Turn Batting Practice Into HITTING Practice

Turn Batting Practice Into HITTING Practice
By Jim Moyer

If your batting practice consists of either having your pitcher or a coach pitch to the hitters I am going to change your life forever. Yes, there is a place for this type of practice session but it is RARE. There is no doubt that the more live pitching your hitters see the better they will be able to adjust to different pitchers in a game. HOWEVER, your players need repetition, muscle memory, and enough swings that the coach can determine the flaws in their swing and take corrective action.

The drawbacks of having your pitcher throw batting practice are numerous. Your pitcher probably only throws 50% to 60% of his/her pitches for strikes. That’s a LOT of dead time watching the pitcher throw and the catcher retrieving wild pitches. In a two hour practice each player might get to take ten swings. Hardly enough to build fundamentals or develop muscle memory. You are also faced with having a player get hit by a pitch and thereby become afraid of the ball — WHO NEEDS THAT?!?! And then there is the little problem of all of your other players becoming completely bored while they just stand around waiting and watching. And how about the psychological affect on your pitcher if the batters are hitting the ball…great, now your pitcher feels like a failure.

Okay, then how about if we have a coach pitch? It’s better than having your pitcher pitch but not much. Typically, coaches pitch much slower than what the players face in a game. The coach is relatively distracted from coaching the hitter because he is focused on trying to lob the ball over the plate. How can you watch the batter's feet, hip movement, and arm movement if you are concentrating on making a good pitch? And don’t be fooled into thinking the coach is throwing lots of strikes. Honestly, he’s probably not as consistent as the pitcher.

Enter the Louisville Slugger Pitching Machine. This tool has revolutionized batting practice for the average team. Don’t panic about the cost as it’s only about $150. If you don’t have the money tell the parents you are taking up a collection and everyone needs to chip in $15.00. It is absolutely the PERFECT batting practice tool. It is spring-loaded so you won’t need electricity. It’s very lightweight so it’s easy to carry to the field and it sets up in about 2 minutes. It throws all sizes of balls and you can control the speed from about 20 mph up to about 45 mph. If there is any way possible, you MUST get your hands on this pitching machine.

How is a spring loaded pitching machine going to help my team? You will easily triple the number of swings your hitters get to take. You can have any parent operate the machine which will free you up to stand near the hitter and observe and coach. No more wild pitches and wasting time while the catcher retrieves the ball. They are all strikes. This means your hitters will be hitting and your fielders will stay engaged and have more practice fielding. In case you just glanced over this, let me reiterate these two points: THE COACH CAN CONCENTRATE ON INSTRUCTING THE HITTER and THE HITTER GETS 3X AS MANY SWINGS.

"It’s easy to hit pitches that are grooved right down the middle." I hear that a lot and let me say that argument doesn’t hold water with the Louisville Slugger Pitching Machine and here is why: Ball Positioning. When you load the ball onto the throwing lever you can make the pitch break inside, outside, drop or rise. Yep, it’s true. Just load the ball with the seams rotated to the left or right for a breaking ball and rotate the seams forward or back for a high or low pitch.

For advanced batting practice you might be working on hitting all outside pitches, or all inside pitches. Try that with your girl pitcher or coach pitcher and see how much luck you have! More than likely you will just end up frustrated at whoever is pitching and will not have achieved any of the practice you were hoping for. But with the right pitching achine, you can throw consistently to any part of the plate.

Still not convinced? I use the Louisville Slugger Pitching Machine to divide up my team and play scrimmages. We can usually play an inning in 8-10 minutes. It’s a great way to end a practice. With about 30 minutes left in practice just divide up and play three or four quick innings. The girls love it.

Still need more? I’ve even adjusted the settings on the Louisville Slugger pitching machine to throw fly balls. By the way, this is a great practice drill that can be run by any parent. Set the machine up around home plate, adjust the settings accordingly, throw a couple and go mark where the ball lands. Then from the spot where the ball lands, place a cone about 15’ in front, behind, to the left and to the right. The player stands at the cone and when you shoot the ball she runs to catch it, then she moves to another cone, etc. This is excellent practice for moving to the ball.

I LOVE this little pitching machine. It will increase your team’s batting average tremendously. I have used the Louisville Slugger Pitching Machine with girls age 7 all the way to age 14. It’s going to turn your batters into HITTERS and it’s going to turn your boring batting practice into a time of real achievement and fun.

Oh, did I mention this little rule? In Fastpitch Softball, whoever scores the most runs is the winner. Increase your softball team’s hitting skills and you will most definitely WIN MORE GAMES.

Jim Moyer is the author of http://www.mysoftballcoach.com

Having coached over 500 youth fastpitch softball games, Jim decided to put the information online to allow parent/coaches to draw on his unique experience.

Visit http://www.mysoftballcoach.com/softball-equipment.html for reviews on more pitching machines and other essential coaching tools, and learn many skills, drills and game strategies to make your team a Winning team.

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

The BatAction Hitting Machine - The Perfect Training machine for Little League Teams

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

CoachesBest.com sells new BatAction Machines and Replacement Parts.

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

Check out the Baseball 2Day Coaching Journal for coaching tips and drills.

The Baseball Swing - Rotational Hitting Explained

By Nate Barnett

It seems like baseball instruction in the area of hitting mechanics is splitting into two different camps. Rotational hitting vs. Linear hitting. If you're new to the baseball world, or are just unfamiliar with the new exciting terminology, let me offer some explanation.

Rotational Hitting

The purpose of the baseball swing is to transfer the most energy into the baseball as possible. In order to get the most energy created, there are specific parts of the body that need to move at the correct time in order for this energy to occur.

A rotational approach offers that the energy used in creating a powerful baseball swing stems from the back side of the body, and more specifically the lower half of the back side. The controlled chain reaction that happens when the back side is moved at precisely the correct time toward the pitch is quite powerful. On the flip side, incorrect timing of the back knee and hip will produce a sluggish bat.

A rotational approach to hitting uses the follow steps to a good baseball swing:

1. A good weight shift to the back leg from the stance position as a hitter is preparing to hit. Make sure that this weight shift is not purely horizontal in motion, since this will create an imbalance.

2. The next step is the trigger. This is the most important movement that separates a rotational hitter from a linear hitter. The triggering process should begin with the back knee turning and moving towards the pitcher (as apposed to simply spinning in place). The back hip will quickly follow the back knee in the rotation process. Lastly, the hands will begin to enter into the hitting zone. It's important that the hands do not begin the swing since the power is stemming from the back knee and hip. Early hand movement would negate any effort to use energy from the back side of the hitter's body.

3. As the bat enters the zone, one will begin to see signs that a rotational approach has been utilized. The common tell tale signs are the balance points. The easiest to explain in writing is that upon contact with the pitch there will be vertical alignment with the inside shoulder joint, the back hip, and the back knee joint. This alignment shows that balance is retained and no weight has shifted forward onto the front foot (more of a linear style).

As an aside, rotational hitting is used by most major colleges and a vast majority of Major League hitters. It provide balance and power to the baseball swing.

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.

Buy top quality baseball and softball training equipment on ebay and save at the Baseball Dealz Super Store.

The Bunt - A Little Bit Goes A Long Way

By Joe A. Rodgers

A timely bunt can be one of the most effective weapons in baseball. The art of bunting has not been mastered by too many. If a bunt is placed in exactly the right spot it cannot be defended easily, if at all. Although it seems like something simple compared to a full swing at the ball, bunting requires a lot of practice to perfect and proves very difficult without the proper techniques.

There are several different types and reasons for bunts. A player can bunt to simply move a runner over or it can be done to get a base-hit. When someone "drag" bunts they are usually trying to get on-base so they will show bunt at the last second to avoid tipping off the infielders of their intent. A "slap" bunt is basically the same thing because you make contact at the last second squaring and bunting all in one motion. When attempting to advance a runner it is suggested to square up earlier because you are more likely to get the bunt down and it's that much more important to execute the bunt properly, especially if a runner is stealing. In some cases you can square up very early to draw an infielder in on a steal play. Sometimes very good base-hitters will show bunt then draw it back at the last moment and try to hit the ball hard at an infielder that has been drawn in by the fake bunt, also sometimes refered to as a "slap" bunt.

The ideal direction of the bunt depends on the situation, such as how the infielders are set up, runners on base, and how many outs. There should never be a bunt back to the pitcher. Fundamentally, you want to have the bat square to the pitcher and as the ball approaches you either push a little bit or pull a little bit with your bottom hand to steer the ball in a desired direction. Your top hand should slide up just below the barrel with the bat resting on your fist and your thumb behind it giving support. Under no circumstances do you wrap your hand around the baseball bat or put it on the barrel. The bat head should remain slightly up to prevent "popping" the ball up. You want to be slightly hunched over and bent at the knees. The only adjustment to get to a higher or lower pitch will be made at the knees.

My name is Joe Rodgers and I've participated and played at competitive levels of baseball. Now I enjoy helping others enhance their skills in the game of baseball, especially when it comes to stepping to the plate. I also give personal instructions and maintain a website offering baseball bat reviews

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joe_A._Rodgers

Baseball Trainers Debate: Horizontal Hitter Designs vs. Vertical Spinning Designs

Horizontal Hitter
Vs.
Vertical Spinner

The BATACTION, SELF-TRAINER, hitting machine is a horizontal-action hitting machine. The patented BatAction Machine and its patented ancestors, the HIT2WIN TRAINER and the HITTING STICK TRAINER , stand alone in the market place when it comes to rod-controlled, horizontal-action hitting devices.

Coach Nick Dixon pioneered this innovative concept in the late eighties. The products benefits have made it one of the most popular youth coaching tools on the market today. It offers two distinct advantages over the many vertical-action machines that you see frequently advertised.

You should closely review these two features because they are the two main reasons BATACTION MACHINE OWNERS regularly out perform other hitters, game after game, season after season. The two advantages are:

1) ACCURATE FEEDBACK- When a hitter swings the bat, it is extremely important that he or she know the quality of the swing. It is this feedback that allows the batter to self-evaluate and determine the level of performance.

If you swung the bat 100 times and regardless of the quality, power, and angle, of your swing, the ball went up 100 times in a row, would you feel like a better hitter? If you dont think that sounds like much fun, stop to think, that is exactly what you get from a vertical-loop apparatus. On a perfect swing the ball goes up. On a poor swing the ball goes up. Wouldn't that get boring for you?

Could you tell how many line-drives, pop-ups, or groundballs you hit in those 100 swings. With the BATACTION, SELF-TRAINER, machine, you can read your contact on every swing. You get instant feedback on every swing. There is no better way to learn hitting. Plus, you'll never get bored seeing how many line-drives you can hit. The BATACTION, SELF-TRAINER, offers fun practice, instant gratification, and true quality assessment. Youll never need anything more out of a hitting machine.

2)MAXIMUM TIME OF BAT-TO-BALL CONTACT-When you hit a baseball, the longer your bat stays in contact with the ball, the better the swing feels. This bat-to-ball contact
time, an occurrence that I like to call bang-time is what allows you to get that full sweet-spot sensation. I know you have heard what a hitter often says when he experiences this sensation. He will smile and say, Man, that felt good! I got every bit of that ball with that swing!

The BATACTION MACHINE allows you to get every bit, of every ball, on every swing. If you take a line-drive swing, the ball will travel on a line-drive trajectory off your bat. You will get the full sensation of hitting a real line drive. Only The BATACTION MACHINE, with its horizontally suspended ball, offers the batter this sensation in practice swing.

The vertical-loop machines have a rope, cord, cable, string, or strap that restricts the balls movement off the bat. The vertical connecting cable is going to jerk the ball upward and off the bat as you swing through the strike zone. The cable stops the forward motion of the bat, every time. This cheats the hitter of the ability to judge his swing bang time and prevents him from getting the great full-pull sensation of maximum bat-to-ball contact time. If you want to practice hitting line drives and grounders, buy a machine that will allow you to do so. The BATACTION MACHINE is just such a machine!

A good coaching tool and practice machine allows you to see a little improvement each day as you work and practice. You can only see improvement if you can self-evaluate your performances on a swing to swing basis. It is that feedback that makes BATACTION
MACHINE owners such confidence hitters with high self esteems.

Buy your BatAction Machine and Bataction Machine and BatAction Machine Parts at The BaseballDealz Super Store.

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.

For more BatAction Hitting Machine drills, tips, and coaching information visit the BatAction Training Blog. 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.