Baseball Hitting Drills - "Land the Plane Drill"

Baseball Hitting Drills - "Land the Plane Drill"
By guest author: Joe Brockhoff

This will never allow a hitter to maximize his ability. He will hit lots of ground balls. To correct this, while in contact with the ball, the bottom hand should be facing down and the top hand facing up.

For hitters who use a wrist roll, in order to get the hands to perform correctly, using word pictures, we say that the bottom hand "lands the plane" and the top hand "crashes the plane".

Here is the drill: The bottom hand (lead hand) starts at the shoulder point, palm open and facing down, while in the stance position. Other hand is on hip. Front heel lifts and the player loads. As hips rotate square to the pitch, the hand at the shoulder moves straight to the front of the body, where hands would be while the bat is in contact. Hand remains palm down. This is "Landing the Plane". Do this several times, starting with the hands back at the shoulder in the stance position.

The top hand (power hand) is next. It starts at the same position but with palm open and facing up and forward. As hips rotate square to the pitch, this hand will move to the same location, but with palm up. This is "Crashing the Plane". Do this several times.

Now do the drill again. This time put both hands together, but with the bat added, starting at the shoulder area. Now move the bat into contact. The hands should be in the same position as before. Open them while in the contact position. The top hand should be open, palm up, under the bat. The bottom hand should be open, palm down, over the bat.

Note: The proper action to complete the stroke is that the top hand continues under the bat through contact and first extension. The bat will finally roll as it comes to the second extension position, just before the stroke is complete.

By repeating these baseball hitting drills, with the pictures in mind, hand action is improved. The batter is not swinging to contact. He is snapping at the point of contact. This will increase bat speed, quickness and the ability to make contact with the ball.

Former Tulane Hall of Fame Baseball Coach, Joe Brockhoff, fully explains his baseball hitting drills with the Super 8 Hitting System, completely demonstrated with videos and hitting drills to help you hit with more power and raise your batting average.

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3 Useful Suggestions on Baseball Rules and Regulations

3 Useful Suggestions on Baseball Rules and Regulations
By guest author: Stan E Quin

The official baseball rules are slightly completely different depending on what league you are interested in. Typically the principles are the identical, however you will note that they differ a bit relying on whether it is high school, fantasy league, youth, Cal Ripken or the American league you're looking at.

Baseball is a bat-and-ball game played by two groups, and every workforce plays 9 innings attempting to score most runs. The goal of this bat-and-ball sport is to hit the thrown ball with a bat, and score runs by touching the sequence of 4 bases which might be arranged at the corners of 90ft diamond or square. In every inning, the batting staff sends batter or hitter to bat until three hitters get out. When the fielding team gets three outs, the groups change, and each flip to bat constitutes an inning.

Every crew has only 9 players playing within the subject at any given time, but workforce really is manufactured from 25 players. The batter bats on the house plate, and strikes counterclockwise to first, second and third base, and at last back house with a purpose to score the run. The infield of the game is sq., however known as a diamond, and has a primary base, second base, third base and home base at each corner. The gap between each base in ninety feet, and pitches mound is 60.5 toes away from the house plate, in the middle of the diamond.

Baseball has no clock, and to win, the team has to out the last batter. Essentially the most primary rule of baseball is that it's performed by two groups, alternating their turns to protection and offense, and the purpose is to score most runs. If hitter stops on any base, he turns into a base runner, and might advance as soon as next hitter is batting.

There are a lot of different ways to out the hitter resembling flied out the place fielder catches the ball hit by the hitter with out ball getting bounced, strike out the place pitcher throws the ball within the strike zone, put out where fielder touches the runner with the ball when he's not standing on the bottom, and so on. The pitcher stands in the course of the mound, and begins the motion by throwing the ball in the direction of house plate. If the ball just isn't hit by the batter, catcher catches the ball, and if participant hits the ball past outfield fence, it's referred to as the home run. The fields for playing baseball can considerably range in form and size.

Umpires usually work in the crew of four, and take turns to change into the house plate umpire. Every staff must stick to the bating order all through the game. The batter gets three strikes, and when batter starts working after hitting, he or she known as runner who attempts to achieve the bottom the place they will be protected and may keep till the subsequent hitter comes up. In World Sequence, champions of two leagues match up and play the most effective of seven collection with AL rules and NL rules.

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Discover Top Baseball Training Fundamentals

Discover Top Baseball Training Fundamentals
By guest author: Matt Dimock

Baseball is one of America's favorite sports. Millions of men have been interested in playing it either as a weekend pastime or semi-professionally. It is understandable that only a handful would go to the pro leagues but nevertheless, baseball has won the hearts of many. You are probably one of them that's why you are interested in this article. Baseball is more than just picking up a bat and hitting the ball or the other way around, picking up a ball and throwing it. So if you want to get better in this sports, there are some fundamentals you should learn first.

It is important for any person who wants to play baseball to first undergo baseball training to help prepare his mind and body for the game. We can't ignore the fact that there will always be people who have natural talent for this sport and that understanding how the game is played and how it should be played will be very easy for them. Nevertheless knowing the basics is still essential as it is the first stepping stone toward being a great baseball athlete.

So here are some baseball training tips that you should follow to help you improve your game. Remember to keep everything in moderation and to never rush your training as it can lead to serious injury.

Just like with any other sports, warming up is the key to avoiding any injury. Stretching is a vital part of this. While some professional trainers will provide you with specific warm up and stretching instructions, in my opinion, any of the typical warm ups will do. Especially those that involve the arms and the legs as you will be doing a lot of swinging and throwing the ball during the game. Just jog in place or for a few meters and you will be good to go.

Most people forget to have a good posture when they are playing the game when in fact standing correctly has a great impact in utilizing your skills. Always stand straight and always make sure that your whole body weight is distributed equally to both of your feet. Your feet should align to the length of your shoulders. As a batter this normal position will give you the stability you need to make that powerful swing.

How should you be gripping a baseball bat? Quite naturally, you should pick up the bat using your strongest hand. Your other hand will be there just to support it. And do not strangle the bat. When you hold a bat very tightly you are releasing unneeded tension which will result to a weaker hitting power. Just let your grip loosen up a bit, allowing for your fingers to move easily. With less tension on your part, you will have greater power to hit that ball.

There are other fundamentals that you probably need to know but for starters the ones listed here will be good enough. Always remember to not overwork yourself and to simply enjoy baseball. That's why it's called a game in the first place.

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Teaching Beginner Baseball

Teaching Beginner Baseball
By guest author: Wiley Channell

Teaching baseball to very young players can be difficult because small children can have a real fear of getting hurt by the ball. This is especially the case when it comes to playing in the infield. Coaches and parents need to address this and create a real desire to play the game without fear in order to succeed.

Early baseball teaching can give young players the right techniques and habits so they can have fun without any fear. Getting the desire to win can start at an early age, and will stay with a player for life.

Just because players are young, that doesn't mean the basic rules of the game should be overlooked.

Baseball Fundamentals

In order to get past the initial fear of the game, a coach should take it slow. And to keep it extra safe, start learning the rules of the game with softer balls. You can use a tennis ball, a Nerf or any other kind of soft rubber ball. Have the players learn the rules while slowly getting used to the ball. Coaches or parents should make it clear that if a child is ever hit with the ball, any pain or injury will be short-lived.

Kids should start just throwing and catching the ball, before dealing with the bat. Eventually, work up to hitting and fielding the ball. Regular running will also build up stamina and the muscles needed for base running later on. Endurance is important, but also the ability to sprint quickly. Along with running, more advanced students need to learn how (and when) to safely slide into base.

Between the physical practice, players need to learn the rules of the game, how baseball is scored and some basic strategy when playing. It may seem like a lot at first for a youngster, but he or she will soon be comfortable with the game.

Above all, keep the game fun and help them develop a keen interest in the game. A good competitive spirit and a drive to win is what a young player need to carry him far in the sport.

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Baseball Hitting Drills - Using a Tee to Improve Your Swing

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Baseball Hitting Drills - Using a Tee to Improve Your Swing
By guest author: Jack Perconte

Maybe I am old-fashioned, but I still believe a baseball-batting tee is the best hitting aid there is. There are other helpful hitting devices that have come out on the market over the years, but none of those can do all that a batting tee can do. Of course, that is if players and coaches know how to use the batting tee correctly. I believe this because a batting tee allows the hitter to see the actual flight and spin of the ball when hit, when many of the other hitting aids do not allow this. Having said that, it is important to try to have enough space to see this flight of the ball, which is the first tip on knowing how to use a tee correctly. Along those lines, other methods of using a tee to improve the swing and to use a tee correctly include:

1. Knowing where to set the tee correctly in relationship to the hitter and home plate, depending on which pitch location the hitter is working on.
2. Hitting low pitches, set in the middle of the plate, through the middle to make sure hands and hips square up at contact.
3. Hitting high pitches on the tee, without popping up to maintain a compact swing.
4. Hitting balls (line drives or long flies) that have back spin.
5. Moving tee to different locations (inside, outside, high, low), with more emphasis on low pitches for hitters who hit a lot of ground balls and high pitches for hitters who hit a lot of pop ups, or strike out often. Emphasize hitting the ball in the direction of where the tee is placed, with backspin line drives always the objective.

There are a number of other ways to use a batting tee, but often these require proper instruction and observation from a knowledgeable coach. The reason for this is that often a hitting drill can solve one hitting problem, but can create a different problem because of doing the drill incorrectly, or too often. Read more.

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Youth Baseball Instruction and Children's Fitness

Youth Baseball Instruction and Children's Fitness
By guest author: Anthony J Pensabene

Would you like your child to be social, stay in shape, and develop healthy habits? These are wishes of many parents. It can be difficult to explain why some activities are more beneficial than others; explaining why taking pitching lessons and batting lessons while the video game controller cools down is a good idea can be a daunting task. Many parents champion and celebrate childrens' sports because it provides an outlet for fun while promoting fitness and health.

Children can find a lot of activities to get into; it may be beneficial to check local Web sites and schools for directories and additional information. A well-structured recreational sport, such as little league baseball instruction, can facilitate weight control; promote bone growth; build cardiovascular strength; and, maintain mental health.

Weight control is a problem for many citizens of the United States. 'Dieting' seems to be a tenacious task on our 'to-do' list. There is not a definitive cure or safeguard from being overweight, yet learning good habits in one's youth can greatly help a child control their weight now and in the future. A person's metabolism slows down as they age, so it is more likely to gain weight, but an adult conditioned to be active is less likely to put on pounds.

You may be fondly entertained by the commercials showcasing a cute child with a milk mustache commenting on wanting strong bones while getting a pat on the head by an approving parent. The commercial mentions an important aspect of child health: building strong bones. Baseball training programs help children build strong bones through continuous and monitored activity. Engaging in physical activity promotes bone growth and helps the child elude conditions such as osteoporosis in adulthood. Read more.

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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
---Hurricane Hitting Machine Drills
---20-Minute Hurricane Batting Practice Workout
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Baseball Practice - Running an Organized Practice

Baseball Practice - Running an Organized Practice
By guest author: Rick J Miller

The key to running an organized baseball practice is planning and consistency so players know what to expect each and every practice. Early in the season practices will always seem less organized but as the players become accustomed to the routine your practice sessions will run more smoothly and the players will receive much more benefit in less time and your players will have more fun.

If you are running a youth practice you may not have assistant coaches but enlisting parents to help will get parents involved giving them more time with their children and build their support. Parents that help must have clearly defined instructions on each drill and clear instruction on being impartial. I have found a preseason meeting with parents with a handout explaining the goals and instructions for each drill is a great way to organize parents and will help you organize your practice schedule.

Having a consistent practice schedule helps organize your baseball practice. Divide your practice time into time slots where you work on different facets of the game and always keep these time slots in the same order just changing the drills. For instance having players show up and start playing catch down one of the outfield foul lines, then go to stretching, then move to team defensive drills, then individual defensive drills then individual hitting drills and finally conditioning. Structuring your practice this way will help players learn a routine and know where they should be and what to expect next.

Dividing your players into small groups during stretching and using a drill station practice organization for individual drills keeps players busy during practice and is more efficient. To give an example of a station practice plan for individual fielding drills would be to divide players into groups of four. Setting up one station for fielding ground balls on the third base line and making throws to first. In right field set up a station for outfielder drills catching fly balls and hitting the cut off man. In left field set up a station for players to work on fielding bunts and making a short throw. The size of your groups should not be more than four, the time spent at each stations and the amount of stations depends on time available, and the amount of players.

Running a station style baseball practice limits dead time for the players keeping their interest. Just as much care should be taken to plan for safety as well as the drills, consider where the balls will be flying and position your stations accordingly. Make sure helmets are available in hitting drills. Practice will seem a little confusing at first but you will find a station type baseball practice will take less time and be much more organized once players have been through the drills the first time.

Rick has been a baseball coach and has experience running a baseball practice for over thirty years. Rick has been fortunate in his coaching career to work with several high major league draft choices plus several division I college players as well as scores of players that have played junior college. Rick has built a website teaching parents how to run an effective baseball practice. Don't worry if you don't have the experience and knowledge to run fielding drills or batting drills doing this is very easy. Visit my website by clicking the links below.

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Baseball Tips - Catchers and Catching

Baseball Tips - Catchers and Catching
By guest author: Chico Reese

Every so often I get a request from a parent who tells me that their child is a catcher and that they would like me to help their child "learn some catching things", or "give them some catching tips" or something along those lines. Sometimes I know the player and have seen him catch before. Sometimes I've heard that the player catches. Sometimes the parent says that the child catches and thinks he'd be a lot better with a little help. This last one can be a little scary because I've been told this by parents and once I start working with the player I immediately realize that he has never caught before, or only caught a few times...probably just batting practice a few times.

When I get a request like this from parents, here's what I do:

I first assess what the player has really done or what he can really do. This is important, mainly from a safety point of view. Inexperienced catchers, especially young ones just starting out, can easily get injured by the baseball. So I really try to figure out what I'm dealing with, no matter what mom or dad has told me.

I'll also just talk to the young catcher and try to find out how much he's caught so far in his little career, what he likes about catching and what he doesn't like. You can kind of tell if a player has a real interest in catching or if his parents decided it was a position that he should like. I actually had a nine year old flat-out tell me that he hated baseball. He liked football and golf. He said his dad ( who was the coach) made him play. Catchers need to be motivated kids who truly like, or at young ages, don't mind being a catcher.

I find out more of what I need to know by simply watching how the player reacts to me throwing the ball at him. A young player with very little experience or none at all will almost always have more fear of getting hit by the ball than a catcher who has "been there, done that." This will stand out in his actions when you actually start throwing some balls in the dirt at him, even real slow pitches. Read more.

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How to Get Better at Baseball

How to Get Better at Baseball
By guest author: Jack Perconte

How to get better at baseball? Of course, the easy answer is to play as much as possible. Increased play however does not guarantee that a ball player will get better. The secret lies in the quality of practice and play. Performing a skill numerous times and playing in games without the correct fundamentals only leads to tired ball players. Coaches and parents should stress quality first. Quantity is good only if the skill is being done correctly. Parents may have to search out a baseball coaching specialist in order to find out the correct fundamentals and drills that will help develop correct baseball skills. In my opinion, it is well worth it to get this information at a young age if baseball appears to be their favorite sport. Once bad habits are formed, they become much more difficult to change. Correct fundamentals, formed early in their career, will to give baseball players their best chance at success and reaching their potential. With this in mind following are other suggestions for helping players get better at baseball.

1. Observe - Young ball players should be encouraged to watch fundamentally sound players and picture those good actions in their own mind. Most behavioral experts will tell you how important this "visualization" is to improving performance. Putting a good fundamental picture in their mind and then trying to perform that action can help skill development. Watching good players performing a skill over and over will lead to quality practice time. Read more.

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The Perfect Baseball Hitting Drill?

The Perfect Baseball Hitting Drill?
By guest author: Jack Perconte

The sign of a good baseball hitting drill is one that forces the correct hitting fundamentals and that over time, causes the correct hitting action when a hitter goes without the drill. With that in mind, some drills are obviously better than others. The drill below does just that. It forces the correct action and works on all the important hitting fundamentals of staying back, compact swing, weight shift, hips opening and follow through.

Because this drill combines all the correct baseball hitting fundamentals into one drill, it makes teaching hitting easier and quicker, as long as it is performed correctly. It is a little complicated and requires some hitting tools that one does not usually have in the basement, or backyard. The local batting cages though will have the things needed - balls, protective screen, batting cage.

Here is the perfect baseball hitting drill:

1. The hitter stands very close (within six to 10 inches) from a net, facing the pitcher with the net being behind the hitter where the catcher stands. The hitters rear foot and hands should both be this distance away from rear net. Make sure a home plate is set and hitters stand their normal distance from the plate.

2. The coach sets up behind a protective screen with a bucket of balls in front of the hitter, beginning at twelve to fifteen feet away.

3. The coach flips balls to the outer half of the plate - firm underhand flips are best from this distance, trying to keep the ball level with no rise or drop on the flipped ball.

Result you are looking for? Because the ball is on the outer half of the plate, hitters should drive the ball to the opposite field by missing the net on the initial portion of the swing but hitting the net on the follow through.

Note: Hitters may graze the net on way forward and come up a little short of hitting net on follow through and this is acceptable.

Why is this the perfect baseball hitting drill? Read more.

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