A Few Little League Baseball Drills to Teach Swing Mechanics

A Few Little League Baseball Drills to Teach Swing Mechanics
By guest author: Joseph Harrison Jr

Batting a baseball is no easy task. Often it is especially frustrating and discouraging for a child. A successful swing requires control and sound technique. This article will cover basics of hitting and introduce some very simple and effective little league baseball drills, aimed at improving mechanics and technique.

First of all and most importantly your child should watch the ball all the way to the bat. Meaning when they hit the ball they should actually see the ball hit the bat.

There are several simple little league baseball drills you can do to improve "picking up", or seeing the ball.

Perhaps the most common is to stand, chin on front shoulder. As the swing is completed the chin will rest finally on the other shoulder. A batting tee can be used to develop this skill. Soft toss is equally as effective and can offer a change of pace. Both of this little league baseball drills are very effective at improving eye hand coordination and increasing bat speed.

To be a successful hitter balance is a must. Most people feel comfortable with feet shoulder width apart, although this is the norm there are a wide range of stances out there so go with what feels comfortable and more importantly with what works. However they stand be sure they are firm footed and well balanced.

A fluid swing is the result of several parts of the upper and lower muscle groups working together. Bat speed is created by the hands and wrists and is as important, if not more, than lower body muscle groups in hitting for power. A short, quick swing will generate more power than a long over extending of the arms. A shorter swing speeds your bat up, generating more power.

The hands are also extremely important in hitting. Hands should be held at chest level with the bat in front. This is a generalization, many prefer to hold their hands high and others low but chest level is the best point from which to begin a swing for most.

Avoid dropping the hands before swinging. This cuts the time a batter has to react to a pitch. The soft toss drill is one of several little league baseball drills that will develop wrists and hands. A tennis ball can be used to promote hand strength. Stronger hands mean more bat speed can be generated.

The lower body is also an important part of hitting. Many players over stride when swinging, creating an awkward swing. Have your child lift the front foot off the ground and simply place it back. This helps in keeping their weight back, creating more power in the swing.

Proper hip usage is crucial to a good fluid swing. Squashing the bug is one of several little league baseball drills to teach proper hip usage. Your child can practice swinging by placing the left hand out in front of the body over an imaginary strike zone. Then have them swing through with the right and make contact with the left in the center of the zone, keeping in mind to pay attention to form and technique. The drill is used to teach correct balance. The batter will sharply turn the right, or back, ankle as if to squash a bug with the toe as the hand swings through the zone.

The key aspects of hitting are balance, seeing the ball and precise timing of the body's lower and upper muscle groups. Hitting is very difficult by any measure. Improvement will come through good habits and practice.

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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Baseball Hitting - How to Be a Great Hitter and Still Play Other Sports

Baseball Hitting - How to Be a Great Hitter and Still Play Other Sports
By guest author: Chuck R Stewart

My kids play lots of sports. Their favorite sport is always the sport that is currently in season. The challenge they are facing as they continue to play competitive sports into high school is the specialization that is occurring among so many of the athletes. The time spent in the off season working on the other sports gives the player with specialization a great advantage over the multi-sport (especially three sport) athlete. Many coaches, me included, tell their players after the last game of the season that preparation for next season begins tomorrow. The summertime is the time when athletes should be able to develop their talent levels to participate and compete for the next year. It is a time for assessment of current skills and the time to develop a plan for how an athlete will improve those skills so he or she can be measurably better when the next season begins.

This is pretty easy if an athlete plays just one or maybe two sports but can be a real challenge of the athlete plays three. A player can typically make the time to devote to one sport quite easily. An hour a day is not too much to give to doing something that a player loves. When I was young I loved basketball and I would make time to practice each day for as long as I could. I was paranoid that if I did not play every day that I would lose my touch with the basketball and not shoot as well the next time out. Hitting a baseball is much the same. Many players believe they must hit every day in order to a great hitter. I also believe that is true.

The solution we use at our house to help my boys prepare for football, baseball and basketball is as follows. We follow this routine 5 out of 7 days per week. The idea is that football is a sport requiring strength, speed and agility more than anything else. Both of my sons are quarterbacks so throwing and ball handling are important as well. Baseball requires hitting, about 100 swings per day. Basketball requires ball handling and shooting.

We spend the first 30 minutes doing sprint drill at the park up the street. We will do ladder drills at full speed with a 6 second rest between sprints. We start at 40 yards and back, 50 and back, etc on up to 100 yards and back at full speed. We do this for 20 minutes and then close out with a series of short bursts of 30 yards each at full speed. I time them to see that they are getting faster each week.

After sprinting we move to hitting. The batting cage is right at the park so we get our equipment and then get our Heater Pitching Machine operational and take 100 swings each. The Heater will fire a pitch every 10 seconds and will hold 12 balls in the ball rack so we can get through each of them getting 100 swings in 30 minutes. We take pitches outside to the opposite field, we work on hitting inside pitches hard on the pull side and work on the rest being hit with backspin right up the middle. We track how many get hit to the back of the batting cage.

We then move to basketball. I developed a workout that we alternate running every other day. One day we focus primarily on shooting and the next we focus primarily on ball handling and driving moves to the hoop. I will provide that workout in a follow up article.

The boys lift weights every other day with their football program and I think that is enough to help them develop their strength.

That is it! The rest of the day they have to themselves. I never mind what else they do with their day as long as we have completed the daily workout. I know their summer will lead to them being better athletes and they will be able to keep up with the athletes who are specializing in certain sports.

Coach Chuck Stewart operates a baseball web site called offering a pitching machines, batting cages, training aids and coaching/instructional videos along with lots of free coaching content. Coach Chuck offers a pitching machine for every skill level and budget. He has coached baseball teams for 8 years and enjoys sharing the love of the game of baseball with his players.

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Youth Baseball Hitting Tips - Drills

Youth Baseball Hitting Tips - Drills
By guest author: Jeffery A Wise

It's important that youth first learn the basic fundamentals when they begin their baseball playing careers. In a previous article we touched on a lot of these basics, including keeping your head down and eyes on the ball, how to stand in the batter's box and how to have a smooth, consistent swing. We also talked about the importance of hustling and having fun.

In order to learn the sport and become better players, youth should not just know these fundamentals; they also need to practice them in drills. Here is a list of drills that can be used for most age groups during practice.


•Hitting off a tee. This basic but essential hitting drill is used by all age groups. Even Major League Baseball players hit off a tee. Besides using a tee and a ball, you will need protective netting or a solid chain link fence to hit the ball into. Practice hitting off of a tee as often as you like but for each session strive to hit at least 25 balls. Advanced players can move the tee around to mimic different locations of the pitch. This helps for practicing hitting the ball to the opposite field, up the middle or your pull side.
•Soft toss. This fun drill was a favorite of mine during my 14 years of baseball. Again, you will either need protective netting or a solid chain link fence. It's better to hit into the protective netting because no balls will bounce back. Have someone kneel in the front and side of the hitter. He will underhand toss the balls to the hitter who will then hit the balls into the netting. The ball can be tossed to the hitter at different locations to make him adjust, wait for the ball and hit it to the appropriate area of the netting. This is a safe drill but if another player is doing the tossing make sure he wears a batting helmet for safety.
•Modified broomstick hitting drill. This is also fun because it takes you back to when you simulated games in the backyard with a brother or friend and drilled wiffle balls over the fence. Those were fun times! Find a wooden broomstick and saw it, making it the same length as the bat you use in games. You might want to tape the handle just like you would a normal bat. Then find some plastic golf balls and pitch them to the hitter. This is an excellent drill for hand-eye coordination.
•Live batting practice. Live pitches to the batter is a great finishing drill during practice. If at all possible, make sure the pitcher stands behind a protective "L" screen. Each player should get at least 20-25 hittable pitches. If you're taking batting practice alone with just you and your dad, coach or friend then 50 hittable pitches is better. Either way, divide up the pitches and hit some to the opposite field, up the middle and to your pull side as well. Don't forget to lay down a few bunts too.

Drills during practice are essential to improving young players. If time is an issue, try separating the players into groups that move from station to station. Practicing such drills and knowing the basic youth baseball hitting tips will ensure that your team will be the best it can be.

Jeffery A Wise invites you to learn the proven system of youth baseball hitting tips so that you can learn how to hit a baseball better. Start learning today at http://www.baseballhittingtipsonline.com by reading our information, watching our videos and participating in our blog.

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

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Defensive Drills For Coaching Youth Baseball Middle Infielders

Defensive Drills For Coaching Youth Baseball Middle Infielders
By guest author: Nick Dixon


Drill - DIRT LINES "Ground Ball Drill" Great Drill For Teaching Ground Ball Fundamentals.

This drill is used to teach young players to get their hands and glove out front when fielding a grounder. The young player often gets in the habit of catching grounders close to his or her feet or slightly in front of the toes. As coaches, we want infielders to extend their arms and get the glove out in front so that they can see the ball into it. The player should "lay" the glove on the ground out in front of his body. Each players distance will vary. However, a good rule of thumb is to try and extend the length from the players arm or from the tip of the fingers to the armpit. Another good measuring scale is they should be able to extend the length of the bat they use. This distance is measured on the ground from the back of his heel outward. For this drill we pair two players. The players will roll grounders to each other from about 6 to 8 feet. The coach draws two lines in the dirt about 8 feet apart. The players must catch the ball out in front of this line. The coach will then draw a second line for each player. This is the "feet" line. The feet must stay behind this line. The players roll the ball and catch it while making sure to:


•Get extension by getting the glove out in front.
•Keep the elbows off the ribs
•Funnel the ball in using the top "bare" hand.
•Work their feet as they bring the ball up to the correct "T" throwing position.
•Roll the ball back to your partner
•Repeat the process.
•Players should catch and roll 50 to 100 ground balls each practice.
•The distance can be changed to accommodate the speed of the ground ball work.

Drill - Make Believe Infield Drill Great warm-up for certain situations The teams takes perfect infield by allowing every player to make a perfect catch and throw. The way this drill is conducted is the coach does not use a ball. He hits a "make-believe" ball. Each time the player goes through the correct motion of fielding the ball and making a perfect play. Each time the player receiving the throw will pat his glove to simulate a catch. Emphasis is placed on talking, following through, and making everything look perfect. No one will mess up or make a bad mistake. I have used this drill many, many times in practice and before games. It is especially good with young kids to emphasis correct body mechanics. It is also useful if you get to a field for a game and the playing surface is too wet or rough to take a "good" round of infield. Sometimes it is better not to use a real ball in warm-up if there is a risk of the ball taking a terrible bounce. Bad infield and warm-up may bring down "team esteem". I've never had a team take "make believe" infield that was anything less than great! It's always perfect!

Drill - Ground Ball Pair Work Drill for Infielders This drill is actually a method of taking a lot of ground balls with out having your players make any throw. The drill requires 36 baseballs, two buckets and a fungo bat. The coach will be hitting ground balls to at least 3 players. 5 or 6 players can be worked at a time using this drill. The coach will place the two buckets about 45 feet apart. All of the balls are in one of the buckets. This is the bucket that the coach will get his balls from. The players are lined up single file with one behind another, on the end with the empty bucket. The coach hits grounders. The players field each ground ball and get in proper throwing position. They then sprint to the empty bucket, drop the ball in and get in the back of the line. There is no throwing of balls during this drill. When all balls have been hit, fielded and dropped in the bucket, the coach and players swap ends and the drill starts over.

Drill: Cut-off Relays Great drill for building skills, speed, accuracy and confidence This drill is a great skill builder. There will be at least 5 players on a team. They line up about 30 feet apart and stretch about 120 feet across the field. You will have two teams or "lines" competing against each other. Make sure to have you catcher, first baseman, and third baseman on one end. Have an outfielder on the opposite end. Your middle infielder should be in the middle. The drill will start for both lines at the same time. The first team to take the ball to the other end and get it back is the winner. The ball must be caught and thrown by each player in the line. Teams may not skip a man. The catchers should practice catching and tagging a runner. The middle infielders should be taught to properly "round" the ball, make a proper relay catch and quick throw. We often do this drill and the losing team must do 5 or 10 pushups or squat thrust.

Catcher-------------x--------------------x------------------x--------------------Outfielder

The distance between players should be matched to the age of the players working. You may also have the outfielder let the ball go and hit the fence, before he goes retrieves it and makes his throw to the cutoff man. You may also want to make this a "total team" drill with the whole team having to catch and throw the ball to cover a long distance. If you have the room to do this, it is great to have the team work together to beat the clock. They must beat a set time or they "pay". You may also want to have the "line" make more than one trip down and back. It is great to make each "line" take the ball to the other end three times.

Visit the Baseball Coaching Digest Blog for daily post and articles on every aspect of coaching baseball. The Baseball Coaching Digest Blog. Check out the Bat Action Hitting Machine baseball pitching simulator. This high speed training machine is 100% Guaranteed to raise Batting Averages and has a full year warranty.

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

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Joe Mauer Quick Swing Baseball Trainer : Baseball Express

Joe Mauer Quick Swing Baseball Trainer : Baseball Express \
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Develop SHORT, QUICK, COMPACT swings!
Endorsed by 2006 AL batting champion Joe Mauer, the QuickSwing uses a unique delayed gravity-drop design to help batters develop greater bat speed, hand-eye coordination, reflexes, and muscle memory. Now, load your baseballs or softballs and let the new automatic feeder release the ball in 5 second intervals. Can be used alone or with a partner, and is designed for both baseball and softball batting practice. Includes the new clear, see-through end that allows the hitter a split second more time to work on his/her trigger or load before the ball drops down. This portable and durable product also comes with an instructional DVD, with Mauer highlighting the QuickSwing'3-step hitting process, Molitor providing hitting fundamentals, and former USA Olympic coach Mark "Lunch" McKenzie sharing his hitting philosophy. Most appropriate for ages 8 and up.

Available at BaseballExpress.com!

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Youth Baseball Hitting Tips - Drills

Youth Baseball Hitting Tips - Drills
By guest author: Jeffery A Wise

It's important that youth first learn the basic fundamentals when they begin their baseball playing careers. In a previous article we touched on a lot of these basics, including keeping your head down and eyes on the ball, how to stand in the batter's box and how to have a smooth, consistent swing. We also talked about the importance of hustling and having fun.

In order to learn the sport and become better players, youth should not just know these fundamentals; they also need to practice them in drills. Here is a list of drills that can be used for most age groups during practice.


•Hitting off a tee. This basic but essential hitting drill is used by all age groups. Even Major League Baseball players hit off a tee. Besides using a tee and a ball, you will need protective netting or a solid chain link fence to hit the ball into. Practice hitting off of a tee as often as you like but for each session strive to hit at least 25 balls. Advanced players can move the tee around to mimic different locations of the pitch. This helps for practicing hitting the ball to the opposite field, up the middle or your pull side.
•Soft toss. This fun drill was a favorite of mine during my 14 years of baseball. Again, you will either need protective netting or a solid chain link fence. It's better to hit into the protective netting because no balls will bounce back. Have someone kneel in the front and side of the hitter. He will underhand toss the balls to the hitter who will then hit the balls into the netting. The ball can be tossed to the hitter at different locations to make him adjust, wait for the ball and hit it to the appropriate area of the netting. This is a safe drill but if another player is doing the tossing make sure he wears a batting helmet for safety.
•Modified broomstick hitting drill. This is also fun because it takes you back to when you simulated games in the backyard with a brother or friend and drilled wiffle balls over the fence. Those were fun times! Find a wooden broomstick and saw it, making it the same length as the bat you use in games. You might want to tape the handle just like you would a normal bat. Then find some plastic golf balls and pitch them to the hitter. This is an excellent drill for hand-eye coordination.
•Live batting practice. Live pitches to the batter is a great finishing drill during practice. If at all possible, make sure the pitcher stands behind a protective "L" screen. Each player should get at least 20-25 hittable pitches. If you're taking batting practice alone with just you and your dad, coach or friend then 50 hittable pitches is better. Either way, divide up the pitches and hit some to the opposite field, up the middle and to your pull side as well. Don't forget to lay down a few bunts too.

Drills during practice are essential to improving young players. If time is an issue, try separating the players into groups that move from station to station. Practicing such drills and knowing the basic youth baseball hitting tips will ensure that your team will be the best it can be.

Jeffery A Wise invites you to learn the proven system of youth baseball hitting tips so that you can learn how to hit a baseball better. Start learning today at http://www.baseballhittingtipsonline.com by reading our information, watching our videos and participating in our blog.

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

=======================
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SoftballrUs.com/FastpitchSoftballSupply.com is the ultimate online fastpitch softball online store. SoftballrUs.com has Batting Trainers,Pitching Training, Training Bats,Defensive Training Equipment,Coaching DVDs & Books, Softball Pitching Machines, Softball Complete Net & Frame Batting Cage Packages, Batting Cage Nets, Protective Practice Screens and Nets, and BatAction Hitting Machines, and much, much more. Visit Softballrus.com now!

Baseball Hitting Drill: The Stance

Baseball Hitting Drill: The Stance
Uploaded by jrice81 http://www.Kudda.com presents thousands of free youth sports coaching videos. In this baseball drill, Coach Robertson demonstrates the proper stance.

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Fastpitch Quickswing PX4

Fastpitch Quickswing PX4
Uploaded by SKLZvidz

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The SKLZ Quickswing PX4 is a great training tool for softball and fastpitch players alike. This tool allows users to practice batting, soft toss, tee style hitting and turnaround double plays.

Get your own at http://sklz.com/

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SoftballrUs.com/FastpitchSoftballSupply.com is the ultimate online fastpitch softball online store. SoftballrUs.com has Batting Trainers,Pitching Training, Training Bats,Defensive Training Equipment,Coaching DVDs & Books, Softball Pitching Machines, Softball Complete Net & Frame Batting Cage Packages, Batting Cage Nets, Protective Practice Screens and Nets, and BatAction Hitting Machines, and much, much more. Visit Softballrus.com now!

Sports Training Aids - How to Select

Sports Training Aids - How to Select
By guest author: Charles E Norman


Confused by the myriad of sports training aides on the market? You're not alone. In this article we will discuss the various options available and give you some tips that will help you select the training aid that will be the most effective for you.

Definea Goal

There are two goals most people are trying to accomplishwhen they are looking at purchasing a sports training aid. Either they want to solve or correct a specific problem, or they want to get more efficient practice sessions. Fortunately many of today's training aids address both goals, but the emphasis is usually geared to one or the other so you'll need to determinewhich goal is most important to you to make the best choice.

Technical is King

There are more training aides for technical sports than for physical sports. Aren't all sports technical and physical you may ask. In a sense it's true almostevery sport requires some degree of technical and physical ability, but for the sake of this article let's define a technical sport as one that requires mastery of uncommon body movements to become proficient.

Examples of Technical Sports


Golf
Baseball
Softball
Cricket

Examples of Physical Sports


Basketball
Football
Rugby
Track Field

What You Should Look for in a Sports Training Aid.

There are some obvious things to look for in choosing a piece of sports equipment such as ability to correct your deficiencies or improve practice time, and quality of materials and workmanship. But here are a few extra qualities you may want to be on the lookout for.


Ease of use and benefit readily understood by expert and novice.
Portability, so item can be used as a warm-up device prior to competition.
Eliminates time wasters such a chasing or retrieving balls or other equipment.
Can be used indoors. Especially useful for apartment dwellers or those who live in regions with frequent bad weather.

While many of the large sporting goods manufacturers offer sports training aids, if you were to shop your local sporting goods retailer you'll likely find most are geared to either golf, baseball or softball. There is a finite amount for shelf space for products in the brick & mortar world, but the Internet has no such restrictions.

On the internet you'll find unique training aide solutions to just about any problem you may have. Many of the inventors of these products are former professional coaches who designed products to help their players and have decided to make these products available to everyone after they have retired. They don't have the marketing budget or know-how to promote these wonderful products but a little digging on your part should result in your finding some real gems.

Here is a great place to start on your quest for the best in hard to find sports training aids. If you are seeking a trainer to help you get your game in shape, use the free trainer locator on the Professor Q's Sports website.

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




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