Baseball Tips on Hitting - Are You Popping Up Or Grounding Out Too Often?

www.CoachesBest.com

By Larry Cicchiello

No matter how high or how low your batting average is, you should pay close attention to how your outs are being made. We improve by working on any weaknesses we have. Even if you are hitting.350, if most of your outs are either on pop ups or grounders, you should be looking to make an adjustment. If you take your baseball hitting seriously, you must make adjustments. Here are some baseball tips on hitting that should help you.

Grounding Out Too Often and Topping the Ball

You may be getting your stride foot down too late. This will not give you enough time to get the bat to the hitting zone because your bat will still be too high when the moment of truth arrives, thus topping the ball.

You may be trying to pull the outside pitch instead of going with the pitch to the opposite field. Your bat will have a slight drag to it and you won't be swinging through the ball.

You may be hitting too much off the front foot and not keeping your weight on your back foot. This will cause you to be "top heavy" and most likely hit the top of the ball.

You may be opening your front shoulder and/or front hip too quickly, causing you to pull off the ball and not swing through the ball.

Popping Up Too Often and Hitting Under the Ball

Pay very close attention to what your back shoulder is doing. If it is collapsing and dropping down below the front shoulder, there is a very good chance this is the problem. Basically, you are lowering your entire swing and you almost have to swing underneath the ball. The same applies to your back leg. If it's dropping down and "collapsing" too much, that can very easily lead to "uppercutting" the ball and popping it up.

Make sure you are not dropping your hands too low when actually swinging. This obviously will increase the chances of you hitting the bottom of the baseball. If your hands are too low, your bat will be too low and there is a very good chance you will hit the bottom of the ball.

Make sure the back of your bottom hand is facing the pitcher when you start your swing. Remember, it should be one palm up and one palm down only at the point of contact and not before.

Make sure that your front elbow is pointing downward at the very start of your swing.This is very possibly the most common baseball hitting problem you will ever see. The very beginning of the swing is a downward movement and is not level at all. Only at the point of contact should the front elbow be level and pointing toward the pitcher.

If you learn only this one thing out of all the baseball tips on hitting, you will see a major improvement in your baseball hitting immediately!

Larry is the president of Larwenty Online Enterprises Inc. and also the author of "Excellent Baseball Coaching: 30 Seconds Away." If you are a baseball player or are involved in baseball coaching at any level of play or a parent who wants to help your child improve, you will be fully equipped! His baseball website offers several FREE baseball tips from his very informative and very fairly priced eBooks.

Larry's baseball website is http://www.larrybaseball.com/

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


www.BatAction.com

Happy Thanksgiving to Our Baseball Parents Blog Readers

Happy Thanksgiving to Our Baseball Parents Blog Readers

The staff at Nedco Sports wishes you and your family a safe and Happy Thanksgiving Holidays.

Baseball Tips on Hitting - Baseball Hitting Tips Highly Recommended For Your Success!

By Larry Cicchiello

Not all baseball tips on hitting are etched in stone but here are several very good guidelines to follow:

A Balanced and Workable Stance

All good athletes are balanced almost all the time. It gives you a solid, comfortable foundation, which is where hitting begins. Some very good hitters find it useful to have a little body movement while in their batting stance. They may rock a little back and forth which they find relaxing. It's almost impossible to have your muscles tighten and tense up when your muscles are moving. You can then be quicker and shift your weight much better than someone who is just standing there like a statue. It's identical to a goalie in hockey. If he stands up straight like a statue, what chance will he have to move freely to make a save on a slap shot that's traveling close to 100 mile per hour? What chance will a tennis player have waiting for a serve in excess of 100 miles per hour? None of them will have a good chance and neither will a baseball hitter.

Striding With the Front Toes Slightly Closed

If your toes are slightly closed, it encourages you to keep your front hip and front shoulder closed as well. In other words, instead of having the toes pointing straight out away from your body when you take your stride turn them an inch or two inward, back toward your body. If you point the front toes out toward the pitcher, it will encourage you to open your front side too early which will create many baseball hitting problems.

Have the Bat Fully Loaded When the Stride Foot Touches the Ground

All good hitters have the bat in the "launching position" when their front foot completes the stride. You stride and then you swing. They are two separate movements that should happen very quickly and smoothly but they are separate movements.

Making an Aggressive Motion Toward The Pitcher

A lot of hitters do NOT do this but all the great hitters do. That is where the ball is coming from and that's where you should be going. Real good hitters go into the ball to hit it. It's a common baseball hitting problem to NOT go toward the pitcher when swinging. The reason it's such a common baseball hitting problem is because it is simply not natural to move your body toward a baseball that someone is throwing in your direction.

Having a Tension Free Swing

"Tension is a hitter's worst enemy," is a quote that's been around for decades and is still one of the best baseball tips on hitting. Tension destroys a fluid, graceful swing that's necessary for hitting the ball properly. Don't squeeze the bat too tightly and don't tighten up your muscles. Like mentioned above, many very good hitters have a slight waggle to help them relax.

Head Behind the Swing

The real good hitters actually see the ball a little longer than the weaker hitters. They literally lower and turn their heads when making contact. You simply can not keep your head facing the pitcher and look at the baseball out of the corners of your eyes when trying to make contact.

Hitting to All Fields

Rarely will you find a hitter with a high batting average who limits himself to hitting the ball to only one part of the field. Pay attention to the old expression, "hit it where it's pitched." In the long run, you will be much better off.

Hitting Through the Ball

Hitting through the ball is necessary to successful hitting. You should pretend that you are trying to hit three or four baseballs that are tied closely together with a piece of string, instead of hitting only one baseball. This will help you keep the bat in the hitting zone longer.

All of the above mentioned are definitely good rules of thumb to be followed.

Larry is the president of Larwenty Online Enterprises Inc. and also the author of "Excellent Baseball Coaching: 30 Seconds Away." If you are a baseball player or are involved in baseball coaching at any level of play or a parent who wants to help your child improve, you will be fully equipped! His baseball website offers several FREE baseball tips from his very informative and very fairly priced eBooks.

Larry's baseball website is http://www.larrybaseball.com/

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

===Advertisement from our sponsor:=====

Baseball2u.com/CoachesBest.com is the ultimate online baseball training and coaching store. With over 1400 products organized into categories Baseball2u.com makes finding that baseball training product easy and simple. Order securely online or by phone. Baseball2u.com is a fully licensed company and has a full time staff available from 8:00 to 5:00 CST. Their toll free customer service number is 1-877-431-4487.

The Categories they have are: Baseball Training Equipment, Youth Baseball Training Equipment, Training Bats, Pitching & Throwing Trainers, Defensive Trainers, Batting Cages, Pitching Machines, Jugs Equipment, Game and Practice Baseballs, Protective Practice Screens and Nets, Portable Pitching Mounds, Baseball DVDs & Books, Clearance Items on Sales, BatAction Hitting Machines, Hurricane Hitting Machines, NEDCO Bataction Replacement Parts, SKLZ Hurricane Replacement Parts and Much Much More! Visit Baseball2U.com today!

Little League Baseball Training

By Eugene Rischall

Little league baseball is very popular. It is important youngsters start off on the right foot when starting to play baseball. This article gives very important baseball training tips that youngsters will benefit from all their baseball playing life.

To start off you need the right type of equipment. Bats come in different weights and lengths. It is important to use the bat that feels most comfortable to you. Do not use a bat that is too heavy. The speed of the bat in your swing is more important than the weight. Bat control will help you hit the ball more often and harder. You have to wear a batting helmet when batting and on deck. It is a rule. The helmet should fit snugly, but not too tight. Other than catching and first base all fielders wear a fielders glove. Outfielders should wear a glove as large as possible, infielders should use a small glove. First basemen use a large scooplike glove, and catchers gloves are big and more padded. All males must wear an athletic supporter. Catchers must wear a protective cup.

Hitters should fell as comfortable at the plate as possible. They need a good grip, stance, stride, swing, and follow-through. Also working the count is very important. One of the best ways to practice your mechanics is by hitting off a tee. The tee is a great baseball training aid. You do not have to worry about a pitch, so you can concentrate on all the little things.

Pitching is very important to determining the outcome of a game. Before the season starts a pitcher should learn the mechanics, practice without the ball, watch yourself in a mirror, and run. The stronger your legs are the better you can pitch. Before a game starts, shake arms and legs, stretch, start warm-up with easy throwing and then throw harder. There are three steps in becoming a good pitcher, learn to throw strikes, learn to change speeds, and move the ball around effectively. I hope this article gives little leaguers an idea of becoming a better baseball and softball player. Proper techniques will greatly improve your game.

Author: Eugene Rischall, Owner, Baseball Training Emporium at http://www.baseballtrainingemporium.com.

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


===Advertisement from our sponsor:=====

Baseball2u.com/CoachesBest.com is the ultimate online baseball training and coaching store. With over 1400 products organized into categories Baseball2u.com makes finding that baseball training product easy and simple. Order securely online or by phone. Baseball2u.com is a fully licensed company and has a full time staff available from 8:00 to 5:00 CST. Their toll free customer service number is 1-877-431-4487.

The Categories they have are: Baseball Training Equipment, Youth Baseball Training Equipment, Training Bats, Pitching & Throwing Trainers, Defensive Trainers, Batting Cages, Pitching Machines, Jugs Equipment, Game and Practice Baseballs, Protective Practice Screens and Nets, Portable Pitching Mounds, Baseball DVDs & Books, Clearance Items on Sales, BatAction Hitting Machines, Hurricane Hitting Machines, NEDCO Bataction Replacement Parts, SKLZ Hurricane Replacement Parts and Much Much More! Visit Baseball2U.com today!

Looking for a great Christmas Gift for a talented baseball player?

Baseball Batting Practice Trainer Videos

Video shows the Hands Back Hitter baseball batting trainer. The Hands Back Hitter by Swing Buster is a great for all ages and ability levels. The HBH teaches and builds correct hitting fundamentals.



The Stayback Tee is designed to help teach and practice rotational hitting that can increase bat speed. The Stayback Tee helps the batter establish the proper axis to launch the swing. It virtually eliminates forward motion after swing initiation commonly called lunging. This enhances balance in the stride landing and allows the hitter to adjust to different speed pitches and maximize the power by leading with hips and turning into the ball.



Short video demonstration of the BatAction Hitting Machine baseball softball trainer, The BatAction offers high speed ball movement drills that are 100% Guaranteed to Improve batting averages, bat speed and hitting skill. Unit is suitable for all ages from t-ball to high scholo. Great for Little League team parctices and home backyard workouts. The BatAction is often called the "Backyard Basketball Goal" for baseball and softball players.




Baseball2u.com/CoachesBest.com is the ultimate online baseball training and coaching store. With over 1400 products organized into categories Baseball2u.com makes finding that baseball training product easy and simple. Order securely online or by phone. Baseball2u.com is a fully licensed company and has a full time staff available from 8:00 to 5:00 CST. Their toll free customer service number is 1-877-431-4487.

The Categories they have are: Baseball Training Equipment, Youth Baseball Training Equipment, Training Bats, Pitching & Throwing Trainers, Defensive Trainers, Batting Cages, Pitching Machines, Jugs Equipment, Game and Practice Baseballs, Protective Practice Screens and Nets, Portable Pitching Mounds, Baseball DVDs & Books, Clearance Items on Sales, BatAction Hitting Machines, Hurricane Hitting Machines, NEDCO Bataction Replacement Parts, SKLZ Hurricane Replacement Parts and Much Much More! Visit Baseball2U.com today!

Baseball Fielding Tips - Very Common Throwing Problems and How You Can Fix Them!

By Larry Cicchiello

Here is a list of some common throwing problems, why they are happening and how they can be fixed:

Throws Are Overthrown and Sailing High.There is a very good chance that you are NOT raising your throwing elbow to shoulder height. I've witnessed this hundreds of times over the years. Watch closely to replays on TV when infielders overthrow their first baseman because the throw sailed high. In many cases, you will see the infielder did not raise his elbow high enough when making the throw. Just remember, "elbow too low, ball high." In essence, the ball is being "pushed" and not actually thrown. Another possibility for overthrowing your target is you may be releasing the ball before your landing foot hits the ground.

Under Throwing the Ball.The problem is usually at your release point. If you release the ball too late, your throw will almost definitely be too low. Another strong possibility is that your front shoulder is dipping down below your throwing shoulder. If your front shoulder dips, there is a good chance your throw will be low and short of your target. Whenever possible, make sure that your shoulders stay level throughout the throwing motion.

General Erratic Throwing.There is no substitute for spending time practicing your throwing. If you throw the ball every day, your throwing will improve. It simply has to. Just remember, every time you throw a baseball you should aim for a target. It's one of the simplest yet most important baseball fielding tips for improving throwing. If having a catch with someone, aim for their left shoulder, then their right shoulder, left hip, right hip, etc. Every time you throw a baseball, aim for something! How can this possibly not help? It has to help and it will help.

If throwing erratically, the problem could very well be in your footwork. Not getting their feet set up properly is a very common problem, especially with youngsters. Their feet are not set when they throw the ball because of their impatience to want to throw the ball too soon. Their arm is ready but their footwork is not ready yet. They have no balance or foundation when they throw. Like we mentioned above, keep your shoulders level and keep them square to your target. Make sure your front foot is pointing to your target and your back foot lined up like you are using the pitching rubber.

Once again, EVERY time you throw a baseball, aim for a target. There is no way on earth that this will not help you out tremendously!

Larry Cicchiello is the author of "Excellent Baseball Coaching: 30 Seconds Away." His site offers many FREE baseball tips on hitting, baseball pitching tips, baseball coaching drills, baseball fielding tips, etc. You will be FULLY EQUIPPED!

You can visit his website at http://www.larrybaseball.com/

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

Seeing the Baseball and Softball Properly When Hitting

By Bobby Woods

As parents and coaches, we often tell our children to keep their eyes on the ball when hitting a baseball or softball. Without a doubt this is an excellent teaching point. It probably should be stated more often by parents and coaches, including myself.

When a major league player is hitting good and a sports writer asks him, "Why are you hitting so well this week because you weren't hitting last week", the player will most likely say, "I am seeing the ball, and it looks big".

Hitting a baseball or softball well is more a visual skill than anything else. There are, however, many other key components to becoming a successful hitter including muscle memory, stance, weight transference, grip, rhythm, hitting inside out, balance, the launch position, mental imagery, use of hands, and effective hitting drills.

Here are some tips on how to see the ball.

When a hitter is batting, he or she should use soft focus and fine focus. As a pitcher is winding up, the hitter can watch the pitcher from the waist up or look at the pitcher's face. Those are some examples of soft focus.

Where the pitcher releases the ball is fine focus. This is extremely important. It is where the hitter's eyes should be, at the point of release. Great hitters see the ball immediately from the pitcher's release of the ball. So a hitter in baseball and softball must go from soft to fine focus.

There are more tips for seeing the ball better. Study the pitcher by using these 3 letters, R-R-P.

The first R stands for Rhythm. Is the pitcher's wind -up fast or slow, or somewhere between fast and slow. This is the pitcher's rhythm.

The second R stands for Release. Where does the pitcher release the ball from? Do they have an overhand, three quarter, or side-arm release? Softball pitchers use an underhand release in the windmill style of pitching. Using fine focus will help determine their release point.

The P stands for the the type of pitches the pitcher has, and in what pitch count they throw them. For example, let's say you are hitting third in the lineup. The first and second hitters have just struck-out on a curve ball with a 0-2 count. All of a sudden the count on you is 0-2. What kind of pitch do you think you will be seeing? Probably a curve ball, but not necessarily. Your primary responsibility is to be ready for the fastball, no matter what the pitch count. However in this situation odds are that a curve ball will be thrown to you. Therefore the bar is raised that a curve ball may be thrown to the hitter.

Remember when the ball is pitched, the hitter needs to pick up the ball at the pitchers release point. The head and eyes then go down to hit the ball. Ideally at contact the hitter's eyes and nose should be directly facing the middle of the ball. This will give you perfect and direct vision to the ball.

Try this exercise. Hold a ball and line your nose and chin directly to the middle of the ball. Does it look big? Move your nose and chin to the left or right of the center of the ball. Now you are using peripheral vision, and the ball is not so big anymore. And please remember this. After hitting the ball keep your head and eyes down at the point where you made contact with the ball for one second. This will prevent looking up or peaking before you hit the ball.
Also when you put your eyes and head down as you hit the ball your bat speed becomes faster. Your bat takes a natural path to the ball, your hips rotate better and your follow through and balance will improve. There are many other ways to see the ball better but these points will definitely improve your hitting.

Finally, always remember the most important thing in sports is to have fun!

Trivia question: There are five ways to get on first base without hitting the ball. What are they?

HittingVideo.com offers hitting tips, DVD and books for baseball and softball players of all ages. We provide you with everything you need to know about hitting drills.

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

Baseball2u.com/CoachesBest.com is the ultimate online baseball training and coaching store. With over 1400 products organized into categories Baseball2u.com makes finding that baseball training product easy and simple. Order securely online or by phone. Baseball2u.com is a fully licensed company and has a full time staff available from 8:00 to 5:00 CST. Their toll free customer service number is 1-877-431-4487.

The Categories they have are: Baseball Training Equipment, Youth Baseball Training Equipment, Training Bats, Pitching & Throwing Trainers, Defensive Trainers, Batting Cages, Pitching Machines, Jugs Equipment, Game and Practice Baseballs, Protective Practice Screens and Nets, Portable Pitching Mounds, Baseball DVDs & Books, Clearance Items on Sales, BatAction Hitting Machines, Hurricane Hitting Machines, NEDCO Bataction Replacement Parts, SKLZ Hurricane Replacement Parts and Much Much More! Visit Baseball2U.com today!