Tips To Becoming A Solid Catcher Behind The Plate

By Jim Bain

Over the years I have personally taught and watched 1000's of baseball catchers execute catching drills and it never ceases to amaze me the grit and toughness these players demonstrate on a daily basis, not only physically, but mentally and emotionally as well.

I've seen catchers who have a rifle for an arm and a rocket launcher for a bat, all the tools for making the team, who were told to pack their bags. Why? Simply stated... they couldn't handle a pitching staff. Here's a few tips on becoming a solid and valuable catcher behind the plate.

Building Trust, whether in a two pitcher or seventeen pitcher staff, is the single most important issue a catcher must master. Normally, just being on the same team, All-Star teams for example, is enough to build camaraderie between players, but a catcher, by nature of the position, has to be more than a team mate, he has to be a Trusted partner.

There's only one way to gain that Respect and Trust from your pitchers, it must be earned by performance, such as:

(1.) The catcher must sacrifice himself not letting any pitch get by him, although the pitcher may seem intent on bouncing every other ball off your shins or trying to hit the back stop with high throws;

(2.) The catcher must establish his reputation of always doing his homework which allows him to call the right pitch against any hitter's weakness;

(3.) The catcher demonstrates the ability to throw the runner, the pitcher just walked on 4 pitches, out at second trying to steal or behind him at first base if he wanders a bit too far off base.

This trust and confidence building comes through shared experiences and history together, and can not be rushed, but by being ahead of the game you can quicken the process, which is imperative. You can't wait till mid season to develop a relationship with your pitching staff, it'll be too late, for you and the team.

Simply put... Building your skills is a never ending process.

You can not expect your pitching staff to respect and trust you if you don't respect and trust your own skills, and there's a huge difference between arrogance and confidence. Arrogance has to proclaim itself... Confidence Silently excels by performing.

Unfortunately there's no magical pill or spell, the only method to build confidence is hard practice. Practice to the point you can't go on, then practice some more. Two Tips to help:

(1.) Always be available and eager for bullpen work. There is no better place to learn your trade and the individual abilities of your pitching staff than by catching them while in the bullpen. You learn the pitcher, he learns you and familiarity is built. Familiarity breeds trust, which breeds confidence.

The more reps you take as a catcher the better you become with the catcher's mitt, the better you learn to shift your weight to the ball without having to think, the more the protective equipment becomes a second skin.

(2.) If there are no pitchers to catch, or if it's an off day, go to the batting cage and catch the pitching machines. So they're called batting cages, does that mean you can only hit the balls, you can't catch them as well.

Always wear your entire compliment of protective gear, not only for safety but to acquire the feeling of the equipment being natural and unrestrictive. I may keep repeating that, but a catcher uncomfortable in his equipment can not perform. Period.

Jim Bain, former Minor league baseball player and member of "Baseball Coaches of America" 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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Youth Baseball Mental Training

By Miles A Noland

The game of baseball cannot begin without the action of one position.

In basketball there is a lot of focus on the point guard. In football there is a lot of focus on the quarterback.

These are important positions, but there is no position that is more important than a pitcher in baseball.

There is so much responsibility that involves a pitcher. From throwing different pitches, knowing the various hitters, fielding their position, pickoff moves, to controlling the running game, to dealing with adversity, mental focus, and dealing with fatigue, a pitcher has a lot to deal with.

If one of these important parts of pitching is missing, you do not have a complete pitcher. Missing one of these components negatively affects all of the other components.

Most pitchers are not advanced to be good in all of these areas, however, when you realize what areas a pitcher is weak in you can begin to attack it and improve.

The mental game in pitching is so important, oftentimes more important than the physical part.
Andy Pettitte, great guy who I hung out with in the Dominican

You must teach your pitchers to think one pitch at a time. It is very easy to think about the past or future, and this inhibits your ability to be best the possible in the present
.
Cues such as get to the top of the baseball, or take a deep breath and focus on executing the pitch, create movement at release are great for creating the right type of focus.

Attempting to throw harder in times of struggle or getting mad at infielders or the umpire are typical things that make a pitchers struggle even worse.

Teach your pitchers how to coach themselves and watch them develop right under your eyes.
P.S. One pitch at a time, one pitch at a time. Oftentimes a mound visit is very effective in calming a pitcher down. Tell him to step off the mound and focus on dominating the things he can control.

What can he control?

1. His focus
2. Executing each pitch
3. Attacking the strike zone
4. Taking deep breaths
5. His body language
Things he can't control?
1. Where the ball is hit
2. What the umpire calls
3. If his fielders catch the ball
4. The mound conditions
5. Bad luck

Get your pitchers to focus on the controllables and they will deal with failure and adverse conditions much better.

Coach it up,
Miles

http://www.iybca.org/gift

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Extraordinary Baseball Strength - The Gospel When it Comes Down to the Best Workout For Baseball

By Brandon Richey
Strength and conditioning for baseball is a must if you want to be competitive in today's game. When it comes down to getting the best workout routine for baseball players I have to exert my professional opinion by telling you about the single arm kettlebell swing. As you may know by now the kettlebell is an ancient strength and conditioning device that has been used by the world's greatest athletes for over three centuries. This ancient strength and conditioning device brings a style of training with it that is dynamic in nature and translates better than anything over to any athletic sport, especially baseball.

The base strength endurance lift that is performed with the kettlebell is known as the double arm kettlebell swing, but for this article I am going to address the single arm swing. It doesn't matter if you are looking for a baseball pitching workout, rotator cuff exercise, or just a generic workout routine for your baseball performance the single arm swing satisfies them all! To perform the single arm swing you must first understand the proper technique which is performed with the double arm version known as the hip snap. The hip snap is a movement that is done by you fluently and constantly flexing and extending at both your hips and knees in order to create the necessary momentum to swing the kettlebell up to chest level.

With the single arm swing you first want to properly set your grip before beginning the exercise. With the bell on the ground simply grab the handle towards the inner half of the bell depending on which hand you want to start with. Next, make sure that when you grip the handle to rotate your knuckles so that they point to the sphere of the kettlebell. This is known as a hooking grip and allows you to firmly hold the bell with the hook of the palm of your hand and not exhaust your grip by using your fingers. From here pick the bell up and begin the hip snap. As the bell elevates to chest height make sure that your palm is pointing down and as it descends to between your legs allow your forearm to rotate to a thumbs down position. Continue this natural rotation back and forth with each swing. You will quickly realize how much of a major league baseball workout this drill is once you start.

Take the time to endure the learning curve with kettlebell training my friend. This will no doubt take your strength and conditioning workouts to the next level. Remember that anyone can train hard, but only champions train smart!

To learn more about how to utilize your body, Kettlebells, and to achieve Mind Blowing fitness get your copy of My "Better Than Steroids Ebook" by clicking here: http://www.betterthansteroidsebook.com/www.betterthansteroidsebook.com/Better_Than_Steroids_Ebook.html.
You will become one of my Free Elite Members if you make your "Better Than Steroids" purchase, but to just become one of my Elite Members and receive my free Newsletter just go to http://www.efandps.com/www.efandps.com/Brandons_Members_Newsletter.html.

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Getting the Most Out of Your Fastball

By Dan Gazaway
There is not a pitcher out there who doesn't want to add some velocity to his fastball. Even Major League pitchers who have been known to hit 3 digits on the radar gun wish they could throw a couple of miles an hour faster. There is no doubt that pitchers are throwing faster as time goes on. What is contributing to this? More pitchers have the ability to throw in the high nineties now and one pitcher who just got drafted from Fresno state has been clocked at over 100 several times. I think his changeup goes faster than some Major League fastballs.

If you are looking to increase velocity there are a couple of factors to look at and analyze. Are you throwing with proper pitching mechanics? That means, in a nut shell, are you utilizing your entire body to throw or relying on your arm to create velocity. Most Little League and High School level pitchers are doing just that. They are relying too much on their arm to generate the velocity they are looking for.

So how do you solve the velocity problem? The first thing you need to do is take a look at your stride. How long is your stride? If a pitcher has a short stride, less than their height, they are losing momentum. The majority of pitchers, or at least average pitchers, have average strides that are less than their height. Lengthening your stride is one of the first things I would suggest.
Another pitching tip as it relates to increased pitching velocity is balance. As a pitcher, if you don't have balance you lack control and velocity. Is your momentum all going toward home plate or are you throwing your body every which way you can? You need to make aggressive movements as a pitcher, however, if you make aggressive movement away from the general direction you are trying to throw, this generally means you will put undue pressure on your throwing arm and you could end up with a sore arm.

My advice to anyone who is seeking to throw faster is to learn the correct way to throw the ball mechanically. You will find balance and more explosive power if you do. The velocity will then naturally happen when you find the appropriate leverage in your body to throw.

The Pitching Academy is a resource for pitchers who want to learn all about pitching. We also give you the best baseball drills to do to improve your overall ability on the mound.

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Bunting Tips

By Eugene Rischall

Bunting is a very effective weapon in close games. This article will explain different bunts and how to use them.

A sacrifice bunt is when a batter is willing to go out in order to advance a base runner. When trying to advance a runner from 1st to 2nd try to bunt to the 1st base side. When sacrificing a runner from 2nd to 3rd try to bunt to the 3rd base side. Make every effort not to show the bunt early. The fake bunt-slash objective is to show the bunt early enough to draw the corner infielders in. Basic rules for the fake bunt-slash are the hitter fakes a commitment to the bunt just before the pitchers movement from the stretch. Heel-toe pivot is the method of squaring around. Top hand slides upward on the bat. Just before pitchers release bring the bat to the top of the strike zone. The hitter tries to hit the ball on the ground through a hole he has created. A push bunt is used to reach base safely or move a runner. right handed hitters should push bunt to the second baseman, left handed hitters to the shortstop. The drag bunt is used for getting base hits. Three rules for drag bunts are, bunt only at strikes, proper ball placement, and do not give up. A suicide bunt is all or nothing. Runner on 3rd breaks for home and the batter must make contact or the runner is going to be out.

I hope this article gives you an idea of different bunts and how to use them.
Author-Eugene Rischall, Owner, Baseball Training Emporium http://www.baseballtrainingemporium.com
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Winning Workouts For Pitchers!

By Dan Gazaway

Growing up I was obsessed with Baseball. Just like every other kid, I knew I was going to play major league Baseball. My parents must have spent over $20,000 just on my education about pitching mechanics; that is no exaggeration. As a youth I was always tall so my parents and other high school coaches always tried to get me to play other sports, but I was never all that interested. Baseball was my game and Pitching was what I did best.

When I was involved in little league baseball I pitched the majority of the time. In my mind, pitching was the only thing worth pursuing and it consumed the majority of my time. I don't regret a minute of it because of what I do for a living now. I was simply intrigued by every aspect of the game. Particularly pitching, where, at the early age of 10 I dedicated a lot of my time learning about pitching mechanics and pitching specific workout routines.

One year, I believe I was in Junior High at the time; I was studying the way Nolan Ryan threw the baseball. I became more intrigued in the way he was working out. I started doing light dumbbell workouts and elastic cord workout programs the way Nolan did them. At the end of that year I must have tried every pitching specific routine available at the time. There was only one problem; I didn't have the time to keep up with all of them at once.

Every pitcher should have a regular workout program. However, you have to pick and choose which workouts are going to be best for you or you will find yourself being overwhelmed with all you have to accomplish. Make sure when you get involved with a new workout program you find a great workout partner. A great partner will be there for you to help you be consistent with your workouts and ensure you are on pace to reach your goals.

Training partners are also good at keeping you motivated when times get tough. I still train with somebody who lifts more than I do or seems to train harder that I do. I love the competition that brings. My point is to find a pitching specific workout routine that works best for you and then find a training buddy that will inspire you to stick with it.

Learn how to throw a baseball with proper pitching mechanics.

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Mental Training and Goal Setting

By Nate Barnett

Each year I work with teams of youth baseball players in teaching them the values of the mental game of baseball. Just as there are skills needed to develop the physical side of the sport, there are skills necessary to build the mental side of the game as well. Unfortunately, teaching the mental game is a bit more difficult to teach because the results aren't necessary visible as quickly. Let me assure you however, if you have goals of playing baseball at the collegiate level or above, you will need a sold mental game if you are going to excel.

One of the first things I teach kids is set proper goals. This usually sounds a bit dry and boring, but it's important that a game plan is created in order to form a path to follow as an athlete. There are three important steps involved in setting goals that are functional. Broad goals, process goals, and action habits. Let me explain those below.

If we are talking about a season to season focus, broad goals are essentially what you want to accomplish by the end of the season. These should be something you can measure like batting average, fielding percentage, stolen bases, etc.

Process goals are the middle level of goal setting. There are the things you need to solve or improve upon in order to accomplish your broad goals. They should be specific as far as the things you are going to do daily, but they should be areas in your game that need immediate improvement. So let's say you have a season goal of hitting .400. A process goal would be to improve on your ability to hit off speed pitches. Or, it could be that you need to work on what pitches you choose to swing at.

The last part of this goal setting process is your daily action habits. These are the day to day things that you will do to get better at accomplishing your process goals. Using the example from above, if you process goal is to get better at hitting off speed pitches, your daily action habit might be to spend 15 minutes in the batting cage working on hitting a curveball. Whatever you choose to make it, it should be something that has a time frame attached to it.

Nate Barnett is owner of BMI Baseball designed to improve the mental game of baseball in athletes. Come download a free ebook on dealing with failure and the mental game of baseball.
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If You Are a Baseball Player Are Your Priorities in Order During the Off-Season?

By Brandon Richey

If you are a serious baseball player then you should improve your game year after year just like any other athlete. Now I have talked about my frustrations involving misconceptions on training towards other athletes and trainees, but for the sake of this article I am addressing baseball players. It amazes me that in this day and age that a lot of baseball players still have an incorrect mindset when it comes to their off-season training. Note that I did not say "all" baseball players, just a lot of them!

You see the one thing that amazes me is that several baseball players do not generally put a lot of emphasis on strength and conditioning. With the MOST successful athletes it is known that their off-season strength programs are fierce. The goal should be to get bigger, faster, and stronger. If a baseball player is not concentrating on these elements, which several don't, their training is flawed and their priorities are mixed up. You see here are the facts. The batting averages for the entire major league baseball ranged from .292 on the low end and .364 on the high end. These averages were gathered from all of major league baseball statistics in 2008. Now why am I showing you these? Well, whether or not you are a little league player, high school, collegiate, or in the majors more than likely you will not obtain an average better than .364 and I don't care how many hours you devote inside the batting cage. Realistically you won't even hit around .290 consistently. So knowing this and knowing that baseball is a multi-skilled game why do so many baseball players spend so much time in the cage?

The problem is in a false mindset. I have trained many athletes for years including baseball players and I have always had to battle this old mindset. You see the truth is that a committed baseball player will retain the necessary skills of hitting, throwing, and catching by practicing on a consistent basis, but the real way to improve these is to become a better athlete! Athleticism is underrated in baseball. Many of the players that I trained for an extended few months prior to the season went out the next year and had record numbers. Many other studies have been done to prove the effectiveness of strength training and athletic performance training in baseball players among other athletes as well. Yes, getting bigger, faster, and stronger does apply to baseball players. If you don't believe me then look at Barry Bond's numbers. Oh, and don't give me the whole spill about him being on steroids. He may or may not have used a performance enhancing substance, but if he did and did not apply the proper training it wouldn't have made a difference. Trust me, had he used an anabolic steroid and spent the majority of his time in the "batting cage" he wouldn't have gotten a bit stronger.

I would like to close by saying that if you are a baseball player young or old then you should be working in an athletic performance program in the off-season. If you are a mom and dad that is currently throwing a lot of money out the window for batting cage time then that is your choice, but if you want your kid to have a break out year then I would recommend that you take that money and use it on getting him professional help to get stronger and faster! Strength means he'll have greater bat speed and speed means that he'll be better able to chase down a fly ball or beat out a throw to get a base hit instead of an out. That's the difference!

To learn more about Kettlebells, Fitness, and achieving Total Mind-Blowing Strength come and visit me at: http://www.efandps.comTo be one of my members and to receive more tips on INSANE BODY CONSTRUCTION please visit me at:
http://www.efandps.com/www.efandps.com/Brandons_Members_Newsletter.htmlI'm Brandon Richey the Strength and Conditioning Pro!

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Why is Tendonitis Such a Danger For Baseball Pitchers?

By Joshua Tucker
Read through baseball sports news, blogs, fantasy baseball sites, etc, and if you aren't already aware of how dangerous pitching is to baseball players, you quickly will.
Why exactly is Tendonitis such a problem for Baseball Pitchers?

Managing a pitcher and how active he is major strategy in baseball, especially in Major League Baseball.

Every day I see news reports of various pitchers getting benched, being placed on the injured list, and sent off to surgery and weeks and months of recovery.

It's too bad. All that could be avoided.

Tendonitis is an occupational hazard for major league baseball pitchers, and young men that work hard to join the ranks of a big league team.

Most of this kind of injury shows up in the arm anywhere from shoulder to fingers. Watch a pitcher throw a few times, it's no surprise. Even then pitching efficiently and effortlessly, there is A LOT of force, torque, internal movement of tendons, and muscle contraction happening over and over.

Over time after hundreds or thousands of throws, after muscles firing powerfully and pulling forcefully on their tendons, the muscles get set tighter and tighter. This starts a long Downward Spiral of increasing tightness, then increasing pain and tightness.

Whether a tendon gets irritated or actually has some micro tear to the tissue, the body kicks in an Inflammation process. This enhances the Downward Spiral by making things hurt more, which makes muscles get tighter....which makes things hurt more.

If treated the usual way, injury comes and goes, players lose time and stats to time resting and recovering from surgery. Look at all the players that have had surgery. How many of them are back to 100%, months or years later? How many of them aren't still dealing with tendonitis issues?

Tendonitis can end careers. It is a serious threat to a pitcher and his career. Whether it is Tennis Elbow, Wrist Tendonitis, a problem in the hand, Shoulder Cuff Tendonitis, or something similar, teams work hard to keep their pitchers healthy and able to play.

The problem really isn't pitching.

The problem is that the pitchers aren't doing the RIGHT self care to keep their bodies happy and healthy, as opposed to their bodies getting slowly more and more unhappy, until the pain is enough to stop them from pitching.

Rest, anti-inflammatory drugs like Ibuprofen, corticosteroid shots, and splints and braces really are not preventative measures. They just don't work. Want proof? Watch sports news for a while.

Tendonitis is a threat to baseball pitchers because it is a natural result of how they use their bodies, how their bodies naturally respond to that kind of ongoing stress, and because pitchers don't do the right kind of self care that successfully reverses the first two factors.
Joshua Tucker, B.A, C.M.T is The Tendonitis Expert. He educates, leads workshops, and trains individuals how to ELIMINATE their Tendonitis related issues like Tennis Elbow, Carpal Tunnel, Plantar Fasciitis, and Wrist Tendonitis. Joshua says "When you have tried all the usual options and they have failed, it's still not to late to become pain free. It's also never too early to start."

For more of the RIGHT information about how to Eliminate your Tendonitis, no matter how bad it is or how long you've had it, visit http://www.tendonitisexpert.com/
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Repetition: The Key To Baseball Development

PREFACE: Let me start by saying this post is intended for parents of players who are interested in learning more about travel or club baseball teams. Not all children are interested in playing on these types of teams and there's nothing wrong with that. Baseball is a game for anyone who wants to play it. Rec or town baseball is a great way for kids to enjoy the game.

- - -

The landscape of youth baseball leagues has changed considerably over the last decade. It use to be that kids only played in their town's recreation league and the all stars went on to play in the regional Little League tournament. There were also a few AAU teams where players had to try out and win a position. These were made up of highly skilled players in each age group who had to prove they belonged on these teams.

Then the invention of "travel baseball" came onto the scene (a trend created by youth soccer I believe) where "all star" players from the town's recreation league would be placed onto age appropriate teams and travel to neighboring towns to play in competitive tournaments. The higher ranked of teams also competed in Cal Ripken and Little League district, state and regional play. Normally there is a try out process that kids must go through to make a town travel team.

About 10 years ago a new baseball team was invented... the club team. These private teams, funded by parents where usually coached by parents or by hiring a "professional" coach. These teams are also sometimes referred to as AAU teams although many of them have no affiliation with AAU. Some founders of club teams feel they need to give their teams validity by using the term "AAU". Some of these teams have a formal tryout process and others recruit kids based on other criteria, some objective, some subjective. Key here is that generally club teams operate by rules which have been definded by the founders.

There are a number of differences between town travel and club teams. One key difference is town travel teams usually have guidelines for minimum playing time, especially at the younger ages. This provides some protection for players and ensures they will get time on the field. While some club teams may have playing time guidelines, many are managed by a parent coach who instills his or her own ideas of who should be playing where and how often. If your child is interested in playing on a club team 13U and under you should find out up front how much playing time he/she will get. Question to ask... Does your team have guidelines for minimum playing time? Good answer: Yes, we make sure that all kids play at least 50% of the innings by the end of the season. Bad Answer: Well that's going to depend on how well he plays, our objective is to win games.

Not that all town travel teams are perfect either. You may have some programs or coaches who believe more in winning then they do in development. Some coaches may "pigeon hole" a kid in to playing a position they really don't like or aren't suited for. Some may not give kids ample playing time because of a desire to win. If your child is playing on a travel or club team have a discussion with the coach before he signs up. You want to be sure that your placing your child in an environment that's appropriate.

So why is it important to know all this? Like most sports, baseball skill development comes through repetition. Adults often place too high of an importance on what team their child is playing on... or what level the team is playing at. Honestly, I use to think the same way, but I've seen the light. Yes good competition is part of baseball growth but the most important thing is for a player to get lots and lots of time at the position they like to play. It doesn't matter if it's rec ball, travel ball or sand lot ball... the more innings they have playing a position the more comfortable and confident they will be playing it.

Yes, the custom team apparel, bat bags, matching cleats of a club team are cool and they give your child (and some parents) the feeling they play for a profesional team... but you need to ask yourself if it's the right environment for your child, what is she really gaining? Is my child getting enough experience or is she limited because she's not getting a fair amount of time on the field. Would my child be better off on a team where I know she will get alot of playing time even though that team plays in a "less competitive" league? I would answer a big YES to that question.

Now I will argue that it's important for more serious players to face more difficult pitching. At any level, hitting confidence comes from knowing you have he ability to hit anyone in your league. This is developed in both game play and practice. If you feel your child needs to work on hitting more difficult pitching I suggest going to the cage on a regular basis and cranking up the pitching machine.

I have a friend who's son is 14. This kid started playing baseball at age 6. At age 9 he expressed interest primarily in catching and pitcher. Over the next few years he learned and practiced the skills for both positions, along with hitting of course. He was lucky to have good coaches, mentors and instructors along the way. He played rec ball, fall ball, travel ball to the tune of about 50 games a year, or 250 games over 5 years. He caught in nearly all of those games and pitched his share as well. This gave him the playing time he needed to develop important skills and confidence in his ability to perform them. He's now a solid player in both positions. You could apply this story to many successful ball players. The lesson is a simple one...

Repetition in a position builds baseball skills and the confidence to perform them. When your 11 year old is playing 3rd base it doesn't matter if the grounder is hit to him by a kid playing in an elite club team league or a kid playing in a town rec league. It's his confidence in fielding the ball, making the play and the fun he has doing it that matters. That all comes through repetition in the right environment.

Coach Bob

Baseball Training Aids Will Help Perfect Your Skills

By Brandon Bland

With the use of baseball training aids, you should be able to make significant improvements to you or your child's fundamentals. Nowadays there are so many useful tools that every ball player should take advantage of. It is unreal how easy it is today to be able to practice many fundamentals right at home. If you're willing to invest a little bit of money, you should be able to improve your game using these baseball training aids.

The very first training aid, that every ball player should have is a batting tee. They are relatively cheap, and an absolute essential tool for every hitter. You can break down your swing and practice hitting the ball from any part of the strike zone.

Along with the tee, you are going to need some sort of soft toss net to be able to hit into. This will give you something to hit off the tee into. There are a couple different types of nets you will want to look into. The first and most recommended for individual use for your garage or backyard is called a "pop-up" net. This is self-explanatory as they just fold out and "pop-up." They are cheaper than the other style I call a "heavy-duty" net, which are more suited for team use. These are usually made out of aluminum, and feature a heavier, more durable net.

A soft toss machine is also an excellent tool for every hitter. There are styles that sit on the ground, and tripod-like machines that drop a ball out of a chute and flip the ball up into the strike zone. A soft toss machine is very useful for dissecting your swing and hitting balls from every spot in the strike zone. Use a video camera to help out even more for extra analysis. The great thing is that you may do all of this from home, by yourself.

For pitchers, there are many throwing and pitching aids to help strengthen the arm. These include strengthening bands, forearm strengthening equipment, and so on. You may want to look into these if you are trying to strengthen your throwing arm (which all ball players should be doing, not just pitchers).

In summary, good baseball training aids can mean the difference between a professional career in baseball or just being a weekend warrior. Make the investment if you can. You don't have to spend a fortune, but if you are serious about you or your child's career in this game, it should be a no brainer to get all of these tools you can. Not only get them, but USE THEM!

You can learn more about baseball training aids by checking out this page, at my website Baseball Equipment Review.

Brandon Bland is the webmaster of Baseball Equipment Review, a site devoted to informing ballplayers of the quality of today's baseball equipment so they can make informed decisions about their purchases.

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How To Become A Complete Baseball Player

This is the ultimate goal for a ball player right? Developing the "five tools". It takes commitment and dedication of course, but it also takes a positive attitude towards improvement.

I read a quote yesterday from a college coach that really stuck with me...

"you will never improve a skill or ability if you start out thinking
you know everything about it."

Sounds simple enough. Some would say "keep an opened mind" says the same thing but I think there's more to it. My interpretation of this statement is... in order for a person to reach their goals they must be open to learning from others who have been down the road before them. In relationship to baseball it means listening to all advice and finding the good in it.

A baseball player will work with many coaches throughout their career. Youth players generally have different coaches every season. Some more experienced and knowledgeable than others. If you are lucky enough to play for a coach who really knows his or her stuff you will do yourself a great service by opening up, paying attention and taking in everything they want to teach you. You may not agree with everything, but take it in. Then you can balance that knowledge with what you have learned from others. This is how players improve... take the best lessons from the best coaches and put it all together. That's how you become a "complete" player.

For example, my friend's son has played for a coach the past 3 seasons who is VERY knowledgeable about hitting.. he played Div1 ball, was a powerhitter, taught him a lot. This coach also thought he knew a lot about baserunning. He knew some, but another coach this player worked with privately was a base stealing phemon who taught him things that the hitting coach had never learned. However, when the hitting coach gave him baserunning instruction he listened and took it in. Yet he practiced and used most of what the baserunning coach taught him. One day he had a game where he stole 3 bases. After the game the hitting coach said "say, great game today, you seem to have come up with a baserunning technique that really works for you, stay with it". Get the picture?

There are very few absolutes in baseball. While there are general guidelines on how to do things, every player is different. Players learn baseball skills in a way that fits them. That's why when you look at college and pro players, they all have similar elements in their swings, yet every swing is different.

Good coaches know that not all players have the same batting stance or the same load/stride technique, or the same stance when leading off 1st base. A good coach wants a player to get the most of their mental and physical ability.

The best advice to you, the player, is listen to all your coaches and take in the best parts from each. If you do this you will be well on your way to meeting your baseball goals and become a "complete player".

Coach Bob

7 Tips on How to Become a Better Baseball Player

By Jack D. Elliott

Baseball players everywhere want to know how they can get better. The best way to do this is to look at it your training from a comprehensive perspective. Here, are some pointers to help you up your game.


1. Read and Watch Everything Baseball. Scan books, look over hitting and pitching lessons videos, see games, ask for help from coaches and good players.


2. Practice makes perfect. Do your drills daily for at least 5 to 6 days a week. Feel free to mix up your routine; however, make sure you are developing muscle memory with enough reps of your swing and pitching motion.


3. Pick up something else when the season ends. To avoid burnout, choose another sport or physical exercise in the off-season. It is preferable to pick something you are not familiar with. This will allow you to stay fit and appease any creativity interests you have because of the novelty of the new sport. By the time the next baseball season rolls around, you will find yourself avidly looking forward to playing.


4. Strength Train Before It Is Too Late. Do not make the mistake of waiting to build strength until your junior and senior years of high school. Do yourself a favor and start working out in the summer after your 8th grade year and work out each summer thereafter. This will allow you to build a base, plateau, and then, build up to yet another plateau. In this way, by the time you are senior, you will be very physically strong and ready to have a great senior season.


5. Get Lessons. A great instructor will save you time, wasted energy, and ultimately give you better results. By learning from a great instructor from the start, you can develop the best techniques from the start and avoid bad habits. Once you learn the lessons, you can practice them and go back only occasionally when you feel a refresher course is needed.


6. Practice with a tee. The basic hitting tee has improve the swing and hitting consistency of many major league players. Learn from their example and use this tee to perfect your ability to hit to the opposite field and fine tune your swing. This along with some waffle ball toss are great for removing holes in your swing.


7. Maximize your speed and power. Plyometric exercises can help develop your speed and explosiveness. Learn from a trained instructor who can give you a regimen that you can practice several days a week. If practiced sufficiently, you will see your speed and power improve. This added boost will carry over into other parts of your game as you have a new found confidence in your baseball abilities.


All these pointers are geared towards making you a top flight athlete by your final year of high school. By using each of these pointers you can expect to maximize your potential for baseball success.


Jack Elliott, is a former player and fan of the game. To read more tips and techniques like the ones in this article, please click here: http://www.baseballtrainingtechniques.com/ or Baseball Strategy

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jack_D._Elliott

Baseball Instruction - What Your Instructor Absolutely Must Have

Baseball Instruction - What Your Instructor Absolutely Must Have

By Jack D. Elliott


Finding good baseball instruction can be a challenge when there are hundreds of baseball instructors to choose from. This can be problematic especially when baseball instructors disagree on what is important and you are trying to find the best instructor for you or your son. To help you with this process, we have included some tips that you can use to help find the best baseball instruction for your son.

1. Coaching Experience matters. It is not essential that the baseball instructor be a major league player. Some of the best instructors and coaches are former players who could not make it at the top level. This is because they have a sincere appreciation of what is needed to be a great baseball player. This often translates into better baseball instruction for you or your son. It is better to opt for coaches that have trained high school, college and major league baseball players. You want this assortment so that you know they can filter their knowledge in a way that your son can understand it and be able to take this up to other levels if needed.

2. Be willing to pay top dollar. Top baseball instruction is usually not cheap. For this reason, expect to pay a good amount for this instruction. We recommend you have your son take lessons early in his high school career beginning in the summer before the 9th grade to ensure the proper mechanics and techniques take effect. This will save him time as he does not learn bad habits and will allow him to perform better from the very beginning. Then, periodically over the next few years, you should have him go back and get refresher lessens to continue his progress. This will give your son a chance to keep developing and improving under the baseball instructor's tutelage.

3. Good Rapport with Parents and Kids. This is important because it shows the baseball instructor really cares about the kids he is training. If the instructor has good rapport, this will make it easier for the kids to get into the lessons and end up getting better results. For this reason, look around for recommendations and see if there are any concerns. Also, when asking around, check to see if the kids' play really improved because of their training. After all, this is why the kids are there in the first place.

Stop wasting time and energy trying to research Baseball Instruction. Instead, try visiting http://www.baseballtrainingtechniques.com/ to get some solid tips on what to look for in baseball instruction for hitting, pitching and strategy.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jack_D._Elliott

Strength training: OK for kids when done correctly

With the summer season winding down, for some players (depending on age) it may be the time to start thinking about how to prepare for next season. I came across this article published by the Mayo Clinic on strengh training for kids. Since the Mayo Clinic is a recognized health authority I thought this would be appropriate to share. The advice in the article seems to be well grounded in common sense. Please note that you should always consult with your child's doctor before beginning any strengh training program.

Coach Bob

http://youthbaseballblog.blogspot.com/



Strength training: OK for kids when done correctly

Strength training offers kids many benefits, but there are important caveats to keep in mind. Here's what you need to know about youth strength training.
Strength training for kids? You bet! Done properly, strength training offers many bonuses to young athletes. Strength training is even a good idea for kids who simply want to look and feel better. In fact, strength training can put your child on a lifetime path to better health and fitness.

Strength training, not weightlifting

For kids, light resistance and controlled movements are best — with a special emphasis on proper technique and safety. Your child can do many strength training exercises with his or her own body weight or inexpensive resistance tubing. Free weights and machine weights are other options.

Don't confuse strength training with weightlifting, bodybuilding or powerlifting. These activities are largely driven by competition, with participants vying to lift heavier weights or build bigger muscles than those of other athletes. This can put too much strain on young muscles, tendons and areas of cartilage that haven't yet turned to bone (growth plates) — especially when proper technique is sacrificed in favor of lifting larger amounts of weight.....

READ entire article: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/strength-training/HQ01010