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.
By Nick Dixon
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.
1. Batting cages nets come in a variety of sizes but they are all rectangles. The net itself must have square corners to save construction time and cost. The sizes of a cage vary with the length, width, and height of the netting. Be careful not to purchase a batting cage that is too narrow. These cages do not allow older batters to take a comfortable swing and finish.
The greater the width and height of the batting cage, the better sensation a batter has when a ball is hit. The wider and higher cages allow the batter to read the path of the ball when it comes off the bat. A short and narrow cage tends to “smother” a hitter. The higher and wider cages are also safer for the coach, player or parent throwing batting practice.
2. Batting cage netting is most commonly available in three common “twine sizes” #21, #36, and #42. The lower the number the smaller the twine used in construction and the lighter-weight the cage. Heavy-duty cages such as the #42 better withstand the elements of time and use therefore they offer more durability and added years of use.
3. Batting cages are most often available in black. The twine is dyed black and UV is added to the netting. Black cages seem to last longer and in my opinion, they look better.
4. When you purchase a batting cage, don’t just consider the cost of the cage, but also calculate the cost of shipping. Many companies have shipping managers that provide you with an added service of securing the lowest shipping cost possible.
5. When you purchase a batting cage, you must also purchase or build a frame for the batting cage net. All cages require a support structure from which the cage will be hung. The longer the cage, the more support sections that will be required to hold it in place. The smaller and more light-weight a batting cage is, the less support structure it must have. You can depend on putting a support section at both ends and every 20 ft’ if you want your cage to be hung adequately without a lot of droop. So a 60’ batting cage would require at least 4 supports for a heavy-duty net and you may get by with three supports for a light-weight net. You may also need cable or heavy duty rope suspended between your supports to maximize cage support.
6. When you purchase a batting cage remember that you can not fit your available space to the batting cage. You must fit the batting cage into the space you have available. Step off you or measure the area you have available. Make sure to purchase a batting cage that will best suit your available space. Do not allow space to deter your commitment to a batting cage purchase. Small cages in the 35’, 40’ and 50’ lengths are long enough to allow great batting practice work.
7. Your chosen area must be level and it must drain well. If you can afford the additional cost, you may want to add a floor to your cage. There are two materials that make a great floor. Cement or concrete is the most costly. You may want to cover your hitting zone with indoor-outdoor carpet to extend the life of your leather baseballs. If you use rubber pitching machine balls in a pitching machine, they will withstand the abrasive properties of the cement cage floor.
Another great floor alternative is to use weather treated 2 x 4’s to build a raised floor. You will border all sides and ends of your batting cage floor with the 2x4’s and stake them into place. You will then fill the inside floor area with a commonly used infield material, crushed stone. This provides a raised dry hitting surface that will offer a safe and less abrasive surface upon which to hit.
8. When you purchase a batting cage, you are going to need to purchase a “L” protection screen to protect the pitchers throwing batting practice. Make sure that your “L” screen is a “sock” type with at least #42 netting to insure that it will withstand the heavy-duty abuse it will be subjected to.
A “square” screen is also a great investment to consider if you will be using a pitching machine often. There are screens specially designed to protect the person operating the pitching machine.
9. You will need a plate for batter and pitcher reference during batting practice. The pitcher will use the plate to throw the various pitch locations and the batter will use it to adjust to certain situational hitting drills. If your cage has a suitable floor, you may want to paint a plate and batter’s box to add a much appreciated feature.
10. You will need a power source if you have plans to light your cage and to use a pitching machine. Make sure that you can reach a source with extension cords or run a permanent source if you can do so safely.
11. When your purchase a batting cage, I recommend first talking to the supplier by phone. This allows you to ask questions and get answers. Depending on the description and details listed on a website, may cause you to purchase a batting cage that is not suitable for your needs. Most reputable batting cage companies have toll-free phone numbers and a staff available during business hours to offer you advice and information before you buy.
12. For many families the best and most “user-friendly” approach to buying a batting cage is to buy a complete batting cage package. These packages contain the nest size and weight of your choice and a “pre-fab” batting cage frame specifically designed to match the net. These packages are easy to assemble. Most of these “batting cage packages” can be assembled by two persons with about 2 hours of work. These “batting cage packages” can easily be taken down in the off-season and stored if there is a need to do so. Many of these packages include everything you need including the “L” protection screen. When the package arrives, all you have to do is carefully read and follow the step-by-step instructions to assemble your new batting cage.
I hope that these 12 points helped you gain a better prospective on how to buy your new batting cage. If you need additional help, please feel free to call our toll free customer service number, 1-877-431-4487. Our friendly staff will be glad to help you anyway they can. Trey and Bill are in the office from 8:00 to 5:00 CST, each day. Our company specializes in “Complete Package Systems” for home, school, team or commercial use. You may also visit one of our company sites: CoachesBest.com, BestBuyBattingCages.com, BattingCagesDirect.com, or BattingCagesrUs.com.
Good Luck in your buying process. See you next time, Nick. For More Great Batting Cage Building Tips visit BattingCageBuilder.com.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Teaching the Professional Baseball Swing
We have heard for years, that for a player to be a good hitter, he must swing down on the ball. While there is some truth to this, young players totally misinterpret what swing down really means.
By Joe Brockhoff
First, let us understand the direction the ball comes to us. A pitcher pitches off of a 10 inch mound and because he is elevated when he pitches the ball, the ball will come to the hitter diagonally down. If you we can visualize a ball coming to a hitter on a downward plane and the hitter also swinging on a downward plane, the hitter has only one chance to intersect with the ball on contact.
When hitters hear the term "swing down", they will almost always swing on a vertical plane. Perhaps coaches teach this because in their minds, this would be a short stroke. However, while swinging down would be shorter, which would be beneficial, this action does not place the bat in alignment for the best contact with the ball.
Swinging down is also popular with coaches because they feel it will hit ground balls in little league and youth baseball, where fielders struggle to make these plays. In other words, more chances for errors give them a better chance for getting on base.
This is a negative way to think about learning how to be teaching the professional baseball swing because it does not maximize hitting ability. As a player grows in the game, there will be other players who will be excellent in fielding and throwing out grounders.
Here is another important point, and we have tested this time and time again. Swinging down hits more pop-ups than ground balls. We identify the action of "swinging-down" that hits a pop-up as a "scrape". The ball counter acts the downward swing and can actually hit a pop-up each time.
So where is the adjustment? We do not swing down. But we do go down. By driving to the ball diagonally down, keeping our hands above the ball, and the bat head above the hand as we pivot (drive), this puts us in perfect position to make the best contact. We then invert the bat so that the top hand goes under the stroke, then goes diagonally up. This perfectly matches the pitch.
We go to the ball diagonally down, and our stroke goes diagonally up. NEVER do we want the bat head to point to the ground after contact.
If that happens you will usually see a pop up because the bat will hit the face of the ball rather than the core of the ball.
Techniques that show teaching the professional baseball swing are fully explained in our baseball hitting drills web site for the"Super 8 Hitting System", completely demonstrated in a series of baseball hitting videos, which includes many baseball coaching tips and baseball coaching drills. Former Tulane Hall of Fame Baseball Coach, Joe Brockhoff, fully explains his baseball hitting drills with the Super 8 Hitting System, completely demonstrated with videos and hitting drills to help you hit with more power and raise your batting average.http://www.LearnBaseballHitting.com/blog.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joe_Brockhoff
By Joe Brockhoff
First, let us understand the direction the ball comes to us. A pitcher pitches off of a 10 inch mound and because he is elevated when he pitches the ball, the ball will come to the hitter diagonally down. If you we can visualize a ball coming to a hitter on a downward plane and the hitter also swinging on a downward plane, the hitter has only one chance to intersect with the ball on contact.
When hitters hear the term "swing down", they will almost always swing on a vertical plane. Perhaps coaches teach this because in their minds, this would be a short stroke. However, while swinging down would be shorter, which would be beneficial, this action does not place the bat in alignment for the best contact with the ball.
Swinging down is also popular with coaches because they feel it will hit ground balls in little league and youth baseball, where fielders struggle to make these plays. In other words, more chances for errors give them a better chance for getting on base.
This is a negative way to think about learning how to be teaching the professional baseball swing because it does not maximize hitting ability. As a player grows in the game, there will be other players who will be excellent in fielding and throwing out grounders.
Here is another important point, and we have tested this time and time again. Swinging down hits more pop-ups than ground balls. We identify the action of "swinging-down" that hits a pop-up as a "scrape". The ball counter acts the downward swing and can actually hit a pop-up each time.
So where is the adjustment? We do not swing down. But we do go down. By driving to the ball diagonally down, keeping our hands above the ball, and the bat head above the hand as we pivot (drive), this puts us in perfect position to make the best contact. We then invert the bat so that the top hand goes under the stroke, then goes diagonally up. This perfectly matches the pitch.
We go to the ball diagonally down, and our stroke goes diagonally up. NEVER do we want the bat head to point to the ground after contact.
If that happens you will usually see a pop up because the bat will hit the face of the ball rather than the core of the ball.
Techniques that show teaching the professional baseball swing are fully explained in our baseball hitting drills web site for the"Super 8 Hitting System", completely demonstrated in a series of baseball hitting videos, which includes many baseball coaching tips and baseball coaching drills. Former Tulane Hall of Fame Baseball Coach, Joe Brockhoff, fully explains his baseball hitting drills with the Super 8 Hitting System, completely demonstrated with videos and hitting drills to help you hit with more power and raise your batting average.http://www.LearnBaseballHitting.com/blog.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joe_Brockhoff
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Why Use Portable Batting Cages
www.battingcagesdirect.com
A regular baseball cage is a must for those who play baseball or even for those people who want their children to be engaged in baseball. The functions of standard batting cages are to give limits to baseballs or softballs, so that you do not have to go to a far place to pick up the balls; and it gives you a space where you can practice and improve your skills in batting.
By Andy Brock
You will also not waste time worrying about baseballs going astray and accidentally hitting someone else's window, or worse, face.
However, more and more baseball aficionados and players choose portable batting cages because of their additional benefits. Aside from the benefits stated in the previous paragraph, portable batting cages can be transported or moved from one place to another. This is very ideal for those people or baseball teams who are always on the road, going to different places to compete. It also allows you to move your cage indoors if the weather turns bad outside.
This type of batting cage can also be easily disassembled and stored away. This feature is very ideal for those who have small backyards. For example, if the baseball season finally ends, you can just disassemble the batting cage and store it in a nice place while you can use the previously used space for other purposes, such as parties or barbecues.
Moreover, if your decision for buying a portable batting cage is because your children enjoy playing baseball, this type is the best option for you. Once your children grew up, they might have a different interest not at all related to baseball. If this happens, it is very easy to disassemble the batting cage and put it away for storage or you can easily sell it to your neighbours or other people who might need it. By doing this, you can get at least a part of the amount that you had to pay when you bought the batting cage after your children could enjoy practicing in it. Not only this, you also will be able to help those people who are on a low budget but in dire need of a batting cage.
So instead of installing a permanent batting cage in your backyard or school ground, why not get yourself a portable batting cage to enjoy its features not available in standard batting cages. Buying one of these portable batting cages is very beneficial for homeowners, schools, sporting complexes, or baseball teams who are always on the road and have limited space.
If you would like to learn more you can read about batting cages and practical tips on using a batting cage to improve hitting.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andy_Brock
Monday, July 20, 2009
Batting Cage Nets and Frames Terms and Descriptions
www.BattingCageBuilder.com
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.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Finding Quality Batting Cage Equipment
www.BattingCagesDirect.com
By Jason Gluckman
Batting teams use batting cages to sharpen batting skills. As with all sports equipment, it is important to assess your needs and budget before determining the best batting cage equipment for you and your team.
Batting cage equipment can be purchased through many sporting goods stores and suppliers. In addition, batting cage equipment can be ordered online and, in some cases, delivered as soon as the next business day. It can be advantageous to keep an extra supply of netting and frame pieces on hand in the event that parts become damaged.
Batting cages consist or two primary features – the net and the frame. All pieces can be purchased separately so that repair can be done without having to replace the whole cage. When ordering replacement materials, you should take note of the size needed, as there is a variety of sizes available for both nets and frames.
Netting can be purchased by the precut panel or piece. Primary types of material for netting are nylon, HDPE, Kevlar, and waterproof polymer. Because a batting cage is only as strong as its net, the choice of netting is important when deciding which product will suit your needs.
Batting cage frames can be purchased as separate pieces of gauged steel or galvanized steel tubing and cut to fit the prescribed size or purchases in a pre-measured kit. Frames are made to withstand weather and rust and come in a range of lengths and diameters. When purchasing a batting cage kit, make sure that all of the necessary connecting hardware will be included.
There are many options in choosing a batting cage kit. Certain materials in the netting or coating on the frame may have to be ordered online, depending on your location.
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.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jason_Gluckman
Friday, July 17, 2009
Hitting Drills for Baseball Practice
www.PitchingMachinesDirect.com
It is possible to get 400 swings in 60 minutes of hitting practice when the coach divides the players into smaller groups and utilize multiple hitting stations. This article describes the mechanics of dividing the players and picking the specific hitting drills that isolate the different mechanics of hitting.
Hitting drills we do can be found all over the web. The secret sauce is not in some special new drill, but in planning the hitting practice to maximize the fundamentally correct swings to develop proper muscle memory.
It is important to remember that perfect practice makes perfect play. If the players are not swinging with correct fundamentals all they are doing is reinforcing bad muscle memory. Poor muscle memory means there will be "holes" in the swing, which translates into offensive outs and player frustration. Perfect practice creates good muscle memory, which means more hard hit balls.
Here is what we do is set up six unique hitting stations around the field and divide the team into many different groups (try to keep only two players per group). To get 400 swings in one hour, using six batting stations, will give the players 10 minutes at each station. The pitching machine station can only provide about 40 swings in the allotted time. This leaves us with 360 swings for 5 stations; therefore, you must average 72 perfect swings per station per player.
Here are some example hitting stations:
1. Overload / Underload practice swings: 5 sets of 10 overload and 10 underload = 100 swings focused on bat speed. Practice swings without a ball develops a good fundamental swing with good balance.
2. Semicircle soft toss drill: coach soft tosses 15 balls from behind, 15 balls from the side, and 20 balls from the front = 50 swings focused on hitting the center of the ball. This drill adds the element of a slow moving ball with the batter focusing on hitting the middle of the ball at the ball-bat contact point for line drives into the outfield.
3. Pitch location batting tee work: 2 sets of 10 outside, 10 middle, and 10 inside = 60 swings focused on hitting location and driving the ball to all fields. Working with a tee adds the element of hitting the ball without ball movement so the batter can focus on another element, in this case driving the ball to all fields. By eliminating the ball movement a batter can develop good balance and contact point location to be able to hit to all fields.
4. Wiffle ball short toss: 3 sets of 10 inside, 10 middle, and 10 outside = 90 swings concentrating on getting the whole swing together but with the ball moving at a slower speed than during the game. At a short distance, the coach can position the pitch at different locations within the strike zone to provide additional batting practice for hitting to all fields.
5. One handed tee work: 3 sets of 10 front hand only and 10 back hand only = 60 swings concentrating on hand movement through the hitting zone. The front hand guides the bat through the strike zone and the back hand provides the power to the swing. This drill isolates the hand movement through the hitting zone.
6. Hitting practice off a pitching machine: 40 swings focusing on timing the swing. By mixing up dimple balls from different manufactures, provides variation in speed and pitch location to simulate a variety of ball movement. It is very difficult to teach hitting mechanics off a machine, but can be very effective with hitter timing.
By giving the players several hundered swings per practice and isolating the hitting mechanics, you give the player a lot of swings to develop their hitting mechanics. The most important aspect of the batting portion of practice is to allow your batters the maximum amount of swings to develop correct muscle memory so that when they are in the game they can focus on tracking the pitch and not their hitting form.
Article Tags: Hitting Drills, Swings Focused, Balls From, Ball Movement
Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Baseball @ Youth-Athlete provides helpful instruction for parents, coaches, and young athletes around the world. Youth-Athlete also provides tournament listings, suggestions to parents and coaches that enable a successful season, more on batting mechanics, and a community for open questions.
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Check out our huge selection of pitching machines.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Top 10 Reasons to Buy a Pitching Machine
As a parent, you want your kids to play sports to stay healthy and to be part of a team. For young kids, one of the most important aspects of any sport is to have fun. If they aren't having fun then they will want to quit. In baseball and softball, one of the funniest moments is at the plate and getting a hit. Some kids have a natural ability to hit the ball even at early ages while others struggle for years trying to become a good hitter.
If you are committed to helping your child get the most enjoyment out of the game of baseball/softball then you should consider purchasing a pitching machine. Sure, you can take them to the local batting cage but it doesn't take long before it would be cheaper to purchase a pitching machine of your own.
There are all kinds of different pitching machines and one of the least expensive types are the whiffle ball style machine. The features available on these pitching machines vary but most have all or many of the features listed below.
Here's the top 10 advantages to purchasing a whiffle ball pitching machine.
1. Lightweight - some are as light as 4 lbs and can be set up by younger children with no problem.
2. Cost - whiffle ball machines are very inexpensive compared to the larger bulkier baseball pitching machines.
3. Repetition - some can hold up to 100 balls which allows for more batting and less chasing balls.
4. Consistency - the pitching machine can place the ball within the strike zone allowing for better swing habits.
5. Pitch Light - although not on all machines, if a machine has it then it will let the batter know when to begin their stride.
6. Variable Speed - with speed settings ranging from 20 - 55+ mph, every batter can find a challenging speed.
7. Focus - learning to hit small balls increases the batters focus and ability to hit regular baseballs.
8. Curve balls/Sliders - some models allow for pitching curve balls and sliders from both left and right hand pitchers.
9. Battery Operated - the rechargeable battery means you can take it anywhere and use it for hours.
10. FUN! - this is the most important reason of all. Kids will continue using a pitching machine daily because it is fun.
All of these reasons add up to a better batter and overall player.
Anthony Stai is a proud contributing author and writes articles on several sports related topics including baseball. To learn more about the Personal Pitcher and a unique opportunity to get a FREE Personal Pitcher visit Free Personal Pitcher Pitching Machine at http://www.squidoo.com/personalpitcher for all the details and a personal review.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/sports-and-fitness-articles/top-10-reasons-to-buy-a-pitching-machine-203807.html
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
A Look at Indoor Batting Cages
Buy Your Batting Cage at www.BattingCagesDirect.com.
A Look at Indoor Batting Cages
By Jason Gluckman
Batting cages play a central role in baseball and softball training. They are enclosures that help control the flight of baseballs and softballs during practice, and can be used to help improve a batter’s speed and accuracy.
When shopping for batting cages, many find indoor batting cages to be a convenient and sensible choice. Indoor batting cages are often used in climates where season weather does not permit outside activity. They can be beneficial in keeping batting practice on schedule even with snow on the ground or when there are rainy conditions. Because gripping a bat with cold fingers can hinder batting technique, weather can be an important factor when choosing to use or buy an indoor batting cage.
Certain materials are used more often for indoor batting cages. For example, nylon netting is a popular choice for indoor batting cages. Because the weather is not a concern when practicing in a covered indoor area, the netting does not need to be as strong as when used outdoors. The cage should still be durable, however. In addition, indoor conditions indoors, such as humidity and heat, should be taken into consideration when choosing indoor batting cages.
Aside from the actual netting material, the construction of a net can help determine how long it will last. Before purchasing a batting cage, it is important to consider the size of the twine used, as well as the way the netting is manufactured. Weaves are machine made, and some offer more sturdiness than others. When choosing a batting cage for indoor use, weigh all of the options to decide which cage will best suit the needs of the athletes.
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.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jason_Gluckman
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
The Lowdown on Basball Pitching Machines
There are a number of different types of pitching machines available. They come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes and can use 3 different types of propulsion methods. Some are portable and some are stationary. Some have the option to throw both soft balls and baseballs. Some do not. Most have the ability to change the speed at which the ball is thrown and the angle or pitch that it is released. Finally, pitching machines can cost any where from $150 to over $3000.
If you're looking to buy a baseball-pitching machine for your baseball league or for your own personal use you might be overwhelmed with the variety of machines. If you have a particular budget you need to consider or a specific requirement you need meet, then you will need some background information on some of the most common types of base ball or soft ball pitching machines. This article will briefly outline some of the most common types.
Motorized - The motorized pitching machines are the most common type. They consist of 2 rubber wheels, one on top of the other, spinning in opposite directions. Then they have some sort of feeder that drops or rolls the baseball or softball one at a time, in between the 2 wheels. The ball gets caught in between the two wheels and propelled outward at speeds depending on how fast the wheels are spinning. Speed ranges usually depend on the quality of product, but can be anywhere from 25 - 105 MPH.
Some machines can even throw specific pitches such as fastballs, curves, sliders and knuckleballs.
Motorized machines need electricity to run, usually have many moving parts, and are generally only used for batting practice, not catching practice. The also can be quite heavy and dangerous.
Air Propulsion - Unlike the Motorized pitching machines, the air powered pitching machines generally run off a battery, are much safer, and extremely versatile. They can be used for catching and batting practice, with the ability to launch fly balls over 125 feet high. They can be used for both softball and baseballs and are usually very light and portable. The balls are loaded in the same fashion but this time it is not 2 wheels that launches the balls, instead it is compressed air. This means this machine requires a lot less mantience.
Most air propulsion pitching machines cannot throw a variety of specific pitches like the motorized machines can. They usually can't reach the high-end speeds either.
Mechanical - This type of pitching machine is basically a mechanical throwing arm. The balls are feed with an auto feeder like the other machines, but they land onto an arm that acts as a catapulted and "flings" the ball with the same type of speed and accuracy as the other machines. Some of these machines are motorized and some are a simple man operated stand. One person would feed the machine, cock the arm, and pull the release lever.
Like the air propulsion pitching machines, most mechanical arm pitching machines cannot throw a variety of specific pitches like the motorized machines can and they usually cant reach the high end speeds either.
So as you can see you definitely have your choices when it comes to base ball or softball pitching machines. I hope this article gave you a general understanding of pitching machines and gave you enough info to send you on your way shopping. Cheers!
Ethan k. Roberts runs a pitching machine blog and website. For more information on softball and baseball pitching machines visit http://pitching-machine-resources.info
Note to publishers: You are free to republish this article in its entirety, as long as the resource box is left intact and links are hyperlinked.
If you're looking to buy a baseball-pitching machine for your baseball league or for your own personal use you might be overwhelmed with the variety of machines. If you have a particular budget you need to consider or a specific requirement you need meet, then you will need some background information on some of the most common types of base ball or soft ball pitching machines. This article will briefly outline some of the most common types.
Motorized - The motorized pitching machines are the most common type. They consist of 2 rubber wheels, one on top of the other, spinning in opposite directions. Then they have some sort of feeder that drops or rolls the baseball or softball one at a time, in between the 2 wheels. The ball gets caught in between the two wheels and propelled outward at speeds depending on how fast the wheels are spinning. Speed ranges usually depend on the quality of product, but can be anywhere from 25 - 105 MPH.
Some machines can even throw specific pitches such as fastballs, curves, sliders and knuckleballs.
Motorized machines need electricity to run, usually have many moving parts, and are generally only used for batting practice, not catching practice. The also can be quite heavy and dangerous.
Air Propulsion - Unlike the Motorized pitching machines, the air powered pitching machines generally run off a battery, are much safer, and extremely versatile. They can be used for catching and batting practice, with the ability to launch fly balls over 125 feet high. They can be used for both softball and baseballs and are usually very light and portable. The balls are loaded in the same fashion but this time it is not 2 wheels that launches the balls, instead it is compressed air. This means this machine requires a lot less mantience.
Most air propulsion pitching machines cannot throw a variety of specific pitches like the motorized machines can. They usually can't reach the high-end speeds either.
Mechanical - This type of pitching machine is basically a mechanical throwing arm. The balls are feed with an auto feeder like the other machines, but they land onto an arm that acts as a catapulted and "flings" the ball with the same type of speed and accuracy as the other machines. Some of these machines are motorized and some are a simple man operated stand. One person would feed the machine, cock the arm, and pull the release lever.
Like the air propulsion pitching machines, most mechanical arm pitching machines cannot throw a variety of specific pitches like the motorized machines can and they usually cant reach the high end speeds either.
So as you can see you definitely have your choices when it comes to base ball or softball pitching machines. I hope this article gave you a general understanding of pitching machines and gave you enough info to send you on your way shopping. Cheers!
Ethan k. Roberts runs a pitching machine blog and website. For more information on softball and baseball pitching machines visit http://pitching-machine-resources.info
Note to publishers: You are free to republish this article in its entirety, as long as the resource box is left intact and links are hyperlinked.
Monday, July 13, 2009
The Right Batting Cage Can Improve Your Ball Play
By Ilse Hagen
If you are serious about baseball, then you need a good batting cage. Together with regular team practice, you can develop your ball hitting skills with batting cages, which allow you to focus on your hitting and accuracy, either when you are training alone or with a pitcher.
The main function of batting cages is to keep balls in a confined area, so that they don't hit windows or other players. How do you choose the best? Here are some tips.
Soft or not
Batting cages may be made for softball or baseball. The first type is typically designed for little leaguers, whose batting speeds are usually slower. This type can be set to pitch slow, medium, or fast softballs. Baseball batting cages are designed to absorb shock and handle faster balls, making them ideal for professional players.
Pipe dream
Whether it's for amateur or professional use, a batting cage must made made from durable materials that can withstand the weather and force from fast balls. The pipes should be durable enough for very harsh weather, such as extreme heat and rain. Make sure the pipe and netting are UV-protected to keep them from shrinking and rotting.
Overlooked net
Net positioning is an often overlooked part of the batting cage. Though the basic net layout is the same with most cages, how it is positioned over the pipes can affect the player's game. Usually, the cage’s net covers only a fraction of an area where it is set up. This limited cover can affect your spatial mindset and make it difficult to adjust when playing in an actual game.
Ilse Hagen is a contributor in PickyGuide.Com, one of the fastest growing online magazines giving free consumer advice and product information.
A complete guide to choosing a batting cage is available in Picky Guide
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ilse_Hagen
If you are serious about baseball, then you need a good batting cage. Together with regular team practice, you can develop your ball hitting skills with batting cages, which allow you to focus on your hitting and accuracy, either when you are training alone or with a pitcher.
The main function of batting cages is to keep balls in a confined area, so that they don't hit windows or other players. How do you choose the best? Here are some tips.
Soft or not
Batting cages may be made for softball or baseball. The first type is typically designed for little leaguers, whose batting speeds are usually slower. This type can be set to pitch slow, medium, or fast softballs. Baseball batting cages are designed to absorb shock and handle faster balls, making them ideal for professional players.
Pipe dream
Whether it's for amateur or professional use, a batting cage must made made from durable materials that can withstand the weather and force from fast balls. The pipes should be durable enough for very harsh weather, such as extreme heat and rain. Make sure the pipe and netting are UV-protected to keep them from shrinking and rotting.
Overlooked net
Net positioning is an often overlooked part of the batting cage. Though the basic net layout is the same with most cages, how it is positioned over the pipes can affect the player's game. Usually, the cage’s net covers only a fraction of an area where it is set up. This limited cover can affect your spatial mindset and make it difficult to adjust when playing in an actual game.
Ilse Hagen is a contributor in PickyGuide.Com, one of the fastest growing online magazines giving free consumer advice and product information.
A complete guide to choosing a batting cage is available in Picky Guide
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ilse_Hagen
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Baseball Pitching Machines
Baseball Pitching Machines
A baseball pitching machine is a great tool to help hitters improve their hitting. There are many benefits in owning a baseball pitching machine.
When buying a baseball pitching machine, there are five things to consider.
1. Pitch speed-You want to have a pitching machine with the proper pitching speed for you.
2. Number of wheels-You want the right amount of wheels for your pitching machine.
3. Transportability-Pick a pitching machine which is easy to transport.
4. Parts and accessories-Generators,auto ball feeders,dimpled balls and covers are important to your pitching machine.
5. Warranty-Make sure you are properly covered with your investment.
Pitching machines come in different styles. An arm action pitching machine and a circular wheel machine are very popular. Pitching machines are useful for batters who can practice on their own. Batting cages are useful for pitching machines. The starter baseball pitching machine is ideal for young players and leagues where pitching machines are used in actual games. Pitches are normally 30 mph in these games. The curveball machine actually spins the ball in an opposite direction. The spin goes forward, which causes the ball to curve downward. Since the ball is curving toward the ground, gravity does not prevent it from curving. It actually helps it. You can put different spins on the ball. The 2 pitch sidewinder pitching machine can throw straight fastball and 3/4 curve, straight fastball and 3/4 slider, tailing fastball and sidearm curve, and tailing fastball sidearm slider. The 2pitch3 baseball pitching machine can throw a 95 mph and a 75 mph curveball in one set up. There is also the twin pitch pitching machine which gives you 2 pitches in one set up. There is a pitching machine available for all ballplayers.
Pitching machine parts and accessories are important to your baseball pitching machine. Auto ball feeders feeds balls at different intervals. Can be used with almost any pitching machine. A power generator is an alternative power source for running your single wheel pitching machine, or automatic ball feeder units in locations where there are no electric outlets. Baseball pitching covers protect your machine. Dimpled balls will dramatically extend the life of your baseball pitching machine. A pitch selector allows you to feed fastballs and curveballs without the batter knowing which pitch is coming. Two downhill feed chute extensions are connected to the in-feed chutes. Two balls are rolled down the feed chutes at the same time. The batter can see the balls roll down. Both balls appear just before the pitching wheels, but only one comes out. This feature makes it impossible for the batter to predict the pitch, but allows for ample timing of when the ball will be pitched.
I hope this article will be a tremendous help in your hunt for purchasing a baseball pitching machine best suited for your game. Besides improving your game, you can share your pitching machine with teammates and have a lot of fun.
Author-Eugene Rischall, Owner, Baseball Training Emporium www.baseballtrainingemporium.com
A baseball pitching machine is a great tool to help hitters improve their hitting. There are many benefits in owning a baseball pitching machine.
When buying a baseball pitching machine, there are five things to consider.
1. Pitch speed-You want to have a pitching machine with the proper pitching speed for you.
2. Number of wheels-You want the right amount of wheels for your pitching machine.
3. Transportability-Pick a pitching machine which is easy to transport.
4. Parts and accessories-Generators,auto ball feeders,dimpled balls and covers are important to your pitching machine.
5. Warranty-Make sure you are properly covered with your investment.
Pitching machines come in different styles. An arm action pitching machine and a circular wheel machine are very popular. Pitching machines are useful for batters who can practice on their own. Batting cages are useful for pitching machines. The starter baseball pitching machine is ideal for young players and leagues where pitching machines are used in actual games. Pitches are normally 30 mph in these games. The curveball machine actually spins the ball in an opposite direction. The spin goes forward, which causes the ball to curve downward. Since the ball is curving toward the ground, gravity does not prevent it from curving. It actually helps it. You can put different spins on the ball. The 2 pitch sidewinder pitching machine can throw straight fastball and 3/4 curve, straight fastball and 3/4 slider, tailing fastball and sidearm curve, and tailing fastball sidearm slider. The 2pitch3 baseball pitching machine can throw a 95 mph and a 75 mph curveball in one set up. There is also the twin pitch pitching machine which gives you 2 pitches in one set up. There is a pitching machine available for all ballplayers.
Pitching machine parts and accessories are important to your baseball pitching machine. Auto ball feeders feeds balls at different intervals. Can be used with almost any pitching machine. A power generator is an alternative power source for running your single wheel pitching machine, or automatic ball feeder units in locations where there are no electric outlets. Baseball pitching covers protect your machine. Dimpled balls will dramatically extend the life of your baseball pitching machine. A pitch selector allows you to feed fastballs and curveballs without the batter knowing which pitch is coming. Two downhill feed chute extensions are connected to the in-feed chutes. Two balls are rolled down the feed chutes at the same time. The batter can see the balls roll down. Both balls appear just before the pitching wheels, but only one comes out. This feature makes it impossible for the batter to predict the pitch, but allows for ample timing of when the ball will be pitched.
I hope this article will be a tremendous help in your hunt for purchasing a baseball pitching machine best suited for your game. Besides improving your game, you can share your pitching machine with teammates and have a lot of fun.
Author-Eugene Rischall, Owner, Baseball Training Emporium www.baseballtrainingemporium.com
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Build a Batting Cage in Your Backyard
BattingCagesDirect.com
BattingCagesrUs.com
By Brandon Bland
To build a batting cage, there are many different options you have to consider. A batting cage in your backyard can be one of the greatest assets to you or your child's playing career. Therefore, it is a wise investment and one that should be highly considered by every ballplayer and their parents.
The first thing to consider is where you would like to set up your batting cage. There are many various ways in which you can set up a cage, and will all depend on space available, budget, etc. First off, all cages will require various amounts of assembly and construction. If you have an unlimited budget and space available, it will be no problem to purchase a nice high quality cage from a company like Jugs or Atec.
For those of us looking to save a little money (who isn't, right?), there are many other options available. You may buy kits from several companies online that will ship most or all of the parts to you for fairly reasonable prices. Something that you should also consider is that you may purchase many of the parts, including netting, and especially the frame from your local hardware store. This can result in some pretty substantial savings, because you will end up saving on shipping costs.
If you have limited space, you may have to get a little creative on how you rig up your cage. There are however, standard sizes for cages that most nets are made for. Here is a list of some of those sizes.
70' L x 14' W x 12' H
65' L x 11' W x 11' H
10' L x 12' W x 12' H
55' L x 12' W x 12' H
40' L x 12' W x 12' H
The size you choose will depend on how much space you have to play with, how old the ballplayer using it will be, how much you wish to spend, etc. Obviously the larger nets cost more than the smaller ones. Regardless of the age, a wider and higher cage will allow for a little more comfort and room to work with.
Hopefully this will give you some insight into the things you should consider before you build a batting cage. Remember, that it will be a wise investment in you or your child's playing career, so take your time and make sure you will get exactly what you need. You can find more information about equipment and netting here:
http://www.baseball-equipment-review.com/build-a-batting-cage.html
Brandon Bland is the webmaster of Baseball Equipment Review, a site devoted to informing ballplayers of the quality of today's baseball equipment so they can make informed decisions about their purchases.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brandon_Bland
BattingCagesDirect.com
BattingCagesrUs.com
Friday, July 10, 2009
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
StayBackTee.com
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
StayBackTee.com
Thursday, July 9, 2009
A Guide to Batting Cages
By Jason Gluckman
Batting cages are enclosed or partially enclosed pieces of sporting equipment that act as a “catcher,” in effect, for batters practicing hitting baseballs or softballs. Batting cages help to keep balls in a contained space so that the batter can continue hitting without having to continually retrieve them. Different types of batting cages can be located outdoors or in a gym or activity center.
Batting cages are both in professional, school-sponsored, and recreational baseball and softball. They can be used to help improve a batter’s speed or to improve his or her accuracy in hitting a ball. A batter’s agility and stance, as well as his overall performance, can be enhanced by using a batting cage. While aiding a batter in improving his or her skill, batting cages also keep the ball in an enclosed area to prevent the injury of bystanders and onlookers.
Batting cages consist of a configuration of netting over a frame. They can differ in material, size, and cost, as well as structure and workmanship. Whether batting cages are used indoors or outdoors can be a deciding factor in what the best choice of material should be. Cages that are used outside will need to be tougher than those used indoors.
The netting in batting cages can be constructed of various materials and degrees of sturdiness. Framing in a batting cage should be constructed with a pipe that will withstand temperatures and weather in the area in which it is used. For that reason, a batting cage used by the Boston Red Sox will probably be made differently than one used by the Los Angeles Angels.
With less time spent retrieving baseballs, batters can spend more time advancing their technique. For decades, batting cages have played a central role in improving the swings of professional and amateur batters.
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.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jason_Gluckman
BattingCagesDirect.com
HomeBattingCages.com
BattingCagesrUs.com
BattingCageBuilder.com
Batting cages are enclosed or partially enclosed pieces of sporting equipment that act as a “catcher,” in effect, for batters practicing hitting baseballs or softballs. Batting cages help to keep balls in a contained space so that the batter can continue hitting without having to continually retrieve them. Different types of batting cages can be located outdoors or in a gym or activity center.
Batting cages are both in professional, school-sponsored, and recreational baseball and softball. They can be used to help improve a batter’s speed or to improve his or her accuracy in hitting a ball. A batter’s agility and stance, as well as his overall performance, can be enhanced by using a batting cage. While aiding a batter in improving his or her skill, batting cages also keep the ball in an enclosed area to prevent the injury of bystanders and onlookers.
Batting cages consist of a configuration of netting over a frame. They can differ in material, size, and cost, as well as structure and workmanship. Whether batting cages are used indoors or outdoors can be a deciding factor in what the best choice of material should be. Cages that are used outside will need to be tougher than those used indoors.
The netting in batting cages can be constructed of various materials and degrees of sturdiness. Framing in a batting cage should be constructed with a pipe that will withstand temperatures and weather in the area in which it is used. For that reason, a batting cage used by the Boston Red Sox will probably be made differently than one used by the Los Angeles Angels.
With less time spent retrieving baseballs, batters can spend more time advancing their technique. For decades, batting cages have played a central role in improving the swings of professional and amateur batters.
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.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jason_Gluckman
BattingCagesDirect.com
HomeBattingCages.com
BattingCagesrUs.com
BattingCageBuilder.com
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
So, You Want to Build Your Own Baseball Or Softball Training Facility? Part 1 of 3
By John Peter Pero
JP Note:
This is a very long article with some great ideas. Due to its length, It has been divided into 3 specific area of interest.
PART 1 - An Overview
PART 2 - Standard Components
PART 3 - Important Food For thought
PART 1 - An Overview
Why There Is a Need
The numbers of young ballplayers and the yearly growth of travel baseball and fastpitch softball have created a shortage of indoor training facilities in many or even most parts of the country.
The attendance in MLB (majors) and MILB (minors) has risen for the past 4 seasons as of this writing, the CWS (College World Series) is now a primetime ESPN event as is the MLB 1st year players draft each June... so we know the shear numbers of players who want to make this their prime sport is indeed growing and the future in baseball and fastpitch softball is growing.
Don't Forget Girls Fastpitch Softball
As players play more and better competition, the High School teams have become more competitive so it is the trained ballplayer, not just the better athlete who makes the team and continues on to the next level.
There is no McDonalds or Wal Mart in the training field, so certainly it is left to entrepreneurial-types who have "the baseball bug"... that passion for this game of ours that seldom if ever leaves us.
There is a very good chance that this describes you in some way (who else would be reading an article of this title) .
Can We Help You?
We began supplying various components for new and existing training facilities in 1999 and now help out new and perspective owners with most aspects of these ventures.
Along the way we have learned a lot from these experiences and the many owners who have become our friends and business associates.
We launched our "Pro Division" in 2005, headed by our own Coach Arnald Swift, a 34 yr coach (retired) and can now offer you a fulltime, seasoned professional in this field... and believe me, there is no industry of experienced professionals who do this... just scattered companies who offer various parts and pieces.
The Core of a Successful Facility... an improving return customer!
There are a finite number of ballplayers within your local geography in any given season. Your facility cannot exist for long without those customers wanting to return again and again. If they are happy about being there, they have a better chance of improving. If they improve, it stands to reason that they will be happier to come back... which fuels their future improvement and successes... a circle that you can easily see.... and so many have younger siblings who of course want to emulate their bigger brothers and sisters too!
Interested Coaches and a Sound Building-Block Approach!
The happy, improving player receives maximum benefit from organized, structured, weekly instruction from a "reasonably qualified" coach who knows his own curriculum and cares whether the player actually does improve!
I feel that coaches, like players must be interested and passionate about teaching and helping players reach their goals to truly help players improve, though more playing and coaching experience certainly can add to the student's experience.
I also feel that an organized building block teaching approach is actually more important than the pedigree of the coach... especially when teaching the younger levels where strong mechanics and fundamentals must be committed to muscle-memory first... in order for the player to stay around long enough to take on the more sophisticated training aspects that older players will eventually be learning.
The Common Products Found In Facilities
Here are the components found in most training facilities:
Batting cages, some of which share duty with pitching tunnels, barrier netting, turf floor covering, homeplate stance mats, mandatory if cage floors are not turfed, highly recommended if they are, L screen pitcher protectors with very heavy nets, highest quality adjustable batting tees, a supply of machine pitch dimple balls, and a good quality leather practice ball, misc items from a few batting helmets, a set of catchers gear and a mitt or two, to a few fungo bats and various mid-grade wood and aluminum bats. Video software and a small room for viewing can be added later when opening budgets are stretched.
Coach John Peter
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Peter_Pero
**********************************
CoachesBest.com
HurricaneTrainer.com
BatAction.com
HandsBackHitter.com
QuickSwingTrainer.com
AdvancedSkillsTee.com
BattingCagesDirect.com
BattingCagesrUs.com
**********************************
JP Note:
This is a very long article with some great ideas. Due to its length, It has been divided into 3 specific area of interest.
PART 1 - An Overview
PART 2 - Standard Components
PART 3 - Important Food For thought
PART 1 - An Overview
Why There Is a Need
The numbers of young ballplayers and the yearly growth of travel baseball and fastpitch softball have created a shortage of indoor training facilities in many or even most parts of the country.
The attendance in MLB (majors) and MILB (minors) has risen for the past 4 seasons as of this writing, the CWS (College World Series) is now a primetime ESPN event as is the MLB 1st year players draft each June... so we know the shear numbers of players who want to make this their prime sport is indeed growing and the future in baseball and fastpitch softball is growing.
Don't Forget Girls Fastpitch Softball
As players play more and better competition, the High School teams have become more competitive so it is the trained ballplayer, not just the better athlete who makes the team and continues on to the next level.
There is no McDonalds or Wal Mart in the training field, so certainly it is left to entrepreneurial-types who have "the baseball bug"... that passion for this game of ours that seldom if ever leaves us.
There is a very good chance that this describes you in some way (who else would be reading an article of this title) .
Can We Help You?
We began supplying various components for new and existing training facilities in 1999 and now help out new and perspective owners with most aspects of these ventures.
Along the way we have learned a lot from these experiences and the many owners who have become our friends and business associates.
We launched our "Pro Division" in 2005, headed by our own Coach Arnald Swift, a 34 yr coach (retired) and can now offer you a fulltime, seasoned professional in this field... and believe me, there is no industry of experienced professionals who do this... just scattered companies who offer various parts and pieces.
The Core of a Successful Facility... an improving return customer!
There are a finite number of ballplayers within your local geography in any given season. Your facility cannot exist for long without those customers wanting to return again and again. If they are happy about being there, they have a better chance of improving. If they improve, it stands to reason that they will be happier to come back... which fuels their future improvement and successes... a circle that you can easily see.... and so many have younger siblings who of course want to emulate their bigger brothers and sisters too!
Interested Coaches and a Sound Building-Block Approach!
The happy, improving player receives maximum benefit from organized, structured, weekly instruction from a "reasonably qualified" coach who knows his own curriculum and cares whether the player actually does improve!
I feel that coaches, like players must be interested and passionate about teaching and helping players reach their goals to truly help players improve, though more playing and coaching experience certainly can add to the student's experience.
I also feel that an organized building block teaching approach is actually more important than the pedigree of the coach... especially when teaching the younger levels where strong mechanics and fundamentals must be committed to muscle-memory first... in order for the player to stay around long enough to take on the more sophisticated training aspects that older players will eventually be learning.
The Common Products Found In Facilities
Here are the components found in most training facilities:
Batting cages, some of which share duty with pitching tunnels, barrier netting, turf floor covering, homeplate stance mats, mandatory if cage floors are not turfed, highly recommended if they are, L screen pitcher protectors with very heavy nets, highest quality adjustable batting tees, a supply of machine pitch dimple balls, and a good quality leather practice ball, misc items from a few batting helmets, a set of catchers gear and a mitt or two, to a few fungo bats and various mid-grade wood and aluminum bats. Video software and a small room for viewing can be added later when opening budgets are stretched.
Coach John Peter
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Peter_Pero
**********************************
CoachesBest.com
HurricaneTrainer.com
BatAction.com
HandsBackHitter.com
QuickSwingTrainer.com
AdvancedSkillsTee.com
BattingCagesDirect.com
BattingCagesrUs.com
**********************************
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Batting Cages - Tips For Buying
Coachesbest Batting Cages
By Andy Brock
Batting cages are not something that most people usually buy for their backyards. Some people buy these if they are members of a baseball or softball team or if they just want their children to enjoy playing baseball without worrying about breaking their next door neighbor's window.
Since a batting cage is not a usual purchase for your backyard and it is something that you buy probably only once in your life, then you should know the considerations for buying a batting cage. If you want to know some tips for buying batting cages, read the next few lines.
Consider the place where you can put the batting cage. You have to keep in mind that you are buying something huge. You have to know if your backyard can accommodate that big a size, with enough space left for doing other things. If you think it cannot fit into your yard or will make your yard look full and cramped, then choose another location.
You should also identify your needs. What is your reason for buying a batting cage? If your reason is to encourage your child's enjoyment of playing baseball, then you can buy the small-sized baseball cage. But if your reason is to have a safe and protected place where a whole baseball or softball team can practice, then you might want to look into bigger batting cages.
Another thing to consider is the netting. Some batting cages include netting while others don't. Choose the netting which is made of strong and sturdy materials especially if the people who will use it are adults who can hit the baseball really hard. You will also need a heavy-duty net if you will use the net often. But if the people who will frequently use the net are children, then it is okay to buy a normal type of netting because they do not hit the ball as hard as adults.
Research on the different types of batting cages and their corresponding costs. This is important since there are so many available batting cages and there is a very big possibility that you could choose the wrong one or it is not worth the amount you paid. It will not hurt if you will spend some time browsing over the internet and checking prices of batting cages. This might seem boring or even tedious but in the long run, it will do you much good instead of jumping ahead immediately and buying a baseball cage without knowing enough about what you just purchased.
If you would like to learn more you can read about batting cages and practical tips on using a batting cage to improve hitting.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andy_Brock
**********************************
CoachesBest.com
HurricaneTrainer.com
BatAction.com
HandsBackHitter.com
QuickSwingTrainer.com
AdvancedSkillsTee.com
BattingCagesDirect.com
BattingCagesrUs.com
**********************************
Friday, July 3, 2009
Hitting a Baseball - Finding the Root Cause of a Mechanics Problem
By Nate Barnett
There is nothing more frustrating for a hitter than having a mechanical problem with the baseball swing and not knowing what the issue is or how to find a solution. While I don't have the ability here (nor do you have the patience to sort through it) to discuss all of the root causes to the countless mechanical failures of a baseball swing, I will give you one for today. Of course, you will need to consult with your hitting instructor for more depth and practical baseball drills to help solve the problem I discuss.
Let me point out the biggest lower body problem for hitters. I say the biggest problem in the sense that it does the most damage when trying to hit a baseball effectively.
The Problem: Hips floating forward
At the beginning of the swing, the hitter must begin to transfer some weight from the (presumably balanced) stance position onto his back leg. The weight distribution will then be roughly 60% weight on back leg, and 40% on front leg. Most hitters can do this step quite easily without a lot of baseball drills to assist.
The second movement a hitter makes is to begin to take some of the weight he has loaded onto his back leg and move it forward to create energy (this is the trigger process). At this time the back knee and foot begin to rotate towards the pitcher. This is when the hips floating forward problem begins for most hitters.
The weight that was originally placed on the back leg MUST remain there as the rotation occurs. You can see if this is happening by looking at the angle of the back leg. If there is a bend in the back leg at the knee (during contact with the baseball), there is a good chance this hitter is keeping his weight back. If the back leg is relatively straight when the hitter makes contact with the pitch, then the problem of hip floating forward has occurred. The only reason this happens is that many times younger hitters think they must move towards the baseball and begin turning their body with their rear hip and moving it forward towards the pitcher. This does nothing to create energy, and in fact, destroys the ability to create a quick and powerful swing.
Nate Barnett is owner of BMI Baseball designed to improve the mental game of baseball in athletes. Learn how to help your game by improving the skill of mental baseball
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nate_Barnett
---------------
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There is nothing more frustrating for a hitter than having a mechanical problem with the baseball swing and not knowing what the issue is or how to find a solution. While I don't have the ability here (nor do you have the patience to sort through it) to discuss all of the root causes to the countless mechanical failures of a baseball swing, I will give you one for today. Of course, you will need to consult with your hitting instructor for more depth and practical baseball drills to help solve the problem I discuss.
Let me point out the biggest lower body problem for hitters. I say the biggest problem in the sense that it does the most damage when trying to hit a baseball effectively.
The Problem: Hips floating forward
At the beginning of the swing, the hitter must begin to transfer some weight from the (presumably balanced) stance position onto his back leg. The weight distribution will then be roughly 60% weight on back leg, and 40% on front leg. Most hitters can do this step quite easily without a lot of baseball drills to assist.
The second movement a hitter makes is to begin to take some of the weight he has loaded onto his back leg and move it forward to create energy (this is the trigger process). At this time the back knee and foot begin to rotate towards the pitcher. This is when the hips floating forward problem begins for most hitters.
The weight that was originally placed on the back leg MUST remain there as the rotation occurs. You can see if this is happening by looking at the angle of the back leg. If there is a bend in the back leg at the knee (during contact with the baseball), there is a good chance this hitter is keeping his weight back. If the back leg is relatively straight when the hitter makes contact with the pitch, then the problem of hip floating forward has occurred. The only reason this happens is that many times younger hitters think they must move towards the baseball and begin turning their body with their rear hip and moving it forward towards the pitcher. This does nothing to create energy, and in fact, destroys the ability to create a quick and powerful swing.
Nate Barnett is owner of BMI Baseball designed to improve the mental game of baseball in athletes. Learn how to help your game by improving the skill of mental baseball
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nate_Barnett
---------------
CoachesBest.com
HurricaneTrainer.com
BatAction.com
HandsBackHitter.com
QuickSwingTrainer.com
AdvancedSkillsTee.com
BattingCagesDirect.com
BattingCagesrUs.com
---------------
Thursday, July 2, 2009
How to Be a Three Hundred Hitter - This Single Tip Can Turn Your Child Into an All Star in No Time
By Jay Granat
Believe it or not this tip has nothing to do with grip, mechanics, balance, head position, weight transfer, open stance, closed stance, hitting to the opposite field,watching the ball, knowing the strike zone, hitting in the cage, bat speed, following through, or where your elbow is when you get into the box.
This tip is a vital thing for parents, coaches and young players to understand and remember the night before the game, the day of the game, in the dugout, in the on deck circle and in the batter's box.
Every week, parents contact me because their son or daughter is in a hitting slump.
Now, I have dozens of interventions which I use to help baseball players to break out of hitting slumps and to start to drive the ball with confidence, conviction, focus and optimism.
I work closely with a number of hitting coaches and we make sure the player is mechanically and physically sound.
One tip that I have told many parents and coaches over the years is very simple but it is exceedingly important. Realize that many kids and parents who seek out my help are struggling with their relationship with their child around their sport. In this case, it is baseball. And specifically, it is about hitting with more consistency, especially in pressure packed situations.
So, here is the tip: Your child needs to know on a deep and sincere level that that you love them whether they hit two hundred or whether they hit four hundred." Once your child believes this and feels this kind of unconditional love, he or she is set up to perform better at the plate. Make sure you communicate this message to your young player consistently and frequently. This will build confidence. It will help your child to relax and allow him to have fun at the plate and at the game.
Give it a try now.
Dr. Jay Granat has recently released 101 Ways To Break Out Of A Hitting Slump With Sport Psychology and Self-Hypnosis. http://www.stayinthezone.com/baseball.htm He is also the Founder of http://www.StayInTheZone.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jay_Granat
Believe it or not this tip has nothing to do with grip, mechanics, balance, head position, weight transfer, open stance, closed stance, hitting to the opposite field,watching the ball, knowing the strike zone, hitting in the cage, bat speed, following through, or where your elbow is when you get into the box.
This tip is a vital thing for parents, coaches and young players to understand and remember the night before the game, the day of the game, in the dugout, in the on deck circle and in the batter's box.
Every week, parents contact me because their son or daughter is in a hitting slump.
Now, I have dozens of interventions which I use to help baseball players to break out of hitting slumps and to start to drive the ball with confidence, conviction, focus and optimism.
I work closely with a number of hitting coaches and we make sure the player is mechanically and physically sound.
One tip that I have told many parents and coaches over the years is very simple but it is exceedingly important. Realize that many kids and parents who seek out my help are struggling with their relationship with their child around their sport. In this case, it is baseball. And specifically, it is about hitting with more consistency, especially in pressure packed situations.
So, here is the tip: Your child needs to know on a deep and sincere level that that you love them whether they hit two hundred or whether they hit four hundred." Once your child believes this and feels this kind of unconditional love, he or she is set up to perform better at the plate. Make sure you communicate this message to your young player consistently and frequently. This will build confidence. It will help your child to relax and allow him to have fun at the plate and at the game.
Give it a try now.
Dr. Jay Granat has recently released 101 Ways To Break Out Of A Hitting Slump With Sport Psychology and Self-Hypnosis. http://www.stayinthezone.com/baseball.htm He is also the Founder of http://www.StayInTheZone.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jay_Granat
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