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Baseball Drills - 5 Key Steps to a Great Swing

Baseball Drills - 5 Key Steps to a Great Swing
By Guest Author Bill Bathe

These are baseball drills that will make you a better hitter. I am often asked about what makes up a great swing. And what baseball drills can I use. As in baseball and in golf, you have to have some key elements in place for you to have a great swing. One that is consistent, repeatable, and powerful. So how do you accomplish this? I am glad you asked.

1-Good Balance.

You cannot have a consistent swing without the proper foundation in place. All the baseball drills in the world won't mean anything unless you have good balance. And this all begins with the basics. And the one that is dear to my heart and, in my opinion, is the most important component of the swing is balance. So how do you get balance? It begins with the right stance (I like feet parallel facing pitcher). Taking the right stride (weight on back leg and just gliding your front foot six to eight inches forward on instep). Weight is still back. After the stride, you take your swing, which I will get into later. At every point during your setup and swing, you should remain balanced. You should not be falling over or falling side to side. If you are, you have a balance problem and you need to constantly adjust it to get to the right balance point. Without balance, you cannot consistently have a repeatable swing or consistent approach on all the pitches. The fastball, curveball, changeup, and other pitches. Practice your approach constantly. Making sure you have good balance at start, during, and after swing.

2- Stride.

As I mentioned in the previous point, you need to have a consistent stride with proper weight distribution. You also need to be quiet with your front foot and not aggressive. What do I mean by this? Having a consistent stride with weight on backside provides you with a constant approach to the ball. One that is repeatable and one that you can build upon. Let me make a point quite clear. How can you develop your swing if you are off balance all the time, or always taking a different stride? The answer is you cannot. Ever wonder how the 300 hundred hitters stay consistent year after year? Because they have proper balance, the same stride, and the same approach to the ball. It does not matter if it is a fastball or curveball, because what they are thinking about is if it is a strike and in the zone they are looking for. Why? Because they have the repeatable swing, one that is consistent. Also, keep the front foot quiet as mentioned before. You want to stay quiet in your approach and see the ball.

3- Load.

What do I mean by this? It is a simple principle but often not used correctly. You have to go back before you go forward. As the pitcher is in his windup, you should be slightly coiling back or cocking your body. It is different for everyone and sometimes referred to as a triggering mechanism. It is all the same. As you cock or coil, your head should be staying still while your hands or arms are cocking slightly. You should also feel like your weight is really on your backside. I used to feel like I was sitting down in a chair on my right side. After the game, sometimes my right thigh and leg would be aching from putting so much weight and drive into it during the game. You need to feel like you are coming back before you can go forward. It does help you to make your swing consistent and powerful.

4- See the ball.

I cannot stress enough how important it is to see the ball. I am sure you have heard people say that the baseball was as big as beach ball. Or that they are not seeing the ball well and it looks like a golf ball. These are all terms to describe how they are feeling at the plate. If you have applied the above principles of balance, stride, and loading, then you should be seeing the ball just fine. Players get in trouble when they are out of sync and it is due to them not seeing the ball. One triggers the other. Not seeing the ball, over striding, too aggressive, bad balance, bad swing! If you are doing things properly and taking the right approach to the ball, then your swing should be short and sweet and you are not trying to do too much with it. Then you are locked in and you will be able to see the ball great. Which means you can wait on the ball and not be fooled by off speed pitches. There is not enough pages here to go into depth about the right approach to the ball, but I will cover that another time. You can always visit my website to learn more.

5- Strike zone.

If you do not know the strike zone, then how can you have a repeatable swing? You cannot. This is vitally important to being a great hitter, not a good hitter, a great hitter. You should know the strike zone inside and out. And then develop your swing by swinging at balls in the strike zone. Hitting is tough enough by itself, let alone trying to hit when you are swinging at balls out of the strike zone. Your goal should be to only swing at balls in the strike zone and in your area that you are looking for, once you have identified your area that you like. Example: looking for balls in the outer two-thirds of the plate.

One last point. You should be able to stride, stop your swing, and wait 5 seconds and then hit a ball off of a tee. If you are doing everything properly, by waiting 5 seconds, your balance should be fine and your weight and hands back.. You should still be able to take a good swing from this position. If not, keep practicing until you can. This simulates waiting on a curveball or changeup, and still be in a position to take it to right field. Keep practicing!

Bill Bathe - former major league ballplayer who played for the Oakland A's and S.F. Giants and played in the 1989 world series. Was tutored under such greats as Eddie Matthews, Billy Williams, Harmon Killebrew, and Dusty Baker to name a few. Website is http://www.pro-baseball-drills-and-equipment.com

You can also contribute to the forum at http://www.billbatheforum.com

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



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U.S. Baseball Academy Fielding Drill: March 3, 2010

At baseball games of any level, fly balls often drop to the ground between fielders unsure who is going to make the catch. Or worse, two fielders collide while going after the same ball. Here is a great drill to teach and reinforce defensive priorities in an effort to avoid both dropped balls and collisions among infielders and outfielders. USBaseballAcademy's Channel

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The Coach and Player Relationship in Baseball - It Can Make All the Difference

Joe Mauer Quick Swing Trainer - QuickSwingTrainer.com
The Coach and Player Relationship in Baseball - It Can Make All the Difference
By Guest Author: John Peter Pero

This weekend I played in a celebrity golf tournament with a Big League infielder with whom I did not know prior to the outing.

Truth be told, I was penciled in and looking forward to playing with a young 2-time All Star catcher but was switched and ended up spending the day golfing with another player, one who may possibly have more career behind than in front of him. What a break for me.

I first saw him as a young Big Leaguer and kind of figured him to be a career utility guy, a 25th man. He could swing it a little but probably was not seen as a long-term solution on anybody's Big League roster.

So here he is, as likeable and casual a fellow as you could hope to play golf with, and now a better than ever ballplayer.enough so that he recently signed a healthy free agent contract.

Without meaning to pry or step over any unspoken social boundaries, I was more than curious as to what made this kind of career difference ..the kind of difference that separates having a real job from having a dream job.a starting infielder for a contending National League ballclub!

I got two answers.

1. The first was from this fine young man himself when he soberly stated the difference was working out with his new hitting coach (after being traded from the team he grew up with - the team he subsequently left for a life-changing contract that would provide for his young family). It was this hitting coach whose teachings rebuilt a swing.and a career!

2. The second was when I placed a phone call to my mentor, a retired National League scouting director. His comments were brought up from the dusty memory vaults that long time scouts all seem to have.

Without missing a beat, this old scout pulled up his mental file of the when's and where's he first saw this player, his strengths and weaknesses at that young age.comparing those with his more recent observations.as if he were laying one over the other and putting them up to the light to check for differences.

He spoke about the mind and the mindset of this ballplayer; how hard he played, how he would grind it out, giving all he had to help his team win.night after night.

And the point is... Players need to find that coach who makes sense to them. Coaches need to constantly look for ways to get through to ballplayers.helping them to develop repeatable swings, throws and catches. I favor videos (now DVDs) to help me coach, and most video titles generally describe the content.

Whether it is the mind or the body we are working to improve, a connection between coach and player is paramount to success!

Skill alone will only take you so far. Remember, every pitcher throws 90 in the Show. Every Big League hitter has a certain amount of batspeed.but you need more than that to be the best you can be at all levels of play!

Without help.and without a plan.luck is what you have. And luck is nothing to bank on!

As my buddy Steve Springer says. "If this game wasn't mental, then every 1st rounder should play 10 years in the Big Leagues. But they don't. Somebody tell me why David Eckstein (a 19th rounder) was the MVP of the 2006 World Series? No, let me tell you...it's because he's one of the top 10 competitors in baseball!"

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Stretching is Fundamental For Baseball Training Programs

Stretching For Baseball Training
By Anthony J Pensabene

Remember your teacher from gym class making it mandatory to stretch for five minutes or so before each class? At the time, you may have thought that it was just a way for them to keep the class occupied for a few moments, but they were actually doing you a favor. Whether you are engaging in softball lessons, youth baseball instruction, or any kind of physical activity, it is vitally important to stretch first in order to avoid injury.

Baseball lessons always involve stretching because athletes playing the sport use their entire bodies to compete. What you may not know is that it is often suggested for athletes engaged in youth baseball instruction to stretch after competing as well. Stretching exercises should target all of the major muscle groups.

Youth baseball drills are headed by experienced instructors. Instructors specifically want to teach kids about baseball, but kids can learn healthy tips to use beyond baseball as well. Consider the following stretching tips provided during baseball lessons:

- Get a good stretch, but don't stretch to the point of discomfort

- The tight feeling in your muscles should diminish as you stretch

- Avoid holding your breath while stretching - breath into the stretch

- Hold each stretch for 10 to 30 seconds

- If tightness intensifies or you feel pain, then stop the stretch

- Shake your limbs before stretching them

- Complete 2-3 stretching exercises on a certain area before moving on

Stretching is just one additional component kids can learn when engaged in baseball training programs. Such programs are designed to also teach children how to work in a team; work towards achieving goals; facilitate self discipline; and much more. Ask your kids about joining baseball or softball camps for the summer. In addition, many areas offer on-going clinics all year long.

ZonedInc (http://www.zonedinc.com) is a New Jersey-based baseball and softball facility offering camps, lessons, batting practice, pitching practice, and more opportunities. Our company and staff is committed to providing a healthy outlet for kids which focuses on learning good lessons to use in sports and throughout life.

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

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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

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Baseball Coaching Digest: Recommended Articles

Coaching Baseball - 4 Things the On-Deck Batter Should Always Do and 4 Things He Should Never Do

Baseball coaching is teaching the big and little details of the game. Every position or location on the field requires a player to observe and to be aware of what is happening. Many young batters on deck often do no pay attention to what is happening. They are often guilty of looking into the crowd or even talking to someone through the fence. On-deck batters that do not closely observe the pitcher and the catcher are missing a greatly opportunity to "scout" the opponent.

Baseball Pitching - Coaching Pitchers to Succeed by Starting With the Basics

The coaching of baseball pitchers does not require a degree in "pitchingtology". There is no such degree to my knowledge. I just made that up. My point here is that coaching baseball pitching is not rocket science. However, having a basic knowledge of the terms and mechanics is a must.


Coaching Baseball - 12 Things That 3rd Base Coaches Should Say to Baserunners

Fewer things in baseball are more embarrassing for a young baseball player than to make a base running mistake that cost his team a run. Some of the most devastating and demoralizing mistakes in baseball are made by baserunners at 3rd base. When a runner gets to third, the team momentum and confidence is increased. The team and the player, and the fans feel like they are going to soon score a run. But, to have that chance of scoring removed by a blunder by the runner or coach can take the momentum completely away from the team.

Coaching Baseball Pitchers - The Use of Visual Anchor Points For Curve-Ball Accuracy

The skill of throwing a good curve ball accurately is a skill that must be taught and coached. Teaching curve ball control and accuracy is vital to a pitcher's success at any level. Here I discuss the method I use to teach and coach our high school pitchers to vary their curve ball location and to accurately control the spot to which the ball will break.


4 Baseball Pitching Drills For Little League Players

Teaching, training and developing young baseball pitchers takes a lot of time, patience, and practice repetition. Many young pitchers need to practice pitching skills daily. To keep the interest level high, it is best to use a variety of drills on alternate days to prevent boredom. Here are 4 baseball pitching drills that can be used to train youth and beginner pitchers.

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Mental Training and Goal Setting

Mental Training and Goal Setting
By Nate Barnett

Each year I work with teams of youth baseball players in teaching them the values of the mental game of baseball. Just as there are skills needed to develop the physical side of the sport, there are skills necessary to build the mental side of the game as well. Unfortunately, teaching the mental game is a bit more difficult to teach because the results aren't necessary visible as quickly. Let me assure you however, if you have goals of playing baseball at the collegiate level or above, you will need a sold mental game if you are going to excel.

One of the first things I teach kids is set proper goals. This usually sounds a bit dry and boring, but it's important that a game plan is created in order to form a path to follow as an athlete. There are three important steps involved in setting goals that are functional. Broad goals, process goals, and action habits. Let me explain those below.

If we are talking about a season to season focus, broad goals are essentially what you want to accomplish by the end of the season. These should be something you can measure like batting average, fielding percentage, stolen bases, etc.

Process goals are the middle level of goal setting. There are the things you need to solve or improve upon in order to accomplish your broad goals. They should be specific as far as the things you are going to do daily, but they should be areas in your game that need immediate improvement. So let's say you have a season goal of hitting .400. A process goal would be to improve on your ability to hit off speed pitches. Or, it could be that you need to work on what pitches you choose to swing at.

The last part of this goal setting process is your daily action habits. These are the day to day things that you will do to get better at accomplishing your process goals. Using the example from above, if you process goal is to get better at hitting off speed pitches, your daily action habit might be to spend 15 minutes in the batting cage working on hitting a curveball. Whatever you choose to make it, it should be something that has a time frame attached to it.

Nate Barnett is owner of BMI Baseball designed to improve the mental game of baseball in athletes. Come download a free ebook on dealing with failure and the mental game of baseball.

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Baseball Drills - The Value of Learning Multiple Positions

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By Nate Barnett

It seems to me that when the topic of trying a new position is brought up to many young athletes, they cringe in disgust. Playing multiple positions well is out of the question in their minds. They have their one or two positions and that's it, period. If you work with some athletes of that mindset, the following might be worth sharing.

During our pick-up games when I was growing up, we played as many positions as we could in the field. When it came time for our coaches to work on defensive baseball drills in practice there were always multiple players who could play different positions in the field. Because of that willingness to try a new spot, the perceived value of each of those multi-position athletes continued to rise with each new position learned.

Here are a few observations I've picked up:

1. Right-handed players have a greater ability to work into new positions as compared to lefties.

2. There are more baseball players playing the game in America now that there ever has been.

3. There are more international players entering the Major Leagues today than there ever has been. Assuming the points above are accepted, and assuming most serious athletes want to play high school baseball or above (college and then professionally) here are the responses that must be taken into consideration by any athlete.

Since there are more right-handed athletes in the game than lefties, there is naturally more competition defensively at every position. Because of this increased competition, the percentage chance of an athlete being able to move on to the next level decreases dramatically if he only understands how to play one position well.

The population in America as well as the value placed on athletics has continued to rise in the past couple decades. There are countless reasons for this, none of which will be discussed at this point. I will just assume you will buy into this statement at face value. Therefore, by simply taking raw numbers, there is more competition for the same positions at the upper levels of the game.

Finally, it is no secret that there are more players from the international community being selected for professional baseball teams in the United States. Because of this, the sheer number of athletes competing for roughly the same amount of positions has increased. This effectively places lower value on an athlete who only understands how to play one position very well.

What amount of time and importance should be placed on learning multiple positions well? It should be a focus and concentration of all defensive baseball drills, workouts, and practices. The advice I give is to get good at multiple positions in the event that an amazing athlete comes along who plays your spot.

You'll want another spot to fall back to or you'll fade away from the game.

Nate Barnett is owner of BMI Baseball designed to improve the mental game of baseball in athletes. Learn how to help your game by improving the skill of mental baseball

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Three Great Training Packages From Jugs Baseball Equipment

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Major League Hitting Drills

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Article Title: Major League Hitting Drills
By Jack Perconte

Major league hitters have very advanced swing fundamentals, which explain how they made it to the major leagues. However, it is important to note that fundamentals are fundamentals. The drills that are designed for little league players are the same drills that major league players perform. There are numerous baseball hitting drills with the best drills being the ones that address the particular hitter's needs. Every hitter, from the major league player to the little league player, has a weak part of their swing. When this weakness is known, hitting drills can be geared towards addressing those areas. Working on correct fundamentals is a continual process for major league players as it is for youth ballplayers.

When I played major league baseball, the off season was the time where I was more concerned with getting in great shape by gaining quickness and strength. I was not as concerned with timing the ball as much as in season. With this in mind, preseason was spent performing drills on the batting tee and with soft toss drills. The important body parts that major league baseball players want to get in shape are their hands and core muscles, including the stomach and hips. With this in mind here are a few major league hitting drills that ballplayers practice to get their hands and hips in shape.

1. One arm drill - hitters will take swings using only one arm with a lighter bat or by choking up on their regular bat. This drill will force them to use the muscles in their fingers, hands, wrists and forearms so that they develop the strength and quickness necessary to hit major league pitching. It will also help them develop the correct swing fundamentals of each hand separately. It is recommended that players take more swings in this manner with their weaker arm.

2. Another popular major league hitting drill is the self-flip drill. With this drill, players will begin by holding the bat with their lead arm only and flip a ball up in the air with their rear hand. The ball should be flipped no higher than eye level and in the hitting zone, at which time the hitter grabs the bat with both hands and hits the ball. This drill develops quick, strong hands and requires a good fundamental swing to hit line drives.

3. Fast hips can be developed with the quick swing drill. Players will swing five times in a row forward and backward as fast as they can. Players should be sure to finish their swing to the middle of their back before they reverse the bat as fast as they can. This drill can also be done with a partner who flips five balls in a row to the hitter, releasing each ball when hitter returns to hitting position. This drill will also help overall balance, which is another key ingredient to a good baseball swing. (See following drill)

4. Balance beam drill - players stand on a balance beam and take swings at game speed, with the goal of completing the swing while staying on the beam. An example of this drill and of making a usable balance beam can be found in my book, "The Making of a Hitter."

As the season begins, major league baseball players tend to work on timing and vision drills. This is mostly done with correct batting practice habits with flip drills from the coach or regular pitched balls from a batting practice coach. Good hitters will always try to hit the ball where it is pitched in the strike zone and try to watch the ball hit the bat at contact. They will not swing at pitches outside the strike zone. Following are a few more major league hitting drills that also help hitters:

5. Back knee pickup drill - hitters swing and pick up their back knee, allowing it to rotate towards the pitcher with the swing. This drill develops hitters' front side and weight transfer as they will have to keep their front shoulder going towards the ball as their weight transfers. Both of these are necessary for good contact and power.

6. No stride drill - hitters take their regular swing without the initial stride. Many hitters get in trouble when they jump at the ball. This major league hitting drill will allow them to stay back and rotate instead of lunging at the ball. Doing this drill after the previous drill is a good idea.

It is important to note that using a batting tee for taking productive swings is a must for all serious ballplayers. The batting tee is an important device for major league hitting drills as well as for young baseball players. Coaches and hitters should consult instructional manuals or a good hitting coach so they know how to use a batting tee for the best results. All hitting drills can be done on a batting tee and will help groove a perfect baseball swing. Hitting balls solidly and on the line is always the hitter's goal, whether hitting in a game or with hitting drills.

Former major league baseball player, Jack Perconte gives baseball hitting tips and batting practice advice for ballplayers of all ages. His baseball hitting lessons 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 parenting blog can be found at http://positiveparentinginsports.com

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Coaching Baseball Pitchers - The Use of Visual Anchor Points For Curve-Ball Accuracy

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Coaching Baseball Pitchers - The Use of Visual Anchor Points For Curve-Ball Accuracy
By Nick Dixon

A normal bullpen for our pitchers is 25 to 45 pitches depending on the time of year, weather conditions, and arm conditioning. We always make sure that our pitchers are in good condition and their arms are well conditioned before we start bullpenning our pitchers. Their arms must be strong before we start working or practicing throwing the curve ball.

I am assuming that everyone knows the 4 basic elements of safely and effectively throwing a curve ball.

1) Proper grip.
2) Proper wrist action.
3) Same arm speed is used as all other pitches.
4) A proper downward shade-pulling arm action that pulls the arm downward giving the ball the desired spin and achieving the proper arm finish.

NOTE: Curve balls are thrown with with the use of a proper grip and wrist action. Young players that have not been shown the proper mechanics will try to use elbow action to throw the curve ball. This is the basis of all arguments against youth-curve-ball-use. Failure to learn the proper and safe techniques for throwing the curve ball pitch can and will result in serious injury to a players arm.

With that being said, I would like to cover how we use 4 different visual anchor points to change the look of our curve balls. Anchor points are simply spots or visual reference points that our pitchers concentrate on and throw to the curve ball break to the desired plane. The ability of a pitcher to throw to 4 different visual anchor points or targets gives the pitcher 4 different break planes for his curve ball.

The anchor points we use are:

1) Batters Hip - This pitcher should break to the middle of the strike zone and is used to get a called strike. Good first pitch. This pitch must have a good downward bite.

2) Umpires Mask - This pitch should break to the outside corner of the plate. This pitch should be thrown as a strike. This pitch must have a good downward bite.

3) Catcher Mask - Depending on where the catcher is set-up, this pitch can finish on or off the plate. We are trying to throw a pitch that breaks off the outside part of the plate. This pitch should be a difficult pitch to hit even if the batter is expecting a curve ball.

4) Catchers Shoulder Away From the Batter - This is a great out pitch. It must be an impossible pitch to hit. The pitch must break at least a foot off the plate.

COACHING POINT: There may be a time when you need to throw or waste a pitch in the dirt. You throw this pitch in hopes that the batter will chase a bad pitch. The anchor point we use for this pitch is the mitt. Another important point is that practice throwing to these points out of the stretch and windup deliveries. When a pitcher is using an anchor point, the pitcher should focus and concentrate on that anchor point through the whole delivery just as if it was the mitt. This system may not work for everybody. I hope that you find this information useful. Good luck until next time. Nick Dixon

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