Little League Digest - 10 Base Running Tips For Little League Baseball Players

Little League Digest - 10 Base Running Tips For Little League Baseball Players
By guest author: Nick Dixon


There are several important coaching points that need to be remembered when teaching Little League players to run the bases correctly. This article presents 10 coaching points for little league baseball runners related to first baseball.

Coaching Points related to base running at 1st base:

1. The batter must sprint out of the batter's box and take a straight line path toward first base. The batter base runner must "honor" the base running box. The base running box allows the umpire to determine if a base runner is inside the base line. If a runner gets inside the foul line and a throw ball makes contact with the runner, the batter base runner is out. If a ball is a slow roller in the direction of first base, the batter base runner must avoid contact with the ball. Stepping on, contacting or touching the ball in fair territory will result in an out.
2. When a batter hits the ball his approach to first base is determined by the location of the hit ball as it travels into the field. If the ball is a fielded grounder, the base runner will run through the bag at 1st.
3. If the hit ball gets by the infielder, either as a hit or error, the batter base runner should do a "hook" path as he approaches first base to give him a straighter angle to advance to second base if the first base coach sends him.
4. The batter base runner should run hard through the bag when he is attempting to beat a throw to first. The runner should concentrate on running to a spot about 15 feet past the bag. When the runner touches the bag, the runner's foot should land on the front 1/3 of the bag.
5. The batter base runner should always look to the right when he crosses the bag on a close play. This look allows the batter base runner to see if the throw was missed by the first baseman.
6. If the base runner is sent to second, the runner should only contact the inner corner of the base as he makes the turn toward second base.
7. The runner should always run everything out as if the ball is fair. The runner should hustle and assume that all fly balls will be missed.
8. The runner must run out all foul balls because of the "roll back" rule. If a foul ball hits and kicks back into fair territory between home and 1st base or between home and 3rd base, the ball is fair. The ball will be fair as long as the ball does not contact a bat, fence, dugout, or fielder.
9. The batter base runner that sees an errant throw should not immediately advance to second. The runner must listen to his coach. The coach will make sure that the catcher is not trailing the play.
10. Older or advanced runners may be taught to read the firstbaseman's footwork to detect a possible catch ad tag play. If the throw from the fielder pulls the first baseman off the bag, the only possibility for getting the runner out is a tag. If the runner sees the first baseman coming off the bag toward him, he should slide to avoid the tag.

The CoachesBest Baseball Store has a great selection of 1400 Baseball Products. Check out the Mauer Quick Swing baseball batting trainer.

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 at Boaz High School in Alabama. Coach Dixon is better known as the inventor of the BatAction Hitting Machine, the SKLZ Derek Jeter Hurricane Hitting Machine, the SKLZ Target Trainer, the SKLZ Derek Jeter ZipnHit Pro, and the SKLZ Strikeback Trainer. Dixon is also a contributing writer for BaseballCoachingDigest, the Youth Baseball Digest, the Baseball Parent Guide, the Baseball 2Day Coaches Journal, and Blog4Coaches.

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



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3865265
================
Thanks to our sponsors:

www.BatAction.com



---BatAction Machine at CoachesBest.com
---BatActionMachine on Ebay.com
---BatAction Machine Video Clips
---BatAction Trainer - 15 Reasons Why You Must Own This Machine
---Message to Parents From Coach Nick
---If you are looking for BatAction Replacement Balls or Power Bands Click Here

Thinking About Standing Tall For Better Baseball Hitting

Nedco Sports Ebay Super Store
Standing Tall For Better Baseball Hitting
By Guest AuthorChris Moheno

Great baseball pitching, of course, is needed to counteract great baseball hitting. But there is some difference of perspective among those who are involved in professional baseball training about one of the most fundamental issues regarding baseball pitching mechanics: whether or not one should "stand tall and stay back" when on the mound.

Now, pitching coaches generally contrast standing tall against pitchers whom they describe as "drop-and-dive". Drop-and-dive pitchers are represented in the Hall of Fame by such greats as Tom Seaver, Robin Roberts, and Sandy Koufax. But, the conventional wisdom generally adhered to by baseball pitching coaches is that a few Hall of Fame pitchers who had unusual capabilities do not a rule make.

"What you want to see out of power pitchers is that once that stride leg starts lowering, the lower body really goes fast, and they land on a flexed leg...The drop-and-drive is definitely something you wouldn't want to teach. Nobody pitches that way anymore, because in the drop-and-drive, you don't really use your body. It doesn't allow the core muscles of your body to get up and over a braced front leg," insists Amherst College's head baseball coach Bill Thurston.

And University of Kansas pitching coach Steve Abney adds, "Tom Seaver was a drop-and-drive guy, but he was a power-armed, 5' 11", 215-pound guy who could get his arm through. By staying tall and not dropping-and-driving, you allow the arm to get out of the glove and get your fingers on top of the baseball."

Another Hall of Fame Pitcher, the all-time strikeout and no-hitter king Nolan Ryan, credited with having thrown the officially-clocked fastest pitch ever (101 mph), is often cited as the exemplar of the mechanical advantage given to the pitcher who stands tall and stays back. It's well known that Ryan said that the most important part of his body when it came to pitching was not his arm--it was his legs. And when Ryan finished his delivery to the mound, he would be standing stork-like on his front leg, the rest of his body curled up around and on top of that powerful leg. "One thing [Nolan Ryan] told me about his delivery was that he wanted to do as much work out front as possible...Pitchers who drop-and-drive need to alter their posture to get that momentum going again. Keep all the energy you've worked hard to recruit," insists Bioforce Baseball's Bill Mooney.

However, this attitude about standing tall is by no means universally held by baseball training professionals.

Indeed, Nolan Ryan is used as an exemplar of what not to do by those who are antagonistic toward the methodology as he is use as a paragon of perfection by those who are its proponents. The point out that for all of his no-hitters, Ryan never threw a perfect game; and while he's the strikeout king, he's also the all-time walks king. Ryan, who is widely regarded as the greatest power pitcher there ever was, did have a human flaw after all: he did not always have the greatest control. And for those who don't like standing tall in pitching, this was because Ryan didn't do enough practice time on the baseball mound. Not because the great one wasn't training: but he had a personal trainer who believed in cross-training and working out pitchers on flat ground. Ryan spent a lot of training time throwing footballs from a flat-footed position. And they say that as great as he was, Ryan was harmed, not helped, by this training approach, even if he gained leg strength from it.

They also point out that in actual fact, Ryan did not pitch from a downward angle. And, nor did Koufax. Nor did Steve Carlton. Neither do Josh Beckett, "Dice K." , or the great heat-throwing closer Pedro Martinez. Instead, they insist that these great, powerful pitchers gain their ball velocity from long strides--not from standing tall and staying back except for at the very beginning of their wind-up. Proponents of this "lean forward" baseball pitching philosophy also point out that by leaning forward the pitcher is releasing the ball at a closer range to the plate--and while it's only a slight difference, given how fast the reaction times in baseball need to be, this closer-range release point does throw off hitters.

In fact, Koufax (whose single season strikeout record was broken by one pitch by Ryan in 1972) wrote in his 2002 book 'Sandy Koufax, a Lefty's Legacy', "If you look at pictures of Tom Seaver, Nolan Ryan, myself, the back leg is on the ground. You have to get your center of gravity low so that when you're throwing the ball, you're throwing it straight out, rather than down. You can't defy gravity."

What all baseball training coaches want their pitchers to do to create great pitching is: improve the mobility and rotational velocity of their hips and thoracic spine; increase their stores of kinetic energy and their ground reaction forces; and improve the coordination they have between their arms, torso, hips, and ball. Does standing tall and staying back facilitate this the best, or no? Maybe it all comes down to the individual; or, maybe many coaches are mistaken.

Chris Moheno has a long time passion for sports in general and for baseball coaching more specifically. His goal is to spread the word about effective non-fluff baseball training techniques for both more experienced and young baseball players, to help them perform better during the game.

Discover more about baseball training secrets on baseballtrainingsecrets.com

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

Nedco Sports Ebay Store
Visit the Baseball Coaching Digest for daily post and articles on every aspect of coaching baseball. The Baseball Coaching Digest Blog. Check out the Bat Action Hitting Machine baseball pitching simulator. This high speed training machine is 100% Guaranteed to raise Batting Averages and has a full year warranty. Check out Baseball2u.com/Coachesbest.com for all of your coaching and training equipment needs. Visit the Nedco Sports Ebay Super Store to purchase top quality baseball training equipment at discount prices.

Baseball Coaching Tips - Mind Games Between the Pitcher and Hitter!

Baseball Coaching Tips - Mind Games Between the Pitcher and Hitter!
By Larry Cicchiello

As you advance to older levels of play, you will find that many baseball hitters will play certain mind games with the pitcher and pitchers will do the same with hitters. Personally, I would NOT recommend getting involved in any mind games until the high school level of play or higher whether you are the pitcher or the hitter. One of the better baseball coaching tips to always remember is that playing good baseball requires clever use of the mind and not just the body.

Hitters will ask for a time out when you are getting ready to make the pitch to annoy you. This is not to say every time a baseball hitter does this he's playing a mind game but sometimes he is. They will wander away from the batter's box while you are kept waiting, hoping to annoy you.

If you are well aware BEFOREHAND that these things are definitely going to happen, it should be easier for you as a pitcher to deal with them. You know batters are going to do it so why let them accomplish what they want to do and let it bother you? If you do, it's a victory for the batter, isn't it?

As a pitcher, you too can play a few mind games with the batter. It is pretty much a proven fact that working quickly on the mound is beneficial to a pitcher because his fielders have to "stay on their toes." There simply isn't any time for their minds to wander. An added plus is that the pitcher is also sending an indirect message to the hitters that he is extremely confident and can't wait to throw the next pitch to them.

There are times however, when it just might be the right time to slow things down a little! When a very aggressive and anxious batter gets to the plate and it appears that he can't wait to hit, it may be a very good time to step off the mound and rub up the baseball. Hey, if the hitter likes things to happen fast, make sure you slow things down which is the exact opposite of what the hitter wants.

It may be the perfect time to talk something over with your catcher. You may want to motion for your catcher to come out to the mound for a chat. Tell your catcher that you simply are "fussing" with the batter and want to simply talk for a minute. Anything to keep the over anxious hitter waiting impatiently.

When I pitched, if a runner was on first base and a real good anxious hitter was up, I would make sure I came to the set position and would pause there for two or three seconds and then lob the ball to first base. I might do it a second or even a third time also.

I may pause in the set position on the rubber for three or four seconds and then step off the rubber. I could literally see the look of anger on the faces of some of these hitters. Many times these mind games will make the batter angry or very impatient at the plate and swing at pitches out of the strike zone!

Obviously, I would much rather have a hitter thinking about how annoyed he is with me instead of focusing strictly on his baseball hitting. That's a victory for me as a pitcher. Disrupting the batter's thinking means that I've won half the battle before it has even begun!

If you are involved in baseball coaching, just remember that mind games should NOT be played with younger players, who are just starting to learn the game of baseball.

Larry Cicchiello is the successful author of several very user friendly eBooks covering 320 topics on playing or coaching excellent baseball. ANY player, coach or parent who wants to help their child will be fully equipped! Check out some FREE baseball tips on hitting and FREE baseball pitching tips at LarryBaseball.com.

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

Thanks to our sponsors:

Hurricane Video


HurricaneMachine.com - Links

---15 Reasons To Buy a Hurricane Trainer
---6 Questions Often Asked By Customers
---Message to Parents From Coach Nick
---Hurricane Hitting Machine Drills
---20-Minute Hurricane Batting Practice Workout
---Hurricane Hitting Machine Video Demo Clips

Baseball2u.com has a one of the internet's largest selections of baseball coaching and training dvds.

Coach Loses Bet & Buys New Umpire Gear

Coach Loses Bet & Buys New Umpire Gear
By T J Andersen

Being an umpire must have its rewards because if you are going that route be ready to spend some money on umpire gear. I have never been an umpire, though I have coached at virtually level in the world of baseball. Somehow, I am good friends with several umpires and with all the arguments I've had with them over they years, this must be some sort of divine payback.

Last week I was paying off a friendly bet I had made with a long time friend of mine. He and I have been rivals for years, on the field mostly, and I was going to pay him by helping to upgrade his umpire gear. It was not my idea to lose, but like I said coaches do not like it when they are wrong.

My friend, Brice, is a much better baseball umpire than he was a player. Behind the plate he was alive, but he could not manage a hit and run situation if his life depended on it. Rather than be relegated to sitting on the bench, he decided to pursue the noble profession of a baseball umpire. There, he had found his home and his office of business was normally behind the plate in one of the most competitive conferences in the country.

Baseball runs in our blood, Brice and me, but too many times we found ourselves on opposite sides of an argument. We met in college and as I developed as a catcher, Brice was honing his skills as a Blue.

Recently, we found ourselves on the same field in a high school championship game and I'd promised to help upgrade his old fashioned umpire equipment if he did not blow one call. He promised to buy me dinner, a much better deal for him as I would find out. Agreed, you might not think this was a good bet on my part, but I have been around Brice and umpires like him for eons and believe me when I tell you this. They know when they make a mistake. Rarely do they not blow a call.

With the way the game is structured, umpires are like the Pope. They are infallible and once they make a call, even if they are wrong, this call is gospel. Umpires are trained like this and many carry this inability to be corrected in all walks of life. I knew Brice would blow at least one call. Many coaches might not catch the intricacies, but I would and i was already planning where we would have dinner.

In many ways coaches and umpires are alike. We do not ever expect or like to be wrong and when we are, obvious or not, we deny it, hide behind the cloak of our position and expect severance and understanding. Umpires don't argue like coaches. They do not have to, instead sliding behind the heavy veil of authority.

Brice and I met for a burger and in his hand was a catalog with the latest umpire gear. Like I said, I lost the bet, I have no idea how he got so lucky. Anyway, I was prepared to spend maybe $40 plus the meal, but when I saw the knowing smile on his face, well, I was not prepared for what was in store.

Did you know these chest protectors are now made out of some sort of armor plating? The one I saw in the book looked a lot like it belonged to the movie character, Iron Man. It must fit under the shirt somehow, because I have never seen an umpire with one visible.

$100 plate shoes? I mean it is not like steel plates covering the foot. I thought back to the game and my temper tantrum and umpire shoes. Did I mention that I lost the bet? Did I tell the circumstances? Oh, I will get to that part.

I winced at the price I was going to have to pay. He flipped to the umpire mask and explained about a new product called CoolMax, a fabric recently invented that draws moisture away from the body to increase ventilation. I can understand how this would be important in a chest protector, but in a face mask? Moisture control in baseball?

I thought back to the game and had to admit that although we had lost the game, Brice only had one questionable call. Lucky guy. It was a play at the plate which occurred when my worst hitter chopped a grounder in front of the plate with the bases loaded.

The catcher at the time, an excellent athlete, fielded the ball, fired to first and as he did my third base coach sent our runner to the plate. A good call because the runner on third had a good lead and was fast as all get out.

The call as he was sliding into the catchers domain was close, but it was obvious from the third base dugout he was out. This is because of a bullet relay throw back to the plate from first, a throw on the left side of the plate at knee level. All the catcher had to do was catch and hold on to the ball. This is not what curled my hair. Not this call at the plate, but the call before that.

I felt the ball was foul to begin with and this brought all my fury toward Brice. Felt? Heck I knew it was a foul ball. Chopped foul outside the batters box, then cleanly fielded after one bounce in fair territory. Brice made no call, did not have time, which was an indication the ball was in play. The opposing catcher did the right thing. He played the ball and did a great job doing so. Surely though the play would be called dead.

When I approached Brice, a locomotive gathering steam from the third base side, he was ready with an explanation. Mask off, he told me the ball was chopped in fair territory and that my angle of vision was wrong. It was obscured and I could not see what he saw. I responded by kicking as much dirt on his shoes as I could.

He would have thrown me out of the game had it not been over. We had lost by a run and I continued my barrage at the plate. Brice screamed right back at me, telling me I was wrong and had no idea what I was talking about. I responded again and kicked more dirt and his parting words were, "You are buying me a new pair, pal."

The film proved Brice right and as I sipped my beverage and leafed through the catalog, it was obvious my purchases would start with the umpire shoes. The face mask would also be mandatory for my poor behavior. I ordered more beverages and thought about my tirade. New umpire gear was going to cost me. Setting the catalog down, I remembered the incident like it just happened. My tab would be at least $200 for everything. I surmised that it was better than having to apologize. Being wrong can be expensive but you still do not have to admit it. Especially to an umpire.

TJ writes about what interests him and what he is passionate about. Visit his website at http://www.umpiregear.org which help people find the best umpire gear

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

Sponsor Links:



The BatAction Hitting Machine and the Derek Jeter Hurricane Hitting Machine are two of the absolute best batting trainers available today. These compact and self-contained hitting machines allow players to take full speed batting practice swings in indoors or outdoors with little space required. The high speed ball movement drills that these machines feature is known for developing incredible batting skill, bat speed and batter confidence.

Sports Psychology and Baseball Hitting Tips - How and Why to Relax at the Plate

Sports Psychology and Baseball Hitting Tips - How and Why to Relax at the Plate
By Jay Granat

The baseball season is about to begin and I already getting calls from parents, players and coaches who are concerned about hitting slumps.

Anyone who has played baseball for any length of time has experienced the frustration of an extended hitting slump. And there are many causes of these performance valleys.

Some of the causes are physical. A breakdown in mechanics, poor balance, poor technique, a moving head, a tight grip on the bat or an injury can contribute to poor performance by baseball players.

Some of the causes of hitting slumps are mental. A batter who has been hit by a pitch can be scared in the batter's box. A player who has been hitting poorly can lose his confidence. A batter who is worried about impressing his coach, his parents or a scout can become quite anxious. A player who is conflict with teammates may find it hard to hit to his potential. Similarly, a player with stress related to his or her life off the field can have difficulty concentrating when he or she steps up to the plate.

Also, it is important to understand that there are many relationships between the mind and the body where hitting a baseball is concerned. For instance, a nervous player is apt to grip the baseball bat too tightly. Likewise, a tense player is apt have difficulty turning on a pitch.

Interestingly, some people believe that our vision gets worse when we are tense and that it improves when we are relaxed.

There are many ways to relax one's mind and one's body before you get up to bat.

Players can learn relaxation techniques, meditation, visualization or self-hypnosis. Some players benefit from listening to music in the dugout or before a game. Others do some aerobics before they take the field as they find that this helps them to relax when they get up to bat.

Tension will work against you at the plate, so it is important that baseball players learn how to get very comfortable when they face the opposing pitcher.

Jay P. Granat, Ph.D. is a psychotherapist and the founder of http://www.stayinthezone.com. He is also the author of 101 Ways To Break A Hitting Slump With Sport Psychology And Self-Hypnosis. http://www.stayinthezone.com/shop-stay-in-the-zone.html?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=21

Dr. Granat can be reached at 888 580-ZONE.

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

Sponsor Links:
Derek Jeter Hurricane Hitting Machine Demo Video


Check out the Hurricane Hitting Machine: Derek Jeter Series:
Hurricane Hitting Machine - Homepage
15 Reasons To Buy a Hurricane Trainer
6 Questions Often Asked By Customers
Message to Parents From Coach Nick
Examples of Hurricane Hitting Drills
The Highly Acclaimed 20-Minute Hurricane Batting Practice Workout
Hurricane Batting Machine Video Clips
Derek Jeter Hurricane Hitting Machine

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

Coaching Baseball - Four Valuable Coaching Tools That Every Baseball Coach Should Own

Coaching Baseball - Four Valuable Coaching Tools That Every Baseball Coach Should Own

By Nick Dixon

First of all, let me say this is not a commercial or endorsement for a baseball training tool or product, although my company sells some of the best in baseball. This article is about 4 relatively inexpensive components that are valuable coaching tools that are available in your favorite mass merchant store. I feel that these components should be in the carry bag of every sports coach.

We all know and realize that productive practices do not happen by chance. The good practices are well planned and organized with specific practice time periods and specific skill drills. As a high school football and baseball coach with over 25 years of experience, I am 100% convinced that these four components can make any sport practice, at any level, more organized and productive. Those components are 1) a Stop Watch, 2) A Detailed Practice Schedule, 3) a Video Camera, and 4) Practice Cones or Markers.

How these four coaching tools improve the quality of practice and instruction.

1. Stop Watch - It is essential that every practice be divided into specific individual or team drill periods. A good stop watch helps keep everything on time and running smooth. It is recommended that time slots be kept shorter for younger age groups. Very seldom would a drill go over 10 minutes for youth teams.

2. Written Practice Schedule - Going on a practice field without a written practice schedule is like driving a car without a steering wheel. You can not conduct good practices without good planning and organization. The practice schedule is divided into time periods with specific team and individual drill. Taking the time to evaluate what the team needs most is extremely important. These written schedules should be kept and reviewed to see when various topics, fundamentals, and skills were taught and practiced. Each schedule outlines what drills are done, the time of the session, what players are involved, and what coaches are conducting the drill.

3. Digital Video Camera - As you have heard many times over and over, the "big eye in the sky does not lie". A saying that coaches use to emphasize that what you see on video is exactly the way it is. The video camera is a coaches best friend when it comes to teaching hitting, pitching and fielding fundamentals. Video filmed practice action shows players what they need to improve on or correct. Video play backs can also provide positive or negative feedback to reinforce coaching and teaching sessions. If they actions are wrong, they can see their mistakes. If their action is correct, they can see how well they performed. Players recognize and understand verbal instruction much better when they can see a video. Hitters can correct a flaw in swing mechanics much easier if they can actually see the mistake they are making. It is a good idea to video both individual and team drills for later review.

4. Plastic Practice Cones or Markers - These relatively inexpensive cones or markers are used to set up drills. They are orange in color and stack inside themselves to make this easy to store and carry. There are many uses that these can be used for. You can mark bunt zones. You are mark the "get to the line" spot for pitching fielding practice. You can use them to mark the path for a base runner to "fish hook" at first base on a ball hit through the infield. You will come up with many more uses as you plan your practices and workouts.

I hope this article has been useful to you. If you are looking for more articles on baseball, you may visit the Baseball Coaching Digest Blog and the Youth Baseball Clinic Blog. Both feature daily post and articles on all aspects of coaching baseball.

Players develop incredible bat speed and confidence when they regularly use the Derek Jeter Hurricane Hitting Machine. See it at http://www.HurricaneMachine.com. See the world's most advanced batting tee at AdvancedSkillsTee.com.

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

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

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

===Advertisement from our sponsor:=====

Baseball2u.com/CoachesBest.com is the ultimate online baseball training and coaching store. With over 1400 products organized into categories Baseball2u.com makes finding that baseball training product easy and simple. Order securely online or by phone. Baseball2u.com is a fully licensed company and has a full time staff available from 8:00 to 5:00 CST. Their toll free customer service number is 1-877-431-4487.

The Categories they have are: Baseball Training Equipment, Youth Baseball Training Equipment, Training Bats, Pitching & Throwing Trainers, Defensive Trainers, Batting Cages, Pitching Machines, Jugs Equipment, Game and Practice Baseballs, Protective Practice Screens and Nets, Portable Pitching Mounds, Baseball DVDs & Books, Clearance Items on Sales, BatAction Hitting Machines, Hurricane Hitting Machines, NEDCO Bataction Replacement Parts, SKLZ Hurricane Replacement Parts and Much Much More! Visit Baseball2U.com today!
LittleLeagueDigest.com
YouthBaseballDigest.com
BaseballCoachingDigest.com
BaseballParentGuide.com
AmericanBaseballDirectory.com
LittleLeagueLinks.com

Bat Rolling - The Truth About Detection

Bat Rolling - The Truth About Detection
By Brock Gibson

Everyone who rolls bats will let you know that bat rolling can't be detected; to a degree this is fact. Any type can be rolled and be undetectable; this statement comes with some exceptions. In about 90% of cases, rolling is virtually undetectable, even if a trained roller was to take it for examination. The other 10% would have issues with being undetectable.

When a roller says that bat rolling is undetectable they are not lying but they are not telling the entire truth either. As I said earlier all can be rolled with no detection. In order to do this the bats will not come even near to being entirely broken in. What that means is the pressure placed on the bat will be not enough to break up the resin. I believe some rollers are afraid of breaking them or are inexperienced and do not know how to properly roll. This is why they roll with less pressure. Some composites and all aluminum bats will have long flat spots along the length of the barrel after rolling. With composites, this is typically caused by low-grade composite material but can also be caused by too much stress. So the question remains what if I have one of these bats that rolling will leave roller marks? Answer: A good roller will create procedures that will work around this challenge. One of these tactics is parallel rolling. One can't successfully roll an aluminum bat with a perpendicular rolling machine. Let me say that again, "You cannot effectively roll an aluminum bat with a perpendicular rolling machine". This is where a parallel rolling machine is a necessity. It will efficiently roll the bat without leaving flat spots.

I can say the same thing about some composite bats. As I made the point in the second paragraph, a few composite bats are made of substandard material and perpendicular rolling can cause flat areas. Some of these composite bats include: 2009 or above Mikens and Worths, Easton Extended 2008, TPS, most youth fastpitch, and most youth baseball bats. This is not a complete list but it gives you an idea of some of the potential problems with perpendicular rolling. I mentioned that Mikens and Worths have this occur, this is not to say that they have low-grade composite but it definitely occurs with these bats. Again, this can be avoided with a parallel roller and an expert bat roller. So if these sorts of bats are rolled to there full capability in a perpendicular bat roller there will be flat areas. Again, there will be flat spots with perpendicular bat rolling.

Getting back to the original question, can bat rolling be detected? No, as long as you use a parallel bat rolling machine and an expert bat roller. I have personally sent 4 bats back to Easton and Miken that had been rolled and got my replacements. You will see bat rollers on Ebay trying to get your business with no real experience. You will see things like "we can roll bats 'Hot' or 'Super Hot'", what in the backyard nilly willy is this? You will find claims of 20-60 feet; rolling has only been tested to increase distance by 40 feet. You will see bat rollers who blame the bat companies for graphics coming off. Ebay is a proving ground for inexperienced bat rollers. What to look for: look at Ebay feedback, make for certain you get it done by a legit bat rolling company, and look for a bat roller who does both perpendicular and parallel. This will improve your chances of not receiving a detectable bat after bat rolling.

The Bat Rolling and Bat Shaving Authority BigDawg Bat Rolling

Rolled or Shaved Bats for Sale

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