Youth Baseball Hitting Tips

Baseball Coaching Digest - What is the Most Important Thing in Coaching Little League Baseball?

Youth Baseball Digest - 7 Characteristics of Successful Little League Baseball Coaches

All successful Little League Baseball Coaches have common characteristics that make them a "cut above" average youth baseball coaches. These character traits enable the successful baseball coach to have top quality practices and to get great game performances from his team. Successful coaches are able to compete season after season. They often coach their teams to championships. This article outlines what I consider to be the 7 character traits of successful Little League Coaches.

If you ask 100 Little League Baseball coaches the question, "What is the Most Important Thing in Coaching Baseball?", you will get a wide variety of answers. This article explains what I feel is the absolutely most important thing in coaching Little League Baseball.

Youth Baseball Digest - 11 Simple Batting Terms Every Tee Ball and Little League Coach Should Know
[Recreation-and-Sports:Baseball] To coach the game, you have got to talk the game. Knowing the proper coaching terms and terminology to teach hitting is a requirement for Tee Ball and Little League Coaching Success. This article gives 11 common hitting terms and the meaning of each.


Little League Digest - The KISS Rule of Teaching Youth Baseball Players a Proper Swing

[Recreation-and-Sports:Baseball] Little League Digest: The KISS Rule of Teaching Youth Baseball Players a Proper Swing Coaching baseball is not rocket science. I believe in the KISS rule of coaching young baseball batters. The KISS or "Keep it Super Simple" rule means that the coach will present the batting instruction in a way that it is easy for young baseball players to understand, visualize and perform. This article explains the 6 simple steps in teaching youth baseball batters using the "KISS" method.


Little League Digest - Proper Baseball Swing Mechanics and the "Belly Button" Rule of Hip Turn

The hips play an important part in the baseball swing process. The turn of the hips helps to generate power and bat speed. There are several important coaching points about the involvement of the hips in the swing.

Baseball Coaching Digest - The 4 Key Elements That Help a Batter Hit a Baseball With More Power

Every baseball player loves to hit the ball hard and far. The power required to hit the baseball deep comes from the generation of maximum bat speed. The generation of bat speed is created by the correct use of the lower body, hips and hands. Four key elements are required to make the batting swing more powerful. This article outlines and explains those key elements.


Baseball Coaching Digest - Batting Flaw - Young Batter Has Started Popping Up Every Time He Bats

[Recreation-and-Sports:Baseball] It can be very frustrating to have a talented young batter go into a mid season slump. This is going to happen to at least one or two players on every youth baseball team in America this summer.

The Five Elements of the Major League Little League Baseball Swing

There is nothing more beautiful in sports than when a "major league" swing whether it be at the tee ball, little league, high school, college or Major League Baseball level of play. A "major league" swing is what I consider to be a perfectly executed swing.


3 Strength Building Drills to Make Your Baseball Bat the Most Powerful in Your Baseball League

These 3 batting drills should be a part of every serious baseball players daily batting practice routine. These hitting drills are well known and recognized for increasing bat speed and power. If you use these three strength building drills regularly, they to make your baseball bat the most powerful in your baseball league. These drills should be done regularly during the off season.

Baseball Coaching Digest - Young Batter Hits Great in Practice But Struggles at the Plate in Games

One of the most frustrating and often puzzling things to witness in youth baseball coaching is "game time" failure that was totally unexpected.. We have all seen it happen at one time or another. You have a player that absolutely rips the ball in batting practice but looks horrible at the plate whenever he bats. Before the games started the player was expected to be one of the best hitters on the team. But, when season starts and the games begin he is absolutely terrible at the plate. I am assuming that the batter has a swing that is mechanically sound.


Baseball Coaching Digest - The Swing Looks Perfect But the Batter Always Hits a Weak Ground Ball

We have all seen this scenario. The batter has above average bat speed, above average hitting skill and is always extremely aggressive at the plate, but is simply not getting on base. The swing looks great but weak or poor contact is made. The batter is in a serious hitting slump.

Youth Baseball Coaching - 8 Elements of a Super Baseball Swing

The perfect baseball swing is a thing of beauty. There are few movements and actions in sports that are practice more often than the baseball swing. Players take thousands and thousands of practice swing during a season. The key to game swing quality is practice swing quality. There are certain basic rules that every batter should remember when taking a swing in practice and games.

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

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

Baseball Hitting - The 3 Basic Elements of the Major League Baseball Swing

The "Major League" baseball swing is a thing of beauty. If you watch it in slow motion, you will see that there are 3 common elements of the swing that that most major league baseball players have in common. Baseball batting practice repetition makes the Major League Baseball Swing consistent with the same 3 basic elements exhibited with every swing of the bat.

Coaching Baseball Batters - 3 Common Baseball Swing Mistakes and Corrections

Coaching youth and high school baseball batters requires a watchful eye and close attention to detail. Baseball coaches must identify and correct any flaw in a batters hitting mechanics. Players should not be allowed to practice their swing over and over without correcting their mistakes. Good baseball coaches are always on the constant lookout for any bad habits that a young player may develop. Here I discuss three of the most common hitting mechanical flaws and my approach to correcting each.


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

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

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

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


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

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


Coaching Baseball - The Importance of Teaching Batters to Hit the Ball Where it is Pitched

Great hitters at all levels share one common skill. They know when and how to attack every pitch location. Great hitters read and react to every possible pitch location. If you watched the 2008 Baseball College World Series, you quickly realized that great college hitters can catch up to any fastball regardless of the velocity. You also saw college baseball batters that apply and execute one of the most important and basic skills of hitting a baseball, the skill of "hitting the ball where it is pitched".


Teaching Young Baseball Batters to Have Better Eye Focus and Visual Concentration

The eyes are the hitter's brain when it comes to hitting. A batter can know the count, know the situation, know the pitcher, and know how to swing, but if the eyes are weak or fail, then they will likely suffer defeat at the plate. How many times have we heard a successful batter say that "I am really seeing the ball right now"? Batters that are "hot" at the plate always say that they are really seeing the ball well.


Teaching Young Batters to Use the No-Stride Technique For a Good Baseball Swing

If you watched the College World Series on ESPN last June, I am sure that you saw, as I did, player after player, use the no-stride technique. The batter after batter, came to the plate, at the College World Series in Omaha, and used the No-Stride Method of Hitting. Baseball coaches at all levels of baseball, from little league to the pros, are teaching the "wider stance and no stride approach" to hitting. Here I cover the basics of teaching and coaching the "No-Stride" hitting method.


Coaching Baseball Beginner Batters - The Batting Grip, the Bat Angle and Proper Hand Positioning

Hitting a baseball is a skill that can be learned and improved with proper coaching and instruction. It may be a difficult task, but with the correct fundamentals and techniques hitting can be one of the most rewarding activities in all of sports. There is nothing that is more satisfying and rewarding than hitting a line-drive in the left-center gap to help your team score the go-ahead run.

Yankee Derek Jeter - All Baseball Players and Coaches Can Learn From His Mental Approach to the Game

Derek Jeter's mental approach to baseball is one that every player, coach and parent should take notice of. He is a true American Sports Hero yet he does not consider himself bigger than the game itself. His words and quotes reflect his attitude, his commitment, and his love of the game. What can all baseball coaches learn from Derek Jeter's mental approach to the game? He is one of the most "decorated" Major League baseball players in the past decade. But, more impressive than his talent is his ability to keep the game in proper perspective mentally. He is humble. He knows how important the game is to him. He appreciates the opportunity he has to play the game and he considers it an honor to wear the pin stripes. In this article I present Derek Jeter quotes that I feel reflect how every player should approach the mental part of the game.

Youth Baseball Digest - 4 Important Factors That Can Help New Little League Coaches Be Successful

Coaching Little league is a great way for baseball and softball players to give back to your community. Every baseball player remembers his first t-ball coach, coach pitch coach, little league coach, and high school coach. Baseball coaches have a profound effect on the lives of the players they coach.


Youth Baseball Digest - 5 Safety Rules That Must Be Followed by Every Little League Team

Player and coach safety must be the concern of every Little League Baseball Coach. All youth baseball coaches must establish certain team rules to insure the safety of both the players and the coaches. There are 5 basic safety rules that help protect players are coaches. This article outlines each of those 5 safety rules.

The 10 "Must Do's" of Coaching Baseball and Softball

I have compiled my list of the "MUST DO'S", that I feel every coach must coach by! These reflect the duties and responsibilities accepted when one becomes a coach. Here are my "MUST DO'S".


Coaching Youth Baseball - The Basic Truths of Coaching That Every Coach Should Remember

Great Coaches are great coaches for a reason. They love the game. They love the kids. They love to instruct and teach. They love to mentor and minister to youngsters hoping that something they do will help that kid become a better person.