Choosing The Best Pitching Machine

Expert Author: Bill Ryan

A good pitching machine will improve your batting average considerably. Add a top notch batting cage and you have a winning combination.

Before you think about pitching machines, you have to find a batting cage. The top of the line batting cages should have very good quality pitching machines. If they don't, go somewhere else.

If you can't find any good batting cages or there are none available in your area, you might want to look at buying them. The upfront investment can be rather significant but if you are serious about baseball they can reap you a lot of dividends.

If you decide to purchase a pitching machine, you may want to consider the following:

1. As noted earlier, the pitching machine must allow you to easily change or adjust speed and types of pitches. It want help you if all you get are fast balls when in a real game there will be curves and sliders as well.

2. Anything mechanical will need to be repaired or parts replaced. Assess the warranty information for the pitching machine before you buy.

3. Go online and find out what the product ratings for various pitching machines are. This will help you narrow down your choices considerably and make your return on investment that much greater.

An owners manual is an invaluable document when maintaining your pitching machine investment. Follow the maintenance instructions and cover your new pitching machine with a tarp when not in use.
See pitching machines, and baseball equipment for invaluable product information, ratings, reviews, and prices. Bill Ryan is author on many baseball topics and baseball fan.

CoachesBest.com - Your online source for pitchign machines and batting cages.

Looking for Cheap Batting Cages? Here's some Basic Advice

By Jason Gluckman

Cheap batting cages can be found in a number of places. One option is to look in your local newspaper for garage sales or in the ads under sporting equipment for sale. Garage sales would probably be a good place to look for smaller, cheap batting cages. It might also be possible to buy cheap batting cages from a school or recreation facility during an equipment upgrade.

Another option for finding cheap batting cages is to look online. Many sports equipment dealers have web sites, as well as individuals who are selling their sports equipment on the Internet, many of whom will be able to offer good deals. However, you should be careful that you obtain a warranty or guarantee on the item you are purchasing, especially if the item is used. If the item is of lesser quality than you were led to believe, it will be necessary for you to have a means to return it and get your money back.

Even used batting cages typically cost hundreds of dollars, but discounts may be available if you build one yourself. If you’re interested in making your own batting cage, pipe for the frame can be purchased at a hardware store and netting can be purchased from a sports equipment dealer. You can purchase complete batting cage kits online, with varying prices, depending on the size and quality of the cage. Instructions for putting together your own batting cage are usually fairly simple. In addition, you will experience the satisfaction of having built something impressive and useful with your own handss

Batting Cages Info provides detailed information about batting cage equipment and indoor, outdoor, portable, and tunnel batting cages for sale. Batting Cages Info is the sister site of Trampolines Web.

Buy your next Batting Cage for Less at BattingCagesDirect.com

Batting Cage Nets and Frames Terms and Descriptions

By Nick Dixon

The Batting Cage Nets and Frames are the two main components needed to have a quality batting cage setup. The choice of which batting cage net and netting material to buy is the most important decision you must make. You have basically two choices in netting materials, NYLON and POLYETHYLENE.

When it comes to Batting Cage Nets and Frames, and the materials used to make each, it is best to keep things simple. The most important thing for you to know is the following fact, "If your batting cage is going to be an indoor batting cage, buy a Nylon batting cage....If your batting cage is going to be an outdoor batting cage, buy a Polyethylene batting cage."

Now I could blow smoke and talk over both of our heads in scientific terms and fancy long words. But, I would rather keep it simple, sell you exactly what is best for your needs and your budget, and have you as a lifetime customer.

The netting facts in a nutshell are:

NYLON - Nylon makes a great net if you can keep it out of the rain and weather. The net itself is extremely durable and resistant to ball abrasion. However, It does not make a good outdoors cage material because it absorbs water, stretches, and tends to mildew and rot when exposed to moisture.

POLYETHYLENE - "Poly" as it is known, makes a great outdoor batting cage material because it is extremely weather-proof. Poly batting cages nets do not absorb water, do not rot, and they are lighter in weight, so therefore the batting cage frame does not have to be as heavy-duty as those used with Nylon cages.


Batting Cage Nets and Frames Packages Offer the Customer the best alternative when it comes to saving money and doing your own batting cage construction.

Baseball Parent Guide
Baseball Coaching Digest
American Baseball Directory
Baseball 2Day Coaching Journal
BatAction.com
Coachesbest.com
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Batting Cage For Sale at BattingCagesDirect.com

BattingCagesDirect.com has your batting cage for sale for home, team and school use. We specialize in complete cage and frame packages for home use that provide you with a complete cage setup at one low price. We also have your batting cage for sale without frames and all types of screens and custom nets. Order securely online or by phone. 1-877-431-4487. Our friendly staff will be glad to help you any way they can. Our office hours are 8:00 to 5:00 CST.

Purchase a Batting Cage Only After You Have Considered These 12 Things. There are some basic points that you must know before you buy a batting cage.

Baseball Swing - The Best Way To Hit A Curveball

By Nate Barnett

Good curveballs are tough to hit, period. The best piece of advice I can give for becoming a good curveball hitter is to become a good fastball hitter. Let that sink in for a minute.

Youth pitchers love to experiment with different pitches. Most never get to the point where those pitches can be really truly be called pitches. Most are experimental throws that once in a while find the strike zone. Because of this, pitchers will always revert back to the most reliable pitch, the fastball. So for those of you who are having a tough time with your baseball swing on curveballs, don't worry, a focus on hitting fastballs is your ticket.

I know at first this may seems like I'm suggesting that you run from a problem that will surely come back to bite you later on in your career. This is hardly the case. Here are some truths based upon observation of the baseball swing.

1. The majority of hitters prefer hitting ahead in the count (1-0, 2-0, 2-1, 3-1).

2. The majority of pitches thrown on those counts are fastballs.

3. The majority of hitters far prefer hitting a fastball over a curveball.

4. The majority of pitches thrown in a game are fastballs.

Based on the above, it's far more valuable to get VERY good at hitting the fastball hard when it's thrown in your hitting zone. The more you maximize this skill, the less you have to worry about finding yourself in "curveball counts" where the advantage is more for the pitcher.

While focusing your attention on the fastball is important and your first priority, totally ignoring working on offspeed pitches is not recommended. The single best way to make sure you are putting yourself in the best position for hitting a curveball (other than what has been explained above) is to make sure your lower body mechanics are solid and that you can keep your weight back as you swing.

About the Author

Nate Barnett is owner of BMI Baseball http://bmibaseball.com and is based out of Washington State. His expertise is in the area of hitting, pitching, and mental training. Coach Barnett's passion is working with youth in helping expand their vision for their baseball future. After finishing a professional career in the Seattle Mariners Organization, Nate pursued his coaching and motivational training career. His instructional blog is located at http://bmibaseball.com/blog

His new FREE ebook, Toxic Baseball: Are you polluting your game? can be found on the main BMI Baseball website.

Hitting 101, an ebook on complete hitting mechanics will be released by June 1st, 2008. Features include numerous illustrations, video clips, and a special offer to discuss your hitting questions over live on the phone strategy sessions.

Baseball Hitting Drills: Using Small Baseballs to Improve Hitting Skill

By: Nick Dixon


Hitting a baseball has often been described as the most difficult task in all of sports. It certainly is a skill that requires a great amount of practice to master. Great hitters are not born, they are made. They have a love for the game, they live to hit, and they never grow tired of hearing the reaction of the fans when they drive one off the wall in left-center for a stand-up double. Players at every level including high school baseball, college baseball and major league baseball must commit themselves to a regiment of daily batting practice if they are to maintain their swing and stay at the top of their game. What gives the great hitters the ability to perform so well under pressure and to dominate their game? What is the one common trait of all great hitters other than a great swing? The answer can be found in their eyes. The great hitters have the ability to focus. They have the ability to see the ball better, to pick it up quicker out of the pitchers hand, and to track it into the zone and off the bat.

Batting practice with Small Baseballs is a proven method of improving the ability of a batter to see and focus on the baseball. The small ball concept has been around for decades. The theory is simple, if you practice hitting a ball much smaller than a baseball, then when you actually are hitting a real baseball, it will look bigger and easier to hit. I was skeptical about this movement when it first came about in the early to mid nineties. But, firsthand experience has made me a believer. I purchased 6 dozen small baseballs last season for my players to use in batting drills and the batting cages. I must admit, I had visions of the small baseballs flying through the netting of our batting cages. That concern proved to be unmerited. During months of use and thousands and thousands of batting practice swings, I never witnessed a single small baseball pass through the net.

Players are always receptive to new ideas and concepts. My players are always eager to see what I come up with next. As the inventor of the hitting stick, BatAction Machine, Hit2win Trainer, and ZipnHit, I often use my team practices to experiment with new ideas and concepts. The players loved the small baseball on first sight. I basically gave them access to them to use in our daily batting cage workouts.They quickly developed their own routine and drills. They quickly adopted a 3-stage progression during their daily batting cage workouts. They used the small baseball in two of our 6 mini-cages. When they hit the small baseball, they would take 12 swings with a Livewire brand training bat, a small barreled bamboo bat. Then they would take 12 swings with the Sweetspot brand training bat. Then they would finish with 12 swings with their regular metal batting cage practice bat. After hitting the small baseballs, they would use regular sized baseballs in the batting cages, taking 48 swings in 4 sets. So the small balls acted as a warm-up or prep work before their regular batting cage workout with regular batting cage balls. The small baseball performed great. Soon, all of our hitters used then on a daily basis. The use of the small baseball greatly improved eye focus, batter concentration, and most of all, it improved batter confidence. There was normal wear and tear on the small balls because they were sometimes used in cage with bare cement floors. If you are looking for a new twist to add to your daily practice routine, I highly recommend small baseballs. I am sure that you will see and experience the same benefits that I did with my team.

The CoachesBest Baseball Store has SMALL BASEBALLS at discount prices. 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, the "Hit2win Company". Dixon is also an active and full time high school baseball coach with over 25 years experience. Dixon is widely recognized as an expert in the area of baseball training, practice and skill development. Coach Dixon is better known as the inventor of several of baseball and softball's most popular training products such as the Original BatAction Hitting Machine, SKLZ Derek Jeter Hurricane Hitting Machine, Original Hitting Stick, Hit2win Trainer, SKLZ Target Trainer, SKLZ Derek Jeter ZipnHit Pro, and Strikeback Trainer. Dixon is also a contributing writer for BaseballCoachingDigest, the Baseball 2Day Coaches Journal, Batting Cage Builder, the American Baseball Directory and the Hit2win Baseball Coaches Monthly Newsletter. Dixon has 5 blogs related to baseball training including the BaseballCoachingDigest Blog, CoachesBest Training Blog, Hurricane Machine Training Blog, Batting Cage Buyers Blog, and the Bat Action Training Blog.

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

How to Improve Your Baseball Hitting Simply Thru Practice

Author: Jack Elliott

Much like everything in life, you get better at things the more times you do them. Baseball Hitting is no different. For this reason, the best baseball hitting advice anyone can give you is to practice your swing. Mickey Mantle was said to swing the bat at least 100 times a day right handed and then do the same left handed. Also, modern day players like Barry Bonds are said to swing the baseball bat 500-1000 times a day. If this strategy works for the pros, it can also work for you.

How to implement this Baseball Hitting Strategy:

1. The best strategy is to divide up the swings throughout the day. After you get up in the morning, take 25 cuts batting from the right side and then take 25 cuts batting from the left side. (It does not matter if you are not interested in switch hitting, practicing swinging from both sides will allow you to develop your muscles more fully.
2. Depending on what your schedule will permit, you can either take another 25 cuts each from the left and right side at lunch or just after school gets out.
3. Then, take 25 cuts from each side right before or after dinner.
4. Finally, take 25 cuts from each side right before bedtime.

Over time, you will see your strength grow and should develop a more natural swing. Also, as you get stronger you can increase the number of overall swings. This is an excellent Baseball Hitting Strategy to follow.

From here, you can incorporate this repetition principle into other aspects of your Baseball Hitting routine. For instance, if you do not already practice your swing by hitting off a tee, it is a good idea to acquire a basic hitting tee and a bucket of wiffle balls. The cost is minimal as these two items can be purchased for under $65, but the benefits to your Baseball Hitting can be quite large. A Hitting Tee affords you the opportunity to practice your baseball hitting of inside and outside pitches. For example, if you have difficulty hitting outside pitches, you can set your self up away from the tee so to practice hitting outside pitches. Over time, you will see your skill improve because of the repetition principle.

You want get into the habit of practicing your hitting 5-6 times a week. One caveat: as you start to increase your batting swing repetitions, you will begin to develop blisters and calluses on your hands. This may initially seem like a bad thing; however, these really are badges of honor. They show you are putting in the work on your swing. There is an old expression in baseball hitting circles which says practice until the blisters bleed. Once you develop hardened calluses on your hands, you will be able to keep increasing your repetitions.

Bottom line is do not let a lack of access to a batting cage prevent you from practicing your swing. It should not matter whether you have access to a batting cage or not. In the end, all you really need is a baseball bat and a strong desire to improve.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/baseball-articles/how-to-improve-your-baseball-hitting-simply-thru-practice-421141.html

BaseballCoachingDigest.com

Baseball Coaching and the Importance of Goals For Team and Player Motivation

By Nick Dixon

There are very few volunteer jobs more challenging, time-consuming or rewarding than being a coach in your local league. There are many four letter words used by coaches that I can not use here. Here I want to discuss the 4 four-letter words that can and will determine the amount of success a coach has during the coming season. The four words are Goal, Plan, Work and Time.

Today the four letter word is G-O-A-L:

The Definition of the word Goal is a simple goal can do wonders to drive a baseball toward success. When you set a goal or goals, you accept the challenge to achieve the goal set. With that challenge comes a commitment and responsibility. Setting goals can improve the focus of the team, bring members and staff closer, and unite the groups in a common cause.

If you have a goal or goals to work for, your season will be like a journey to no where. You must set team goals. The setting of goals should be a team effort. It is suggested that team goals be set during a team function, away from the field. Have a team swim party, cookout, and party soon after the draft. Let the parents and players meet each other and the staff. Then let the players suggest what team goals they see as important for the approaching season. The goals should be set before a single practice or workout. The goals should be written down. It is always a great idea to make each player a printed list of the goals. Take a picture at that first team meeting. Use office publisher to make a sheet having the team name, logo, picture, team roster and the list of the team goals. You may also want to put a team motto on the bottom of the sheet.

The players should post the "Team Goal Sheet" in their bedroom. It is also recommended that a few team rules be included on that sheet.

It is suggested that you often mention your team goals during team practices and games. Use the team goals to motivate your players to focus on the practice activity being done at the present time.

It is always a great idea to have a post season meeting to discuss and review the team goal sheet with the team goals that the team set before the season began. You will briefly discuss the goals not met and why your team came up short on them. You will not single out players, plays, or games. You will briefly mention that if you had worked harder, these goals may have been reached.

In this post season meeting you will mostly discuss the great things done and the goals set and met. You should tell the team how proud you are for the team accomplishments. You may also discuss the hard work and great performance level that led to the achieving of these goals.

You may want to give the players a second Team Sheet with the goals achieved, team record, team photo, roster, and maybe a quote or motto you want them to remember in the off-season.

Suggested team goals:


Win the League Championship
Go Undefeated
Score at least 7 runs each game.
Hold the opponent to 3 runs or less each game
Have a team batting average of .375 or better.
Have perfect attendance at every practice.

Suggested team rules:


Never throw an object in disgust.
Never walk on the field.
Never be late for practice.
Answer the coach with a Yes, Sir or No Sir
Never question an umpires call.
Never sit or lay down on the field during timeouts.
Properly warm-up before every practice and game.

Suggested Team Slogans:


Expect to WORK...Expect to WIN!
A Season with a Reason
There is no I in TEAM
Work More, Win More
Work Like a Champion

The CoachesBest Baseball Store has a great selection of BASEBALL HITTING, COACHING and TRAINING DVDs

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

Nick Dixon is the President and founder of Nedco Sports, the "Hit2win Company". Dixon is also an active and full time high school baseball coach with over 25 years experience. Dixon is widely recognized as an expert in the area of baseball training, practice and skill development. Coach Dixon is better known as the inventor of several of baseball and softball's most popular training products such as the Original BatAction Hitting Machine, SKLZ Derek Jeter Hurricane Hitting Machine, Original Hitting Stick, Hit2win Trainer, SKLZ Target Trainer, SKLZ Derek Jeter ZipnHit Pro, and Strikeback Trainer. Dixon is also a contributing writer for BaseballCoachingDigest, the Baseball 2Day Coaches Journal, Batting Cage Builder, the American Baseball Directory and the Hit2win Baseball Coaches Monthly Newsletter. Dixon has 5 blogs related to baseball training including the BaseballCoachingDigest Blog, CoachesBest Training Blog, Hurricane Machine Training Blog, Batting Cage Buyers Blog, and the Bat Action Training Blog

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

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BattingCagesDirect.com

Teaching Baseball Batters to Use Hip Movement and Leg Leverage to Generate Power

By Nick Dixon

When you watch several elite baseball batters hit the ball, you quickly see some common traits. The great high school, college, and pro baseball players all generate incredible power with the lower body, legs, and hips. A good baseball swing incorporates the hips and lower body into the swing. Most of batting power is generated by the hips and the leverage created by the front leg. How many times have you heard the following "That batter swings with all arms, and has no power"?

The amount of hip movement or turn is always determined by the pitch's location. We all know that a hitter that "turns on everything" is setting himself up to be a victim of "soft stuff away". And a batter that cannot turn on pitches and that has problems catching-up with the fast ball will be a victim of pitchers working on the inner half of the plate.

A batter will not use the same amount of hip turn with every swing. Some pitches we hit require more hip turn than other pitch locations. The closer the pitch is to the batter, the more hip turn allowed. How do we teach a young batter to use the hips? How do we teach a young player to vary the amount of hip turn with various pitches? We teach young players to visualize that the belly button has an eye in it. The hips should always turn the required amount to allow the "eye" in the belly-button to see where the ball went when it came off the bat. The batters hips turn completely when an inside pitch is pulled. This full hip turn allows the belly button to "see" the ball go to left field. The hips will turn less when a ball is hit to center field thus allowing the "belly button eye" of the batter to see the ball hit over second base. When the ball is hit to the opposite field, the hip turn is limited to allow the belly-button to see the ball go to the opposite field.

This technique is simple, but effective to teach young players how much hip turn they should have on each pitch location.

COACHING POINT: The proximity of the batter to the plate can cause major problems. If a batter is too far off the plate, the other third will belong to the pitcher. If the batter is too close to the plate and the batter has limited bat speed, the inner third may belong to the pitcher. The general rule is that the batter should tap the bat on the outer black of the plate when stepping into the box to insure that all pitches over the plate can be reached. If a batter has two strikes, the batter needs to move closer to the plate so that the pitch slightly off the plate can be reached. This is especially important if the umpire has shown a tendency to call the pitch slightly off the plate a strike.


For more BatAction Hitting Machine drills, tips, and coaching information visit the BatAction Training Blog. 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.

The BaseballCoachingDigest.com has a great collection of baseball articles. 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 the Baseball Dealz Super Store on ebay. Buy your baseball training equipment at discount prices.

Nick Dixon is the President and founder of Nedco Sports, the "Hit2win Company". Dixon is also an active and full time high school baseball coach with over 25 years experience. Dixon is widely recognized as an expert in the area of baseball training, practice and skill development. Coach Dixon is better known as the inventor of several of baseball and softball's most popular training products such as the Original BatAction Hitting Machine, SKLZ Derek Jeter Hurricane Hitting Machine, Original Hitting Stick, Hit2win Trainer, SKLZ Target Trainer, SKLZ Derek Jeter ZipnHit Pro, and Strikeback Trainer. Dixon is also a contributing writer for BaseballCoachingDigest.com, the Baseball 2Day Coaches Journal, Batting Cage Builder, the American Baseball Directory and the Hit2win Baseball Coaches Monthly Newsletter. Dixon has 5 blogs related to baseball training including the BaseballCoachingDigest Blog, CoachesBest Training Blog, Hurricane Machine Training Blog, Batting Cage Buyers Blog, and the Bat Action Training Blog.

3 Drills That Make Batting Cage Work More Productive

Batting cage batting practice is a great way to improve batting skill, bat speed and batter confidence. Coach Dixon discusses three Hitting Drills That Make Batting Cage Work More Productive. The three drills are the MOVE UP, COUNT ADJUSTMENT and LINE DRIVE CONTEST. These drills are great ways to get maximum benefits from your baseball teams batting cage workouts. The three drills are:

Move Up Batting Drill

Purpose: Used to improve bat speed, visual concentration, and batter confidence.

Description: The MOVE-UP hitting drill: The batter learns to see and hit the ball quicker out of the machine or batters hand. Before the drill begins, 4 spots are marked on the floor, in measured distances of 40, 35, 30, and 25 feet. The machine or pitcher should maintain a safe medium speed velocity during this drill. The accuracy of your pitching machine must be checked and rechecked during the drill for safety purposes. The spots are the locations at which the batter will take a certain number of swings. The batter hits 4 balls at each spot and then move closer to the machine or pitcher at the next spot.

Procedure: The batter hits 4 to 6 balls at each spot, then moves to the next spot closer to the machine or pitcher. The machine or pitcher should not deliver the next pitcher until the batter assumes a proper stance, triggers or loads to the proper launch position, and has visual focus on the pitcher or machine. The batter starts the drill at 40 feet and hits at all spots until he has hit 4 to 6 balls at each spot, ending with ball hit at the closest spot to the pitcher, 25 feet. Distances can be shortened or made longer to meet the needs of your players.

Coaching Points: Sometimes you may have the player hit two balls at each spots moving toward the machine and then hit two balls at each spot moving away from the machine, until two balls are hit at each location or distance. This process makes the batter adjust to varying changes in pitch speed. This drill is great for teaching batters to stay-back and let the ball in.

Count Adjustment Drill

Purpose: The drill is great for teaching young hitters to make adjustments in their approach at the plate based on the current count. Batters learn to be properly aggressive for the following counts or situations 0-0, 2-0, 0-2, 3-1, runner at 3rd with 1 or less outs, and hit-in-run.

Procedure: We have 5 batting cages at our facility. Batters are always hitting in all cages. In a normal situation, the players would be hitting every pitch that they can reach to a location based on the pitch location. To change the approach, a coach calls a count such as 2-0. For the next two pitches, the batter will be properly aggressive as he would with that count in a game. Of course in this situation, the batter is looking for a pitch in that perfect spot. If the ball is at that anticipated location, the batter attacks, the ball. If the ball is not in that spot the batter will hold off the pitch and adjust to the new count of 2-1 or 3-0. If the coach calls, Runner at 3rd, the batter is looking for a pitch up to drive deep enough for a score or tag and score. The batter will try to lift the ball and drive a deep fly ball to the outfield. If the coach calls, Hit-n-Run, the batter will execute a hit-in-run approach at the plate.

Line Drive Contest Drill

After a session of batting cage workouts, we often end the day with a line-drive hitting contest. An assistant coach will do the pitching. The coach is protected by a L-screen. The player should only swing at great pitches. The contest is to see which player hits the most line-drives in a row. A line-drive is a ball that hits the side walls, back wall, or pitchers L-Screen hard and directly off the batters bat. The hit ball can not touch the top of the cage in front of the pitching protective L-Screen. As long as the batter hits line-drives with each swing, the batter continues to bat and his TOTAL COUNT increases. This drill tends to put pressure on the hitters making them learn to hit under pressure.

The CoachesBest Baseball Store has a great selection of BASEBALL HITTING, COACHING and TRAINING DVDs

Check out BattingCagesDirect.com for top quality batting cages at discount prices. They specialize in complete batting cage kits with net and frame included for one low price.

Nick Dixon is the President and founder of Nedco Sports, the "Hit2win Company". Dixon is also an active and full time high school baseball coach with over 25 years experience. Dixon is widely recognized as an expert in the area of baseball training, practice and skill development. Coach Dixon is better known as the inventor of several of baseball and softball's most popular training products such as the Original BatAction Hitting Machine, SKLZ Derek Jeter Hurricane Hitting Machine, Original Hitting Stick, Hit2win Trainer, SKLZ Target Trainer, SKLZ Derek Jeter ZipnHit Pro, and Strikeback Trainer. Dixon is also a contributing writer for BaseballCoachingDigest, the Baseball 2Day Coaches Journal, Batting Cage Builder, the American Baseball Directory and the Hit2win Baseball Coaches Monthly Newsletter. Dixon has 5 blogs related to baseball training including the BaseballCoachingDigest Blog, CoachesBest Training Blog, Hurricane Machine Training Blog, Batting Cage Buyers Blog, and the Bat Action Training Blog.

Coaching Baseball Hitters: Three Common Hitting Flaws

1. "Hitch" In The Swing
PROBLEM:
Batters that have a "hitch" in their swing often have difficulty hitting the fastball. They often get "jammed" and are often late on medium speed pitches. The batter is not "triggering" correctly. The batter is dropping the hands before taking them to the "power position" or what is often called the "launch position". This lowering of the hands causes the batter to be late to the strike zone.
SOLUTION:
Take the hands slightly up and then back rather than dropping them.


2. "Locking" The Front Arm
PROBLEM:
The batter "locks" or straightens out the front arm when the hands and bat are taken back to the "power" or "trigger" position. This flaw causes the batter to be late starting the swing. It also cause the the bat speed to be too slow and increases the bat's distance to the ball. Locking the front arm also often causes premature wrist roll.
SOLUTION:
Keep a bend in the front elbow. Keep the hands together and working together. Keep the hands close to the body and do not take them back so far that front arm flex is lost.

3. Overstriding
PROBLEM:
Overstriding is a common mistake. Batters that often get "jammed" may be in fact causing their own problems by overstriding. Overstriding causes the batter's head and eyes to drop often causing the batter to "loose" the ball during the swing. Tracking the ball visually is made very difficult. The batter's overstriding can also cause the swing to be long. A batter's wide feet that are too wide tend to prevent hip involvement during the swing.
SOLUTION:
Batters should use a short or a "no stride" approach. A short stride of 3 to 6 inches is often enough. In fact simply picking the front foot up and putting it back down is all the stride that is needed.

AdvancedSkillsTee.com

Choosing The Best Pitching Machine

Choosing The Best Pitching Machine
Author: Bill Ryan

A good pitching machine will improve your batting average considerably. Add a top notch batting cage and you have a winning combination.

Before you think about pitching machines, you have to find a batting cage. The top of the line batting cages should have very good quality pitching machines. If they don't, go somewhere else.

If you can't find any good batting cages or there are none available in your area, you might want to look at buying them. The upfront investment can be rather significant but if you are serious about baseball they can reap you a lot of dividends.

If you decide to purchase a pitching machine, you may want to consider the following:

1. As noted earlier, the pitching machine must allow you to easily change or adjust speed and types of pitches. It want help you if all you get are fast balls when in a real game there will be curves and sliders as well.

2. Anything mechanical will need to be repaired or parts replaced. Assess the warranty information for the pitching machine before you buy.

3. Go online and find out what the product ratings for various pitching machines are. This will help you narrow down your choices considerably and make your return on investment that much greater.

An owners manual is an invaluable document when maintaining your pitching machine investment. Follow the maintenance instructions and cover your new pitching machine with a tarp when not in use.
See pitching machines, and baseball equipment for invaluable product information, ratings, reviews, and prices. Bill Ryan is author on many baseball topics and baseball fan.

CoachesBest.com and baseball2u.com have one of the internet's largest and most complete selections of batting cages and pitching machines.

BattingCagesDirect.com

7 Keys to Building Good Work Habits in Young Baseball Players

Today the four letter word for baseball coaches is W-O-R-K: Working and learning to work are one of the vital elements required in the building of a successful baseball team and program. In baseball coaching work and baseball playing involves a lot of things. Work is practice. Work is hustle. Work is execution. Work is commitment. Work is being focused. Work and knowing the value of work may be the most important thing that you will teach your players. A player can have all the talent in the world, but if that player is not willing to work hard to develop that talent, the player is destined to be an underachiever.

Work is what allows a player, a team, and a coach to reach their maximum potential in the game. Every player has the potential to be great at something in the game! Hard work is the key element that will determine a the level of success a player will have later in life. Learning to work hard is a life skill that every youth player can benefit from. We all know of players that we played with or that we coached that had great God-given abilities but terrible work habits. They refused to push themselves to greatness. They would always spend more time looking for a way to get out of work, than actually working. They were simply lazy. They did not have the drive. It made no difference what the coach did, what the parent did, or what their peers said, they simply did not have the focus and commitment to work hard. These underachievers always come to their senses but it is always too late. When they look back to the good old day, they always say that wish they would have worked harder. A common saying of underachieves is that if they only had known then what I know now, they would have pushed themselves harder and made themselves work harder.

Players and coaches must understand the value of hard work. Anything worth having is worth working for. You must work hard. The assistant coaches must work hard. The players must work hard.

What are the keys to teaching players to work? Here are 7 keys to building good work habits in young players:

1. Praise
Praise the player when work is done. Instant positive feedback can serve to motivate players to work harder and harder. You should always correct a player when he does something incorrect. But when you do verbally get on a player, always find a reason to pat that kid on the back later. Keeping a balance between corrective criticism and praise is a valuable skill every coach must learn. Always try to send the players home on a positive note with a positive frame of mind.

2. Fun
The kids must enjoy practicing, playing and spending time together. If going to the baseball field feels like going to the dentist, they are going to lose interest and drive. When they lose interest and drive, they will stop working. Plan your practices with a variety of drills and activities to prevent boredom from setting in. Always include a couple of competitive games or drills to make the practice as fun as possible. I am not saying make your practice all fun game and play-time. I am just suggesting that you plan and organize your practices to include as many fun and motivating activities as is practical.

3. Discipline
Team discipline and player self discipline are two crucial elements for having a successful season. Players should be expected to have a high level of self control and follow all team rules. One important team rule is always showing respect to coaches and adults on and off the field. You can be firm and still keep a fun and comfortable atmosphere.

4. Role Model
The players must see their coach work. Kids can sense when a coach practices what he preaches. Do not expect a kid to work for you if you do not work for him.

5. Short-term Goals
Setting a goal for a drill or workout activity will often motivate players to put forth more effort. Have the goal be something simple and have the reward instant.

6. Long-term Goals
Setting team goals for the season is an important tool to improve player mental focus and to add value to the work done at practice.

7. Individual Goals
If you have a gifted player that is more advanced and skilled that most of the other players on the team, you may want to have each player set 3 individual goals for the season. Have players set a target batting average goal, a goal of stolen bases, a goal of a number of base hits or such. Such individual goals often can motivate players to work harder than ever.

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THE 5 AREAS OF HITTING by Barton's Youth Baseball

THE 5 AREAS OF HITTING by Barton's Youth Baseball


STANCE: BALANCED. Legs should be a little wider than shoulder-width apart, feet slightly pigeon-toed. You want the knees flexed with the weight centered on the insides of the feet. The knees will slightly bend in toward each other, actually knock-kneed. GOOD ATHLETIC BALANCE is the primary objective.


GRIP: "Standard" grip recommended with middle (knocking) knuckles of both hands aligned on bat. Lay the bat down in the fingers across the callus line, not back in the palms. The goal of the standard grip is to achieve greater quickness and bat speed, thus "throwing the head of the bat at the ball."


HAND PLACEMENT & BAT ANGLE: Hands should be aligned so that the top hand on the bat sits at the same height as the rear shoulder, approximately 3-6 inches from same rear shoulder. Rear elbow should be down at a natural 45-degree angle**. The front elbow should also be down, pretty much even with the back elbow. The bat should sit at a 45-degree angle also, with the knob of the bat pointing at the opposite batter's box. This is where all proper swings originate from (launch position) regardless of their starting position, with the bat lying in the same plane as the pitched ball. Starting here eliminates unnecessary movement needed to get here during the swing.
** NOTE: ELBOWS SHOULD NOT BE UP!!! When the rear elbow starts up, it must come down in order to hit the ball, creating an uppercut. The swing then tends to get underneath the ball, creating a pop-up or complete miss. When a hitter has an uppercut, the bat is not in the strike zone for very long.


INWARD TURN & STRIDE: Begin the swing by actually moving back, gaining strength walking away from the hands), before going forward. Tuck the front shoulder, hip and knee in, about 3 inches. Hitter gains strength, speed and quickness, along with the opportunity to time the pitch. This also forces the hitter to keep the front shoulder "tucked" for a longer period of time while coiling; seeing the ball better before uncoiling through the ball. Stride should be only about 3-6 inches, at a 45-degree angle toward the plate, with the batter landing lightly on the inside of the big toe, with body weight still balanced through the middle of the body, not leaning forward or backward. Overstriding is very undesirable. "Slow feet create fast hands, while quick feet disrupt balance and slow the hands down!"


THE SWING: Head completely turned toward pitcher, square to the ground with both eyes level and focused on the release point of the pitcher. The swing begins from the waist down. After completion of stride, the heel of the front foot touches the ground, officially starting the swing. The hips begin their release with the hitter rolling up onto the ball of the back foot and rotating the back foot toward the pitcher ("squishing the bug"). The back hip rotates toward the ball so that eventually the rear knee, the waist and the belly button are ALL facing the pitcher. The hips should rotate, not move up and out. You are now ready to swing the bat in a downward plane through the strike zone leading with the bottom hand. Lead with the knob of the bat, pointing toward the ball, with the barrel up higher than the hands (bat angle), keeping the hands inside of the ball. Avoid early arm extension (sweeping or casting). Keep the head DOWN. Hitter's chin rests on front shoulder, while looking at pitcher, prior to initiating swing. Head stays there during the swing, down on the ball, with shoulders rotating around head, until chin ultimately ends up on rear shoulder at completion of swing. The final part of the swing concerns the follow-through. Hitter wants to be accelerating as much as possible at point of impact with top arm forming an "L" with palm facing up, driving the barrel THROUGH the ball with both hands on the bat, extending arms AFTER point of impact, with hands ending up behind the lead shoulder. At this point, both the knees and the belly button should be directly facing the pitcher.

Barton's Youth Baseball - Great source of coaching tips.

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Coaching Baseball - Two True Base Running Blunders That Teach a Lesson

By Nick Dixon

We all know the importance of good base running. We know that "solid" base running scores runs and wins games. We also know that poor base running can easily cause a team to lose a game. The following two stories are true stories of base running mistakes that cost the team a win. All the team had to do to win was to have the base runner advance to the next bag. These two stories are great stories that you can tell to your players to teach young players two important rules of base running:

1) Always hustle and run everything out and never assume anything when you are running the bases.

2) On a game winning base hit, always advance to and touch the next bag.

Coaching Baseball Base running: The stories of two base running mistakes that teach a lesson

It was a high school game. The home team was batting, down 3-1, with bases loaded and two outs. The #6 hitter, with average speed was at third, #9 hitter, a fast runner, was on 2nd and lead-off hitter, a super speedster, was on 1st. The count was 3-2, with bases loaded and all three runners were moving on the pitch. The #2 batter was the batting for the team trailing by two runs. He was expecting a fastball on the outer half of the plate that and he got "all of it"! He ripped a hard line drive right at the second baseman. The second baseman leaped into the air and the ball hit his glove. The batter seeing the ball go into the glove immediately slumped in disappointment about a 3rd of the way to first. He goes down to his knees with his face in his hands. He was basically "feeling sorry for himself". In the meanwhile, he was unaware that the ball went completely through the webbing of the glove of the second baseman and landed 15 feet behind the fielder. The second baseman had to go get the ball and make the throw to first for the out. The second baseman was quick as a cat so it did not take long. The batter realized what had happened, tried to beat out the throw, but was out by a step at first base.

However, if the batter had he been running, he would have been easily safe at first. The saddest fact of all is that the runners on 3rd and 2nd scored easily what would have been the two tying runs. Plus, the runner at 1st, the super speedster, crossed the plate during the play to score what was the winning run. But, the team lost the game. If the batter had simply run the ball out, his team would have won the game. A hard lesson learned and one that will never be forgotten.

The Great Base running Mistake in Baseball History

The following is the story of what is commonly called Merkle's Boner. It is the most costly mistake ever made by a baseball player running the bases. It happened in September of 1908, in NY City. The Cubs were facing the Giants with the pennant on the line. Each and every game was a must-win situation. The score was tied 1-1, in the bottom of the 9th inning; the Giants had runners on the corners with two outs. Fred Merkle, a 19 year-old rookie, was the runner on first. The next batter lined a single. The runner at third came home. It appeared to be a Giants victory, they had won the game and taken the lead for the pennant, and the cheering fans swarmed the field.

Merkle looked toward home plate and saw his teammate cross the plate. Merkle was startled as he saw the huge crowd pour out of the stands and onto the field. In his excitement, he simply stopped half-way to 2nd base. Thinking the game was over, Merkle sprinted off the field. But, he had forgotten an important rule of baseball; he did not go touch second. With him on first, there was a force out at second if the defense can get the ball to second base before he touches second base. The Cubs retrieved the ball, went and touched second. The game was declared at tie because order could not be restored because the fans could not be removed from the field. The two teams went on to finish the season in a dead tie for the pennant. They had to play a one-game playoff. The Cubs won and went to the World Series. One loss, the loss, that day knocked the Giants out!

Merkle was never forgiven by the NY fans for that blunder. He went on to have a solid career of 14 years and a lifetime average of 273. However, everywhere he went he always was reminded by fans of his terrible mistake on that day of his rookie season. This is a major league mistake that will always be called, Merkles Boner.
I hope these two stories are useful to you. I appreciate your interest and you taking the time to read my writing.

The CoachesBest Baseball Store has a great selection of BASEBALL HITTING, COACHING and TRAINING DVDs. Check out BaseballCoachingDigest.com for more great articles on coaching baseball.

Nick Dixon is the President and founder of Nedco Sports, the "Hit2win Company". Dixon is also an active and full time high school baseball coach with over 25 years experience. Dixon is widely recognized as an expert in the area of baseball training, practice and skill development. Coach Dixon is better known as the inventor of several of baseball and softball's most popular training products such as the Original BatAction Hitting Machine, SKLZ Derek Jeter Hurricane Hitting Machine, Original Hitting Stick, Hit2win Trainer, SKLZ Target Trainer, SKLZ Derek Jeter ZipnHit Pro, and Strikeback Trainer. Dixon is also a contributing writer for BaseballCoachingDigest, the Baseball 2Day Coaches Journal, Batting Cage Builder, the American Baseball Directory and the Hit2win Baseball Coaches Monthly Newsletter. Dixon has 5 blogs related to baseball training including the BaseballCoachingDigest Blog, CoachesBest Training Blog, Hurricane Machine Training Blog, Batting Cage Buyers Blog, and the Bat Action Training Blog.

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

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The Experts Guide to Baseball Training

Author: jimmycox


Batting or putting the wood to the ball, is the key to the success or failure of the ball club and the individual.

There is no great mystery about what makes a boy a good hitter. He has to have:

1. A certain amount of natural ability
2. A mastery of the fundamentals
3. Confidence in his ability to hit

The phrase natural ability covers a great deal. It means strong arms, wrists and hands; quick reflexes, good coordination, perfect eyesight and speed afoot.

Regardless of how much natural ability a boy has, however, he will not hit as well as he should if he does not master the fundamentals and believe in his ability to hit the ball as it comes through the strike zone. Self confidence, of course, stems from success. Moreover, success in batting comes from practice. The following text describes the mechanics of hitting as they apply to ball players in general. By following the principles involved, the well coordinated boy could easily become the batting star of his team; the average boy could certainly become a better than average hitter.

In learning about batting there are some key points you will need to know. These include areas of

The Stance
The Stride
Arm and Hand Positions
The Swing

The stance required depends on the side they favor. If a boy is right handed, he should turn his left side to the pitcher; the right side if left handed.

The body should be fairly erect and relaxed with the weight distributed evenly on both feet. The hips and shoulders should be level. The feet should be shoulder width apart with the toe of the front foot even with the instep of the rear foot. When the ball is being delivered, the batters heels should be up slightly, his knees flexed slightly.
The stride covers how the call should be hit. As the ball is being delivered to the plate, the batter should raise his front foot just above the ground and slide it forward (toward pitcher) about six inches. This step, a critical part of hitting, begins what is generally termed timing. All other movements that are a part of batting flow from it.

Practice with this formula:

Ready?

Step and twist.
Back to starting position.
Again, step and twist. Back.
Step and twist. Back

Arm and hand positions coordinate with both the stance and the stride. Right handed batters: place your left palm against the front of your right shoulder, little finger down, thumb up. Move the left hand forward about six inches and make a fist.

Left handed batters: place your right palm against the front of your left shoulder, little finger down, thumb up. Move the right hand forward about six inches and make a fist.

The elbow of the arm that is now extended across the body should have almost no bend in it and there should be no strain on the arm. This is the arm and hand that guide the bat through the swing. The opposite arm and hand provide the power.

Make a fist with the Power Hand and place it on top of the Guiding Hand.

Raise the elbow of the Power Arm so it is level with the top of the shoulder. There will be some strain there. Drop this elbow slowly until there is no strain. The elbow of the Power Arm should come to a stop about two inches below the top of the shoulder.

Keep elbows and hands away from the body!

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Batting Cage Lighting

By Jason Gluckman

Batting cages are used by softball and baseball players to improve their ability to hit the ball. Both indoor and outdoor batting cages need lighting for night practice. Indoor batting cages are used in climates where seasonal weather does not permit such activity.

Lighting fixtures have become more than just a means to gain light. They are standard equipment capable of causing significant improvement in style and performance. Lighting fixtures are available in various models, and a model that suits the batting cage can be selected. Some manufacturers of batting cages also provide lighting. Do-it-yourself kits containing electrical equipment and other accessories for batting cage lighting are also provided.

Halogen lamps are usually used for batting cage lighting. A batting cage needs distributed, bright lighting. Today, we use a technologically advanced lighting grid calculated by a computer and aligned by lasers that disperse clean, white light throughout the batting cage. Shadows are kept to a minimum and the ball is clearly seen. Indoor and outdoor batting cages need separate models as the mode of lighting differs.

There are many types of batting cage lighting. If you are interested in conserving energy, you can purchase low-voltage batting cage lighting. Solar light is a cost-efficient method used in batting cage lighting. Solar panels present in solar lamps store energy during the day and at night light up the lamps using the energy saved. The position of light is also an important feature in batting cage lighting. Accurate practice is possible only if the area in the cage is fully covered by light. Low-voltage lighting does not need a professional to install the lighting system.

Voltage is an important factor in lighting a batting cage. While selecting lighting devices, the voltage at which they work is taken into consideration. A means to ward off insects that interfere with night practice should also be employed.

Batting Cages provides detailed information on Batting Cages, Indoor Batting Cages, Outdoor Batting Cages, Batting Cages Equipment and more. Batting Cages is affiliated with Cheap Baseball Tickets.

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A Dozen Things That I Feel Every Youth Baseball and Youth Softball Batter Should Remember When the coach gives the runner or runners a steal sign get

A Dozen Things That I Feel Every Youth Baseball and Youth Softball Batter Should Remember

When the coach gives the runner or runners a steal sign get deeper in the batter box. This extends distance for the pitch coming in and the throw by the catcher. This slight movement may give the runner a little more time.

Read This Article at BaseballCoachingDigest.com.