Get To It, Get Through It
Lots of good hitting instructors teach, “Short to the ball, long through it.” That is a sound theory. However, that quote needs explanation to the baseball novice. As a hitter, you want to be as quick as you can to contact, and then follow through fully to maximize power.
Baseball Practice Plans and Drills
NEW! Baseball Zone’s interactive Practice Planner makes planning a practice and running fun and effective practices easy. Start a free trial now.
Baseball Zone’s practice plans are designed for coaches who want to run effective practices using fun drills and useful game scenarios. Our practice plans teach players about game-winning situations while getting them reps in an exciting and interesting way.
Drills, Drills and More Drills
Drills are a great way to get the player to feel what you are trying to get them to feel. If done properly, they can benefit the players immensely. If done improperly, they are reinforcing bad habits.
“Practice doesn’t make perfect, practice makes permanent.”
Occupy Baseball, 99% vs. 1%
This time of year, many travel baseball teams here in the Midwest have secured inside training facilities on a weekly basis. Travel baseball is big business now. Players pay a pretty penny for coaches, training, leagues and tournaments. Training sessions for teams inside can last anywhere from an 1-2 hours. If your team is lucky enough (or has spent enough money), you will rent a field and some cages.
Fielding Footwork
While it’s safe to assume that the vast majority of major leaguers possess great arm strength, a closer look may reveal something you might not expect. Players seldom during a game “air it out.” Not every pitch or play requires a player to use 100% of his arm speed/strength. But when they have to, how do they do it?
What Really Loses The Game
Time and time again throughout the course of the season, games are lost more frequently by poor fielding. Think back to last year and remember how many times you won and lost and what the cause was. A missed ground ball, fly ball or bad throw turns into a run(s). An extra out may be all a team needs to push across the winning run or build a cushion to put the game out of reach.
Hand Path
The hand path is one of the most critical parts of the baseball swing, and the hardest to perfect. Being able to get your hands “On plane” with the pitch as quickly as possible is so difficult because during the swing it’s not just the hands that play a role, it’s also dependent on body rotation.
Hitting Approach
I’m sitting here watching the Braves play the Giants in game 2 of their best of five series and something huge comes to mind... how to think as a hitter. It is the bottom of the first inning with two men on, Pat Burrell comes to bat. Braves starter Tommy Hanson has just walked Buster Posey on 4 pitches. Quick, if you are Pat Burrell, what are you thinking as you are walking to the plate?
Teaching points: Hitting
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.
Coach Training for Leagues
Volunteer coaches are vital to youth baseball, but many are first-timers who can get easily overwhelmed or frustrated. Training your coaches is crucial to your players’ development and happiness, as well as the success of your league.
Provide the coaches in your league with all the tools they need to succeed. Baseball Zone’s League Packages are customized from the following available options: