Baseball Coaching Digest - The 4 Key Elements That Help a Batter Hit a Baseball With More Power

Baseball Coaching Digest - The 4 Key Elements That Help a Batter Hit a Baseball With More Power
By guest author: Nick Dixon

Every baseball player loves to hit the ball hard and far. The power required to hit the baseball deep comes from the generation of maximum bat speed. The generation of bat speed is created by the correct use of the lower body, hips and hands. Four key elements are required to make the batting swing more powerful. This article outlines and explains those key elements.Those key elements are:

1) The Batter Uses the Front Leg as Leverage to Generate Maximum Bat Speed. - What is leverage in the baseball swing? Why is leverage important? How is leverage generated? Leverage in a baseball swing is a resistance point or stationary object that stops forward movement. The front foot acts as the lever and provides leverage to the swing. For this leverage to occur the batter must allow the ball pass front foot. The front foot should be closed with the toes pointed toward the plate to supply maximum leverage to the swing. This leverage is the force against which the batter rotates the hips against. The front leg must be strait and planted to allow the hips to turn.

2) The Batter Generates Maximum Rotational "Torque of the Hips". - I use the term "Hip Torque" to describe the power the hips add to the swing. Batters must rotate the hips to achieve maximum bat speed. To get the maximum hip turn the front foot should be kept in a closed position. If the front foot is allowed to rotate or is in an open position at any point during the swing, there will be a loss of hip energy and a reduction of power in the swing.

The back foot is often lifted or turned up onto the toe. Many coaches describe the action of the back foot as a turn of the "shoe laces to the pitcher". The back foot action is not nearly as important as the front foot. The one thing that must be monitored is that the back foot does not travel forward. The back foot should stay where it was at the beginning of the swing, but the heel should lift and the foot turn to free the back side and to allow for maximum hip and torso rotation.

3) The Batter Keeps of the Hands Close to the Body. The Batter Keeps the Hands on the Shortest Power Path to the Ball. - The power track for the hands is a path that starts above the ball and close to the body. The "power track" is a short compact swing that is directly to the ball. To generate great bat speed the batter must drive the knob and bury it at the power contact position. Keeping the hands closer to the body also keeps the hands inside the ball.

4) The Batter Achieves Maximum Extension Through the Ball. - The batter that keeps the bat on the ball plane as long as possible is able to generate the maximum amount of power possible. The track or path of the bat should be downward until it gets to the balls plane. When the bat gets on an even plane with the ball, the batter should then drive the hands forward through the ball. This power extension has the top hand in a palm down position and the bottom hand in a palm up position. This forward extension or drive through the baseball is a key element of generating power.

I hope that this article was informative and helpful to you. I appreciate you taking the time to read. Have a great day, Nick.

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

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Baseball Coaching Digest: The Perils of Defensive Assumption in Baseball Action

Baseball Coaching Digest: The Perils of Defensive Assumption in Baseball Action
By guest author: Nick Dixon

Assuming or taking for granted certain things when your team is playing defense can lead to costly mistakes and could lead to a loss. This article outlines three things that coaches and players should never assume when you are playing defense.

Assuming Every Player Knows the Number of Outs

This is the most common mental mistake a team or coach makes. They have a player that does not know how many out there are. I have witnessed in many different forms. Several times I have seen catchers think that there were three outs and the inning was over, so they rolled the ball toward the pitcher and allowed an alert runner on third score on a mental error.

I have seen an outfielder think that there were two outs when he caught a fly ball hit shallow into center field. He assumed that there were two out when he caught what he thought was the third out. He relaxes after the catch only to realize that the runner at third base has just tagged up and scored.

Making such mental mistakes can be prevented if the middle infielders relay and communicate the number of outs to the outfielders and other players after each out is made. It should be a standard procedure that every player on the team show at least one teammate the sign for the current number of outs after each out is made.

Assuming Everybody Knows the Bunt Coverage

Assuming everyone in the infield knows what the bunt situation is and the coverage that is on at the time can lead to a costly mistake. We have all seen it happen. The first baseman charges the bunt. The pitcher bounces off to the third base side and the catcher bounces out perfectly. The catcher calls the first base man off the ball, fields it, and comes up throwing to first. However, the second baseman was napping and did not get there to field the throw. The second baseman had what we call a "brain fart". He was not mentally alert and in the game. Therefore, it is important that the catcher call time, step out in front of the plate, and signal the bunt coverage that has been called for the situation.

Coaches must not assume that every player is alert. The key is communication between coaches and players. The coach must talk to his catcher and middle infielders constantly to make sure that they are in the game. Players should be taught to talk the game between pitches and communicate the situation, likely plays by the offense, and whose "got the bag" between pitches.

Assuming a play will or will not be made
Wrong assumptions can lead to devastating results when a team is on defense. A player should always hustle to a ball or to the correct position when the ball is hit or put into play. It can be costly for an outfielder to relax on a ball in the gap because he thinks the other outfielder is going to make the play. Not getting over to back up a fellow outfielder can cost a team valuable bases and even a run, if the ball is miss-played, missed or is a base it that gets by an outfielder.

Outfielders should always hustle, talk, and communicate when the ball is hit. Even if the other outfielder calls the ball, the outfielder should hustle over the back up on the play.

Outfielders should always back up throws as if the throw is going to be missed. Defensive players should never assume a catch. Catchers should sprint to back up throws at first base when there are not runners on. Just when the catcher assumes a ball will be caught, rather than missed, the first baseman will let the tying run get to second base with a miss-played short hop. If the catcher hustles to back-up on the play as he should, the runner does not advance to second base.

I hope that you found this article to be informative. I appreciate you taking the time to read it. For more articles like it, visit the Baseball Coaching Digest, Youth Baseball Digest, and the Baseball Parent Guide websites and blogs. Good luck to you and your team.
Have a great day, Nick.

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Nick Dixon is the President and founder of Nedco Sports, a sports training company established in 1999. Dixon is also an active and full time high school baseball coach with over 25 years experience. Dixon coaches at Boaz High in Boaz Alabama. Dixon is a member of the American Baseball Coaches Association and Alabama Baseball Coaches Association.

Dixon is better known as the inventor of the BatAction Hitting Machine, the SKLZ Derek Jeter Hurricane Hitting Machine, the SKLZ Target Trainer, the SKLZ Derek Jeter ZipnHit Pro, and the SKLZ Strikeback Trainer. Dixon is considered an expert in baseball training and skills development. Dixon also serves as an active consultant to baseball equipment companies and other sports product inventors.

Dixon is also a contributing writer for the Baseball Coaching Digest, the baseball Coaching Digest Blog, the Youth Baseball Digest, the Youth Baseball Digest Blog, the Baseball Parent Guide, the Baseball 2Day Coaches Journal, and Blog4Coaches.

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

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

Baseball Coaching Digest - Stop and See - 1st & 3rd Double Steal Base Running Play
By guest author: Nick Dixon


Name - "1st & 3rd Stop and See Steal" Play

Type of Play - Offensive

Situation - Runners at 1st and 3rd base with 2 outs.

Objective - The offense will use this play to achieve one of the following 3 results:

1. The first base runner wants to steal and draw a throw to 2B in hopes of scoring the third base runner.

2. The first base runner will advance to 2B if a throw down is not made by the catcher.

3. The first base runner will try to create a rundown if a throw down is made. The offense tries to force a defensive error or "buy time" for the third base runner to score.

Details-

The first base runner will take his normal lead. He wants to make sure that he does not get picked off by the pitcher. The offensive team wants the catcher to throw to second. The third base runner will take an aggressive but safe lead. The third base runner will make sure that the catcher's throw down clears the pitcher or any possible cut-off man. The 1B runner will execute a straight steal and will look in, like a hit and run, but he is reading the catcher's actions and not the batter's contact. The batter will be taking the pitch.

If the 1B runner sees the ball going down to second, he will stop. He will stop and retreat quickly back toward first base. If the defense quickly throws to first base, he will get in a run down. If the defense throws to home to get the third base runner who has his break for home, the 1B runner will advance on to second base. The third base runner will also read the catcher's actions. He will expect a full-arm fake and check back to third base. If the catcher releases the ball toward second base, the third base runner will make sure that the ball clears the pitcher and any possible cut-off man. If the 3B runner "reads the ball through", he breaks hard and slides hard in home.

How do you stop it?

It is hard for the defense to stop this play. They are not aware that the 1B runner may stop. The best method of defending this play is for the shortstop or second baseman to take the throw and quickly throw to home plate. The defense must communicate.

Points to Remember?

1. The 1B runner has to make sure not to get picked and that he properly reads the catcher.

2. The third base runner must take an aggressive but safe lead. He is expecting a pitcher or infield cut or a full-arm fake by the catcher.

3. The "stop and see" play is great for scoring a "cheap" run when the weak part of the batting order is up.

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




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