Youth Baseball Clinic - Baseball Tips on Hitting - The Most Common Hitting Problems at Any Level of Play!

Baseball Tips: Correcting the Most Common Hitting Problems at Any Level of Play!

By Guest Author: 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. One of the most important baseball tips on hitting is to remember that 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 baseball hitting problems for you.

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 and the entire front of your body closed is one of the most important baseball tips on hitting. How common is the baseball 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 is the successful author of several very user friendly eBooks and CD's covering 320 topics on playing or coaching excellent baseball. ANY player, coach or parent who wants to help their child will be fully equipped! Check out some FREE baseball tips on hitting and FREE baseball pitching tips at LarryBaseball.com.

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Youth Baseball Catching Clinic

Youth Baseball Catching Clinic
Uploaded by ClubHouseGas On http://ClubHouseGAS.com , noted baseball instructor Russ Dickerson talks about catching. Also check-out http://YouthSportTravel.com.

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Coaching Baseball - Four Valuable Coaching Tools That Every Baseball Coach Should Own

Coaching Baseball - Four Valuable Coaching Tools That Every Baseball Coach Should Own
By guest author: Nick Dixon



First of all, let me say this is not a commercial or endorsement for a baseball training tool or product, although my company sells some of the best in baseball. This article is about 4 relatively inexpensive components that are valuable coaching tools that are available in your favorite mass merchant store. I feel that these components should be in the carry bag of every sports coach.

We all know and realize that productive practices do not happen by chance. The good practices are well planned and organized with specific practice time periods and specific skill drills. As a high school football and baseball coach with over 25 years of experience, I am 100% convinced that these four components can make any sport practice, at any level, more organized and productive. Those components are 1) a Stop Watch, 2) A Detailed Practice Schedule, 3) a Video Camera, and 4) Practice Cones or Markers.

How these four coaching tools improve the quality of practice and instruction.

1. Stop Watch - It is essential that every practice be divided into specific individual or team drill periods. A good stop watch helps keep everything on time and running smooth. It is recommended that time slots be kept shorter for younger age groups. Very seldom would a drill go over 10 minutes for youth teams.

2. Written Practice Schedule - Going on a practice field without a written practice schedule is like driving a car without a steering wheel. You can not conduct good practices without good planning and organization. The practice schedule is divided into time periods with specific team and individual drill. Taking the time to evaluate what the team needs most is extremely important. These written schedules should be kept and reviewed to see when various topics, fundamentals, and skills were taught and practiced. Each schedule outlines what drills are done, the time of the session, what players are involved, and what coaches are conducting the drill.

3. Digital Video Camera - As you have heard many times over and over, the "big eye in the sky does not lie". A saying that coaches use to emphasize that what you see on video is exactly the way it is. The video camera is a coaches best friend when it comes to teaching hitting, pitching and fielding fundamentals. Video filmed practice action shows players what they need to improve on or correct. Video play backs can also provide positive or negative feedback to reinforce coaching and teaching sessions. If they actions are wrong, they can see their mistakes. If their action is correct, they can see how well they performed. Players recognize and understand verbal instruction much better when they can see a video. Hitters can correct a flaw in swing mechanics much easier if they can actually see the mistake they are making. It is a good idea to video both individual and team drills for later review.

4. Plastic Practice Cones or Markers - These relatively inexpensive cones or markers are used to set up drills. They are orange in color and stack inside themselves to make this easy to store and carry. There are many uses that these can be used for. You can mark bunt zones. You are mark the "get to the line" spot for pitching fielding practice. You can use them to mark the path for a base runner to "fish hook" at first base on a ball hit through the infield. You will come up with many more uses as you plan your practices and workouts.

I hope this article has been useful to you. If you are looking for more articles on baseball, you may visit the Baseball Coaching Digest Blog and the Youth Baseball Clinic Blog. Both feature daily post and articles on all aspects of coaching baseball.

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Little League Digest - 2 Free Baseball Batting Tee Drills That Produce Incredible Results

Little League Digest - 2 Free Baseball Batting Tee Drills That Produce Incredible Results
By guest author: Nick Dixon


Many people underestimate the versatility and effectiveness of the baseball batting tee. The batting tee can be used in a variety of locations and heights. Improve your Little League Team hitting success with these two recommended hitting drills for coaching Little League batters. The two batting drills are the "High Tee Drill"and the "Low Ball Tee Drill". Each of these drills allows the batter to practice hitting a specific pitch location that is often difficult to practice hitting.

High Tee Drill

The purpose of this drill is to allow the batter practice repetition at hitting the high fastball. The high fastball is the most difficult pitch to hit. Extending the batting tee to its highest level and placing the tee over the middle of the plate allows repetitive practice at hitting this pitch location.

The high tee drill makes the batter use more muscles to swing the bat than a lower setting. Keeping the target ball high makes the batter control and drive the bat without the use of gravity that can be used on a lower ball target setting.

Low Ball Tee Drill

The most difficult pitch location to hit is the low and away strike. By lowering your batting tee you give your player practice repetition at hitting the most difficult pitch location. You may place the tee inside, away and on the middle of the plate to give the batter practice at hitting all possible low strike locations.

I hope that you found this article informative and useful. Thanks for taking the time to read it. Good Luck to you and your team. Have a great day, Nick

The CoachesBest Baseball Store has a great selection of 1400 Baseball Products. Check out the Derek Jeter Hurricane Hitting Machine baseball pitching simulator. This high speed training machine is 100% Guaranteed to raise Batting Averages and has a full year warranty.

Nick Dixon is the President and founder of Nedco Sports, a sports training company established in 1999. Coach Dixon is better known as the inventor of the BatAction Hitting Machine and the SKLZ Derek Jeter Hurricane Hitting Machine. Dixon is also a contributing writer for BaseballCoachingDigest, the Youth Baseball Digest, the Baseball Parent Guide, the Baseball 2Day Coaches Journal, and Blog4Coaches.

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

Little League Digest - The KISS Rule of Teaching Youth Baseball Players a Proper Swing
By guest author: Nick Dixon


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.

The KISS method of coaching little league batters can be broken down into 5 easy steps:

Step 1 - GRIP & HANDS - The knocking knuckles must be aligned. This grip places the handle in the fingers and away from the palm. A proper grip increase hands speed and power.

Step 2 - STANCE - The feet should be shoulder width part with the insteps of the feet aligned under each arm pit. The toes should point straight toward the plate.

Step 3 - STRIDE - The stride is the step or weight transfer achieved during the swing. The stride may be a simple motion such as simply easing the weight off the front foot and restoring it. The front foot can move but does not have to. The less movement of the front foot forward is better. However, a wide stance is necessary to give the hitter a good lower body foundation and strength.

Step 4 - SEE TARGET - The batter should concentrate on the ball. He should try to see it come out of the pitcher's hand and track it with his eyes as it approaches the plate. The batter will watch the ball all the way to the bat or the catcher's mitt. The batter should keep the head down and the eyes on the ball. The batter should concentrate on hitting the top half of the baseball. Hitting the top half will insure that a fly ball will not be hit. The batter should try to hit a ground ball or a line drive.

Step 5 - SWING - The swing should be level and quick. A short quick motion taking the bat directly to the ball is desirable. A long sweeping motion or upper cut swing is not desirable. A wood chopping swing is not acceptable.

Step 6 - FINISH - The younger batter should finish the swing with two hands. The batter should concentrate on keeping the head down through the finish. Prematurely pulling or jerking the head up to see where the ball is hit, is a batting flaw that should be eliminated immediately.

Thanks for taking the time to read this article. Good luck this season! Have a great day, Nick.

The Coaches Best Baseball Store has a great selection of 1400 Baseball Products. Check out the BatAction Hitting Machine baseball pitching simulator. This high speed training machine is 100% Guaranteed to raise Batting Averages and has a full year warranty.

Nick Dixon is the President and founder of Nedco Sports, a sports training company established in 1999. Dixon is also an active and full time high school baseball coach with over 25 years experience. Coach Dixon is better known as the inventor of the BatAction Hitting Machine and the SKLZ Derek Jeter Hurricane Hitting Machine. Dixon is also a contributing writer for Baseball Coaching Digest, the Youth Baseball Digest, the Baseball Parent Guide, the Baseball 2Day Coaches Journal, and Blog4Coaches.

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• The Fastpitch Softball Training Equipment Blog

Youth Baseball Training: "Eye On The Ball" Drill

http://www.baseballsmith.com is another great resource for players, coaches and parents involved in youth baseball.

Youth Baseball Training drill to improve ball tracking with hitters. Coaches of professional baseball players use this drill to improve hand eye coordination. Now you too can use this drill as a player, coach or parent.
www.ebaseballtips.com



The 4 Best Batting Tees in Baseball:
Advanced Skills Tee
Stay Back Tee
Hands Back Hitter
5 Position Batting Tee

Youth Baseball Hitting Instruction

Youth Baseball Hitting Instruction
By Jeffery A Wise

Baseball is a sport that's played year round. There's spring ball, summer ball, fall ball and winter conditioning. For this reason, coaches are always looking for information on youth baseball hitting instruction so they can continue to improve their teams.

In one of our recent blog posts titled "How To Teach Kids To Hit a Baseball" we discussed the basics of teaching youth about hitting. Now we'll go deeper into that topic and give some tips that will give your kids an edge for the upcoming season.

First, an important aspect of hitting is confidence. You can immediately tell when a young player has lost his confidence. His first pitch may be a strike and he gets upset, almost to tears. Then his confidence will waiver the rest of his at-bat.

I like to teach kids to remain confident no matter what happens. Don't worry about the first strike. You get at least three chances to hit the ball. There are lots of game winning hits made with two strikes already on the player. As a kid, it's hard not to get upset because they want to please their parents. If we teach kids to stay confident, they are more likely to get a hit. It will also help their confidence later in life.

Second, a child must have fun. Growing up, I learned that the most important part of baseball is to have fun. As soon as baseball becomes a chore, your hitting will fall apart. This is especially true for young players. Teach your youth baseball players to have fun while hitting. Make practice fun. See how many balls they can hit to a certain part of the field. Or, split the team into two groups and have them compete to see which group hits the most line drives into the outfield.

Finally, teach young players to never give up. Youth baseball hitting instruction should include talks about never giving up. Teach them to always work hard at hitting and that it may be their last at-bat of the game when they get the hit needed to win. Show them that baseball is a great game because you have dozens upon dozens of opportunities to do something great.

Jeffery A Wise invites you to learn more about baseball hitting so that you can help your team win. Start learning today at our site through articles, blog posts and videos and start hitting a baseball with confidence.

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Jack Hubbard Youth Baseball Clinic - Approach on ground balls

Jack Hubbard Youth Baseball Clinic - Approach on ground balls
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Baseball Coaching - Developing a Philosophy

Baseball Coaching - Developing a Philosophy
By Kenny Buford

The key to successful baseball coaching is developing a philosophy. A baseball philosophy should encompass your approach to the game, how you want your team to play, and how you want others to perceive your team. If you are able to effectively communicate your philosophy to your team, then everyone - coaches, players, and parents - will be able to work together towards the same goal.

Where to Begin

The first step in developing a baseball philosophy is considering your past experiences. Think back on your growth as a player and a coach and remember who had an impact on you and why you wanted to play. Try to define the style of baseball you like to play.

In baseball coaching, especially when first developing a program, it is important to remember that baseball will not always be the number one priority for your players. Other factors, like family, school, and church, will be - and should be - more important to them. When developing your philosophy, try to use baseball as a way for players to round out their established priorities.

Remember the Past

When looking back at past experiences in baseball, it is important to remember both the good and the bad. What made something a positive or negative experience? How did your coach's interaction with you make you feel? Use these memories to determine how you want to treat your players - or those you have to cut from the team.

Keep in mind that being a successful coach is less about being a good player and more about being a good teacher. Good players can't always explain how they play so well, but a good teacher should be able to explain any skill in a way the players can understand.

Learn from the Present

A good baseball coach is willing to learn from others and adjust to make necessary changes. Use every interaction with other coaches and teams as a means of expanding your understanding of the game. Everyone has a different approach and style, and if you find some new way that works, you should feel free to incorporate it into your coaching. Ask questions and let coaches know that you admire what they are doing.

Look to the Future

The final step in developing a baseball philosophy is setting goals. What do you want to accomplish with your team? A good goal is to get to the point where every player is playing to the best of his ability. This would mean your team is successful, even if you don't have a winning season.

For more youth baseball coaching ideas and practice planning tips, go here to watch a free video:

http://www.baseball-tutorials.com/vid/
Kenny Buford is a youth baseball coach, and the owner and publisher of Baseball-Tutorials.com, the web's #1 resource for youth baseball drills, tips, and practice ideas for coaches.

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Rich Gedman Baseball Clinic

Rich Gedman Baseball Clinic
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Former Red Sox catcher and current Worcester Tornadoes Manager Rich Gedman holds a baseball clinic for kids at Shrewsbury (MA) Middle School.

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Jack Hubbard Youth Baseball Clinic - Approach on ground balls

Jack Hubbard Youth Baseball Clinic - Approach on ground balls
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Former MLB player Darnell Coles gives instruction on how to approach a hit ground ball for an infield player.

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Youth Baseball Catching Clinic

Youth Baseball Catching Clinic
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On http://ClubHouseGAS.com , noted baseball instructor Russ Dickerson talks about catching. Also check-out http://YouthSportTravel.com.

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Secrets to Coaching Youth Baseball

By Stephen K Reynolds

Coaching Youth Baseball is a great experience for men and women to be involved in. One of the awesome things about being involved in it is the opportunity to be around young people and motivate them to be their best.

There are tons of books and materials on youth baseball so i wont try to re-invent the wheel here.
I just want to hit on some things that need to mentioned. Keep it simple!! The majority of reasons why teams aren't as good as they could be is because they don't do the simple things!

Coaches want to be smart and try to employ strategies that are just to sophisticated for young players especially for 9-10 year olds. Stick to the basics ground ball practice, fly balls, throwing fundamentals, basis pitching mechanics.

Incorporate games into the drills that way kids can see the result of why they need to use a technique correctly. Keep it light and fun that way your players keep coming back for more.

Remember long after the games are over the players will remember how they were treated, not what the score was!! Here is one for you Dads... Your Son or daughter will never be as good as you Thought you were!

Another important key is using stations, less standing around. lets face it there is never enough time as it is. The secret is to make good use of your time while you have your players.

Bottom line have fun with this great game and enjoy your time with the players it goes by very quickly!!

Stephen K Reynolds is publisher of the LSR Unlimted "Free" newsletter which focuses on helping newcomers and seasoned pros learn the secrets to marketing in the ever changing world of the internet! For more information on this e-mail lsrwealth@gmail.com

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Baseball Coaching Tip: Why batter/baserunners should always run through the bag at first base.

"A True Story That Shows The Importance
of Running Out Everything To First Base."

It was a high school game. The home team was batting, down one run, 3-1, with bases loaded and two outs. The count was 3-2 and runners were moving on the pitch. The batter, who was the home team's #2 hitter, got a fastball on the outter half. He was expecting it and he got "all of it"! He ripped a hard linedrive right at the second baseman's open glove.

The batter seeing the ball go into the fielder's glove immediately slumped in disappointment half way to first. He goes down to his knees with his face in his hands. He was basically "feeling sorry for himself". In the meanwhile he wasn't aware that the ball went through the webbing of the secondbaseman's glove. The secondbaseman had to look behind himself, go get the ball and throw to first for the out. The secondbaseman was quick as a cat so this didn't really take long.

However, the batter has great speed and would have been safe at first. The saddest fact of all is that the two runners moving on the pitch crossed homeplate. They both would have scored and the home team would have won the game if the batter would have just done what his coaches had told him hundreds of times since his Little League days, "Run Everything Out, Don't Assume Anything & Don't Think Until You Know!

Have a great day,
Nick

Free Baseball Articles for Youth Baseball Coaches

Have a great weekend! Happy Hitting!



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.

Baseball Pitching - Coaching Pitchers to Succeed by Starting With the Basics

The coaching of baseball pitchers does not require a degree in "pitchingtology". There is no such degree to my knowledge. I just made that up. My point here is that coaching baseball pitching is not rocket science. However, having a basic knowledge of the terms and mechanics is a must.


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 Pitchers - The Use of Visual Anchor Points For Curve-Ball Accuracy

The skill of throwing a good curve ball accurately is a skill that must be taught and coached. Teaching curve ball control and accuracy is vital to a pitcher's success at any level. Here I discuss the method I use to teach and coach our high school pitchers to vary their curve ball location and to accurately control the spot to which the ball will break.


4 Baseball Pitching Drills For Little League Players

Teaching, training and developing young baseball pitchers takes a lot of time, patience, and practice repetition. Many young pitchers need to practice pitching skills daily. To keep the interest level high, it is best to use a variety of drills on alternate days to prevent boredom. Here are 4 baseball pitching drills that can be used to train youth and beginner pitchers.

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The Categories they have are: BatAction Hitting Machines, Hurricane Hitting Machines, 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, NEDCO Bataction Replacement Parts, Baseball Training Equipment, Youth Baseball Training Equipment, Training Bats, Pitching & Throwing Trainers, Defensive Trainers, SKLZ Hurricane Replacement Parts and Much Much More! Visit Baseball2U.com today!

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How to Run a Great Baseball Practice

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How to Run a Great Baseball Practice
By Jack Perconte

Of course, the number one key to running a great baseball practice is organization. Legendary basketball coach John Wooden was famous for mapping out every detail of his practices, with every second of practice accounted for. This may be a little extreme for coaches of youth baseball but the point is that coaches who are organized will get the most out of their practice time. Baseball coaches should map out their preseason practices to be sure they cover every important aspect of baseball for the age of the player. As the season progresses, coaches can gear their practice time to cover the areas most needed, based on their team weaknesses. Following are some points that coaches should consider to run a great baseball practice:

1. Get in the habit of starting practice on time - parents who bring their child late will get the message early in the season that a late player will be missing out on some instruction.

2. Do not neglect warm-up time. This time is a very important time for coaches to teach the fundamentals.

3. Get help from assistant coaches and interested parents but be sure to inform them of the correct fundamentals that they should be watching for and teaching.

4. Keep players busy - players should not be standing around very often. Small group stations are recommended when coaches have help and game action drills or play is recommended when help from assistants is not available.

5. Keep stations relatively short so boredom does not set in and try to cover as many aspects of the game as time allows each practice.

6. Mix up the pattern of each practice - for example, if you work on hitting first one practice, work on defense first the next.

7. Safety is paramount at all times so don't forget helmets, etc... Use of softer balls for younger aged players can really help teaching all phases of the game.

8. Kids love competition and contests - the use of those when players begin to get bored, or tired, can spur enthusiasm. Using contests as incentive to work hard early in practice, with the idea of competition (games) later in practice when players work hard, can be a good idea.

9. When having contests, be sure to handicap them some so each player, or group of players, have a chance at winning. Make sure and let players know that a handicap system is in place for fairness.

10. Reward hard working "practice players" and not just star game players. Rewards for best defensive, offensive and hustle player(s) of each practice will spur good effort in practice.

11. Try to give the same amount of attention to each player. Players who feel slighted will be affected and other players will generally notice the slight of another player also.

12. Give homework. Inform players and their parents of the things you would like them to work on before returning the next time.

13. Long drawn out talks are never recommended. Bringing in a guest speaker or coach can be memorable for players.

Finally, coaches who remain positive, informative and hopeful will have the best chance of developing good players, as well as fun loving baseball players.

Former major league baseball player, Jack Perconte gives baseball hitting tips and batting practice advice for ballplayers of all ages. His baseball playing lessons, books and advice can be found at http://www.baseballhittinglessons.com/baseball Jack is the author of two books, The Making of a Hitter and Raising an Athlete - his positive parenting advice and books can be found at http://positiveparentinginsports.com

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


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Field A Ground Ball - How To Field A Ground Ball In Youth Baseball

Field A Ground Ball - How To Field A Ground Ball In Youth Baseball
By Brian McClure

Fielding a ground ball hit to you

Hands down facing the batter, knees bent so the glove gets down (butt down..gets the hands down and provides good balance). This is perfect if the ball is right to you. But what if the ball is not hit to you? You have to move your feet!

Get in front of the ball, and you have to move your feet quickly to do that.

As coaches we want our players to be in front of the ball because if there is not a clean catch the body still gives protection of keeping the ball from escaping the infield. I like to emphasize in boys youth baseball to use their eyes also. You cant catch what you cant see. If you move your feet to get in front of the ball have your glove in front where you can see the ball come into the glove, the youth player has a better chance of a good catch and making the play.

Fielding a ground ball to the right or left

There are two methods two catch this ball. One is the Shuffle step. This is used when the ball is hit just a little to either side and you can quickly get to the ball still in ready position. If the ball is hit to the left you shuffle step with left foot and the right foot moves quickly after to stay in the ready position.It's the opposite if the ball is hit to the right. 2 or 3 quick shuffle steps can be done by any youth baseball player in the ready position to field a close ground ball.

The second method is the Crossover. When the ball is a little farther away to the left..to move quickly to the ball the right foot will crossover in front of and past the left foot. The opposite is done for a ball hit to the right. Left over Right or Right over left is used when you need to get to the ball quickly and is far enough away you cant shuffle to it. A key point in doing the crossover is not to stand up. A good youth baseball tip is to remain bent at the waist during the crossover to keep from wasting time.

Author- Brian McClure

http://www.coaching-youth-baseball.com/

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See our complete list of Topics and articles on youth baseball here; http://www.coaching-youth-baseball.com/topics.html

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Batting Average - How to Increase It

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Batting Average - How to Increase It
By Bryan Ciconte

So you want to learn how to raise your batting average as a hitter. Well you came to the right article. I will keep it short, simple and to the point. I will cover a few tips and topics to raise your average 50-100 points.

Tip 1) Develop a game plan. So what do I mean by developing a game plan. I want you to develop an approach that you use every single time you step up to the plate. A good approach would consist of understanding how to count hit. By count hitting you will be able to anticipate what type of pitch you may see roughly 80% of the time.

Advantage Counts: 0-0, 1-0, 2-0, 3-1, 3-0
Approach: In these counts your goal is simple, look for something you can hit hard. If the pitcher throws you a pitch in an area that is not in your hot zone, don't swing. Do not swing at off-speed pitches during these counts, look for fastballs. Reality is if the pitcher throws an off-speed pitch during these counts more often than not it's going to be a ball and put you in a greater advantage. Of course there are exceptions. The only time you may want to swing at an off-speed pitch during this count is if relates to one of your strengths or the pattern percentages anticipate one.

Neutral Counts: 1-1, 2-1, 3-2
Approach 1: In these counts neither the hitter nor pitcher has an advantage. As I talked about earlier this is where having a good game plan is going to pay off. In these counts you should be able to anticipate what you may see. So trust your percentages and instinct in these counts.

Approach 2: If you are comfortable in hitting with 2 strikes you can treat these counts as an advantage count, hitting to your strengths. Both approaches are great, but which one you choose is your personal preference.

Defensive Counts: 0-1, 0-2, 1-2, 2-2
Approach: This is where you need to develop your 2 strike approach. In these counts the pitcher has you at his mercy leaving you with about a 20% chance of getting a hit. Your goal here is to battle at the plate by putting the ball in play or working the count neutral. A good mental approach for hitting with 2 strikes is thinking about hitting a pitch which speed is between the pitchers fastball and off-speed stuff. By doing so, your reactions will take over and adjust to the movement or lack of movement of the pitch. A good physical approach would consist of shortening your swing or choking-up on the bat.

These are just a few ideas on how to hit in an advantage, neutral, or defensive count. Throughout your career as a hitter you may find something else that works for you.

Tip 2) If your a good bunter and have speed utilze it, By either showing bunt or by bunting, more often than not you will put the 3rd of 1st basemen in a position that will create more holes in the infield creating a better chance for getting a hit.

Tip 3) Hit to your strengths not your weaknesses. Understand that by doing so you will enable yourself to be more confident at the plate and be more aggressive. Leave your weaknesses at practice.

I hope the few tips helped improve your game!

Thanks and good luck Bryan @ [http://www.hittingmadesimple.com Hitting Made Simple]

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

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The Categories they have are: BatAction Hitting Machines, Hurricane Hitting Machines, 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, NEDCO Bataction Replacement Parts, Baseball Training Equipment, Youth Baseball Training Equipment, Training Bats, Pitching & Throwing Trainers, Defensive Trainers, SKLZ Hurricane Replacement Parts and Much Much More! Visit Baseball2U.com today!

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The Trademark Up Myth

The Trademark Up Myth
By Fred Bonds

Today's hitters are plagued with the problem of wood bat breakage. Nowhere is this more apparent than the recent maple bat dilemma in the Major Leagues. Dangerous fragmentation of maple bats that has resulted in serious injuries has brought to light the hazards created when no attention is given to proper instruction of hitters regarding edge-grain orientation at the point of contact. Most wood bat breakage issues can be resolved by properly orienting the logo (or trademark) so as to place the edge grain parallel to the flight of the baseball at the point of contact. This is the position that yields the lowest breakage and the highest hitting power.

The traditional saying "logo face up", has its origins in the early years of baseball when hitters used a different style of hitting. Hitters like Gehrig, Dimaggio, and others swung the bat more linear and transferred more weight to the front foot. This forward momentum kept their upper body level and thus the bat barrel did not rotate. Today's hitters use a rotational method of swinging a bat. More weight is placed on the back leg with the hitter rotating the torso. This causes the shoulders to dip toward the ball and creates rotation of the bat barrel. The result is today's hitters tend to hit with the flat grain of the bat more often and this results in breakage and loss of power.

To cut down on breakage, hold the bat in front of you with the logo up (or facing you). Then rotate the logo towards your lead shoulder (shoulder closest to the pitcher). The more you hit off your back foot, the more you should rotate the bat toward the lead shoulder. The maximum angle should be 45 degrees. You may want to place a mark on the bat once you get the ideal alignment. This should put your bat in the proper hitting position with the edge grain aligned perfectly to hit the ball. This proper alignment not only will decrease breakage dramatically, but will also increase hitting power due to the restriction of the flexion of the bat.

Other things you can do to reduce breakage include:

• Use a heavier bat. A -3 metal swinger does not equate to a -3 wood swinger. The metal bat has higher strength than wood at low weights. -3 wood bats break more often than -2 wood bats. Remember, there is no such thing as -3 trees. To get lower weights you have to sacrifice density and that decreases strength. Ideally, you should hit with a wood bat weighing the same as the length. A 33" bat should weight 33oz. The difference between an even weight bat and a -3 is less than a hamburger patty so man up and move up in weight for better performance.

• You can also increase the handle diameter. Most wood bat companies offer handles below 1" in diameter which means the bat will break very easily. Old school handles were often greater than 1" which made the bats slightly heavier but reduced breakage. Also, a larger diameter handle means less flexion and that equates to greater power.

Lastly, pitchers with good fastball movement can saw you off on the inside and there is not much you can do about it. But, a majority of bats that break did so when hitting the outside pitch and in particular, off-speed. The ball doesn't need to be thrown hard to break a bat. Hitting off the last 2" of the barrel causes the bat to flex backwards excessively and will fracture the bat at a point close to the hands and the break will be formed at the leading edge of the bat. This is opposite that of a bat broken by an inside fastball that breaks on the trailing edge. An inside fastball hits the handle and stops the momentum of the handle. The barrel, having more mass, continues forward and causes a U-shaped bowing of the bat forward. This causes the bat to break at the hands on the trailing edge.

The key to hitting the outside pitch is to hit it off the back of the plate. This will allow the barrel to hit the ball solid and drive the ball hard to the opposite field. Not timing the outside pitch properly causes poorly hit balls off the end of the bat, weak squiblers, broken bats, shame, ridicule, losing, you get the picture. Practice hitting for power to the opposite field. It can only be done by hitting off the back of the plate. You should never begin hitting practice with inside pitches you can pull. Always have the BP thrower start you with outside pitches and work the pitches inward.

Recently, the MLB passed a series of wood bat guidelines. In these guidelines was the requirement to place logos on the "face of the grain" instead of edgegrain. This would decrease breakage and by their own admission, decrease performance. Oddly enough, this method works for breakage because now instead of the players rotating the face side of the grain toward the baseball, they now rotate the edgegrain toward it. Unless of course, the hitters know the facegrain orientation causes decreased performance and do not put the logo side up but place the logo facing the pitcher or catcher. We have observed this to be the case.

The corrective technique mentioned in this article could have accomplished the same result without the widespread chaos and large amount of expenses incurred by bat companies to comply with the MLB rulings.

Remember, good technique and focus reduces bat breakage and increases performance.

Fred Bonds is the Director of Research for Area51Sports, an innovative new wood baseball bat company, http://www.area51bats.com. He was director of the Central Michigan Sports Center, director of the BPR Nationals HS Prospect team, and a former associate scout for the Cincinnati Reds and Global Scouting Bureau. For more info on wood baseball bats or to contact Fred, go to http://www.area51bats.com.

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

Baseball Coaching Digest - Why Baseball Players Are the Most Accountable Athletes in Sports

Baseball Coaching Digest - Why Baseball Players Are the Most Accountable Athletes in Sports
By Nick Dixon

Baseball players are held to a higher level of accountability than any other athletes in the world. If you compare baseball, football and basketball to see which sport holds the player athlete more responsible for mistakes and errors, you will find that baseball holds players to a higher level of accountability. This article explains my perspective on why baseball players are the most accountable athletes in sports.

I am absolutely sure that baseball players are held at a higher level of accountability than other sports athletes. Why do I feel this way? Have you ever been to a football game and seen a player miss a tackle or block that cost his team dearly? Did the official score "flash" error on the football scoreboard? The answer is no. Have you ever watched a basketball player miss a wild open layup that hurt his team? Did the score keeper or score operator flash "error" on the scoreboard? The answer is no.

On the other hand, as baseball player can bobble a hard hit ground ball and the whole world will soon be notified and an official documentation of the mistake will be made in the scorebook. The scorekeeper will write a big "E" in the scorebook that makes the error officially known. Then the scoreboard operator will also turn on the "error" light on the scoreboard to let every player and spectator in the park know that an error was made.
That is the reason I feel that baseball players are the most accountable athletes in sports.

Maybe other sports consider adding an "Error" light on their scoreboard or writing a big "E" in their scorebook when a player makes a mistake. Then maybe the next time a player fails to execute on a football field or basketball court, they will know what it's like to be held publicly accountable and responsible like a baseball player.

I hope that you enjoyed this article. Thanks for taking the time to read it. Visit the Baseball coaching Digest, Youth Baseball Digest, Little League Digest and Baseball Parent Guide for more baseball articles. Good luck to you and your team, Nick.

The CoachesBest Baseball Store has a great selection of 1400 Baseball Products. Check out the BatAction Hitting Machine baseball pitching simulator. This high speed training machine is 100% Guaranteed to raise Batting Averages and has a full year warranty.

Nick Dixon is the President and founder of Nedco Sports, a sports training company established in 1999. Dixon is also an active and full time high school baseball coach with over 25 years experience. Coach Dixon is better known as the inventor of the BatAction Hitting Machine, the SKLZ Derek Jeter Hurricane Hitting Machine, the SKLZ Target Trainer, the SKLZ Derek Jeter ZipnHit Pro, and the SKLZ Strikeback Trainer. Dixon is also a contributing writer for BaseballCoachingDigest, the Youth Baseball Digest, the Baseball Parent Guide, the Baseball 2Day Coaches Journal, and Blog4Coaches.

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

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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!
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