The Right Mental Approach to the Game of Baseball

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By Bill Bathe

What is a mental approach and what is the right frame of mind? You often hear about the mental approach to the game. But some people don't understand what this means. It simply means how you think about the game before actually playing the game. Let's explore it.

Before you even reach the field there is a preparation that takes place. It all starts in practice and even on the drills you are doing before the game. You often hear 'the right frame of mind'. Well, it applies to all aspects of baseball.

As far as practice, it simply means that you are going about your business with a purpose in mind and doing it efficiently. Let's take an example. You are about to do tee work to help your swing. Do you just put the tee up and start hacking? Or do you work on the areas that you need to, like hitting the ball the other way off the tee with you visualizing the outside pitch? You need to have a purpose to what you are doing.

And when you practice, utilize the time to practice the right way. I would rather have 10 minutes of quality, purposeful practice than 20 minutes of practice with no idea of what you are trying to work on.

Same thing goes for batting practice. Are you in the right frame of mind? Are you just wailing away at the pitches. Or are you hitting with purpose and trying to accomplish things? Once again, give me 10 minutes of quality hitting with purpose and not 20 minutes of hooking the ball foul with no idea of what you are trying to do.

These are all small things that carry over into a game. It all begins at this stage of the game. Practice the right way with purpose and you will go into the game with the right frame of mind.

What about the right approach to the game? The mental approach to the game starts with preparation. This means doing your homework and knowing the opposition. What kind of pitcher is throwing today? Is it a sidearm lefthander or an over the top righthander that throws 95 mph? If it's a sidearming lefthander, than maybe in batting practice I will visualize the sinking fastball on the outside corner and really work hard on shortening up and just trying to stroke the ball the other way. If it's a hard throwing flame thrower than maybe my batting practice today will be on being short to the ball and trying to be a little quicker.Do you see what I mean?

Now you are having purpose the right frame of mind, or simply, the right mental approach to the game. By combining the right mental approach with the right drills and practice, you will be well on your way to vastly improving your game.

Bill Bathe- former major league baseball player who played in 1989 world series. Former instructors include Eddie Matthews, Harmon Killebrew, Billy Williams, and Dusty Baker to name a few. To visit his website and learn more just click on
pro baseball drills and baseball equipment to take you there. Also, inspirational stories on his journey to the big leagues.

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Coaching Baseball Batters - 3 Common Baseball Swing Mistakes and Corrections

By Nick Dixon

Coaching youth and high school baseball batters requires a watchful eye and close attention to detail. Baseball coaches must identify and correct any flaw in batting hitting mechanics. Players should not be allowed to practice their swing over and over without correcting their mistakes. Good baseball coaches are always on the constant lookout for any bad habits that a young player may develop. Here I discuss three of the most common hitting mechanical flaws and my approach to correcting each. Here are three common mistakes I often see at my baseball camps and when I observe youth games and youth practices.

1) BARRING THE FRONT ARM - The batter locks or stiffens the front arm as the swing begins. Many young batters will have assumed the correct stance and launch positions but have a tendency to tighten up as the swing begins. The barring of the front arm causes the swing to loop and to be too long. The batter has great difficulty taking the bat to the ball and making contact unless the ball is thrown exactly on the swing plane. The proper swing has a "short stroke" or path to the ball. The best way to correct barring of the front arm is to make sure that the batter keeps the front arm elbow bent or at an "L" position prior and during the swing.

2) STEPPING OUT OR PULLING OFF PITCHES - I often see this with young kids in our summer camp program. They always step out or their front side often flies open before the ball arrives. This batter has great difficulty making contact. Until this flaw is corrected, the batter will only become frustrated and embarrassed. To keep the front shoulder in the proper "closed" position, teach the batter to keep the front shoulder closed and directed at the second baseman for right-handed batters and toward the shortstop for left-handed batters. The stepping out is a more difficult flaw to fix. Having the batter pick the front heel off the ground and stepping just slightly toward the plate may help. I frown on putting obstructions behind the front foot to keep it from moving backward, although many coaches do this to stop this bad habit. I often use the "step in and hit: drill with a hit trainer, Bat Action Machine or batting tee. The batter assumes a position back away from the ball target that requires the batter to step toward the ball in order to make contact. If the batter does not step toward or into the ball, the batter will not be able to hit the ball.

3) UPPER CUT SWING - The upper cut swing may be caused by two things that are quickly identified Dropping the hands and back leg collapse can both cause the batter to swing upward. Make sure that the batter keeps the hands at the top of the strike zone and does not drop the hands or dip the back side shoulder during the swing. The back leg should be keep "tall or straight" to prevent back side dipping which can also cause an upper-cut swing. Two great drills that we use to stop this is the "Zone Circle" tee or soft-toss drill. We make a circle the side of our batting cage by inter-weaving a white or yellow rope in the net. The batter must hit or drive the ball off the tee or from a soft-toss into the circle. The batter must have a level swing and keep the front side in to be able to hit the zone.

COACHING POINT: Make sure that the batter is not over striding. This too can cause a batter to pop up. The batter must concentrate visually on the top half or middle of the ball to make good contact.

Visit BaseballCoachingDigest.com for a great selection of Baseball Coaching and Training Articles. 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.

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

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Players develop incredible bat speed and confidence when they regularly use the Quick Swing Trainer. See it at QuickSwingTrainer.com. See the world’s most advanced batting tee at AdvancedSkillsTee.com.

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How to Improve Arm Strength For Baseball

By Jack Perconte

When people speak of improving arm strength they are basically asking "How can a ballplayer throw a ball faster?" This is one of the most asked questions I received from parents in my twenty one years of teaching baseball and softball. Throwing the ball faster and building arm strength for baseball and softball is basically the same thing. The answer to the question is very simple, "Throw correctly and throw often." There is no magic formula. The secret is all about good, solid throwing mechanics and throwing at least six to nine months out of the year. Of course, many experts will tell you that arm speed is based on genetics; that players are predisposed to being able to throw top speed based on their genetic make-up. I am sure they are correct, however until a player gives it everything they have, meaning the mentioned blend of good mechanics and continual throwing, players do not know what speed they are genetically capable of throwing. Every player is capable of greater arm strength if they put in the practice time. Of course, weaker armed players need to practice more than strong armed players, but weaker armed players have the most to gain, also.

With this in mind, following are tips for helping players improve arm strength:

1. At a young age, parents should have players' throwing mechanics analyzed by a professional throwing coach. Any suggested deficiencies should be addressed until correct throwing fundamentals are attained. Without the correct fundamentals, a player will not reach their potential and probably will be unable to avoid arm (shoulder or elbow) injury at some point.

2. About a month before their team practice begins, players should begin throwing two times a week, followed by three and four times a week.

3. Players should gradually increase speed and distance of throws until they are at maximum line drive distance. Players should throw at least 10 throws from this "long toss" distance and stop when their arm begins to tire or their throws begin to lose distance. Long toss is when players throw at maximum "in the air" distance without putting a big arc in the throw.

4. Once the season begins, position players should throw up to 5 days a week. No extra throwing than normal game day throwing is required. Of course, pitchers must take rest days after pitching.

5. Players should continue throwing a few days a week after their season concludes, up to nine months of the year, with two days a week performing long toss.

Players may not notice immediate improvement in arm strength, but over time they will see much stronger arms. As a coach, I have seen all players improve greatly when they stuck with a long term throwing program. Although strength training exercises do not lead directly to increased arm speed and throwing strength, it can lead to over all strength and quicker arm recovery time. Therefore, a controlled, age oriented strength training program is advised.

A few extra points worth knowing:

* The number of maximum effort throwing days (pitching or long toss) should eliminate one day of throwing during the week. For example, players who normally throw four or five days a week should cut off one day for an extra days rest after pitching or long toss.

*Players who complain of tired or sore arms should not throw through it. Rest days are important to improving arm strength, too.

* Pitchers, who are on travel teams or in leagues without set inning guidelines, are in the most danger of developing sore and tired arms. Adults associated with these teams and leagues should pay special attention to "overuse" throwing. With this in mind, coaches are responsible for making sure their teams carry enough pitchers to handle the pitching load.

*Players should have a three consecutive month break without any throwing at some time of the year.

* There is no harm and maybe some benefits of using a lighter weight ball for some of this throwing.

Former major league baseball player, Jack Perconte gives baseball hitting tips and batting practice advice for ballplayers of all ages. His baseball hitting lessons advice can be found at http://www.baseballhittinglessons.com/baseball Jack is the author of two books, The Making of a Hitter and Raising an Athlete - his parenting blog can be found at http://positiveparentinginsports.com

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

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Yankees to Win 2009 World Series?

By Brett Kingston

Through their first two games of the 2009 ALCS, the Yankees have looked rock solid. It took 13 innings to beat the Los Angeles Angels in game 2, but they played their hearts out and they were there to produce when it mattered most.

The NY Yankees now have a 2 games to none lead on the Los Angeles Angels. While both of these games have been won at home, the Yankees have yet to slip up in these 2009 MLB playoffs. They're now 5-0 in overall playoff play, and you have to wonder when the team will lose its first game already.

The pitching has been phenomenal in New York, and the hitting has just been clutch, to put it simply. Alex Rodriguez already has three post season home runs, and they've been big ones at that. His game tying home run against the Angels in extra innings during game 2 literally saved the game for the Yankees. This is a stark contrast to the Rodriguez who's been so well known for blowing big opportunities at the plate for his team.

Maybe things are different in New York this year. This seems like a Yankees team with a tremendous amount of confidence, and their talent is unrivaled by any other team in baseball.

Might it be enough to surpass the Angels in the ALCS and then the winner of the Dodgers vs. Phillies NLCS series should they make it to the World Series? It seems like 2009 could be the year that brings the Yanks their first World Series in 9 seasons.

Brett Kingston is an avid writer. One of his proudest pieces of work is his resource about moccasin shoes, which can be found at http://moccasinshoes.org.

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

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The BatAction Hitting Machine and the Derek Jeter Hurricane Hitting Machine are two of the absolute best batting trainers available today. These compact and self-contained hitting machines allow players to take full speed batting practice swings in indoors or outdoors with little space required. The high speed ball movement drills that these machines feature is known for developing incredible batting skill, bat speed and batter confidence.

Improve Bat Speed Using the Secrets of the Pros

By Alan Bryan

Finding ways to improve bat speed will lead many people to some very strange methods. While there really is no secret that will magically improve bat speed, there are some unique and little known training tools that the pros have used for years to help them increase bat speed as much as ten miles per hour.

Likely, you have seen the basic wrist training techniques and other methods to help you bring the bat through the zone with more efficiency and more power. However, what you may not know is that too much muscle build up can actually slow down your swing. Some of the best techniques that professional players have used do not involve fancy training tools or heavier bats. In fact, ask most professional players and they will tell you using a donut or weighted bat will actually result in a slower swing.

One of the most effective ways to improve bat speed is to understand the proper way to grip the bat. The traditional fist on top of fist grip, as well as chocking up on a bat will result in slower bat speed. Grip the bat with your bottom hand below the knob of the bat, and allow that wrist to flick the bat through the swing zone. This action will improve your bat speed quickly. However, be sure to practice this swing, as learning how to do this and control that bat take some repetition.

There are many other simple technical changes you can make to your swing and your stance that will improve bat speed. Start thinking about feet placement, and how that relates to your hips opening up in your swing. The proper foot placement can allow your hips to open up quicker, which leads to a quicker bat.

There are some excellent ways to improve bat speed and increase your power. See the latest techniques and drills recommended by several professional scouts at http://www.batspeedtraining.info.

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



The BatAction Hitting Machine and the Derek Jeter Hurricane Hitting Machine are two of the absolute best batting trainers available today. These compact and self-contained hitting machines allow players to take full speed batting practice swings in indoors or outdoors with little space required. The high speed ball movement drills that these machines feature is known for developing incredible batting skill, bat speed and batter confidence.

BatAction Machine Team and Home Training Tool by Nedco Sports

BatAction Machine provide batters with a productive and challenging workout that rapidly improves bat speed, improves hitting skill, and raises batting averages.BatAction Training Machine workouts are some of the most popular training drills baseball and softball players today. The BatAction Hitting Machine is one of the most economics ways a parent can help a player quickly improve their batting average and drastically reduce the number of strikeouts.



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10 Ways to Increase Your Baseball Batting Average - Besides Getting a Better Swing

By Jack Perconte

There are many things players can do to raise or maintain a high batting average. Obviously, developing improved baseball swing fundamentals and working on timing the ball are the most beneficial things to do. Beyond that, there are other not so obvious ways to keep a high batting average. This can be the difference between continuing to play and getting a seat on the bench. Dedicated players will look for all means to improve. Improving in the following areas can make at least a hundred point difference in a baseball player's batting average.

1. Improve running speed - the ability to beat out a few extra ground balls a season for a few extra hits will help maintain a good average.

2. Develop good bunting technique - as the previous point, being able to put down a few base hits via the bunt can make a big difference, especially when players are struggling with their swing or timing.

3. Have eyes checked before season - nothing is more important to hitters than their vision. Playing even a few games without great eyesight can be detrimental to a good average.

4. Learn and adhere to the strike zone - chasing bad pitches and not being willing to take a walk will hurt the player's average.

5. Know strengths and weaknesses - hitters who know what pitches they hit best and which they don't will have better success early in the count. (Players should consult coaches for this information if unsure).

6. Study the opposing pitcher - even young players should watch the opposing pitcher during warm-ups and in games to get an idea of their speed, control, etc.

7. Use the whole field - during batting practice players should work on hitting balls where they are pitched. It's a big advantage to be able to hit balls to all fields as opposed to only using half the field.

8. Cut down on swing with two strikes - players who just try to make contact and hit the ball back through the middle with two strikes have a great chance to maintain a high average.

9. Keep a good attitude - hitters that realize their next at bat can be different than their previous failed attempts will succeed. Forgetting bad at-bats is crucial to maintain confidence and belief in oneself.

10. Remember the directions to Carnegie Hall - practice, perfect practice, practice when others aren't.

Finally, good coaches will stress the above suggestions and help players develop these parts of their game. Over time, players will begin to do these on their own and notice how their batting average soars.

Former major league baseball player, Jack Perconte gives baseball hitting tips and batting practice advice for ballplayers of all ages. His baseball hitting lessons advice can be found at http://www.baseballhittinglessons.com/baseball Jack is the author of two books, "The Making of a Hitter" and "Raising an Athlete" - his parenting blog can be found at http://positiveparentinginsports.com

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

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See the “Original” Rotational Hitting Machine at BatAction.com. Are you looking for the perfect trainer to teach proper timing and swing mechanics? You can stop looking and go to HandsBackHitter.com.

Players develop incredible bat speed and confidence when they regularly use the Quick Swing Trainer. See it at QuickSwingTrainer.com. See the world’s most advanced batting tee at AdvancedSkillsTee.com.

Are you looking for a great batting cage at discount prices? Are you considering building your own backyard batting cage and training center? If so, you should visit BattingCagesDirect.com now!
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