Coaching Baseball: How To Hit To The Opposite Field

By Jay P. Granat, Ph.D.

Hitting to the opposite field is a real and a very valuable skill for baseball players at every level.
Over the years, there have been some players who were quite proficient at hitting to the opposite field.

The great ones include: Derek Jeter, Tony Gwynn, George Brett, Wade Boggs, Tony Oliva and Rod Carew.

Don Mueller, who played in the forties and fifties and who recently died, was known as Mandrake The Magician because of his ability to generate hits to any part of the field.

So what does it really take to hit the ball to the opposite field?

Mark Gola, the author of eight books on hitting and the former hitting coach at Princeton University and Rider College and the current Direct Of Athletic Communications at The College of New Jersey, described five keys to hitting to the opposite field.

1) Commit to it

Most young, talented hitters like to turn on or drive balls to the pull-side. It's where the hardest and longest balls are hit. But the pitch dictates where the ball is hit (with the exception of situational hitting). To hit the ball with authority to the opposite field, a hitter must commit to hitting ball that is located middle-away to the opposite field. 'Wanting' to pull the ball inhibits the hitters' ability to drive the ball the other way.

2) Let the ball get deep

To hit the ball to the opposite field, the hitter must let the ball get deep in the hitting zone. "Let the ball travel" is another commonly used phrase. This allows the batter to hit the ball with strength, maintain balance throughout the swing, and keep the hands in a palm-up, palm-down position at contact. When a hitter recognizes a pitch is away, he can think opposite field all he wants, but if his timing is too early, he will reach extension prematurely. Either the top hand will 'roll' prior to contact and hit a 'rollover groundball' or when he reaches the barrel will dip and pop the ball up weakly to the opposite field. To hit the ball the other way, you have to let it get deep.

3) Minimize hip rotation

A hitter needs to 'quiet' his hips when hitting the ball to the opposite field. They should not fully rotate. To turn on or pull a ball effectively, a hitter must fully rotate his hips. On a pitch over the outer half of the plate, the hips do not turn as much. This enables the hitter to keep the force of his swing on the ball and keep his head down. If the hips fully rotate, the force of the swing will begin to pull away from the ball and take the head with it.

4) Keep the top hand strong

The hitter must keep the top hand strong and keep the barrel of the bat above, and then at the middle of the baseball. Because outside strikes are farther away from the hitter, the tendency is for the top hand to 'lay off' a bit and the barrel slides beneath the middle of the ball. This often garners the description of the hitter "dragging his barrel". The top hand needs to stay strong to deliver the barrel of the bat to the middle of the ball with authority.

5) Finish the swing

A hitter needs to finish his swing when driving the ball to the opposite field. This allows the hitter to maintain bat speed to and through the ball. A mistake hitters make is that they resign themselves to a modified or less aggressive swing when hitting the ball to the opposite field. Yes, there is less time to generate bat speed from the load position to contact since the ball is traveling deeper in the hitting zone. But the objective is to "drive" the ball, not "serve it" the other way. Finishing the swing enables the hitter to maintain bat speed.

Claudio Reilsono, the head baseball coach at Carnegie Mellon, noted that most coaches would say to hit the " inside of the baseball" which I think is a good idea. This mental approach will enable you to bring your hands out in front of your body a bit more and the angle of the bat will be such that you will hit the inner half of the ball and drive it the other way."
"I also think that moving up in the box a little is quite helpful in learning to hit to the opposite field," says Reilsono.

Learning to hit to the opposite field can also help some hitters to break out of a hitting slump. It can also help players to feel more versatile at the plate.
 

Jay P. Granat, Ph.D., Psychotherapist, Author, Columnist And Founder of http://www.StayInTheZone.com.

 Dr. Granat has developed peak performance programs for top athletes from every sport from around the world. He has appeared in many major media outlets including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Good Morning America, USA Today, ESPN,The Chicago Tribune, The CBC and The BBC. Golf Digest named him one of America's Top Mental Gurus. For more tips on hitting get 101 Ways To Break A Hitting Slump. He recently produced a new video called How To Avoid Choking, Get Mentally Tough And Stay In The Zone. These programs are available at http://www.stayinthezone.com. Dr. Granat is available for counseling and for seminars and can be reached at 888 580-ZONE or at info@stayinthezone.com.
 

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6 Bad Habits That Affect Baseball and Softball Hitters

By Mike Huber

One of the most common complaints from players is the lack of power behind the plate. No matter what philosophy of hitting you believe in, none of them will help you reach your greatest potential if these top 6 bad habits are not stopped in their tracks. This is true for baseball and girls' softball. If you have any of these bad habits, ridding yourself of them will automatically increase power and bat speed.

Smushing the Bug

If you were taught to smush the bug, you have dug yourself into a hole. Smushing the Bug involves a small muscle movement that reduces power and bat speed. Some hitters are taught to twist or turn their back foot to create more bat speed and power in the swing. Nothing can be farther than the truth. Additionally, it is nearly impossible for you to hit middle or outside pitches with the sweet spot of the bat if you have a spinning back foot problem. A sure pop out! This is the most major of these six diseases because it also throws off your balance. This bad habit needs to be fixed right away, but it's not easy.

Correction: Try swinging the bat while your back foot is planted flat on the ground. See if you can swing without moving your back heel off the ground. Also, it may be helpful to work on hitting outside pitches off of the tee. This will help you hit from your heels and keep that foot from spinning too soon.

Bat Wrapper

This common bad habit affects batters who were trained in the "back elbow up" theory. If your back elbow goes up when getting your weight back, the bat will start to wrap around your head and throw off the timing of the swing, ultimately adversely effecting power and bat speed.

Correction: In your stance, bring the elbow down right away. If this doesn't work and your elbow keeps popping up, lay the bat back in your top hand when you move your hands and weight back. This should help prevent the bat from wrapping around your head. You should iron this out by practicing this correction technique until you're confident that the habit is broken. This disease is most likely going to keep coming back, so monitor it and drill it out of your system!
Back leg collapse

This disease is pretty serious and must be addressed. When that back leg collapses, you lose all of the power in your big muscles, and your eyes and head do too much bobbing. This type of batter pops out a lot!

Correction: Stay as tall as possible in your stance and when swinging the bat for power.
If that doesn't work, do some swinging drills where you swing off your back leg only. If it collapses, you'll fall down swinging. Remember, stay tall and hit the ball!

Head Diver

This player was led to believe that if he dives his head near the contact zone, he'll see the ball better. This action causes your eyes to move off the ball path and throws you off balance. It also locks up the large muscles and prevents power and bat speed production.

Correction: Concentrate on thrusting your back muscles. If you're a head diver, you're trying too hard to hit the ball with your eyes instead of letting your body bring your hands to the ball. "Crack your back" and keep your head behind the ball. It is nearly impossible to have any kind of power or bat speed when you are off balance. Once you contact the ball, remember that it's OK to let your head come off of the ball for a complete follow-through!

Bent Lead Arm

If hitters' are swinging slightly up and popping up often, you can look to see if their lead arm is bending too much at the start of their swing. This problem is rare, but easy to fix.

Correction: All you need to do is concentrate on keeping the lead arm straighter when starting your swing. Most advanced or experienced hitters will not have this problem, but it's something to be aware of. Remember; only make adjustments when the ball is not flying like it should in batting practice. If you're hitting rockets and your lead arm bends a little, then who cares? In the swing, the lead arm will usually straighten at first and then possibly bend at contact depending on pitch location (Especially the low pitch).

Twister

The hitter who twists his upper torso while getting his weight back before he swings will have problems hitting the ball. There is way too much eye movement and upper body movement when the hitter has this problem. This throws your timing and swing path out of synch.

Correction: This is a rare disease that can be cured by religiously practicing getting your weight back without turning your shoulders. Your hands should move straight back without the shoulder turning much. It makes a big difference!
 

There are 25 bad habits that inflict baseball and softball players when they are up to bat. Most of these bad habits are old swing techniques that were actually taught to them by coaches, parents or other players on the team. You can learn how to quickly spot the 25 bad habits and how to correct them by visiting http://hubiemagicblog.com When you visit the site, you can also read about the discovery and development of the first perfect swing that works for both baseball and softball.

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4 Qualities of Great Hitters

ByMike Huber

Great hitters are far and few between in baseball as well as in softball.

The reason for this is that hitting is one of the most challenging skills in sports to master. If you have played ball long enough, you know that there was maybe one or two hitters on all the teams you have ever played on or against, that can really hit.

The definition of a great hitter is someone who can hit for high average and for power while putting up good slugging numbers at the same time. There are a lot of hitters that do well at one or the other, but the great ones can do both, simultaneously.

For travel ball players, hitting near .500 and slugging over .500 is superior. High School hitters who hit over .400 and can slug over .500 are hitters that would fall in this category, and professional hitters who can hit over .320 and slug over .500 are top level hitters also. Hitters who can put up these types of numbers consistently at each of the levels have the qualities of a great hitter. Great hitters such as Ted Williams, set the bar for all others who want to become great in baseball or softball. In order to succeed, a hitter must possess 4 qualities.

The truth is that not all the qualities are attainable to most hitters, but most of them can be learned. One of the qualities that cannot be learned is the natural ability that it takes to be successful.

1 Born to Hit

Some people are just born with a naturally correct swing. For these people, swinging a bat is like an instinct. It is the strongest of these qualities that a great hitter can possess. Others watch the great hitter and proclaim that he or she has been blessed by the baseball Gods, born with a bat in hand or is a natural.

2 Strong and Quick

This person is a natural athlete and the ball bounces off their bat differently than it does for average hitters. The good news is, there are programs for players that can help with strength and speed. Improving strength and speed goes a long way to improving instincts and reflexes. Some people possess natural abilities that are not evident until awakened with the help of proper training.

3 Good Swing Mechanics

The bio-mechanics of the swing taught to hitters must be very good in order for a hitter to become great at hitting. Some hitters have flaws in their swings, but have enough desire and ability to overcome them in order to be successful. Many good hitters have become great by working tirelessly on the bio-mechanics of the swing.

Unfortunately, there have been many talented hitters who have had their natural ability stripped away by allowing misinformed coaches to mess with their swing. The great players worry less about their swing than most and this gives them the ability to focus more on results. So when learning the mechanics of the swing, it would behoove a hitter to find the right information. It is the right information that helps give a hitter more power and increases their chances for more hits at the same time. The mechanics must be simple and accurate, allowing the hitter to quickly perfect his or her swing so they can focus on results.

4 Super Confident

A great player typically has a confidence level so high that they rarely get in a slump, or if they do they can get out of a slump, they get out of it quicker than most other hitters. Great batters are totally focused and in the zone most of the time. Their level of mental toughness is so strong that negativity cannot penetrate their thoughts. Great hitters are so used to success that hitting is like breathing; done without thinking.

The key to making a good hitter into a great hitter is building confidence. With the use of confidence building tools, a good hitter will build momentum and the self confidence levels needed to become great. It usually takes a lot of mental work to keep putting positive thoughts in while kicking negative thoughts out. A strong mental game is paramount to getting in a zone. Many good hitters have become great because they realized their weakness was confidence and dedicated the time and effort necessary to overcome it.

On the other hand, many careers have ended because players have lost their confidence and fell so low and experienced too much difficulty that it caused him or her to give up. Sometimes, a lack of confidence results in a career-ending injury.

If you are wondering what it takes to be a great hitter, look deep within yourself and make sure it is what you want. Becoming a great hitter takes hard work and endless dedication. Results will not happen overnight. Starting on the road to achieving your goals now, means you can achieve them. You don't have to have all 4 qualities at the start but working towards these qualities and being aware of the pitfalls will put you in a better position than most.
 

Learn more about the right swing mechanics, building confidence and the qualities of great hitters at http://hubiemagic.com Coach Hubie offers a complete training package that includes his popular confidence training course at http://aboutbaseball.co
 

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The Mental Game Of Baseball - Making The Decision To Hit

By Jim Bain   

What does the Green Beret, an elite trained branch of the United States Special Forces, and members of the World Register of Intellectual Elite, the greatest scientists on earth, have in common? They both strongly proclaim the "mind" is the most powerful tool on earth.

I'm rather lazy and since the smartest and toughest men in the world agree the mind is the ultimate weapon, I see no need to try and reinvent the wheel. So let's take a look at how the most powerful weapon in the world, can be used to help us improve our skills on how to hit a baseball.

The initial issue to address is our belief we can accomplish the task of hitting, our self confidence if you will. This begins with visualization, the ability for the mind to see the actual physical accomplishment of hitting the ball. This may at one time been considered hocus pocus, but it has been scientifically proven visualization of a particular task solidifies two distinct issues....

1. It convinces the mind, body and subconscious that it is totally capable of achieving the desired goal.

2. It initiates muscle memory, which is required to walk the mind and muscle through the sequence of tasks which will result in accomplishment.
Bottom line is we train ourselves to have self-confidence in our talents.
Another, and possibly the second most important mental issue, is approaching the task of hitting as an "Offensive Attack," meaning we have full intention of swinging at every pitch. We know of course, that will not be the case, as a hundred other factors enter into the equation of to swing or not to swing, but it's essential to never go to the batters box hoping for a walk.

There's a coaching philosophy, which I whole heartily agree with, which states "It's easier to stop a swing, than start one." We all have seen major league baseball players attempt to stop their swing, a check swing, where the base umpire calls him out as a swinging strike. This vision, which will be caught on television at least once every game, would tend to render my philosophy as incorrect or at least suspect.

However, how many times a game do you see a batter punched out on a called third strike? There will be the argument the hitter was fooled, or he was looking for a fastball and got a curveball, but the fact remains when you have a 2 strike count, you become a defensive hitter ready to swing at any pitch which may be considered a strike. The hitter wasn't ready to swing, or else he would have, even if it resulted in a feeble attempt.

It's probably impossible to accurately classify how many "called" 3 strikes occur during a game by not being prepare to swing, but giving way to a 50-50 split, there are far more strike outs from not swinging than attempting a check swing.

Visualize you successfully swinging and making solid contact with the ball, then go to the batters box with the intention of swinging at every pitch. Obviously there is much more involved in the mental game of hitting, but this will give you 2 basic starting blocks on which to build.

Jim Bain, former Minor league baseball player, who since retiring has dedicated his life to teaching baseball to youth, shares his advice on baseball coaching baseball drills on his exciting info packed website: http://www.learn-youth-baseball-coaching.com

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How to Overcome Your Fear of Being Hit by a Baseball

By Jim Bain   

I'll never forget the look of frustration on the young coach's face when he approached me at my team practice. Being the type of coach which becomes totally engrossed in the minuteness of every play, every player's action and re-action on the playing field, I'd have normally delayed talking to him until after practice, but he looked desperate.

He introduced himself as a brand new coach of an Atom I team, the first year of hitting live pitching, and was having an issue trying to teach 2 of his players to hit. The issue was they would not stay in the batters box and try to hit, for as soon as the ball was released, they'd Bail Out backwards out of the box, turn their heads towards the backstop or look down at the ground and not even see the ball.
"I've tried everything I know to do," he said "any suggestions?"

I gazed up at the blue sky, as if seeking Divine intervention, rubbed my chin in deep thought, then asked him a question.

"Have you tried the Hit Them With The Pitch Drill?"

"What do you mean," he asked, looking at me as if were an ogre "actually throwing at them?"

"Yea, kinda," I said. Then continued to explain a drill which I had used through the years which had worked 99% of the time, nothing in baseball is 100%.

Obviously, unless there's an undetected underlying problem, the reason kids bail out of the batters box is they're afraid of getting hit by the baseball, which would hurt.

It's ironic, something we regard as a cowardly act, in the reality of basic human survival instinct, is a lot smarter than standing there in harm's way tempting fate. Therefore, we as coaches must approach this problem as a Reconditioning of a normal instinct issue, not a cowardly or timid act. So how do we accomplish this?

Hit Them With The Pitch Drill.

1. Be sure to inform the parents of what you intend to do in order to avoid any problem with an over protective Mother, or Father for that matter.

2. Get a bucket of tennis balls, 12 to 24 in order to not waste time retrieving them, as you will not use a catcher.

3. Make sure the player has his proper safety equipment, helmet, shoes tied, etc. in place. Talk to him, off by himself as to not embarrass him in front of his peers, in a calm voice. Tell him you understand his issue, Not Fear, about being hit with ball, but you're going to show him it doesn't hurt nearly as bad as he thinks.

4. Throw the first couple of tennis balls down the middle of the plate. There's always the slim chance the coach pitching may encourage him to stay in the box, but don't hold your breath.

5. Assuming the player begins bailing out, start throwing the ball behind him, intentionally trying to hit him, which is the main purpose of the drill.

6. Calmly explain, time & time again if necessary, the basics of staying in the box and watching the ball. The point here is to drive home the fact, backing out is Not keeping him from getting hit with the ball, and staying in and keeping an eye on the ball may be the better option.

7. Don't concern yourself with hitting the ball. The intended goal of this drill is to keep the player in the batters box.

This drill will accomplish numerous things:

A. It'll convince the player he must watch the ball, because bailing out and tucking his head was not preventing him from getting hit.

B. Because you're using tennis balls, being hit will not hurt as badly as he may imagine, which helps reduce the fear of being hit. You never want to totally eliminate the fear of the ball, as there will be times to get out of the way.

C. It won't take long to condition the mind and body, staying in and hitting is the normal course of business.

You may.... Probably... will have to perform this drill several times before its completely successful, although I have had kids which were hitting by the end of the drill.

Jim Bain, former Minor league baseball player, who since retiring has dedicated his life to teaching baseball to youth, shares his advice on baseball coaching baseball drills on his exciting info packed website: http://www.learn-youth-baseball-coaching.com

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Develop Proper Hitting Mechanics in the Batting Cage

By James J Lathon

You can improve your hitting by using the batting cage. The advantages are you can work on your timing, and develop good habits. It is important to know when you are getting good quality hits. A quality hit is not only hitting the ball hard but the type of hits you are getting.

The focus should be on hitting line drives and hitting the ball on the ground. With time, these types of hits will translate into higher hitting average, and there is less chance of these balls being caught as opposed to fly balls. Here are some techniques that have helped many hitters and are practiced by many big leaguers.

The strategy on hitting a baseball to help keep you focus and meeting you goal is scoring your batting cage practice. All that is needed is a person to keep tracking of your hitting performance as you are batting in the batting cage.

To accomplish this follow these simple steps:

1. Use the three-point hitting system. This point system awards 3 points for line drives, 2 points for balls hit on the ground or low to the ground, and 1 point for fly balls.

2. Create the three hitting zones. For the hitting cage as well as the practice field, by use of arbitrary markers for each zone. The Zones are to be separated by about 6 yards. The ground ball hitting should have a horizontal zone from the ground to six (6) yards straight up in the air. The line drive hitting zone should be the zone between 6 and 12 yards in the air. Finally the fly ball zone should be the hitting zone between 12 and 18 yards in the air.

3. Using the Arbitrary markers in the batting cage. In the hitting cages, you can use arbitrary markers such as the top of the pitching machine to mark off each section. Regardless of your arbitrary markers, you want to star scoring each session in the batting cage.

4. Record your results after each session. It's important to get in the habit of recording each of your sessions. As you keep this record try to outdo your previous best scores. This will turn batting practice into a game and you will benefit and get more enjoyment out of your practices
.
5. If at the batting cage by yourself, use the memory technique. At times you will be along at the batting cage, in these instances focus on your scoring by seeing how many times you hit 6 in this target zones. Your goal for the next round should be to get at least 7 hits in this area. This type of concentrated thinking will not require you to see how you scored in the other areas, and still get the maximum benefit and encouraging you to hit in these main zones.

Like most everything in life, you get better at things the more times you do them. Hitting a baseball is no different. The best advice for baseball hitting is practice, practice, and I repeat PRACTICE YOUR SWING. This is the strategy that work for the PROS.

James Lathon is the owner of ProHittingCages.com. Visit his website for more baseball tips and to see various batting cages that hitters around the country are using to train with today.

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5 Surefire Ways To Become A Better Hitter

By Justin Willman

In this article, I am going to introduce to you 5 surefire ways to become a better hitter! These methods have been working for years, and you can copy them today, right here and right now!

Alright so the first surefire way to become a better hitter is you need to develop the right mindset for success. If you have ever read the book, The Secret, or have learned about the law of attraction, you understand how powerful your mind actually is. You see, when you just go through the motions in life or baseball, you are pretty much just walking aimlessly. What you need to do is create some goals, stick to them, and use your brain to your advantage!

The next way to become a better hitter is to work hard and work often. I'm sure you have heard the saying, practice makes perfect, but I don't believe this is true. I believe perfect practice makes perfect.

Next, you need to watch the game of baseball! Not many players actually watch the game. I believe if you watch and learn from people who have been successful before, you will be a great hitter!

The fourth surefire way to becoming a better hitter is learning from your mistakes. Video tape your swing and watch it. See what you are doing wrong!

The final way to become a better baseball player and hitter is to constantly work on your swing and strive to make yourself better. Remember, every day you have a choice to get better or worse. Which choice will you make?

I am a former pro baseball player, having helped hundreds of people to easy baseball success. I've recently developed a video training course showing you a step by step process for making your baseball training results come easier and faster. To learn how to become a better hitter without all the fluff, visit, http://www.DynamiteHitting.com.

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How To Become A Baseball Hitting Machine

By Justin Willman

In this article, I am going to tell you exactly how to become a baseball hitting machine. If you are looking for a way to start producing better numbers and start absolutely crushing your competition, then this is the best article for you to read!

The first thing I want to tell you about how to become a baseball hitting machine is to overcome failure fast and easily without letting it affect your game! Lots of times players will strike out or hit a pop fly and come back to the dug out screaming or throwing their bat or glove. This is not necessary and will just lead to more failures.

Instead, you should keep your head up, think about your mistakes for a minute or two, and then move on. If you know what you did wrong but you move on, you will see much greater success very fast.

The next thing you need to do in order to turn yourself into a machine is to get a groove going. Find a swing that fits your style and your body and go with it! Don't try and re-invent the wheel. Look at pro baseball players' swings and see what they are doing. Model your swing after what you see them doing.

The last thing you need to do is produce. I know this kind of sounds like a no brainer, but in order to be a machine, you need to be automatic, right? Focus on the little things, don't get distracted, and you will be on your way to becoming a baseball hitting machine.

I am a former pro baseball player, having helped hundreds of people to easy baseball success. I've recently developed a video training course showing you a step by step process for making your baseball training results come easier and faster. To learn how to become a better hitter without all the fluff, visit, http://www.DynamiteHitting.com

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How to Increase Your Power Hitting

By Jim Bain

Anyone who coaches or hangs around the baseball park long enough will see the player labeled "Potential" but never seems to quite live up to expectations. He's the player no pitcher can seem to strike out, but he can't seem to buy a hit, because although he always seems to make contact, he can't get the ball out of the infield.

This otherwise very good ball player has one of two problems which require addressing in order to improve his hitting power. The first issue is one of faulty hitting mechanics, the player is not opening his hips quick enough or wide enough to generate sufficient power from the bat to the baseball.

A decent batting coach can view two or three swings and tell immediately if the player has a mechanical problem or a strength problem, one part which could be weak legs. The legs generate the power used to swing the hips open and strengthening the legs with squats and lunges will help, increased strength never hurts, in creating explosive hips.

However, the player's mechanics may be fine, and based on his ability to make contact on a consistent basis, indicates they probably are, then there is an upper body strength issue.

A player's wrist, forearms and fingers must be strong or else the power generated from the hips, legs and shoulders is absorbed at these points before the power can be transferred to the ball.

Look at it in this light. You have a 50' water hose hooked to the outside faucet (spigot) which produces enough pressure (100psi) out of the hose nozzle to shoot a stream of water 10' and knock a plastic cup off the table.

However there are three couplings in the 50' length of pipe which leak badly allowing water to stream out. Because of the loss of water to these 3 leaks, the 100 psi pressure from the faucet is reduced to 60 psi out of the nozzle.

There are numerous methods for strengthening the forearms, wrist and fingers, but one drill will increase the strength of all three at one time and improve the batter's swing.

It's a very basic, cave man actually, drill, but extremely effective. You'll need an old car tire which is not mounted on a wheel, a large truck tire or donut tire will not work well for this drill.

Using a rope or chain, hang the tire from an overhead structure or tree limb, where the middle of tire hangs at belt level of the hitter. Using a wooden bat, the hitting assumes his normal batting stance, then swings hitting the tire with the bat.

The intent is to swing through the tire, hitting the tire and moving it out of the way as you finish your follow through. Initially the hitter will not be able to move the tire very much, but as his strength increases the tire will be moved farther, due to the increased energy transfer from the bat to the tire, because the weak body parts are now strong.

Jim Bain - Former Minor league baseball player, who since retiring has dedicated his life to teaching baseball to youth. Visit his exciting info packed website: http://www.Learn-Youth-Baseball-Coaching.com


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7 Tips On How To Become A Better Hitter!

By Justin Willman

In this article, I am going to talk to you about 7 tips on how to become a better hitter. These tips have not only allowed to me to be a great hitter, but they completely transformed my game and how I play baseball. Heck, I even signed a pro contract a few years ago!

Alright, so let's get down to business.

Tip #1. Watch your favorite baseball players and develop your swing after theirs!

Tip #2. Create your own style! Don't try and exactly imitate your favorite player's swing, create your own swing. Watch how good their mechanics are, but remember that all of us have different bodies, so no swing should be the exact same.

Tip #3. Find your mistakes and correct them. You can do this using a video camera, pictures, or even having someone with experience watch you hit.

Tip #4. Practice often. The best time to practice your baseball swing is during the off season when no one else is working! Do all the tips listed above in the off season, so when the regular season comes, you will be ready to rock and roll!

Tip #5. Practice the correct things! I'm sure you have heard the saying, practice makes perfect. I think the saying should be, perfect practice makes perfect.

Tip #6. Work harder than your competition. This tip can tie right into practicing often, but if you work harder in practice than other players, you will perform better.

Tip #7. Have fun! Don't get frustrated when you strike out or make an error!

I am a former pro baseball player, having helped hundreds of people to easy baseball success. I've recently developed a video training course showing you a step by step process for making your baseball training results come easier and faster. To learn how to become a better hitter without all the fluff, visit, http://www.DynamiteHitting.com


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3 Key Components to Creating A Great Baseball Swing!

By Justin Willman

In this article, I am going to tell you my closely guarded hitting secrets that only a tight knit group of coaches and players know. I will show you the 3 key components to creating a great baseball swing!

Alright, so obviously if you are on this page you play baseball. And obviously you are not seeing all the results that you wish to see, right!? Of course that is the case, because if it weren't, you would be a pro already!

So here are a few of my key components to creating a great baseball swing. The first thing you need to do is develop the right mechanics and tools in order to succeed. Try and sit down and watch baseball. Don't just flip through tv channels, actually watch the game and pay attention.

Pay close attention to the small things. Watch how hitters hold the bat. Watch what they do once they are on base. All of these things can make you a better hitter.

The next key component is to actually practice baseball! You can't get better at anything if you don't take the time to practice and make yourself better, so do it!

The last thing that you can do to become a better hitter and baseball player is have fun playing the game. Lots of players take a simple game too seriously. Unless you are playing at the pro level, it is not your job. Sure you want to perform and play well, but it's not your job. Don't treat it like one!

I am a former pro baseball player, having helped hundreds of people to easy baseball success. I've recently developed a video training course showing you a step by step process for making your baseball training results come easier and faster. To learn how to become a better hitter without all the fluff, visit, http://www.DynamiteHitting.com

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How to Increase Your Baseball Hitting Success!

By Justin Willman

In this article, I am going to tell you everything you need to know about how to increase your baseball hitting success!

To tell you the truth, there is no pill or potion you can take to make yourself a better hitter and baseball player over night. If there was, it would definitely be a hot seller. Honestly, there is a reason why people don't play baseball. Some kids may say it is a dumb, boring, slow sport that requires no skill, but the real reason they don't like it is because it is hard!

Hitting a baseball is one of the hardest things to do in sports. That is why you are considered a very good hitter if you hit over.300, which is having success just three times out of time. If you hit.400 in the Big Leagues, you will not only be an all star, you will be in the Hall of Fame.

So now let's get to the meat. How to increase your baseball hitting success! The first thing you need to do is practice a lot. I know, common sense right? Although this seems like an easy concept to understand, many players do not practice hard enough or long enough in order to really see results.

Next, you need to practice in the off season when no one else is. This is when the cream truly rises to the top and this is the time you can show everybody you are the best player on the field!

I am a former pro baseball player, having helped hundreds of people to easy baseball success. I've recently developed a video training course showing you a step by step process for making your baseball training results come easier and faster. To learn how to become a better hitter without all the fluff, visit, http://www.DynamiteHitting.com


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Creating the Perfect Batting Stance

By Jim Bain

A batting stance which does not allow a fluid and mechanically sound swing and follow through will void any aspirations of becoming a good hitter. Learning the proper batting stance is the second most important thing you must learn as a hitter. What's the first thing? Professional baseball players will quickly tell you hitting is 90% mental, and without a clarity of purpose and a vision of how the body is going to perform while hitting the ball, the body will not respond efficiently enough to consistently hit the ball with power. Mental toughness is for another lesson.

There are numerous basic mechanics, which we'll delve into, but the first thing which must be addressed about perfecting a batting stance is it must be Comfortable and Balanced for you. These are the two basic building blocks all batting stances are perpetuated on, and I know there are Professional Baseball Players, who resemble pretzels or some other weird looking configuration and who will violate one or more of the elements required for a good batting stance.

One must remember, these players are the exception and are not to be mimicked, as we are looking at establishing good fundamental basics on which to build.

Some of these steps you are already performing, some may be uncomfortable at first, but all of them will become automatic after you acquire more experience, but it is important we look at and identify every step individually to establish a good system and batting stance.

Squaring yourself to the plate should be the first thing you do as you enter the batters box. The greater majority of hitters, more or less, place their feet shoulder width apart with home plate centered between the legs. This is not an unbreakable rule as some hitters prefer to stand up or back in the box, but the majority will straddle the plate.

Where you stand in the box is of your choosing, but no matter where you stand in the box, always stand in the exact same location every time you bat. You must be able to establish a location in which to relate to the ball or else you will not see the break or the rotation of the ball clearly if you're seeing it from a different perspective every time you hit.

Extend your bat out and be sure you can touch the outside of the plate with it, if not move closer because you may have trouble reaching an outside pitch if you're too far away from the plate.

Standing with your feet slightly wider than shoulder width, bend your knees and bring your chest over your feet. You don't want to be erect when hitting because it retards flexibility, rather lean slightly forward, insuring your weight in on the balls of your feet, not on your heels.

The next step is learning the proper way to hold the bat. A lot of players grip the bat more with the palm of their hand than their fingers, which is incorrect as few people realize there is no strength in the palms of your hands, only in the fingers. You want a strong grip on the bat for control. A little hint: Always check to make sure your Knocking Knuckles on both hands line up. This is the proper grip and if they aren't lined up adjust them to where they are.

Holding the bat your hands should be brought to shoulder level, slightly above or below is also acceptable as long as you can still wrap the bat barrel around the back of your head.

You now have a perfect foundation on which to build additional hitting skills.

Jim Bain - Former Minor league baseball player, who since retiring has dedicated his life to teaching baseball to youth. Visit his exciting info packed website: http://www.Learn-Youth-Baseball-Coaching.com


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Good Hitting Starts With Proper Thinking

By Andy Pohl

If you ever played with dominos, you know that all of the pieces need to be lined up correctly for the chain reaction to occur. If all of the domino pieces are lined up in order, every piece will fall by simply pushing over the first one in line. However, what happens if the first domino is out of place? What happens if the initial domino lacks ties with the others that are waiting to fall? The answer is fairly simple-the first domino falls and the others remain standing.

Failing to think properly before each at bat is similar to lining up a group of dominos with the first one out of line. Just as the other dominos do not have a chance of falling when lined up improperly, you as a hitter have a small chance of getting a hit. If you begin the at bat with the wrong mental approach, you might as well sit back down and let someone else hit for you. This brings up the first key point to hitting-success in the end is only possible with the right beginning. The beginning starts long before you step into the batter's box.

Successful hitters are extremely confident in their abilities. Many actually believe that they can get a hit every time they step to the plate. This attitude does not change, whether the hitter goes 0 for 5 or 4 for 5. Successful hitters do not change their demeanors, and their level of confidence always remains high, even after numerous failures. The key is-if you truly believe in your abilities, you will win more battles at the plate than you think. It's amazing how much control the mind has over the body.

Andy Pohl - Co-Founder, DNA Sports

DNA Sports specializes in personalized baseball and softball skill programs, college recruiting education and preparation, and coaching clinics. Learn more: http://www.dnasportsonline.com


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The Biomechanics of Rotational Hitting

By Andy Pohl

Rotational movement is any type of movement in a circular motion. Ultimately, it is this type of motion that generates the speed and power hitters need. Once the hitter strides to his balanced position, he needs to rotate his hips towards the pitcher. Another way of feeling this motion is to turn the belly button towards the base line-first base for a left hand hitters and third base for a right hand hitters. When you engage in this motion correctly, you will notice that this rotational movement will pull your hands into the hitting zone. This illustrates a key principle with hitting-the hips are indirectly attached to the hands. As the hips rotate, they pull the hands into the hitting are, causing the knob of the bat to be pointed at the ball. This is a great position to hit from.

As the lower body rotates and opens up, it is important to keep the upper body closed. This creates maximum torque, which generates power. Torque is a fancy word that means nothing more than two forces working in opposite directions. As the lower body rotates, the upper body resists. This type of motion is scientifically proven to produce the maximum amount of speed and power. When hitters get themselves into this type of position, they have the momentum of the biggest and strongest muscles in the body (the hips and thighs) pulling the smaller and weaker ones (the hands and arms) through.

Despite the scientifically and biomechanical proven results of this torque position, many hitting instructors still teach their pupils to "squish the bug." The term squish the bug is a theory of hitting that encourages hitters to use their feet to rotate their hips. The back foot, by turning it after the stride, causes the hips to turn. Though this theory can be done, you have to be an incredibly gifted athlete to coordinate your feet, hips and hands. Secondly, the turning of the feet often causes hitters to spin, rather than turn. This spinning action results in the hips prematurely turning and the shoulders flying open, causing the hitter to pull off the ball. This ultimately prevents the hitter from covering the plate consistently, in particular the outside corner, as well as adjust to curve balls and off speed pitches. Most importantly however, squishing the bug does not lead the hitter into a powerful hitting position because the turning of the back foot does not facilitate torque. Ultimately, starting rotational movement with the turning of the back foot results in smaller and less powerful muscles (the feet) leading the more powerful muscles (the hips and the thighs). Nowhere in the study of biomechanics does it state that more power and speed are created by smaller and weaker muscles leading larger and stronger muscles. If you were at a monster truck derby, which situation would create more speed and power-a truck pulling a small car or a small car pulling a truck? Obviously, the truck pulling the small car creates more speed and power. Another way of phrasing this idea is that the dog wags the tail; the tail doesn't wag the dog. The hips lead the hands and the feet, not the other way around.

Andy Pohl - Co-Founder, DNA Sports

DNA Sports specializes in personalized baseball and softball skill programs, college recruiting education and preparation, and coaching clinics. Learn more: http://www.dnasportsonline.com


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Hitting - Teaching the Correct Stride

By Andy Pohl

The stride might be the most over taught aspect of the baseball swing. Simply speaking, the stride is the movement of the front leg before contact. Personally, I don't care how a hitter strides, as long as they stride to balance. Some hitters, like Juan Gonzales, kick up their front leg as if they were pitching. Other hitters, such as Chipper Jones and Sammy Sosa, bring their front foot back and forward quickly as if they were tapping the ground. Other hitters, such as Jeff Bagwell, do not stride at all-they just pick their front foot slightly off the ground and put it back in the same spot. Whatever is comfortable with the hitter works for me, as long as certain rules apply. In addition, regardless of how a one strides, all successful hitters stride to a balanced position. The phrase "stride to balance" is often used to further describe this aspect of the swing.

First of all, hitters must not over stride, or stride out too far. This results in an unbalanced position that prevents the hitter from making a powerful move towards the ball. Secondly, hitters must stride with their front foot at or very close to a 45 degree angle. A wide open foot while striding prematurely releases the hips, thus decreasing the hitter's power and plate coverage. A closed front foot locks up the hips, thus preventing the hitter's ability to create maximum rotation. Striding with the front foot close to a 45 degree angle enables the hitter to maintain both their posture and balance throughout the swing while correctly laying the foundation for a proper hip rotation. Finally, and most importantly, hitters must not move forward when striding. Moving forward during the stride, otherwise known as a 'dive move', causes the hitter to lose all balance and power.

Ultimately, when the hitter strides, the head should remain over the rear knee. During the stride, there is only slight linear motion forward, and after the front heel drops to the ground, the linear aspect of the swing is over. There is no more movement forward. The dropping of the front heel acts as an anchor that stops the hitter's momentum from going forward. After the hitter's front heel is firmly planted on the ground, the hitter moves rotationally to the baseball.

By keeping the weight on the backside and minimizing forward linear motion during the stride, the hitter is able to keep his upper body still, mainly his head. This allows the hitter to see the pitch better, which in turn, increases his ability to make consistent contact. While it is hard enough to hit any moving object, it is much harder to hit that moving object when you are moving too. Keeping the head still enables the hitter to see the plane of the pitch more accurately. Remember, hitting is sight oriented. No matter how good one's mechanics are, nobody, not even Ted Williams, could hit blindfolded.

Andy Pohl - Co-Founder, DNA Sports

DNA Sports specializes in personalized baseball and softball skill programs, college recruiting education and preparation, and coaching clinics. Learn more: http://www.dnasportsonline.com


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Rotational Hitting Mechanics - The Best Hitting Mechanics You Can Teach Your Players

By George Montoya

What are the best batting mechanics you can teach your players?

As a baseball coach, that's a question that I get all the time. If you look around you'll notice well meaning coaches doing the same stale drills, but never really improving their player's mechanics. In fact, these baseball coaches, most of the time, are enforcing poor hitting mechanics.

So what can you do?

The fact is that 95% of all Hall of Fame hitters are using rotational hitting mechanics. That's right; the Major League swing is rotational hitting.

I learned how to teach rotational hitting, and so can you.

Here are some key things to keep in mind about rotational hitting.


It all starts with the grip - The knocking knuckles of the hand have to be lined up; this makes for a more accurate swing. Why do you think an axe handle is oval? It automatically lines up your knuckles for a reason - accuracy!
The stance - You don't want to be too wide or to narrow. A good start is feet shoulder width apart, or about the length of their bat wide.
Load - As the pitcher begins their motion, the batter turns their lead shoulder and front knee toward the plate slightly, always keeping both eyes on the pitchers release point.
Stride and weight transfer - The batter shifts their weight from the back foot to the front foot on a tilted axis, NOT a straight up and down axis. You might even note that their back foot becomes light, sometimes even coming completely off of the ground a couple of inches.
The Hips - Once the batter is going to take their swing, their front heel drops locking out the front leg, and the hips begin to rotate. The rotation of the hips is what pulls the hands around. This is when the batter turns around a fixed axis, their front leg.

Important! The key rotational hitting points above are what most Major League baseball players do during their swing. You CAN learn to teach the mechanics of the Major League swing.

Don't ignore these steps. Quit doing the same stale drills ever other coach out there is teaching. Do your players justice... YOU CAN!

Learn the rotational hitting drills that will show you how to improve your player's mechanics, and make you look like baseball genius.

At www.baseballslugger411.com you can get all the information you need to succeed.

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Misconceptions About How to Hit a Baseball - Stay Back

By Joe Brockoff

I have had many hitters who take a batting stroke and keep their entire weight on their back leg as they swing. This is NOT what staying back is meant to be.

Incorrect:


Knocking-knuckles pointed forward
Improper grip produces a sweeping action.
Back elbow at 90 degrees...changes the grip

If the hitter is staying on his backside throughout his stroke, he needs to adjust out of this immediately!

In observing all better professional hitters, we can see that when they are in contact with the ball, their front side is firm, with their weight against the front heel. They are on their back toe, with the back leg making an "L." They are not on the ball of the back foot. The body's center mass is in a stacked position. The weight is not back on contact, rather, it is being transferred through the ball.

Body is stacked on contact. The hands are in front of the body, not over the plate.

The proper term here is not to stay back, but to "start back". We collect our weight on the stride. We should distribute 30-40% of our weight. Then, when we pivot, the weight is transferred from the back side to the front side. This transfer is controlled by the hips, as they come square to the pitch. This method allows the hitter to transfer his weight through the ball.

What really stay back are the hands!

Using the following steps, the weight transfer will be smooth and powerful:

1. Load (or coil). The weight goes back as the hips rotate slightly inward, lifting the front heel off the ground.

2. Stride. 30-40 % weight on the stride. When the front heel goes down, the next step occurs.

Hands are back in the stride. Throughout all of this time, the hands stay back.

This is what "stay back" really means.

When the front heel, comes down, the hips come square in the pivot and the weight transfer occurs from back to front. The hands have the option at this point to launch or not to launch.

Hands in Launch Position

The hands go last.

When a coach sees a hitter commit his hands first, perhaps that is when we hear him say, "Stay back."

This must not be interpreted as keeping the weight back throughout the stroke. A better way of saying this would be "Keep the hands back." A hitter must train his hips to take him to the ball and discipline his hands to wait for the right moment to start the stroke.

Hi. I'm Coach Joe Brockoff, a Division I Head Baseball Coach for Tulane University for more than 19 years, and former minor league player for the New York Yankees. Over the years, I've taught thousands of baseball players how to increase batting speed and improve their overall performance on the field. In fact, my proven training system has sent 45 baseball players to the pros.

As a coach committed to continuous improvement, I share my baseball drills, tips, and techniques here so that you will, in turn, inspire and motivate young players to improve their game. I hope you'll visit my web site, the Super 8 Baseball Hitting System at http://www.learnbaseballhitting.com to watch some of my free instructional videos.

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Baseball Drills - Hitting Drills to Strengthen Players

By Kenny Buford

Drills are routine practice elements used to build strong foundations in players. Hitting drills are effective for solving problems players face at the bat. Once a coach has identified what problem the player has, he can utilize the appropriate drill to strengthen that element of the hitter's technique.

One-knee, One-hand

This hitting drill involves the coach, acting as pitcher, and player both on one knee. The player extends the front leg, keeps his bottom hand on the bat handle and hits soft tosses from the pitcher, keeping his wrist flat and palm down. The player should use a short swing, keep his hand inside the ball and avoid rolling the wrist.

This drill isolates the player's movements to focus on hand position and technique, building strength in the wrists and forearms. The coach should be able to see if the player is employing improper technique, like rolling his wrists or swinging too long. To take the drill further, the player can use a smaller bat and swing with only one hand, alternating between the top and bottom hand.

Front Inside Soft-Toss

This baseball drill also emphasizes shortening the swing and maintaining flat wrists to build strength and increase quickness. In this drill, the coach feeds inside pitches from behind a screen.

The hitter stands, with both hands on the bat, and tries to hit the inside half of the ball. This positioning requires the player to use quick hands, because slow hands that drag the barrel of the bat will cause the pitch to jam him. In addition to using quick hands, the player also needs to maintain flat wrists to ensure that the fat part of the bat makes contact with the ball.

The feeder should watch the player's technique to make sure he is not rolling his wrists or using a long swing. The coach may want to hold the ball on some pitches to better observe the balance and stance of the hitter.

Stride and Freeze Tee

This drill addresses the stance and balance of the hitter. If a hitter gets out on his front foot and struggles to keep his weight back, he is not able to generate enough power to be an effective hitter. By using a tee, the hitter and coach can both focus on positioning and stance without the added element of watching for the pitch.

To begin this drill, set up the tee without the ball. The player then prepares to hit the imaginary ball by taking his stride and releasing his hands back. The hitter then freezes and allows the coach to check positioning, making sure his hands and weight are back and in proper balance.

At this point, the coach then puts the ball on the tee and allows the player to hit from that position, watching to ensure proper follow-through and balance. After repeating this drill 10-15 times, the hitter can then swing with the ball on the tee from the beginning.

And if you'd like to see more free baseball drills and coaching tips, go here to watch a free video:

http://www.baseball-tutorials.com/vid/

Kenny Buford is a youth baseball coach, and the owner and publisher of Baseball-Tutorials.com, the web's #1 resource for baseball drills, tips, and practice ideas for youth and high school coaches.

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Uncommon Baseball Hitting Drills

By Jeffery A Wise

Baseball hitting drills are a necessary part of practice. Players run these drills to improve their skills and get them ready for batting practice and games. There are some common hitting drills, but we're going to talk about one that is not so common. Nonetheless, it is important and should be practiced more often.

The modified broomstick drill is very helpful. You need a broom handle that is cut down to the length of a bat. It will help to sand the end and add batter's tape on the end for grip. Then, ask someone to pitch plastic golf balls to you. These balls can be purchased at any sporting goods store.

The distance between you and the pitcher doesn't matter as long as they can toss you the balls easily. Start with underhand pitches. Then switch to overhand pitches so there is some appropriate velocity on the pitch which simulates a real pitch.

You can work on many different hitting mechanics for improvement, but now let's just focus on your upper body. Relax your shoulders, neck and face. If you are too tense at the plate it is much harder to have a quick, fluid swing. That's what this baseball hitting drill is for.

Also, make sure your front shoulder is lined up to the pitcher and have it closed. Sometimes ball players have an issue with leaving their shoulder open and that makes them open up and start their swing too early. This causes players to pull the ball in the form of a ground out or fly out.

During this baseball hitting drill, keep the shoulder closed and wait for the plastic golf ball to arrive in the hitting zone before taking a smooth, fluid swing. Take turns hitting 25 balls and then rotate. This drill is a lot like playing wiffle ball so have fun with it.

The purpose of this drill is to improve hand-eye coordination and mechanics. You may also want to use this drill to practice hitting harder. Whatever you do, always strive to have fun!

Jeffery A Wise invites you to learn more about baseball hitting drills so that you can hit a baseball better. Start learning today at http://www.baseballhittingtipsonline.com by reading our information, watching our videos and participating in our blog.

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