Batting Tips - How to Grip the Bat Properly

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Batting Tips - How to Grip the Bat Properly
By Rafi Goldmeier

Batting Tips: Gripping the Bat

You might think that you are a pretty decent hitter. While you know you can always improve, you think you have the basics pretty much locked down, and now it is only a matter of learning some tricks or minor adjustments. You might be right, but if you are really getting all the fundamentals right, you are probably not just a decent hitter, but an amazing hitter with a great batting average and be able to place your hits all over the field, hitting for power and for the bases, with the ability to do whatever is needed in any given situation you might come to at the plate.

Good for you. I am not like that, and most people are not like that. We can always learn some new tips, some fundamentals we might be missing out on, something maybe we did not learn how to execute properly and need to adjust now. If you work through all the fundamentals and learn how to stand properly, how to hold the bat properly, how to swing the bat properly, how to bunt properly, etc. you will become a great hitter, far better than however good you are right now. Today's batting instructional is going to be about the basic of the basics - how to grip the bat properly.

Relax

The first thing that needs to be mentioned is that you should be relaxed, and you should have a relaxed grip. If you are tense, and if you are grabbing the bat and holding it with a lot of tension in your hands and muscles, you will not hit well. It is fairly natural to step into the batters box and grip the bat with tension. You want to use your power and strength, and you do that by tightening your muscles.

While perhaps that is a good approach if you were goign to throw a punch or to lift weights, for swinging the bat it is completely wrong. For the guy standing in the batters box, you need to be relaxed, with a relaxed grip. if you are tense, you will jump on the ball quickly, you will not be patient at the plate, you will swing at bad pitches, and your swing will not be efficient. So the first point for gripping the bat properly is to relax and have a relaxed grip on the bat.

Giving it the Fingers

Now that you are relaxed, you still have to hold the bat and grip it for the best swing possible. The big debate is whether to grip the bat between the palm and fingers or completely in the fingers. It does feel more natural to hold the bat in the palm, with the fingers wrapped around it, so when you pick up the bat, you might slip into the tendency of gripping the bat in your palm. The problem with the palm grip is that it is not a strong grip. The bat will not be stable during a swing, if you are gripping it with your palm. The correct way to grip the bat is to grip it inside your fingers, right at the base, with your fingers closed and encircled around the bat. the bat will be completely held by the fingers, not touching the palm at all.

Think of it like this: Open your left hand (if you are a rightie. If you are a lefty, switch hands) and put two fingers from your other hand into the palm, close the fingers of your hand, and grip your two fingers. Now try to pull the fingers out. They should slide right out. Now, do the same thing, but have your two fingers gripped only by the fingers of your open hand - curl your fingers around the two extended fingers and grip them. Now try to pull. Much harder to get the fingers out, isn't it?

The grip around a bat is much tighter in the fingers than it si in the palm, and it will be reflected in your swing and when the bats connects with the ball - it will be a far more stable swing with the bat snuggled into your fingers rather than into your palm.

Knuckle Sandwich

The nest step in gripping the bat is the knuckle sandwich. ou want to line up the knuckles of your two hands, so that the knuckles will be even with each other. Now, you might hear this a lot but have no idea what it means. Whenever you grip the bat, your knuckles are almost always going to be lined up. The problem is that those are the wrong knuckles. What seems like the most natural way to hold the bat lines up the last knuckles of the finger - the knuckles at the base. You need to line up the middle knuckles of the fingers. The middle knuckles of the top hand should line up with the middle knuckles of the bottom hand.

Doing this feels strange at first, almost like your hand is twisted, but when you get into your stance you will almost definitely feel the difference and the stability of the swing improving by lining up the middle knuckles correctly.

A great way to test whether your knuckles are lined up correctly is the goalpost test, and I found a video (see Ultimate Sports Resource website for the embedded video) that shows exactly how that works. Basically, you grip the bat and line your knuckles up. Now, you extend the pointer finger of each hand. If you lined up the wrong knuckles, the way most people do naturally, your fingers will be pointing in opposite directions. If you lined up the correct knuckles, your fingers will be pointing in the same direction, making what looks like a set of goalposts.

Keeping Hands Together

And last but not least, for this instructional, is keep your hands together on the bat. If you leave space, separating your hands on the base of the bat, your swing will be wavy. A wavy swing means you might not hit the ball, and even if you do you will not hit it with power. Even if you hit it decently, you will not be hitting it with a packed amount of energy and power. You might be hitting short singles, maybe grounding out a lot in the infield, maybe some short pop-ups, but you could be hitting much better. Keep the hands tightly together (relaxed though, not tense), and you will pack a greater punch. Your hits will even out and travel farther than ever before.

There are other issues related to batting and specifically the grip, such as choking up, bat drag, bat lag, and more, but we'll save that for other articles.

Rafi participates and is active in a variety of team and personal sports. He trained for and ran a marathon, and recently even made the switch from shod running to barefoot running.

Rafi's website, The Ultimate Sports Resource is on the way to becoming a premier site for sports information, and for information about quality sporting goods and gear.

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

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Baseball Drills - Staying Motivated While You Practice

Baseball Drills - Staying Motivated While You Practice
By Nate Barnett

One of the biggest challenges a coach faces is to successfully instill a long-term motivation and vision in practice during the typical lengthy baseball season. It's not uncommon for a high school player to spend February through August doing baseball drills, workouts, training, and of course participating in games. So the question must be asked, how can you create a sense of urgency and long-term focus during the hundreds of hours of baseball drills throughout the season?

This is where goals come into play. Though I will say, be careful how you use the term "goals", the reaction of your athletes may be less than excited. I prefer the term, "road map". Whether it be to play in high school, college, or professionally, you will be much more likely to find your athletes will perform the baseball drills and workouts you create efficiently if you help them continually expand their road map. Without a clear and defined road map, you'll end up wasting a lot of practice time and will most certainly find it tough to help your players stay motivated throughout the duration of the season.

I'm sure you've agreed with me thus far that a road map creation process is vital to the success to an athlete. But let me give you one tangible and practical way to help enlarge the thinking of your players.

Think of it this way. If the goal is to get to the Big Leagues, there are some serious rewards that come with the title of Big Leaguer. One of the benefits of course is economic. Lets say a talented and successful player makes one million dollars annually playing professionally. Broken down over a career of practicing and working hard on baseball drills, that's about 20 grand per practice! Obviously it largely depends on the age of the athlete whose dream is to play in the Bigs, but I'm sure you can do the math and figure out the amount of money per practice. Have the athlete deposit the money in his mental bank account only if he's worked hard during his practice.

The mind is an amazing thing. Help your athletes develop it so they may achieve their full potential.

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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How To Motivate The Young Player In Youth Baseball

How To Motivate The Young Player In Youth Baseball
By Stephen K Reynolds

Motivating young baseball players is always a challenge for the youth baseball coach. Many times coaches get wrapped up in the game and forget why they are coaching and don't remember to keep players motivated!

Coaches will get negative because a player made a mistake. Instead of You should talk to the player about what he did right followed by what ever error he made mental or physical and then follow up with a positive comment to close it out...commonly referred to as the sandwich technique!

Here is something else coaches need to be aware of when it comes to their relationship with their players.
Coaches need to be prepared at practice get your stuff done with the players and then on game day kick back call the shots and then let the players have fun and play the game. If players are making mental mistakes then it is back to practice the next day and its the coaches turn to get it going. Game day should be for the players.

It goes without saying that coaches need to know their players different personalities and motivate accordingly. Some players need to be pushed harder,they need you to be in their face from time to time, others don't need much at all to keep them motivated, while some need just encouragement to get the most out of them.

I would say the number 1 issue with coaching youth baseball and motivating players is how they are treated by their coaches as far as the rules go for the team. I Can't tell you how many times I have seen players miss practice and no consequences for that player. That sends the wrong message to the rest of the team. I know this sounds too obvious but if that is true why is it so prevalent in youth sports. This brings down a teams morale more than anything.

Now instead of players focusing on the game their more concerned about the fact that a certain player is getting special treatment. In other words be fair and consistent whether it is your super athlete or your average player.

In conclusion when it comes to coaching youth baseball and motivation think about what you are doing in regards to your players and how that is going to equate on the field. let's put our best into the game and if we get beat lets get beat with every one playing at their full potential and nothing less, that is not a failure but rather a winning effort!

for information contact me!

Stephen K Reynolds is publisher of the LSR Unlimited "Free" newsletter which focuses on helping newcomers & seasoned pros learn the secrets to marketing in the ever changing world of the internet! He is also a youth sports coach in Western Montana. For more information on this e-mail lsrwealth@gmail.com

(800)758-1282

406-542-1723

[http://www.urticket.org]

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

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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!

Youth Baseball Coach - The 12 Commandments of Little League Baseball Coaching Success

Baseball2U.com

By Nick Dixon

Being a good head coach for a Little League Baseball Team or any youth baseball team requires certain skills, character traits, knowledge, and a high sense of commitment and dedication. There are certain rules and guidelines that every Little League Coach should always remember. I feel that there are 12 guidelines, the "commandments" that are required to establish a good learning atmosphere and true team unity.

Youth Baseball Coach: The 12 Commandments of Coaching Little League Baseball

1. I shall always consider the safety and welfare of my players to be my utmost responsibility when we are playing and practicing.

2. I shall treat every player fairly and show no favoritism. I want my players to have faith and trust in me. I want them to know I care.

3. I shall display good sportsmanship at all times. I will not display any behavior that would be a poor role model for my players.

4. I shall always be the first person to get to practices and games and the last to leave.

5. I shall never leave a player or players alone after practice. I will wait for a parent or guardian to arrive and pick them up.

6. I shall plan and organize every practice. Every player will have an assigned place and activity. Idle time is wasted time. Every minute will be valued and used wisely.

7. I shall make doing things right a priority. When it comes to practice repetitions, quality will be valued over quantity. I feel that 5 good practice swing performed properly do more good than 25 sloppy swings with incorrect fundamentals.

8. I shall be honest to myself, my players and my parents. I will always tell my players the truth. Telling misleading or false information is not acceptable.

9. I shall maintain the needed degree of team discipline to foster athletic improvement and growth. I must teach my players the value of self discipline in baseball and team sports.

10. I shall teach my players to respect all persons of authority and adults including myself. I will require that they show that respect to all parents, coaches, umpires, and league volunteers.

11. I shall learn the knowledge necessary to perform my coaching duties. That knowledge will include the rules of baseball, the fundamentals of baseball, and the proper techniques of baseball training, baseball instruction, and baseball coaching.

12. I shall always remember that I have a duty greater than the coaching of baseball. I have a responsibility to help each player learn the proper values and priorities that they should have in life. I will seek to help each player achieve to his or her maximum potential as both a player and a person.

I hope that this article was informative and useful to you. I would like to personally thank your for taking the time to read it. I wish you and your team good luck in the coming season. Have a great day, Nick.

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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!

Getting Kids to Youth Baseball Practice on Time

Getting Kids to Youth Baseball Practice on Time
By Marty Schupak

As the season starts, we want to get off to a good start with our team and what is expected of them. Of course, youth baseball is unlike a school team sport and you cannot force a player to practice or even force them to be on time. However, there are certain things you can do as a coach to ensure your team develops good habits.

My own personal pet peeve was having the players arrive late for practices. My practices usually run no longer than one hour and if a player is fifteen minutes late, he misses a full quarter of a practice. I have tried a number different tactics. The first one is, I give each player a number as they arrive at practice and they keep that number throughout the practice. Whoever arrives first is number one and when it comes to batting practice he or she goes first. The players remember this and after a couple of practices, you will notice the difference with players arriving early to get a good number.

Another technique I use is to start practice with a mini batting practice even before warm ups. After you do this a few times, you'll notice the players arriving early and telling you that they go first. Do not do this technique every practice but every once in a while. Practices, especially early in the season, will set the tone for a successful and fun season. The kids take notice when the coach arrives early and organized. Use these two techniques to get your players to arrive on time.

http://www.YouthSportsClub.com

Marty Schupak has coached youth baseball for 18 years and is the creator of "The 59 Minute Baseball Practice", "Backyard Baseball Drills" and author of the popular book, "Youth Baseball Drills". He is also President of the Youth Sports Club, a group dedicated to making sports practices and games more enjoyable for kids.

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

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Perk Up Your Baseball Skills

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Perk Up Your Baseball Skills
By Connor R Sullivan

We live in times where sports have become more than just a game for physical activity. It has reached a professional level which, with the media's intervention, brought an entertaining aspect to it. Now the players are not merely the players, but they have elevated to celebrity level. It is important to note how fame brings along many great responsibilities. Whether it is a league game or any international tournament, winning is the major facet of the sport. After soccer, the most popular types of sports are the bat and ball games. Among them, baseball enjoys the top spot. It is a score oriented game in which the hitter responds to the ball thrown at him. To easily train baseball players, using pitching machines within batting cages can be quite useful.

There are different ways in which a ball could be pitched. Some variations could be added to the pitches such as a curve ball, in which you give a downward spin to the ball, thus making it difficult to play. It is a pitch which has a reduced pace in it. As a result, the batter is caught off guard and responds to this ball in a haphazard manner. A slider is one method of throwing balls. It is like the curve ball; however it is a medium pacer closer to a cutter. The selection of pitch is of critical importance in the game of basketball. The fielding, however further supports the gaming tactics.

There needs to be an adequate co-ordination between the pitcher and the catcher sitting behind the hitter. The catcher signals the pitcher for the type of pitch to throw. If his partner disagrees, he signals for a different one. In other words, the catcher should be aware of the upcoming pitch. The fielding team's placement could be changed according to the employed pitch. If the runner is placed on the third base, the infielders have an option to move closer to the home plate.

Baseball is basically a bat and ball contest between two teams comprising of nine players each. Both the teams take turns to be the defending team and the batting team. The defending team along with their fieldsmen prevents its opponents from scoring runs by trying to grab chances to get the hitters out. Players of the opposing team take turns to hit the ball thrown by the pitcher. As there is a strong need for game tactics from the defending team, there is also a need to have a game plan from the strikers end.

The hitter needs to have a strong arm to tackle any pitch. He has to make a forceful twist and then keep his balance in order to do the hitting and running without sparing seconds. It is of vital importance for the runner to occupy second base and then wait for a suitable hit so that he can make a run for it. This creates a gap between the infields allowing the hitter ample space to position his stroke. The lineup of players is a part of common gaming strategy. The choice of a right handed batsman against a left-handed pitcher and vice versa proves to be successful.

To sum it all up, baseball does not just test your physical endurance but also your mind. Whether you are the pitcher or the hitter, you would always be considering different options in your minds before finally executing them.

Connor Sullivan has recently researched and purchased several pitching machines online from a reputable source. He also ordered several batting cages online from a reputable source to donate to his high school.

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

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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!