5 Ways to Add Power to Baseball Swing and Improve Arm Strength

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Article Title: 5 Ways to Add Power to Baseball Swing and Improve Arm Strength
By Jack Perconte

If there is one thing I would have done differently in my major league career it would have been to consistently use a strength building program during the season. Understand that for most of my early career lifting weights was frowned upon for baseball players. Why that was I am not sure. Probably because people assumed that lifting weights would make players build muscle that would inhibit the long fluid actions ballplayers need. Anyway, gaining and maintaining strength for ball players is essential and can keep a baseball player physically and mentally strong throughout the season. The great number of games during the season often zaps a player's strength which may lead to mental fatigue as well.

Of course, the best way to develop strength and power is to swing the bat and throw the ball more. Performing repetitions of the actual skills of swinging and throwing will lead to strength. For players who want to be their best, there is no substitute for swinging and throwing more than your competition. From experience I have noticed baseball players who throw and swing more months (up to nine), are the players who increase their power and arm speed the most. It is a good idea to give the body and mind a two or three month break from the skill training, but the conditioning and strength work can continue year round.

However, it has been proven over the years that bigger, stronger, faster can be improved through a weight training program. With that in mind, following are some basic tips that players of all ages can use to develop power and arm strength without having to hire a personal trainer or buy expensive exercise equipment:

1. Much of the bat speed, control of the bat and throwing speed comes from the forearms, hands, wrists and fingers. Players can work on these areas by squeezing things. There are many useful items on the market designed to help, but squeezing a tennis ball or water out of a towel will work just as well. Doing this a few minutes a day will develop the strength that will make a difference with how to get the ball to "jump off the bat" and have a "livelier" fastball.

2. The next set of muscles to develop is the core muscles of the midsection. Doing fast hip turns while holding a weighted object are good. Gradual increases in the amount of weight held will develop this core strength. Old fashioned sit ups or any variation of those are beneficial too.

3. Most of the time we think of running exercises only for running speed. However, working on fast crossover steps and explosive first moves of the lower body are just as important for hitting power and throwing speed. Much power is generated by the muscles around the thighs and rear end. Using these muscles with explosive movements will help. Working on explosive crossover steps will develop fast hip rotation for both the hitter and pitcher.

4. Old-fashioned pushups are still great strengthening tools that are good for any and all ages. They will help develop the bigger muscles around the chest and shoulders. Performing different variations like hands wide, hands together and finger tip push ups will work on different muscles.

5. Finally, doing lunges and knee bends will help develop the leg and rear end muscles, which are a major source of power for both a hitter and pitcher.

After a few weeks of this conditioning and continued work on the fundamentals, players will notice the difference with increased bat and arm speed. Working to be bigger, stronger, faster and fundamentally sound will allow players to reach their full potential, without future regret of what they might have done differently.

Former major league baseball player, Jack Perconte gives baseball hitting tips and batting practice advice for ballplayers of all ages. His baseball playing lessons, books and advice can be found at http://www.baseballhittinglessons.com/baseball Jack is the author of two books, The Making of a Hitter and Raising an Athlete - his positive parenting advice and books can be found at http://positiveparentinginsports.com

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

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Bat Speed Training For More Power

BaseballCoachingDigest.com

By Alan Bryan

Using bat speed training can help you quickly gain an additional thirty to even one hundred feet in your power. The most common refrain in hitting is that it is not how hard you swing, rather, how quick your swing. Simply, it is the laws of physics that apply to hitting, as the velocity of the bat connecting with the ball determines the distance a ball will travel.

There are many bat speed training methods that can help you increase your velocity. However, despite all the great training out there, selecting the right bat is also a factor. Most bat speed drills should be done with a wooden bat. With the new, technologically advanced aluminum bats allowing for more error in your swing, many hitters have become dependent on technology rather than practice to hit for more power.

Simply, there are no soft hitting zones in the new aluminum bats. A wooden bat, however, has a very defined sweet spot, and when you miss that sweet spot, the wooden bat will let you know by either shattering or stinging your hands tremendously. Learn how to properly get the head of a wooden bat through the hitting plane, and you are one step closer to hitting for more power.

Effective bat speed training involves several components, some of which are not directly baseball related at all. In additional to practicing with wood bats, you should also strengthen your wrist and lower body using light weight resistance. Putting it all together can help you start hitting for more power in record time.

Effective bat speed training can take your game to the next level by increasing your power and average. When used correctly, bat speed training techniques are extremely effective. Learn the best training methods, recommended by professional scouts, by visiting http://www.batspeedtraining.info.

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


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Baseball Tips on Hitting - The Directness of the Swing!

By Larry Cicchiello

Along with keeping the front side closed when hitting, this should be at the top of your list as a baseball hitter who is striving to be successful.

The front elbow should be pointed DOWNWARD when you start the swing and not toward the pitcher.

Many baseball players were brought up constantly hearing to keep their swing level.

Too many players have heard this too many times and they erroneously level out their swing at the very beginning. This is not the proper baseball hitting concept.

Yes, you should strive to have a level swing. But it should level out ONLY at the point of contact!

Not being direct to the ball, is a very common baseball hitting problem for the majority of weak hitters.

If the front elbow is pointing toward the pitcher when you start your swing, it will create a slight loop making you a fraction of a second later to the ball.

If a fast ball takes less than a second to get to the catcher's mitt, you simply cannot afford to lose a valuable fraction of a second.

A fraction of a second is an eternity when it comes to successful baseball hitting.

This fraction of a second can very well be the difference between hitting a "seed" or being late and missing the pitch entirely.

The distance between two points is a straight line and this applies perfectly to the baseball swing.

Let's call these two points point A and B.

When hitting, you cannot go from to go from point A, where you are "loaded up," to point B, the point where you make contact, unless you do it in a straight line.

The only way this is possible is if you have the front elbow pointing downward at the start of the swing.

If the front elbow is pointing toward the pitcher at the very start of the swing, you are not going from A to B in a straight line.

The palms of the hands should be one up and one down only at the point of contact and not sooner!

If you are not being direct to the ball, start now as it is one of the best baseball tips on hitting you will ever learn. You will be "short to the ball" and your hitting will improve immediately.

Please keep the front elbow pointing down at the very beginning of your swing and you will benefit tremendously!

Larry is the president of Larwenty Online Enterprises Inc. and also the author of "Excellent Baseball Coaching: 30 Seconds Away." If you are a baseball player or are involved in baseball coaching at any level of play or a parent who wants to help your child improve, you will be fully equipped! His baseball website offers several FREE baseball tips from his very informative and very fairly priced eBooks.

Larry's baseball website is http://www.larrybaseball.com/

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

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How to Turn Good Practice Hitters Into Game Hitters

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By Jack Perconte

One of the most repeated comments from parents of my students was, "They kill the ball in practice, but not in games." There are a lot of "5 o'clock" (batting practice) hitters, as opposed to "7:30 " (game) hitters. This is one of the most perplexing situations of baseball for parents, players and coaches.

Hitters, who absolutely pound the ball in batting practice and then fail to hit during games, create much frustration and even drive some to give up playing baseball. There are a number of reasons why hitters hit in batting practice but not in games including the lack of fear or nervousness that may exist in games. Players often tense up in a game, which throws their focus off.

Usually however, there are two main reasons why hitters hit in practice but not in games.

1. Their swing fundamentals are not as good as they appear. Often, it appears to the untrained eye that hitters have great swings but in reality their swings have some fundamental flaws.

2. The hitters are not being challenged enough in practice. Coaches have good intentions in batting practice of building their hitters' confidence by laying the ball in the strike zone at hittable speeds. However, if the batting practice is not game like with different speeds and different pitches, it does not necessarily benefit hitters and they only gain false confidence.

What can be done to help hitters become good game hitters?

1. Coaches should continue to give players hitting drills that address their fundamental, problem areas. Once the season starts, hitters often stop the fundamental drill work that they did in preseason. Tee work and soft toss work keep players focused on contact points and mechanics and should be continues throughout the season. They are essential for hitters to stay sharp.
2. Coaches should have a trained hitting coach observe the struggling hitters and make suggestions how to help their fundamentals. Often, just one little fundamental tip can lead to much more success.
3. Putting hitters in game like situations as often as possible in practice is good. Hitters will begin to develop game confidence and the feeling like they "have been there before" when in actual games.

4. Coaches should challenge hitters in batting practice with game like speeds and with changing speeds (age appropriate, of course). Hitters often adjust on their own, without fundamental help, when they are challenged enough. Coaches should not allow total frustration to appear in hitters by over-challenging them, though.

5. Of course, patience and encouragement with struggling game hitters is always necessary. Coaching statements like "you can do it" and "I believe in you" are great confidence builders and confidence is very important for hitters.

Finally, coaches should not give up on struggling players because "any hitter willing to listen, learn and practice is not beyond hope." I have known many hitters who became very good game hitters after years of struggle because players stayed committed to practice and coaches remained positive and encouraging towards them.

Former major league baseball player, Jack Perconte gives baseball hitting tips and batting practice advice for ballplayers of all ages. His baseball playing lessons, books and advice can be found at http://www.baseballhittinglessons.com/baseball Jack is the author of two books, The Making of a Hitter and Raising an Athlete - his positive parenting advice and books can be found at http://positiveparentinginsports.com/

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

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Extraordinary Bat Speed - 2 Best Exercises to Generate Serious Bat Speed!

By Brandon Richey

Once again the best way to increase the mph of your bat speed is to have a smart strength and conditioning program in place. Athleticism is built upon an individual having a powerful core, superior total body strength, and can train their body in a functional system. Check out the following 2 exercises that I have included here to help you with your hitting power!

1. The Double Arm Kettlebell Swing: By now you may be familiar with the ancient kettlebell and understand that this is an ancient strength and conditioning device that has been around for a long time. This device is second to nothing when helping any athlete develop a superior strength and conditioning program for optimal performance. The base lift of the kettlebell is the double arm swing. This single lift is tremendous in that it incorporates hundreds of your muscles at once and will help you to develop tremendous cardiovascular conditioning at the same time. This lift is done by you having to constantly flex and extend at both your hips and knees to build up the necessary momentum to swing the kettlebell from between your legs up to chest height. This is where you develop superior core strength, shoulder power, and total body conditioning to make swinging your bat seem easier than ever.

2. Kettlebell Figure Eights To A Hold: This is a dynamic drill that certainly strengthens your core, hips, and helps with a tremendous amount of trunk rotation which is absolutely necessary when it comes down to swinging that Louisville Slugger. To begin this drill set the kettlebell on the ground between your feet. Pick it up with one arm and flex at your hips and knees to swing or hike it between your legs. As you "hike it" between your legs simply pass the bell off to the other hand. As you grab the bell with the opposite hand bring it around to the outside of your leg at your body's side. As the momentum of the bell brings it to this point simply fire off and extend at your hip and knee and allow the momentum to assist you in swinging the bell across your body. As you swing it across your body simply catch it at your opposite pec (chest muscle) or shoulder. From here simply pass it back through your legs to repeat the process on the other side. This bat speed drill will certainly help you to enhance your hitting power. If you haven't gotten acquainted with kettlebell training then you are only holding back your progress. Remember that anyone can train hard, but only the champions train smart!

To learn more about how to utilize your body, Kettlebells, and to achieve Mind Blowing fitness get your copy of My "Better Than Steroids Ebook" by clicking here: http://www.betterthansteroidsebook.com/www.betterthansteroidsebook.com/Better_Than_Steroids_Ebook.html

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