Baseball: Fundamentals Skills for Young Players

TeeBall Baseball: Fundamentals Skills for Young Players Coaching Tips from WeCoachKids.com

Baseball is all about technique, execution and precision and it starts with fundamentals. Some of the fundamentals will be too hard for young players to master but there are many that they can achieve and should be introduced from the beginning. A perfect example of this would be how to hold a bat correctly. Can you think of anything more fundamental? Most coaches however never teach this. Maybe it gets over looked because it seems so simple. Check your kids, you’ll be surprised at how many are doing it fundamentally incorrect. Below are some baseball fundamentals that can taught from the beginning to any age player.

Batting

Gripping the bat- The bat should be held in the fingers (like a golf grip) versus back deep in the palms. Have the player pick up the bat and “chop” with it like they are chopping wood. When the bat is gripped correctly the knuckles on your hand that you knock with (not the ones you punch with), should be lined up from one hand to the other.

Batting stance- The feet should be slightly more than shoulder width apart with the front foot set slightly pigeon-toed in order to make sure the front knee points to the plate not to the first base.

Ball contact- Are you a t-ball coach? Please put the tee in the proper place. Too many tees are manufactured with a home plate attached to the base to help them stand upright. And too often the young player steps up to the plate and the ball is right inline with the batters bell button. If you use a tee like this, spray paint a strip right inline with the tee and have your player place their front foot across from that line when setting up at the tee. This will have them making contact with the ball at the proper place in the swing and avoid all sorts of other problems.

Hand position on contact- Holding the bat correctly will help with this but it is a good thing to show the kids from the start as it is not intuitive for many of them. Assuming we have a right-handed batter, on contact with the ball, the left hand should have the palm facing down and the right hand should be facing up; not palms pointing to catcher and pitcher.

Throwing

Gripping the ball- The size of a child’s hand may effect their ability to do this, but it is still important that the player knows what the fundamentally correct way is to hold a ball. The thumb goes under the ball (inline with the first finger), the first 2 fingers on top and the last 2 fingers and curled and on the side of the ball. Most important is that the ball is not sitting back deep in the palm, but is being held in the fingers. Smaller hands may need to use 3 or maybe all fingers on top, but still try to keep the ball of the palm.

Stance- Jump on your skateboard is all you have to say and most kids these days knows what that stance looks and feels like.

Ball position- The ball needs to be held in the proper position in the back before the forward motion can begin. To get the ball in the proper position, have the child hold it down by their body so their thumb is to their thigh and then with a full extend arm take it back with the knuckles to the sky. Starting knuckles to the sky will create the right forward motion. Try it. Teach yourself to throw with your opposite hand and feel the difference in your motion when you start knuckles to the sky versus knuckles facing down.

Catching

Square up to the ball- Get their shoulders square to the incoming ball from the first day of practice. Fingers up/Fingers down- balls below the waist should be caught with the fingers facing down, while balls above; fingers up.

Two handed catch- Teach them to follow the ball into the glove with their throwing hand right from the start.

Base running

Crossover step- Are you coaching baseball, not softball? Then have them run like a baseball player. Teach the crossover step not a sprinters take off that is used in softball but often seen on the baseball diamond if leads off are not allowed. If your player is on first, facing the batter, on contact their first step should be with the left foot crossing over the right. On a fly ball, teach shuffle, shuffle, cross-over to go and cross-over to come back.

This is just a short list of fundamentals that all kids should be introduce to from the start. Do you have others you would like to add? Send them to info@wecoachkids.com

Source: WeCoachKids.com http://wecoachkids.com/baseballfundamentals.html

How To Develop A Balanced Hitting Base For Youth Baseball Players!

By Chip Lemin

When I see a youth baseball player shooting line drives all over the field, there are certain things I look for in their swing. The first thing I usually notice will be that the player is balanced during the entire swing. Balance in a baseball swing is something that will deliver consistent results for the hitter. The balance in a baseball swing begins with the stance. The player's weight should be evenly distributed on both feet to start. When the player begins the trigger, or start of the swing, some of the weight will then shift to the back leg. These subtle movements were not always clear to me. I learned most of this from watching our team take hitting instruction from a professional instructor.

Some people will groan about paying someone to help a youth baseball player learn to hit properly. I must say years ago I was not a believer in hitting lessons. I thought I already knew all about hitting. My child has always been able to hit well, mostly due to natural talent luckily. My child was asked to play in a tournament with a travel team. This team used hitting instruction. As I watched how much it helped my child improve, I wanted to know more.

The best baseball swings are usually short and compact with a smooth follow through. Most parents teach their kids to take a long stride. I was guilty of this this. I also let their arms drop down too low, developing a long slow swing. Most of my mistakes were at the tee ball and coach pitch level with my first child. My eyes were opened at these hitting instructions that I had a lot to learn. Taking a wider balanced stance is the beginning of a solid base to hit from. The first thing the instructor did was widen up my kid's stance. This improved the balance right way. It also makes it harder to take a long stride to the ball. I am in favor of hitting instruction as early as the player will accept it. Don't ever force them to go. My child was a little hesitant until watching other kids having fun doing it.

My early ideas about keeping the elbow up, and the long stride, did not lead to a balanced powerful swing. I quickly learned to accept a new way of thinking. The earlier a youth baseball player learns to develop a balanced swing the better. A balanced swing makes it easier to hit to all fields. A balanced swing is much easier to repeat over and over from a good balanced base. The first move to the baseball from the trigger position will be with the hands. This is difficult for young players to learn at first. The are many drills to help instill this important part of the swing. I will share some of them with you soon in an upcoming article.

We have covered the very basics of the balanced hitting base of the swing. Most players will have to widen their stance to at least shoulder with. Some players even a little more may be needed. My child has a wide stance. This helps keep the toes on the ground during the beginning of the swing. If a player is lifting up the toes during the swing, they are shifting their weight improperly. The hands should be held as high as the player feels comfortable with. They should not be buried up against the body either, We are trying to eliminate movement that is not needed in the swing. When there is less movement, it is easier to stay balanced. So go find a quality hitting instructor that both you and your child feel good about. Get some references from others if needed. Go to lessons with an open mind. You will both learn a lot about balance in the baseball swing.

Thanks Coach Chip

Chip Lemin has been a promoter of youth baseball since they started using aluminum bats. That's a long time. I have witnessed many good people get into coaching without solid coaching skills and it is not fun for them or the kids.Today's newer coaches are also being shortchanged on sportsmanship, like there is none. Visit my site to sign up for a insightful, informational, free coaching e-course at http://www.baseballecourse.com

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Understanding the Baseball Swing

By Nate Barnett

If I asked you to give a five minute lecture on hitting mechanics start to finish, could you do it? If the answer is yes, then you've undoubtedly done some research on the baseball swing. If the answer is no, then there is some work to be done, and you'll want to read on, especially if you're in a role where you provide any type of baseball instruction.

Coaches must be continual learners if they are going to stay in this game for long and attract some success. The most dangerous attitude anyone of influence can obtain is an attitude of arrival. Therefore, be a constant learner.

The baseball swing can be broken down into various parts and movements. The key for any good coach or athlete is to understand first what these parts are, and secondly, to understand the sequence of these moving parts throughout the swing. Without getting into depth on the specific parts in this article, my purpose in writing this is to introduce how energy is created within the baseball swing.

Much like other athletic activities the energy created to produce a quick swing comes from the back side of the body. The lower half of the back side of the hitter's body is responsible for generating momentum directed toward the pitch. This movement does not happen automatically, unfortunately. Most hitters begin their swing with the front side of the body or their hands which greatly reduces the speed of the baseball swing.

The two most common and incorrect swing starters are the hands and the front hip. Here are the drawbacks for using those parts to begin the energy creation process.

Hands: The baseball swing is a movement where energy is created from the ground up. The back knee turns first, back hip second, and hands third. While this sequence happens very quickly, it's important that it remain consistent. The reason is because this process creates torque. It is a core body movement that creates a whip action and propels the bat into the zone. If the hitter's hands are responsible for generating power, little power can be generated comparatively.

Front Hip: As explained above, the back side of the body creates energy. Therefore, if the front hip of the hitter begins to rotate at the same time of the back side of the body, momentum begins to move away from the play instead of being directed at hitting the baseball.

Consistent drill work should be focused on minimizing the above two movements. While Little Leaguers can get away with some of these mistakes and have relative success, athletes in high school cannot. Therefore, the best time to correct these incorrect movements is between the ages of 10 and 15.

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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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!

Batting Tee - It is Not Boring at All and is Simply Outstanding!

AdvancedSkillsTee.com

By Larry Cicchiello

Do yourself a favor and never underestimate the importance of working off the batting tee.

Let's just make sure we use it properly.

The batting tee is very versatile and can be set up almost anywhere and by no means is a baseball field even required.

During bad weather for example, you can hang an old piece of carpeting against the garage wall, set up your tee, and start hacking.

Sometimes it takes many, many repetitions to break a bad habit and proper use of the batting tee can speed up the entire process.

Instead of getting just 10 swings in practice, you can get an additional 100 off a batting tee.

If a player is struggling at the plate, life will be made much easier if he can get back on the right track in a week or so compared to a month or so.

Two Things Are Necessary For Getting the Maximum Benefit From the Batting Tee:

1. That it's set up properly.

2. That you take the same swing that you would normally take in a live game. If you are willing to spend your time, you are certainly entitled to reap the benefits.

Position yourself and the ball on the tee so it is at the point where you would be making normal contact with a live pitch in a game.

A good place to set up the ball is across from your front striding foot, before the stride is taken.

You can change this as you see fit because you are the one doing the baseball hitting.

Waist high is a good height when working on your overall swing but you can vary the height of the batting tee if you want to practice at a specific height.

Feel free to position the tee so you can practice hitting both inside and outside pitches as well.

Young Players And The Batting Tee


As a rule, youngsters are NOT a big fan of the batting tee and quite often feel it's boring.
To motivate them, remind them that MANY outstanding professional hitters take as many as 500 swings a day off the tee.
Always take your work off the batting tee very seriously and you must swing like you are swinging at a live pitch in a ball game!

It is one of the best baseball coaching drills for a coach to use with his players.

What can possibly be better than speeding up the process if one of your players has "lost" their stroke?

Or to maintain your swing if you are in a good groove?

If you have developed a bad habit at the plate, it may take 300 repetitions for your muscle memory to take over.

If doing this on a ball field, it will take quite a long time.

On the other hand, you can hit 100 balls off a tee in no time at all.

Why should a player struggle for a couple of weeks if he can get back on track in two or three days?

Remember, practice doesn't make perfect but perfect practice makes perfect.

If you're working off the batting tee, obviously you are willing to put in the time so don't cheat yourself and make sure you get the full benefit that you deserve.

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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Baseball Tips on Hitting - Are You Popping Up Or Grounding Out Too Often?

By Larry Cicchiello

No matter how high or how low your batting average is, you should pay close attention to how your outs are being made. We improve by working on any weaknesses we have. Even if you are hitting.350, if most of your outs are either on pop ups or grounders, you should be looking to make an adjustment. If you take your baseball hitting seriously, you must make adjustments. Here are some baseball tips on hitting that should help you.

Grounding Out Too Often and Topping the Ball

You may be getting your stride foot down too late. This will not give you enough time to get the bat to the hitting zone because your bat will still be too high when the moment of truth arrives, thus topping the ball.

You may be trying to pull the outside pitch instead of going with the pitch to the opposite field. Your bat will have a slight drag to it and you won't be swinging through the ball.

You may be hitting too much off the front foot and not keeping your weight on your back foot. This will cause you to be "top heavy" and most likely hit the top of the ball.

You may be opening your front shoulder and/or front hip too quickly, causing you to pull off the ball and not swing through the ball.

Popping Up Too Often and Hitting Under the Ball

Pay very close attention to what your back shoulder is doing. If it is collapsing and dropping down below the front shoulder, there is a very good chance this is the problem. Basically, you are lowering your entire swing and you almost have to swing underneath the ball. The same applies to your back leg. If it's dropping down and "collapsing" too much, that can very easily lead to "uppercutting" the ball and popping it up.

Make sure you are not dropping your hands too low when actually swinging. This obviously will increase the chances of you hitting the bottom of the baseball. If your hands are too low, your bat will be too low and there is a very good chance you will hit the bottom of the ball.

Make sure the back of your bottom hand is facing the pitcher when you start your swing. Remember, it should be one palm up and one palm down only at the point of contact and not before.

Make sure that your front elbow is pointing downward at the very start of your swing.This is very possibly the most common baseball hitting problem you will ever see. The very beginning of the swing is a downward movement and is not level at all. Only at the point of contact should the front elbow be level and pointing toward the pitcher.

If you learn only this one thing out of all the baseball tips on hitting, you will see a major improvement in your baseball hitting immediately!

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

Shop CoachesBest.com for your baseball coaching needs including baseball training aids, training videos, and other coaching supplies. Check out the Derek Jeter Hurricane Hitting machine by SKLZ at HurricaneTrainer.com.

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Baseball Fielding Tips - You Must Grip the Baseball Properly Before Throwing!

By Larry Cicchiello

Whenever possible, try to grip the ball with four seams before throwing the ball to one of your teammates. It's one of the most important baseball fielding tips that unfortunately, very few focus on. You want the closed part of the horseshoe formed by the seams on the baseball to be either facing inside toward you or outside and away from you. In other words, your index finger is on two seams and your middle finger is on two seams and thus the name four-seam. My preference is having the horseshoe facing inside because it feels better to me in my hand but this is strictly your call. The objective is to simply create a perfect backspin on the throw. It's not difficult at all.

If you are limited time wise and have to hurry on a play, you might not be able to have the choice as to which way the horseshoe faces but you still should strive to get the 4-seam grip.Think of it as a pitcher. A pitcher throws a 4-seamer, which is for the most part straight and fast. A pitcher throws a 2-seamer, which is not as fast and has movement. You don't want less speed and more movement when throwing to a teammate, do you? Fielders can be fooled by movement on a ball exactly like a batter can be fooled. Instead, you want more speed and less movement. The last thing you want is for your throw to have any extra movement when throwing to your first baseman or another teammate.

It is a little difficult to get your 4-seam grip on the "bare-handed play" on a very slow roller. As you are bringing the ball up with your bare hand, the tricky part is that you only a fraction of a second to move the ball in your hand and find your 4-seam grip. Resist the temptation to simply throw the ball before getting the 4-seam grip. This is definitely something that requires practice, but all serious fielders make it their business to learn it. And all serious coaches should include this in their baseball coaching drills. On this play, you don't want to have the ball sail and either go into the runner or have any extra movement to cause your throw to not be handled cleanly by your first baseman. The runner may very well end up on second base because of the improperly thrown ball when he should have been a fairly easy out. P.S. Some professional infielders actually practice getting their 4-seam grip when removing the ball from their glove when they are sitting in the dugout. Maybe that's one of the reasons they are professional infielders.

Getting the 4-seam grip on the baseball before throwing it is one of the more important baseball fielding tips. It requires some practice but I assure you that you will be able to execute it properly after some repetition. All smart coaches should include this fundamental in their baseball coaching tips.

Just remember, all the great infielders use the 4-seam grip when throwing the ball.

Larry Cicchiello is the author of "Excellent Baseball Coaching: 30 Seconds Away." His very user friendly eBooks cover 320 topics on playing or coaching excellent baseball. ANY players, coaches or parents who want to help their child improve will be fully equipped! Some FREE tips are available at http://www.LarryBaseball.com/product/all

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

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The Five Elements of the Major League Little League Baseball Swing

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By Nick Dixon

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. There is nothing more beautiful in sports than when you see a baseball batter, at any level, executes the perfect swing, and drive a line drive into one of the outfield gaps.

What makes a little league baseball swing become a "major league" swing? What are the 5 elements of the perfect baseball swing? The answer to that question is simple. The batter must have batting skill, good bat speed, a good eye for the baseball, perfect timing and a proper approach to hitting.

Here I discuss all five of these basic elements and how each is improved:
The five basic elements of the "Major League" Little League Swing are:

1. Batting Skill - There is only one way to improve batting skill. That is making sure that the batter takes a high number of practice swings daily or at least 3 times a week year round. The younger the batter begins this practice routine, the batter. It is crucial to batting skill development that the batter receives proper instruction as to proper hitting mechanics.

2. Bat Speed - The grip must be perfect with the fingers aligned and the bat handle gripped in the fingers and not deep in the palm. The batter must have adequate strength to get the bat speed generated. The absolute best way to improve hand and arm strength is do finger pushups, weight roll ups with the arms extended and wrist curls with the arms on a bench.

3. Good Eye for the Ball - There are two things involved in having a good batting eye at the plate. First the batter must learn the strike zone and be able to determine quickly whether a pitch is a in the strike zone or out of it. The other thing that makes the eyes of the batter an asset at the plate, is when the batter has the ability to pitch the ball up very quickly as it is released from the hand of the pitcher. The batter must learn to identify pitches, the spin on the ball, the pitchers arm slot, and the pitchers release point. There are many drills that can help a better have a better eye. One such drill is a "tracking" drill in which the batter stands in while a pitcher throws his bull pen. The batter verbally calls out the type of pitch and its location. The batter will call the pitch in this order...strike, fastball, in or ball, curve ball, off the plate away.

4. Proper Timing - Good timing is something that all great hitters possess. They know when to load and when to launch. They are never late on the fastball. They are never early on the off speed pitch. They know exactly when to attack the pitch based on where the pitch is located. The always attack the inside fastball early. They always attack the fastball down the middle when it gets over the plate. And most important of all, they attack the off-speed pitch late when it gets just inside the back foot. One of the best drills to develop timing is the do a front long toss drill. The pitcher should vary locations, speed and pitch types.

5. Proper Approach - Having a good approach at the plate is a process that involves two aspects of mental concentration.

One part of having an approach is to know what your team needs from your at bat.This is known before the batter walks up to the plate. For example, if the team needs a deep fly ball, the batter looks for a pitch up. If the team needs a ball hit behind a runner, the batter will look for a pitch to hit the other way.

The other part of having an approach is the batter executing the perfect timed swing for the pitch thrown. The batter turns on the fastball in or the batter stays back and hits the curve ball to the opposite field.

The best way to develop a good approach at the plate is to have situational batting practice sessions. The batter takes batting practice swings under simulated situations specified by the coach. The batter practices hitting with the coach calling different numbers of out, different base runner locations or different offensive plays be run.

I hope that you found this article to be interesting and informative. I really appreciate you taking the time to read it. Have a great day. 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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Baseball Fundamentals - Throwing & Catching

By Brian Schofield

Throwing a Baseball

It sounds so simple yet so many players do this incorrectly at a young age. In my opinion, nothing hampers a young player's love for the game more than if he can't throw the ball correctly. Fundamentally it is a very simple concept, but must be practiced correctly to be mastered. I have been blessed with having 4 girls as my children. They don't quite love baseball like I do but one thing I've tried to really teach them is how to correctly throw and catch a baseball. The first thing I tell them is that they aren't going to hurt me. To demonstrate I start with a softer ball like a wiffle ball or a tennis ball because the theory is how they throw and catch, not what they throw and catch. I want the confidence to be built up, not crushed because a hard ball smashed them in the mouth. Stand a fair distance apart, maybe 15-20 feet and have both players stand facing each other. When it is your turn to throw the ball, make absolutely sure of a couple points.

One, always step with your lead foot and aim it at the person you are throwing. Your front foot should point directly to your target. When practicing this for the first time it is ok to exaggerate the step. Second, make sure the ball is released behind or near the ear of the player throwing the ball. Young players will tend to short arm the throw by holding it too long. When they do this you will notice right away because the throw will have no life on it. A short arm throw eliminates the shoulder from being used and that completely decreases velocity on the ball. I have the players say step, plant and throw until they form a comfortable rhythm. My father was an incredible baseball coach growing up and I believe the difference was he took the time to teach us the simple concepts like throwing and catching a ball which is really what the game is all about, isn't it?

Catching a Baseball

Young players need to be shown the correct way to catch a ball as well. Don't get me wrong, some players will know from day 1 how to do both these things while others won't. Some may show all the ability but haven't been taught the correct fundamental behind it. Young players tend to do two things incorrectly when catching a baseball. One, they box it. I call it boxing the ball when everything thrown to them is met by a boxing motion with the glove always going in a downward motion no matter how low the throw is. Instead of just turning the glove over with the palm up, players will do the opposite and box it no matter where it is. Second, the opposite occurs and they try to catch everything with the palm up. I've seen more kids clocked in the head because of this than you could imagine. This is mastered only through correct repetition and practice. I encourage parents to spend 10 minutes outside showing kids how to correctly throw and catch. If it is done you will avoid the kids being made fun of or teased and they'll stick with it. I'm glad I did and I'm glad that my father took the time to play catch with me.

Brian Schofield is the Sr. writer for BigLeagueSkills.com. Check out their site for more tips on baseball fundamentals

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

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