By Bob Hines
This is the ultimate goal for a ball player right? Developing the "five tools". It takes commitment and dedication of course, but it also takes a positive attitude towards improvement.
I read a quote yesterday from a college coach that really stuck with me...
"you will never improve a skill or ability if you start out thinking you know everything about it."
Sounds simple enough. Some would say "keep an opened mind" says the same thing but I think there's more to it. My interpretation of this statement is... in order for a person to reach their goals they must be open to learning from others who have been down the road before them. In relationship to baseball it means listening to all advice and finding the good in it.
A baseball player will work with many coaches throughout their career. Youth players generally have different coaches every season. Some more experienced and knowledgeable than others. If you are lucky enough to play for a coach who really knows his or her stuff you will do yourself a great service by opening up, paying attention and taking in everything they want to teach you. You may not agree with everything, but take it in. Then you can balance that knowledge with what you have learned from others. This is how players improve... take the best lessons from the best coaches and put it all together. That's how you become a "complete" player.
For example, my friend's son has played for a coach the past 3 seasons who is VERY knowledgeable about hitting.. he played Div1 ball, was a powerhitter, taught him a lot. This coach also thought he knew a lot about baserunning. He knew some, but another coach this player worked with privately was a base stealing phemon who taught him things that the hitting coach had never learned. However, when the hitting coach gave him baserunning instruction he listened and took it in. Yet he practiced and used most of what the baserunning coach taught him. One day he had a game where he stole 3 bases. After the game the hitting coach said "say, great game today, you seem to have come up with a baserunning technique that really works for you, stay with it". Get the picture?
There are very few absolutes in baseball. While there are general guidelines on how to do things, every player is different. Players learn baseball skills in a way that fits them. That's why when you look at college and pro players, they all have similar elements in their swings, yet every swing is different.
Good coaches know that not all players have the same batting stance or the same load/stride technique, or the same stance when leading off 1st base. A good coach wants a player to get the most of their mental and physical ability.
The best advice to you, the player, is listen to all your coaches and take in the best parts from each. If you do this you will be well on your way to meeting your baseball goals and becoming a "complete player".
Coach Bob
Visit Coach Bob's Youth Baseball Blog @ http://youthbaseballblog.blogspot.com/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bob_Hines
BaseballCoachesDigest.com
Baseball2u.com
The Baseball Coaches Digest Blog is your source for baseball coaching information and articles. Our regular posts include baseball training drills, baseball coaching tips,baseball coaching strategies, baseball coaching philosophy and much more. Our daily post and archives provide your with hundreds of recommended baseball coaching posts.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Does It Help, Does It Hurt? A Look At Training For Baseball And Common Shoulder Injuries
By Ethan Bowlin
Is your training increasing or decreasing your risk of injury? Our goal is to function at the highest level possible while reducing the risk of injury. Baseball is a sport that involves strength, speed, endurance, flexibility, and mobility to name a few. What I have been seeing with baseball players from little league, early adolescence into their adult lives is the widely accepted notion that to become a better athlete you have to train for form, not so much function. What is the difference?
Form is what can be termed bodybuilding, building the body with focus on big muscles or prime movers of the body. The chest, shoulders, abdominals, arms and quads, also known as mirror muscles, what we can see in the mirror, are most commonly developed using machines and free weights. Bench press, crunches, biceps curls and knee extensions are the exercises of choice. What is wrong with that, you may say? I thought that to be involved in athletics, I have to become stronger and condition the body for that sport? Yes and no. Let me explain, let’s look at function.
Function is what is useful, how the body is utilized throughout different planes of movement for a desired action. Baseball for example, involves throwing, hitting and running and must deal with forces that cause rotation, forces that distract a joint during acceleration, and forces that must be decelerated, stabilized and transferred to produce the desired action. So you ask, I thought that building my muscles stronger would accomplish that? When we focus on form or bodybuilding only, you are creating an unbalanced environment.
Let’s take look at one of the most problematic issues regarding baseball players, shoulder injuries. When an athlete throws a baseball, force is generated from the lower body and transferred through the core into the upper body through the shoulder, elbow and wrist providing the “speed” of the baseball. However, the force does not stop there. Once the ball is released, that force does not disappear, it must be decelerated back through the wrist, elbow, shoulder, upper body, core and lower body. Simply stated, what you speed up, you must slow down.
The shoulder is the most mobile joint in the body, however, what we gain in mobility we sacrifice stability. Picture the shoulder as a ball sitting on a plate, very mobile but not very stable. For the shoulder, or any joint for that matter, must be stable before moving. Stability of the shoulder is heavily reliant on the rotator cuff muscles. The rotator cuff muscles originate from the shoulder blade and its goal is to keep the ball centered on the plate so the big muscles can produce the accelerating, decelerating and rotational forces while throwing. Muscles surrounding the shoulder blade that provide stability for the shoulder joint include the lower trapezius, serratus anterior and rhomboid muscles. All these muscles not only provide support for the shoulder but also are crucial in holding your posture.
Weakness in these muscles and focusing on strength training for the chest, arms and abdominals will create an imbalance between the front and back of the shoulder girdle (upper body) possibly creating a rounded upper back, forward head appearance (slouching). This imbalance places the upper back muscles in a lengthened position, which will create greater stress on the rotator cuff during deceleration phase (follow through) of throwing and altered throwing mechanics. Many times it can manifest as soreness and pain in the shoulder, down into the upper arm, elbow and forearm. So how do I avoid this? Build your body like building a house. You wouldn’t start with the roof and windows before having a solid foundation. Then don’t just jump into strength training, start with a strong stable foundation and proper alignment before packing on the muscle!
First use a foam roller to loosen tight muscles and stretch the muscles around your shoulder for optimal range of motion (For more information the foam roller, look at Relieve Pain with Foam). Stretching the muscles in the front (chest, shoulders, and internal rotators) and strengthening the muscles in the back (lower trapezius, rhomboids, and external rotators) will help to balance your shoulder girdle. Next, because we transfer force from the lower body to the upper body while throwing and vice versa we target core stability and strength. The core involves more than just your abdominals and low back; it includes the deep muscles along your spine down through your pelvis and hips. Most people think of core exercises as movements such as crunches, twists and back extensions to name a few, however that is only one part of it. Core exercises can be split into stabilizing and movement exercises. When we attempt to develop core strength without core stability, we are forcing our bodies to rely on the prime movers, such as the chest, abdominals and shoulders to do the stabilizing. We must be stable before we can move; otherwise energy is wasted while throwing, running and hitting, all baseball movements. For a small range of exercises with a variety of uses from improving posture to sport specific exercises for throwing go to Does It Help Does It Hurt on the fuel page at performance4life.com
Ethan Bowlin is a fitness professional and co-founder of Performance 4 Life. Ethan coaches baseball and specializes in rehabilitation and strength and conditioning and can be reached at
ebowlin@performance4life.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ethan_Bowlin
BaseballCoachesDigest - CoachesBest.com
Is your training increasing or decreasing your risk of injury? Our goal is to function at the highest level possible while reducing the risk of injury. Baseball is a sport that involves strength, speed, endurance, flexibility, and mobility to name a few. What I have been seeing with baseball players from little league, early adolescence into their adult lives is the widely accepted notion that to become a better athlete you have to train for form, not so much function. What is the difference?
Form is what can be termed bodybuilding, building the body with focus on big muscles or prime movers of the body. The chest, shoulders, abdominals, arms and quads, also known as mirror muscles, what we can see in the mirror, are most commonly developed using machines and free weights. Bench press, crunches, biceps curls and knee extensions are the exercises of choice. What is wrong with that, you may say? I thought that to be involved in athletics, I have to become stronger and condition the body for that sport? Yes and no. Let me explain, let’s look at function.
Function is what is useful, how the body is utilized throughout different planes of movement for a desired action. Baseball for example, involves throwing, hitting and running and must deal with forces that cause rotation, forces that distract a joint during acceleration, and forces that must be decelerated, stabilized and transferred to produce the desired action. So you ask, I thought that building my muscles stronger would accomplish that? When we focus on form or bodybuilding only, you are creating an unbalanced environment.
Let’s take look at one of the most problematic issues regarding baseball players, shoulder injuries. When an athlete throws a baseball, force is generated from the lower body and transferred through the core into the upper body through the shoulder, elbow and wrist providing the “speed” of the baseball. However, the force does not stop there. Once the ball is released, that force does not disappear, it must be decelerated back through the wrist, elbow, shoulder, upper body, core and lower body. Simply stated, what you speed up, you must slow down.
The shoulder is the most mobile joint in the body, however, what we gain in mobility we sacrifice stability. Picture the shoulder as a ball sitting on a plate, very mobile but not very stable. For the shoulder, or any joint for that matter, must be stable before moving. Stability of the shoulder is heavily reliant on the rotator cuff muscles. The rotator cuff muscles originate from the shoulder blade and its goal is to keep the ball centered on the plate so the big muscles can produce the accelerating, decelerating and rotational forces while throwing. Muscles surrounding the shoulder blade that provide stability for the shoulder joint include the lower trapezius, serratus anterior and rhomboid muscles. All these muscles not only provide support for the shoulder but also are crucial in holding your posture.
Weakness in these muscles and focusing on strength training for the chest, arms and abdominals will create an imbalance between the front and back of the shoulder girdle (upper body) possibly creating a rounded upper back, forward head appearance (slouching). This imbalance places the upper back muscles in a lengthened position, which will create greater stress on the rotator cuff during deceleration phase (follow through) of throwing and altered throwing mechanics. Many times it can manifest as soreness and pain in the shoulder, down into the upper arm, elbow and forearm. So how do I avoid this? Build your body like building a house. You wouldn’t start with the roof and windows before having a solid foundation. Then don’t just jump into strength training, start with a strong stable foundation and proper alignment before packing on the muscle!
First use a foam roller to loosen tight muscles and stretch the muscles around your shoulder for optimal range of motion (For more information the foam roller, look at Relieve Pain with Foam). Stretching the muscles in the front (chest, shoulders, and internal rotators) and strengthening the muscles in the back (lower trapezius, rhomboids, and external rotators) will help to balance your shoulder girdle. Next, because we transfer force from the lower body to the upper body while throwing and vice versa we target core stability and strength. The core involves more than just your abdominals and low back; it includes the deep muscles along your spine down through your pelvis and hips. Most people think of core exercises as movements such as crunches, twists and back extensions to name a few, however that is only one part of it. Core exercises can be split into stabilizing and movement exercises. When we attempt to develop core strength without core stability, we are forcing our bodies to rely on the prime movers, such as the chest, abdominals and shoulders to do the stabilizing. We must be stable before we can move; otherwise energy is wasted while throwing, running and hitting, all baseball movements. For a small range of exercises with a variety of uses from improving posture to sport specific exercises for throwing go to Does It Help Does It Hurt on the fuel page at performance4life.com
Ethan Bowlin is a fitness professional and co-founder of Performance 4 Life. Ethan coaches baseball and specializes in rehabilitation and strength and conditioning and can be reached at
ebowlin@performance4life.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ethan_Bowlin
BaseballCoachesDigest - CoachesBest.com
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Do You Let Your Kids Steal? by By Chip Lemin
Many Youth Baseball Coaches often overlook base running. The coaches are usually busy enough trying to keep kids focused during practice. Smart base running by all your players regardless of speed or talent will help make your team a winner. This article is an advanced article on stealing bases. Be sure to read it, even if you players are not stealing bases yet. Keep it filed away with your notes, this is very good stuff. A good base running team puts the other team on notice right away; we came here to play!
Stealing Second Base
Too many kids are picked off because they are looking at their coach give signals while standing off of the bag. The Cardinal rule as a base runner when not on the bag is Keep your eye on the ball. Instruct your runners to get signs from the coaches with their foot on the bag, always!
Your players should always watch the pitcher when taking a lead. Why? Because they have the ball. Coaches have taught that your lead should be a body length and a step and this became the standard. Now this is a good reference point, but there are plenty of kids out there who have never ventured beyond this point! Do this with all your base runners, go with the body length and a step, wait for a pick-off attempt, and evaluate your lead. Encourage your slower players to try this in practice or scrimmages to show them they can steal bases too. You may have to tweak their lead length, but keep pushing them to get as big of a lead as their talent allows. Some pitchers have quick moves, while others are rather slow. Good base running teams take advantage of every opportunity. Show your players how to begin watching pitchers right away to find out their tendencies.
Keep your players taking shuffle steps when leading off at 1st base Your more advanced, faster players can employ a cross over step with left foot behind the right, then 2 shuffle steps. The player should take their lead at the front edge of the bag. In other words, the runner should be as close to the pitcher as possible while still being even with the base. Pitchers who aren't concerned about the base runner will soon find the base runner no longer on first base! This will give the perception to the pitcher that your runner is closer to bag that they really are. Try it it works! Good base running techniques also train your pitchers what to look for when they are on the mound.
Getting a good jump is absolutely the most important aspect of stealing a base. If a player does not get a good jump, they will be out most of the time. Players who are aggressive with their jumps will have far more success. When you give the steal sign, too many youth base ball players think they have to go on the next pitch. Tell your players to steal only if they get a good jump. Here are several options to getting a good jump no matter what your player's speed or talent level.
For right-handed pitchers only, focus on their feet.
This is a basic technique used in stealing second base. Pitchers have three options once they are in the set position. They can pitch, pick, or step off. When the pitcher delivers to the plate, the first part to move will be the left heel. When a pitcher is not going home with the ball, the first part to move will be his right heel. A well-coached base runner is able to focus on both feet. They must learn to react instantly. Left foot go, right foot back. Good pitchers will have ways to disguise this. So start studying your opposing pitcher from the 1st pitch.
Look at the front shoulder.
Another basic tactic to show your players is to watch the front shoulder. When a pitcher delivers to the plate, the front shoulder will "close" towards third base. If they are not going home, it will open towards first. Well-coached youth baseball pitchers will have tricks to disguise this.
Possible pitcher tendencies to look for.
The tendencies listed below, as well as numerous others, are things a youth base runner should look for. Remember to tell your players that well-coached runners does not have to wait until they are on base to pick up on tendencies. Good base runners study the pitcher as soon as there is a base runner. That is your job as a youth baseball coach, to keep your players focused. This technique is for the aggressive style coach and player; not everyone will be able to use it.
Most youth baseball pitchers will be prone to some of the following.
- May take a deep breath before delivering to plate.
- They only try to pick when set- They only throw to base as they come down to set.
- Pitcher always goes to base on a certain time count.
- They only try to pick one time.
- They will not throw over after being set for more 1 or 2 seconds.
- Only throws over on way up to the set position.
Here is a method can be used at all levels of youth baseball that allow stealing. Timing the pitcher. It is directly tied to pitcher habits. Say your coach's notice that a pitcher will come set for the same amount of time on every pitch. Relay that information to your runner. A well-coached, focused youth baseball player is ready to use this.
Hopefully your base runner is storing this information from the dugout. Will your runners get thrown out sometimes? Of course they will. Your players will not improve if they are not taking risks and trying to reach the next level. This method used properly, will be successful far more than not. It must be practiced a lot however. Use it at scrimmages to polish it.
Have a sign that allows coaches to relay timing information to runners such as tapping the brim of the cap 2 times to signify pitcher has a two second delay at set position. Coaches can touch their shoulder to alert runner to watch shoulder of pitcher. Be creative and have fun with it.
How to get back to the base.
When the runner has the stealing on their agenda, the base runner should always be "diving" back to the bag. If your runner can get back standing up, then the lead was not big enough. The dive back is a simple crossover and a headfirst slide to the bag. It important to note that when going back to the bag, the runner isn't actually diving. The goal is to get as low as possible as soon as possible to avoid the tag. Instruct your players to stay low and not launch themselves up into the air as they get back. This only gives the defense a better target to tag them out with.
As soon as the runner gets back, they should get up right away, walking up the bag, that is, not breaking contact with the base. Some pitchers are taught to get the ball and quick pitch if your runner lies on the ground too long. Furthermore, they should always be looking for an overthrown ball.
When your runner is not "diving" back to the bag, their movement should be a crossover, followed by a step to the left side of the bag. The runner should continue their momentum and open the shoulder out towards the right field foul line. Always be on the look out for an overthrown ball.
Here is an advanced base-running tip for your heads up players who really want to make something happen. Oftentimes, a pitcher will make a lazy lob pick to first base. When your smart, well-coached base runner realizes that the pitcher is making this sort of pick, teach your base runner go straight to the bag, in front of the first baseman and pop up tall to obstruct the 1st baseman's vision and create an overthrow. Your runner should use a cross over step so they have their back to the pitcher to protect their face, and make it far easier to see an over throw.
Get your youth baseball team moving on the bases with these tips. This good way to jump-starts your offense and gets some excitement going for your players. You might get thrown out once in awhile, don't let slow you down. If you practice, and plan your running game using some of these tips, your youth baseball team can't help but get better. Thanks for your time. Coach Chip
About 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 of youth baseball is something that really needs I feel. I have a free e-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.http://www.baseballecourse.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chip_Lemin
Stealing Second Base
Too many kids are picked off because they are looking at their coach give signals while standing off of the bag. The Cardinal rule as a base runner when not on the bag is Keep your eye on the ball. Instruct your runners to get signs from the coaches with their foot on the bag, always!
Your players should always watch the pitcher when taking a lead. Why? Because they have the ball. Coaches have taught that your lead should be a body length and a step and this became the standard. Now this is a good reference point, but there are plenty of kids out there who have never ventured beyond this point! Do this with all your base runners, go with the body length and a step, wait for a pick-off attempt, and evaluate your lead. Encourage your slower players to try this in practice or scrimmages to show them they can steal bases too. You may have to tweak their lead length, but keep pushing them to get as big of a lead as their talent allows. Some pitchers have quick moves, while others are rather slow. Good base running teams take advantage of every opportunity. Show your players how to begin watching pitchers right away to find out their tendencies.
Keep your players taking shuffle steps when leading off at 1st base Your more advanced, faster players can employ a cross over step with left foot behind the right, then 2 shuffle steps. The player should take their lead at the front edge of the bag. In other words, the runner should be as close to the pitcher as possible while still being even with the base. Pitchers who aren't concerned about the base runner will soon find the base runner no longer on first base! This will give the perception to the pitcher that your runner is closer to bag that they really are. Try it it works! Good base running techniques also train your pitchers what to look for when they are on the mound.
Getting a good jump is absolutely the most important aspect of stealing a base. If a player does not get a good jump, they will be out most of the time. Players who are aggressive with their jumps will have far more success. When you give the steal sign, too many youth base ball players think they have to go on the next pitch. Tell your players to steal only if they get a good jump. Here are several options to getting a good jump no matter what your player's speed or talent level.
For right-handed pitchers only, focus on their feet.
This is a basic technique used in stealing second base. Pitchers have three options once they are in the set position. They can pitch, pick, or step off. When the pitcher delivers to the plate, the first part to move will be the left heel. When a pitcher is not going home with the ball, the first part to move will be his right heel. A well-coached base runner is able to focus on both feet. They must learn to react instantly. Left foot go, right foot back. Good pitchers will have ways to disguise this. So start studying your opposing pitcher from the 1st pitch.
Look at the front shoulder.
Another basic tactic to show your players is to watch the front shoulder. When a pitcher delivers to the plate, the front shoulder will "close" towards third base. If they are not going home, it will open towards first. Well-coached youth baseball pitchers will have tricks to disguise this.
Possible pitcher tendencies to look for.
The tendencies listed below, as well as numerous others, are things a youth base runner should look for. Remember to tell your players that well-coached runners does not have to wait until they are on base to pick up on tendencies. Good base runners study the pitcher as soon as there is a base runner. That is your job as a youth baseball coach, to keep your players focused. This technique is for the aggressive style coach and player; not everyone will be able to use it.
Most youth baseball pitchers will be prone to some of the following.
- May take a deep breath before delivering to plate.
- They only try to pick when set- They only throw to base as they come down to set.
- Pitcher always goes to base on a certain time count.
- They only try to pick one time.
- They will not throw over after being set for more 1 or 2 seconds.
- Only throws over on way up to the set position.
Here is a method can be used at all levels of youth baseball that allow stealing. Timing the pitcher. It is directly tied to pitcher habits. Say your coach's notice that a pitcher will come set for the same amount of time on every pitch. Relay that information to your runner. A well-coached, focused youth baseball player is ready to use this.
Hopefully your base runner is storing this information from the dugout. Will your runners get thrown out sometimes? Of course they will. Your players will not improve if they are not taking risks and trying to reach the next level. This method used properly, will be successful far more than not. It must be practiced a lot however. Use it at scrimmages to polish it.
Have a sign that allows coaches to relay timing information to runners such as tapping the brim of the cap 2 times to signify pitcher has a two second delay at set position. Coaches can touch their shoulder to alert runner to watch shoulder of pitcher. Be creative and have fun with it.
How to get back to the base.
When the runner has the stealing on their agenda, the base runner should always be "diving" back to the bag. If your runner can get back standing up, then the lead was not big enough. The dive back is a simple crossover and a headfirst slide to the bag. It important to note that when going back to the bag, the runner isn't actually diving. The goal is to get as low as possible as soon as possible to avoid the tag. Instruct your players to stay low and not launch themselves up into the air as they get back. This only gives the defense a better target to tag them out with.
As soon as the runner gets back, they should get up right away, walking up the bag, that is, not breaking contact with the base. Some pitchers are taught to get the ball and quick pitch if your runner lies on the ground too long. Furthermore, they should always be looking for an overthrown ball.
When your runner is not "diving" back to the bag, their movement should be a crossover, followed by a step to the left side of the bag. The runner should continue their momentum and open the shoulder out towards the right field foul line. Always be on the look out for an overthrown ball.
Here is an advanced base-running tip for your heads up players who really want to make something happen. Oftentimes, a pitcher will make a lazy lob pick to first base. When your smart, well-coached base runner realizes that the pitcher is making this sort of pick, teach your base runner go straight to the bag, in front of the first baseman and pop up tall to obstruct the 1st baseman's vision and create an overthrow. Your runner should use a cross over step so they have their back to the pitcher to protect their face, and make it far easier to see an over throw.
Get your youth baseball team moving on the bases with these tips. This good way to jump-starts your offense and gets some excitement going for your players. You might get thrown out once in awhile, don't let slow you down. If you practice, and plan your running game using some of these tips, your youth baseball team can't help but get better. Thanks for your time. Coach Chip
About 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 of youth baseball is something that really needs I feel. I have a free e-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.http://www.baseballecourse.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chip_Lemin
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Baseball Hitting - Getting the Hands to the Launch Position
Baseball Hitting - Getting the Hands to the Launch Position
"Baseball Hitting - Getting the Hands to the Launch Position"Hitting a baseball is a skill that can be learned and improved with proper coaching and instruction.It may be a difficult task, but with the correct fundamentals and techniques hitting can be one of the most rewarding activities in all of sports. There is nothing that is more satisfing and rewarding than hitting a line-drive in the left-center gap to help your team score the go-ahead run.
Many kids often experience cush a great sense of accomplishment while others suffer the embarrasment, disappointment, and despair of with striking out time after time. They feel that they let their team down and they often feel that they embarrass their coach and parents. The quickest way to achieving hitting success is to identify bad mechanics and correct them as soon as possible.I will now give a brief overview of 3 aspects of a solid batting stance, swing and finish.
1. The GRIP - knocking knuckles, (not fighting knuckles) should be aligned. This positions the bat's handle in the fingers and out of the palm. This allows maximum wrist quickness and hand speed.Coaching Tip: Have kids check their grip by raising and pointing their index fingers. If they point in the same direction, they are aligned, if the point across each other, the grip is incorrect.
2. The BAT ANGLE at the start position. Keep in mind that the hands will move slightly back and away from the pitcher when the batter loads to the launch position. The bat's angle will not change during the loading process. The bat should be at a 45 degree angle over the shoulder. The bat should not be wrapped or tucked behind the head, this slows bat speed. The bat schoul be no more that 2 to 3 inches off the top of the shoulder.
3. The LOADING PROCESS is a simple and slight movement of the hands away from the pitcher. This is a movement that is so slight that many people do not notice it. The hands are the only things that move. If the batter is noticably shifting weight, moving feet, and moving other body parts, too much movement is occurring. Most times this movement is no move than 2 to 4 inches. It may be more for larger players.
LOADING is getting the hands to the launch position from which the forward swing motion starts. Different players use different loading actions. Some batters simply move the hands straight back and batters move the hands back and up at the same time. The loading process adds power, developes important timing and rhythmn, and allows the batter's body to achieve a comfortable ready position from which to launch swing.
COACHING POINT: Make sure that players do not line their knuckles up when you are looking and then move their hands to an "ax grip" when you walk away. One way to teach the benefits of the "finger grip position" is to have the two batters take several swing from shoulder-to-shoulder very quickly using the two grips. Take two batter's of similiar ability levels and with similiar hand speed and do this demonstration. Have one player use the "correct grip" and one use the "ax or incorrect grip".
Have the batters take 10 shoulder-to-shoulder swings. See which batter completes the 10 swings first. This shows the kids how much faster the hands move when the correct grip is used. Note: Make sure to move the batters at a safe distance from each other and from other players when performing this illustration.
Buy Great Baseball Training Aids for Less at CoachesBest.com
Building a Batting Cage Is Easier Than You Think
Building a batting cage is the ultimate investment in a player's hitting success. There is absolutely nothing else that has a more positive effect and than offers greater benefits than building a batting cage for your player or team.
If you have decided to purchase a batting cage, you have made a wise decision. The money you spend on a batting cage net and frame will provide great benefits and give your team or player a difinite advantage for years and years to come.
Whatever, you do, if you have the money to invest, do not change your mind. Go through with this project. Batting cage construction is not rocket science. It will be easier than you think if you follow our batting cage guide's step-by-step plans and instructions for batting cage construction. You can do this....we can help!
The choices you make concerning your backyard batting cage or home batting cage should be determined by three things.
1) The amount of money you have to spend on your new batting cage.
2) The amount of time and energy you can devote to the project.
3) The amount of space that you have to work with when you install your batting cage nets and frames.
Shop Coachesbest.com for great deal on your new batting cage.
If you have decided to purchase a batting cage, you have made a wise decision. The money you spend on a batting cage net and frame will provide great benefits and give your team or player a difinite advantage for years and years to come.
Whatever, you do, if you have the money to invest, do not change your mind. Go through with this project. Batting cage construction is not rocket science. It will be easier than you think if you follow our batting cage guide's step-by-step plans and instructions for batting cage construction. You can do this....we can help!
The choices you make concerning your backyard batting cage or home batting cage should be determined by three things.
1) The amount of money you have to spend on your new batting cage.
2) The amount of time and energy you can devote to the project.
3) The amount of space that you have to work with when you install your batting cage nets and frames.
Shop Coachesbest.com for great deal on your new batting cage.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
The Derek Jeter Hurricane Baseball Hitting Machine, as seen on TV, is one of the most popular baseball training aids on the market today.
The Derek Jeter Hurricane Baseball Hitting Machine, as seen on TV, is one of the most popular baseball training aids on the market today. With adjustable height and speed settings the Hurricane Baseball Batting Trainer can be used by baseball and softball batters of all ages and skill levels.
The high speed moving ball makes batting practice much more fun and productive.
If you are looking for the "Edge" to give your player or team a "definite advantage" over the competition, you can stop looking! You have found it, the Derek Jeter Hurricane Baseball Hitting Machine by ProPerformance Sports! 100% Guaranteed to improve skill, batspeed, hitting confidence!
If you are looking for the "Edge" to give your player or team a "definite advantage" over the competition, you can stop looking! You have found it, the Derek Jeter Hurricane Baseball Hitting Machine by ProPerformance Sports! 100% Guaranteed to improve skill, batspeed, hitting confidence!
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Baseball Drills - Infield Crispness is Key by Nate Barnett
A crisp infield during a game is inspiring and motivating for all on the team. It's also uninspiring for the other team if they don't match the same level of snap, zip, and crispness. A team of infielders who posses this skills developed through intentional baseball drills will set the tempo of a game.
On the flip side, a sluggish and sloppy infield will not create confidence for the rest of the team and should be avoided like the plague. Here are two ways to develop the all important crispness factor for infielders.
1. Physical crispness is displayed first by hustle on and off the field. A team, and especially an infield, that is quite intentional about how they take to the field demands respect. It shows focus, excitement, and most of all a no-nonsense approach to kicking the others teams' butt. But this skill must be taught from day one of workouts. A coach that pays little attention to this detail and then attempt to put it in place mid-season will struggle to do so. During baseball drills in practice infielders must hard to positions, and if the goal is not achieved, everyone comes on back to the dugout and tries again. The picture gets across quickly. The good news is, few teams do this, therefore a good team will stand out immediately.
2. Another display of physical hustle comes in the form of throwing the ball around the infield after a strikeout. If your team is in the habit of throwing the ball around the infield (and they should be) after an opposing hitter strikes out, be snappy about it. Infielders should reduce the distance from each other by a good five steps. Movements should emulate the type of quickness one would exhibit in performing a double play. I can't emphasize enough the importance of making this part clean and free of error. Nothing like a speedy and precise throw around after a strikeout to keep defensive spirits high.
3. The last skills takes a bit more time and focus to master. It requires more mental focus rather than previous two which required physical focus and preparation. A team that communicates with the pitcher and each other is like a symphony filled with harmony. Baseball shouldn't be played silently, but on the other hand, shouldn't be played with nonsensical sounds of "hey batter bater, swing!" This is not communication, but instead (to keep with the music theme of this paragraph) sounds like a struggling young violinist annoying his parents in the living room! Infielders should remind the pitcher of where he needs to be on bunt defense, when there are runners on base for potential pick offs, etc. Infielders should communicate with each other on positioning with runners on base, cutoffs, etc.
Like I said earlier, this must be practiced consistently during all baseball drills. Communication must be a natural part of the play of the team, and not forced.
A baseball team that can master the above three goals will project an image of confidence and focus. It's far worth the time and effort during baseball instruction to work on these skills.
Nate Barnett is owner of BMI Baseball http://bmibaseball.com and is based out of Washington State. His expertise is in the area of hitting, pitching, and mental training. Coach Barnett's passion is working with youth in helping expand their vision for their baseball future. After finishing a professional career in the Seattle Mariners Organization, Nate pursued his coaching and motivational training career. His instructional blog is located at http://bmibaseball.com/blog
His new FREE ebook, Toxic Baseball: Are you polluting your game? can be found on the main BMI Baseball website.
Hitting 101, an ebook on complete hitting mechanics will be released by June 1st, 2008. Features include numerous illustrations, video clips, and a special offer to discuss your hitting questions over live on the phone strategy sessions.
CoachesBest.com - The internet's largest and most complete coaching store.
On the flip side, a sluggish and sloppy infield will not create confidence for the rest of the team and should be avoided like the plague. Here are two ways to develop the all important crispness factor for infielders.
1. Physical crispness is displayed first by hustle on and off the field. A team, and especially an infield, that is quite intentional about how they take to the field demands respect. It shows focus, excitement, and most of all a no-nonsense approach to kicking the others teams' butt. But this skill must be taught from day one of workouts. A coach that pays little attention to this detail and then attempt to put it in place mid-season will struggle to do so. During baseball drills in practice infielders must hard to positions, and if the goal is not achieved, everyone comes on back to the dugout and tries again. The picture gets across quickly. The good news is, few teams do this, therefore a good team will stand out immediately.
2. Another display of physical hustle comes in the form of throwing the ball around the infield after a strikeout. If your team is in the habit of throwing the ball around the infield (and they should be) after an opposing hitter strikes out, be snappy about it. Infielders should reduce the distance from each other by a good five steps. Movements should emulate the type of quickness one would exhibit in performing a double play. I can't emphasize enough the importance of making this part clean and free of error. Nothing like a speedy and precise throw around after a strikeout to keep defensive spirits high.
3. The last skills takes a bit more time and focus to master. It requires more mental focus rather than previous two which required physical focus and preparation. A team that communicates with the pitcher and each other is like a symphony filled with harmony. Baseball shouldn't be played silently, but on the other hand, shouldn't be played with nonsensical sounds of "hey batter bater, swing!" This is not communication, but instead (to keep with the music theme of this paragraph) sounds like a struggling young violinist annoying his parents in the living room! Infielders should remind the pitcher of where he needs to be on bunt defense, when there are runners on base for potential pick offs, etc. Infielders should communicate with each other on positioning with runners on base, cutoffs, etc.
Like I said earlier, this must be practiced consistently during all baseball drills. Communication must be a natural part of the play of the team, and not forced.
A baseball team that can master the above three goals will project an image of confidence and focus. It's far worth the time and effort during baseball instruction to work on these skills.
Nate Barnett is owner of BMI Baseball http://bmibaseball.com and is based out of Washington State. His expertise is in the area of hitting, pitching, and mental training. Coach Barnett's passion is working with youth in helping expand their vision for their baseball future. After finishing a professional career in the Seattle Mariners Organization, Nate pursued his coaching and motivational training career. His instructional blog is located at http://bmibaseball.com/blog
His new FREE ebook, Toxic Baseball: Are you polluting your game? can be found on the main BMI Baseball website.
Hitting 101, an ebook on complete hitting mechanics will be released by June 1st, 2008. Features include numerous illustrations, video clips, and a special offer to discuss your hitting questions over live on the phone strategy sessions.
CoachesBest.com - The internet's largest and most complete coaching store.
Friday, October 10, 2008
Does It Help, Does It Hurt? A Look At Training For Baseball And Common Shoulder Injuries By Ethan Bowlin
Is your training increasing or decreasing your risk of injury? Our goal is to function at the highest level possible while reducing the risk of injury. Baseball is a sport that involves strength, speed, endurance, flexibility, and mobility to name a few. What I have been seeing with baseball players from little league, early adolescence into their adult lives is the widely accepted notion that to become a better athlete you have to train for form, not so much function. What is the difference?
Form is what can be termed bodybuilding, building the body with focus on big muscles or prime movers of the body. The chest, shoulders, abdominals, arms and quads, also known as mirror muscles, what we can see in the mirror, are most commonly developed using machines and free weights. Bench press, crunches, biceps curls and knee extensions are the exercises of choice. What is wrong with that, you may say? I thought that to be involved in athletics, I have to become stronger and condition the body for that sport? Yes and no. Let me explain, let’s look at function.
Function is what is useful, how the body is utilized throughout different planes of movement for a desired action. Baseball for example, involves throwing, hitting and running and must deal with forces that cause rotation, forces that distract a joint during acceleration, and forces that must be decelerated, stabilized and transferred to produce the desired action. So you ask, I thought that building my muscles stronger would accomplish that? When we focus on form or bodybuilding only, you are creating an unbalanced environment.
Let’s take look at one of the most problematic issues regarding baseball players, shoulder injuries. When an athlete throws a baseball, force is generated from the lower body and transferred through the core into the upper body through the shoulder, elbow and wrist providing the “speed” of the baseball. However, the force does not stop there. Once the ball is released, that force does not disappear, it must be decelerated back through the wrist, elbow, shoulder, upper body, core and lower body. Simply stated, what you speed up, you must slow down.
The shoulder is the most mobile joint in the body, however, what we gain in mobility we sacrifice stability. Picture the shoulder as a ball sitting on a plate, very mobile but not very stable. For the shoulder, or any joint for that matter, must be stable before moving. Stability of the shoulder is heavily reliant on the rotator cuff muscles. The rotator cuff muscles originate from the shoulder blade and its goal is to keep the ball centered on the plate so the big muscles can produce the accelerating, decelerating and rotational forces while throwing. Muscles surrounding the shoulder blade that provide stability for the shoulder joint include the lower trapezius, serratus anterior and rhomboid muscles. All these muscles not only provide support for the shoulder but also are crucial in holding your posture.
Weakness in these muscles and focusing on strength training for the chest, arms and abdominals will create an imbalance between the front and back of the shoulder girdle (upper body) possibly creating a rounded upper back, forward head appearance (slouching). This imbalance places the upper back muscles in a lengthened position, which will create greater stress on the rotator cuff during deceleration phase (follow through) of throwing and altered throwing mechanics. Many times it can manifest as soreness and pain in the shoulder, down into the upper arm, elbow and forearm. So how do I avoid this? Build your body like building a house. You wouldn’t start with the roof and windows before having a solid foundation. Then don’t just jump into strength training, start with a strong stable foundation and proper alignment before packing on the muscle!
First use a foam roller to loosen tight muscles and stretch the muscles around your shoulder for optimal range of motion (For more information the foam roller, look at Relieve Pain with Foam). Stretching the muscles in the front (chest, shoulders, and internal rotators) and strengthening the muscles in the back (lower trapezius, rhomboids, and external rotators) will help to balance your shoulder girdle. Next, because we transfer force from the lower body to the upper body while throwing and vice versa we target core stability and strength. The core involves more than just your abdominals and low back; it includes the deep muscles along your spine down through your pelvis and hips. Most people think of core exercises as movements such as crunches, twists and back extensions to name a few, however that is only one part of it. Core exercises can be split into stabilizing and movement exercises. When we attempt to develop core strength without core stability, we are forcing our bodies to rely on the prime movers, such as the chest, abdominals and shoulders to do the stabilizing. We must be stable before we can move; otherwise energy is wasted while throwing, running and hitting, all baseball movements. For a small range of exercises with a variety of uses from improving posture to sport specific exercises for throwing go to Does It Help Does It Hurt on the fuel page at performance4life.com
Ethan Bowlin is a fitness professional and co-founder of Performance 4 Life. Ethan coaches baseball and specializes in rehabilitation and strength and conditioning and can be reached at
ebowlin@performance4life.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ethan_Bowlin
Baseball Coaches Digest
Baseball2u.com
Form is what can be termed bodybuilding, building the body with focus on big muscles or prime movers of the body. The chest, shoulders, abdominals, arms and quads, also known as mirror muscles, what we can see in the mirror, are most commonly developed using machines and free weights. Bench press, crunches, biceps curls and knee extensions are the exercises of choice. What is wrong with that, you may say? I thought that to be involved in athletics, I have to become stronger and condition the body for that sport? Yes and no. Let me explain, let’s look at function.
Function is what is useful, how the body is utilized throughout different planes of movement for a desired action. Baseball for example, involves throwing, hitting and running and must deal with forces that cause rotation, forces that distract a joint during acceleration, and forces that must be decelerated, stabilized and transferred to produce the desired action. So you ask, I thought that building my muscles stronger would accomplish that? When we focus on form or bodybuilding only, you are creating an unbalanced environment.
Let’s take look at one of the most problematic issues regarding baseball players, shoulder injuries. When an athlete throws a baseball, force is generated from the lower body and transferred through the core into the upper body through the shoulder, elbow and wrist providing the “speed” of the baseball. However, the force does not stop there. Once the ball is released, that force does not disappear, it must be decelerated back through the wrist, elbow, shoulder, upper body, core and lower body. Simply stated, what you speed up, you must slow down.
The shoulder is the most mobile joint in the body, however, what we gain in mobility we sacrifice stability. Picture the shoulder as a ball sitting on a plate, very mobile but not very stable. For the shoulder, or any joint for that matter, must be stable before moving. Stability of the shoulder is heavily reliant on the rotator cuff muscles. The rotator cuff muscles originate from the shoulder blade and its goal is to keep the ball centered on the plate so the big muscles can produce the accelerating, decelerating and rotational forces while throwing. Muscles surrounding the shoulder blade that provide stability for the shoulder joint include the lower trapezius, serratus anterior and rhomboid muscles. All these muscles not only provide support for the shoulder but also are crucial in holding your posture.
Weakness in these muscles and focusing on strength training for the chest, arms and abdominals will create an imbalance between the front and back of the shoulder girdle (upper body) possibly creating a rounded upper back, forward head appearance (slouching). This imbalance places the upper back muscles in a lengthened position, which will create greater stress on the rotator cuff during deceleration phase (follow through) of throwing and altered throwing mechanics. Many times it can manifest as soreness and pain in the shoulder, down into the upper arm, elbow and forearm. So how do I avoid this? Build your body like building a house. You wouldn’t start with the roof and windows before having a solid foundation. Then don’t just jump into strength training, start with a strong stable foundation and proper alignment before packing on the muscle!
First use a foam roller to loosen tight muscles and stretch the muscles around your shoulder for optimal range of motion (For more information the foam roller, look at Relieve Pain with Foam). Stretching the muscles in the front (chest, shoulders, and internal rotators) and strengthening the muscles in the back (lower trapezius, rhomboids, and external rotators) will help to balance your shoulder girdle. Next, because we transfer force from the lower body to the upper body while throwing and vice versa we target core stability and strength. The core involves more than just your abdominals and low back; it includes the deep muscles along your spine down through your pelvis and hips. Most people think of core exercises as movements such as crunches, twists and back extensions to name a few, however that is only one part of it. Core exercises can be split into stabilizing and movement exercises. When we attempt to develop core strength without core stability, we are forcing our bodies to rely on the prime movers, such as the chest, abdominals and shoulders to do the stabilizing. We must be stable before we can move; otherwise energy is wasted while throwing, running and hitting, all baseball movements. For a small range of exercises with a variety of uses from improving posture to sport specific exercises for throwing go to Does It Help Does It Hurt on the fuel page at performance4life.com
Ethan Bowlin is a fitness professional and co-founder of Performance 4 Life. Ethan coaches baseball and specializes in rehabilitation and strength and conditioning and can be reached at
ebowlin@performance4life.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ethan_Bowlin
Baseball Coaches Digest
Baseball2u.com
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Run Towards Fear: A Prescription For Success by: Dr. Leif H. Smith
Fear, or negative anxiety, is the modern day bubonic plague, infecting millions upon millions of people. It spreads with viral effect, and leaves behind consequences of mediocrity and regret. This "plague" is partly due to societal influences (particularly in a post-9/11 era) and partly due to individual issues (the tendency to avoid confrontation of that which we fear).
However, whatever the cause, a vaccine is available, and it takes the form of moving towards that which we are most afraid of. Immediately.
Fear as an acronym stands for "False Evidence Appearing Real". This false evidence can take many forms, but the key is that it appears real. We perceive something to be scarier than it really is. One good example can be found in sports, when we fear losing (or failing). Think about it: Is there really anything to be scared of?
If you do in fact lose, what then will happen? Sure, it might be painful, but hasn’t everyone lost at one point or another in competition? Of course! So why fear losing if it happens to everyone?
Not only is fear of losing or failure a waste of time-it also puts you in a reactive, more passive mode of competing. Reactive, passive competitors are more likely to perform poorly in a competitive environment. So don’t waste your time fearing losing.
Instead, spend your time:
1. Identifying your biggest fears (in sport, in competition, in life). These are the fears that hold you back the most. Fear of failure, fear of success, fear of injury, fear of risk taking.
What are the consequences of harboring some of these fears?
Fear of failure: you will never fully give all of yourself to competition if you are afraid of losing
Fear of success: you’re less likely to win, obviously, if you have mixed emotions about being able to deal with success (and the responsibilities that come with it)
Fear of injury: you’re more likely to be injured, as you will be more tentative
Fear of risk-taking: you’ll never risk, and therefore, never gain.
3. Moving towards instead of away from these fears. You will discover that the closer you move towards that which you fear, the less scary those fears are. Sort of like the first time you stood up to the school bully and realized that he or she was not so tough when confronted. You were perceiving based on "false evidence".
Moving towards fear in your daily life means doing that which you hate/detest/fear/loathe/don’t want to do, and doing that thing first, before all else. For me, that means going jogging at 7 am on these dark, winter mornings. For you it might mean something else. However, the key to beating back our irrational and disabling fears is to run, not walk, towards them at every chance. By doing so, you will prove to yourself how silly those fears are in the first place, as they provide no inherent value in your life. They merely hold you back from reaching your true potential.
Copyright (2003) Leif H. Smith, Psy.D. All rights reserved.
About The Author
Dr. Leif H. Smith is the president of Personal Best Consulting, a performance consulting firm located in Columbus, OH. He has worked with hundreds of athletes, coaches, teams, and executives to improve performance and increase on-the-job effectiveness. Copyright (2004) Leif H. Smith. All rights reserved. http://personalbestconsulting.com Leif@personalbestconsulting.com
Baseball Coaches Digest
Baseball2u.com
However, whatever the cause, a vaccine is available, and it takes the form of moving towards that which we are most afraid of. Immediately.
Fear as an acronym stands for "False Evidence Appearing Real". This false evidence can take many forms, but the key is that it appears real. We perceive something to be scarier than it really is. One good example can be found in sports, when we fear losing (or failing). Think about it: Is there really anything to be scared of?
If you do in fact lose, what then will happen? Sure, it might be painful, but hasn’t everyone lost at one point or another in competition? Of course! So why fear losing if it happens to everyone?
Not only is fear of losing or failure a waste of time-it also puts you in a reactive, more passive mode of competing. Reactive, passive competitors are more likely to perform poorly in a competitive environment. So don’t waste your time fearing losing.
Instead, spend your time:
1. Identifying your biggest fears (in sport, in competition, in life). These are the fears that hold you back the most. Fear of failure, fear of success, fear of injury, fear of risk taking.
What are the consequences of harboring some of these fears?
Fear of failure: you will never fully give all of yourself to competition if you are afraid of losing
Fear of success: you’re less likely to win, obviously, if you have mixed emotions about being able to deal with success (and the responsibilities that come with it)
Fear of injury: you’re more likely to be injured, as you will be more tentative
Fear of risk-taking: you’ll never risk, and therefore, never gain.
2. Setting about a plan to attack these "falsehoods". Without a plan, there is no prescription for removal of these fears.
Dr. Smith’s prescriptions:
For fear of failure: Go out and fail on a daily basis. Get used to it, because humans do fail, and you are human. Might as well learn to live with it.
For fear of success: Get straight in your mind that success is a great alternative to mediocrity. Really.
For fear of injury: Get back on the bull (so to speak) as soon as possible after being injured (but cleared to compete). The longer you wait, the greater your fear will be.
For fear of risk-taking: take risks, but on a large and frequent scale, and in every area of your life. Ask people out on dates. Ask for favors. Tell someone who is bugging you how you really feel. Ask a sport psychologist for assistance. (Just kidding, but not really!)
3. Moving towards instead of away from these fears. You will discover that the closer you move towards that which you fear, the less scary those fears are. Sort of like the first time you stood up to the school bully and realized that he or she was not so tough when confronted. You were perceiving based on "false evidence".
Moving towards fear in your daily life means doing that which you hate/detest/fear/loathe/don’t want to do, and doing that thing first, before all else. For me, that means going jogging at 7 am on these dark, winter mornings. For you it might mean something else. However, the key to beating back our irrational and disabling fears is to run, not walk, towards them at every chance. By doing so, you will prove to yourself how silly those fears are in the first place, as they provide no inherent value in your life. They merely hold you back from reaching your true potential.
Copyright (2003) Leif H. Smith, Psy.D. All rights reserved.
About The Author
Dr. Leif H. Smith is the president of Personal Best Consulting, a performance consulting firm located in Columbus, OH. He has worked with hundreds of athletes, coaches, teams, and executives to improve performance and increase on-the-job effectiveness. Copyright (2004) Leif H. Smith. All rights reserved. http://personalbestconsulting.com Leif@personalbestconsulting.com
Baseball Coaches Digest
Baseball2u.com
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Be a Better Batter Through Repetition
By: Anthony Stai
All parents want their children to reach their full potential in anything that they do. If you have kids playing baseball or softball then you know that one of the most exciting and difficult aspects is hitting. And since you may only get 3 to 5 at-bats per game then you want to make sure that they count.
Whether your kids are playing baseball or softball, if they can hit the ball like they want then they will enjoy playing so much more. There's nothing worse than watching a player walk back to the dugout dejected and sad.So what can you do as a parent to instill confidence at the plate?
The best way to accomplish this is with repetition. Unless you are willing to pitch to your kids 200 balls a day then they won't get the kind of repetition that will improve their batting. Plus, unless you have Nolan Ryan accuracy, you won't be doing your kids any favors by having them swing at pitches outside the strike zone. And, you'll save your arm for throwing that football in the fall.
The best tool for repetition is a pitching machine. Pitching machines come in a variety of types and costs. Some have large wheels and run on gas motors and can feed up to 12 baseball sized balls. Some are just for baseball and others just for softball. These are usually expensive for a parent to purchase and are bulky and can't be self-operated safely by young batters.
The less expensive options are portable whiffle ball pitching machines. Most of these use the golf ball sized whiffle balls and run on rechargeable batteries so they can be used almost anywhere. Plus, they are just as effective for softball players as baseball players.
Many ask, "Why golf ball sized whiffle balls?" The small balls force the batter to concentrate more and to aim for a smaller target. When you can hit a small target consistently then a larger target will be even easier to hit. Plus the small balls are inexpensive and can still be thrown at high speeds.
The whiffle ball pitching machines are lightweight, some hold up to 100 whiffle balls, adjusts from 20 mph to 60 mph, pitch consistently, can pitch curve balls and sliders from both right hand and left hand pitchers.Best of all, the whiffle ball pitching machines are FUN!
Kids and adults of all ages have fun hitting from these machine and it truly has the ability to increase the confidence and ability of young and older batters in a matter of minutes.
About The Author-- Anthony Stai is a proud contributing author and writes articles on several sports related topics including baseball. To learn more about the Personal Pitcher and a unique opportunity to get a FREE Personal Pitcher visit Free Personal Pitcher Pitching Machine at http://www.squidoo.com/personalpitcher for all the details and a personal review.
Baseball Coaches Digest
Baseball2U.com - The Ultimate Online Baseball Store
All parents want their children to reach their full potential in anything that they do. If you have kids playing baseball or softball then you know that one of the most exciting and difficult aspects is hitting. And since you may only get 3 to 5 at-bats per game then you want to make sure that they count.
Whether your kids are playing baseball or softball, if they can hit the ball like they want then they will enjoy playing so much more. There's nothing worse than watching a player walk back to the dugout dejected and sad.So what can you do as a parent to instill confidence at the plate?
The best way to accomplish this is with repetition. Unless you are willing to pitch to your kids 200 balls a day then they won't get the kind of repetition that will improve their batting. Plus, unless you have Nolan Ryan accuracy, you won't be doing your kids any favors by having them swing at pitches outside the strike zone. And, you'll save your arm for throwing that football in the fall.
The best tool for repetition is a pitching machine. Pitching machines come in a variety of types and costs. Some have large wheels and run on gas motors and can feed up to 12 baseball sized balls. Some are just for baseball and others just for softball. These are usually expensive for a parent to purchase and are bulky and can't be self-operated safely by young batters.
The less expensive options are portable whiffle ball pitching machines. Most of these use the golf ball sized whiffle balls and run on rechargeable batteries so they can be used almost anywhere. Plus, they are just as effective for softball players as baseball players.
Many ask, "Why golf ball sized whiffle balls?" The small balls force the batter to concentrate more and to aim for a smaller target. When you can hit a small target consistently then a larger target will be even easier to hit. Plus the small balls are inexpensive and can still be thrown at high speeds.
The whiffle ball pitching machines are lightweight, some hold up to 100 whiffle balls, adjusts from 20 mph to 60 mph, pitch consistently, can pitch curve balls and sliders from both right hand and left hand pitchers.Best of all, the whiffle ball pitching machines are FUN!
Kids and adults of all ages have fun hitting from these machine and it truly has the ability to increase the confidence and ability of young and older batters in a matter of minutes.
About The Author-- Anthony Stai is a proud contributing author and writes articles on several sports related topics including baseball. To learn more about the Personal Pitcher and a unique opportunity to get a FREE Personal Pitcher visit Free Personal Pitcher Pitching Machine at http://www.squidoo.com/personalpitcher for all the details and a personal review.
Baseball Coaches Digest
Baseball2U.com - The Ultimate Online Baseball Store
Friday, October 3, 2008
Youth Baseball Drills - Bullet Proofing That Devilish First And Third Scenario
Youth Baseball Drills - Bullet Proofing That Devilish First And Third
Scenario By Nate Barnett
One of the trickiest defensive situations for younger teams is the runners on first and third situation. You know the scenario. The guy on first base leaves early, or walks off first base in the attempt to draw a throw from the pitcher and remain in a pickle just long enough for the runner on third base to score. It's annoying when it works while you're on defense, but absolutely brilliant where you're on offense.
I'll show you how your squad can bullet proof this scenario. Let me tell you however, that it must be implemented in your youth baseball drills often, else panic syndrome will always take over and wreck this important defensive play.
The best thing to remember in this scenario is that the defensive team is in control of the situation. The defense controls the pace, and ultimately if the runs scores. Because of this, there is no need to hurry through the play. Here is how the ideal scenario plays out for the defense.
Directions:
1. Base runner leaves first base early attempting to draw a throw from the pitcher. Or, he begins to steal the base and the stops in the middle of the base path putting pressure on the catcher to do something. I'll address both situations.
2A. The base runner leaves early from first base before the pitch is delivered. The first baseman yells, "step off!" to the pitcher, who then steps off the rubber. He checks the runner on third base by looking at him and making sure his momentum is not going towards home plate. Then, he turns and immediately throws the ball to the second baseman who has come up into the base path from his position.
2B. The base runner steals second base except stops in between first and second base. The pitch is delivered and the catcher has the ball. He steps in front of the plate and turns his body quickly towards third base until the runner's momentum has stopped moving towards home plate. He then pivot and throws the ball directly to the second baseman who has come up into the base path from his position.
3. With the ball in hand and in a dart throwing position (never in the glove) the second baseman begins to WALK quickly towards first base (no running or jogging). One of two things will happen. The runner on first base will go back to the bag (first base), or the runner on third base will break towards home to draw a throw from the second baseman.
4. If the runner returns to first base, the second baseman immediately throws the ball to the pitcher who returns to the mound and prepares for the next pitch. If the runner on third breaks towards home, the third baseman yells, "runner!" The second baseman turns and throws the ball to home plate.
The worst thing that can happen during this play is for the defense to panic and forget that they are in control. If nerves can be kept, there is a very high percentage chance the play will end successfully.
About the Author
Nate Barnett is owner of BMI Baseball http://bmibaseball.com and is based out of Washington State. His expertise is in the area of hitting, pitching, and mental training. Coach Barnett's passion is working with youth in helping expand their vision for their baseball future. After finishing a professional career in the Seattle Mariners Organization, Nate pursued his coaching and motivational training career. His instructional blog is located at http://bmibaseball.com/blog
His new FREE ebook, Toxic Baseball: Are you polluting your game? can be found on the main BMI Baseball website.
Hitting 101, an ebook on complete hitting mechanics will be released by June 1st, 2008. Features include numerous illustrations, video clips, and a special offer to discuss your hitting questions over live on the phone strategy sessions.
Scenario By Nate Barnett
One of the trickiest defensive situations for younger teams is the runners on first and third situation. You know the scenario. The guy on first base leaves early, or walks off first base in the attempt to draw a throw from the pitcher and remain in a pickle just long enough for the runner on third base to score. It's annoying when it works while you're on defense, but absolutely brilliant where you're on offense.
I'll show you how your squad can bullet proof this scenario. Let me tell you however, that it must be implemented in your youth baseball drills often, else panic syndrome will always take over and wreck this important defensive play.
The best thing to remember in this scenario is that the defensive team is in control of the situation. The defense controls the pace, and ultimately if the runs scores. Because of this, there is no need to hurry through the play. Here is how the ideal scenario plays out for the defense.
Directions:
1. Base runner leaves first base early attempting to draw a throw from the pitcher. Or, he begins to steal the base and the stops in the middle of the base path putting pressure on the catcher to do something. I'll address both situations.
2A. The base runner leaves early from first base before the pitch is delivered. The first baseman yells, "step off!" to the pitcher, who then steps off the rubber. He checks the runner on third base by looking at him and making sure his momentum is not going towards home plate. Then, he turns and immediately throws the ball to the second baseman who has come up into the base path from his position.
2B. The base runner steals second base except stops in between first and second base. The pitch is delivered and the catcher has the ball. He steps in front of the plate and turns his body quickly towards third base until the runner's momentum has stopped moving towards home plate. He then pivot and throws the ball directly to the second baseman who has come up into the base path from his position.
3. With the ball in hand and in a dart throwing position (never in the glove) the second baseman begins to WALK quickly towards first base (no running or jogging). One of two things will happen. The runner on first base will go back to the bag (first base), or the runner on third base will break towards home to draw a throw from the second baseman.
4. If the runner returns to first base, the second baseman immediately throws the ball to the pitcher who returns to the mound and prepares for the next pitch. If the runner on third breaks towards home, the third baseman yells, "runner!" The second baseman turns and throws the ball to home plate.
The worst thing that can happen during this play is for the defense to panic and forget that they are in control. If nerves can be kept, there is a very high percentage chance the play will end successfully.
About the Author
Nate Barnett is owner of BMI Baseball http://bmibaseball.com and is based out of Washington State. His expertise is in the area of hitting, pitching, and mental training. Coach Barnett's passion is working with youth in helping expand their vision for their baseball future. After finishing a professional career in the Seattle Mariners Organization, Nate pursued his coaching and motivational training career. His instructional blog is located at http://bmibaseball.com/blog
His new FREE ebook, Toxic Baseball: Are you polluting your game? can be found on the main BMI Baseball website.
Hitting 101, an ebook on complete hitting mechanics will be released by June 1st, 2008. Features include numerous illustrations, video clips, and a special offer to discuss your hitting questions over live on the phone strategy sessions.
Pitchers' injuries an `alarming epidemic'
Wednesday, May 24, 2006 JON SOLOMON News staff writer
For 151 pitches, Louisiana State pitcher Derik Olvey refused to give up the ball April 9. He realized LSU's game against Tennessee was on television, meaning his grandfather, dying of cancer in Alabama, might be watching.
"I really wasn't pitching for myself," said Olvey, a graduate of Pelham High School. "I told the coaches as long as I could throw the ball over the plate and they were comfortable with me out there, keep me in there."
Despite a history of elbow problems and having thrown 129 pitches the previous week, Olvey kept going in the 6-2 LSU win. He allowed five runs on six hits on 18 pitches in his next start, and then noticed his velocity drop 6 miles per hour between innings.
Eventually, Olvey felt like a knife was stabbing his pitching elbow, and he could not lob the ball 60 feet. Olvey has no regrets. His grandfather watched the 151-pitch game on tape before dying the next day.
But on May 12, Olvey had the ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow restructured - commonly known as "Tommy John surgery" - and became another in the line of young pitchers having surgeries. Dr. James Andrews calls the trend "an alarming epidemic."
Between 2000 and 2004, Andrews, a renowned Birmingham surgeon, performed elbow operations on six times more high school pitchers and four times more college pitchers than from 1995 to'99. Elbow surgeries on pro pitchers only doubled.
"I open up these kids and they look like they have a 30-year-old pitching elbow, and they're 16 years old," Andrews said. "If we try to hide our head in the sand and not recognize these kids are getting hurt more, we're probably not doing our job."
At least 19 percent of pitchers on SEC rosters entering 2006 have had arm surgery, either before or during college, according to a survey of the league's 12 teams. That doesn't begin to count those who have missed extensive time with injuries and will need surgery in the future.
"That's way too high," Andrews said. "What the NCAA coaches should be worried about is with the escalating injuries in high school, all of a sudden, they're not going to have enough good, healthy pitchers to fill their slots."
At today's SEC Tournament will be Kentucky's Craig Snipp, who is three years removed from elbow surgery and among the ERA leaders in the SEC.
And Georgia's Mickey Westphal, who had shoulder surgery in 2004 and is 6-0 with a 4.76 ERA this season.
And Arkansas' Charley Boyce, who had a bone spur removed from his pitching elbow in 2005 and has an ERA two runs greater than his career 3.40 mark. And, most painfully, eight of South Carolina's 19 pitchers have had surgeries on their pitching arm.
"I know we've been extremely cautious over the years and we still get guys hurt," South Carolina coach Ray Tanner said. "I probably would recruit them the same way if I did it again. Because you just don't know for sure.
The arm wasn't designed to throw a baseball."
Overused pitchers:
Pitchers and parents carry dreams of winning championships and securing pro contracts or college scholarships. But the kids are also carrying too heavy a workload at young ages, according to some doctors and coaches.
It's happening all over the game. Within the Atlanta Braves' organization, 29 of 119 pitchers (24 percent) have had arm surgery, according to data from the club's front office.
Improved recognition of injuries and the status of popular surgeons such as Andrews certainly factor into more surgeries, Andrews acknowledged. But he has found enough anecdotal evidence of surgery increases across the country to believe improved recognition rates can't be solely responsible.
A study by the American Sports Medicine Institute (ASMI), Andrews' Birmingham-based lab, found college-age pitchers who report throwing regularly with arm fatigue are 36 times more likely to have surgery than rested pitchers. College-age pitchers are also five times more likely to have surgery if they play more than eight months a year.
"Of the college pitchers who come for surgery, none of them looks like a clean break," said Dr. Glenn Fleisig, chairman of research at ASMI. "They all look like their tendon or ligament is frayed. You can tell that's from overuse, one throw after another."
Andrews said the high school pitchers he operates on average one week off (typically between Christmas and New Year's) during a 12-month period.
College coaches are becoming increasingly frustrated about inheriting damaged goods without knowing it. Kentucky coach John Cohen said the sport needs more than the NCAA maximum 11.7 scholarships to account for the rash of injuries.
"In order for us not to abuse arms, we have to have enough arms to go around so you don't have to pitch guys routinely," Cohen said.
Because of overuse, many college coaches say they now prefer pitchers who play multiple sports rather than those who throw a baseball year-round.
"They play too much," Georgia coach David Perno said. "... High school coaches overthrow them because they don't care about summer ball. Summer coaches overthrow them because they don't care about high school ball. It's a vicious cycle."
Bouncing back:
Thirty years ago, Tommy John surgery might have meant the end of a pitcher's career. A decade ago, the success rate was 60 percent. Today, there's an 85 percent chance of recovery.
Players roll the dice with those odds - too much so for Andrews' liking, even if it is good for business.
"Some of these young kids are jumping up and down when you finally tell them, `Yes, you've hurt your ligament and we'll reconstruct it,'" Andrews said. "Some are not even giving themselves time to get well with a minor injury. They want an operation because they hear Tommy John's operation will make them a better pitcher. That's a misconception."
The majority of Tommy John pitchers will get well and possibly return to form. But if they become better pitchers, doctors say, that's only because of rehabilitation, the natural maturation of the arm, and much-needed rest.
Perno recently concluded that recovering from shoulder surgeries is more difficult than rebounding from elbow procedures.
"The kids who had shoulder surgery have never regained the velocity, unlike Tommy John," Perno said.
Alabama pitcher Allen Ponder, who had a labrum, biceps tendon and rotator cuff repaired in 2004, can relate. Once a big-time recruit as Alabama's "Mr. Baseball" in 2002, Ponder didn't pitch this season due to recurring shoulder pain.
Starting at 14 years old, Ponder rotated from high school to travel league teams. He would pitch five-plus innings in seven-inning tournament games, and then sometimes work in relief the next day.
"I always felt great. I had no idea that what I was doing might have caused wear and tear. But I have no regrets. As a kid, you just want to play."
Olvey remembers his elbow injury escalated the summer before enrolling at Notre Dame, where he missed 47 games as a freshman before transferring to LSU. He essentially went 18 months without a break while adjusting to the rigorous conditioning program at Notre Dame as a freshman.
The high pitch counts this season "might have been the thing that finally said, `OK, I can't recover from it anymore," Olvey said.
Given what they know now, Ponder and Olvey said they wouldn't change how they were used, even though the result is a seat on the bench for this week's SEC Tournament.
Andrews worries many well-intended coaches and parents are not educated about the dangers. He worries a generation of young pitchers could be prevented from participating in recreational sports as adults, much less become the next Roger Clemens.
"At some point you have to figure out whether you want to be a star in the Little League World Series or in the real World Series," Andrews said.
"They don't necessarily match."
E-mail: jsolomon@bhamnews.com
The article above is presented in its complete form as written by News staff writer JON SOLOMON of the Birmingham News. The article appeared in the the Wednesday, May 24, 2006 issue.
For 151 pitches, Louisiana State pitcher Derik Olvey refused to give up the ball April 9. He realized LSU's game against Tennessee was on television, meaning his grandfather, dying of cancer in Alabama, might be watching.
"I really wasn't pitching for myself," said Olvey, a graduate of Pelham High School. "I told the coaches as long as I could throw the ball over the plate and they were comfortable with me out there, keep me in there."
Despite a history of elbow problems and having thrown 129 pitches the previous week, Olvey kept going in the 6-2 LSU win. He allowed five runs on six hits on 18 pitches in his next start, and then noticed his velocity drop 6 miles per hour between innings.
Eventually, Olvey felt like a knife was stabbing his pitching elbow, and he could not lob the ball 60 feet. Olvey has no regrets. His grandfather watched the 151-pitch game on tape before dying the next day.
But on May 12, Olvey had the ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow restructured - commonly known as "Tommy John surgery" - and became another in the line of young pitchers having surgeries. Dr. James Andrews calls the trend "an alarming epidemic."
Between 2000 and 2004, Andrews, a renowned Birmingham surgeon, performed elbow operations on six times more high school pitchers and four times more college pitchers than from 1995 to'99. Elbow surgeries on pro pitchers only doubled.
"I open up these kids and they look like they have a 30-year-old pitching elbow, and they're 16 years old," Andrews said. "If we try to hide our head in the sand and not recognize these kids are getting hurt more, we're probably not doing our job."
At least 19 percent of pitchers on SEC rosters entering 2006 have had arm surgery, either before or during college, according to a survey of the league's 12 teams. That doesn't begin to count those who have missed extensive time with injuries and will need surgery in the future.
"That's way too high," Andrews said. "What the NCAA coaches should be worried about is with the escalating injuries in high school, all of a sudden, they're not going to have enough good, healthy pitchers to fill their slots."
At today's SEC Tournament will be Kentucky's Craig Snipp, who is three years removed from elbow surgery and among the ERA leaders in the SEC.
And Georgia's Mickey Westphal, who had shoulder surgery in 2004 and is 6-0 with a 4.76 ERA this season.
And Arkansas' Charley Boyce, who had a bone spur removed from his pitching elbow in 2005 and has an ERA two runs greater than his career 3.40 mark. And, most painfully, eight of South Carolina's 19 pitchers have had surgeries on their pitching arm.
"I know we've been extremely cautious over the years and we still get guys hurt," South Carolina coach Ray Tanner said. "I probably would recruit them the same way if I did it again. Because you just don't know for sure.
The arm wasn't designed to throw a baseball."
Overused pitchers:
Pitchers and parents carry dreams of winning championships and securing pro contracts or college scholarships. But the kids are also carrying too heavy a workload at young ages, according to some doctors and coaches.
It's happening all over the game. Within the Atlanta Braves' organization, 29 of 119 pitchers (24 percent) have had arm surgery, according to data from the club's front office.
Improved recognition of injuries and the status of popular surgeons such as Andrews certainly factor into more surgeries, Andrews acknowledged. But he has found enough anecdotal evidence of surgery increases across the country to believe improved recognition rates can't be solely responsible.
A study by the American Sports Medicine Institute (ASMI), Andrews' Birmingham-based lab, found college-age pitchers who report throwing regularly with arm fatigue are 36 times more likely to have surgery than rested pitchers. College-age pitchers are also five times more likely to have surgery if they play more than eight months a year.
"Of the college pitchers who come for surgery, none of them looks like a clean break," said Dr. Glenn Fleisig, chairman of research at ASMI. "They all look like their tendon or ligament is frayed. You can tell that's from overuse, one throw after another."
Andrews said the high school pitchers he operates on average one week off (typically between Christmas and New Year's) during a 12-month period.
College coaches are becoming increasingly frustrated about inheriting damaged goods without knowing it. Kentucky coach John Cohen said the sport needs more than the NCAA maximum 11.7 scholarships to account for the rash of injuries.
"In order for us not to abuse arms, we have to have enough arms to go around so you don't have to pitch guys routinely," Cohen said.
Because of overuse, many college coaches say they now prefer pitchers who play multiple sports rather than those who throw a baseball year-round.
"They play too much," Georgia coach David Perno said. "... High school coaches overthrow them because they don't care about summer ball. Summer coaches overthrow them because they don't care about high school ball. It's a vicious cycle."
Bouncing back:
Thirty years ago, Tommy John surgery might have meant the end of a pitcher's career. A decade ago, the success rate was 60 percent. Today, there's an 85 percent chance of recovery.
Players roll the dice with those odds - too much so for Andrews' liking, even if it is good for business.
"Some of these young kids are jumping up and down when you finally tell them, `Yes, you've hurt your ligament and we'll reconstruct it,'" Andrews said. "Some are not even giving themselves time to get well with a minor injury. They want an operation because they hear Tommy John's operation will make them a better pitcher. That's a misconception."
The majority of Tommy John pitchers will get well and possibly return to form. But if they become better pitchers, doctors say, that's only because of rehabilitation, the natural maturation of the arm, and much-needed rest.
Perno recently concluded that recovering from shoulder surgeries is more difficult than rebounding from elbow procedures.
"The kids who had shoulder surgery have never regained the velocity, unlike Tommy John," Perno said.
Alabama pitcher Allen Ponder, who had a labrum, biceps tendon and rotator cuff repaired in 2004, can relate. Once a big-time recruit as Alabama's "Mr. Baseball" in 2002, Ponder didn't pitch this season due to recurring shoulder pain.
Starting at 14 years old, Ponder rotated from high school to travel league teams. He would pitch five-plus innings in seven-inning tournament games, and then sometimes work in relief the next day.
"I always felt great. I had no idea that what I was doing might have caused wear and tear. But I have no regrets. As a kid, you just want to play."
Olvey remembers his elbow injury escalated the summer before enrolling at Notre Dame, where he missed 47 games as a freshman before transferring to LSU. He essentially went 18 months without a break while adjusting to the rigorous conditioning program at Notre Dame as a freshman.
The high pitch counts this season "might have been the thing that finally said, `OK, I can't recover from it anymore," Olvey said.
Given what they know now, Ponder and Olvey said they wouldn't change how they were used, even though the result is a seat on the bench for this week's SEC Tournament.
Andrews worries many well-intended coaches and parents are not educated about the dangers. He worries a generation of young pitchers could be prevented from participating in recreational sports as adults, much less become the next Roger Clemens.
"At some point you have to figure out whether you want to be a star in the Little League World Series or in the real World Series," Andrews said.
"They don't necessarily match."
E-mail: jsolomon@bhamnews.com
The article above is presented in its complete form as written by News staff writer JON SOLOMON of the Birmingham News. The article appeared in the the Wednesday, May 24, 2006 issue.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Looking for a batting cage? Consider buying a batting cage net and frame kit to save money and time.
CoachesBest Sells Top Quality Batting Cages and Batting Cage Nets at Discount Prices
Coachesbest.com sells batting cages for home, team and school use. We specialize in complete cage and frame packages for home use that provide you with a complete cage setup at one low price. We also sell nets without frames and all types of screens and custom nets.Order securely online or by phone. 1-877-431-4487. Our friendly staff will be glad to help you any way they can. Our office hours are 8:00 to 5:00 CST.
Coachesbest.com sells batting cages for home, team and school use. We specialize in complete cage and frame packages for home use that provide you with a complete cage setup at one low price. We also sell nets without frames and all types of screens and custom nets.Order securely online or by phone. 1-877-431-4487. Our friendly staff will be glad to help you any way they can. Our office hours are 8:00 to 5:00 CST.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Three Ways to Destroy Your Ability To Compete-Quickly! by Dr. Leif H. Smith
In the world outside of sports, a common principle is that we get results according to that which we decide to focus on. The same is true in the sports world. In any given moment, your emotions are directly linked to that which you are deciding to think about (or, focus on).
Read this entire article at BaseballCoachesDigest.com
Read this entire article at BaseballCoachesDigest.com
Sunday, September 28, 2008
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. Read the entire article at BaseballCoachesDigest.com
Baseball2u.com has one of the internet's largest and most complete selctions of baseball training aids for pitchers. Make sure to check out Baseball2u.com's huge selction of baseball pitching dvds, videos and books for coaches.
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. Read the entire article at BaseballCoachesDigest.com
Baseball2u.com has one of the internet's largest and most complete selctions of baseball training aids for pitchers. Make sure to check out Baseball2u.com's huge selction of baseball pitching dvds, videos and books for coaches.
Friday, September 26, 2008
BatAction Hitting Machine - Great off-season workout.
The BATACTION SELF-TRAINER™ HITTING MACHINE makes batting practice fun, entertaining, convenient and highly productive. This amazing new breakthrough in hitting technology makes batting practice so entertaining that it is often called the "Backyard Basketball Goal For Batters"! The reason for this "nickname" is that baseball and softball players love to hit as much as basketball players love to shoot. Having a hitting station in your yard 24-7 allows players to hit or practice on "impulse" when they are bored and looking for something to do. Wouldn't you rather that your player swing the bat for fun rather than play "Game Box", play "Horse" or watch TV?
The BATACTION SELF-TRAINER™ HITTING MACHINE offers a wide variety of hitting drills and workout options. There is a drill manual included with each machine purchased. Players can select the drills that will help them overcome their weaknesses if they have one. The drill manual also outlines the highly popular "20 Minute BatAction Workout"
CoachesBest has BatAction Hitting Machines at Discount Prices and with FREE SHIPPING.
The BATACTION SELF-TRAINER™ HITTING MACHINE offers a wide variety of hitting drills and workout options. There is a drill manual included with each machine purchased. Players can select the drills that will help them overcome their weaknesses if they have one. The drill manual also outlines the highly popular "20 Minute BatAction Workout"
CoachesBest has BatAction Hitting Machines at Discount Prices and with FREE SHIPPING.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Weight Training and Baseball by Rob Maraby
Baseball is known as perhaps one of the most inactive sports there is-by this I mean you don’t really have to be a top athlete to actually be the best at the game!
Compared to other games there is far less activity and running! However strength is crucial in this game! When you are strong, you can hit harder, you can be quicker at base-running and you will have stronger throws- all of which are the needed to win the game. And isn’t that what all baseball players want to have the ability to hit home runs with ease? And make flying passes at the bases beating the throwers to the plate?
Now you can say that some players are gifted and can hit home runns without much training. But for most players , strength training is crucial if they want to excel at the game!
Read the entire article at the Baseball Coaches Digest.
Baseball2u.com has books and DVDs on off-season weight training for baseball players.
Compared to other games there is far less activity and running! However strength is crucial in this game! When you are strong, you can hit harder, you can be quicker at base-running and you will have stronger throws- all of which are the needed to win the game. And isn’t that what all baseball players want to have the ability to hit home runs with ease? And make flying passes at the bases beating the throwers to the plate?
Now you can say that some players are gifted and can hit home runns without much training. But for most players , strength training is crucial if they want to excel at the game!
Read the entire article at the Baseball Coaches Digest.
Baseball2u.com has books and DVDs on off-season weight training for baseball players.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Are You a Good Youth Baseball Coach? By Chip Lemin
Are you ready for another season of watching your youth baseball team make tons of errors? Well, if your not,check out a few drills you can use winter work outs or spring training.
These drills are fun for youth baseball players, along with helping them learn fielding fundamentals lacking many of today's youth baseball players.So print them up for for better results fielding the ball this year.
Continue Article at Baseball Coaches Digest.
Baseball2u.com Has Baseball Coaching Videos, DVDs and Books
These drills are fun for youth baseball players, along with helping them learn fielding fundamentals lacking many of today's youth baseball players.So print them up for for better results fielding the ball this year.
Continue Article at Baseball Coaches Digest.
Baseball2u.com Has Baseball Coaching Videos, DVDs and Books
Monday, September 22, 2008
Baseball Training Product Spotlight: Handsback Hitter Trainer
The Hands Back Hitter corrects hitting flaws.
The offset tee position makes you contact the ball between the balls of your feet. The resistor arch makes you stride carefully to balance softly on the lead toe. The vertical popper elevates the ball after the front foot is down, creating the timing sequence of the early stride. The front toe down on the string and the heel up sets the stage for bat launch through hip rotation. Feel and teach how to load/coil your body as you stride to hit and the effortless power that comes from torque.
The Hands Back Hitter™, the affordable, portable, personal batting station that keeps them training and swinging right even when your not there.
Handsbackhitter.com
Hands Back Hitter at Discount Prices at Baseball2u.com
The offset tee position makes you contact the ball between the balls of your feet. The resistor arch makes you stride carefully to balance softly on the lead toe. The vertical popper elevates the ball after the front foot is down, creating the timing sequence of the early stride. The front toe down on the string and the heel up sets the stage for bat launch through hip rotation. Feel and teach how to load/coil your body as you stride to hit and the effortless power that comes from torque.
The Hands Back Hitter™, the affordable, portable, personal batting station that keeps them training and swinging right even when your not there.
Handsbackhitter.com
Hands Back Hitter at Discount Prices at Baseball2u.com
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Baseball Defensive Coaching Tip - Buy Your "Good Glove and Softer Hands"Trainer At The Toy Store...
"Soft-hands" are a must for great defensive play, particularly for the infielders. One of the commonly used tools for teaching and developing soft-hands and the use of two hands is the "paddle or hard disk" baseball training gloves.
You Can Buy Your "Good Glove and Softer Hands"Trainer At The Toy Store.
You can buy a very inexpensive yet very useful defensive trainer at most toy stores and mass merchants. Go to the store's toy section. Look for those "catch-it" toys that consist of two "dish shaped catchers" with hand-straps. They have vecro on the concave side and are used to catch a tennis ball.
This game sells for under $10 and it makes two great trainers. Have your infielders take "soft" ground balls wearing this device. It will help them develop "softer hands" and will really improve their glove skills. It teaches them not to reach and to always use two hands. It also teaches them very rapidly to move their feet and "front the ball".
Good Luck til next time, Nick
Baseball2u.com Defensive Training Products
You Can Buy Your "Good Glove and Softer Hands"Trainer At The Toy Store.
You can buy a very inexpensive yet very useful defensive trainer at most toy stores and mass merchants. Go to the store's toy section. Look for those "catch-it" toys that consist of two "dish shaped catchers" with hand-straps. They have vecro on the concave side and are used to catch a tennis ball.
This game sells for under $10 and it makes two great trainers. Have your infielders take "soft" ground balls wearing this device. It will help them develop "softer hands" and will really improve their glove skills. It teaches them not to reach and to always use two hands. It also teaches them very rapidly to move their feet and "front the ball".
Good Luck til next time, Nick
Baseball2u.com Defensive Training Products
Baseball Coaches: Save Money On Baseball Training Equipment
95% of all baseball coaches operate on a limited budget. A lucky few have a special "money source of financial backer" that foots the bill for new training equipment.
Whether you are looking for a BatAction hitting machine, HandsBack batting tee, or other baseball hitting training equipment, check out, BaseballDealz Ebay Super Store. This store offers huge savings and in many cases, FREE SHIPPING!
Have a great day, Nick.
BaseballDealz Ebay Super Store
Whether you are looking for a BatAction hitting machine, HandsBack batting tee, or other baseball hitting training equipment, check out, BaseballDealz Ebay Super Store. This store offers huge savings and in many cases, FREE SHIPPING!
Have a great day, Nick.
BaseballDealz Ebay Super Store
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Baseball Coaches Digest - Articles For Baseball Coaches
The Baseball Coaches Digest, one of the internet's largest collections of baseball coaching articles. We have articles on every aspect of baseball coaching including coaching baseball hitters, coaching pitchers, coaching defense, baseball practice planning and organization, baseball player motivation, and much, much, more.
Our goal is to provide you with a source of coaching information that you will find useful and interesting. Make sure to "bookmark" this site to your favorites so that you can visit us often. We will be adding at least 12 new coaching aricles every month.
Baseball Coaches Digest - "Do your baseball coaching homework"
Our goal is to provide you with a source of coaching information that you will find useful and interesting. Make sure to "bookmark" this site to your favorites so that you can visit us often. We will be adding at least 12 new coaching aricles every month.
Baseball Coaches Digest - "Do your baseball coaching homework"
Important Aspects Of A Baseball Coach by: Sintilia Miecevole
Being a baseball coach can be very rewarding. It is a big responsibility, though. You are basically the ‘leader’ of your team, and how you act will directly affect how the assistant coaches and the players act. There are some tips you can follow to make yourself a better baseball coach.
Read the entire article at BaseballCoachesDigest.com
BattingCageBuilder.com - "You can build it...we can help!"
Read the entire article at BaseballCoachesDigest.com
BattingCageBuilder.com - "You can build it...we can help!"
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
"The Basics of Swing Building in Baseball" By John Peter Pero
I will assume that your player(s) have a basic working knowledge of good swing mechanics. Players who practice incorrectly not only waste time, but tend to go backwards to the point that it can affect their future success and love of the game. The baseball road is littered with talented players who have been eliminated from the game prematurely when poor youth baseball swing mechanics become overmatched by superior pitching and the improvement of their own teammates.
Let's Get to the Point.And to the Progression
The following are six (6) areas that can simplify this building block process.
Read entire article by By John Peter Pero at BaseballCoachesDigest.com
Hitting Mechanic Training Videos at CoachesBest.com
Let's Get to the Point.And to the Progression
The following are six (6) areas that can simplify this building block process.
Read entire article by By John Peter Pero at BaseballCoachesDigest.com
Hitting Mechanic Training Videos at CoachesBest.com
Baseball Hitting Mechanics - Coaching Points
Coaching Point: If a batter is popping the ball up or missing the ball completely, chances are good that the batter is “flying open” or “losing the front-side” during the swing.
The batter should use a closed stance and make a special effort to keep the toes, knees, belly button, and shoulders square to the plate until contact is made with the ball.
Coaching Point: If a batter is hitting everything into the dirt with a weak ground ball, chances are good that the batter is attacking the ball too soon. The batter should allow the ball to “come-inside” the batters front foot before attacking the ball to insure that proper contact can be made.
Attacking the ball with proper timing allows the batter to use the front leg as leverage to generate maximum power. The bat makes contact with the ball on a level plane rather than after the bat starts “arching upward”. This level contact allows the batter to hit line drives.
Read more great baseball coaching articles at BaseballCoachesDigest.com
The batter should use a closed stance and make a special effort to keep the toes, knees, belly button, and shoulders square to the plate until contact is made with the ball.
Coaching Point: If a batter is hitting everything into the dirt with a weak ground ball, chances are good that the batter is attacking the ball too soon. The batter should allow the ball to “come-inside” the batters front foot before attacking the ball to insure that proper contact can be made.
Attacking the ball with proper timing allows the batter to use the front leg as leverage to generate maximum power. The bat makes contact with the ball on a level plane rather than after the bat starts “arching upward”. This level contact allows the batter to hit line drives.
Read more great baseball coaching articles at BaseballCoachesDigest.com
Monday, September 15, 2008
Tips on Coaching Pitchers To "BACK UP BASES"
We all know the importance of backing up bases. The pitcher's ability to field overthrows at 3rd and Home always determines if the overthrown ball will advance the runners an extra base.
When the ball is hit into the outfield, it is important for the pitcher to make the proper decision whether to backup 3rd or Home. To make this decision the pitcher must know where the throw is going by knowing the "outfield throwing rules".
In most situations with 2 or more runners on the ball is going to be thrown to 3rd to hold the runner at 2nd. Such a situation would be runners at 1B and 2B and the batter hits a double. The outfielder may throw to Home on hard hit ball right at them. This will be determined by where the outfielder's playing depth and the outfielder's arm strength.
Pitchers should always remember the 3 "RULES of BACKATIVITY":
1) Get as deep as you can. Know the field you are playing on. Get there fast!
2) Always be in a "Break Down" fielding position that allows you to move in any direction!
3) Be ready to "STOP THE BALL AT ALL COST!" Keep the ball in front of you! It should never reach the fence or go into the dugout!
Good luck til next time.
Baseball Pitching Videos at Baseball2u.com
When the ball is hit into the outfield, it is important for the pitcher to make the proper decision whether to backup 3rd or Home. To make this decision the pitcher must know where the throw is going by knowing the "outfield throwing rules".
In most situations with 2 or more runners on the ball is going to be thrown to 3rd to hold the runner at 2nd. Such a situation would be runners at 1B and 2B and the batter hits a double. The outfielder may throw to Home on hard hit ball right at them. This will be determined by where the outfielder's playing depth and the outfielder's arm strength.
Pitchers should always remember the 3 "RULES of BACKATIVITY":
1) Get as deep as you can. Know the field you are playing on. Get there fast!
2) Always be in a "Break Down" fielding position that allows you to move in any direction!
3) Be ready to "STOP THE BALL AT ALL COST!" Keep the ball in front of you! It should never reach the fence or go into the dugout!
Good luck til next time.
Baseball Pitching Videos at Baseball2u.com
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Baseball Hitting Instruction - "Locking" The Front Arm
Good morning, I hope all is well with you and yours. Today, I am talking about one of the most common hitting flaws, "Locking or Barring" the front arm. I have a "left-handed" hitter on my high school team that sometimes has a tendency to bar the front arm. When he does this his swing gets too long and his bat speed drops.
Hitting Flaw: "Locking" The Front Arm
PROBLEM: The batter "locks" or straightens out the front arm when the hands and bat are taken back to the "power" or "trigger" position. This flaw causes the batter to be late starting the swing. It also cause the the bat speed to be too slow and increases the bat's distance to the ball. Locking the front arm also often causes premature wrist roll.
SOLUTION: Keep a bend in the front elbow. Keep the hands together and working together. Keep the hands close to the body and do not take them back so far that front arm flex is lost.
Check out the great selection of baseball hitting videos, books and dvds at Baseball2u.com.
Have a great day, Nick
Hitting Flaw: "Locking" The Front Arm
PROBLEM: The batter "locks" or straightens out the front arm when the hands and bat are taken back to the "power" or "trigger" position. This flaw causes the batter to be late starting the swing. It also cause the the bat speed to be too slow and increases the bat's distance to the ball. Locking the front arm also often causes premature wrist roll.
SOLUTION: Keep a bend in the front elbow. Keep the hands together and working together. Keep the hands close to the body and do not take them back so far that front arm flex is lost.
Check out the great selection of baseball hitting videos, books and dvds at Baseball2u.com.
Have a great day, Nick
Monday, July 21, 2008
10 Health Tips Every Youth Baseball Coach Should Know
Hello Coach! I hope you had a great weekend.
Much has been written about preventing and treating baseball injuries. A great article that I always recommend to baseball coaches, particularly youth baseball coaches, is "10 Health Tips Every Youth Baseball Coach Should Know" from Temple University Health Sciences Center.
"The number one tip coaches should remember is that children are not miniature adults and shouldn't be treated as such," says Jim Rogers, a certified athletic trainer in Temple University Hospital's sports Medicine Center.
For the complete article, click here.
Have a super day! Nick
Much has been written about preventing and treating baseball injuries. A great article that I always recommend to baseball coaches, particularly youth baseball coaches, is "10 Health Tips Every Youth Baseball Coach Should Know" from Temple University Health Sciences Center.
"The number one tip coaches should remember is that children are not miniature adults and shouldn't be treated as such," says Jim Rogers, a certified athletic trainer in Temple University Hospital's sports Medicine Center.
For the complete article, click here.
Have a super day! Nick
Friday, July 18, 2008
The "Hitch" Baseball Batting Swing Flaw and How to Fix It.
Batters that have a "hitch" in their swing often have difficulty hitting the fastball. They often get "jammed" and are often late on medium speed pitches. The batter is not "triggering" correctly.
The batter is dropping the hands before taking them to the "power position" or what is often called the "launch position".
This lowering of the hands causes the batter to be late to the strike zone.
SOLUTION: Take the hands slightly up and then back rather than dropping them.
Baseball2U.com has one of the internet's largest and most complete collections of baseball coaching videos, DVDs, and Books.
Category: Hitting
Have a great weekend, Nick
The batter is dropping the hands before taking them to the "power position" or what is often called the "launch position".
This lowering of the hands causes the batter to be late to the strike zone.
SOLUTION: Take the hands slightly up and then back rather than dropping them.
Baseball2U.com has one of the internet's largest and most complete collections of baseball coaching videos, DVDs, and Books.
Category: Hitting
Have a great weekend, Nick
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Nolan Ryan - Master of Pitching Inside.
We all know that great power pitchers at any level always dominate the inside half of the plate. One of the greatest fastball pitchers in the history of Major League Baseball is Nolan Ryan. See Ryan's Lifetime Stats and Bio at Baseball-Reference.com.
After running this morning, I sat down to eat breakfast and to watch Mike and Mike on ESPN. Mike Greeny of "Mike and Mike"was discussing how Nolan Ryan dominated the inner half of the plate and how much he intimidated Major League Baseball Players. Mike Greeny had the priviledge of having a conversation with Ryan Sanberg at the 2008 Major League All Star Game in Yankee Stadium concerning how Sanberg felt about batting off Ryan.
Sanberg made the comment that basically the only pitch he felt that he could "turn-on" and pull off Nolan Ryan was the hanging curve ball inside. Everything else he was just hoping to "punch" into rightfield. Sanberg said that he was intimidated by Ryan to the degree that if he got a hit or got on base that he would not look at Ryan for fear that he will make Ryan angry. Click Here for Mike and Mike's ESPN Homepage.
The "Nolan Ryan Express" is a baseball pitching machine that offers the same great benefits as the "high priced" machines but at a fraction of the cost. Check out the Nolan Ryan Express Baseball and Softball Pitching Machines. You will like what you see.
Have a great Day, Nick.
After running this morning, I sat down to eat breakfast and to watch Mike and Mike on ESPN. Mike Greeny of "Mike and Mike"was discussing how Nolan Ryan dominated the inner half of the plate and how much he intimidated Major League Baseball Players. Mike Greeny had the priviledge of having a conversation with Ryan Sanberg at the 2008 Major League All Star Game in Yankee Stadium concerning how Sanberg felt about batting off Ryan.
Sanberg made the comment that basically the only pitch he felt that he could "turn-on" and pull off Nolan Ryan was the hanging curve ball inside. Everything else he was just hoping to "punch" into rightfield. Sanberg said that he was intimidated by Ryan to the degree that if he got a hit or got on base that he would not look at Ryan for fear that he will make Ryan angry. Click Here for Mike and Mike's ESPN Homepage.
The "Nolan Ryan Express" is a baseball pitching machine that offers the same great benefits as the "high priced" machines but at a fraction of the cost. Check out the Nolan Ryan Express Baseball and Softball Pitching Machines. You will like what you see.
Have a great Day, Nick.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Hands Back Hitter gaining Popularity as a Solid Baseball Swing Trainer
Hello,
I hope all is well with you and yours. Last nights MLB Allstar game was incredible. I know that you enjoyed it as much as I did. I thought it was going to last all night.
The Hands Back Baseball Trainer is a "Ball Launching Tee" that is gaining respect at all levels of play including Tee Ball, Youth Baseball, Travel Baseball, High School Baseball and College Baseball.
The HandsBack Hitter teaches the mechanics of the perfect baseball swing. It teaches hitters the proper "stride and swing" fundamentals for correctly hitting a baseball.
What do the pros say about the HBH?
"Finally a fun batting trainer that teaches the correct swing."- Mike Epstein, hitting instructor
"We use the Hands Back Hitter to teach separation between stride and swing."Coach Woody Hunt, (Cumberland University) 2004 NAIA National Champs
Baseball2U.com has the HBH.
Good Luck til Next Time, Nick
I hope all is well with you and yours. Last nights MLB Allstar game was incredible. I know that you enjoyed it as much as I did. I thought it was going to last all night.
The Hands Back Baseball Trainer is a "Ball Launching Tee" that is gaining respect at all levels of play including Tee Ball, Youth Baseball, Travel Baseball, High School Baseball and College Baseball.
The HandsBack Hitter teaches the mechanics of the perfect baseball swing. It teaches hitters the proper "stride and swing" fundamentals for correctly hitting a baseball.
What do the pros say about the HBH?
"Finally a fun batting trainer that teaches the correct swing."- Mike Epstein, hitting instructor
"We use the Hands Back Hitter to teach separation between stride and swing."Coach Woody Hunt, (Cumberland University) 2004 NAIA National Champs
Baseball2U.com has the HBH.
Good Luck til Next Time, Nick
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
59th MLB All-Star Game - A Classic Night For All Baseball Fans
59th MLB All-Star Game - A special night for all baseball fans!It was appropriate that the 59th MLB All-Star game be played in Yankee Stadium. A special place being retired after 85 glory filled years! It made the night a truly special night for all baseball fans! Visit MLB's Official 2008 All-Star Game Webpage.
Seeing such a great collection of Major League Allstars on the field for the National Anthem will always be a memory that I will cherish.I am proud to have the priviledge to coach such a great game.It was great to Yogi Berra, one of my all time favorites Hall of Famers. The clips of him leaping high into the arms of Don Larson in the 1956 World Series were a special touch to the telecast. For more on the 1956 World Series visit the Baseball Almanac.
For More MLB Quotes - Baseball Amanac
As I type this chill bumps are appearing all over my body. "God Bless America" is being sang to a quiet Yankee Stadium in a tribute to the greatest country on earth! God has blessed us! America's is our Home Sweet Home! Makes you proud to be an American and a baseball fan!
Update: The Red Sox's JD Drew just tied the game in the 7th with a 2-run blast off the Red's Edinson Volquez! You have got to love this game! It's was Drew's first All-Star at bat!
Amazing Facts: Yogi Berra originally sined for $500 and $90 dollars a month. Yankee Stadium cost 2.5 mil to build. Now 41 MLB players make more annually than it cost to build that stadium.
Thank you Major League Baseball for a great 2008 AllStar Game. You again proved why Baseball is Truly America's Game!
Seeing such a great collection of Major League Allstars on the field for the National Anthem will always be a memory that I will cherish.I am proud to have the priviledge to coach such a great game.It was great to Yogi Berra, one of my all time favorites Hall of Famers. The clips of him leaping high into the arms of Don Larson in the 1956 World Series were a special touch to the telecast. For more on the 1956 World Series visit the Baseball Almanac.
I can't talk about Yogi without including three of his famous quotes that I consider to be "classic":
- "You can observe a lot just by watching."
- "I always thought that record would stand until it was broken."
- "Baseball is ninety percent mental. The other half is physical."
For More MLB Quotes - Baseball Amanac
As I type this chill bumps are appearing all over my body. "God Bless America" is being sang to a quiet Yankee Stadium in a tribute to the greatest country on earth! God has blessed us! America's is our Home Sweet Home! Makes you proud to be an American and a baseball fan!
Update: The Red Sox's JD Drew just tied the game in the 7th with a 2-run blast off the Red's Edinson Volquez! You have got to love this game! It's was Drew's first All-Star at bat!
Amazing Facts: Yogi Berra originally sined for $500 and $90 dollars a month. Yankee Stadium cost 2.5 mil to build. Now 41 MLB players make more annually than it cost to build that stadium.
Thank you Major League Baseball for a great 2008 AllStar Game. You again proved why Baseball is Truly America's Game!
Make out a written practice schedule every day.
• Pass out practice schedules to your assistant coaches before practice each day. Post your Practice Schedule on the fence or wall of the dugout.
• Post your practice schedule for players to see. Let players know what is going on and that you have a "Practice Plan".
• Make sure to document or write down each drill covered each day. Keep these practice schedules in a book as your "practice log". You can go back to see if you have adequately covered all fundamentals or if you need to put more time into a particular aspect of your game or practice. K
• Keep a log of how many pitches pitchers throw in practice and when they threw. You will also want to make notes on each day's schedule regarding strong points, weak points or any behavior exhibited by a player that you want a record of.
• You may also want to set "TEAM DAILY PRACTICE GOALS" such as...."Every player will take 300 practice swings today!", "Our middle infielders will turn 50 double plays today!" "Every outfielder will field 50 balls today!” These are just examples.
• Post your practice schedule for players to see. Let players know what is going on and that you have a "Practice Plan".
• Make sure to document or write down each drill covered each day. Keep these practice schedules in a book as your "practice log". You can go back to see if you have adequately covered all fundamentals or if you need to put more time into a particular aspect of your game or practice. K
• Keep a log of how many pitches pitchers throw in practice and when they threw. You will also want to make notes on each day's schedule regarding strong points, weak points or any behavior exhibited by a player that you want a record of.
• You may also want to set "TEAM DAILY PRACTICE GOALS" such as...."Every player will take 300 practice swings today!", "Our middle infielders will turn 50 double plays today!" "Every outfielder will field 50 balls today!” These are just examples.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Tips For Better Baseball Practices
I am going to post a tip a day for 5 days. The article is
Baseball Coaching: 5 Great Coaching Tips – Do Practice Write!
Tip #1 - Have a practice plan. Organize your practices.
- Organize your practice into sessions or time periods. Start on time and finish on time. Stick to these times. Have your times down to exact minutes or half minutes and detailed to utilize ever minute of your practice.
- Have the attitude that "PRACTICE TIME IS EXTREMELY VALUABLE"! It is not to be wasted!
- Never huddle or use practice time to have coaching meetings or discussions. Have a meeting after or before practice for that purpose to plan your practices.
- You may want one of your assistant coaches to be the "Timer". Each time a time slot gets down to 1 minute, the coach will let you know. When the drill time segment is over, the drill should end immediately. The next planned practice activity should begin.
- If equipment is needed for a drill, have it out and readily available. Do not waste valuable practice time, setting up equipment. Use different parts of the field to do various practice activities. Set all equipment up before practice begins. Take all practice equipment down after practice. Have a grat day! Nick
Coach Nick's First Official Post
Hello and welcome. If you like to read about coaching and playing baseball, you may like my blog. I will talk and discuss something that I have a passion for, coaching baseball. I hope that you will find the tips, information, and articles I write useful.
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