BaseballCoachingDigest.com - Free articles for the baseball coach, player or parent

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The BaseballCoachingDigest.com has many categories of baseball coaching articles. Here are a few for you to check out.

Ø Baseball Team Coaching and Managing Tips

Ø Baseball Practice Planning

Ø Coaching Hitting

Ø Coaching Pitchers

Ø Coaching Defense

Ø Coaching Base Running



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Coaching Little League Baseball - Two Batting Videos on Youtube that You Can learn From

Coaching Little League Baaseball - Two Batting Videos on Youtube that You Can learn From




For more information on the BatAction Machine visit BatAction.com.

Hello and good Wedenesday morning to you. We begin our 2009 summer baseball camp today. I just hope the weather cooperates. Here are two hitting youtube links that I recommend that my players watch. T think that you will find these useful also.
Have a great day,
Nick


http://youtube.com/watch?v=P1a_T1SKqzM&feature=related

http://youtube.com/watch?v=SkWysSw9HOs&feature=related




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Coaching Little League Baseball - Situational Pitching - Squeeze Play Situation

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Coaching Little League Baseball - Situational Pitching - Squeeze Play Situation - By Nick Dixon

We often hear the term "Situational Hitting", but just as important is "Situational Pitching". Knowing what to throw and when to throw it. Here are three examples of situational pitching.
"HIT and RUN Situation" - Most often occurs with the batter ahead in the count and no outs. The most common counts are 1-0, 2-0, and 2-1. The pitcher should know when to expect the "HITand RUN" and keep the ball inside on the hitter to prevent the pitch from being driven to the opposite field.

----------------------

"DOUBLE PLAY Situation" - The most important point to remember is to keep the ball down. One of the greatest plays in baseball is the inning ending double play. It is not advised to throw a change up or curve ball in a double play situation.

"SQUEEZE BUNT Situation" - There are many things to know and remember in this situation. Here are suggestions on how to have a "pitching approach" when the squeeze bunt may be on.

RIGHT-HANDED HITTER:
1. Throw the pitch either "UP and IN" or "LOW and IN".
2. The pitcher should not try to hit the batter, but if the batter is hit, the runner must return to third base.
3. It is more difficult to bunt the low pitch than the high pitch.

LEFT-HANDED HITTER
1. Throw the ball outside. The pitch is actually a pitch- out.
2. Make sure the pitch is "UNTOUCHABLE".






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Correct Batting Practice Methods For Little League Baseball Teams

Good Friday Morning to You.
I hope all is well with you and your team.
Here is a great article by Marty Schupak that I found beneficial and informative. I hope that you find it useful also.
Have a great weekend!
Nick

Correct Batting Practice Methods For Little League Baseball Teams

By Marty Schupak
In my eighteen years of coaching youth baseball, I am always looking for the most efficient practice methods for every aspect of baseball. It took me only a few years to realize that most youth baseball coaches and myself were running batting practice, not incorrectly, but not efficiently. From what I have seen with the typical batting practice, a coach will pitch a predetermined number of balls for each batter with the fielders fielding the hit balls and throwing them to first base. Usually the coach will yell something like “run the last one out”, and the batter does just that. If the ball is an infield hit, they try to throw him out at first. If it is hit into the outfield, he usually runs until he is thrown out. This is all well and good intentioned, but it is wasting valuable time when a coach wants to run an efficient practice.


Here is the most efficient way of running a batting practice that I’ve come up with. First of all, let me say this. Batting practice is just what it is, batting practice. Batting practice is not fielding practice or base running practice. So all youth coaches and parents should really define what a youth batting practice is and what they want to get out of it.

Most of my youth practices do not run more than one hour. Every minute of wasted time will affect all other aspects and time of any other drills or techniques I want to accomplish. The first thing a coach needs to have is an over abundance of baseballs. The league will provide baseballs but I always make sure I purchase a few dozen extras. I try to work with three-dozen and keep an extra dozen in my trunk. And don’t think I’m not frugal accounting for every baseball at the end of practice. I try to make sure we find each one, and after practice, we comb the field to make sure we got them all. Usually we find extras and end up with more than what we started with.

Now, here is the actual logistics and set up that I do about 95% of the time I run batting practice. I’m a big proponent of bunting. I set up two cones on the third base line, about six feet apart, approximately where the bunt is suppose to go. I set up two empty buckets, one about three feet behind second base and the other one at the far base of the mound toward second. I have another bucket with the baseballs on the mound easily accessible to me. Now, this is a key. As a youth coach who wants a well-run practice and a lot of repetitions for the kids, I move up almost to the front base of the mound to pitch. I do this mainly so I can throw strikes consistently. For safety purposes, an “L” screen would be required from a shorter distance for safety. If your league doesn’t have any, make them get them.

I have the first person up at bat with the 2nd and 3rd player ready to go. I have the 3rd hitter (or double on deck hitter) on the outside of the screen hitting balls on a batting tee using pickle balls (plastic) or wiffle balls with another parent feeding the balls on the tee. I always have the number 2, or on deck hitter, ready to hit.

The batter bunts the first to pitches. For each successful bunt, the player receives an extra swing. I usually give a player five swings besides his two bunts. So if a player lays one bunt between the cones, he get six regular swings. If he lays both bunts between the cones, he gets seven swings (the maximum per hitter). Now, there are certain things that have to happen to make this work. Remember there are two buckets strategically located. After the bunts, when the hitter swings away, wherever the ball is hit, the fielder tosses it into the bucket closet to him. If it is hit to the outfield, he will throw the ball as close to the bucket behind second base. If he hits it to the infield, the fielder will toss it to the bucket behind the pitcher’s mound. Reinforce to the players that they must toss to the bucket on one or two bounces or they will tend to play basketball with the baseball and bucket.

Now the point here is that the fielders do not make a play to first and the hitter does not run the last one out. We get more repetitions in a short period of time. The players are always facing the hitter. One might ask, isn’t this boring for most of the players in the field? Well, not really. Because of the amount of balls hit in a short period of time, the ball is usually hit all over the place. And the coach throwing batting practice will keep one or two extra balls in his glove and is ready to pitch the next ball right away. When out of baseballs, have the players in the infield hustle to gather up the balls, combine buckets, and we’re ready to go again. This works great!

Batting practice is a favorite of any baseball player at almost every level. Do not deny batting practice at any practice. And always look for the most efficient, safest procedure to help enhance your whole practice.

http://www.YouthSportsClub.com
http://www.VideosForCoaches.com

Marty Schupak has coached youth baseball for 18 years and is the video creator of "The 59 Minute Baseball Practice", "Backyard Baseball Drills", "Winning Baseball Strategies", "Hitting Drills & Techniques" and author of the popular book, "Youth Baseball Drills". He is a principle for Videos For Coaches and is also President of the Youth Sports Club, a group dedicated to making sports practices and games more enjoyable for kids.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marty_Schupak

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Baseball Training Product - The Advanced Skills Baseball Tee

Baseball Training Product - The Advanced Skills Baseball Tee



1. The forward arm eliminates "dipping" or dropping the hands and trailing shoulder to lift the ball with a "looping" type swing. If you "dip" with the AST, you hit the back of the arm. It forces you to take the bat straight down to the ball, leveling the swing at the point of contact.

2. The forward arm also pivots and rotates to place the ball on the inside or outside of the strike zone. Then, the arm points in the direction to drive the ball based on pitch location (i.e. pull the inside pitch, go with the outside pitch to the opposite field . . . "Hit the ball where it's pitched").

The outside barrier eliminates "casting". It keeps you form swinging "long" and helps you "keep the hands inside the ball". If the bat or arms are extended prematurely the bat head will slap the flexible upright barrier post. For years coaches have set a tee adjacent to a fence or screen to force hitters to compact their swing. The outside barrier does the same thing except it is a lot more effective. It rotates around the tee to accommodate LH or RH hitters and it moves along with the forward arm to help you keep the hands "tight" when you are working on inside and outside pitch locations. With the outside barrier you are forced to rotate the hips and torso and extend the hands only at the point of contact. It produces a "quick" bat and more power too.

The outside barrier can also be placed to the rear of the AST. This will further eliminate a level swing plane and force a shorter more direct swing path to the ball. This will also teach hitters to get more backspin on the ball.

You can even add an outside barrier to make the Advanced Skills Tee the most complete batting tee on the market. Simply slide on an extra barrier to develop the quickest, most powerful and compact swing possible. Eliminate casting and dropping the hands all in one workout!



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Batting Cage Kits – “Build Your Backyard Batting Cage For Less”

Batting Cage Kits – “Build Your Backyard Batting Cage For Less”
By Nick Dixon

Batting Cage Kits can be a great option to choose when you build your own batting cage. If you are on a limited budget or wish to save as much money and time as possible, using a kit is your best choice.

A batting cage kit contains everything you need to build your batting cage including the net, the frame, all hardware, and easy-to-follow instructions and everything is shipped directly to your home or business. Using a batting cage net and frame kit will definitely save you time, money, and a lot of headaches. Building a batting cage is a project that takes careful planning, organization and work.


Here I outline the basic steps to using a batting cage kit to install your backyard batting cage.

Step 1 – Set your budget. You can purchase a batting cage kit for almost any budget. The amount of money you spend will determine the size, weight, and features of your new batting cage.

Step 2 – Pick your spot. You must first decide where you want to install your new batting cage to be located. The chosen site must be level ground and well drained. Step 3 – Access your space. Step off your chosen backyard batting cage spot to determine the amount of space you have. You need to determine the amount of width and length you have to work with. This will determine the length and width of your batting cage. Height should not be an issue unless you are installing your cage inside with a ceiling.

Common sizes of cages are: 70’ L x 14’ W x 12’ H 60’L x 12’ W x 12’ H 50’L x 12’ W x 12’ H Common weights of cages are: # 21 #36 #42

Step 5 – Determine your net configuration. You must choose the width and length of your new cage based on the budget you have and the space you have available. The longer the cage and the heavier the net, the more expensive the kit will be. For home use, you may opt to buy a lighter weight net such as a #21 to save money. This weight is suitable for home use and the life expectancy is up to 5 to 6 years if you store it inside during the winter months. #36 netting is more expensive but the heavier weight makes it more suitable for use by older players and teams.

Step 6 – Order your net and frame kit. There are many companies that sell net and frame kits. Choose one that is licensed, has toll-free phone service, and that has regular office hours. These companies are companies that are reputable that have staff and consultants readily available to answer your questions and to assist you if you need additional assistance.

Step 7 – When your package arrives. There will be a packing list. Unpack everything and make sure that everything has arrived. Lay everything out to make it readily available when you need each component.

BattingCagesDirect.com

Two Myths Concerning Baseball Batting Cages

By Nick Dixon

Two Batting Cage Myths that are simply not true are (1) A Batting Cage must be long for it to be usable for all ages and (2) A batter must see 75 miles per hour pitches to receive maximum benefit from cage work. Coach Dixon discusses how many batting cage buyers are mistaken or misled in buying or building a new baseball batting cage. Two Batting Cage Myths that are simply not true:

1. Batting Cage Myth Number One - A Batting Cage must be long for it to be usable for all ages.

This is simply not true. Players of all ages, even the high school and collegiate levels can benefit from batting practice in batting cages that are 35 to 50 feet in length. A batting cage does not have to be 70 feet long for it to beneficial to advanced players. The reason for this is that long-toss, front-toss and various other batting practice drills can be performed at distances under the regular pitching distances. When batters take swings at pitches thrown at 35 feet, the batter is seeing and reacting to pitches that simulate higher speeds at the normal pitching distance. The player must perform the swing with the proper trigger, separate, and load actions. All of these elements of the swing must be done at the same speed, rhythm, and timing as under normal game hitting.

2. Batting Cage Myth Number Two - A batter must see 75 miles per hour pitches to receive maximum benefit from batting cage batting practice.

Most hitters at all levels of play including high school, college, and pros would rather see and hit live arm pitches at 45 miles per hour at 30 feet than pitches thrown by a machine at 75 miles per hour. Live-arm batting practice is batting practice thrown by a person not a machine. We must remember that advanced batters benefit most from seeing pitches thrown by a person. The batter must pick-up the pitcher arm-slot, the pitcher release point and time the speed of the pitch thrown. When a person is throwing batting practice the speed and location of every pitch can be changed. It is also a fact that many people are not adept at throwing strikes at longer distances. However, most people can throw an accurate pitch for a strike from 30and 40 feet distances. The batter gets more work in because more pitches are hittable. Not as much time and effort is wasted by with bad pitches out of the strike zone. The shorter distance makes the workout more efficient.

What does this all mean to you as a batting cage buyer?

You do not have to buy a 70 feet long cage with an expensive pitching machine to get incredible benefits from owning a batting cage. The 70 foot long batting cage is great for team or institutions because it can be divided into two 35 feet mini batting cages that allow two batters to work at a time. So there is a benefit to owning a longer cage if you are buying it for a school or team use. But, for the average home user, a 45 to 55 feet cage is suitable for all drills, batting practice, and applications that you will need for your player to be successful through the high school level. In my opinion, many people become discouraged from buying a batting cage because they feel they must buy a 70 feet cage with a $2000 pitching machine. They feel they must spend $3000 to $5000. This is not true. You can get all the practice they need by buying a batting cage and frame with an investment under $800. If at some time later you decide to purchase a machine, you can always do so. I think it is important to realize that the batting cage you buy will be used for a variety of batting drills. The function of the batting cage is safety, ball containment, and practice efficiency. The batting cage is no better than the parent or coach that dedicates time for its use. If you use it, you will experience incredible results. It will be a wise investment. Kids can not use the batting cage without parental or adult supervision and participation. If you do not have the time to spend with your player in the cage, you would be better advised to buy a self-contained solo-practice device such as the BatAction Seft-Trainer Hitting Machine.

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.

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

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Tips for Coaching Little League Baseball - Pitching Like A Pro, Top 5 Things You Can Do To Be The Perfect Pitcher.

Tips for Coaching Little League Baseball - Pitching Like A Pro, Top 5 Things You Can Do To Be The Perfect Pitcher.



By: Mike F.

You want to pitch like a pro? Want to make people you've been pitching for 30 years? After many years in the college pitching circuit I've found there are 5 things that every pitcher needs to know. These are 5 important tips, however there are many more. I just feel like these would be the top 5:

1.) How to stay cool before you go out to play a game.
2.) Play as much as you can.
3.) How to tune out the world and focus on they job you need to do.
4.) Covering the hit after you throw a pitch.
5.) Keeping base runners from stealing bases.

Before you even step out onto the field you will get some pregame jitters. It's just normal. It's how you handle those feelings that will determine if you win or lose on the mound. To help you get focused, remember it's normal to feel how you feel. Many pitchers are able to transform that energy into positive results at gametime.

If you love pitching you will want to pitch as much as you can. This is good. Play catch with whoever will play with you. When you throw the ball, aim for different areas on your catcher body. Aim at his left arm area and try to throw it there. Have him move his glove around and try to hit his glove without having to move it an inch.

Focus is key in any successful pitching. Being able to block out the world is a hard task. Thinking too much can be a bad thing. If you're mind is racing about what you're having for dinner, and if your jersey is untucked, it will definitely affect your pitching. Learn to breathe deeply. This will certainly relax you and focus you for that next perfect pitch.

Next on the list of successful pitching is what happens after the pitch. You are a fielder like anyone else after you release the ball. After you pitch square yourself with homeplate and be ready for anything that may come your way. It is very important that you remain balanced during play so that you can throw the ball when necessary.

Keeping base runners on the bag is one of things that can keep pitchers unfocused. Don't let them spook you. Hold the ball, and look at the runner when you can. Let them know that you're not going to lose if they challenge you.

Remember that you're a pitcher, and that pitching perfect takes work, and lots of it. Practice anytime you can and don't be afraid to take a break if you feel yourself getting "burned out." Sometimes time does make they heart grow fonder, even with pitching.

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Base Running Tips for Youth Baseball Coaches

Base Running Tips for Youth Baseball Coaches

By Chip Lemin

Battle Stations base running drill

Divide your team in half as equally as possible and assemble two lines at home plate, one line slightly ahead and inside the other. Now have a coach on the pitcher's mound give a command for the lead runner in both lines to take off. . One runs straight through first base as if they are beating out a groundball, the other makes a turn and continues into second. At the next command, the drill continues in the same manner but the runner on second now rounds third and scores while the runner on first takes third. Now you have bases loaded on every cycle of this drill .It goes on with the runner on third tagging up and scoring. Two runners will now score each time the bats are hit together. Players go to the end of the opposite line when they score and bases remain loaded continuously.

It's a much more instructional drill than having the players continually circle the bases, and give every player a chance to perform just about all the situations they will see in a game. Coaches can check for base running technique, how they are rounding the bags etc...It help players get into baseball shape which it more short quick bursts of energy needed. You can help players learn to get good jumps and to anticipate when to go.

This drill should be done at the end of practice, because the players will be pretty tired after. End the drill when you can see they have had enough and are starting to get sloppy

Study the pitcher drill

Align all players on the first base foul line, in the outfield. The line becomes the base. Somewhere near the infield dirt, near where the second baseman would play. On second base two out lead, delay steal, etc.). Other coaches should be positioned to watch players and make corrections.

Spend 5-10 minutes of every practice on this. We also spent at least 5 minutes before every game on this drill.

This drill is usually done with the entire team. Splitting up the team prevents players from just copying what the others are doing. This forces them to focus more and actually retain more of your coaching.

This not a long drill, just a quick refresher on studying the pitchers foot work to determine whether or not to dive back, go back standing, or just move back toward base. Just assume that it is 1st base we are working on. You can add 2nd or 3rd base if you want.

Split your players up into as small of groups as you can, depending on the current situation at practice or pre-game. Use the outfield foul or any kind of line, depending if you are indoors or not. A coach acts as the pitcher. All players should have a good view. The coach should alternate between right-hander, left-hander, stretch, windup, stepping off the rubber, and picks. Players are given a scenario before every pitch (on first base straight steal, on first base hit and run, etc... Players assume the correct position, take a proper lead, and react according to the play called and the movement of the pitcher.

When it is a team drill, have other coaches watching players, don't let players take this drill lightly, base running blunders can blow up promising innings

Off to the races drill

This is another fun way to end practice with a base running drill kids will like. Split the team in half, with one group of kids behind home plate and other half behind second. Just don't have them all run the bases together, there's not much being learned that way. Turn it into a relay race with baseballs as the batons being passed from runner to runner. Give the first kid of each group a ball (this will be the "baton" for the relay race). At "GO!" the first kid from each team begins running the bases, ball in hand. After making a complete lap around the bases (back to each kid's starting point) that kid hands the ball off to the next kid in line, who continues the relay race. Try to have coaches at the bases encouraging proper turns and foot work. First group of kids to finish the race wins. They will not want practice to be over most of the time. Kids love to compete, and when you can use contests to help you teach, it's always more effective.

About Coach Chip

Hello My name is Chip Lemin. I'm a long time youth baseball coach who loves to promote this great game of youth baseball. Promoting sportsmanship in this game of youth baseball is something that really needs I feel. I have a free e-course that will give you some solid coaching information along with great help on the inter-personal relationships we must have to be good youth baseball coaches.Things such as parents, travel baseball, getting parents to help out, how to communicate better to parents and players, just to touch on a few. This course will help to organize practices like an elite coach. How to motivate players and other coaches with your positive attitude. It really is not very hard to be a great coach when you know what to do.Best of all you will learn how to have fun with these great kids that you have the privilege of coaching. Do yourself a favor and check it out, it's free,you will get 1 part every couple of days in your e-mail. Coaching can be fun and rewarding if you have a plan in place first, and you have an idea what you are doing.http://www.baseballecourse.com

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




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AmericanBaseballDirectory.com
Baseball Coaching Journal
BaseballCoachingDigest.com
BattingCageBuilder.com

Baseball Training Equipment Sites:
BatAction.com
HurricaneMachine.com
AdvancedSkillsTee.com
QuickSwingTrainer.com
HandsBackHitter.com
StayBackTee.com
BattingCagesDirect.com

Online Baseball Stores:
Baseball2u.com
Baseball Dealz
CoachesBest.com

Baseball Blogs for Coaches - Free Training Tips, Coaching Articles and More
Check out these recommended blogs for baseball coaches.
Baseball Coaching and Training Equipment Blog
The Hurricane Hitting Machine - Derek Jeter Series - Training and Coaching Blog
BatAction Machine Baseball Training and Coaching Blog
Batting Cage Information and Know-how: Buying, Building and Using Your New Batting Cage
TeeBall Coaching Drills, Tips and Other Information
Baseball Training Homework For Youth Players Blog
Baseball Parents Guide To Helping a Player Improve Blog
Baseball Coaching, Training and Instruction

Pitching Machine Versatility

Pitching Machine Versatility
by: Carl Fogle

While pitching machines are most often thought of as tools to aid in batting practice, there are other situations in which the right pitching machine can be an invaluable tool for the results-oriented coach or manager. Many modern pitching machines can be set to throw groundballs and fly balls which can be a great help in many situations — two of which we discuss below.

Tryouts:

From little league to high school ball, tryouts are a necessary but sometimes overwhelming process where literally hundreds of hopefuls must be evaluated in seconds apiece. Most tryouts are set up in stages — a groundball stage, a fly ball stage, a batting stage, and a pitching stage — where characteristics such as arm strength, running speed, agility, fundamentals, and power are judged. How best to judge all of these elements quickly and accurately? Consistency.

As any coach who has tried to hit hundreds of fly balls or grounders with a fungo can tell you, consistency is not something easily achieved by a person. That’s where a pitching machine like the Jugs Lite-Flite or Jugs Combo Machine comes in. By setting up a pitching machine like these two at each of our hypothetical testing stages, each individual can be consistently judged by the same set of criteria as everyone else. Let’s take the groundball stage as an example. By setting the Jugs Combo Machine to throw grounders instead of pitches (a snap given its 360 degree swivel design), each player can be sent the exact same grounder. This allows for quick and accurate evaluation where it is easy to judge a player’s speed, reflexes, and mastery of baseball fundamentals. How is this player’s hand speed versus that player’s? Does this player properly set his feet and position himself well to take the grounder? With the right pitching machine, these questions become simple to answer with some basic observation and your draft picks will become obvious.

And the same technique can be used at all of our tryout stages. Throwing the same fly ball repeatedly quickly reveals which players can properly read the ball’s flight path and who has the best foot speed. And a pitching machine’s presence in the batting stage goes without saying. Do you want to throw 2,000 pitches in a tryout to evaluate bat speed, rate of contact, and power? We didn’t think so. A pitching machine in a tryout is a tremendous asset in determining who is a natural outfielder or infielder, a power hitter or an Ichiro because of their consistency and versatility.

Practice:

As in any sport, repetition is the key to mastery for the young baseball player. To properly teach the fundamentals of fielding groundballs, for example, it is largely a matter of numbers and familiarity. The player who has fielded 10,000 groundballs has an advantage over the player that has only fielded 1,000. And because of a pitching machines consistency, speed, versatility, and flexibility, achieving these numbers is much easier than trying to hit all those grounders and fly balls yourself with a bat. Furthermore, just like in the tryout situation, being able to throw the same grounder at every player on your team allows you to quickly evaluate strengths and weaknesses and where your knowledge of fundamentals can best be applied. Is that player afraid of the ball? Is that player standing flat-footed and waiting for the ball instead of attacking it? With the right pitching machine and techniques, these questions are soon answered and your team is that much stronger because of it.

This article is just an overview of how a versatile pitching machine can help a team go from pretender to contender. We will discuss drills and more specific techniques in forthcoming articles, but if you’ve just been thinking as a pitching machine as a tool in batting practice, we hope that this article has given you some ideas as to the many applications of a great machine like the Jugs Combo Machine for any municipal league, team, or individual player.

About The Author

Carl Fogle is a longtime baseball coach at the high school and community college level. He is also the webmaster of http://pitching-machines.us and a leading expert in the use of pitching machines in the development of young baseball players.

BattingCagesDirect.com

Flexibility for Young Athletes- Q & A with Chris Blake

Flexibility for Young Athletes- Q & A with Chris Blake

Chris Blake, MA, LATC, CSCS, YCS


What is the difference between Flexibility and Mobility?
Flexibility can have two definitions:
1.) The ability of muscle to lengthen during passive movements.
2.) Range of motion about a joint and surrounding musculature during passive movements.

Mobility can also have two ways of being defined. The main definition is the state of being in motion. But this state of motion can be looked at within certain joints (subtalar mobility) or as a physical whole (moving from one position into the next during a run).
Click here to read this article at BaseballCoachingDigest.com.

AdvancedSkillsTee.com

Great Baseball Coaching Articles at EzineArticles.com

If you do not visit EzineArticles.com to read the latest baseball coaching and training articles, please consider doing so. There is a huge collection of great baseball articles. See some examples below:

--The 10 "Must Do's" of Coaching Baseball and Softball
--4 Baseball Pitching Drills For Little League Players
--Baseball Practice Planning Tips and Sample Baseball Practice Schedule








--Coaching Baseball Batters - 3 Common Baseball Swing Mistakes and Corrections
--Little League Baseball Drills - Batting Practice










--Coaching Baseball - 4 Things the On-Deck Batter Should Always Do and 4 Things He Should Never Do
--Coaching Baseball Batters - 3 Common Baseball Swing Mistakes and Corrections

Recommended baseball Websites for Baseball Coaches, Players and Parents

Recommended baseball Websites for Baseball Coaches, Players and Parents





Check Out These Recommended Baseball Coaching Websites:
AmericanBaseballDirectory.com
Baseball Coaching Journal
BaseballCoachingDigest.com
BattingCageBuilder.com

Baseball Training Equipment Sites:
BatAction.com
HurricaneMachine.com
AdvancedSkillsTee.com
QuickSwingTrainer.com
HandsBackHitter.com
StayBackTee.com
BattingCagesDirect.com

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Baseball2u.com
Baseball Dealz
CoachesBest.com






Baseball Blogs for Coaches - Free Training Tips, Coaching Articles and More
Check out these recommended blogs for baseball coaches.
Baseball Coaching and Training Equipment Blog
The Hurricane Hitting Machine - Derek Jeter Series - Training and Coaching Blog
BatAction Machine Baseball Training and Coaching Blog
Batting Cage Information and Know-how: Buying, Building and Using Your New Batting Cage
TeeBall Coaching Drills, Tips and Other Information
Baseball Training Homework For Youth Players Blog
Baseball Parents Guide To Helping a Player Improve Blog
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Baseball Drills - Creating Bat Lag Vs Bat Drag

By Nate Barnett

Baseball terminology should be a class taught in college. Maybe I'm more aware of all of the different terms because it's a game I'm most familiar with, or maybe there is just an extraordinary amount of verbage to learn. Nevertheless, I'd like to discuss a couple important hitting terms that should be understood as you're working on your various baseball drills. The difference between bat lag and bat drag are immense. And because of the similar sound, they ofter get mixed up. Bad mistake. Let me help explain them both by developing a definition for each.

Bat Lag:

Bat lag is what all good hitters look to develop while hitting a baseball. As the hands move into the hitting zone it's important to throw the knob of the bat at the baseball. You may be familiar with that concept as it's a common phrase (throwing the knob). Doing this produces a result of the hands leading the barrel of the bat which creates whip and bat speed in the baseball swing. When looking at a picture of a hitter nearing the contact position, look for the hands to be in front (more towards the pitcher) of the elbows of the hitter. The barrel of the bat will be remaining significantly behind the hands and enters the zone last.

Bat Drag:

Bat drag has the opposite effect on the hitter's swing as compared to bat lag. This is a common problem with younger hitters who lack strength or proper training. Bat drag is easy to spot when looking at a picture (from a side angle looking at the hitter's chest) as you will quite likely see the hitters elbows "dragging" the hands and bat behind into the hitting zone. In this case, bat speed will be minimal and a sweeping action with the bat will occur. This problem often is accompanied by a collapsing back shoulder.

What's unfortunate about the bat drag problem is that it can be years before a young hitter gets this mistake corrected. Reason being is that some success can be achieved at the younger levels as pitching is slower and the bat has much more time to enter the strike zone and connect with the baseball. The problem occurs when the hitter advances into junior high and high school where pitching velocity is greater. The mechanical failure created by bat drag becomes exploited and often hitters find their batting averages and consistency dropping very quickly.

There are thousands of pictures and video clips of MLB hitters all over the web. The best way to learn what this bat lag and bat drag look like is to observe what big leaguers are doing and compare their hands with those of a younger and less experienced hitter. Then, go to work solving the problem with a focus on some good baseball drills on the topic.

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

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


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Baseball Hitting - How to Improve Your Ability to Be a Clutch Hitter

By Chuck R Stewart

While attending the National Sporting Goods Manufacturing show in Las Vegas, I had the chance to sit down with some heavyweight baseball people. These were people who worked for and represented some of the best names in the game of baseball. They were people who had been around the game their whole life. The conversation started out being about the qualities in a good hitter. We talked about stance, mechanics, quick hands, great eyes, terrific hand-eye coordination, and follow through techniques. This was all great to listen to and participate in the conversation but then one man who had been around the game for more than 20 years said straight out that while all of the prior conversation was correct, the thing that made a great hitter stand out from the rest was confidence.

Confidence is a funny thing among most ballplayers. Most players are subject to ups and downs as they go through a season or even a game. He said that the players who hit the best in clutch situations want to be up in those situations and also have the level of confidence that they can perform. They have practiced their craft enough so that in any situation they are the player who knows they can come through. Confidence is born from repetition and repetition comes from practicing the proper mechanics until it is second nature. Players need to repeat the process of hitting until they are confident that when they swing, they will make solid contact with the ball.

I think this level of desire and confidence is what separates the club players from the recreational players once they get into high school. My son is going through this right now in each of the three sports he plays (football, basketball and baseball). He is watching fellow teammates elect to not play other sports so they can focus on their sport of choice in order to excel. The players who are electing to focus on a given sport are the ones who are spending time, getting the repetitions they need to develop their confidence and become better players. The time to spend on repetition is the key to becoming a clutch hitter.

The conversation then turned to what the right amount of repetition is in order become a great clutch hitter. One coach said it was 200 swings a day. That is was former hitting champ Pete Rose used to take every day so it should work for everyone. The issue that most players face with getting that level of repetition is the reality of who will throw that much batting practice to them during the course of a day, 5-6 times per week. My shoulder aches just thinking about it!

The answer to that question is a pitching machine and a batting cage. Both are needed to become a great clutch hitter. The reason both are needed is that they are the perfect combination. The pitching machine can save the arm of any coaching assistant and the batting cage will keep the balls in a close enough proximity that they can be picked up and reloaded quickly enough to get the workout completed within 30-40 minutes.

Any player who has the desire to be successful can afford to spend 30-40 minutes working on their craft on a daily basis.

Coach Chuck Stewart operates a baseball web site called offering baseball pitching machines, batting cages, training aids and coaching/instructional videos along with lots of free coaching content. Coach Chuck offers a pitching machine for every skill level and budget. He has coached baseball teams for 8 years and enjoys sharing the love of the game of baseball with his players.

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

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10 Tips For Improving the Quality of Your Baseball Practice Time

10 Tips For Improving the Quality of Your Baseball Practice Time

In this article Coach Dixon discusses the value of Time and how it relates to coaching baseball. He discusses Baseball Coaching Time in two contexts; Time is seconds, minutes and hours and Time is also knowing that there is a time and place for everything. Baseball coaches must know the value of time spent doing team activities. Baseball coaches must know that doing the wrong thing at the wrong time will cause team and parent problems that can be a "pain" to deal with.

Read this article at the Baseball Coaching Digest...Click Here.

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We have articles on every aspect of baseball coaching including coaching baseball hitters, coaching pitchers, coaching defense, baseball practice planning and organization, baseball player motivation, and much, much, more. Welcome to the Baseball Coaches Digest, one of the internet's largest collections of baseball coaching articles.

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