Simulator "The best you can buy for under $300!" For More Info Click On The Photo Below!

The hitter's "backyard basketball goal" makes home batting practice as easy and convenient as shooting a "game of horse"! What could 25,000 more practice swings a year do for your game?Think about it!

Drill # 8 Backside Barrier Drill This drill is used to shorten-up a hitters swing. If the batter is too long to the ball or has that A to B to C swing that is considered a slow-pitch softball swing, drills can be used to make the hitter shorten up. The batter sets up with his hands 8 to 10 inches from the fence with the fence behind the batter. The fence should run parallel with the batters back foot. If the batter casts the hands backwards or loops the bat, he will hit the fence or barrier.

Drill # 9 Step in Drill One of the most common faults with young hitters is stepping out. This drill is used to combat that bad habit. The coach may use a BatAction Machine, Coach Nick's Hit2win Trainer, or Stay-Back Tee. The hitter sets up to start the drill one step behind where he should be when he hits the ball. The hitter will step toward the plate with the back foot first then the front foot. When the front foot hits the ground the batter will attack the ball. There should be no hesitation. Step, step, HIT! The hitter will develop the habit of stepping into the ball when he attacks it. His momemtum is going toward the plate during this drill so it is very difficult for the hitter to step out.

Drill #10 Bunt Pepper This is a great drill to develop bunting skills. The drill involves 5 players in each group. The players may use the pivot or square around bunt technique. The batter must bunt the ball to each of the four fielders. The hitter bunts one to each and then takes the left fielders (facing the batter) place. The right fielder comes to bat and the other move over one place. The coach should emphasize that the batters bunt the ball softly to the fielders. The bat should be keep at a 45 degree angle and the batter should change height by bending the knees. Fielders should catch the ground ball, bare-handed, out front, then square the feet around and throw the next strike to the hitter. This makes a great warmup drill for the beginning of practice. Defensive skills should also be stressed. Bonus Drill - The Hit2win Trainer Bat Speed Drill The drill begins with the trainer ball on the ground. The holder will raise the ball to the batters numbers. The batter will hit the ball when it gets to certain called spots, eg. knee, belt, numbers. The speed that the ball is raised is varied to make the batter wait sometimes and react quickly at other times. The drill is great for developing concentration, bat speed, and patience.

Drill # 11 Full Count Game This is a great game simulation drill that teaches hitters to be agressive and to hit under pressure. Two teams face off in a 7 inning game with each batter coming into the box with a full count. Action is quick and players must be alert both offensively and defensively. The count may also be changed to 2-2 and each team can be given one out to start the inning.

Drill #12 Streak Drill This is a BatAction Machine drill. The machine should be set at a height suitable for all players participating in the drill for that day. The machine is set with a one-band setting that allows it to rotate multiple times on contact. The players compete against each other. In the drill the goal is to make good contact as many times as one can without fouling out. Good contact is a swing and contact that makes the machine rotate at least once. The hitter that has the longest streak that day is the champ.

Baseball Batting Success Requires Hitting to All Fields

If you watched the 2008 Baseball College World Series, you quickly realized that great college hitters can catch up to any fastball regardless of the velocity. You saw batters over and over, on the ESPN TV Coverage of the CWS in Omaha, hit mid-90s to upper-90s fastballs with amazing power and bat speed. You saw college baseball batters that apply and execute one of the most important and basic skills of hitting a baseball, the skill of "hitting the ball where it is pitched".

The philosophy of most pitching staffs today is that the job of the pitcher is to allow the batter to get him self out. Pitching coaches teach and coach the pitcher to keep moving the ball in or out, up or down, and to never leave it over the plate. A batter often does not get the same pitch in an at-back and may not see the same pitch in several at-bats. My point here is that to become a great hitter and successful player at any level from Little League, to High School, to College and into the Pros, you must be able do the following:
1. Hit the fastball to all fields.
2. Hit the curve-ball or change-up to the opposite field.
3. Be disciplined to swing only at strikes. What is the secret to hitting to all fields? There are only two parts to this puzzle. What pitch and location should you expect and adjust to and where should you attack each pitch location. There are two simple principles on "expecting and adjusting" at the plate. The batter should expect a pitch away and adjust to the pitch "inside of away".

The baseball batter should expect a fastball and keep the hands back to allow an adjustment to hit the off speed curve or change-up. Where each pitch location should be attacked?

Here are the correct locations to attack each pitch:
1) INSIDE FASTBALL - Batter attacks it as quickly as possible. Contact with the ball is made in front of the plate and often in front of the "front or leverage" leg. This pitch should be pulled. Right-handed batters should pull the ball to left-field and left-handed batters should pull the ball to right-field. The amount of hip movement is dictated by how far inside the pitch is. The closer the pitch is to the batter, the more the hip turn movement will be. This pitch location should always be pulled.
2) MIDDLE FASTBALL - Batter should attack this pitch as soon as it gets behind the front foot. The closer the pitch is to the batter, the quicker it will be attacked as it gets inside the front foot. This pitch should be hit back through the box over second base. The amount of hip movement and pulling action will be dictated by how far in or out the ball is over the middle of the plate.
3) AWAY FASTBALL - The batter should attack this pitch as it gets deeper into the "plate' or just inside the instep of the back foot. This pitch should be hit to the opposite field. The hip turn and body rotation is limited when hitting the ball to the opposite field.
4) CURVE-BALL and CHANGE-UPS - Most of the off speed pitches are attacked at the same location as the away fastball. These pitches are hit to the opposite field. A curve ball that is hung or left inside may allow the batter to turn on it. But, 90% of all off speed pitches are hit deep over the plate at the instep of the back foot of the batter.
COACHING POINT: A batter must expect anything with certain counts. When a batter is down 0-2 or 1-2, the batter must even up the stance, take the lower body out of the swing, and us a top-half swing to allow the batter to hit any pitch and to put the ball in play. The batter with two strikes will not take as "big" a swing as a batter ahead in the count 1-0, 2-0, or 3-1.
N
ick Dixon is the President and founder of Nedco Sports, the "Hit2win Company". Nedco Sports operates CoachesBest.com, and BattingCagesDirect.com. 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.

Bat Action Batting Trainer - Questions and Answers

Question: Does the machine work for left-handers and right-handers, the same?
Answer: The machine allows a player to practice switch hitting without having to adjust or having to stop hitting. A right-handed batter and left-handed batter can practice hitting at the same height without having to change, touch or adjust the machine.

Question:What anchors the machine?
Answer: The machines heavy-duty construction and unique design keep it from "crawling or walking around". The portable unit sometimes needs to be "pinned" in the grass or sand bagged on cement if an advanced high school or college hitter is working out. Many of our owners never have to put additional anchors on their portable units.

Question: Is this machine worth the money?
Answer: Great hitting success is priceless! It only makes sense to invest money in skill-improvement equipment. In this case, for less than you have to spend on some bats, you can now buy a machine that is 100% guarateed to improve skill! A machine that will help that you get $300 worth of hits out of that high priced bat. Yes, its worth every penny you pay for it, plus much more! You will never regret buying this machine!

Coach Nick is so sure that you will find the BatAction Machine's a great investment that he backs each purchase with a 100% Money-Back guarantee. Order online or by phone.
Other Online Stores that carry the BatAction Include:

• Baseball2u.com
• Baseball Dealz Ebay Super Store
• Hit2win.com

BatAction Hitting Machine Replacements Parts

Here are links that you may use to purchase the two major replacement components for Bat Action Hitting Machines:

BatAction Machine Replacement Ball Unit

BatAction 3-pc Powerband Set

Other BatAction Accessories

Have a great day, Nick

BatAction Hitting Machine Assembly Tip: Making sure your powerbands operate smoothly

Your BatAction Hitting Machine should always rotate smoothly with your powerbands wrapping and unwrapping smoothly without getting entangled or hung up. If you are having trouble with your powerbands getting tangled, make sure that the top component side knob and the rotation axle knob are aligned over each other as shown below. This will allow the powerbands to operate without tangling.
Good Luck til next time,Nick

Bat Action Hitting Machine Customer Feedback

Coach,
Just wanted to let you know that we received our BatAction in December and my son has been hitting on it about 3 days a week since. WOW!!! What an improvement in his strength and focus. His favorite drill is to see how many times he can hit it without missing. I bought it to improve his ability to track the ball. With practice starting this week I wish I had about 3 more of these machines to get the whole team using it.

Thanks again for developing this awesome product!

P.A. Manteca, CA

Coach,
I have to let you and your company know what a huge difference your BatAction Machine has made to our team. I coach a 16 and under girls fast pitch softball team. In February I ordered the BatAction and received it about 1 week later. Our practices started in late March and our season began June 1st. Your machine has helped a team that over the past few years has managed only 8 wins, this year I have 2 girls hitting over .600 and 5 girls hitting over .400. To make a bright picture even brighter, we're in first place currently at 5-1. Your machine is portable,easy to take apart and setup which makes it a great asset. I am so happy I found your website and purchased this machine. It was the single best investment I have made for our team.

D.I. Kutztown, PA

Teaching Young Batters to Use the No-Stride Technique For a Good Baseball Swing

By: Nick Dixon

If you watched the College World Series on ESPN SPORTS TV last June, I am sure that you saw, as I did, player after player, use the no-stride technique. The abundance of players using the "No-Stride" technique at the College World Series in Omaha shows how many baseball coaches today teach the "wider stance and no stride approach" to hitting. Here I cover the basics of teaching and coaching the "No-Stride" hitting method.

The "No-stride" technique is simply the process of swinging the baseball bat without taking a big step or stride forward during the swing. The front foot is the stride foot. The back foot is called the pivot foot. The "No-stride" technique allows the batter to swing and keep the head still, the weight back, and the eyes on the ball.

When using the "No-Stride" approach, the batting stance should be wide enough to insure a solid base and wide enough so that the batter can use a "soft or short" stride technique. It is best that the batter simply lifts the front foot up less than an inch and puts in back down in the same place. There is little or no movement forward by the front foot.

A wider base and shorter stride allow the batter to keep the head still and prevents the head from dropping during the swing. When a batter assumes a narrow stance with the feet close together, the batter must take a long stride during the swing. This long stride causes the head and eyes to "fall or drop" during the swing. This is the reason that many coaches teach the no stride technique. Of course, another reason is the fact that when a batters uses a "close stance" and "long stride approach" they often cannot hit the fastball velocity of many pitchers in the game today.

The optimum width of the feet would be slightly wider than shoulder width. The weight should be on the "balls" of the feet and off the heels. The front foot or stride foot should be "placed softly as if it is on a carton of eggs". This softness allows the foot to be lifted and placed back down easily. The back foot or pivot foot is also important during the swing. The back foot should not "move or leak forward" but should turn up "shoe laces to pitcher" when the front foot settles into place during the swing.

COACHING POINT: I recommended an "even toed" stance meaning that the toes of each foot are even when the stance is assumed. A closed stance is one with the back foot farther away from the plate than the front foot. An open stance is one with the front foot farther away from the plate than the back foot.

COACHING POINT: You may actually use a simple demonstration to illustrate how a long stride causes the head to drop and the eyes to move. Have a batter assume a narrow stance. As you face the batter, hold your hand palm down exactly even with the eyes. Have the batter take a long stride while you hold your hand perfectly still at the level where the eyes were when the stride began. A long stride will cause the head to drop and the eyes to drop also. This movement of the head and eyes makes it more difficult for the batter to "see and hit" the ball as it travels through the strike zone.

Make sure to visit the Coachesbest.com for all of your baseball training equipment, batting cages, pitching machine, and coaching video needs. The BatAction Self Trainer is one of the absolute best training aids for batters of all ages and ability levels. BattingcagesDirect.com has a great selection of batting cage nets and net with frame complete packages at discount prices.

Nick Dixon is the President and founder of Nedco Sports, CoachesBest.com, Baseball2u.com and Hit2win.com. He is also an active and full time high school baseball coach with over 25 years experience.
Dixon is widely recognozed 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.com, bb2day.com, the Baseball 2Day Coaches Journal, AmericanBaseballDirectory.com and the Hit2win Baseball Coaches Monthly Newletter.