By Todd Thomas
Having the ability to use the whole field or to hit to all fields, just how important is it? It's an interesting questions if you really think about it. Most would quickly answer that it is extremely important if not the MOST important ability a hitter should have. Is it? I'm not here to really tell you that it either is or isn't. I just want to examine the thought process of some coaches who hold the hard line that this ability is what makes a good hitter or would have you believe that player who can't or doesn't can't hit very well. Really?
I find it interesting that the prevailing thought amongst those around baseball(coaches, players, parents, and so on) look at a hitter that pulls everything and say "he can hit BUT he pulls everything". Yet the player who hits everything to the opposite field they say "this hitter is great, he hits everything the other way". Their eyes glaze over and go on and on over what a great hitter this player is because they hit everything the other way. Wait a minute. I thought that hitting everything to one side of the field like a pull hitter does was not good???
They will say of the pull hitter, "pitchers will just work him away all the time and he is doomed". Really? Doomed to be a bad hitter because he is a dead pull hitter and those oh so perfect pitchers will just throw everything on the outside black of the plate and this player will never be able to hit. Might as well quit the game right? Not so fast.
Ever see a major league team put the "shift" on against a player? Ever happen to notice who they put the shift on against? Is it against that deadly opposite field hitter so he won't get a single the other way? Not that I've seen. I've always noticed that it's players like David Ortiz, Jason Giambi, Mark Teixeira and others like them who are trying to PULL the ball hard every time they come up. Teams are willing to give them the hit the other way yet these players still try to pull the ball hard.
Why don't they just take what they are given every time and hit to the opposite field? Well, that's exactly what the other team and their pitcher would love for them to do. Yet they don't. They still try to do the big damage by yanking one deep. Ever notice that they still from time to time are able to pull one just like they want to? Yea, but the other team and their pitcher knew EXACTLY what they wanted to do. Why didn't they just prevent this from EVER happening by having their laser precision pitcher just work the outside part of the plate thereby foiling this dead pull hitter? One thing I've noticed over the years is that incredibly, pitchers aren't perfect. They can't always put the ball exactly where they want to.
I just think it's funny sometimes how people will fawn all over the hitter who can hit everything the other way while dismissing the guy who pulls everything as one who is in big trouble when the pitcher figures out what he wants to do. I've heard it so many times from coaches saying "Oh I know just how to get that guy out".. "I know just how to pitch him".. He'll never do anything against us because we'll just stay away from him".. "He'd never get a hit off me or one of my pitchers cause we'll just pitch him this way". Whatever. Then why in the world do guys like David Ortiz still get hits and home runs when the other team knows exactly how to pitch him to prevent this?
Do you know why pitchers like to work the outside part of the plate? I believe it is in large part due to the fact that they stand the least chance of being hurt really bad on their outside pitch. There's a reason why the great Ted Williams said, "History is made on the inside half of the plate". Remember, batting average is nice but ultimately it's runs that win games. Would you rather lead your league in batting average with a bunch of opposite field hitters, or would you rather lead your league in runs scored with a lower batting average. The only numbers that really matter at the end of a game fall under the letter "R".
So is hitting to all fields valuable? Absolutely! Most certainly, but ultimately where is the most damage done? Just something to think about.
Todd Thomas is a Baseball Coach and Professional Hitting Instructor for Mike Epstein Hitting. Coach Todd's personal hitting website is http://www.HitItHere.net. Coach Todd also enthusiastically endorses http://PlayMyBestBaseball.com as a place where baseball and softball hitters can master the Confidence, Composure, Focus and Consistency of their game so they can reach their full potential.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Todd_Thomas
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Saturday, December 20, 2008
2009 Demarini Baseball Bat Reviews
By Rick Cates
Is Demarini the best Baseball Bat on the market? The 2009 line up of baseball bats may well be the best bats Demarini has ever made! Established in 1989 Demarini Bats, a sub-division of Wilson, is making a strong case to take over the baseball bat market. All of the Demarini bats have flexed tuned carbon composite handles which are lighter than alloys and will flex 2 to 4 times more providing more power at contact. Demarini makes 3 collegiate and high school approved bats, each having a different patented end cap. New for 2009 Demarini is touting their new "Pitch Black" composite technology claiming it is stronger than competing technologies.
Here is the line-up for 2009
CF3 Black (or special edition white) is a 100 % composite, two piece bat with double walls and "Pitch Black" technology. This technology touts 22% more carbon fibers than any other bat on the market with no fillers added which should give it a distinct advantage when it comes to power. This enables Demarini to double re-enforce a vertical and horizontal weave. This process provides the strongest and tightest composite weave resulting in more over-all power. The 2009 CF3 comes in collegiate or high school sizes as follows: - 31/28 - 32/29 - 33/30 - 34/31
For senior league: - 29/21 - 30/22 - 31/23 - 32/24
The 2009 Demarini Voodoo Black is made with pitch black composite handles combined with the newest SC4 Alloy. The Voodoo is a high quality bat with a proven reputation at a very reasonable price. The Voodoo is a very popular bat with a larger sweet spot that the ball really explodes off of. The line-up of 2009 Demarini Voodoos come in Collegiate and High School sizes as follows: - 31/28 - 32/29 - 33/30 - 34/31
The 2009 Voodoos come in Senior League sizes as follows: - 29/20 - 30/21 - 31/22 - 32/23 (-9's)
The Demarini Voodoos also come in minus 10 as follows: - 29/19 - 30/20 - 31/21 - 32/22
The Demarini Vendetta.
Demarinis slogan for the 2009 Vendetta is "Attack the ball with a vengeance." This bat is completely re-designed using "Rail" technology to completely re-define bat handle technology. The 2009 Vendetta comes with 4 flat composite rails with varying flexes that run through the handle and reduces vibration, increases bat speed and delivers a nice combination of handle to barrel flex. New SC4 Alloy in the barrel rounds out this bat of choice for many Division 1 Programs. The 2009 Demarini Vendetta comes in the following sizes for Collegiate and High School baseball: - 31/28 - 32/29 - 33/30 - 34/31
For Senior League the following sizes are available: - 29/20 - 30/21 - 31/22 - 32/23
Last but not least is the 2009 Demarini Vexxum. This bat comes with a 100 % composite handle and exclusive SC4 Alloy comprised with Long Barrel technology giving hitters the longest barrel in baseball providing maximum plate coverage and a larger sweet spot. Even though the Vexxum is on the low end of the range for Demarini, it is still a quality bat. The Demarini Vexxum comes in the following sizes for the Collegiate and High School player: - 31/28 - 32/29 - 33/30 - 34/31
Senior League bats are available in the following sizes: - 31/26 - 32/27 - 33/28 - 34/29
Youth and Little League are available in the following sizes: - 28/19.5 - 29/20.5 - 30/21.5 - 31/22.5 - 32/23.5 (-8's)
Youth and Little League also are available at -10 in the following sizes: - 27/17 - 28/18 - 29/19 - 30/20 - 31/21 - 32/22 (-10's)
Demarini is a player in the baseball bat industry and provides quality bats in both the high and low price range. You can't go wrong with a Demarini Bat. To see more of my Baseball Equipment reviews visit me at Rick's Bats and Gloves, ETC.
Rick Cates is the editor in chief of http://ricksbatsandglovesetc.com - At Rick's Bats and Gloves, ETC we go over what is new in the Baseball and Softball world. We will review the latest products and equipment to help you in making your purchase of new or used equipment in the Baseball and Softball world.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rick_Cates
Is Demarini the best Baseball Bat on the market? The 2009 line up of baseball bats may well be the best bats Demarini has ever made! Established in 1989 Demarini Bats, a sub-division of Wilson, is making a strong case to take over the baseball bat market. All of the Demarini bats have flexed tuned carbon composite handles which are lighter than alloys and will flex 2 to 4 times more providing more power at contact. Demarini makes 3 collegiate and high school approved bats, each having a different patented end cap. New for 2009 Demarini is touting their new "Pitch Black" composite technology claiming it is stronger than competing technologies.
Here is the line-up for 2009
CF3 Black (or special edition white) is a 100 % composite, two piece bat with double walls and "Pitch Black" technology. This technology touts 22% more carbon fibers than any other bat on the market with no fillers added which should give it a distinct advantage when it comes to power. This enables Demarini to double re-enforce a vertical and horizontal weave. This process provides the strongest and tightest composite weave resulting in more over-all power. The 2009 CF3 comes in collegiate or high school sizes as follows: - 31/28 - 32/29 - 33/30 - 34/31
For senior league: - 29/21 - 30/22 - 31/23 - 32/24
The 2009 Demarini Voodoo Black is made with pitch black composite handles combined with the newest SC4 Alloy. The Voodoo is a high quality bat with a proven reputation at a very reasonable price. The Voodoo is a very popular bat with a larger sweet spot that the ball really explodes off of. The line-up of 2009 Demarini Voodoos come in Collegiate and High School sizes as follows: - 31/28 - 32/29 - 33/30 - 34/31
The 2009 Voodoos come in Senior League sizes as follows: - 29/20 - 30/21 - 31/22 - 32/23 (-9's)
The Demarini Voodoos also come in minus 10 as follows: - 29/19 - 30/20 - 31/21 - 32/22
The Demarini Vendetta.
Demarinis slogan for the 2009 Vendetta is "Attack the ball with a vengeance." This bat is completely re-designed using "Rail" technology to completely re-define bat handle technology. The 2009 Vendetta comes with 4 flat composite rails with varying flexes that run through the handle and reduces vibration, increases bat speed and delivers a nice combination of handle to barrel flex. New SC4 Alloy in the barrel rounds out this bat of choice for many Division 1 Programs. The 2009 Demarini Vendetta comes in the following sizes for Collegiate and High School baseball: - 31/28 - 32/29 - 33/30 - 34/31
For Senior League the following sizes are available: - 29/20 - 30/21 - 31/22 - 32/23
Last but not least is the 2009 Demarini Vexxum. This bat comes with a 100 % composite handle and exclusive SC4 Alloy comprised with Long Barrel technology giving hitters the longest barrel in baseball providing maximum plate coverage and a larger sweet spot. Even though the Vexxum is on the low end of the range for Demarini, it is still a quality bat. The Demarini Vexxum comes in the following sizes for the Collegiate and High School player: - 31/28 - 32/29 - 33/30 - 34/31
Senior League bats are available in the following sizes: - 31/26 - 32/27 - 33/28 - 34/29
Youth and Little League are available in the following sizes: - 28/19.5 - 29/20.5 - 30/21.5 - 31/22.5 - 32/23.5 (-8's)
Youth and Little League also are available at -10 in the following sizes: - 27/17 - 28/18 - 29/19 - 30/20 - 31/21 - 32/22 (-10's)
Demarini is a player in the baseball bat industry and provides quality bats in both the high and low price range. You can't go wrong with a Demarini Bat. To see more of my Baseball Equipment reviews visit me at Rick's Bats and Gloves, ETC.
Rick Cates is the editor in chief of http://ricksbatsandglovesetc.com - At Rick's Bats and Gloves, ETC we go over what is new in the Baseball and Softball world. We will review the latest products and equipment to help you in making your purchase of new or used equipment in the Baseball and Softball world.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rick_Cates
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
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.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=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.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brandon_Bland
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