Welcome to Full Count Baseball

Hitting a baseball was once described by Ted Williams as the hardest thing to do in sport, and rightfully so. Major leaguers still struggle to hit a pitched ball at 90 miles per hour consistently. But for the little leaguer, making contact with a 60 mile per hour pitch may seem even more daunting. As with any feat, when broken down into its parts, it can seem less intimidating. Here at FullCountBaseball.com, we take the time with each student to have them understand the different parts of their swing, why they are there, what functions they perform, and what impact each has on their swing. We follow time-tested principles and add new theories to produce the perfect mix of old and new instruction for today’s ball player. Because when you get right down to it, it’s still just see it and hit it. If it was only that easy!

Coach Joe Citari spent 9 years in professional baseball playing in the Kansas City Royals, Milwaukee Brewers and Philadelphia Phillies organizations. He has spent the past 8 years coaching local college, American Legion and youth baseball players.

The All-Star Game

Submitted by admin on Fri, 07/10/2009 - 8:54am.
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As we approach the mid-summer classic, a few words to the wise: watch and learn. The games best hitters will be taking center stage and the fundamentals that got them there will be on display for all to see, for free, especially the home run hitting contest. Their mechanics are impeccable. Don’t watch the pitch or how far the ball goes, watch what they do. How do they stride? What do their hands do? Watch their hip drive. Watch their follow through. How is their balance? The broadcasting network does a phenomenal job of showing some slow motion video that really allows you to see what makes them successful. Can or does your swing compare?

Mid-Season Blahs

Submitted by admin on Fri, 06/12/2009 - 8:16am.
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Here we are in the middle of the travel season and now you feel like you are wearing down when you should just be hitting your stride. Tired, slow, dragging, no energy, no bat speed, no fastball? There may be some reasons why.

How to Coach a Hitter During the Game

Submitted by admin on Wed, 05/27/2009 - 11:22am.
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There are very few hitting faults that can be corrected during the game. The job of a hitting coach isn’t necessarily to teach during the game, but to motivate and encourage his players. Practice is the time to teach. However, there are subtle points a coach can make that can help a struggling hitter.

Transitioning From Batting Cage to the Game

Submitted by admin on Tue, 05/19/2009 - 10:54am.
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Here is a question I got recently from the parent of one of my students: How can I get my son to translate the success he has in the batting practice cage into the game?

To answer this question, I will make some assumptions. One, in batting practice, the coach is closer than normal. Two, he is not throwing as hard. Three, it's practice. No pressure. And four, the fear factor.

Common Mistakes in Young Hitters

Submitted by admin on Tue, 04/28/2009 - 10:02am.
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If major league hitters are one thing, they are meticulous. Watch them get their stance in the box. This process can seem to take hours. They tighten their batting gloves, they dig their back foot in, step back out of the box, they put their hand up to the umpire for time, take their stance again, and then they tap the plate and check their alignment. Okay, I’m ready. This tells me one thing, your set up matters. A lot. Take the time to get it right and put your body in a strong starting position.

Teaching points: Hitting

Submitted by admin on Tue, 04/28/2009 - 9:59am.
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While not all swings are exactly alike, the most successful hitters all exhibit relatively the same traits at each point in their swing. As a hitting instructor or just a dad teaching his son or daughter to hit, here are a few key points to look for when instructing.