Baseball Pitching Tips - The Worst Baseball Question on Earth

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By Larry Cicchiello


I truly believe in my heart that any questions that are asked should be totally respected and answered politely.

I've answered many questions on baseball hitting, baseball pitching, baseball coaching and more over several decades. I can proudly say that not once did I ever think the question was not a worthwhile question and I always showed the utmost respect to the person asking the question. However, there is one question on the topic of baseball pitching that I'm having a hard time coming to grips with. It is way off base, no pun intended. I must have heard it 1000 times. The question is one that is asked to a baseball pitcher about pitching to a real good hitter.

The big question asked to the pitcher is, "how do you pitch to... so and so?"

The sportswriter, sportscaster or baseball commentator is asking a pitcher how he pitches to a certain outstanding baseball hitter. I've learned a lot over the years by simply listening to these guys. For the most part, they are very intelligent and great "baseball people." But like I said, this question irks me!

Does the person asking the question think that the answer may be "breaking balls, low and away?"

Or does the person think the answer is "fastballs up and in?"

Or can it be "changeups down low?"

The proper answer given by any intelligent pitcher will always be the same and I've heard this answer 1,000 times in the last four or five decades. It's almost word for word, the same exact answer.

And the answer to this annoying question is... "I try to mix up my pitches, change speeds and move the ball around on him."

What other answer can there possibly be?

OK, I'm kidding a little bit about being annoyed. In all honesty, the question really doesn't bother me but I want to make a point.

I understand that as a pitcher, you may have a favorite pitch you like to use to a certain very good hitter, but you can't rely on it exclusively. Let's use an outstanding right-handed hitter as an example.

If you kept throwing him fast balls low and away, it's just a matter of time before he creams one to right field or to right center field. If you kept throwing him fastballs up and in, eventually he will cream one to left field or left center.

If you threw him all breaking balls, again eventually he will clobber you.

The point here is that real good hitters do not have glaring weaknesses! That's the reason they are real good baseball hitters. They may handle some pitches better than others, but they have no glaring weaknesses.

And the pitcher has to "mix it up" because the real good hitters will make adjustments.

If a batter is having a hard time with your changeup, you can't simply keep throwing it. The good hitter will go from looking terrible and then on about the fourth changeup he will put the baseball in orbit.

That's why your only approach is to mix up your pitches, change speeds, change locations and there is no set answer as to where you specifically try to locate a pitch or what particular pitch you throw to get them out.

It's not really a bad question but I just wanted to make a point here.

"Different pitches, different speeds and different locations" should be your only approach to be successful against the great hitters. Mix it up and go get em!

Larry is the president of Larwenty Online Enterprises Inc. and also the author of "Excellent Baseball Coaching: 30 Seconds Away." If you are a baseball player or are involved in baseball coaching at any level of play or a parent who wants to help your child improve, you will be fully equipped! His baseball website offers several FREE baseball tips from his very informative and very fairly priced eBooks.

Larry's baseball website is http://www.larrybaseball.com/

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



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Happy Thanksgiving to Our Youth Baseball Coaching Blog Readers

Happy Thanksgiving to Our Youth Baseball Coaching Blog Readers

The staff at Nedco Sports wishes you and your family a safe and Happy Thanksgiving Holidays.

Baseball Tips on Hitting - Moving an Important Runner to Third Base

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By Larry Cicchiello

With an important runner on second base and no outs, try to drive the ball the opposite way if you are a right-handed batter or try to pull the ball if you are a left-handed batter. You have a much better chance of advancing an important runner on a grounder to the second baseman or even to the first baseman than if you ground out to the shortstop or to the third baseman.

Don't make the common baseball hitting mistake of losing your aggressiveness when swinging and hitting the ball the opposite way. Don't lose sight of the obvious fact that the base hit is always more beneficial than simply advancing the base runner.

Look for a pitch that you can hit to the right side of the infield. You may have to take a pitch or so to get the right one. You have to walk a fine line here if looking for a specific pitch though because you don't want to fall behind in the count. If ahead in the count, you can afford the luxury of looking for that certain pitch.

If needed, adjust your stance. One of the better baseball hitting tips is to move three or four inches farther away from the plate if you are a right-handed hitter or three or four inches closer to the plate if you are a left-handed hitter. Some very good baseball hitters do just that. They are always looking for any possible edge that can help them hit the ball on the right side of the field or improve their baseball hitting in any way.

The opposing pitcher is usually well aware that you may want to hit the ball on the right side of the field to get an important runner to third base with only one out. If you're a right-handed batter, a smart baseball pitcher may very well work you mostly over the inside part of the plate and if you are a left-handed batter, he may very well work you over the outside part of the plate.

Just remember that advancing the runner from second base to third base has its time and place and depends on the importance of that particular runner getting to third base with less than two outs. It also is very important as to who follows you in the batting order. If two very weak hitters follow you in the order, you should be focusing solely on getting a hit to knock the runner in.

Larry is the president of Larwenty Online Enterprises Inc. He is also the author of "Excellent Baseball Coaching: 30 Seconds Away." If you are a baseball player or baseball coach at any level of play, or a parent who wants to help your child improve, you will be fully equipped! His baseball website offers several FREE baseball tips from his very informative and very fairly priced eBooks.

Larry's baseball website is http://www.larrybaseball.com/.

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Baseball Hitting Tips - How to Recognize a Curve Ball Quickly!

By Larry Cicchiello

Recognizing a curve ball quickly is not an easy thing to do. Hitting a well located curve is not easy either.That's why you will hear the expression, "he's a good fastball hitter" ten times for every one time you will hear, "he's a good curve ball hitter." I'm well aware that part of that is because there are many more fastballs being thrown, so of course more fastballs will be hit harder. But I'm also well aware that the movement on the curve ball makes baseball hitting much more difficult and the slower speed disrupts timing.
The quicker you can recognize that it's the curve that the pitcher is throwing, the better chance you will have of hitting it well. Like we've said many times, a fraction of a second is an eternity when it comes to baseball hitting and it most certainly applies here. That's why pitchers who have "late breaking" pitches are usually very successful, because the batter does not realize it is a breaking ball until it's much too late.

Ways to Recognize the Curve Ball Quickly:


Watch the release point of the pitcher very closely. The pitcher's release point may be slightly different from the fastball point of release.
Watch the trajectory of the ball as soon as it's released by the pitcher. It could very well have a slight arc to it
Watch the pitcher's arm angle. There's a strong possibility that with the fastball, the pitcher may come almost directly overhand and with the curve he may drop down a little to three-quarters. This happens very often.
Practice watching as many curve balls as possible.

Let's say you play three times a week and get about ten at bats per week. Out of those ten at bats, you see about one curve per at bat, which is about ten per week. I strongly suggest that to improve at recognizing a curve quicker, you must see more than ten per week. If you are serious about baseball hitting and having better at bats against the curve ball, here is what I highly recommend you do.

Whenever you have batting practice with your team, ask the pitcher to mix in some curve balls during your last ten swings.

If one of your pitchers is pitching batting practice, stand behind the backstop and practice trying to recognize his curve ball as quickly as possible.

If one of your pitchers is throwing a "bull pen," go stand nearby and watch him closely. Try to read the curve as quickly as you can. (If you're serious about your baseball hitting, you will find the time to do these things.)

By doing the things listed above, you may very well be seeing 50 curve balls per week instead of only 10 per week. I'm well aware that it's not as efficient as if you were up there hitting in the batter's box but it will still improve your recognition of the curve. How can it not help? It has to!

Hitting the Curve Ball:


Quick hands are an essential part of successful baseball hitting. If your hands are quick, you can "stay back" longer. By staying back and not over committing, this is extremely useful when attempting to hit the curve ball. There is much less of a chance you will be fooled by it and be off balance and too far out in front. There is no substitute for having quick hands.
"Hit it where it's pitched." An old cliche but a tough low and away curve ball with very good downward movement is not an easy pitch to hit. I highly recommend hitting it to the opposite field. Very few well located low and away curve balls are pulled by a batter and hit well.

Larry Cicchiello is the author of "Excellent Baseball Coaching: 30 Seconds Away." His site offers many FREE baseball tips on hitting, baseball pitching tips, baseball coaching drills, baseball fielding tips, etc. You will be FULLY EQUIPPED!

You can visit his website at http://www.larrybaseball.com/

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

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4 Common Youth Baseball Pitching Flaws

"4 Common Pitching Flaws
of Young Pitchers"


1. NOT SEEING THE TARGET - Teach pitchers to "lock in" on the chosen "target spot" during the delivery. I call these target "anchor points" . They may be the mitt, catchers knee, catchers mask, umpires mask, and other visual points. The "anchor points" vary with the pitch being thrown. When runners are on, make sure the pitcher "refocuses" on the target after checking the runner/runners and before throwing the pitch.
2. LANDING ON THE HEEL - Landing on the heel of the stride foot will cause control problems and excelerate fatigue. The pitcher should land softly on the "ball" of the stride foot. Landing on the front half of the stride foot reduces the "landing impact" to the pitcher's body thus helping to improve body control and pitch control. Control the body; control the pitch!

THROWING ACROSS THE BODY - This is caused when the pitcher strides to "closed" to allow a smooth delivery and follow through. The pitcher must throw across the body causing a "front hip lock" that prevents proper and adequate front hip movement and rotation. The pitcher should stride into "center zone" toward the plate to prevent this flaw.

3. POOR FOLLOW-THROUGH - The pitcher should finish low with a bent back and slightly bent front leg. The pitcher should strive to finish with the throwing arm outside of the knee and chest over thigh. The emphasis should be on achieving a smooth and proper follow through on every pitch.

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Baseball Pitching Tips - Controlling Emotions With Umpires!

By Larry Cicchiello

First and foremost, don't ever put an umpire on display by letting everybody in attendance at the ball park know that you think he may have missed a strike call. Don't glare at them for several seconds or stomp around the mound between pitches. Umpires are regular people like we are and none of us like to be shown up. You will not get any close calls during the rest of the game if you show them up and put them on display. Even worse yet, you may not get the calls that you should be getting!

As a pitcher, showing up an umpire is not in your best interest.There are going to be several pitches that can be called "either way" and you increase your chances of getting these close calls if you don't get the umpire annoyed at you.

If you truly feel you are being "squeezed" by an umpire on several pitches, a quick glance that lasts only about a half second may be in order and then quickly look the other way. And by a half second, I mean exactly a half second and not one second, one and a half seconds or two seconds. By glancing for a half second, you have politely made your point to the umpire that you think he may have "missed one" and you're getting that message across to him. You are letting him know and not letting everyone in attendance know that you think he missed the call.

Another way to let the umpire know that you think he missed the strike call is to politely ask him, "where did you have that one blue?" You have to walk a very fine line here and your tone of voice is critical. If you ask him where the pitch missed in a nasty tone of voice, you have blown it and made a huge mistake. When he lets you know where the pitch missed, give him what at least appears to be a sincere thank you.

Remember, baseball umpires have a very tough job to do and every close call they make is going to make one team happy and the other team upset.

Don't ever hesitate to compliment an umpire about his knowledge on a certain baseball ruling or for his hustle on a certain play.

It is clearly in your best interest to stay on their "good side" at all times!

Larry Cicchiello is the author of "Excellent Baseball Coaching: 30 Seconds Away." His site offers many FREE baseball tips on hitting, baseball pitching tips, baseball coaching drills, baseball fielding tips, etc. You will be FULLY EQUIPPED! You can visit his website at http://www.larrybaseball.com/

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

Youth Baseball Drills - Bullet Proofing That Devilish First and Third Scenario

By Nate Barnett

One of the trickiest defensive situations for younger teams is the runners on first and third situation. You know the scenario. The guy on first base leaves early, or walks off first base in the attempt to draw a throw from the pitcher and remain in a pickle just long enough for the runner on third base to score. It's annoying when it works while you're on defense, but absolutely brilliant where you're on offense.

I'll show you how your squad can bullet proof this scenario. Let me tell you however, that it must be implemented in your youth baseball drills often, else panic syndrome will always take over and wreck this important defensive play.

The best thing to remember in this scenario is that the defensive team is in control of the situation. The defense controls the pace, and ultimately if the runs scores. Because of this, there is no need to hurry through the play. Here is how the ideal scenario plays out for the defense.

Directions:

1. Base runner leaves first base early attempting to draw a throw from the pitcher. Or, he begins to steal the base and the stops in the middle of the base path putting pressure on the catcher to do something. I'll address both situations.

2A. The base runner leaves early from first base before the pitch is delivered. The first baseman yells, "step off!" to the pitcher, who then steps off the rubber. He checks the runner on third base by looking at him and making sure his momentum is not going towards home plate. Then, he turns and immediately throws the ball to the second baseman who has come up into the base path from his position.

2B. The base runner steals second base except stops in between first and second base. The pitch is delivered and the catcher has the ball. He steps in front of the plate and turns his body quickly towards third base until the runner's momentum has stopped moving towards home plate. He then pivot and throws the ball directly to the second baseman who has come up into the base path from his position.

3. With the ball in hand and in a dart throwing position (never in the glove) the second baseman begins to WALK quickly towards first base (no running or jogging). One of two things will happen. The runner on first base will go back to the bag (first base), or the runner on third base will break towards home to draw a throw from the second baseman.

4. If the runner returns to first base, the second baseman immediately throws the ball to the pitcher who returns to the mound and prepares for the next pitch. If the runner on third breaks towards home, the third baseman yells, "runner!" The second baseman turns and throws the ball to home plate.

The worst thing that can happen during this play is for the defense to panic and forget that they are in control. If nerves can be kept, there is a very high percentage chance the play will end successfully.

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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3 Baseball Hitting Instruction Tips For Better Hitting Mechanics

By Rob Bucher

Baseball hitting instruction comes in many forms and from many different people. Dads bark out instructions to their sons and coaches do the same.

As a player and a coach all this terminology not only confuses the hitter, but is usually wrong.

Let me explain...

Most of the time coaches instruct using the same coaching they received as a player. If they had a great coach then they teach proper hitting mechanics...usually.

And players have to listen to the coach or they fear getting lodged in the dog house for a season.

It's why I want to share three baseball hitting instruction tips to help players and coaches.

First I want you to throw out all your terminology and if your a player, erase them from your memory.

A good coach does not instruct a player without showing him the correct way and the wrong way. They also put the player into swing mechanics positions so he can feel what's right.


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Never throw your hands or arm at the ball. The further your arms get away from the body, the less strength you have in your swing. Get in a strong position by keeping your hands closer to the body. Think of a ice skater, they spin faster with their arms closer to the body.
You don't swing with the arms first. You allow the hips to trigger the swing and pull the upper body through the hitting zone.
You make contact with the ball with your arm closest to the pitcher slightly bent and the other arm in a L position slotted next to your side. You should not cast your bat out and make contact with the ball with your arms extended.

Hopefully these tips will help both player and coach when looking for better baseball hitting instruction.

Want to become a better hitter? Click here - Rotational Hitting Mechanics. Because your current mechanics are lack pop and consistency at the plate.

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

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The Effects of Ibuprofen on Youth Pitching Arms

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By Dan Gazaway

We are hearing more and more cases of Tendinitis developing in our youth pitchers. The normal recommendations or treatments for recovery are Ice, rest and a lot of Ibuprofen. How does all of this relate to the recovery process on the pitching arm? Well, we all know that there is definitely an overuse of young pitching arms. Some pitchers now days are playing for three different leagues or teams. They might play for a Super League team, City league and a fall league team. Regardless of each league counting pitches, Many pitchers are starting two or three games a week on the mound. That is ridiculous! There is no recovery time for the arm and less preparation time for your next outing.

How do we take care of Tendinitis or prevent it? The Diet plays a major role in the inflammatory process; the foods that you eat can stimulate inflammation and feed it like gas on a fire. Inflammation is the breakdown of old cells and the replacement of new cells. The diet that you're on can stimulate more of a chronic type of inflammatory response. As a pitcher, you want to make sure that you are eating an anti-inflammatory diet rich in essential fats.

There is value to Ice and rest, but there are many parents out there that give their kids too much Ibuprofen. Much of our diet is deficient in essential fatty acids EFA's. A lot of authors right now are writing about how the body is dealing with the inflammatory diet and say it is causing a prolonged effect on inflammation. In fact, there are necessary fats that we need in our diet. For the last 30 years the typical diet for Americans is anti fat, limited fat or no fat diets. The essential fats are Omega 3's that prevent inflammation. DHA is good for your liver and your brain. EPA's good for your joints. They slow down the inflammatory response.

When you throw a baseball you are constantly wearing on the ligaments, tendons and joints themselves. Choose Omega 3's that are rich in these essential fatty acids and not really rely on all of the ibuprofen. There is a lot of late research being done about the effects of Ibuprofen that suggest that it can actually slow down the healing process of tendinitis. The other danger of Ibuprofen is that you can play with pain and continue to damage the surrounding tendons and ligaments in your throwing arm.

Dan Gazaway is the owner and founder of The Pitching Academy in Utah. Coach Gazaway specializes in pitching mechanics and often writes and speaks about effective pitching workouts You can visit his website to learn more about baseball pitching grips, drills and tips.

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

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Free Youth Baseball Drills

By Kenny Buford

Defensive Drills that Don’t Bore

One of the hardest things when selecting baseball drills for youth is coming up with drills that build muscle memory but don’t bore the players so much they lose interest in the action altogether. This task is especially arduous when selecting defensive drills, since good defense is all about being prepared for whatever comes your way, and the only way to learn that is by playing out the various game-time situations. The following free youth baseball drills aim to keep players so engaged and interested they forget they’re building defensive skills.

Catching the Notorious Pop Fly

One of the most important defensive skills is how to catch a pop fly. To prepare your team for these high, straightforward catches, try this drill. Give each player on the team a ball and have them line-up one behind the other. Player one runs towards the coach, tossing the ball when close enough. The player then runs long, starting around 50 feet, while the coach lobs the ball high up into the air.

Players then turn around, spot the pop fly and catch it. To up the competitiveness of the drill, players who fail to catch the ball are assigned a letter in a predetermined word, such as HORSE. Once a player gets all the letters, they are out. While players are running to catch the ball, remind them to stay on the balls of their feet, since it will keep their strides shuffling and quick.

Mastering the Unpredictable Grounder

The next of the free youth baseball drills is perfect for teaching players to properly field the often wildly unpredictable grounders that inevitably will come their way come game time. To set up the drill, set up your fielders in a row. To cut down on wait time, set up a number of different stations with a coach or assistant managing each station.

The coach hits five ground balls in a row to the first player in the line who fields each grounder and throws it back towards the coach. After fielding the five balls, the player returns to the back of the line. In this drill, the most important thing to remember is staying low when fielding the balls. Make sure players are standing with their feet slightly wider than their shoulders, and constantly keeping their eye on the ball.

When looking for free youth baseball drills for defense, sometimes you want a drill that players can perform on their own without much help so you can concentrate on watching each player and correcting them when you see errors. This drill is perfect for that, since players are set up facing a wall, which basically provides its own grounders.

Line up players facing a wall or fence. Players should be at least 15 feet apart and approximately 20 feet away from the wall. Give each player a ball and at the sound of your whistle, players begin throwing the ball towards the ball low enough to get a grounder back. Have players count the number of grounders that are able to successfully field in a row without having one slip past or between their legs in a one-minute time span. Encourage players to beat their personal bests, and if they are excelling at 20 feet try moving them further back from the fence.

About The Author

Kenny Buford has coached nearly every level of baseball in a career that spans several decades. You can get instant access to his championship baseball practice plans and more youth baseball drills by visiting his website:

http://www.Baseball-Practice-Plans.com/

For a limited time, all coaches who visit Kenny's site will also get a free copy of his special report: "The 7 Biggest Mistakes Baseball Coaches Make". Go get your free copy today!

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

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Rotational Hitting Video Reveals How to Hit Baseball Farther

By Rob Bucher

Most hitters never reach their full potential as hitters. Many college stars who have been drafted to play in the big leagues wind up disappearing into a dark hole never to be heard from again.

There are two reasons they fail to live up to their promise, besides their mental capabilities.

One they can't hit off speed pitches and two the power they displayed in college is gone now they are using wooden bats. And the loss in power is directly attributed to poor swing mechanics.

In order to become a better hitter and succeed at every level of you play you need to watch a rotational hitting video to become acclimated to the swing adjustments you'll need to make.

The big difference is learning how to swing the bat correctly to generate maximum bat head speed.


You will no longer throw the barrel or your hands at the top half of the ball. Instead you will learn to turn into it and allow your hips to pull your hands through the hitting zone.
Your weight will not transfer to your front side until your swing has been initiated and you have turned your body into the path of the ball.
At contact your arms will no longer extend causing power loss, instead your arms will extend after contact for maximum power.

In brief, these are the differences you need to make to become a better hitter. Once you adopt these into your swing you will make more contact and increase your power numbers.

Don't be hoodwinked into believing linear mechanics work...

...Their the reason a majority of players never tap into their true potential.

Ready to have explosive power at the plate?

Click here Better Hitting Mechanics

Because your current mechanics are zapping your power at the plate or watch this video Rotational Hitting Video

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

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Baseball Tips - Catchers and Catching

By Chico Reese

Every so often I get a request from a parent who tells me that their child is a catcher and that they would like me to help their child “learn some catching things”, or “give them some catching tips” or something along those lines. Sometimes I know the player and have seen him catch before. Sometimes I’ve heard that the player catches. Sometimes the parent says that the child catches and thinks he’d be a lot better with a little help. This last one can be a little scary because I’ve been told this by parents and once I start working with the player I immediately realize that he has never caught before, or only caught a few times…probably just batting practice a few times.

When I get a request like this from parents, here’s what I do:

I first assess what the player has really done or what he can really do. This is important, mainly from a safety point of view. Inexperienced catchers, especially young ones just starting out, can easily get injured by the baseball. So I really try to figure out what I’m dealing with, no matter what mom or dad has told me.

I'll also just talk to the young catcher and try to find out how much he’s caught so far in his little career, what he likes about catching and what he doesn’t like. You can kind of tell if a player has a real interest in catching or if his parents decided it was a position that he should like. I actually had a nine year old flat-out tell me that he hated baseball. He liked football and golf. He said his dad ( who was the coach) made him play. Catchers need to be motivated kids who truly like, or at young ages, don’t mind being a catcher.

I find out more of what I need to know by simply watching how the player reacts to me throwing the ball at him. A young player with very little experience or none at all will almost always have more fear of getting hit by the ball than a catcher who has "been there, done that." This will stand out in his actions when you actually start throwing some balls in the dirt at him, even real slow pitches.

I have the player get the catching gear on and then I get a few baseballs and tell him that I’m going to throw some balls in the dirt and that I want him to block them. Of course, I’m not going to just start whipping balls at him, I’m just looking at the reaction he has when he thinks a ball is coming at him in the dirt.

I have him get down in his stance and I motion like I’m going to just whip one at him in the dirt. I do a full pitching motion, like I’m going to throw the ball. However, I don’t release it. What happens next is that you’ll most likely get all of the answers that you need to determine where the player is at as far as catching ability and what you should do next to help him improve. True, he might be able to stand up and throw the ball to second base well, but that in itself is not proof that a kid has caught a lot.

Observe the player carefully and note things like the following:


After the player gets the equipment on, does he look like he's used to wearing it, or is he fidgeting with it, pulling at it and trying to figure out how to wear it? Does it appear that it feels "weird" to him? A catcher that is used to wearing this stuff usually will just throw it on in a few minutes and be done with it.
When the player gets down is his receiving stance, does he look relaxed, comfortable and stable? Is it basically a correct stance? Or does he look clumsy and uncomfortable and not sure how he wants to squat? A catcher that has done a good deal of catching will normally get right down in a stance that you can tell is natural to him and feels O.K., even if you think it's not an exactly correct stance.
When you are winding up, does the player appear ready, still relaxed and focused? Or, does the player appear pretty nervous, maybe a little scared at this point? Young catchers with experience at this point usually have a look of anticipation and focus. They are concentrating on your release and the ball, not worrying about getting hit by the ball. Most of the time it is easy to see the difference.
When you actually do the fake throw, does the catcher flinch, turn his head, bring his non-glove hand around to protect himself, even though you haven’t even thrown the ball yet? If he does, he's probably relatively new at this and should be taught how to do things correctly, mainly to protect himself. Young catchers with innings under their belts won't flinch too much at the point when you are about to throw the ball. They are calm, stable on their feet and are focused. They are anticipating the ball and how to catch it or block it. They are not overly concerned with getting hit by the ball.

If the player that you are assessing appears like he does indeed have some of the "experience" qualities mentioned above and just needs work to improve, you're in good shape. Focus on fundamentals and repeat, repeat and repeat. That's what separates good catchers from mediocre ones.

BUT, if you see all of the signs of a "newbie", what do you do? Where do you start from here? How do you get the young catcher "catching?"

We'll look at this in a future article.

Chico Reese has been closely involved in youth baseball, softball and High School Baseball over the last twelve years and enjoys working with young catchers.

For excellent Catching instruction and training, consider the following sources:

Catchers Instruction, Training and Tips

http://baseballcatcher.baseballgloverestore.com

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

3 Reasons Why Rotational Hitting Mechanics Help Players Perform Better

By Rob Bucher

Not sure if rotational hitting mechanics can help your performance at the plate?

Let me share with you three reasons why rotational hitting can catapult you above hitters who still think linear mechanics work best. I have studied some of the swing mechanics of the best players in the game and even analyzed some of the top Little League players. And I believe 100% that if you use rotational mechanics you will be a better hitter. But, with one little addition. You need to transfer your weight from the back side to your front side to efficiently maximize your power.

Here are the three main reasons you should be using rotational hitting mechanics.


In order to use your bodies entire force. You need to release the stored kinetic energy which only comes from rotating into the baseball. Most players think the swing is just that a swing. But in reality it's more of motion of pulling the bat through the hitting zone. The only way to release your bodies energy into the ball is separating the top half from the lower half. And then rotating into the ball using your lower body first and allowing the upper body to follow.
Most players who use linear mechanics have a tendency to extend their arms to early in the swing zapping their power. But when you rotate into the ball your arms do not extend until after contact. A majority of people believe that most major league players extend their arms at contact, but when you break their swings down in slow motion, you'll soon realize they extend after the ball has left the bat.
The last reason is simple. In order to maximize your power at the plate you need to match the plane of the pitch with the path of the bat barrel. Most linear hitters do not effectively match up the planes which reduces power. Rotational hitters put the barrel of the bat on the same plane of the pitch effectively making the ball exit the bat at a faster speed.
If you think linear mechanics trump rotational then all you have to do is watch the best college and professional hitters to learn the proper way to hit a baseball.

Want to increase your performance and have more power at the plate?

Click here Rotational Hitting Mechanics.

Because your current mechanics are not tapping into your true potential.

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


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Baseball Tips on Hitting - The Most Common Hitting Problem at Any Level of Play

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By Larry Cicchiello

If you have what is referred to as a "quick hip," please forgive my bluntness but you will have no chance of being a successful baseball hitter.

Only on an inside pitch, can you get away with opening the front hip a little bit early.

A "quick hip" is when the front hip opens a fraction of a second early. It is a common hitting problem and a very serious one for many hitters at all levels of play. The swing itself should force the front hip open.

If the hip is a fraction of a second too quick, it forces your front side to open too early and this is a recipe for disaster for a baseball player at any level of play.

Three Major Problems Occur if You Have A Quick Hip:

1. You will not see the ball well. Your head will go along for the ride with your "quick hip" and you will be looking at the ball out of the corner of your eyes when the moment of truth arrives and you attempt to actually hit the ball.

2. Your power will be lost. You will be leaning toward third base if you are a right-handed hitter or toward first base if you are a left-handed hitter. That is NOT where the hitting is taking place. The hitting is taking place in front of you, not to the left or right of you.

3. Your plate coverage will be POOR. The only pitch you'll be able to hit with any success at all is the inside pitch and low and away pitches will cause many problems for you as a baseball hitter.

I wonder how much young players who are struggling at the plate would improve considerably if they made this fairly simple adjustment at the plate.

Keeping the front hip closed is one of the best baseball tips on hitting you will ever hear.

How common is the hitting problem of having a "quick hip"? You can check it out for yourself.

When watching a game live in person or on TV at any level of play, observe the weaker hitters. (The ones who are batting .220, .230 or .240) Keep an eye on their front hip. In almost all cases, it will be opening too early.

On the other side of the coin, you can also check out the better hitters. They will be keeping their front hip closed!

Larry Cicchiello is the author of "Excellent Baseball Coaching: 30 Seconds Away." His site offers many FREE baseball tips on hitting, baseball pitching tips, baseball coaching drills, baseball fielding tips, etc. You will be FULLY EQUIPPED! You can visit his website at http://www.larrybaseball.com/.

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



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

Baseball Instruction - The Not So Secret Bunt Defense

By Nate Barnett

Sacrifice bunts are not supposed to be a secret. But somewhere in the entanglement of some (not all) baseball instruction, the sacrifice bunt became as top secret as the development of the Atomic Bomb. Well... not quite, but you get the idea. What evidence do I have for this you say?

1. Batters that square around to bunt as the pitcher releases the ball.

2. Runners who get picked off first because they are trying to get a good jump.

3. Improper butting location on the field because of panic to get the bat in the zone.

There is a good start.

I'm saying sacrifice bunting is no secret. In fact, I used to coach a team who had a tough time picking up signs from our third base coach. So we changed the sign to an audible. It was, "Hey, Johnny, bunt the ball!" We got a few strange looks here and there but it got the job done. Some great high level baseball instruction, huh.

So if the offense knows it is bunting and the defense knows the offense is bunting, where does the offensive bunt the ball?

Scenario #1: Runner on first base only. No outs (don't bunt with one out please)

The batter squares around to bunt as the pitcher gets into the set position. Now everyone in the park knows. Ah, time to relax, the rabbit is out of the hat! The batter bunts (strikes only please!) the ball to the first base side of the diamond.

Why?

Because the first baseman will be holding the runner and will not charge unless it's bunted hard. If he does charge this means that the second baseman needs to be moving quickly to get to first base. The third baseman will be coming in when the hitter squares around. Bunting the ball to the third base side is not recommended.

Scenario #2: Runners on first and second base. No outs (don't bunt with one out please)

The batter squares around to bunt again as the pitcher gets into the set position. The batter bunts (strikes only) the ball to the third base side of the diamond.

Why?

Because the third baseman will be staying close to the bag in the event there is a play there. The first baseman will be charging as soon as the batter squares to bunt. Bunting the ball down the first base side is not recommended.

And that's it. No top secret baseball instruction, baseball drills, or decoy signs. It's straight up. If the bunter executes a proper bunt, the sacrifice will be a success.

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

Baseball Tips on Hitting - Bunting Can Help You and Your Team Tremendously!

www.BatAction.com - The Original Hitting Machine

By Larry Cicchiello

During every at bat, it costs you absolutely nothing to take a sneaky and very quick glance and see where the first baseman and third baseman are playing. You will occasionally see one of them seven steps behind the bag and you can get a hit that is really "on the house."

Right-handed Batters

In executing a good bunt toward third base, the right-handed batter must angle the bat down the first base line and try to make contact on the bat somewhere between the sweet spot and the end of the bat.

Slide the top right hand down just past the trademark on the bat as soon as the pitcher is releasing the ball, so he and the third baseman are not tipped off too early.

You pinch the bat with the thumb and index fingers, making sure your hand stays behind the bat.

You should put the bat right in the middle of the strike zone so you won't have too far to move the bat no matter where the ball is pitched. Your bottom left hand is the hand that pivots the bat and the right hand guides the bat.

Try to deaden the ball so the surprised third baseman has a long way to come in and field it. Deadening the ball with the bat is referred to as "catching" the ball with the bat.

The ideal bunt should go down the third base line and not between the third baseman and the pitcher.

You do NOT want the pitcher to field the bunt. By bunting and having the ball go very close to the line, it makes the third baseman's throw longer and from a much more difficult angle.

When the right-handed batter wants to bunt for a hit on the right side of the infield, he should try to push the ball just past the pitcher. The batter should not square around, as in a sacrifice situation but should remain mobile and preferably be already moving toward first base as he is actually bunting the ball.

He should be turned more toward first base than toward the pitcher.

You want the much deeper second baseman to field the bunt! The perfect bunt on the right side should just barely be out of the pitcher's reach, which will create chaos between the first and second baseman as to who should field the bunt and very possibly nobody will be covering first base.

Left-handed Batters

The left-handed batter slides his left hand to just past the trademark on the bat.

He should try to be in motion as he bunts the ball, unlike when sacrifice bunting where he would remain stationary. He also uses the thumb and index finger to guide the bat and the bottom right hand pivots the bat.

If bunting on the right side of the infield, once again, you want the second baseman to field the bunt!

Sometimes, if you don't bunt the ball hard enough, you will see both the first baseman and pitcher closing in on the ball. You may very well end up with a hit in this situation because first base is left unguarded because the second baseman is charging in also.

That's great, but in the long run you are still better off bunting so that the second baseman has to field your bunt.

If you are bunting down the third base line, just like with the right-handed batter, you do NOT want the pitcher to field the ball.

Larry Cicchiello is the author of "Excellent Baseball Coaching: 30 Seconds Away." His site offers many FREE baseball tips on hitting, baseball pitching tips, baseball coaching drills, etc. You will be FULLY EQUIPPED!

You can visit his website at http://www.larrybaseball.com/

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

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Teaching Youth Baseball

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By Trevor Sumner

Teaching youth baseball is a rewarding experience for both parents and coaches alike. While parents have an obvious investment in the teaching of the fundamentals of the sport of baseball to their children, coaches, make a significant investment of their own in time, effort and emotion. From a personal perspective, one of the greatest rewards is in developing relationships with and positively affecting the lives of individual youth baseball players. The lessons of sports such as in baseball are positive and well documented. For coaches, there are also the internal rewards they get from seeing each player develop and from watching a youth baseball team improve as a group and learn to play together under their coaching tutelage.

Astute coaches improve the performance of the team as a whole by employing youth baseball drills to improve the individual performances of team players and there interactions together. There are three main categories in which youth baseball drills will have an immense effect on the performance levels of players.


Youth Batting Drills - one of the most important of the youth baseball drills. The vast majority of youth baseball players have the most fun when they hit. The better they are able to hit, the more fun that they will have, and the greater their interest in the sport of baseball. Coaches and parents who teach baseball drills in batting must stress the importance of a well-balanced stance that is comfortable for the individual player, picking the ball up as it leaves the pitcher's hand, and keeping the body weight back until the pitch is delivered.
Youth Fielding Drills - an integral part of teaching the defensive position. Of course, there are sets of baseball fielding drills that are unique to each of the nine fielding positions in the game of baseball. However, there are baseball drills common to all fielding positions. One of the key youth baseball drills in catching ground balls is to keep the fingers of the fielding glove on the ground for ground balls, and raising the glove to catch the ball on the bounce, instead of lowering the glove. Another one of the instructional keys to fielding is to catch the thrown or batted ball with the wrist in an upward position for balls at or above the waist, and to turn the wrist upside down to catch balls below the waist. There are many ways to take a single drill and apply it so the whole team can practice at once.
Youth Throwing Drills - the most basic of all youth baseball drills, and many instructors feel that it is the most important fundamental of all. It is vital for parents to make sure that their children develop proper throwing techniques from the time they can throw a baseball, around the age of eight or so. The importance of throwing a baseball with proper grip can not be overestimated. Youth throwing drills must emphasize four important elements: Throw the ball by gripping it with the index finger and middle finger on the ball; point your shoulder opposite from your throwing hand in the direction of your target; step in the direction of your target when you release the ball; and follow through after you release the ball with your back leg so that both legs are parallel upon the completion of the throw.
You can find many youth baseball drills on the Internet covering hitting, fielding and throwing. Some drills are free and some require subscription or for you to order a DVD. Free baseball drills allow you greater flexibility in trying a variety and see what works best for you as the coach and your youth baseball team. Always remember that drills should be age appropriate. The right fielding drill for a 14 year-old boy will not suit and 8-year old and vice versa.

There are many baseball coaching resources and communities like Weplay, available to help with any questions you might have. Don't underestimate the passion of the community around you. We are all here to help the kids.

By Trevor Sumner who works for Weplay.com, a youth baseball community dedicated to providing parents, coaches and athletes the tools and information they need to celebrate the love of the game. Weplay has one of the most comprehensive baseball drill libraries in its active baseball community.

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

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

The 4 Things That Make a Great Hitter

www.BatAction.com

By Todd Thomas

There are 4 things that make a can make a GREAT baseball or softball hitter. FOUR CRITICAL THINGS. Leave just one thing out and you can forget about greatness. Be absent of two or three or all four and your going from Good, to Average, to Poor, to finding another easier athletic endeavor.

These 4 things are...Potential, Technique, Work Ethic, and Mental Approach. Let's discuss each and their importance in being a great hitter.

1. Potential: This one a coach has no real control over. If a hitter does not have the potential to hit like Alex Rodriguez, then I dont' care who their instructor is they cannot make him/her hit like Alex no matter what they are taught nor no matter how bad they or their parents want that. No more than Hank Haney (Tiger Woods swing coach) can teach any given golfer the same stuff he teaches Tiger and turn that golfer into Tiger Woods. It can't be done. The only real control an Instructor has is to help a hitter to hit to their own potential whatever that is. It may be an outstanding Rec player. Maybe that's your potential. OR Maybe a really good select player or a top high school player, a top College prospect, or maybe a pro prospect. Potential does come in varying degrees that is for sure. Some may even seem to have the ability to stretch their potential, but I would submit to you that the potential they reach was always within their own God given potential. Part of a player's natural ability to fulfill their own potential shows in their ability or lack thereof to "take it between the lines". Some players are great batting practice hitters but when they step into the batters box, they just can't seem to hit(consistently or at all) like they do in the cage or at practice. It's a frustrating and perplexing phenomenon, but it's real. The bottom line fact, and it's hard for most if not all players and their parents to accept this, is that some players just don't have it "built in" to their natural ablility/potential to perform between the lines to a high level or to the level they expect they should. Some players have the desire to be great and I'll talk more about desire later in this article. However, if the potential is not there then I'm sorry neither will be greatness.

2. Technique: When good technique is put together with good potential, good things definitely will happen for a hitter. Some players with tremendous potential and natural ability can have horrible technique and still do very well. However, in my opinion, even though they may be good they are NOT reaching their true potential without good technique. Players with average to below average potential with bad technique certainly shouldn't expect much. Conversely, players with average to below average potential can expect to be much better and have the ability to make great strides toward their own personal potential with good technique. So what technique can help hitters reach their personal potential? It is the technique used by the best Major League and Collegiate hitters. What technique is that? That depends of what you call it. Mike Epstein calls it Rotational Hitting. Some people have a problem with that term for whatever reason. Mostly because they haven't a clue of what it really means or what we specifically teach from the beginning of the swing to the end. But they "assume" and are wrong. Okay, so call the technique what you want if it makes you or someone else feel better. Call it The Big League Swing. Call it a Hybrid Swing. Call it whatever you want, but it simply is the technique of the best Big Leaguers and Collegiate players. It should be noted that some current and former players from these categories have no clue what their true technique is/was and have no clue how to actually teach it either. For you or any hitter to reach their potential, a hitter must have good technique/mechanics.

3. Work Ethic: Along side work ethic is something I mentioned earlier and that is desire. Without desire, there is no sustainable work ethic within a player. A hitter MUST have the desire to be great and because of that they MUST work hard at reaching their potential. I have seen many players with loads of potential. They have learned the best technique and yet they don't work at it. They wonder what's wrong with them, or the technique, or maybe even with their teacher. I say this to every hitter... There is no SHORTCUT to being good(and certainly not great). It takes work and it takes it for an extended period of time. In fact, it takes work until the day they stop playing the game. The best hitters in the world are Major League ball players and the top college softball players. My question to you is... How often do they take batting practice? If you answered "Every Day", you are pretty much right on. Is there a day off here and there? Sure. But for all intents and purposes, they take BP EVERY DAY! Why do they do this? They are already great. What do they need to work on it for? I'll tell you. Because hitting is a lifelong pursuit. One never has "it" figured out permanently. If the best players practice every day, then why do some hitters want to take a "lesson" and then just show up for games and expect to be good?!? It's inexplicable. Yet I see it all the time. I believe that the One Who Works The Hardest, HITS The Hardest! Work, work, work. Take a break and then work some more. Only then should a hitter expect to be their best.

4. Mental Approach: Without a solid mental approach going to and at the plate, a player can only ever expect to be good, but not great. How a player thinks in the batter's box and prior to getting there is what can make a good hitter a great hitter. There are several schools of thought on this. I say subscribe to one and APPLY IT! One side of the mental game is confidence and focus. The other side of the mental game is being prepared and thinking along with the pitcher. Mike Epstein believes the best mental approach lies in anticipating pitches. Having a plan, using acquired information (either from observation or from teammates), and anticipating pitches. Now I am not going to get into the specifics here on this. There is much more to it and to cover than I want to go into here. Mike Epstein's book "The Mental Side Of Hitting" is a good resource. I know one young hitter who has read this book SIX times and guess what, IT SHOWS! There are others resources out there on having a quality at-bat or being a thinking hitter. There really is some good information on this and those hitters that want to reach their potential are the ones who will seek it out, dive into it, and apply it. Many hitters short change themselves by selling short how important it is to have a solid mental approach at the plate. They hear it and it goes in one ear and out the other. Meanwhile, they want their instructor to just help them to perfect their technique to make them better and to reach their potential. They won't and their coach can't if their technique is already solid. Get into the mental side of hitting if you DESIRE to be GREAT.

In closing... As the title to this article would indicate, in order to be a great hitter and/or to reach YOUR maximum potential, you must have all 4 of these things. Think about it. What good is any one of these things without AT LEAST one other element? Without one, you can only expect to be good. Absent of two, a hitter will be average AT BEST. With only one element, it's all but hopeless. Do we even need to consider none? Not really. The good news is that 3 of the 4 are simply a decision. All any player has to do is to decide to have good technique, a good work ethic, and a good mental approach. Only potential/natural ability is out of your control. If God has blessed you with natural ability, then fulfill you're potential by deciding to apply yourself in the other areas. Finally... if you DECIDE to leave out one of the 3 areas that are under your control, now you'll understand the results you'll get.

Todd Thomas is a Baseball Coach and Professional Hitting Instructor for Mike Epstein Hitting. Coach Todd's personal hitting website is http://www.HitItHere.net. Coach Todd also enthusiastically endorses http://PlayMyBestBaseball.com as a place where baseball and softball hitters can master the Confidence, Composure, Focus and Consistency of their game so they can reach their full potential.

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


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

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

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