Stop Young Batters from "Stepping in The Bucket"

When I direct my summer baseball camps, I run across every baseball hitting flaw known to man! However, one of the common hitting flaws I see is a young baseball player's fear of the baseball or that they step out on every swing of the bat!


The BatAction "Step-in-and-hit" Drill is a highly effective baseball training drill for teaching young baseball and softball players to step toward the pitcher or to stop stepping out. We have used this baseball hitting drill for years in our baseball camps to teach proper baseball hitting fundamentals.

How does it work:

• The batter will set up at his or her normal hitting position in relationship to the machine's ball.
• The batter will then step back one step farther away from the machine than normal.
• The object of the drill is to have the batter step toward the ball and to swing when the front foot lands. This prevents the batter from stepping out.
• The batter will step forward first with the back foot, straight toward the BatAction Machine, then, the batter will move the front foot with a step toward the machine.
• These two short steps should put the batter in perfect hitting position.
• The main point here to remember is that the batter must iniate the swing immediately when the front foot lands. This quickness does not allow the foot to be moved backward or to step out.
• It is recommended that the player do at least 12 of these reps each time they workout on the BatAction Machine.
• Many coaches and parents have said that this drill is extremely effective in eliminating a batter's tendency to "step in the bucket".

I hope this drill helps. Have a great day! Till next time, Nick

BatAction Machine: A Great Off-Season Training Tool

BatAction: A Great Tool for Off-Season Training

The BatAction Hitting Machine is a great tool for keeping your hitters in shape during the off-season. Many people make use of this machine during the months that they cannot practice outdoors....especially in the Northern parts of the country where Winters are longer and more harsh.

Working out on the BatAction Machine just 15-30 minutes a day 2-3 times a week can keep your hitters tuned up and have them that much closer to being ready when the season rolls back around. Every year, more and more kids and leagues play more and more games. Keeping your hitters in shape year 'round can be greatly beneficial to them and their success.

People all over the country are using the BatAction Machine in the Winter months in places such as the garage and basement. All you need is 12' by 9' of open space to use this product indoors.
Set the BatAction Machine up and leave it so your players can practice hitting whenever they wish without having to go through any setup. This allows kids to practice on impulse, which will increase the amount of times they want to practice. If a player can just pick up a bat and start hitting, they are subject to practice hitting more often. No gathering balls, no feeding or loading balls, no coaches or other players needed......JUST HITTING!

To find out more great benefits of the BatAction Hitting Machine, visit www.bataction.com.

Have a great day, Nick.

BatAction Baseball Team Drills - How Is the machine used for team practices?

Good Morning. Many people how is the BatAction Baseball Trainer best untilized for team practices. Here are some recommendations:

• 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 Hip-Turner - 10 Swings

--Top Hand Drill - 10 Swings

--Pull Hand drill - 10 Swings

--Contact Middle - 10 Swings

--Rapid Fire Drill - 10 Swings

--See and Hit Drill - 15 Swings

60 Swings total per player during each round.

This is a suggested daily workout.

The "See & Hit" drill is a fast action drill that the hitter positions himself in regular position and takes 15 swings. The batter should take the time to reset after each swing. Quality, not quanity is the goal.

Note: The "Switch-Hitters" drill may be added for those players that hit from both sides. Switch hitters should do a "double" workout taking swings from both sides.

Good luck till next time, Nick.

BatAction Machine - "The Basketball Goal For Baseball and Softball Players"

Hello. I hope you had a great weekend.

The BatAction Machine's is often referred to the "Backyard Basketball Goal For Hitters". The reasons for this comparison are:

• If you set the BatAction Machine up indoors or outdoors for year-round use, your player is likely to hit it often. The BatAction Machine is so easy and fun to use that many player's hit it for entertainment.
• Hitter's love to hit as much as basketball players love to shoot. It is smart to make a hitting station available to your player all year round. The thousands of additional batting practice swings taken in the off-season will greatly improve skill, bat speed and confidence.
• If your baseball or softball player is a serious prospect. Where is their time better spent, shooting a game of "Horse" on the basketball goal or the "Hitting Streak" game on the BatAction Machine?

Have a great day! Till next time, Nick

BatAction Hitting Machine- Hip Turner Drill

The Hip Turner Drill is a great drill for players who are having difficulty getting their lower body involved in their swing. This drill will help your hitter get maximim rotation in the hips during impact of the ball.


BatAction Hip Turner Drill

• This drill is the perfect drill for hitters who lack power or do not get their lower body and involved in the swing.

• To perform the drill, the hitter points the BatAction impact ball at his/her front side back pocket. So for a righty, the ball should be positioned towards the left back pocket of the hitter as if trying to hit an extreme inside pitch.

• The hitter then contacts the ball opening the hips all the way up getting maximum rotation. The ball should be positioned so the hitter must exagerate hip rotation in order to make contact.

• The hitter should get a swing every 10 seconds or so after the ball returns and comes nearly settled much like a tee drill.

• The hitter should not take a stride in this drill- just rotate fully at the hips when making contact with the ball.
  

Note: Make sure the hitter does not step out or stride open during this drill. If the hitter opens
up instead of rotating fully at the hips, the effectiveness of the drill is lost.

Good Luck until next time, Nick.

BatAction Baseball Hitting Machine - Hitting Streak Drill

The Baseball "Hitting Streak" Drill is one of the most pupular Bat Action Machine batting trainer drills. The drill is fun, entertaining and challenging for hitters of all ages and ability levels.

"Hitting Streak" Baseball Training Drill

• The drill can be a competition bewteen two or more players or the batter can compete against his or her personal best "Batting Streak" number.
• The Batting Streak number is the number of times a batter makes contact with the BatAction Ball before a swing and a miss.
• Contact of any kind keeps the streak "alive". The batter is not allowed to touch the ball with the hands or the bat between swings. If the batter miss hits the ball, the ball will react in a bobbling motion. The batter must hit the ball as it bobbles. This requires great concentration.
• If the ball stops moving completely the drill is over. The ball must be kept moving.
• The player with the most hits in a row wins the match. This is a great drill or activity for team competitions.
• Tracking the ball at all times as it circles the machine is a must for a player to be successful.

Note: Make sure that players allow the ball to pass at least once or twice between swings. If the batter does not allow the BatAction Powerbands to unwrap, to release tension, they will continue to wrap tighter and tighter until they stess and break. This is usually not a problem because most users of this great baseball training machine realize that the BatAction Machine operates on a "wrapping and unwrapping" process.

Good Luck til next time, Nick.

BatAction Baseball Batting Machine Basics

Hello,
Wow! What a game last night. I know that you enjoyed the 2008 Major League AllStar Game as much as I did. Long game..but it was fun to watch!

Bat Action Baseball Batting Machine Tips:

• Always remember that the BatAction Machine is great for off-season and year-round workouts. Keeping this great baseball and softball training aid setup in your garage, carport or basement is a great way to add thousands of additional off-season batting practice swings. These "bonus" swings will definitely increase bat speed, improve power, and develop incredible baseball and softball hitting skill.
• You can use sand bags to anchor your BatAction Hitting Machine when you use it on hard surfaces like cement floors. Make sure to set your machine up in a safe area with adequate space for full swings.

Good Luck till next time, Nick

July 15, 2008 - A special night for all baseball fans!

The 59th Major League Allstar Game

This is truly America's game. Seeing such a great collection of Major League Allstars on the field for the National Anthem will always be a memory that I will cherish.

I am proud to have the priviledge to coach such a great game.

It was great to Yogi Berra, one of my all time favorites Hall of Famers. The clips of him leaping high into the arms of Don Larson in the 1956 World Series were a special touch to the telecast. For more on the 1956 World Series visit the Baseball Almanac.

I can't talk about Yogi without including three of his famous quotes that I consider to be "classic":

"You can observe a lot just by watching."
"I always thought that record would stand until it was broken."
"Baseball is ninety percent mental. The other half is physical."
For More MLB Quotes - Baseball Amanac

Amazing Facts: Yogi Berra originally sined for $500 and $90 dollars a month. Yankee Stadium cost 2.5 mil to build. Now 41 MLB players make more annually than it cost to build that stadium.

Thank you Major League Baseball for a great 2008 AllStar Game. You again proved why Baseball is Truly America's Game!

BatAction Baseball Trainer Drill Tip: How many powerbands do you use?

One of the most frequently asked questions is related to how many powerbands should be used with a BatAction Baseball Trainer. The "BatAction Powerbands" are the energy source the BatAction Machine batting trainer. The BatAction Baseball Trainer operates with a "wrapping and unwrapping" motion. When the batter hits the ball, the elastic powerbands slow the ball's forward motion down until the ball stops. Then the powerbands unwrap to return to the ball to the batter. There are several tips for using your powerbands:
1. Most users use 2 powerbands. 2 bands serve to bring the ball back at a speed suitable for all ages and ability levels. Putting more than 2 bands on the machine tends to make the unit to "stiff" or limits ball movement. Using only 1 powerband may cause the ball return speed to be too slow.
2. The harder a ball is hit, the faster the ball's return speed. If a 12 year old and his 16 year old brother are hitting the BatAction trainer, the ball will return at different speeds for each. The older player will have greater bat speed so the ball when return at a faster speed.
3. Remember, the powerbands must be allowed to unwrap or they will become stressed and break. Batters should always allow the ball to pass by before hitting it again. If you hit the ball on every pass, the powerbands will keep wrapping tighter and tighter until they will stretch and pop. So always let the ball pass at leat two times between swings to protect your powerbands from over stressing.
Thanks for stopping in. Have a great day, Nick.

My first official post..

Hello and welcome to my BatAction Blog. This blog is dedicated to giving BatAction Hitting Machine owners the very latest in drills, tips, and training information. My goal is to help you improve your individual or team batting average with the innovative BatAction Hitting Machine baseball training aid. The high speed ball movement and the variety of drills that the BatAction Machine offers will improve bat speed, hitting skill, and batter confidence. I have a passion for baseball and baseball training. My goal is to help every baseball player reach their potential as a player. I hope that my post and articles are useful to you. Have a great day. Nick