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Welcome to the official blog of the Baseball Parent Guide. Our free baseball articles and daily post provide baseball parents with valuable drills and tips to help improve your home, team and backyard baseball practice. Our archive has hundreds of informative and useful articles and posts related to all aspects of baseball training, practice and skill development. Make sure to save this site to your favorites for future visits. Happy Hitting and Good Luck to Your Team!

Thursday, December 31, 2009

Too Much Emphasis on Winning! Not Playing Great Baseball!

By Stephen K Reynolds

In Today's Climate of over bearing parents & coaches driving youth sports towards a win at all costs mentality it is difficult to sort out what is right for the players! There is too much emphasis on just winning and no focus on the players playing at there peak every play. I hear it every day, we need to win the game! Hey I like to win as much as the next guy and enjoy seeing the players win but a lot of coaches mistake that for Success!

The Great John Wooden said success is measured whether a player Has given a maximum effort during each and every game. You are only a failure if you give any thing less. Too often coaches think that just because the team won every thing is peaches and cream. Many games are won because 1 player had an exceptional game while the others played lousy! Coaches focus on the better players and don't develop the other players to there full potential.

Here is my point: You need to get the players to focus on each and every play and tell them that they have to bring an maximum effort mentally and physically in order to be successful. If you have an above average team the wins will take care of themselves. By getting players to be in the moment that takes the pressure off of them about having to win! When you do that the players can play to their full potential and enjoy the game at the same time!

If your team plays it best baseball and gets beat hey it happens! No shame in that! Oh sure you will be disappointed in the outcome but not your players effort! Remember why you are coaching Youth Sports!

Stephen K Reynolds is publisher of the LSR Unlimted "Free" newsletter which focuses on helping newcomers & seasoned pros learn the secrets to marketing in the ever changing world of the internet! He is also a youth baseball coach in Western Montana Working on the Internet allows him the freedom to coach little league baseball. For more information on this e-mail lsrwealth@gmail.com

(800)758-1282

http://www.mindsetiswealth.com

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

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Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Baseball & Softball Swing - Confidence Vs Mechanics


By Todd Thomas

I was at a high school level ball game recently. Of the two teams playing, one was filled with a group of very cocky players. They were cocky and CONFIDENT. What's interesting is that the players on this team had some of the worst baseball swings I have ever seen in my life. But they were confident as all get out.

It's an interesting phenomenon to observe that a player can have horrible mechanics but have supreme confidence(cockiness is a good word to describe here) and still be able to hit the baseball successfully. Alex Rodriquez successfully? NO! No, as I watched the game none of these players really scorched the baseball but they did swing confidently at it and put the ball in play often finding holes and blooping hits all the way to a 14 to 2 win.

These players' potential to play at higher levels is limited with bad mechanics. Ultimately, they will reach an end to their success(and subsequently their confidence) as they move to higher and higher levels of baseball. These were high school players. Obviously, they are going to have some success at the high school level. Reaching the collegiate level is probably out for most of them because of their technique, but one or two of them may reach that level. Then that's probably it. I once had a collegiate player over for some training and his mechanics were awful, but he was playing Division I baseball. Why? More than likely he was extremely confident up until this point but now was crashing and burning at the collegiate level. He also had a load of natural ability that had carried him this far too. However, he had reached his peak and I remember telling him that if he has sights on playing professionally he needed to change what he was doing mechanically. And he did have the desire to play pro ball.

However, even if a player works on and gets mechanically sound, I believe that any player(no matter what age) will struggle if they don't learn how to be confident. If they are not confident and their new mechanics aren't "working" for them, then they will blame the mechanics or the teacher or both and will keep searching for that "perfect" way to swing to insure success. When what they really need is confidence training in order to raise the game and to be successful.

So is learning the proper mechanics the "answer" to being a good hitter? I teach the mechanics of the best players in the game and I am supremely confident in what I teach. Let's say however that I took a player from the team of confident hitters with bad mechanics and we started working on fixing his mechanics. IF he is able to sustain his confidence, look out. He should excel in a big way.

What if though(and this probably goes higher the younger the player is) the player starts "thinking too much" about executing the proper swing mechanics? What if he starts over-analyzing his swing and trying to hard to make things happen with his new swing? Questions and doubt may start building within him after a bad(weak) hit or a strike out. He then starts asking himself, "Am I doing it right?" "Am I performing my mechanics correctly?" If the results are not there, then the player will assume that he is not swinging "correctly" and there begins the process of over-thinking, over-analyzing, and confidence shrinking. And I believe the downward spiral of his hitting results and confidence will continue to fall.

What's interesting as I think about the team of cocky confident hitters is that I don't think they realize that they suck. Their mechanics that is. They seem to have no idea how "bad" they are and they play as if not to care. They are just confident. On the contrary, they are pretty good because they THINK they are in spite of what they don't know.

So which is more important? Confidence or mechanics? It seems from my observations that confidence with bad mechanics can still have a degree (albeit limited) of success. YET, good mechanics with zero confidence and playing scared seems to have no chance to succeed.

Hmmm?

Todd Thomas is a Baseball Coach and Professional Hitting Instructor for Mike Epstein Hitting. Coach Todd's personal hitting website is http://www.HitItHere.net. Coach Todd also enthusiastically endorses http://PlayMyBestBaseball.com as a place where baseball and softball hitters can master the Confidence, Composure, Focus and Consistency of their game so they can reach their full potential.

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

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Thursday, December 24, 2009

Happy Holidays & Season’s Greetings From Nick

Happy Holidays & Season’s Greetings From Nick



Thank you for being a regular reader of our blog. We are taking some time off for the Holidays. Our post schedule is normally 5 to 6 daily articles posted per week. During the Holidays and until Jan. 4, 2010, or post will not be daily because of Holiday activities. If you are looking for great coaching articles, please consider one of our sites: The BaseballCoachingDigest.com, the YouthBaseballDigest.com or the BaseballParentGuide.com. Have a safe and happy season! Nick Dixon

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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.

Friday, December 18, 2009

How to Increase Pitching Velocity and Dominate Hitters

By KC Andrus

I am going to start this out with a very unpopular statement, in order to Increase pitching velocity you are going to have to work pretty hard. You are also going to have to do some things you don't want to like condition (run) and lift weights. But I also have some good news, if you are willing to make some sacrifices and work your butt off you will see results and sometimes immediately.

Okay now that I'm am speaking solely to the committed, it is time to tell you how to get the desired results. The first thing you're going to have to do to increase arm strength is to do core weight lifting. This is extremely important because so much of your pitching mechanics depend on a strong foundation, your legs and your abs mostly. Do all the related lifts such as squats and a bunch of ab workouts. The next thing you will need to do is get to running. I know this sucks but being in great shape is part of it, and it will also increase your endurance and command along with your leg strength.

Now when it comes to throwing exercises to improve velocity the most important one is long toss. This should be done about everyday you don't throw off of a mound. You and your partner get as far away from each other as possible and chuck the ball at each other. Don't be afraid to rainbow it every once in a while as this helps stretch out your arm. Once you get through the initial soreness and start to get stronger you will start to see immediate improvement.

These are just a few exercises and if you complete them you will be well on your way to increase pitching velocity. But there is so much more you can add to this and start seeing your MPH go up by double digits. Follow the link for all the info:

Increase Pitching Velocity.

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


Visit the Baseball Coaching Digest for daily post and articles on every aspect of coaching baseball. The Baseball Coaching Digest Blog. Check out the Bat Action Hitting Machine baseball pitching simulator. This high speed training machine is 100% Guaranteed to raise Batting Averages and has a full year warranty. Check out Baseball2u.com/Coachesbest.com for all of your coaching and training equipment needs. Visit the Baseball Dealz Ebay Super Store to purchase top quality baseball training equipment at discount prices.

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Mandatory Pitch Counts in High School?


www.BaseballCoachingDigest.com

By Nate Barnett

I was recently given an article from a local newspaper dated, March 26, 2008. The feature article in the sports section that day was titled, Too much, too soon? The article examined a local high school pitcher, who in 2001 ruined his arm after throwing well over 400 pitches in a five game stretch early in the season. He sued the school district claiming that his coach was "negligent in letting him throw so many pitches in such a short period." The lawsuit failed as the court ruled in favor of the school district. Since the lawsuit, the pitcher has expressed great interest in having the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association implement maximum pitch counts at the high school level.

While I have sympathy for this former athlete's arm injury, I do not think for a minute it would be wise to implement a blanket policy that would put a cap on the amount of pitches a given pitcher may throw in a game. The results of such a policy would have drastic impact on how the game of baseball is played. Instead, coaches need to understand how to promote and build their players' arm strength through proper baseball instruction, and athletes need to advocate for themselves regarding high pitch counts early in the season. Here are a couple things to work on from an athlete's stand point.

1. In the NW it is particularly important that pitchers are building arm strength throughout the winter months. There are many ways of doing this from arm strengthening exercises like lifting and tubing work, to playing long toss with a buddy. Unfortunately, many pitchers come into the season with an out of shape pitching arm. Being ill-prepared is just begging for an arm injury.

2. Pitches can become more effective in keeping their pitch counts down by throwing more strikes early in the count. A greater emphasis needs to be placed on developing and using the fastball more frequently. Change grips, change locations, and change speeds. There is more that can be done with a fastball than many pitchers understand. Because of this lack of understanding, too much reliance is placed on throwing curve balls.

3. Proper pitching instruction is necessary to make sure the body is generating the power and velocity rather than the pitching arm doing all of the work. There is much to be said about the connection of bad pitching mechanics and arm injuries.

Nate Barnett is owner of the The Pitching Academy, a pitching information website designed to improve your on the mound performance as a pitcher. Download a FREE copy of the pitching workouts ebook The Pitching Academy contains information, products, training, free articles, and more on pitching, pitching drills, pitching mechanics, and much more.

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

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Wednesday, December 16, 2009

The Baseball Swing - A Couple Fallacies


By Nate Barnett

Do you know why you teach what you teach to your hitters? If I stopped you right now and asked you to tell me a couple advantages of any part of what you're teaching, could you do it? If not, it's time to kick into gear your learning habit and pick up some instructional strategies.

I've picked a couple parts of the baseball swing mechanics I hear taught repeatedly that are incorrect. Don't worry, I'll follow my own advise and explain why. Don't just take my word for it, however, ask around. Get other perspectives. But most of all, build your baseball swing knowledge base. Baseball instruction is a funny thing. You can find information and hitting "experts" everywhere. However, please for your own sake make sure that you are qualifying your sources of information first before you accept it. If you don't, you'll end up spending a lot of money, and changing your philosophy often.

Two Mechanical Fallacies:

1. Keeping your back elbow up is NECESSARY for a proper baseball swing.

I hear this advice mostly in Little League or in some of the younger age leagues. There is no physical advantage or benefit for a hitter to keep his back elbow up (often sometime much above the back shoulder). I'm not quite sure where the idea originated, but I do know it spreads like wildfire. It's like the cure all for a poor baseball swing. When it doubt, it must be the back elbow! And you can be sure you'll sometimes hear from the dugout or the stands, "Keep your back elbow up, Johnny!"

Keeping the back elbow up for younger hitters is often a source of a slow and long swing. When the bat head travels into the zone, the elbow of the top arm on the bat is down and relaxed close to the hitters body (if done correctly). Because of that, it makes little sense for a younger hitter to move his back elbow from a stiff position in the stance to a relax and collapsed position in mid-swing. Extra parts moving during a baseball swing mean less consistency. As a hitter gets older, his preference may be of a back elbow that is raised some. At this point (assuming he understands swing mechanics) he can make the adjustments as necessary.

2. Rolling your wrists as your bat comes through the zone is a must to create bat speed.

I have to bite my tongue (quite hard actually) when I ever hear this advice being offered for baseball instruction. While the back elbow up philosophy can be dismissed somewhat as a youth baseball strategy that does relatively minimal damage, this wrists rolling business can not be ignored in order to create a fundamentally sound baseball swing.

What "Wrist Rollers" can't do:

A. Hit an inside fastball to the pull side (right field as a lefty and left field as a righty).

B. Hit an outside fastball with any consistency to the opposite field (left field as a lefty and right field as a righty).

C. Hit line drives with back spin consistently (you know the kind that get over an outfielders head in a hurry for a double).

Here is why I can make those statements so confidently. In order to roll the wrists through a baseball swing, your arms must be straight at the elbows on contact with the baseball to do so. Youth hitters can get away with this because the velocity of the pitch is not overpowering yet. Add another 10-15 mph to the pitch and those inside pitches cannot be hit (or if they do, it stings) because the bat will be slow to sweep into the hitting zone. Outside pitches will also be difficult because the barrel of the bat will only cover the outer portion of the plate a fraction of the time necessary.

So what to do?

Teach your athletes when hitting a baseball to have their palm facing up on their top hand as they come in contact with the baseball. As the hands stay close to the body through the swing, the hitter will extend his arms after contact is made with the pitch. This proper extension is extremely important for good bat speed and plate coverage.

Nate Barnett is owner of BMI Baseball designed to improve the mental game of baseball in athletes. Learn how to help your game by improving the skill of mental baseball

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

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Tuesday, December 15, 2009

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Baseball Tips on Hitting - Hitting Problem Against Tough Low and Away Strikes


By Larry Cicchiello

When trying to overcome any baseball hitting struggles, you should always look for the "easy fix" first before getting more complicated. Here is a list of things to try if low and away pitches are causing baseball hitting problems for you:

• The two most obvious reasons can be you are standing too far away from the plate or maybe your bat is not long enough and you cannot effectively reach the pitch over the outside corner. Like I said, we always start out simple.

• You may be opening your front side too early, one of the most common baseball hitting problems for hitters at any level. It simply means that you are opening up too quickly and are pulling away from where the hitting is taking place. It simply takes you too far away from the pitch, especially pitches over the outside portion of the plate. Baseball hitting is not taking place out toward the third base coach if you are a right-handed hitter or by the first base coach if you are a left-handed hitter. The hitting is taking place right in front of you and not to the side. You can try striding with your front foot closed instead of pointing straight out across from your body or even worse yet toward the pitcher. In other words, turn the toes on your front foot and point them a little bit back toward the catcher. This will encourage you to "stay closed" and not "fly open" and away from the pitch. Baseball hitting does not take place out toward third base or out toward first base. It takes place right in front of you. Please, stay closed

• You can try bending at the waist if you are not bending already or bend a little more if you are bending already. This will give you better extension and better plate coverage of the outside corner simply because you will be closer to it.

Larry is the president of Larwenty Online Enterprises Inc. He is also the author of "Excellent Baseball Coaching: 30 Seconds Away." If you are a baseball player or baseball coach 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

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Monday, December 14, 2009

Hitting Ground Balls? - Turn Them Into Line Drives


By Jack Perconte

Putting the ball in play on the ground is not always a bad thing, but turning ground balls into line drives will definitely help the hitter's batting average and chances of playing baseball at the higher levels. Hitters with good speed can prosper by hitting the ball on the ground, especially in youth baseball, but at some point the ability to drive the ball into the outfield is necessary. Of course, hitting ground balls is better than hitting pop-ups but hitting the ball consistently on the ground is a sign of a faulty fundamental swing.

People generally think that hitting the top of the ball, which results in ground balls, is caused by hitting down on the ball or chopping at it. In my 21 years of coaching baseball, rarely would I come across hitters who actually chopped at the ball. I observed that most ground balls hit were caused by the hitters hands were on an upward path on the initial portion of the swing, usually caused by the lead elbow coming up at the beginning of the swing. This incorrect action is generally known as a chicken-wing, which does not allow hitters to bring their hands to the correct palm-up, palm-down hitting position at contact.

With this in mind, here are the drills which will generally turn ground balls into line drives.

Drill # 1 - To rid the player of the chicken wing problem, have them place their fielder's glove under their lead armpit and take numerous swings this way, allowing the glove to fall out on the follow through.

Drill # 2 - Have the hitter stand belly button away from a net and take swings with the end of the bat just scraping the net as it comes through the hitting zone. This will prevent the hitter from casting the bat out and over the ball which can cause ground ball hitting. This drill and the next on will help players develop the correct hands to the ball and hand position necessary to hit the ball in the air.

Drill # 3 - Place a tee at knee high level and have hitters work on hitting balls at this height until they begin to hit line drives or solid fly balls. Hitters with incorrect swings will continually hit ground balls at this pitch level. Hitters will have to develop the correct hip turn and swing in order to hit solid line drives on the knee high pitch, as stated.

* Hitters can combine these drills and perform all three at the same time. This becomes more difficult but can accelerate the process of developing the correct baseball swing.

For hitters who consistently hit solid ground balls, as opposed to weak or chopped ground balls, a slight adjustment in their stance or hand position may lower the bat position on the ball just enough to hit the lower back portion of the ball instead of the top of the ball. Hitters who widen their stance and bend their knees slightly may see the necessary line drives. Also worth a try is lowering the height of the hitter's hands a couple of inches in their initial set-up position. This may allow the hitter to get to the back of the ball more consistently. Following these few guidelines should turn those ground balls into solid line drives. For photo illustrations of these drills please refer to my book, The Making of a Hitter: A Proven & Practical Step-by-Step Baseball Guide.

Former major league baseball player, Jack Perconte gives baseball hitting tips and batting practice advice for ballplayers of all ages. His books and 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 and books can be found at http://positiveparentinginsports.com

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

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Sunday, December 13, 2009

Baseball Batting Machines - The Backyard Basketball Goal For Baseball Players



One of my pet peeves in life is that there are many hundred thousands of future high school baseball players that will spend millions of hours of their spare time shooting basketball today. They will go out into their own backyard and spend hours and hours shooting games of “Horse” or playing “Pick-up” basketball.

Why does this bother me? The reason is that I know that these players could be having just as much fun and entertainment swinging a baseball bat if they had the right batting machine at home. They could be building skills in the game of baseball that will benefit them greatly when they compete for a spot on their high school team later.

Backyard batting machines such as the BatAction Hitting Machine and the Derek Jeter Hurricane Hitting Machine are the “Backyard Basketball Goal” for the Future Baseball Prospect. The future baseball prospect “lives” to swing the bat like the future basketball prospect “lives” to shoot the hoop.

Here are my 5 reasons the Batting Machine is like a Backyard Basketball Goal:

1. It is pure fun to hit. It offers a variety of fun and entertaining games and batting drills that kids love to play. The batting machine makes your backyard the most popular backyard in the neighborhood.

2. It is always ready for action. When the player gets bored at home, the machine is readily available.

3. There is not set-up required. To shoot basketball, all you need is a basketball. To hit the batting machine, all you need is a bat.

4. There is no energy required. The batting machine is fully self-contained. It operates off its on energy source. It uses the energy of the bat’s contact to propel the ball for the next swing.

5. A player can shoot basketball solo. The player can hit the batting machine without having to have a second person also. The “Streak” hitting game is comparable to shooting “Horse”. Players can play the “Streak” game alone.

So you can see why I call the batting machine, the backyard basketball goal for hitters. The two batting machine that are most poplar today are the BatAction Hitting Machine by Nedco Sports and the Derek Jeter Hurricane Machine by SKLZ.

You can see the batting machines described in theis article at BatAction.com and HurricaneMachine.com

Nick Dixon is the host for BaseballCoachingDigest.com, the YouthBaseballDigest.com, and BaseballParentGuide.com.

Friday, December 11, 2009

Baseball For Kids - Useful Tips For Parents

By Tobias Moeller

If your children love baseball, there are many opportunities for baseball for kids you can take advantage of. The games are fun and they are not as physically demanding as the ones in other sports. Apart from the fine physical training your children will receive, they will also learn to be team players and will gain self confidence, which is important for the young ones. Finding a good school and a coach who is experienced in working with kids is the first step towards giving your little ones the superb sport training they deserve. However, the role of the parents does not end there and you will certainly need to adjust your time and attitude to the new situation. Here are some ideas that can help you in this task.

When looking for a team or school, which offers baseball for kids you have to take into account a number of factors. The current standing of the team and the sport reputation of the school are not that important. After all, your children need to have fun and be physically active rather than be winners all the time. In case your kid happens to have an exceptional talent, you can always transfer them to a different place of training at a later stage. It is essential, however, for the coach to have experience and also a good attitude towards the young players. They should also be able to motivate and encourage the kids and treat them with respect. When choosing the appropriate training place, try to inspect their facilities. These are usually of good quality and well maintained, but you have to be certain that the little ones are safe and well. It is also a good idea to pick a place that is near your home especially if the baseball practice has to be outside of the general school hours. You might not be able to take your children far away during the day, so it is best if they can travel quickly on their own. When signing up your kids you might want to pay attention to the training schedule as well as to the program of the tournaments in order to make sure the little ones are not going to be overly tired and have enough time to do their homework.

The different teams and schools usually provide the necessary equipment for their baseball for kids training. Still, if the little one wants a special bat or a glove, you should buy it to encourage them as long as you can afford to spend money on such an item. Before making the purchase, remember to consult the coach or another specialist concerning the type of bat or glove that is appropriate for your kid. As a parent you have to be actively supporting your child and try to motivate them not only with treats. Do not be too pushy, however, it is best to listen and to show understanding when necessary.

The baseball for kids can be a lot of fun indeed, but it is a good idea to schedule a medical check for your children before they start playing sports actively just to be on the safe side.

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

Thursday, December 10, 2009

How to Prevent a Hitting Slump - Eleven Baseball Hitting Tips For Players, Parents and Coaches


By Jay Granat
Last week, I got a call from a baseball player who plays the outfield for a Triple A team connected with a major league club. The man was concerned because he has been in a hitting slump on and off for several seasons. He wants to make it to the major leagues and he feels that time is running out on him.

Yesterday, I got a call from a mother of a college player who is also stuck in a slump. This parent happened to be a psychiatrist. Like many parents who call me for help, this worried mother said, "My son has a beautiful swing. He works with a top hitting coach. He is great in the cage, but terrible once the game starts."

This concerned and worried mother had even tried medication to help her son perform better at the plate.

Baseball players frequently call me when they are stuck in a slump. Fortunately, over the years, I have
developed many techniques, strategies and tools for breaking slumps.

However, it is useful if players can learn how to start the season with a positive and effective mental approach to hitting. Here are a few tips to help you get your baseball season off to a good start:

1. Learn the strike zone very well and swing at strikes.
2. Know what kind of pitch you like to hit.
3. Be aware of the count and the game situation.
4. Train your mind to think of nothing or have just one thought at the plate.
5. Practice relaxation techniques.
6. Learn how to stay calm, focused, confident and relaxed at the plate.
7. Learn how to stay in the present and the here and now. The most important
pitch and swing are the next ones.
8. Watch the pitcher carefully from the dugout.
9. Try to hit the ball into the gaps. You will naturally pull some of these for homers.
10. Keep accurate records on all of the pitchers who you face. Record what they threw, what you did and what you learned about hitting against them in the past. This is extra work, but these data will pay big dividends for you.
11. Once your swing is mechanically sound, you need to master the mental aspects of hitting.

Jay P. Granat, Ph.D. is a psychotherapist and the founder of http://www.stayinthezone.com

He has written several books and developed several programs to help people perform to their fullest potential at sports, at work and at school. Dr. Granat, a former university professor, has appeared in The New York Times, Good Morning America, AP, ESPN, Golf Digest, The BBC and The CBC. His books include Zone Tennis and Get Into The Zone In Just One Minute. He is also the author of How To Get Into The Zone With Sport Psychology And Self-Hypnosis, How To Lower Your Golf Score With Sport Psychology And Self-Hypnosis, 101 Ways To Break Out Of A Hitting Slump and Bed Time Stories For Young Athletes. Golf Digest named Dr. Granat one of America's Top Ten Mental Gurus. He was recently featured in a documentary film on long distance running. Dr. Granat writes a weekly column for three newspapers.

His new program for baseball hitters 101 Ways To Break Out Of A Hitting Slump and a free sport psychology book is available at http://www.stayinthezone.com/shop-stay-in-the-zone.html?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=21

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

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Wednesday, December 9, 2009

5 Baseball Batting Trainers That Every Baseball Parent Should Know About

Video features five popular and productive batting trainers. The trainers are the BatAction Machine, Hurricane Machine, HandsBack Hitter, StayBack Tee, and SKLZ Target Trainer. Each batting trainer is shown being hit by a player. Each trainer's specific use and purpose is also given.

10 Ways to Maintain a Good Parent-Coach Relationship

By Jack Perconte

Most negative experiences in athletics involve tension between coaches and parents of athletes. Most of the time, kids are very content with playing, having fun and being around their friends. Usually, players become discontented only after mom or dad have started grumbling about the way the coach is treating their child with playing time or position played. Once a parent has put this negative attitude in the player's mind they become a "grumbling" player towards the coach. This unhappy attitude can be prevented if parents and coaches develop a good relationship, especially at the beginning of the season. Here is how:

Suggestions for coaches to develop a successful parent-coach relationship:

1. Give team parents background information about all the coaches, especially about playing and/or coaching experience related to the game. (This should not have to be mentioned but honesty about backgrounds is paramount to developing trust.)

2. Express philosophy of coaching. The three ultimate objectives are winning, player development and fun. Specifically state where coaches stand on these three objectives. I suggest a 30, 30, 30 split on these objectives and applying the remaining 10 percent for the area most needed. This 10 percent will be determined by the competitiveness of the team and the league.

3. Explain team goals and individual player expectations for the upcoming season. I believe it is alright to play to win even at younger levels, as long as it is kept in perspective. Remember, developing skills and having fun are always an objective. Having to deal with winning and losing will create many teaching moments that will be important for kids to learn.

4. Discuss philosophy about playing time and positions played. For example, will players have to earn their position on the field or will coaches rotate players equally? Give parents a chance to ask questions, and make sure answers are clearly understood. Be sure to recognize and discuss the objectives of the league and level at which the team is playing.

5. Listen and discuss the parent's objectives for their own kids. Parents who have obvious differences in objectives than the coaches may have to look for another team for their kid if they cannot come to an understanding.

6. Discuss when and how coaches can be approached during the season so there are no public confrontations. Set up a system where discussions are held away from the players, other parents and the crowds. There will be issues that arise from time to time, but letting parents know that disagreements will be handled in a civil way, away from the players, is crucial.

7. Discuss coaching policies when players miss practices or games, so everybody is treated the same and all are clear about the policy.

8. Effective communication is the key to averting problems - make sure parents inform their kids about the coaches' philosophies.

9. As mentioned, troubles begin when parents start to grumble at home to the players about the coach. Insisting that parents approach coaches before getting upset and expressing that displeasure at home is essential to keeping players from becoming unhappy about their coach.

10. Most issues arise because parents do not feel the coach is being fair. It is important that coaches fulfill his or her philosophy that was initially expressed. Changing philosophy in the middle of the season will create problems. If a coach feels a philosophy change is totally necessary, they must discuss possible change with all parents first.

Finally, coaches should be role models and teachers to their players. It is easier to help players develop their skills and enjoy the game when the parents understand the reasoning behind the coaches' philosophies.

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

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

A Message to Baseball Parents from Nick Dixon, President of Nedco Sports



Hello,

Thanks for visiting our blog. Your concern for your child's sports success is evident. Your child is fortunate to have a parent that cares so much about their success! I sincerely want your child to experience success, just like you!

Our company is founded upon the principle that every player is a winner when they reach their maximum potential as a player.

If you feel that your child has the potential to be a better hitter, I know that we can help! If you want to give your child every advantage possible when competing with the opposition or with peers for a team position, we can help! Our training equipment and training "Know-how" can help you help your child!

Maybe your job or work restricts the amount of time you are allowed to spend helping your child. If this is true, I want you to know that we offer the best home training equipment available today!
The best and most efficient trainer we sell is the BatAction Hitting Machine. It produces incredible results faster than anything else. It carries our "Success and Satisfaction or Money-Back" offer. You can not go wrong when you buy this great machine! We have thousands of collegiate hitters playing today that grew up hitting this fine machine! It has been helping young hitters improve for 10 years!

If you have questions about the BatAction Machine, please call our customer support, toll free number, 1-877-431-4487.

Happy Hitting,

Coach Nick
President
Nedco Sports

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Shop CoachesBest.com for your baseball coaching needs including baseball training aids, training videos, and other coaching supplies. Check out the Derek Jeter Hurricane Hitting machine by SKLZ at HurricaneTrainer.com.

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.

Youth Baseball Pitcher Tips For Coaches And Players



By Chip Lemin

As our long winter begins up north, my coaching buddies and I where talking about youth baseball pitchers along with some tips we all have used in baseball. I hope you may find some help in the following article.

Every kid wants to pitch in baseball it seems. Pitchers are learning how to throw pitches and are the center of the game. Young pitchers set the pace of the little league game. Young pitchers feel great when they strike out the No. 3 hitter in the lineup. They float to the dugout when after a one, two, three inning. They don't have to run off the field like everybody else. The baseball pitcher gets walk off after the third out. It is a rewarding position to play in baseball.
It can also be very humbling when you lose the strike zone, start getting hit, or your defense has trouble helping you out. The worst part is when you have to be taken out of the game or off the pitcher's mound.

Pitching is much more than just throwing the baseball past hitters. The top three rules for baseball pitchers are as old as baseball itself. Location, location location. At eight or nine years old you can get away most of time with just throwing heat past hitters. As you get older however, off unless you learn how to change speeds, and change location, hitters will begin to hit your fastball.

Young pitchers who are top youth baseball pitchers at 8 years old sometimes aren't even pitching at 11 years old for of a variety of reasons. Some of these reasons we will cover in later articles. The sooner the young baseball pitcher learns the necessity of changing speeds and location the sooner they will improve as a pitcher. Baseball pitchers 8-11 will have a wide variety of throwing motions. As a coach you need to present options to your young pitchers. Little league coaches should stress a compact wind up with as little unneeded movement as possible.You are not reinventing the wheel here. Please stress balance first to your pitchers. Arm position, rotation of the hips and balanced controlled follow-through are also recommended.

Pitch counts and no breaking balls of any kind are also strong recommendations. Youth baseball pitchers can begin to be introduced to breaking pitches around puberty is the view of some baseball coaches. Change ups will more than suffice until then. You can do a great deal of long term damage to your young athlete's arms by number one, not getting into a warm-up routine early in the career. Learning how to throw baseball pitches is a process, not an event. It's the habit that needs to be instilled early on by baseball coaches. At 8 years old they may not physically need to have a half-hour warm up routine. At 13 they do, so if it is not ingrained by then, all it takes is one incident to hurt the young pitcher's arm.

Pitch counts. Please abide by the recommended youth pitch counts per age group. We're talking long term here. It is your responsibility as a baseball coach to protect your players. It also teaches young pitchers a lesson or two. It teaches them to use pitches wisely if you want to go deep into the game. Young pitchers should learn get batters out by using location not just heat. Seven pitch innings using your fielders, keeps everybody in the game. It also keeps the pitch count lower and pitchers stay in the game longer. I know the younger age groups may have inning limits, it is still never too early to instill these basics. Youth baseball is too great of a sport not to give our young players the right instruction.

Thanks for your time Coach Chip

Hello My name is Chip Lemin. I'm a long time youth baseball coach who loves to promote this great game of youth baseball. Promoting sportsmanship in this game is something that really needs I feel. I have a free course that will give you some solid coaching information along with great help on the inter-personal relationships we must have to be good youth baseball coaches.

Things such as parents, travel baseball, getting parents to help out, how to communicate better to parents and players, just to touch on a few. This course will help to organize practices like an elite coach. How to motivate players and other coaches with your positive attitude. It really is not very hard to be a great coach when you know what to do.Best of all you will learn how to have fun with these great kids that you have the privilege of coaching. Do yourself a favor and check it out, it's free,you will get 1 part every couple of days in your e-mail. Coaching can be fun and rewarding if you have a plan in place first, and you have an idea what you are doing. I would like to help you.

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

BatAction Hitting Machine by Nedco Sports
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Monday, December 7, 2009

Baseball Pitching - Feeling Safe in Your Workplace


www.BatAction.com

By Larry Cicchiello

As a baseball pitcher, don't be bashful about inspecting or fixing a mound yourself before you even throw a warm up pitch. Two very important areas are where your landing foot will hit the ground and the pitching rubber area.

Don't hesitate to fill up a hole that quite often is present where most pitchers land with their landing foot. I've seen this landing spot sometimes a foot deep and that is unsafe. And your pitch quality will suffer also. You can easily get injured landing into this unsafe, deep hole.

The area that I have the biggest problem with is those deep holes just in front of the rubber where your pivot foot moves. Unfortunately, they are very common at amateur levels of play. They are very dangerous and risk injury to the pitcher's foot and also to his arm. Many baseball pitchers have injured their throwing arms by releasing a ball awkwardly and these deep holes in front of the pitching rubber are encouraging just that to happen.

When I was about ten years old, my father taught me how to deal with this hole that is right smack in front of the pitching rubber and does not belong there. He taught me to fill up the hole myself, using my feet to move the dirt from other areas of the mound. Sometimes if the mound is too hard you can't do this. It didn't happen often, but occasionally I would hold up the baseball game, spending close to five full minutes filling up this dangerous hole. It makes no sense at all to twist an ankle or possibly getting an injury even more severe.

I asked my father what should I tell the umpire if he says something like, "come on, we have to get this game going." He told me to very politely tell the umpire that this hole should not be there and I'm concerned about breaking my ankle. I must have delayed ball games on about a dozen occasions and not once did an umpire ever say a word to me because they all knew that this hole should not be present if the mound was properly maintained.

Don't hesitate to make sure the mound is safe and don't let anybody rush you when your are doing your maintenance. Don't allow anyone talk you out of it. The more intelligent umpires will be in total agreement with you and may actually join you while you fill up the hole, as was the case with me several times.

You are not entitled to a pitcher's mound that is perfect like professional levels of play. But you are very much entitled to a pitcher's mound that is safe and will not inhibit your pitching. Baseball pitching is tough enough on a pitcher's throwing arm and don't allow yourself to be put at even a higher risk of injury.

Don't ever hesitate or let anyone stop you from making your workplace safe!

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



BatAction Hitting Machine by Nedco Sports
The "Original Hitting Machine"

100% Guaranteed to Improve Your Hitting...or
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Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Where Has the Off Season Gone For Young Baseball Players?


By Mike Posey

Is there really an off season for young baseball players? Not too long ago, when I was growing up, we played whatever sport that was in season. When one season ended another started. Spring was always my favorite time and baseball was my favorite sport. But playing football and basketball help to keep us busy and in shape and they were fun sports.

Today, very few young players play more than one sport. We see a number of young players beginning to "specialize" by the time they are 12 or 13 years old. With the emergence of top travel teams and showcases, many young high school players play year round. Tournament play in late November or early December seems to be the norm these days. Tournament teams and showcases are making good money and there will always be parents/players that feel the need to play, even if on Christmas Day. For some reason, everyone thinks playing in the next tournament will help them gain an edge or competitive advantage over another player that might not be participating.

What does the future hold? Your guess is as good as mine. But I do know that young players are not meant to play baseball twelve months out of the year. I wish more players would play multiple sports, but even the ones playing two sports find time on a weekend to travel to a baseball tournament. I have never been a big proponent of fall baseball. It has some merits, but not many. If a baseball player is going to improve their skills they need the off season to help accomplish that goal. Let me give you a few reasons.

1. Rest - If a young player participates in games from February to August, it would be a good time to let the arm rest.

2. Conditioning - For high school players, I believe in a year round training program for strength, agility, flexibility, and conditioning. But let's be realistic. As a high school coach, you have a limited time during the season. After years of training our players in the weight room (or at least trying) we have come to the conclusion it would be better if someone (a professional) train our players. We try to convince our parents to invest in training classes that we set up. Twice a week from January to July and three times a week from September thru December. (A short break in August and one over Christmas may give the body a needed break)

This is not an easy sell, especially in the economy today, but for the ones that do it, the results are absolutely amazing. All of our top players have been involved in systematic training programs and we have seen a high percentage of them advance to play at the next level in college and/or professional baseball. We know for a fact that the best time to make strength gains are during an off season of intense training. If a player is involved in a fall or winter tournament team he will probably have plenty of reason to miss time in the weight room, time that is more valuable to his development overall than the games he plays in the fall.

3. Skill Development - The best time for a player to improve skills is the off season. It takes 21-24 days to change a habit or technique. Making a change while playing games is sometimes a little more difficult. Players will go into a game and revert back to an old habit due to comfort level. Working on changes to a swing in the off season is a lot easier if the player does not have the pressure of performing in a game. Taking ground balls several times a week during the off season will go a long way to help players develop their hands. (Players have quit taking ground balls or working off a wall to improve their skills. If you play in a travel tournament, there are usually multiple games on the field during the day and the directors will forbid teams from taking pregame infield. Very few travel teams take pregame infield everyday).

4. Gaining Arm Strength - The best way to improve your arm strength (velocity in throwing) is thru a systematic long toss program during the off season. A player should spend at least 8 weeks throwing three/four days in a long toss program. The long toss program involves warming up properly then throwing for 12-14 minutes from intervals starting at 75 feet, moving back each week to lengths of 270-280 feet (or more). This takes time and discipline to follow a good long toss program.

5. Improving Mental Training - The off season is a good time to work on mental training. There are a number of good books and videos out on improving concentration, focus, confidence, and overall mental toughness. For some reason players/parents think playing more games will improve mental toughness. Mental toughness is a process learned through adversity and training. Practice, Practice, Practice. What are you doing this "off season" to help your player improve?

Mike Posey "CP"
Expert Baseball Tips
Baseball tips from a championship coach's perspective and experience, offering creative insights into helping others learn the game of baseball. Sign up for a Free Baseball Newsletter and get a FREE REPORT with Tips on Training Mental Toughness in Players.

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

BatAction Hitting Machine by Nedco Sports
The "Original Hitting Machine"

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Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Should Baseball And Softball Players Participate In Weight Training Programs?


Advanced Skills Tee


It's baseball season, and you are ready for it. You bought a new bat, dusted off the cleats, and oiled the glove. You drilled, grounder after grounder, only to follow it by fly ball, after fly ball. When the fielding drills were over, you moved on to the batting cages. You have hit so many balls that you could probably tag a slider in your sleep. So, what's next but to hit the field, right? Wrong!

What about your weight training? Yes that's right, lifting weights. Almost all baseball clubs, from high school to the majors, use weight training for injury prevention, rehabilitation of injuries and for strengthening individual weaknesses. One of the most important things a weight training program needs to do is to isolate certain muscles specific to the throwing motion and strengthen them to prevent arm injuries.

A combination of various forms of exercises tends to work best: isometrics, isotonic and is kinetic, plyometrics, (not just for tennis anymore), active resistive and especially flexibility/stretching exercises are all important in developing a well-balance program. Players at different positions need to emphasize different elements of the program, and different body parts.

For pitchers, you need to build cardiovascular endurance, and lower body strength and endurance. You also need to build general flexibility, and strengthen the shoulders and the elbows. For catchers, you need to emphasize leg strength, flexibility and agility. Building hand a wrist strength is also important along with building abdominal strength.
For Infielders and outfielders, a combination of building leg flexibility, hand and wrist strength, upper body strength and endurance is very important.

For all positions its important to add exercises that emphasize the rotator cuff complex, consisting of internal and external shoulder rotation, and front, rear and side elevation isolating the supraspinatus. Especially effective are lightweight shoulder excursuses stimulating the small muscles (rotator cuff) essential to the throwing motion.

When putting together a workout program for baseball, it is most effective if three programs are built. The first program should be the off-season program. The program should be designed to strengthen and balance all major muscle groups of the body. You should consult your coach or trainer about varying the exercises in the program to strengthen your particular weakness and/or correct muscle imbalance.

The second program should be the pre-season program. This program should be designed to build more strength. This program should be started 4-6 weeks before the season, this is also the time to start incorporating baseball-specific exercises in the gym or out on the field. This helps get your body ready to perform baseball skills again.

The third program should be the in-season program. This program should be designed to maintain strength levels acquired during the off and pre season programs. Abdominal, rotational and light weight work are essential parts of any in-season program. Pitchers should concentrate on light weight shoulder work such as deltoid raises.
As you can see, as much as we want to hit that chalk lined field, it's just as important to incorporate a weight training program, to insure a fun filled, and injury free season.

http://www.articlesbase.com/baseball-articles/should-baseball-and-softball-players-participate-in-weight-training-programs-516868.html

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Monday, November 30, 2009

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


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Wednesday, November 25, 2009

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.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

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

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