Tips on How to Avoid Your Fear of Being Hit by a Pitch

Filed under Hitting by on June 13, 2011 at 10:35 {no comments}

For some young players one of the largest troubles to overcome in baseball is the fear of being hit by a pitch while hitting. This fear is the reason for various technical flaws while batting, the biggest being “stepping in the bucket” where you step away from the plate as you swing. It is pretty much impossible to be a good hitter when you’re scared of the ball. As former Red Sox player Carl Yastrzemski said, “If you’re afraid of being hit, you might as well not bother going up to the plate at all. You can’t hit the ball if you’re afraid it will hit you.” While this is usually a big fear to conquer, with some persistence it is definitely possible.

The first thing you ought to do for you to cure your fear of being hit by a pitch should be to know why you’re afraid of it. You’re likely afraid of being hit by a pitch because you don’t want to be wounded or in pain. Well, if you find out how to avoid being injured if a pitch is coming at you, you’ll likely be less frightened of the baseball hitting you. If you’re going to get hit with a pitch, the best possible spot to get hit is on the back or side of your body. So instead of stepping out and exposing the front of your body you want to turn towards the backstop in a clockwise direction (if you happen to be right handed) so your back is what gets hit. If you get hit in the back or side you won’t be in as much pain as you would be if you got hit somewhere else.

Now that you fully understand what to do if the pitch is coming towards you, you need to repair your confidence in realizing that if the baseball does hit you, it’s not going to hurt a great deal given that it will hit your back or side. A terrific drill to perform will be to have someone kneel ten feet from the hitter and throw rolled up socks for the hitter to swing at (only if they’re strikes). Occasionally throw a balled up sock at the hitter and have him turn away from the pitch the correct way rather than step away from the pitch. When the batter has got the hang of it using socks, progress to tennis balls, and after that soft tee-balls.

When the player feels safe knowing it does not hurt much if the baseball hits his back or side and he isn’t stepping in the bucket even with soft tee-balls, start using regular baseballs. Pitch some batting practice as you would normally, but throw one or two pitches at him. If he uses the correct approach to turning away from the pitch, he’ll quickly realize that it does not really hurt much to get hit in the back or side even with a typical baseball. His overall confidence while at bat will improve and he’ll be able to hit the ball better than ever as he will be striding towards the pitch rather than away from it.

It’s really depressing that a lot of young baseball players with a lot of potential never flourish and sometimes stop playing all because they are afraid of being hit by a pitch. All of us have fears and it’s necessary, regardless of whether we’re referring to baseball or life in general, to conquer those fears. By working hard and digging deep, it will be possible to get over this fear with no issues and get back to your baseball workouts and doing your best at the game.

Additionally, if you are interested in improving your baseball skills, check out the website “best baseball workouts” to find more useful info as well as baseball workouts and training programs for sale that will take your baseball skills to the next level!

Cliff Lee – Baseball Training Profile

Filed under Hitting by on June 5, 2011 at 10:58 {no comments}

This season, the Phillies are the talk of the baseball world whether or not you like them. And the reason for much of the talking is the Philadelphia Phillies starting rotation. Extraordinary is an understatement. The Philadelphia Phillies basically now have 4 aces on the staff with Cole Hamels, Roy Oswalt, Cliff Lee, and Roy Halladay starting four out of every five games. Right now, I want to talk about Cliff Lee, not merely because he is part of this dream rotation, but due to his good work ethic, and his good outlook towards baseball workouts and training.

Born in Arkansas, Cliff has always been a superb baseball player and loved sports. As he became older, his enthusiasm for baseball grew stronger. He was known for appearing quite passionate and often cocky on the baseball field. This cockiness helped him on the mound nonetheless it also had its negatives. After a loss, Cliff was not somebody you would like to be around. He took just about every loss personally. His family, friends, and teammates sometimes became the victims of his frustration.

Today, Cliff has learned to control his emotions better,but you can unquestionably tell his passion for baseball as well as his no BS attitude. The great thing about Cliff is the fact that he uses that mindset to shape his pitching drills, hitting drills, and total baseball workouts routine.

Cliff Lee determined a baseball training program he liked around 9 years ago and has kept with it since then. “I keep it simple,” Lee explained in an interview with Philly News. “The simpler the easier for me.” Anytime a trainer or coach wants Cliff to perform new pitching drills or hitting drills he always asks “why?” If there is not a valid answer as to how this new drill will substantially improve his game, he will not do it. It’s not that he is being stuck up…he is merely being sensible and not wasting his valuable time.

Not only is Cliff Lee passionate about the sport of baseball, but he is also passionate about serving his local community and giving back to those who have assisted his family. A year ago, Cliff and his wife Kristen donated one million dollars to the Arkansas Children’s Hospital in honor of their son Jaxon who was treated for cancer there when he was an infant. Cliff Lee is a good role model for young players and his no-nonsense approach towards baseball workouts is one I highly recommend to all serious players.

Are you interested in improving your game and being the best baseball player you can be? If you are, visit www.BestBaseballWorkouts.com to find more useful information in addition to pitching drills and hitting drills that will take your game to the next level!

4 Techniques to Improve Your Baserunning Speed

Filed under Baserunning by on May 10, 2011 at 13:44 {no comments}

Anyone who says that you can’t better your baserunning speed is without a doubt incorrect! Although each individual person has a maximum potential speed, hardly anybody actually gets to that. There is lots of room to improve, and it is crucial to do just that! Speed is a highly important component scouts look for while observing players. Of course, you can find exceptions to the rule, yet normally you need to have at the very least average speed to get a chance at reaching the major leagues. Do not fret if you’ve got below average speed though, as you can find a lot of ways to improve.

1. Proper Mechanics: This is the most important aspect to increasing your baseball “speed.” The greatest thing about this is that you don’t actually have to run quicker! You simply have to find out the way to run properly. Proper body angle while running, raising the leg high enough for the perfect stride, as well as swinging the arms high enough with the correct angle at the elbow joint are all factors you should work on when fixing your running technique. It would take much to long to show you how to do each one of these things in just one paragraph, however you can find an abundance of educational books and DVDs readily available which are specifically devoted to proper running technique.

2. Reaction Time: Reaction time is the length of time between the cue to run and when you actually start running. A baseball example of reaction time is the amount of time it takes you to be able to react when the ball is hit, or a baserunner taking off on a pitcher’s first movement. The best way to increase reaction time would be to simply practice getting balls hit to you in different places and then reacting to them and fielding them. There are also reaction balls out on the marketplace which will bounce in random directions and you have to react in time to field it. You do not have to have fantastic reaction time to succeed in baseball, but if you don’t you at least have to make up for it by outstanding positioning. For instance if you are a shortstop and you know what kind of pitch the pitcher is going to throw, you want to get yourself in a great position where the ball will likely be hit before the batter even strikes the ball!

3. Baserunning Skill: You may be capable of running fast, but how fast are you able to run the bases? Do you hit the inside corner of the bag as you round a base? If you don’t, you will end up making yourself take a longer loop towards the next base potentially increasing the distance you will have to run from around 90 feet to 100 feet or even more! Basic errors like this can be enough to make the difference between being safe or being out. Additionally being a smart baserunner can make a big difference! A smart baserunner can very easily turn a single into an extra base hit simply because he knows if each outfielder’s arm is strong, poor, or average.

4. Fitness: Most likely there is some area for improvement in your overall fitness level. By exercising on a regular basis and concentrating some of your baseball workouts on cardiovascular exercises like running on the treadmill or riding a stationary bike, your speed will improve in time.

Are you interested in improving your base-running speed or any other aspect of your game? If so, make sure to check out the website “best baseball workouts” for much more information as well as tons of great products to take your game to the next level! With this information, your baseball workouts will be much more effective than ever!

How One Can Become a 5 Tool Baseball Player

Filed under Hitting by on April 16, 2011 at 17:33 {no comments}

The 5 tool player is a person who will have excellent running ability, will hit for average, hit for power, a exceptional throwing arm, and is going to be really good defensively. Chase Utley, David Wright, Carl Crawford, Evan Longoria, along with Josh Hamilton unquestionably are recent good examples of people that experts claim are proficient or exceed at all 5 tools. Today I want to visit all of these one by one.

Running Speed – This valuable tool is just about the most challenging to successfully start to improve in. It is going to be practical to have a person to boost his speed, but his maximum is going to be dependent on the actual person himself. Speed is definitely really vital due to the fact that speed and agility will be applied not simply in base running but in defense too. In addition to starting to become more physically fit, for you to increase your speed make sure you improve your form, efficiency of motion, and also first-step quickness.

Arm Strength – Although, some individuals often tell you that arm strength is the least valuable of the five tools, a person with an above average arm not only has got a physical advantage compared to many other players, but additionally a mental one. To illustrate, if a baserunner sees that an outfielder has an spectacular arm, they’ll be less likely to try and take an extra base than they might have with an outfielder with only an average arm. The outfielder did not even need to make a throw, nevertheless he won the battle. To improve in arm strength you really should work on weight training (if you happen to be physically mature enough) and actively playing “long-toss.”

Hitting for Average – Hitting for average calls for the ability to successfully hit to all fields as well as recognize when you should bunt. Being able to make contact often is a must. Hitting for average calls for good decision-making abilities and excellent pitch selection at the plate. Hitting for average is probably one of the most crucial tools considering that in order to score runs you have to have baserunners, and in order to have baserunners you need to get hits (or perhaps have especially great pitch selection and receive walks.)

Hitting for Power – This is certainly the most envied tool of young players, although not necessarily the most crucial. The most clear benefit of power hitters are extra base hits in addition to home runs. Power hitters also add a mental advantage of intimidation. Power hitters are generally the most popular players on a team simply because similar to fans, scouts love seeing a player hit the long ball. To improve your power, a strength and conditioning system is a must.

Fielding – Outstanding defensive skills are undoubtedly becoming more and more in demand because today’s players are generally focusing more on hitting for power. Superb defensive players understand the best way to position themselves against particular hitters, and be capable of applying a combination of their “soft” hands, agility, speed, as well as arm strength to make tough plays seem basic. In order to make improvements to your fielding, increasing your speed and arm strength is vital, as is getting out on the field day after day to take ground balls and fly balls. It is a huge bonus if you’re able to play a number of positions.

As you can probably tell, 5 tool players are extremely scarce. Sometimes, being very good at a certain tool can possibly lower your value in a different one. One example is, if you are a big power hitter, you may be big and powerful, but it is likely that your speed might be lacking. Or, you might be really small and a extraordinary defensive player with great speed, but can’t hit for power consistently. This is okay, and it is important to know yourself and your abilities and better yourself in areas that you are lacking as well as perfect your strengths. You can certainly still be a very good player without being a five tool player, however it certainly helps to work on all of these tools when picking your workouts.

Whether or not you are a five tool player yet, you will most likely want to look at www.BestBaseballWorkouts.com for more baseball training information as well as the best baseball workouts and products for sale!

Baseball Batting Coaching Strategies: How to Affix with Your Players

Filed under Hitting by on February 14, 2011 at 19:18 {no comments}

There is a major disconnect in today’s baseball world between coaches and players. Players are becoming increasingly more independent, and coaches have become increasingly more knowledgeable with all the information available at the click of a mouse. As a result, it has become increasingly more difficult to establish yourself as a well-qualified batting coach because you must be able to fully explain the madness behind you batting training methods. The old of age of do this and do that has flown out the window as players are looking for a deeper understanding of exactly what is trying to be accomplished. This is precisely why I want to share 7 overlooked coaching techniques that will make you a more knowledgeable coach, and a better communicator.

The first baseball batting coaching strategy is a bit counter-intuitive. If you have ever conducted a private lesson, you know that most of the time is spent giving the player advice and fixing his mechanical mistakes. This is precisely why I want you ask more questions. Players will agree with you by shaking their head and acknowledging that they are listening, but the real question is do they understand what you are saying? Experience has taught me that they don’t. Ask players questions to get a feel for what doesn’t make sense, do you have a different theory, what do you think your struggling with? The more you know about your player, the more you understand his learning style and the way he approaches hitting. More information allows you to more effectively design baseball batting solutions to his baseball batting problems.

The second baseball batting coaching strategy revolves around emotion and temper. Player emotions will always run high; it is in their nature. Performance feels very personal and when you fail it can be very embarrassing and self-deflating. This is exactly why your relaxed confident nature must never change. If you get frustrated and raise your tone you are only going to add pressure to the situation and fuel the fire. One of the main responsibilities of a batting coach is to ease player tension and get them back to a relaxed state so they can perform at a high level. Keep in mind that your frustration is a result of your lack of ability to help your player make the batting adjustments necessary. If you remain relaxed and positive, so will he.

#3: Change what you say. I was once told that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. If this is your fifth baseball batting training session and your player is still struggling to understand what you are teaching, change the words that come out of your mouth. It’s ridiculous to think that repeating yourself over and over again is eventually going to work. If you truly believe that, tape record yourself and play it back every time you meet because it will save you the trouble of talking! Be creative in your approach and find what connects with your player. Every player learns differently. If you find the sayings that connect with him, then you find the key to creating a better swing.

#4: Follow the Thomas Edison approach. For those of you out there who aren’t familiar with Sir Thomas, he invented the light bulb and also delivered one of the best quotes I have ever heard in my life “I have not failed. I have just found 10,000 ways that will not work”. Failure is a part of hitting a baseball. In fact, the best only hit a little over .300. Every swing brings a new learning experience and one step closer to getting it right. Have three or four big takeaways from every swing to learn from. What do you need to correct? What did you do right so you can repeat it? Hitting is not complicated, but players are. Make it simple and learn to watch your hitters flourish.

#5: You are in a suburb, not a city. Communication is a two way street, not a one-way road. Communication is not talking at your player and getting him to agree with you. Communication is allowing your player to freely form his own opinions and share them with you! I am sure he has feedback on how you could become a better coach! What’s the matter, don’t like what he has to say? Baseball Coaches are always at the front of the line in arrogance. If you want to be a better baseball batting instructor, ask your player what you could be doing better to connect with him. If he says nothing or that you are doing a great job, he is lying. Find out what he doesn’t like about how things are going and you will establish much stronger bond of trust.

#6: Critics are for Critics, not for the batting cage. The only person who likes a critic is another critic. Praise your player for even the smallest accomplishment and always focus on the positive. It is proven that people respond and work harder when they are showered with praise because it gives them the confidence to achieve more. On the contrary, if you start pointing out flaws and throw words around like don’t, you might as well pack your bags and head home. Give your players a reason to look forward to their next swing, not run away and be scared of what comes next.

#7: Laugh more and laugh loud. Baseball is an awesome sport to play. In fact I first started playing because it was fun. I don’t know who brought the serious guy, but he can stay home with the critics. There are too many funny things that happen on a baseball field not to laugh. If you want to be hated as a coach, strip laughter out practice and games. Laughter means relaxation, and relaxation means a better performance. Work hard, get better, but do it while laughing.

These 7 baseball batting coaching strategies will take you a long way on the baseball field. It will not only help you bridge the gap of communication, but it will build the player-coach bond. When you establish a deeper connection with your player, you establish yourself as a well-qualified instructor that your player can rely on for advice. Not only is this bond crucial to your success as a coach, but it is crucial to the success of your players. Begin using these strategies in your next practice today!

Get more effective batting lessons from our blog! When you want to improve your baseball batting skills, you can get the complete information you need today!

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