"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.

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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.


=Heavy-duty construction (2 1/4”all-bamboo barrel and handle with reinforced fiberglass rod)
=Strong enough for live pitching, great with swing trainers
=Instant feedback and “sting” if hit too far off center
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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...

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