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

Youth Baseball Digest - Free Baseball Batting Drill - Batting Tee Curve Ball Hitting Drill

Youth Baseball Digest - Free Baseball Batting Drill - Batting Tee Curve Ball Hitting Drill
By guest author: Nick Dixon

Many coaches use the batting tee to practice proper baseball swing mechanics. The batting tee is a great batter training tool. It offers batting practice repetition and is easy to use. Most coaches use it in drills to practice hitting the low, medium, and high fast ball locations. The batting tee can also be used to practice hitting a curve ball. One of the most difficult pitches to learn to hit is the curve ball on the outer edge of the plate. This article explains how the tee can be used to teach young players the proper mechanics and timing to hit that type curve ball. Curve Ball Batting Tee Drill

Many coaches would say that the batting tee is not a useful tool in teaching a player to hit a curve ball. That is untrue. By placing at the optimum contact point for a curve ball, the batter is allowed batting practice repetition at attacking the curve ball with proper timing and baseball swing mechanics. The batting tee should be placed as shown below. The "8's" represent a right handed batter's feet. The "x" marks the spot where the tee is located. This is the proper spot for a batter to attack the off speed curve ball on the other portion of the plate.

................X

8------------8

The tee is placed even with the instep of the back foot. The tee is placed on the outer edge of the plate. The batter will practice hitting the curve ball to the opposite field. This allows the batter to get the proper feel of hitting the off speed pitch. Placing the target ball at this spot teaches the hitter to keep the hands back, to let the ball get deep, and to drive the ball to the opposite field.

I hope that you found this article to be useful and informative. Thanks for taking the time to read it. For more article like it visit the Youth Baseball Digest, Baseball Coaching Digest, Little League Digest or Baseball Parent Guide. Good luck to you and your team. 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, 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: 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 Drills - Start the Kids on the Road to Success Early

Youth Baseball Drills - Start the Kids on the Road to Success Early
By guest author: KC Andrus

Why Youth Baseball Drills?
Ahh, the joys of youth baseball. What a wonderful sight to behold, the children out there giving it there all, wearing their emotions on their sleeves and the parents in the stands biting their fingernails, overcome with nervousness. The sights and sounds of a little league game are one of the fondest memories of many children's childhoods and also becomes ingrained in the minds of their parents. Whether you are a parent, coach or player, however, it takes steady practice doing the RIGHT youth baseball drills to make your team a winner.

What Youth Baseball Drills are Effective?
Everyone knows that the most glamorous asset for a baseball player's inventory is his hitting skills, it is also his most valuable. So here are some common problems facing young hitters and some drills to help you improve.

Keep Your Eye on the Ball!
It's the first thing you learn as a baseball player and one of the most important. A good drill to improve this is to have someone stand on a mound and throw a ball and have the player track the ball all the way into the catcher's glove. Very simple and effective.

Hit Line Drives
If you're popping the ball up a lot or hitting way too many choppers, it is always one of two things: your timing is off or your swing is off and your bat path isn't straight to the ball. A good drill to make sure your bat path takes you straight to the ball is to practice hitting sharp line drives off of a tee.

My Timing Is Off
If you're struggling with timing and rhythm within your swing one of the best drills you can do to correct that problem would be soft toss. Have someone kneel on one knee out to the side and softly toss the ball up to you while you focus on timing and hitting the ball up the middle squarely.

What Other Measures Should I Take?

There are various other resources that can help you come up with Youth Baseball Drills and provide fantastic coaching tips. In order to get the best information, you have to sift through all of the misinformation on the internet. This is where I found the best information for me, it provides solid tips and even lets you in on some secrets to maximize hitting potential:

Youth Baseball Drills

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

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Baseball Training Techniques and the T-Ball Game

Baseball Training Techniques and the T-Ball Game
By guest author: Chris Moheno


The ball is placed on an adjustable "tee" that is in the player's personal strike range, and they swing at the ball on the tee, instead of having a ball pitched to them.

This game is often played by young school age boys to learn the baseball training, such as batting positions, how to swing and the rest of the rules of baseball. The primary advantage of playing tee-ball is that the ball is automatically in the player's personal "strike zone", so they don't have to learn the hand-eye coordination that is necessary with a live pitcher. Other than that, the rules of T-ball are the same and it is primarily helpful for teaching baseball hitting skills.

If is not unusual for the young boy's tee-ball or T-ball leagues to allow the game to be played with wiffle balls and bats for safety reasons and because they are lighter. Actual T-balls are slightly larger than a baseball and softer, and there are actual bats and gloves that are used.

As the boys get older, they can learn to play with real baseballs and bats, which help them in baseball training as they enter the correct age to start learning to hit a live pitch. On some of the leagues, coaches will have them practice hitting a few live pitches to start developing the baseball training they will need later.

Because of this, the players that play tee ball or T-ball are typically between 4 and 8 years of age. There is a minimum of 12 players on each team and no more than 20, although it should be limited to 15 players. The reason for this is that each inning allows every player on each team to bat, and the inning is over after each team has allowed every player a time at bat. Games are four innings and scoring is not always used since it is to develop baseball hitting skills and learn other baseball training.

There are no strike-outs or walks and the ball must travel more than ten feet or it is a foul. Batters can't steal bases- the ball has to be hit for them to move around the bases. It teaches the players the skills necessary to play baseball and it allows all players a chance to bat and play the field.

The whole idea of T-ball is to teach the young players baseball hitting techniques and the other baseball training they will need as they graduate into playing the more difficult game of baseball. It is believed that the younger the players start, the easier it will be for them to master the game. T-ball or tee ball lets them learn baseball techniques at a slower and more enjoyable game that is not as competitive.

Many children also make the decision that they want to move into playing baseball fairly easily and on their own, as their confidence level increases and they become bored with playing tee ball. This allows the child to move easily into baseball training, which can be much more challenging and competitive. Most of the T-ball players make this transition very easily and have already mastered the hardest part of baseball hitting skills and understand the challenges they will face when they move from T-ball into baseball training.

It makes it easier for the coaches to enhance T-ball practices by throwing a few pitches for practices and the players can gradually work into this important part of judging when a live pitcher has thrown a ball in the strike zone, or out of it. Because their eyes have been trained to look for the ball in the "tee zone", it gives them an advantage over the players that have not played T-ball and decide to start playing baseball.

T-ball or tee ball, can teach young players the baseball hitting techniques they will need to know and it can also teach other baseball training, such as catching fly-balls, grounders and pop-up flies. It teaches them how to throw to base, throw to home and what the rules are as their T-ball play becomes more advanced. It is a great way for a child to transition easily into a great baseball player, when the time comes.

Chris Moheno kindly invites you to visit this comprehensive baseball training website where you will find baseball scholarship tips and answers to your general questions about baseball training and strength training, as well as a free newsletter with baseball training tips and advice.

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




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The Baseball Swing - Rotational Hitting Explained

The Baseball Swing - Rotational Hitting Explained
By guest author: Nate Barnett


It seems like baseball instruction in the area of hitting mechanics is splitting into two different camps. Rotational hitting vs. Linear hitting. If you're new to the baseball world, or are just unfamiliar with the new exciting terminology, let me offer some explanation.

Rotational Hitting

The purpose of the baseball swing is to transfer the most energy into the baseball as possible. In order to get the most energy created, there are specific parts of the body that need to move at the correct time in order for this energy to occur.

A rotational approach offers that the energy used in creating a powerful baseball swing stems from the back side of the body, and more specifically the lower half of the back side. The controlled chain reaction that happens when the back side is moved at precisely the correct time toward the pitch is quite powerful. On the flip side, incorrect timing of the back knee and hip will produce a sluggish bat.

A rotational approach to hitting uses the follow steps to a good baseball swing:

1. A good weight shift to the back leg from the stance position as a hitter is preparing to hit. Make sure that this weight shift is not purely horizontal in motion, since this will create an imbalance.

2. The next step is the trigger. This is the most important movement that separates a rotational hitter from a linear hitter. The triggering process should begin with the back knee turning and moving towards the pitcher (as apposed to simply spinning in place). The back hip will quickly follow the back knee in the rotation process. Lastly, the hands will begin to enter into the hitting zone. It's important that the hands do not begin the swing since the power is stemming from the back knee and hip. Early hand movement would negate any effort to use energy from the back side of the hitter's body.

3. As the bat enters the zone, one will begin to see signs that a rotational approach has been utilized. The common tell tale signs are the balance points. The easiest to explain in writing is that upon contact with the pitch there will be vertical alignment with the inside shoulder joint, the back hip, and the back knee joint. This alignment shows that balance is retained and no weight has shifted forward onto the front foot (more of a linear style).

As an aside, rotational hitting is used by most major colleges and a vast majority of Major League hitters. It provide balance and power to the baseball swing.

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

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Youth Baseball Drills: Throwing Package

Youth Baseball Drills: Throwing Package
Posted on YouTube by teamre30

The article that goes along with the video can be seen at http://www.swing-smarter-baseball-hit...

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Check out these video demos of some of the most popular baseball training products on today's market. Click below and see the Advanced Skills Tee, Joe Mauer Quick Swing Trainer, and the Derek Jeter Hurricane Hitting Machine.

--Video of the Advanced Skills Tee is used by a college hitter during a hitting drill.
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Teaching Young Batters to Use the No-Stride Technique For a Good Baseball Swing

Batting Cages Direct is the Best Way to Go!

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

If you watched the College World Series on ESPN SPORTS TV last June, I am sure that you saw, as I did, player after player, use the no-stride technique. The abundance of players using the "No-Stride" technique at the College World Series in Omaha shows how many baseball coaches today teach the "wider stance and no stride approach" to hitting. Here I cover the basics of teaching and coaching the "No-Stride" hitting method.

The "No-stride" technique is simply the process of swinging the baseball bat without taking a big step or stride forward during the swing. The front foot is the stride foot. The back foot is called the pivot foot. The "No-stride" technique allows the batter to swing and keep the head still, the weight back, and the eyes on the ball.

When using the "No-Stride" approach, the batting stance should be wide enough to insure a solid base and wide enough so that the batter can use a "soft or short" stride technique. It is best that the batter simply lifts the front foot up less than an inch and puts in back down in the same place. There is little or no movement forward by the front foot.

A wider base and shorter stride allow the batter to keep the head still and prevents the head from dropping during the swing. When a batter assumes a narrow stance with the feet close together, the batter must take a long stride during the swing. This long stride causes the head and eyes to "fall or drop" during the swing. This is the reason that many coaches teach the no stride technique. Of course, another reason is the fact that when a batters uses a "close stance" and "long stride approach" they often cannot hit the fastball velocity of many pitchers in the game today.

The optimum width of the feet would be slightly wider than shoulder width. The weight should be on the "balls" of the feet and off the heels. The front foot or stride foot should be "placed softly as if it is on a carton of eggs". This softness allows the foot to be lifted and placed back down easily. The back foot or pivot foot is also important during the swing. The back foot should not "move or leak forward" but should turn up "shoe laces to pitcher" when the front foot settles into place during the swing.

COACHING POINT: I recommended an "even toed" stance meaning that the toes of each foot are even when the stance is assumed. A closed stance is one with the back foot farther away from the plate than the front foot. An open stance is one with the front foot farther away from the plate than the back foot.

COACHING POINT: You may actually use a simple demonstration to illustrate how a long stride causes the head to drop and the eyes to move. Have a batter assume a narrow stance. As you face the batter, hold your hand palm down exactly even with the eyes. Have the batter take a long stride while you hold your hand perfectly still at the level where the eyes were when the stride began. A long stride will cause the head to drop and the eyes to drop also. This movement of the head and eyes makes it more difficult for the batter to "see and hit" the ball as it travels through the strike zone.

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

By 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.

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


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

===Advertisement from our sponsor:=====

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

The Categories they have are: Baseball Training Equipment, Youth Baseball Training Equipment, Training Bats, Pitching & Throwing Trainers, Defensive Trainers, Batting Cages, Pitching Machines, Jugs Equipment, Game and Practice Baseballs, Protective Practice Screens and Nets, Portable Pitching Mounds, Baseball DVDs & Books, Clearance Items on Sales, BatAction Hitting Machines, Hurricane Hitting Machines, NEDCO Bataction Replacement Parts, SKLZ Hurricane Replacement Parts and Much Much More! Visit Baseball2U.com today!
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Youth Baseball: Six Simple Steps To A Perfect Swing Teaches Young Baseball Beginning Players the 6 basic elements of the perfect baseball swing.

Great material for teaching baseball beginners.


Proper instruction and repetitive practice are vital for young players to learn a perfect swing. The instructing coach or parent should make sure to cover each step adequately before preceding to the next step. The parent or coach should always teach and emphasis the correct desired fundamentals. Consideration should be given to the fact that young players learn at different rates and have varying attention spands. Some young players
learn the proper techniques more rapidly than others. However, with proper instruction, practice and a patience instructor , every child can learn and master the skill of hitting. Every child can reach his potential as a player and experience fun and success! Good Luck and Happy Hitting!

Coach Nick Dixon
Source - Hit2win.com

There is More to Baseball Training Than Simply Youth Baseball Drills

There is More to Baseball Training Than Simply Youth Baseball Drills
By Joseph Harrison Jr

Many new coaches would like nothing more than to simply jump right in with both feet and begin having their team play the game without teaching them youth baseball drills. Of course, this can simply be the absolutely worse thing coach can do.

As a coach, it takes hard work and even harder work to come up with a practice game plan. Going in completely unprepared is basically setting both you and your team up for a big fall. First of all, there are numerous places that a coach can explore to find drills to teach their team. And, there are many different drills out there that a coach can employ too. Therefore, specific drills cannot be stressed enough. But, with younger children, especially concentrate on the three main areas which are namely hitting, catching, and base running.

When using or creating drills that pertain to hitting, certain aspects will need to be considered. Items such as the player's stance, their swing, and even what they do with their feet are all equally important and must be addressed.

Keep their stance as wide as their shoulders and this will be a good start. This will allow the younger player to be able to balance properly as well as comfortably. Show them not only how to hold the bat, but also explain why they need to hold the bat a certain way.

When exploring these aspects, there is a drill that can be quite useful. It is primarily a way for both you as well as the player to be able to understand their swing. Stand on the mound and pretend like you are pitching to the player in the batting box. Go through the wind up and the pitch. The player is then expected to pretend like they are hitting the ball. All the while, maintain and stress the importance of the player being aware of how they are actually swinging the bat. This ensures that the player will see where they will need improvement.

Running the bases can be the fun part of learning the game of baseball. And, it may even allow the player the chance to get dirty too.

Certain drills are able to teach the finer points of base running. One very good drill is to have all the players line up at home plate and subsequently run after the coach calls out the type of hit that was made. For example, by calling out a single, the base runner would be expected to stop at first base. While a double would have them running to second base and so on and so forth. This can open a door for explaining the importance of how the player should turn after getting past first base and can even include a sliding drill on the other bases.

Catching a little white ball is not as easy as it seems, especially for younger players. The youngest players are usually quite afraid of getting hit with the ball and they will have a tendency to avoid any throws. This problem can probably be solved by one single drill. Have the player stand a short distance from you and easily toss the ball back and forth. While tossing the ball, explain how to properly hold the glove and to always watch the ball. Before long, the young player will gain confidence and will eventually lose their fright of getting hit with the ball altogether. Basically, they will realize that they are actually able to catch it and they will certainly do so.

Many younger players are quite familiar with the art of playing baseball. But, by using youth baseball drills, this can only improve.

I am Joseph Harrison, a baseball coach since 20 years ago. I love baseball since I am young, especially the feeling when you know you will absolutely crush the ball. Training your kid to gain interest in baseball will benefit him from both mentally and physically. In with he will gain team spirit, learn how to cope with teammates, and at the same time train up his physical, and concentration (to have good eye and hand coordination and the ability to use both at once). Go through my article and you will know all the benefits of baseball.

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

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Where Does Power Come From For A Youth Baseball Hitter?

Where Does Power Come From For A Youth Baseball Hitter?
By Chip Lemin

Greetings to all coaches,

To help your players develop more power in their swings, you must instruct them to have balance throughout the entire swing. In the previous article,on 2-14-08, I discussed the stance of the hitter. This includes even weight distribution right from the trigger of the swing. In order to generate power, the swing must be compact and short. Yes players with long swings will generate power also, but they generally will not make as much consistent contact.

Many youth baseball players will have far too much hand and foot movement to achieve balance throughout the entire swing. These players could get away with these flaws when pitchers are just trying to throw strikes in younger leagues. As pitchers develop velocity and location these flaws will be exposed.Some young players will resist keeping their hands held up high. They resist keeping their shoulders stacked up over their feet. They may not have a wide enough base in their stance. These players like to stride out at the ball. A small controlled stride is acceptable. Many newer coaches are unaware that a long stride will hamper the player's power base.Many of the top youth baseball hitters will no stride at all. They may use some front foot movement as a timing trigger to begin to "load up' their swing.

I became a student of the baseball swing to learn all I could. When your gets professional instruction (which I encourage) pay close attention,and take notes.Many of the instructors are great sources of knowledge who are willing to help you too. After all, it is in their best interest for your players to improve. It is a reflection on his talent as an instructor.It may mean more business for him.It is the player's responsibility to work on their swing. You can give them the tools and information. You can attempt to inspire them to work harder. Don't feel any guilt about a player's swing if they are not putting in extra work to improve.

Players must look at the pitcher with both eyes. Too often the player's shoulder position will be turned so that both eyes are not on the ball. These batters may have hit the ball well at lower even with these flaws,it may take some strikeouts or weakly hit balls to get their attention. Just be a patient instructive leader. Focus on what the batter is doing right first, then move on to correcting mistakes. Most young players don't get proper extension and follow through on their swings.They may be trying too hard to pull all pitches. This is a common mistake. When players wrap the bat around on their follow through, and it ends up below the front shoulder, it is a sign that they are "pulling off "of the ball. The finish should be up high, with the bat and the hands up near or above the front shoulder.

Power is not always generated just by size. It is a function of bat speed.The quicker the bat head can get into the hitting zone the better. The batter's hands must lead into the zone, and the hips and torso will follow. The player must focus on extension through the entire hitting zone. This will help the player to finish the swing with a nice high follow through. Then the hips and torso will come along also. Professional instruction with a qualified instructor is worth every cent. I believe the coaching staff will get just as much help from it as the players. There will be more articles on hitting for youth baseball players coming up soon. 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

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

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Here's Some Baseball Thoughts And Quotes For Youth Baseball Coaches And Players

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Here's Some Baseball Thoughts And Quotes For Youth Baseball Coaches And Players
By Chip Lemin

Here are baseball thoughts and some quotes that I thought all you youth baseball coaches would appreciate. There are far too many hot dog players and coaches in youth baseball today. I believe we must honor the game baseball by example. Most of it is just common sense and courtesy. I'm not giving you any secret formula to success. Let's behave like mature adults and remember we don't have a team full of future professional baseball players even though others may think otherwise.

Everyone on the team must be willing to trade sweat, effort, and sacrifice for success. When looking at yourself as a player, the critical. There are too many egotists among players today. Egotism is the anesthetic which deadens the pain of stupidity.

Success is costly. You must exchange something solid in yourself for success.

Concentrate on improving your weaknesses. It is more obvious than your strong points.

No player ever becomes a success by giving up. Keep trying.

If your coach criticizes you, it indicates that he is watching you, so appreciate that.

Never alibi. Excuses never win games.

Be confident. Say to yourself, I can I will, I must.

Be a good team player. Encourage your teammates and cooperate with them. They in turn will do the same.

Don't yell at the officials or umpires. They are seldom responsible for your success so don't blame them for your failure.

Your conduct, both on the field and off the field of, is a true test of you as an individual. It reflects your degree of dependability, responsibility, and the extent of your self sacrifice.

Here are some anonymous quotes...

If what you did yesterday still looks big to you, you haven't done much today.

The coach may not always be right, but he's always the coach.

When I won I thought I was lucky, but the harder I work, the luckier I got.

Every athlete has problems, the winners handle theirs.

The player who refuses to be beaten is tough to beat.

Not always a winner but never a loser.

If you know anyone who has always received a fair deal, get a witness- you're seeing a miracle.

Repetition is the mother of education.

I will get ready and perhaps my chance will come.

Enthusiasm is like a coat of paint- it covers up a lot of mistakes.

Little things make big things.

The surest way not to fail is be determined enough to succeed.

The player who does what he pleases is seldom pleased with what he does.

When a winner makes a mistake, he says I was wrong. One loser makes a mistake, he says, it was not my fault.

Hustle! You cannot survive without.

Enthusiasm and action will overcome fear.

The greatest key to success is a good attitude.

If You Think You are good, then why not be better. If you'd think you are better, then be the best.

Winning is not everything, but wanting to win is.

It takes a cool head to win a hot game.

I will leave you with this, it pertains to more than just baseball.

You can never get ahead of someone as long as you are trying to get even with them.

Thanks for your time, I hope these quotes, the ones without quotation marks around them, will help you get through this long winter waiting for baseball season start.

Thanks again, Coach Chip

Hello My name is Chip Lemin. I'm a long time youth baseball coach who loves to promote this great game of youth baseball. Promoting sportsmanship in this game of youth baseball is something that really needs I feel. I have a free course that will give you some solid coaching information along with great help on the inter-personal relationships we must have to be good youth baseball coaches.

Things such as parents, travel baseball, getting parents to help out, how to communicate better to parents and players, just to touch on a few. This course will help to organize practices like an elite coach. How to motivate players and other coaches with your positive attitude. It really is not very hard to be a great coach when you know what to do.Best of all you will learn how to have fun with these great kids that you have the privilege of coaching. Do yourself a favor and check it out, it's free,you will get 1 part every couple of days in your e-mail. Coaching can be fun and rewarding if you have a plan in place first, and you have an idea what you are doing. I would like to help you with that.

Sign up at http://www.baseballecourse.com

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

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

By Nick Dixon

Hitting a baseball is a skill that can be learned and improved with proper coaching and instruction. It may be a difficult task, but with the correct fundamentals and techniques hitting can be one of the most rewarding activities in all of sports. There is nothing that is more satisfying and rewarding than hitting a line-drive in the left-center gap to help your team score the go-ahead run. Many kids experience a great sense of accomplishment while others suffer the embarrassment, disappointment, and despair of striking out time after time. They feel that they let their team down and they often feel that they embarrass their coach and parents. The quickest way to achieving hitting success is to identify bad mechanics and correct them as soon as possible.

I will now give a brief overview of 3 aspects of a proper grip, the correct bat angle in the stance, and the process of getting the hands to the proper launch position.

1. The GRIP - knocking knuckles, (not fighting knuckles) should be aligned. This positions the bat handle in the fingers and out of the palm. This allows maximum wrist quickness and hand speed. Coaching Tip: Have kids check their grip by raising and pointing their index fingers. If they point in the same direction, they are aligned, if the point across each other, the grip is incorrect.

2. The BAT ANGLE at the start position. Keep in mind that the hands will move slightly back and away from the pitcher when the batter loads to the launch position. The bat angle will not change during the loading process. The bat should be at a 45 degree angle over the shoulder. The bat should not be wrapped or tucked behind the head, this slows bat speed. The bat should be no more that 2 to 3 inches off the top of the shoulder.

3. The LOADING PROCESS is a simple and slight movement of the hands away from the pitcher. This is a movement that is so slight that many people do not notice it. The hands are the only things that move. If the batter is noticeably shifting weight, moving feet, and moving other body parts, too much movement is occurring. Most times this movement is no more than 2 to 4 inches. It may be more for larger players. LOADING is getting the hands to the launch position from which the forward swing motion starts. Different players use different loading actions. Some batters simply move the hands straight back and batters move the hands back and up at the same time. The loading process adds power, develops important timing and rhythm, and allows the batter to achieve a comfortable ready position from which to launch swing.

COACHING POINT: Make sure that players do not line their knuckles up when you are looking and then move their hands to an "axe grip" when you walk away. One way to teach the benefits of the "finger grip position" is to have the two batters take several swings from shoulder-to-shoulder very quickly using the two grips. Take two batters of similar ability levels and with similar hand speed and do this demonstration. One player uses the "correct grip" and one uses the "axe or incorrect grip". Have the batters take 10 shoulder-to-shoulder swings. See which batter completes the 10 swings first. This shows the kids how much faster the hands move when the correct grip is used. Note: Make sure to move the batters at a safe distance from each other and from other players when performing this illustration.

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

=========================

A Message to Baseball Parents from Nick Dixon, President of Nedco Sports

Hello,

Thanks for visiting our blog. Your concern for your child's sports success is evident. Your child is fortunate to have a parent that cares so much about their success! I sincerely want your child to experience success, just like you!

Our company is founded upon the principle that every player is a winner when they reach their maximum potential as a player.

If you feel that your child has the potential to be a better hitter, I know that we can help! If you want to give your child every advantage possible when competing with the opposition or with peers for a team position, we can help! Our training equipment and training "Know-how" can help you help your child!

Maybe your job or work restricts the amount of time you are allowed to spend helping your child. If this is true, I want you to know that we offer the best home training equipment available today!
The best and most efficient trainer we sell is the BatAction Hitting Machine. It produces incredible results faster than anything else. It carries our "Success and Satisfaction or Money-Back" offer. You can not go wrong when you buy this great machine! We have thousands of collegiate hitters playing today that grew up hitting this fine machine! It has been helping young hitters improve for 10 years!

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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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Proper Throwing Mechanics: A Must for Young Players

Please Teach Your Young Players the Proper Throwing Mechanics!!!

The single most important skill that a child needs to learn when he or she starts playing the game of baseball or softball is how to throw correctly. If a child does not learn how to throw correctly from the start, it makes teaching them the correct way down the road MUCH more difficult.

Learning to throw correctly at an early age is important because it will help prevent arm injury in years to come. Proper throwing mechanics along with developing and building arm strength as a child gets older also help to prevent arm injury. Having good solid throwing mechanics typically means more arm strength and accuracy, which enables a child to have the oppurtunity to play multiple positions when coming up through the Youth baseball ranks and in High School. If a child has "no arm" or cannot control where the ball is thrown, that will eventually limit what position he or she can play. For example, someone who has an inefficient throwing motion and a weak arm would not be a good candidate for SS or 3B. And would probably not fair well as a Pitcher. What I'm trying to say here is that if a player learns the proper throwing mechanics at a young age, it will give that player a greater opportunity to be on the playing field when they get older and help them to avoid arm injury.

There are several key things to teach a child when learning to throw:

1. Grip on the Ball: Remember that the child's hand will be small when in Tee-Ball. So all we can do with the grip is to make sure the fingers are on top and the hand is behind the ball. Also, watch to make sure that when the ball is released, the hand and fingers stay behind the ball.
We will discuss this further in the "Release" section below.

2. Front Shoulder & Elbow: Make sure the front shoulder closes down and points directly at the intended target. As this is done, the front arm comes up and points the elbow directly at the target also. If the player does not do this step correctly, there is ZERO power or accuracy on the throw.

3. Make the Circle: The actual throwing motion should be a circle. The throwing hand should be brought down by the hip (we actually teach players to brush the hip as they start the circle) and travel to the power position, which is at the top of the circle. (see photo below) As the hand is traveling towards the top of the circle, the ball and palm should be pointed AWAY from your body as seen in photo. The circle is completed by bringing the ball forward while keeping the arm at 90 degrees. Make sure the elbow is above the shoulder during the actual throwing motion. This will help avoid elbow and shoulder injury in years to come.



4. Step & Throw: Make sure that the player steps directly at the target. This step is just a comfortable step. Nothing big that will make a player become off-balance. Just a smooth comfortable step towards the target.

5. Release: The release of the ball should be out in front and the hand and fingers should be on top and behind the ball as mentioned in the "Grip" section above. Make sure the throw has backspin on it. As players get older, that backspin should get tighter and tighter. If the throw has sidespin of some sort on it, the player does not have their hand behind the ball upon release.
Also, make sure that upon release, the players arm is fully extended out front. A "long arm" circle with good extension is ESSENTIAL to proper throwing mechanics.

6. Follow Through: As I mentioned, make sure the arm is fully extended at the release point. As you release the ball, let the back leg and back side come through to create a good follow through. The back leg and foot should end up in front of the stride foot when the whole throwing motion is complete. Without a good follow through, there will be no power on the throw.

If you think a child needs assistance on learning the proper throwing motion, please check out a product called the Throwmax at http://store.baseball2u.com/throwmax.html.
The Throwmax will put a player's arm in the correct position throughout the throwing motion.
You still will have to watch and make sure the child does the other key elements in throwing correctly, but the Throwmax will benefit a young player tremendously.

Have a great day, Nick

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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

======================
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.

See the “Original” Rotational Hitting Machine at BatAction.com. Are you looking for the perfect trainer to teach proper timing and swing mechanics? You can stop looking and go to HandsBackHitter.com.

Baseball Skills For the Beginning Player

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.

See the “Original” Rotational Hitting Machine at BatAction.com. Are you looking for the perfect trainer to teach proper timing and swing mechanics? You can stop looking and go to HandsBackHitter.com.

Players develop incredible bat speed and confidence when they regularly use the Quick Swing Trainer. See it at QuickSwingTrainer.com. See the world’s most advanced batting tee at AdvancedSkillsTee.com.

Are you looking for a great batting cage at discount prices? Are you considering building your own backyard batting cage and training center? If so, you should visit BattingCagesDirect.com now!