BaseballCoachingDigest.com - Free articles for the baseball coach, player or parent

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The BaseballCoachingDigest.com has many categories of baseball coaching articles. Here are a few for you to check out.

Ø Baseball Team Coaching and Managing Tips

Ø Baseball Practice Planning

Ø Coaching Hitting

Ø Coaching Pitchers

Ø Coaching Defense

Ø Coaching Base Running



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Coaching Little League Baaseball - Two Batting Videos on Youtube that You Can learn From

Coaching Little League Baseball - Two Batting Videos on Youtube that You Can learn From




For more information on the BatAction Machine visit BatAction.com.

Hello and good Wedenesday morning to you. We begin our 2009 summer baseball camp today. I just hope the weather cooperates. Here are two hitting youtube links that I recommend that my players watch. T think that you will find these useful also.
Have a great day,
Nick


http://youtube.com/watch?v=P1a_T1SKqzM&feature=related

http://youtube.com/watch?v=SkWysSw9HOs&feature=related




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Coaching Little League Baseball - Situational Pitching - Squeeze Play Situation

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Coaching Little League Baseball - Situational Pitching - Squeeze Play Situation - By Nick Dixon

We often hear the term "Situational Hitting", but just as important is "Situational Pitching". Knowing what to throw and when to throw it. Here are three examples of situational pitching.
"HIT and RUN Situation" - Most often occurs with the batter ahead in the count and no outs. The most common counts are 1-0, 2-0, and 2-1. The pitcher should know when to expect the "HITand RUN" and keep the ball inside on the hitter to prevent the pitch from being driven to the opposite field.

----------------------

"DOUBLE PLAY Situation" - The most important point to remember is to keep the ball down. One of the greatest plays in baseball is the inning ending double play. It is not advised to throw a change up or curve ball in a double play situation.

"SQUEEZE BUNT Situation" - There are many things to know and remember in this situation. Here are suggestions on how to have a "pitching approach" when the squeeze bunt may be on.

RIGHT-HANDED HITTER:
1. Throw the pitch either "UP and IN" or "LOW and IN".
2. The pitcher should not try to hit the batter, but if the batter is hit, the runner must return to third base.
3. It is more difficult to bunt the low pitch than the high pitch.

LEFT-HANDED HITTER
1. Throw the ball outside. The pitch is actually a pitch- out.
2. Make sure the pitch is "UNTOUCHABLE".






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Correct Batting Practice Methods For Little League Baseball Teams

Good Friday Morning to You.
I hope all is well with you and your team.
Here is a great article by Marty Schupak that I found beneficial and informative. I hope that you find it useful also.
Have a great weekend!
Nick

Correct Batting Practice Methods For Little League Baseball Teams

By Marty Schupak
In my eighteen years of coaching youth baseball, I am always looking for the most efficient practice methods for every aspect of baseball. It took me only a few years to realize that most youth baseball coaches and myself were running batting practice, not incorrectly, but not efficiently. From what I have seen with the typical batting practice, a coach will pitch a predetermined number of balls for each batter with the fielders fielding the hit balls and throwing them to first base. Usually the coach will yell something like “run the last one out”, and the batter does just that. If the ball is an infield hit, they try to throw him out at first. If it is hit into the outfield, he usually runs until he is thrown out. This is all well and good intentioned, but it is wasting valuable time when a coach wants to run an efficient practice.


Here is the most efficient way of running a batting practice that I’ve come up with. First of all, let me say this. Batting practice is just what it is, batting practice. Batting practice is not fielding practice or base running practice. So all youth coaches and parents should really define what a youth batting practice is and what they want to get out of it.

Most of my youth practices do not run more than one hour. Every minute of wasted time will affect all other aspects and time of any other drills or techniques I want to accomplish. The first thing a coach needs to have is an over abundance of baseballs. The league will provide baseballs but I always make sure I purchase a few dozen extras. I try to work with three-dozen and keep an extra dozen in my trunk. And don’t think I’m not frugal accounting for every baseball at the end of practice. I try to make sure we find each one, and after practice, we comb the field to make sure we got them all. Usually we find extras and end up with more than what we started with.

Now, here is the actual logistics and set up that I do about 95% of the time I run batting practice. I’m a big proponent of bunting. I set up two cones on the third base line, about six feet apart, approximately where the bunt is suppose to go. I set up two empty buckets, one about three feet behind second base and the other one at the far base of the mound toward second. I have another bucket with the baseballs on the mound easily accessible to me. Now, this is a key. As a youth coach who wants a well-run practice and a lot of repetitions for the kids, I move up almost to the front base of the mound to pitch. I do this mainly so I can throw strikes consistently. For safety purposes, an “L” screen would be required from a shorter distance for safety. If your league doesn’t have any, make them get them.

I have the first person up at bat with the 2nd and 3rd player ready to go. I have the 3rd hitter (or double on deck hitter) on the outside of the screen hitting balls on a batting tee using pickle balls (plastic) or wiffle balls with another parent feeding the balls on the tee. I always have the number 2, or on deck hitter, ready to hit.

The batter bunts the first to pitches. For each successful bunt, the player receives an extra swing. I usually give a player five swings besides his two bunts. So if a player lays one bunt between the cones, he get six regular swings. If he lays both bunts between the cones, he gets seven swings (the maximum per hitter). Now, there are certain things that have to happen to make this work. Remember there are two buckets strategically located. After the bunts, when the hitter swings away, wherever the ball is hit, the fielder tosses it into the bucket closet to him. If it is hit to the outfield, he will throw the ball as close to the bucket behind second base. If he hits it to the infield, the fielder will toss it to the bucket behind the pitcher’s mound. Reinforce to the players that they must toss to the bucket on one or two bounces or they will tend to play basketball with the baseball and bucket.

Now the point here is that the fielders do not make a play to first and the hitter does not run the last one out. We get more repetitions in a short period of time. The players are always facing the hitter. One might ask, isn’t this boring for most of the players in the field? Well, not really. Because of the amount of balls hit in a short period of time, the ball is usually hit all over the place. And the coach throwing batting practice will keep one or two extra balls in his glove and is ready to pitch the next ball right away. When out of baseballs, have the players in the infield hustle to gather up the balls, combine buckets, and we’re ready to go again. This works great!

Batting practice is a favorite of any baseball player at almost every level. Do not deny batting practice at any practice. And always look for the most efficient, safest procedure to help enhance your whole practice.

http://www.YouthSportsClub.com
http://www.VideosForCoaches.com

Marty Schupak has coached youth baseball for 18 years and is the video creator of "The 59 Minute Baseball Practice", "Backyard Baseball Drills", "Winning Baseball Strategies", "Hitting Drills & Techniques" and author of the popular book, "Youth Baseball Drills". He is a principle for Videos For Coaches and is also President of the Youth Sports Club, a group dedicated to making sports practices and games more enjoyable for kids.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marty_Schupak

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Baseball Training Product - The Advanced Skills Baseball Tee

Baseball Training Product - The Advanced Skills Baseball Tee



1. The forward arm eliminates "dipping" or dropping the hands and trailing shoulder to lift the ball with a "looping" type swing. If you "dip" with the AST, you hit the back of the arm. It forces you to take the bat straight down to the ball, leveling the swing at the point of contact.

2. The forward arm also pivots and rotates to place the ball on the inside or outside of the strike zone. Then, the arm points in the direction to drive the ball based on pitch location (i.e. pull the inside pitch, go with the outside pitch to the opposite field . . . "Hit the ball where it's pitched").

The outside barrier eliminates "casting". It keeps you form swinging "long" and helps you "keep the hands inside the ball". If the bat or arms are extended prematurely the bat head will slap the flexible upright barrier post. For years coaches have set a tee adjacent to a fence or screen to force hitters to compact their swing. The outside barrier does the same thing except it is a lot more effective. It rotates around the tee to accommodate LH or RH hitters and it moves along with the forward arm to help you keep the hands "tight" when you are working on inside and outside pitch locations. With the outside barrier you are forced to rotate the hips and torso and extend the hands only at the point of contact. It produces a "quick" bat and more power too.

The outside barrier can also be placed to the rear of the AST. This will further eliminate a level swing plane and force a shorter more direct swing path to the ball. This will also teach hitters to get more backspin on the ball.

You can even add an outside barrier to make the Advanced Skills Tee the most complete batting tee on the market. Simply slide on an extra barrier to develop the quickest, most powerful and compact swing possible. Eliminate casting and dropping the hands all in one workout!



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BatAction Machine Questions and Answers

Does it rotate in a complete circle?

Yes, the machine rotates in complete 360 degree circle. It rotates multiple times upon contact. When a high
school player hits it, it may rotate 3 times. When a 12 year-old hits it, it may rotate only 1 1/2 times. This
feature makes it a long-term investment that grows with a player. You can purchase a BatAction Machine when a player is in elementary school and continue to use it throughout that players career in
high school or even longer.


How big is the area required for set-up?

The machine rotates in a 8 1/2 ft. circle. You must allow eaxtra space for the batter to work.



Does it have a motor?

No it does not have a motor. It does not even require electricity. It is completely self-contained and can be
set-up almost anywhere. It has its own energy sorce or ball-return mechanism. It uses a set of powerbands
that stop the balls forward motion and bring it back toward the batter simular to a regular pitch. The batter
hits the balls as it passes. The hitter is allowed to hit a moving ball at any desired speed. This fast moving
ball makes this machine extremely fufilling, highly productive, and entertaining method of practice.



How fast a pitch can it simulate?

In determining speed, the more bands, the quicker the ball will return. However, too many powerbands tend
to make the return speed too fast for even advanced collegiate hitters. This machine can be set to challenge
all ages or skill levels. The best powerband setting is when a single powerband is used. With one powerband
the faster the hitters bat speed, the faster the ball returns. Therefore, advanced hitters are allowed faster
hitting speeds than younger players. The machine is self-adjusting to the level of the user. One band allows
the ball to easily rotate multiple times. This allows hitters to get in a rymthn that allows the hitter to have
time to reset and prepare for the next swing.


Can I use it with my new $300 bat when I hit on the BatAction Machine?

Think about it! Would you take that new bat in a batting cage when you are hittiing on a machine throwing
70 mph? No, you would not. The BatAction Machine provides just such a high speed and high impact
workout. We recommend that you use your cage or practice bat with the BatAction Machine, especially
in cold weather conditions. Use common sense when you decide which bat to use when hitting the
BatAction machine.







How long will the ball last?

The ball or impact head as we call them are warrantied for 90 days. High school and collegiate hitters normally get at least one seasons use from a unit. Youth players can use a unit for several seasons. The life and durability of the product is also determined by the amount of use. Institutional or heavy-duty team use
wears the units out faster than home use. It is not uncommon for a team to hit a single impact head over
2,000 times daily. This makes the machine a great investment. Your practice is 100% energy efficient and
you also save money on practice balls lost

I had a similar product when I was gowing up that really helped me become a great hitter. Is this like the Johnny B. BatterUp of the late 70s and early 80s?

Yes, this product is simular in rotation and return action. In fact, a broken BatterUp is what Coach Nick
used to invent his first HitnStik in the late 80s. The BatAction Hitting Machine is made with a heavy-duty
steel construction and 2000 technology that make it in superior in quality and durability to the old
BatterUp.


Do I have to anchor the machine with sandbags?

The machine has to be anchored with sandbags when it is used indoors or on a hard surface. Ground anchor
pins may be used to stabilize the machine when it is used outdoors.

What about replacement parts? What will I need to replace and when? Will your company still be around two years from now when I need a new impact head or set of powerbands?

The only parts you will have to buy are the impact head and powerbands. You will most likely have to buy each every two years. Company success and longevity come from good management and diversification. We feel good about our company in both respects. We have been making and selling these great machines since early 1999. We now have three of the top selling products in baseball and softball. We are also in the process of introducing several new and exciting products. Coach Nick started this company in his garage in 1999. We take great pride in being Americas number one training aid company. Otherwords, you can plan on Nedco to be a player in the industry for years and years!

BatAction.com

Baseball Hitting - The 3 Basic Elements of the Major League Baseball Swing

Baseball Hitting - The 3 Basic Elements of the Major League Baseball Swing

By Nick Dixon

The Major League baseball swing is a thing of beauty. The dream of millions of little league baseball players is to become a major league baseball player. Hitting a major league home run is a fantasy baseball dream of every youth baseball player. How do the major league baseball players hit with such power? What makes their swing so powerful, productive, and perfect?

The smoothness, compactness, and timing of the professional baseball swing make it one of the most graceful things to watch in all of sports. Professional players practice and practice the fundamentals of the perfect baseball swing. If you watch it in slow motion, you will see that there are 3 common elements of the swing that that most major league baseball players have in common. Baseball batting practice repetition makes the Major League Baseball Swing consistent with the same 3 basic elements exhibited with every swing of the bat.

Great hitters always have the following swing qualities:

1. Solid and Stiff Front Leg

2. Rotational Swing allowing them to Stay Over Stack

3. Maximum Extension of the Hands and Barrel

Here I will discuss each of these 3 elements of the Major League baseball swing:

1. STIFF FRONT LEG The power hitters in major league baseball use a stiff front leg to give them leverage for their power. When you study their swing, the front leg is firm and at an angle that allows them to stop all body movement forward. The front foot is the anchor that prevents lunging and hip travel forward. Maximum power is generated when the arms are extended and the hips rotate. If the front leg bends power is lost.

Coaching Point: A stiff and firm front leg requires the hitter to have the timing and patience to allow the baseball to get inside the front foot before attacking the baseball. Maximum power is generated when the lower body, hips, and torso spin to generate bat speed. The tendency to lunge at the ball must be avoided.

2. STAYING BALANCED AND OVER STACK This is a term that refers to the spinning motion of a batters body and the process of keeping the head and torso perfect aligned over the back leg during the swing. The head does not move, travel or lunge forward during the swing. The perfect swing is a rotational motion with the body staying back and spinning over the back hip.

Coaching Point: Head travel is a no-no. If the head is moving forward then the batter has too much forward movement. The body must stop all forward movement and spin like a top. This rotational hitting motion generates maximum bat speed and power. A great tool for teaching and training young and advanced hitters this skill is the STAY BACK TEE and HandsBackHitter Trainer by Swing Buster. This innovative tool is a great baseball training aid that forces the batter to keep the correct front leg position during the swing. The STAY BACK BATTING TEE will teach the batter to have a stiff front leg and to stay over stack through the swing.

3. GETTING MAXIMUM EXTENSION THROUGH THE BALL What this means is that when the bat makes contact with the ball, the hitters drive the hands and barrel of the bat through forward as long as they can to prolong the bat to ball contact. They power-drive the moving the hands forward on a level plane as long as possible. This down and through motion of the hands is like the landing of an airplane. The bat travels quickly and compactly to the ball on what is commonly called an A to C swing. But, once contact is made with the ball great hitters have the ability to drive the hands and barrel forward on a level plane to generate and maintain bat barrel to ball contact. The longer the barrel stays in contact with the ball, the more force will be exerted on the ball.

The CoachesBest Baseball Store has a great selection of BASEBALL HITTING DVDs

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

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

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

Tips for Coaching Little League Baseball - Pitching Like A Pro, Top 5 Things You Can Do To Be The Perfect Pitcher.

Tips for Coaching Little League Baseball - Pitching Like A Pro, Top 5 Things You Can Do To Be The Perfect Pitcher.



By: Mike F.

You want to pitch like a pro? Want to make people you've been pitching for 30 years? After many years in the college pitching circuit I've found there are 5 things that every pitcher needs to know. These are 5 important tips, however there are many more. I just feel like these would be the top 5:

1.) How to stay cool before you go out to play a game.
2.) Play as much as you can.
3.) How to tune out the world and focus on they job you need to do.
4.) Covering the hit after you throw a pitch.
5.) Keeping base runners from stealing bases.

Before you even step out onto the field you will get some pregame jitters. It's just normal. It's how you handle those feelings that will determine if you win or lose on the mound. To help you get focused, remember it's normal to feel how you feel. Many pitchers are able to transform that energy into positive results at gametime.

If you love pitching you will want to pitch as much as you can. This is good. Play catch with whoever will play with you. When you throw the ball, aim for different areas on your catcher body. Aim at his left arm area and try to throw it there. Have him move his glove around and try to hit his glove without having to move it an inch.

Focus is key in any successful pitching. Being able to block out the world is a hard task. Thinking too much can be a bad thing. If you're mind is racing about what you're having for dinner, and if your jersey is untucked, it will definitely affect your pitching. Learn to breathe deeply. This will certainly relax you and focus you for that next perfect pitch.

Next on the list of successful pitching is what happens after the pitch. You are a fielder like anyone else after you release the ball. After you pitch square yourself with homeplate and be ready for anything that may come your way. It is very important that you remain balanced during play so that you can throw the ball when necessary.

Keeping base runners on the bag is one of things that can keep pitchers unfocused. Don't let them spook you. Hold the ball, and look at the runner when you can. Let them know that you're not going to lose if they challenge you.

Remember that you're a pitcher, and that pitching perfect takes work, and lots of it. Practice anytime you can and don't be afraid to take a break if you feel yourself getting "burned out." Sometimes time does make they heart grow fonder, even with pitching.

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Baseball Instruction - How To Add 50 Points To Your Batting Avg Sitting On The Couch

Baseball Instruction - How To Add 50 Points To Your Batting Avg Sitting On The Couch

By Nate Barnett

Don't worry, this is not a promo article on some illegal growth hormone, or some attempt to counter all you've ever learned during your baseball instruction about hard work, practice, and dedication. What I'm about to help reveal to you takes different practice compared to going out to the ballpark every day to work on your skills. It takes more dedication than working out in the cold and rain all winter. It won't transform your game over night; but, if the skill is developed, then I'm confident you will experience a serious boost to your batting average.

The concept is called imagery, or visualization. In non-scientific language, it's simply mental weight-lifting. And the reason many of you have heard of if it is simply because rarely does baseball instruction before the collegiate level emphasize it. I'll give you a taste, but it's up to you to search out more on the topic and really chew on it.

I will be writing as if I was providing some mental baseball instruction to an athlete. If you are a coach or parent reading this, just pick up the concepts should you choose to pass the idea on.

Let's begin.

Take a quick trip back to a game where you struck out with the bases juiced. What did you think about in the field the next inning, or the next time up to bat? Whatever your thoughts were about your performance, good or bad, is called imagery. The more you condition your thinking either positive or negative, the more your body will respond to what is familiar. This is why athletes that are in a hot streak have a bad game and then sometimes slip into a little slide, or a full blown slump. It's not because they suddenly forgot the skill of hitting, their visualization was horrible.

The chance of getting to the next level is determined largely by your ability to control your thoughts and feelings and use them to your advantage. This is especially true if you have a goal of playing professionally. The use of imagery is a must-you'll never get there without it. Ok, enough of the philosophical mumbo jumbo, here is how the concept is applied to your game.

Everybody is always looking for the secret for this or for that in baseball. Well here it is, the raw and uncut version of how to use imagery and take your hitting game to the next level... fast.

First and foremost you must admit to yourself that each year the skill level of the players in your league increases. Some are still figuring things out mechanically, but most have a general idea by now. This simply means that there is a good chance that you're not "the man" in your league, let alone your team. If you are, "the man" and you're not using visualization tactics, you'll have some serious competition soon.

Let me put you in the right frame of reference with an illustration we can all relate to, unfortunately. You're up to bat, it's a 2-2 count, and the guy has a nasty curve ball you haven't seen in a while. A quick thought runs through your mind and you wonder if you might see it this pitch. He winds, you ready yourself, the pitch is released, and sure enough it's the big hammer. Strike three looking. You trudge slowly back to the dugout with your head down, teeth clenched in frustration as you grab your spot on the bench.

If you haven't experienced the above scenario yet, you haven't been playing long enough. It will happen a couple dozen times to you. But, the real problem is not the strikeout; the best in the game strike out all the time. No amount of drill training or baseball instruction can prevent it.

The issue is your automatic instant replay system in your head is working overtime for the rest of the inning. It's playing back your strikeout mentally over and over and over for you to think about. Your imagery you are giving yourself stinks. It's programming your body to react the same way the next time you find yourself in a similar situation. The cool part is, you can fully manage your instant replay system with some practice.

If you want to be sure what images are being played through your instant replay mechanism, you have to make sure you've tuned it to the correct mental channel. What do you do when there is a show on television you don't want to watch? Turn the channel. The same applies to your mind in baseball.

You must change your station after you experience a negative result as an athlete. Here is the meat of this concept. If you've spaced out until now, this is the paragraph you'll want to understand. I'll use the previous example of the strikeout looking above. I use this image because it's often an opportune time for your instant replay to run haywire quickly. The key after the strikeout is to take a minute once back in the dugout, or before the next inning starts out in the field, and change your mental channel. Most athletes will replay the strikeout over and over again, getting more frustrated in the process. It's what feels normal, and you're mind will do this automatically. Instead, play the at bat over again in your mind, but this time with a positive ending. Maybe it's a base hit through the hole, maybe it's a double off the wall in deep left, or it could possibly be a bunt base hit. Repeat the at bat multiple times in a row and then give it a rest and refocus on your current task on defense. The next time you're on deck, play the positive result instant replay series again and you'll be fully prepared for your following at bat.

What if you can't control your thinking?

Negative thoughts running through your mind takes up space in your head used for concentration and relaxation. If your main focus is on how poorly you performed in your last at bat then you cannot use that energy for anything productive at that moment or for moments afterwards. It takes time to change your energy and focus. And if you allow your mental replay system to switch channels frequently, you'll soon find yourself not relaxed when you need to be.

What if you can manage your replay efficiently? If you've ever experienced being in the "zone" this is what it feels like to have your thoughts fully under control. Your mind will have 100% focus and concentration on your task at hand without any room for scattered thoughts about what you should have done.

The only catch to this skill development is that it takes time. Just like hitting a baseball takes time and practice to master, so does mental conditioning. But once you get it, the results will be spectacular.

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.




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AmericanBaseballDirectory.com
Baseball Coaching Journal
BaseballCoachingDigest.com
BattingCageBuilder.com

Baseball Training Equipment Sites:
BatAction.com
HurricaneMachine.com
AdvancedSkillsTee.com
QuickSwingTrainer.com
HandsBackHitter.com
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BattingCagesDirect.com

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Baseball Blogs for Coaches - Free Training Tips, Coaching Articles and More
Check out these recommended blogs for baseball coaches.
Baseball Coaching and Training Equipment Blog
The Hurricane Hitting Machine - Derek Jeter Series - Training and Coaching Blog
BatAction Machine Baseball Training and Coaching Blog
Batting Cage Information and Know-how: Buying, Building and Using Your New Batting Cage
TeeBall Coaching Drills, Tips and Other Information
Baseball Training Homework For Youth Players Blog
Baseball Parents Guide To Helping a Player Improve Blog
Baseball Coaching, Training and Instruction

Take Confident Action for Mental Toughness

Are you in control of your own level of confidence prior to competition? Do you know how to harness the power of a confident mindset quickly when needed?

If not, you need to take action - take confident action. Many athletes make the mistake of not taking responsibility for their own confidence level before the game or match starts.

These athletes think that confidence can only come from immediate positive results - such as making a birdie, serving an ace, or throwing a touchdown pass. However, this type of confidence is only temporary and fleeting at best.

Yes, confidence follows great performances and positive results, but what happens if the game or match starts by not performing your best? Does that mean you don't deserve to have confidence that day?

I hope you don't think this way. Real confidence does not sway like a flag in the wind and fluctuate rapidly based upon the outcome of the last shot, play, or point. Real confidence is based on years of past success (or learning from failure) and effective training.

This leads to taking action with your confidence. I want you to perform your best every time you compete. Having full belief or confidence in your ability (absent of doubt) is a must-have mindset to perform your best.

Do you think Tiger Woods waits until he makes his first birdie of the day or Derek Jeter needs to get his first hit before confidence can kick in? The top athletes take action with their confidence before they even hit the playing fields.

How do you take action with your confidence? First, you must understand that confidence is a long-term project based on years of practice and experience and not just the last moment of your performance.

Second, by not letting doubt crush the confidence you have earned recently. And third, by focusing on success and what you want to have happen instead of being overtaken by worry about making mistakes.

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About the Author: Want to learn simple, proven mental toughness skills that you can apply to competition? Grab my free online mental training newsletter, Sports Insights Magazine - for athletes, coaches, and sports parents:
http://www.peaksports.com/free_newsletter.php
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dr. Patrick Cohn is a master mental game coach who work with professional and amateur athletes, sports parents, and teams of all levels. Visit http://www.peaksports.com for more information.

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Balance Of Power! Hitting Tips For Youth Baseball Players

Balance Of Power! Hitting Tips For Youth Baseball Players

By Chip Lemin

The most valuable advice that a youth baseball coach can give a young hitter is to think about hitting the ball up the middle. If you think about hitting up the middle, you can adjust to hit the ball wherever it is pitched. If you go to the plate hoping to pull the ball, you will struggle hitting an outside pitch. Your front side will have opened up too soon and you will not be able to drive a pitch on the outside part of the plate. You have to have balance in everything that you do in baseball, especially in hitting. Your body is going to move, but you must keep your head still. The only way to do that is to have good balance. Youth baseball bats are no different than adults bats, they need balance.

Concentration at the plate is critical, and positive thinking helps. You have to walk up to the plate saying to yourself, "I'm going to hit the ball. A hitter needs rhythm. Try to watch the pitcher's hand and keep your eye on the ball be aggressive at the plate, but also remain loose and relaxed. If you let your arms get too tight, you will lose the advantage of having good wrist action for your swing, as well as your power.

You should have a purpose to each swing in batting practice. In your first round of batting practice you might concentrate on hitting every pitch to the opposite field. In the next round, try to make sure that you are swinging down on the ball. Prepare yourself for game situations, or the practice will not be as helpful as it could be If you find yourself in a slump, try to concentrate on defense and possibly save the game with a good play. Slumping hitters should remember that it does not always take a home run to help the team.

Youth baseball players and coaches should look to improve the mental outlook of the whole team with positive comments to all players.Negative comments will not bring anything good to the team morale.Hitting is so much about confidence.Hitting a baseball is very difficult skill that sometimes gets overlooked by coaches,players,and parents.Sometimes we take for granted how skilled these youth baseball players are and want even more out of them.Let's just have fun and enjoy this great game of youth baseball.

About Coach Chip

Hello My name is Chip Lemin. I'm a long time youth baseball coach who loves to promote this great game of youth baseball. Promoting sportsmanship in this game of youth baseball is something that really needs I feel. I have a free e-course that will give you some solid coaching information along with great help on the inter-personal relationships we must have to be good youth baseball coaches.Things such as parents, travel baseball, getting parents to help out, how to communicate better to parents and players, just to touch on a few. This course will help to organize practices like an elite coach. How to motivate players and other coaches with your positive attitude. It really is not very hard to be a great coach when you know what to do.Best of all you will learn how to have fun with these great kids that you have the privilege of coaching. Do yourself a favor and check it out, it's free,you will get 1 part every couple of days in your e-mail. Coaching can be fun and rewarding if you have a plan in place first, and you have an idea what you are doing.http://www.baseballecourse.com

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

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Great Baseball Coaching Articles at EzineArticles.com

If you do not visit EzineArticles.com to read the latest baseball coaching and training articles, please consider doing so. There is a huge collection of great baseball articles. See some examples below:

--The 10 "Must Do's" of Coaching Baseball and Softball
--4 Baseball Pitching Drills For Little League Players
--Baseball Practice Planning Tips and Sample Baseball Practice Schedule








--Coaching Baseball Batters - 3 Common Baseball Swing Mistakes and Corrections
--Little League Baseball Drills - Batting Practice










--Coaching Baseball - 4 Things the On-Deck Batter Should Always Do and 4 Things He Should Never Do
--Coaching Baseball Batters - 3 Common Baseball Swing Mistakes and Corrections

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Recommended baseball Websites for Baseball Coaches, Players and Parents





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BattingCageBuilder.com

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Baseball Coaching and Training Equipment Blog
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Baseball Coaching, Training and Instruction

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

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Play Better - Winning Techniques For Baseball Players

By Ruth Cracknell

Bunting is an aspect of hitting which baseball players need to master. It is an important weapon for the team at bat.

Bunting For The Hit

The right and left hand batter moves differently when bunting to get on base but both need the element of surprise to be successful. The right-hander, at the last possible moment, draws back his right foot and puts his weight on it. At the same time, he brings both hands diagonally down and to the left until they are in front of the left hip. He then pulls the left hand back, letting the bat slide through the right until just before it reaches the label.

The bat is now level with the ground with the end extending into the strike zone. The left hand is close to the left hip, but above and in back of it. The right hand is about eight inches in front and above the left hip. The batter is now in position to "chase" the ball. He pushes off the back foot and goes after it with the left foot leading. The ball should make contact with the bat at just about the time the left foot strikes the ground. The batter then keeps going for 1st base.

To reconstruct:

the pitcher's arm is coming down. Just before the ball reaches the plate, the batter rocks back on his right foot, drops the bat, steps toward it with the left foot, bunts and keeps going. If the ball is wide, he faces the bat toward 1st and, in a sense, tries to keep contact with it as he runs toward 1st. If it's an inside pitch, he makes his step toward 3rd to bunt the ball.

The left hand batter, also striving for surprise, brings the bat down and takes his step with a single motion. The right hand drops to a point just above the right hip; the bat slides through the left until just before it reaches the label. The first step is also made with the back foot-but it's a cross over-step as the body pivots right. The left foot crosses in front of the right and toward 1st base if the pitch is inside, toward the mound if outside.

After the ball is bunted, of course, the baseball player keeps running. As the left hand batter gets more proficient with the "drag" bunt, he can start concentrating on just where to place it. He should try to put the ball at the first baseman's extreme right and the pitcher's extreme left in the bunting area.

If he can force the first baseman, or even the second baseman, to field the ball in this area, he has a base hit. If the first baseman ignores the bunt, it will take both the second baseman and pitcher too long to get to the ball to make the put-out.

If the first baseman fields the ball, the second baseman or pitcher will have to cover 1st base, which will be very difficult.

One more thought: The batter should remember that he doesn't have to bunt the ball. Actually, he should bunt the pitch he likes best. Many right hand bunters like the ball low and outside. Left hand batters usually like the inside pitch between the waist and the shoulders.

This technique should be practiced faithfully by every baseball player.

Learn All The Best Tips For Your
Baseball Defense
Visit: http://www.baseball-training.org/index.php

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

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10 Tips For Improving the Quality of Your Baseball Practice Time

10 Tips For Improving the Quality of Your Baseball Practice Time

In this article Coach Dixon discusses the value of Time and how it relates to coaching baseball. He discusses Baseball Coaching Time in two contexts; Time is seconds, minutes and hours and Time is also knowing that there is a time and place for everything. Baseball coaches must know the value of time spent doing team activities. Baseball coaches must know that doing the wrong thing at the wrong time will cause team and parent problems that can be a "pain" to deal with.

Read this article at the Baseball Coaching Digest...Click Here.

Check out BaseballCoachingDigest.com for the very latest in articles on baseball coaching and training.

We have articles on every aspect of baseball coaching including coaching baseball hitters, coaching pitchers, coaching defense, baseball practice planning and organization, baseball player motivation, and much, much, more. Welcome to the Baseball Coaches Digest, one of the internet's largest collections of baseball coaching articles.

Our goal is to provide you with a source of coaching information that you will find useful and interesting. Make sure to "bookmark" this site to your favorites so that you can visit us often. We will be adding at least 12 new coaching articles every month.

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