Coaching Baseball; Recommended Baseball Articles for Coaches

Coaching Baseball; Recommended Baseball Articles for Coaches


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Have a Great Weekend! Good luck to you and your team if you are playing. Here are some recommended baseball coaching articles for baseball coaches. Nick Dixon
Coaching Little League Baseball - Bad Habits Make For Bad Coaching

Article discusses 10 bad habits of bad Little League Coaches. These bad habits make it impossible for a coach to be an effective coach and role model.


Coaching Youth Baseball - Coaching Your First Baseman

Here are important points and skills that you must teach your First Baseman. Tips cover teaching the proper way to get to the bag, set up to receive the throw and how to stretch.


Baseball Coaching Digest - Stop and See - 1st & 3rd Double Steal Base Running Play

This 1st and 3rd Double Steal Play known as the Stop and See Steal. This play is used by offensive teams to score a runner from 3rd base by stopping the stealing runner short of the bag and tag.


Baseball Coaching Digest - Fake 3rd Out Defensive Trick

The Fake 3rd Out is a trick play ran by defensive teams to trick an unsuspecting base runner. If the base runner is not alert and aware, he may step off the bag and give the defensive team a cheap out to end the inning. Coaches should make their players aware of sure plays and tactics to prevent this trick from happening to their team.


Baseball Coaching Digest - Illegal Use of the Courtesy Runner Rule

Baseball coaches must be alert for one way that opposing offensive teams may illegally use the Courtesy Runner or Speed-Up rule. How does a team illegally use a courtesy runner? Here is the procedure outlined:


Baseball Coaching and the Importance of Goals For Team and Player Motivation

There are very few volunteer jobs more challenging, time-consuming or rewarding than being a coach in your local league. There are many four letter words used by coaches that I can not use here. Here I want to discuss the 4 four-letter words that can and will determine the amount of success a coach has during the coming season. The four words are Goal, Plan, Work and Time.




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Recommended Baseball Sites:
Baseball Coaching Digest
Baseball Coaching Digest - Today's Post
Baseball Coaching Digest: Daily Post Archive
New Articles for Coaches
Baseball Coaching Articles by Coach Nick Dixon
New Baseball Blogs
Videos for Baseball Coaches

YouthBaseballDigest.com
Homepage
Today's Youth Baseball Coaching Feature Article
Videos for Coaches
Blogs & Knols for Baseball Coaches, Players & Parents

BaseballParentGuide.com
Homepage
Baseball Parent Guide: Today's Post
Baseball Articles for Coaches
Baseball Blogs
Teaching Your Child to Hit
Throwing and Pitching Fundamentals
Buying Guide For Baseball Parents
Current Topics and Issues Related to Safety in Baseball

Also:
Check out our network of baseball blogs:

Blogger (Blogspot) - baseballcoachesdigest
Blogger (Blogspot) - baseballparentguide
Blogger (Blogspot) - baseballhomeworkhelp
Blogger (Blogspot) - batactionbaseballtraining
Blogger (Blogspot) - battingcagebuyingguide
Blogger (Blogspot) - coachesbest
Blogger (Blogspot) - teeballcoachingclinic
Blogger (Blogspot) - hurricanebaseballtrainingmachine
Blogger (Blogspot) - teeballparentsguide
Blogger (Blogspot) - youthbaseballcoachingclinic

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.

4 Baseball Pitching Drills For Little League Players

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4 Baseball Pitching Drills For Little League Players
By Nick Dixon
Teaching, training and developing young baseball pitchers takes a lot of time, patience, and practice repetition. Many young pitchers need to practice pitching skills daily. To keep the interest level high, it is best to use a variety of drills on alternate days to prevent boredom. Here are 4 baseball pitching drills that can be used to train youth and beginner pitchers.

Drill #1 - Up & Out Foot Drill Objective - To help pitchers perfect the proper back leg action. The purpose of this drill is to stop foot drag and prevent over striding.

Equipment Needed - A brick, block or wood or other suitable object. The object will be placed at a location just in front of the pivot foot of the pitcher. The pitcher will be working out of the stretch. The pitcher should be reminded to roll and pick his back foot up so that it clears the object.

Procedure - The pitcher throws using his normal motion and delivery. If the pitcher fails to clear the object, then his back foot is "dragging" or he is over striding. Young pitchers should be coached to step out of the "hold" and up and over the block.

Drill #2 - Dot Spot Drill Objective - The purpose of this drill is to build confidence, to teach young pitchers to hit their spots and to teach young pitchers to have great control.

Equipment Needed - Good balls, Catching equipment, and glove.

Procedure - The catcher has 4 dots on his gear. The 4 dots or spots are different colors or they each have a number on them. The dots are taped to each knee on the shin guards and one to the left shoulder and right shoulder. The catcher or coach calls a color or a number. The pitcher must hit the dot called. The pitcher has 6 pitches to hit all 4 of the dots. All dots should be called in different orders each time. If the pitcher fails to hit 4 dots correctly, the pitcher must do 10 push ups. Two pitchers can compete to see which finishes first. The dots may be placed lower on the catcher to stress keeping the ball low or down in the zone.

Drill #3 Long Toss - Power Building Drill - Pitchers should long toss several times a week to build strength and endurance. The two players should warm-up as usual and then move back a few steps after each 4 throws. Pitchers should be able to increase their strength and extend their distances within weeks. Pitchers of all ages should work out to a distance at least 3 times their normal pitching distance. Some coaches allow players to "crow hop" at the farthest distances. That is up to you.

Drill #4 - Front Side Drill Objective - This drill is used to teach and reinforce the proper front shoulder action during delivery.

The drill is performed as the pitcher kneels on the pivot-leg knee. The pitcher will begin the drill with the throwing arm in the "T -position" and the stride foot aimed at the plate. The pitcher begins the throwing motion by pulling and tucking his front arm and glove. At the same time he is bringing his throwing arm and shoulder around and toward the plate. The drill should be performed many times to give the pitcher the feel of proper mechanics and front shoulder movement. The front elbow should be used as the guide for the front side. The glove should be extended out and tucked as the pitcher rolls his lead shoulder and pulls it in. This deceptive move is used to distract and deceive batters. The drill should be finished with the throwing arm in proper finish position outside the stride leg knee.

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.

Visit the Baseball Coaching Digest Blog for daily post and articles on every aspect of coaching baseball. The Baseball Coaching Digest Blog.

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

Baseball Dealz Ebay Store
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.

The Tremendous Achievements of Albert Pujols

Albert Pujols Sweet Spot Training Bat

Article Title:
The Tremendous Achievements of Albert Pujols
By Scott Maloney

Sports are always a topic of debate, and baseball is no exception. If you are a fan, you will undoubtedly have been asked at sometime if you think that the best hitter you've ever seen is Albert Pujols.

To keep the debate modern and up to date, we shall only compare Pujols with players we are familiar with from the past thirty years. This puts a modern spin on things since it's so hard to compare modern day players to ones who we were never alive to see.

Today's baseball bears little resemblance to the game that was played in past eras, so a comparison between Albert Pujols and Willie Mays for example just doesn't stand up. The game has simply changed too much in order to make a reasonable determination in that regard. Only players from the modern game could be compared.

Would Albert Pujols have been so formidable in a different era? How would Ted Williams have played in today's game? These questions are unanswerable, so let's just look at what Pujols has going for him in the modern game.

His standard of play now is awesome, and the prospect that Pujols could improve even more is mouth watering. Just shy of his 30th birthday, there are seasons ahead for Pujols to keep up his consistent form and establish himself as one of the modern day greats. This should very well happen if history is any sort of an indicator. No one, simply no one, has been as consistently great as Pujols has during the course of his entire career - spanning all the way back to his rookie season in 2002.

Albert Pujols has a career average that is capable of winning a league. His overall average is an amazing.334. His second season brought about the lowest average of.312 and his worst since has been .327. Pujols is an MLB player and has now played 9 seasons in this league. During 5 of those he has hit 40 home runs. The lowest amount he has ever hit in a season is 32; this is an outstanding stat by anyone's standards.

There are many for's in the debate about Pujols being a terrific hitter, and, so far, no against's. Each year his consistency is awesome and it's hard to believe now that anyone can take his place as the best batsman we will have ever seen.

Scott additionally writes about truck tires for sale at http://trucktiresforsale.org.

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



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Baseball Rules

Article Title: Baseball Rules
By Ethan D Orman

On any given weekend, one can travel to almost any local park and watch the neighborhood men and women engaged in an exciting game of basketball. This game is more important to those players, more important than the NBA championship because this game directly affects them, their pride, and their bragging rights for the next week. After the neighborhood basketball game, the players will return home to watch their favorite National Basketball Association (NBA) team on television. The two teams with the best record of wins will meet at the end of the season to play for the championship. This game, which fascinates and excited millions of fans around the world, would never have been possible, if Dr. James Naismith had not invented it over a century ago.

When Dr. Naismith began inventing basketball, it looked very different from the game that is played today. It had baskets, but they were wicker baskets without a hole in the center for the ball to drop out of and a back board to bounce a layup off of. So the object was to throw the ball into the basket without it bouncing back out of tipping the basket over. There were only 13 rules which governed the play, as opposed to today, where there is an entire book governing the play. The rules have changed greatly over the years, along with the way the game is played.

The first of the original rules seems to still be an active rule today. It stated that a player could throw the ball with either one or two hands in any direction. The second rule has become outdated in today's games. It allowed players to bat the ball away but they could never use a closed fist to accomplish this. Today, players can block the ball but must be extremely careful when they do, or they will receive a foul. The third rule has also been done away with because it did not allow players to run with the ball. They had to stay in their spot, throw the ball to a teammate, and then they could move to another spot of the court and have the ball thrown to them again. The fourth and fifth rules are still in effect. The fourth rule mainly stated that the player had to hold the ball with his hands and nothing else. The fifth rule is the modern definition of what a foul is. No player was allowed to harm any other player by any means, which included no tripping, shouldering, striking, pushing, or holding the opponent.

The sixth rule is also in effect today, which does not allow the player to punch or hit the ball with their fist. This is considered a foul. Rule seven is no longer valid today because it awarded points to the other team if the opposing side had three consecutive fouls without the other team fouling. Fouls have changed to personal and team fouls. If a player receives 5 personal fouls, they are expelled from the game. Rules eight and nine have not changed with time because when the ball foes into the basket, it is still a goal and still earns points for the team. A ball which is thrown out of bounds can be thrown back into play. Rule ten has been replaced with Rule eleven as there are no umpires but several referees who keep track of the ball, players, and points. Rule twelve has changed from two 15 minute halves of playing to 4 quarters of play with a half time break in between quarters two and three. Rule 13 is still the same: the winner has scored the most goals.

Ethan has been an online writer for nearly 2 years now. Not only does this author specialize in sports, finance, and product reviews, you can also check out his latest website on Brother TN360 which reviews and lists the best Brother TN360 Toner for your Brother printer.

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

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How to Improve Your Bat Speed in a Single Exercise!

Baseball Batting Machine - The backyard basketball goal for baseball players!

Article Title: How to Improve Your Bat Speed in a Single Exercise!
By Brandon Richey

If you are a baseball player looking to increase your bat speed then you have got to have a smart strength and conditioning program in order to do so. Without the implementation of certain movements that stimulate your core and promote the rotational movement of your trunk and hips you cannot get better at hitting the baseball. This is why I have included a single exercise in this article to help you develop faster bat speed.

The Kettlebell High Load Windmill

The kettlebell high load windmill is an exceptional exercise to help promote the strength and mobility of your trunk and midsection. This lift is great at strengthening the muscles of your core while promoting the flexibility and mobility of your hips and shoulders. In order to execute this lift you need the availability of a single bell. Place the bell between your feet and lift the bell to your chest by properly performing the clean and rack. Once you have the bell racked simply press and lock it out above your head. Next, turn your feet out at about a 45 degree angle away from the arm that is lifting the bell above your head. Look up at the bell and place the free arm around behind your back. Keep the leg on the loaded side of your body straight and lean to the side of the arm not lifting the kettlebell. As you descend down keep your head looking up towards the kettlebell above your head. Make sure to contract your lat and keep your shoulder sucked into the socket as you descend down into the bottom of the windmill for a good stretch. Once you go down far enough to get a good stretch then simply ascend back up in the same pattern as you went down in order to complete the movement. This is a great lift for your baseball bat speed and is top notch for getting you ready for the upcoming baseball season.

If you haven't already started to implement kettlebell windmills into your training then you are missing out. This is one of the best overall lifts for your strength, mobility, and flexibility. Take the time to learn more by accessing the rest of my articles on the subject for free. Remember that most any athlete can train hard, but only the champions train smart my friend. Stop wasting time and get started today!

To learn more about Kettlebells, Fitness, and achieving Total Mind-Blowing Strength come and visit me at http://www.efandps.com.
To be one of my members and to receive more tips on INSANE BODY CONSTRUCTION please visit me at: http://www.efandps.com/www.efandps.com/Brandons_Members_Newsletter.html
I'm Brandon Richey the Strength and Conditioning Pro!

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---If you are looking for BatAction Replacement Balls or Power Bands Click Here

Baseball Tips on Hitting - How You Can Get to Know the Opposing Pitcher Very Quickly!

By Larry Cicchiello

If you don't know anything about an opposing pitcher, watch him closely and you may possibly get to know a lot about him very quickly. Beating the pitcher is plain and simply, a battle. Pay attention to what he does well and what he does not do well. You may know this before he takes the mound that day and if not, you can certainly learn a lot about him by watching him for an inning or so. Sometimes you can learn a lot after only one batter.

Good pitchers will stay awake at night trying to figure out how to get good hitters out. Just like the pitcher is looking for your strengths and weaknesses as a hitter, you too better be looking for his strengths and weaknesses! Pitchers at higher levels of play use pitching charts to get to know tendencies that hitters have. Why can't you, as a hitter, at least keep a mental chart of the pitcher's tendencies?

Some Very Important Things You Should Be Looking For

1. Look for where his release point is. Quite often pitchers have different release points for different pitches and you may know what pitch he's throwing just before he actually releases the ball.

2. Time his pitches with your swing when waiting to hit. You should have a very good idea as to how fast the pitcher is before you face him.

3. Is the pitcher always throwing a first pitch fast ball all the time?

4. Does he lean back more toward second base to get some extra speed on his fast ball?

5. Does he slow down his windup at the last second when he's throwing a change up?

6. On the other hand, does he speed up his windup too much when throwing a change up because he is trying too hard to disguise it?

7. Does he always throw the curve ball with 2 strikes?

8. Is the first pitch to each batter too "fat" and an easy pitch to hit?

9. Is the pitcher always throwing a breaking ball after he shakes off his catcher's signal? (This tells you the catcher is not ever putting down the breaking ball as his first signal and then when the pitcher shakes off the catcher, you know the pitch will be his breaking ball)

10. Does the pitcher raise his front shoulder higher when throwing the fastball to try to throw it faster?

11. Is he always pitching low and away and not using both sides of the plate by occasionally coming inside?

12. Does he drop his arm slot down a little to get more lateral movement on his breaking ball?

If you're serious about being a successful baseball hitter, you have to be thinking all the time. While on the bench, sit next to a very good hitter and talk about the opposing pitcher throughout the game. Baseball hitting is tough so try to get every possible advantage. Remember, the pitcher is thinking of anything he can do to get you out. As a baseball hitter, you should be thinking of anything and everything you can do to have a successful at bat. You will be very pleased with yourself if you have observed that the pitcher has started five straight hitters off with a first pitch fast ball. Then you get up, see a first pitch fast ball, and hit a seed into one of the gaps!

Even if you don't know anything at all about a pitcher, you can learn his strengths, weaknesses and overall tendencies very quickly! Beating the pitcher requires clever use of your mind as well as your body. The pitcher is using both his brain and his arm to beat you and you must do the same if you truly want to be a successful baseball hitter.

Larry Cicchiello is the author of "Excellent Baseball Coaching: 30 Seconds Away." His very user friendly eBooks cover 320 topics on playing or coaching excellent baseball. ANY players, coaches or parents who want to help their child improve will be fully equipped! Some FREE tips are available at http://www.LarryBaseball.com/product/all

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

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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

Baseball Coaching Digest
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YouthBaseballDigest.com
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Videos for Coaches
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BaseballParentGuide.com
Homepage
Baseball Parent Guide: Today's Post
Baseball Articles for Coaches
Baseball Blogs
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Throwing and Pitching Fundamentals
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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.

One Or Two Piece Baseball Bat?

HandsBackHitter.com
=================
Article Title: One Or Two Piece Baseball Bat?
By R. Nelson

It used to be simple; a bat was one piece of wood, aluminum or composite. How things have changed! Two-piece bats are now extremely popular and seem to be the trend for the foreseeable future.

Easton, Demarini and Nike have long championed the two-piece design. Demarini and Nike have held fast to this philosophy while Easton has branched out to make bats in almost all designs in an effort to appeal to everyone. They say the major benefit of a two piece bat is that it gives more flex to the barrel at the point of contact and, therefore, increases the trampoline effect. This should not be confused with handle flex (or whip action). Handle flex or whip action is supposed to take place before the point of contact with the ball, and the trampoline effect at the point of contact.

The one-piece bat argument long championed by Louisville and recently COMbat. Louisville claims their Triton and H2 are "bonded" together to act more like a true one-piece bat. They say the two-piece design results in weakness at the joint of the handle and barrel thereby reducing the trampoline effect or spring back. They're essentially saying that it provides very little resistance and therefore will not spring back as quick and hard as a one-piece design.

Before we go any farther, let's understand what trample effect actual means in the scientific world. The trampoline effect refers to pronounced elasticity in the impacting object (baseball bat, tennis racquet, golf club, etc.) such that it acts like a trampoline. It is also referred to as the spring-like effect because of the degree to which the object depresses, then springs back into shape when striking a ball. Here are the scientific specifics for a baseball bat:


The trampoline effect in baseball refers to the elasticity of a bat upon impact with a baseball.
When a ball hits a wood bat, it compresses to nearly half its original diameter, losing up to 75% of its initial energy to internal friction forces.
However, in a hollow bat such as an aluminum or composite bat, the bat barrel compresses somewhat like a spring. This means that the ball is not compressed as much and loses less energy to internal friction forces.
Furthermore, most of the energy temporarily stored in the bat is returned to the ball in an aluminum or composite bat. The energy which is lost in the bat compression is much smaller than that lost without compression.
So there is absolutely no doubt that the barrel flexes during contact and does create a trampoline effect. The real question is does a two-piece bat create more, less or the same barrel flex/trampoline effect than a one-piece bat made from the same material? And if so, does this increase batted-ball speed?

This is where the science gets murky because there doesn't seem to be any scientific data supporting or debunking claims that a two-piece bat produces more trampoline effect than a one-piece bat (or vice versa). Will someone please call Mythbusters!

So what I've done is try to look at this logically. My conclusion is that a two-piece bat probably increases the trampoline effect due to its hinge at the connection point. But, the increase is probably negligible and therefore won't make much of a difference. I've also look at what the top players are using to see if there is a preference. Most players on college baseball teams swinging Easton bats overwhelmingly choose the two-piece bats to their one-piece siblings. They'll usually choose the Stealth Speed over the Synergy Speed and the SV12 over the V12. They also tend to choose the stiff handle design of those bats. In the end, you're fine with either a one or two-piece bat as I believe they are extremely close in performance.

First decide what you want to spend, the material that's best for you, whether you prefer an end-loaded or balanced bat, a one or two-piece model and then the handle design.

To see reviews for all baseball bats visit Baseball Bat Reviews Blog.

http://baseballbatreviewsblog.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=R._Nelson

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Baseball Youth Digest - 6 Things You Should Know Before You Buy New Baseball Cleats Or Shoes

Baseball batting trinaer makes learning to hit fun, easy and convenient.

Baseball Youth Digest: Before you purchase a new pair of baseball cleats, there are certain things that you should know about the baseball shoes. These things are related to how the cleats are made and how to size your new game shoes. This article lists and explains 6 important things that every baseball player, coach, and parent should know about baseball cleats.

Before you buy a new pair of baseball shoes, make sure to read and know the following facts about baseball shoes:

1. You should know the rules that you must comply with as they regard cleat length and kinds of cleats allowed. Some leagues do not allow players to wear metal cleats. The length of your cleats or studs must comply with league and association safety rules. Most leagues have a 1/2 inch length rule. Younger kids should have shorter studs to add stability and prevent turning of the ankles.

2. Molded baseball cleats have studs that are molded of plastic, rubber, or other urethane material. These studs or "cleats" are attached permanently to the sole of the baseball shoe. These molded cleats are usually made to last one season. Rubber molded cleats are recommended for use on hard surfaces. Molded baseball cleats are cheaper than detachable cleats.

3. Detachable baseball cleats have studs that can be removed and replaced with other stud designs. Replacement cleats have considerably less durability than permanent cleats. It is important to frequently check the detachable cleats because a gap between the sole and the stud does exist. Detachable cleats can be used for longer periods of times because the studs can be changed and replaced.

4. Combination baseball cleats use both metal and plastic cleats, as well as cleats of different shapes and lengths. Combination baseball cleats are used in wet and extremely muddy conditions. Combination baseball cleats provide excellent traction and control in slippery turf conditions.

5. Baseball players with speed often size their baseball cleats a 1/2 size smaller than their normal shoe size. Under or tight sizing your baseball shoes 1/2 size keeps the foot snug in the shoe. This snug fit prevents a sliding or slipping motion of the players socked feet inside the shoe when the runner accelerates to steal a base.

6. Make sure to lace your shoe tightly to insure a snug fit. As said before, a snug shoe reacts better to the movement of the foot inside the shoe. Many players are buying shoe designs with Velcro rather than shoe laces. They feel that Velcro can be use to get a tighter "lace up". Velcro also does not come untied like regular shoe strings or laces.

For more great articles on coaching and playing baseball visit the Baseball Coaching Digest, Youth Baseball Digest, Baseball Parent Guide, and the Little League Digest. Good luck to you and your team. Have a great day, Nick

The CoachesBest Baseball Store has a great selection of 1400 Baseball Products. Check out the BatAction Hitting Machine baseball pitching simulator. This high speed training machine is 100% Guaranteed to raise Batting Averages and has a full year warranty.

Nick Dixon is the President and founder of Nedco Sports, a sports training company established in 1999. Dixon is also an active and full time high school baseball coach with over 25 years experience. Coach Dixon is better known as the inventor of the BatAction Hitting Machine, the SKLZ Derek Jeter Hurricane Hitting Machine, the SKLZ Target Trainer, the SKLZ Derek Jeter ZipnHit Pro, and the SKLZ Strikeback Trainer. Dixon is also a contributing writer for BaseballCoachingDigest, the Youth Baseball Digest, the Baseball Parent Guide, the Baseball 2Day Coaches Journal, and Blog4Coaches.

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

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2010 DeMarini Baseball Bat Lineup - It Cant Get Any Better Than This!

Baseball Batting Trainer by SKLZ - Derek Jeter Series

By Jeff Heitz

2010 Vexxum
It's back. The original DeMarini Bat that Bends. Hitters get to enjoy the longest barrel in baseball as The Vexxum is made of the SC4 Aluminum, giving it the Long Barrel technology that hitters love! The N2M End-Cap and C6 Composite handle are scientifically designed to maximize handle performance with optimal flex, making contact even more punishing.

2010 Voodoo Black
It's Back and More wicked Than Ever!
The Voodoo Black has some big time new features this year. That's right. Featuring a Pitch Black Plus Composite Handle that features Silver Trace Technology. This new technology adds strength and improves power transfer to the barrel of the bat. Combined with a thickness tuned SC4 Alloy Aluminum barrel, the Voodoo is redefined and ready to continue the onslaught.

2010 Vendetta
Step up to the plate and settle the score with this bad boy!

Four years of hard work and development has produced a work of art. We've brought out the reinforcements in our two-piece handle system, featuring a sick vibration-killing core complemented by our exclusive Rails technology. The Vendetta has a 12% stronger SC4 Alloy barrel. This can only mean a huge sweet spot game after game, putting you the best of both worlds - big time power and a super comfortable feel!

2010 Vendetta C6
Killer Composite Bat!

That's right,the all new Vendetta C6. The barrel is made of C6 composite with a wider and stronger weave providing one powerful single wall composite bat. Oh yeah, and it still has the Rails Hybrid Handle with a vibration dampening inner core and a Rails reinforced outer frame.

2010 M2M
So you like heavy metal?
Introducing the all new revolutionary M2M. DeMarini's first ever 2-piece aluminum baseball bat providing both the stiffest and most responsive barrel. Constructed of a SC4 Aluminum barrel and M2M handle, the M2M will deliver power swing after power swing.

2010 CF4
Wicked Power with a big time barrel!
The all new CF4 Black is here with a vengeance. With an 11% longer and stronger double composite barrel, the CF4 Black is our most technologically advanced bat. The redesigned end cap known as The Hub, adds the power, better feel, and provides a sweet sounding bat. When you add all the totals up on this one, you get one rump stompin bat.

2010 CF3
Bad Man Strong!
Pretty darn hard to believe that it could get any better, but it did. A Pitch Black Double Wall Composite barrel featuring two independent Pitch Black composite walls with the thinnest layer and tightest weave possible creates an even more dynamic springboard hitting surface. Pitch Black Handle with an exclusive composite material and weave creates the strongest handle with optimum flex. So what does all that mean? Bombs away baby! Big bombs away!

For a complete listing of all the awesome 2010 DeMarini bats visit http://youthbaseballbats.ws

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


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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!
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Baseball College Recruiting: 10 Facts Baseball Players, Coaches, and Parents Need to Know

SKLZ Hurricane Batting Machine
By Kenny Buford

Although many of the colleges want you to believe you have to be the top of the top for baseball college recruiting, that isn’t always so. In fact, many times colleges are assuming that they are not looking at the top 5% because those student athletes may already be spoken for.

Some things to remember:

1. Grades count. Sure, athletic ability is important, but do you have the grades to get into the college admissions office and catch their eye even without your sports ability? You should have grades that support you as a well-rounded student, not just an image of a ball player alone.

2. Do you know what a college coach values in a player? Is it the same as a high school coach or a teen-level coach? What do you bring to the coach that is different from the myriad of other players your age and ability that makes you a step above? Can you bring the values to the team that your coach is looking for?

3. What is your motivation? Not just “are you motivated” but what motivates you? Is it fame, money or a passion for the game? Do you work at your game based upon only your motivation? Do you have many motivators for your game? This is important; because parents, students and coaches will need to understand the motivators.

4. Are you motivated? As a verb, do you have it? Do you have what it takes to look into adversity and tough times and still shine? This is going to be important to be able to display to prospective colleges and future coaches as this may be a tie breaker trait.

5. Don’t wait until the last minute. Some students start as early as their freshman year in marketing themselves to colleges. If you are a senior and haven’t started, don’t let that discourage you, but do get moving on that! Market yourself as early as you can as a true athlete, because every moment you are no exposing your abilities, your peers are.

6. Do you, or do you plan to, meet the core requirements of entering college? If you are a great player, it’s important to have pretty good grades and decent SAT scores. There are a myriad of Internet sites that can help you make sure you are not lagging, and your guidance office should be able to help you. Again, it’s never too early to start working on your sports collegiate career.

7. Know the reality. According to statistics, less than 15% of high school baseball players will play college baseball. Just know your realities so if you don’t make the team, you are not devastated. It’s as important to know the realities of the situations as well as how to best get into a situation. Never enter any situation blind to both sides.

8. Look at the bigger picture. You may want to play ball but you may also want to have a certain climate, social life and academic schedule that fits your desires. Look at more than just the team; because you are more than just a ball player.

9. Do you have what it takes? It’s more than just the above. There is also something called “Luck and Timing”. Absolutely realize that you have to have both in addition to all the things you can control. Realize that a little of this is going to be out of your control.

10. Finances: not everyone is going to be playing ball on scholarship, or at least on full scholarship. Decide if the cost is worth the sport participation. If you are reading this, the answer probably is “yes, of course it is” but realize an injury or a sudden lack of passion means you still have the finances to deal with but none of the glory of the sport. Really weigh your financial realities.

All of this is meant to get you thinking – be it a parent or a player. Even a coach reading this needs to understand that you are going to be looking at some kids who have the research down pat and can impress you, but some other youth will be just as impressive deep down, but you may have to scratch the surface a bit. Not everyone knows the ins and outs of impressing a coach and a college but may be an exceptional player, student and person under it all. It’s everyone’s responsibility to learn as much as possible and do what they can to ensure the best options for all involved.

Kenny Buford spent years playing baseball at the college level. Today, he coaches 3 youth development teams and shares his extensive coaching knowledge on his blog, you can visit him here: http://www.baseball-tutorials.com/

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

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Baseball Bats: The Trademark Up Myth

Hurricane Hitting Machine - Derek Jeter Series

By Fred Bonds

Today's hitters are plagued with the problem of wood bat breakage. Nowhere is this more apparent than the recent maple bat dilemma in the Major Leagues. Dangerous fragmentation of maple bats that has resulted in serious injuries has brought to light the hazards created when no attention is given to proper instruction of hitters regarding edge-grain orientation at the point of contact. Most wood bat breakage issues can be resolved by properly orienting the logo (or trademark) so as to place the edge grain parallel to the flight of the baseball at the point of contact. This is the position that yields the lowest breakage and the highest hitting power.

The traditional saying "logo face up", has its origins in the early years of baseball when hitters used a different style of hitting. Hitters like Gehrig, Dimaggio, and others swung the bat more linear and transferred more weight to the front foot. This forward momentum kept their upper body level and thus the bat barrel did not rotate. Today's hitters use a rotational method of swinging a bat. More weight is placed on the back leg with the hitter rotating the torso. This causes the shoulders to dip toward the ball and creates rotation of the bat barrel. The result is today's hitters tend to hit with the flat grain of the bat more often and this results in breakage and loss of power.

To cut down on breakage, hold the bat in front of you with the logo up (or facing you). Then rotate the logo towards your lead shoulder (shoulder closest to the pitcher). The more you hit off your back foot, the more you should rotate the bat toward the lead shoulder. The maximum angle should be 45 degrees. You may want to place a mark on the bat once you get the ideal alignment. This should put your bat in the proper hitting position with the edge grain aligned perfectly to hit the ball. This proper alignment not only will decrease breakage dramatically, but will also increase hitting power due to the restriction of the flexion of the bat.

Other things you can do to reduce breakage include:

• Use a heavier bat. A -3 metal swinger does not equate to a -3 wood swinger. The metal bat has higher strength than wood at low weights. -3 wood bats break more often than -2 wood bats. Remember, there is no such thing as -3 trees. To get lower weights you have to sacrifice density and that decreases strength. Ideally, you should hit with a wood bat weighing the same as the length. A 33" bat should weight 33oz. The difference between an even weight bat and a -3 is less than a hamburger patty so man up and move up in weight for better performance.

• You can also increase the handle diameter. Most wood bat companies offer handles below 1" in diameter which means the bat will break very easily. Old school handles were often greater than 1" which made the bats slightly heavier but reduced breakage. Also, a larger diameter handle means less flexion and that equates to greater power.

Lastly, pitchers with good fastball movement can saw you off on the inside and there is not much you can do about it. But, a majority of bats that break did so when hitting the outside pitch and in particular, off-speed. The ball doesn't need to be thrown hard to break a bat. Hitting off the last 2" of the barrel causes the bat to flex backwards excessively and will fracture the bat at a point close to the hands and the break will be formed at the leading edge of the bat. This is opposite that of a bat broken by an inside fastball that breaks on the trailing edge. An inside fastball hits the handle and stops the momentum of the handle. The barrel, having more mass, continues forward and causes a U-shaped bowing of the bat forward. This causes the bat to break at the hands on the trailing edge.

The key to hitting the outside pitch is to hit it off the back of the plate. This will allow the barrel to hit the ball solid and drive the ball hard to the opposite field. Not timing the outside pitch properly causes poorly hit balls off the end of the bat, weak squiblers, broken bats, shame, ridicule, losing, you get the picture. Practice hitting for power to the opposite field. It can only be done by hitting off the back of the plate. You should never begin hitting practice with inside pitches you can pull. Always have the BP thrower start you with outside pitches and work the pitches inward.

Recently, the MLB passed a series of wood bat guidelines. In these guidelines was the requirement to place logos on the "face of the grain" instead of edgegrain. This would decrease breakage and by their own admission, decrease performance. Oddly enough, this method works for breakage because now instead of the players rotating the face side of the grain toward the baseball, they now rotate the edgegrain toward it. Unless of course, the hitters know the facegrain orientation causes decreased performance and do not put the logo side up but place the logo facing the pitcher or catcher. We have observed this to be the case.

The corrective technique mentioned in this article could have accomplished the same result without the widespread chaos and large amount of expenses incurred by bat companies to comply with the MLB rulings.

Remember, good technique and focus reduces bat breakage and increases performance.

Fred Bonds is the Director of Research for Area51Sports, an innovative new wood baseball bat company, http://www.area51bats.com. He was director of the Central Michigan Sports Center, director of the BPR Nationals HS Prospect team, and a former associate scout for the Cincinnati Reds and Global Scouting Bureau. For more info on wood baseball bats or to contact Fred, go to http://www.area51bats.com.

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

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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!

Home Batting Cage - 4 Reasons You Can't Live Without One

Buy your next batting cage from BattingCagesDirect.com. Save time, energy & Money!


By James Quick

Home batting cages are increasingly becoming more and more popular. If you have the room to put one up you will be surprised at how many kids come wanting to practice with your kids. This gives them the security of knowing that they won't cause any damage in the neighborhood caused by a flying ball.

Having your own home batting cage is essential to raising your batting to the next level, not to mention the convenience and fun you can have. A home cage will also encourage a better practice routine.

One reason to have a cage is that they are becoming less expensive. You can even make your own using PVC pipe and netting. They do not have to cost a fortune nor do they have to be huge in order for your kids to get the practice they need to become a good player.

Having a home batting cage will cut down on all those trips to the park. You will no longer have to use the cages there and wait for a time to get in. You can also practice however long you want to. This allows for players to practice trouble spots more frequently and for a longer period of time.

The third reason to get a cage is because you will no longer lose balls. Balls have a tendency to grow legs and crawl places you cannot find them. If you use a cage they will always stay in the cage. You won't have to shell out money in order to purchase new balls all the time.

The fourth reason to have a home batting cage is because they last forever with care. They need to be taken down during winter months but are easy to put up again in the spring. You can go many years with just one cage and only have to make minor repairs on netting. Most commercial cages come with a warranty as well. You can get many years of practice out of a bit of pipe and some durable netting.

Give Yourself an Unfair Advantage Over the Competition

Get free information about Home Batting Cage

including product videos and ratings or just visit http://www.homebattingcage.net for tools and tips on other great items

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

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The 4 Best Batting Tees in Baseball:
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Game Time Hitting Struggles Solved!

Derek Jeter Hurricane Hitting Machine

By Todd Thomas

As a hitter, your goal should be to have practiced your mechanics so repetitively that they eventually become second nature. I was reading in a book on muscle memory this week and it said it takes about 400 hours of repetition for a skill to become FULLY automatic. That's a lot. So if you are looking for a shortcut, you might want to consider an easier athletic endeavor.

The more a player works on their skill the more second nature it becomes. You want to (and should, beginning right now no matter what level you are at) step into the batter's box and think only of hitting the ball and where you want to hit it. NOT HOW in terms of mechanics you should hit it. If a player is thinking about their mechanics during live game swings, then their chances for success are being severely diminished. The odds are already not in the hitter's favor, why decrease them further?

Think about the animal kingdom. If a lion had the cognitive ability of man, it's hunting effectiveness would be greatly reduced as it would be thinking about HOW to attack it's prey rather than working from conditioned reflexes. A lion doesn't think about how far or high it needs to jump or fast it needs to run in order to catch it's prey. They don't think about what is exactly the proper technique or take lessons on it or question what it did wrong when the prey gets away.

Contrast that with a human with our left side brain power and think about the professional golfer. Cognitively (with the left side of his brain), he contemplates pin placement, prevailing wind conditions, uphill lie, downhill lie, and strategy when preparing for a shot. Then they execute their shot (from the right brain) without thinking about the mechanics of their swing by letting it come naturally. The weekend golfer, on the other hand, uses his cognitive abilities not to think about playing strategies so much but rather about the fundamentals of his swing and how he should execute them correctly. The weekend golfer reduces the swing to it's component parts by thinking about the back swing, hip action, wrist break, arms, legs, and so on. This results in stress and tension in the muscles causing the player to become a victim of "paralysis by analysis". He is trying to perform using the left brain instead of the right.

Such is the same with the baseball and softball player. Even if a player has reached a point from practice and repetition that the required muscle memory is built in for their best swing, IT WILL NOT HAPPEN (certainly not at it's fluid best) between the white lines when the pressure is on IF the player is not confident, relaxed, focused, calm(not nervous), or is afraid (fear ridden). Nervousness and fear manifest themselves from thinking too much or over-analyzing. Worrying (or having fear or nervousness) about what might happen or what has happened is devastating to the ability to relax and to perform at ones peak.

Read the last few sentences again.

The only time an athlete performs their best in an athletic move like a swing is when they are totally and completely confident and RELAXED. If any measure of nervousness is present, the muscles will not be as completely oxygenated as they need to be for smooth performance. As the degree of tenseness increases, performance plummets.

Ever wonder why a player performs like a animal in practice, but looks lost when they step into the batter's box during games? Who hasn't seen the player who crushes the ball at practice but can't hit during games? We all have. At practice, there's nothing to be afraid of. They step into the box relaxed and hit great. Come game time however, fear, nervousness, and worry about results rear their ugly heads and the results speak for themselves. If you've ever wondered why this is true about a player, then now you know.

Players that learn how to be confident, focused and RELAXED are your peak performers.

RELAX! And HIT!

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



Sponsor Links:

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=======================================

HurricaneMachine.com - Links

---15 Reasons To Buy a Hurricane Trainer
---6 Questions Often Asked By Customers
---Message to Parents From Coach Nick
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---20-Minute Hurricane Batting Practice Workout
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Baseball2u.com has a one of the internet's largest selections of baseball coaching and training dvds.

Jugs Instant Screen, Take Your Hitting to a New Level

Baseball2u.com


Jugs Instant Screen, Take Your Hitting to a New Level
By James Quick

It is a fact. Few baseball players rarely just pick up a bat and start hitting home runs. They have to work hard and practice for hours and hours. Most players in the beginning stages of development as a ball player could greatly benefit from a batting training aid which would be easily portable and go anywhere allowing them to explode their skills.

Jugs Instant Screen does that and more it will give novice players the opportunity to practice in a safe manner. Even advanced players can increase their skills by making it a daily routine.

The screen easily unfolds from a circular form with a pop and it can be refolded easily after a few tries. It fits in a little case so it can be taken anywhere you want to go. Kids can use it in the back yard or they can take it to a friend's house or over to the baseball field to get in a little practice.

Players practice by hitting the balls into the screen and it is great for kids because it is 8 feet wide by 7 feet high. This makes it safe for batting practice as the balls will not be able to fly into parked cars or windows of houses nearby. It also works well for throwing practice as well.

If you are pitching balls to your kids you will no longer have to go chasing them all over the yard. The screen will catch them for you and deposit them in the area. No more loosing balls in the woods or neighbors fenced in back yard either.

This screen is works for families but it also is great for team use. Use it before the game starts to warm up and you can also use it while the game is going on because your balls will be stopped short by the screen. You can use it by backing it up a little bit or by having it close to the batter or pitcher.

One of the best things about the screen is that it doesn't cost an arm and a leg. It is easily affordable by families, schools, churches and other organizations. Because it folds up so compactly it is no problem to store either. It will give your future baseball player the practice they need in a safe environment.

Give Yourself an Unfair Advantage Over the Competition

Get free information about the Jugs Instant Screen including product videos and ratings or just visit http://www.jugsinstantsreen.net for tools and tips on other great the batting cages.

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

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Youth Baseball Digest - What is Baseball Slugging Percentage? How is Slugging Percentage Calculated?

ZipnHitPro.com
By Nick Dixon

Slugging Percentage is a baseball batting stat that assigns value to hits based on the number of bases reached. The bigger a hit is the more it raises the Slugging Percentage of the batter. Slugging Percentage is also sometimes called "Slugging Average" or "SLG". "SLG" is considered a reliable indicator of a batters power. It is very simple to calculate. This article explains how to determine a batters SLG.

Slugging average assigns a bigger value to bigger hits. So the calculation becomes "total bases" divided by the number of at-bats.

Here are the values for each base hit:

· HR = 4 points.

· TRIPLE = 3 points. =

· DOUBLE = 2 Points.

· SINGLE = 1 point.

The formula for determining SLG:

(HR x 4 points) + (TRIPLES x 3 points) + (DOUBLES x 2 points) + (SINGLES x 1 point) = SUM

SUM (Divided by Total At-Bats) = Slugging Average.

In other words, Slugging Average is calculated by adding the totals for all the hits the batter has, then divide by the total number of at bats. For example, a batter goes 2 for 4 and hits a triple and a double, which is five points. Five points divided into 4 at bats equals 1.250 Slugging Average.

Other examples:

A batter is 7 for 12 on the season. He has hit a HR, 2 TRIPLES, 2 DOUBLES, and 2 SINGLES. The total of bases added up equals 16. Divide the 16 bases reached by the 12 total at-bats and you get a Slugging Average of 1.333

SLG is expressed as a three-digit decimal. It is considered the best indication of a batters measure of power.

I hope that you found this article to be informative and easy to understand. Thanks for reading my article. Have a great day, Nick.

The CoachesBest Baseball Store has a great selection of 1400 Baseball Products. Check out the BatAction Hitting Machine baseball pitching simulator. This high speed training machine is 100% Guaranteed to raise Batting Averages and has a full year warranty.

Nick Dixon is the President and founder of Nedco Sports, a sports training company established in 1999. Dixon is also an active and full time high school baseball coach with over 25 years experience. Coach Dixon is better known as the inventor of the BatAction Hitting Machine, the SKLZ Derek Jeter Hurricane Hitting Machine, the SKLZ Target Trainer, the SKLZ Derek Jeter ZipnHit Pro, and the SKLZ Strikeback Trainer. Dixon is also a contributing writer for BaseballCoachingDigest, the Youth Baseball Digest, the Baseball Parent Guide, the Baseball 2Day Coaches Journal, and Blog4Coaches.

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

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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!