Visit http://www.BaseballTutorials.com to discover the 6 Biggest Mistakes Hitters Make.
In this edition, we cover the "Hip Slide". If you're a coach, make sure your young softball and baseball hitters overcome this problem early. We'll show you how!
Duration : 0:7:19
A single will do fine, just make contact?! Learn the proper way to hit a baseball, depending on where in the strike zone the ball is thrown, in this free video.
Expert: Ben Graham
Bio: Ben Graham was an outstanding high school and collegiate baseball player where he won all-conference honors.
Duration : 0:2:3
RightView Pro is a video analysis software company that specializes in baseball and softball hitting and pitching instruction. RVP is the only video analysis software company that is licensed by Major League Baseball, National Pro Fastpitch and Olympic Softball Players.
Duration : 0:3:26
Create a trigger for your baseball swing. Learn about batting stances and how to prepare to hit a baseball in this free video lesson.
Expert: Eric Herrera
Bio: Eric Herrera is a hitting instructor in Phoenix. Since playing in the College World Series, he has coached little league teams and provided hitting instructions for five to eighteen year-olds.
Filmmaker: Dustin Daniels
Duration : 0:1:20
Hall of Famer hitter Paul Molitor of the Milwaukee Brewers, Toronto Blue Jays and Minnesota Twins provides hitting tips in this instructional video that accompanies American League batting champ and starting Minnesota Twins catcher Joe Mauer's Quickswing baseball batting training aid. Get the Quickswing at http://www.mauersquickswingstore.com/
Duration : 0:14:3
I started playing baseball at age 8. As a talented player in my teens and twenties I played on traveling baseball all-star teams while also competing in, and winning, martial arts tournaments. During this time I developed a unique and innovative "system" that integrated my martial arts skills INTO my baseball skills. The results were amazing!
I'm now 59 years of age and I still play over 80 games per year on an elite traveling senior softball team in the Pacific Northwest, U.S.A. All players are over 50 years old. I have worked on perfecting this unique "system" for over 40 years and it's still very effective.
I'm going to give you a glimpse into these "secret" techniques to help you improve your baseball hitting. You will be required to "think outside the box" with these techniques, but they have been proven to work without fail.
Let's try a simple technique...
The Secret Of The 2" Hip Turn.
Pick up your bat right now and get into your normal batting stance. Take a few swings using the normal physical movements you are used to. Take mental note of your body position in your stance. Now before you swing again consciously rotate your hips just 2 inches backwards, away from the pitcher. Think about this 2 inches in your mind as you're in your stance. Feel these 2 inches. Now take your normal swing with this extra 2 inches of hip rotation.
You will be able to "feel" the difference in your swing. This simple 2 inch change in your hip rotation has just added much more force to your normal hitting power. Your swing will feel much more "free." This small 2 inch hip turn "frees" up your swing and adds more power when you make ball contact. It will take some time to adjust to this change and you must remember to consciously think about it each time you step to the plate. But once you become comfortable with this simple technique and it's timing you will see a dramatic improvement in the power you generate with the bat. I guarantee it.
In Okinawa Shorei-Ryu martial arts all power punches are thrown beginning at the hips. The fist starts next to the hip, and just before the point of contact the hip is turned in perfect timing with the fist. This hip turn generates tremendous force through the arm, out the fist, and into the target. The more the hip is turned, the more power the punch generates.
I learned to apply this force generated with the martial arts hip turn into my baseball hitting and the results were amazing after just a short time of practice. If you take the time to practice this you will see a marked difference in the power you generate with the bat in a short period of time.
Let's take a look at another mental technique that can help you improve your hitting power...
Generate Power With The "Imaginary Tree Roots" Technique.
Okinawa Shorei-Ryu teaches us how to mentally "draw" power up from the ground and utilize it physically. When we throw a punch we mentally imagine our feet are rooted to the ground like a tree. We mentally "see in our mind" the roots attached to our feet anchored deep into the ground below us. This mental technique gives us what we call "ground power."
A punch thrown utilizing this mental technique increases the actual force generated physically. We mentally draw massive power from the ground and this generates more physical force into our hand strikes. It can also generate more force into a baseball bat.
When in your batting stance mentally picture that your back foot (your push-off foot) has imaginary tree limbs attached to it and they are rooted deep into the ground. These tree roots are attached to the bottom of your foot. Think about how solid this "push-off" foot anchors your stance with these roots buried deep into the ground. Now when you begin your bat swing picture in your mind the massive power you are drawing up from the ground through these roots.
This power is coming out of the ground, into your body, up through your arms and hands, and out into the bat. Picture it vividly in your mind. Work with the timing of your physical swing as you hold this picture in your mind. Practice it over and over. Once you get the physical timing tuned with the mental picture it will produce results for you.
This technique takes practice to learn. Any new skill, mental or physical, takes practice. But the benefits it produces are well worth the time spent to utilize it. This technique has been practiced by martial artists for centuries and has been proven to work. And it will produce results when hitting a baseball.
The next technique is simple, and can be learned in about 5 seconds. It is powerful and can be used immediately...
Improve Your Balance/Power With The Secret "Grab The Ground With Your Toes" Technique.
Okinawa Shorei-Ryu martial artists improve their balance by learning to "grab the ground with their toes" prior to making a move. Sounds crazy doesn't it? But I'll prove to you that it works.
Stand in your normal batting stance again. Your weight should be evenly distributed between the balls of your feet and your heels. Most players never actually think about how this weight distribution affects their balance. But without good balance you cannot generate any true power.
Now simply curl your toes downward and mentally and physically "grab the ground" below you with your toes. This is a very simple technique but when you curl your toes downward you will instantly "feel" more balanced and powerful. It's a subtle feeling, but it's there an 1ff8 d you can feel it. Try it. Don't strain to "grab" the ground, just do it easily. You'll feel the increase in balance immediately. And when you swing the bat with this simple technique you are swinging with more balance in your stance.
This is a technique that you can use immediately to add power to your hitting. Practice it.
I'd like to talk about the importance of relaxation when in the batter's box. Being able to relax until just the "right time" will improve your hitting with this next technique.
Relax And Explode Your 'Focused Energy' In A Controlled 'Burst.'
Most batters are tense and rigid when standing in the batter's box. The pressure is on to get a hit. But when you're tense and rigid you cannot "transfer" and "release" your true power into the bat. When you swing and hit the ball in this state your power is "locked" inside you. You cannot "release" it properly with it's full force. Muscular tension before your swing acts as a brake to powerful hitting.
When a martial artist is fighting an opponent he learns to stay relaxed during the confrontation. By staying relaxed his physical movements are free and flowing and controlled. He has speed and quickness in a relaxed state. Muscular tension slows down all physical movements and restricts quickness and speed. But when he strikes he tenses all muscles in his body and delivers the blow with a "focused burst" of his total energy into the target upon contact. This relaxed state works extremely well when hitting a baseball also.
While in your batting stance you should be totally relaxed, not tense and rigid. When the pitcher winds up and delivers the pitch and you decide to commit to swing at it you instantly tense all muscles and mentally "shoot" your energy out of the bat and into the ball at the point of impact. You mentally and physically "explode" all of your "focused energy" into the bat.
By being relaxed before this point you are allowing all your power to "flow" into the bat in this "focused burst" of intense energy. By not being tense and rigid before this point you don't "lock" your power inside you. When you're relaxed up to this "explosive burst" you "release" all your power at the precise time of it's total intensity. Your true power is transferred into the ball through the bat and a focused concentration of energy and power is produced.
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This may sound complicated to you at this point, but with dedicated practice it becomes very easy to master this technique. It's a matter of timing the tension of the muscles with the exhalation of your breath at the precise moment you touch the ball with your bat.
And once you become proficient at it you will quickly move up several levels in your hitting skills. For the first time in your life you begin to think of relaxing at the plate and "explosive bursts," and "releasing" your power, and "focused energy." You're no longer tense and rigid with your power "locked" inside you. Once you're exposed to this new way of thinking it grows on you. It stays in your mind. You begin thinking of it more and more and you begin to improve your skills. You see it's true power.
To end this 'sample' of my "secret system" I would like to ask you a question. How good do you want to be, and how far are you willing to go to be the best you can be?
When I was young I was not the most gifted natural athlete on my teams. But I became one of the best on just about every team I ever played on. And I did this by outworking the more talented players. In my free time after school and baseball practice I decided to "practice on my own time."
I would go into the garage at our house and simply swing my bat 200-300 times each and every night by myself. I did this 7 days a week It only took 20-30 minutes. In one week I had swung my bat at least 1,750 times. In one month I had swung my bat over 7,000 times more than the rest of the players on my team. My ability to swing freely improved tremendously. My hitting improved dramatically. Doing this can make a huge difference in your hitting?
Practicing "on your own time" will make a huge difference in your skill level. Are you one of the few willing to put in this extra work? How bad do you want to be one of the best? Most players won't do this. But if you want to move up to the next level and you commit to doing this you will reap tremendous rewards. I guarantee it!
You can then move on to using a pitching machine and there are none better than a Jugs pitching machine
Author: Doug Allan Dammeier
Doug Allan Dammeier, known as "CoachDoug," lives in the mountains of western Washington state. If you are interested in a complete copy of his 'Okinawa Martial Arts Secret System Of Baseball/Softball Hitting" you can email him for more information at coachdoug60@seattle-mariners.net This 'secret system' is chocked full of unique and innovative techniques to give you that 'extra edge' to your game
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Doug_Allan_Dammeier
Once you have stepped up to the plate and starred down the pitcher, there is only one weapon of choice, a big stick. Baseball training, good training, leads to great baseball hitting. We all want to hit it out of the park whether it's at a company picnic or with friends doing the baseball pitching for fun. Swinging and missing just makes the pitcher shiver, there is an art to hitting a baseball. When mind and body connect with the bat and ball, it could be your shot heard round the world.
Swinging a bat takes more than just motion, it takes poetry in motion. Watch any major leaguer and he's not hoping he will hit, he is gearing up to smash it. The main focus on hitting a baseball is transfer of motion. You may have read or heard somewhere that Babe Ruth struck out more times that he hit home runs, it's true, but his RBI stats are seldom recognized. Why? It's because he was known as a home run hitter.
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Before you can crush the ball and loosen the stitches, you have to learn what it takes to hit it first. Many people who have played baseball for a team when they were younger practiced a lot, probably more than they wanted to. They hit thousands of pitches and sometimes just making contact with the ball is refreshing enough. But those who want to hit it continuously know that the mind and body have to work together. You've got to train yourself to know where and when to swing.
Text is no substitute for practice, reading about how to hit a baseball effectively will only get you past the first page, but not past first base. To know how to hit you've got to get out there and get a feel for what it takes. Whether it's a pitching machine that's eating your tokens or a real live cannon in polyester, finding out where the strike zone is at means all the difference. You have to feel in control of your swing.
There are several ways to train your eye to see a baseball; you know the standard color is white. You can gauge when it's coming because your eye can see it, but how do you know when to swing? Swinging a baseball bat is like swinging a golf club, you keep your arms straight, and you use a fluid motion to transfer your power from one part of your body, your legs, to your arms. You can also practice with colored baseballs, train your eye to see the ball coming, it's the trajectory that you memorize. Hitting is an instinct; hone it to your advantage.
You can also set up a Wiffleball set in your backyard, continuously repeating the motion of bringing your arms across your body towards the ball will become second nature. Make contact and feel the shift in your hips. It doesn't matter if you bat right or left, the same standard movements apply. Get a good stance that holds you to the ground but doesn't anchor you. The balls of your feet are your spring, don't bounce too much or your upper body will have to compensate. Practice swinging a few times at hitting an imaginary ball, feel the motion that it takes to swing.
Once you have the familiar movement in your mind then you can understand what your body is supposed to do when a pitch is coming at you. When you swing at a pitch it's very important to not take your eye off the ball, of course you can't watch a pitch come all the way down the pike, which defeats the purpose. But you can know your swing will be consistent every time if you practice the motion of hitting. Knowing when to swing is also very important.
The strike zone is measured from the batters elbows to their kneecaps while they are at the plate. If you get down to low then the pitcher is going to throw lower to get you to chase those pitches called "worm burners". If you stand too tall then he'll be throwing "chin ticklers". Bending your legs slightly and resting on the balls of your feet will have him throwing right in your comfortable strike zone. You have to concentrate on your swing more than hitting the ball, if it's in the zone you'll get a piece of it. A hit is a hit.
When you have determined that swinging a bat and hitting a baseball takes the mind and body working together you'll begin to understand the science behind it. Baseball hitting isn't just stepping up to the plate and reacting, it's knowing the motion it takes to hit and achieving the process. There is baseball training that is designed to help you hit the ball with confidence and with power so you can get on base. Or, if you want to hit it out of the park.
Baseball pitching by a jugs pitching machine or by someone helping your practice should trigger your brain and signal your body what stance to get in to. Knowing that the ball is coming into your strike zone and knowing the motion in takes to connect with the ball will help you become a better hitter
If you are consistent with your stance and know that your shoulders and hips are the real powerhouse you'll be invited back to that friendly baseball hitting in the park every weekend.
Author: Chris Moheno
Chris Moheno has a long time passion for sports in general and for baseball coaching more specifically
His goal is to spread the word about effective non-fluff baseball training techniques for both more experienced and young baseball players, to help them perform better during the game
Discover more about baseball training secrets on baseballtrainingsecrets
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_Moheno
When it comes to baseball training many players will focus on either baseball hitting or baseball pitching. In many cases, you are either a hitter or a pitcher and on the rare occasion, you will succeed at both. When it comes to hitting, you will need to focus on becoming an effective hitter as opposed to what some may call a rusty gate. You will need to be able to train both your eyes and your wrists to work together and allow you to hit the ball. Baseball hitting involves a lot of practice so it makes sense to use a pitching machine rather than your buddy's arm. A Jugs pitching machine covers all the bases as you can chnage the speed and the ball type quite easily. There is even a jugs curveball pitching machine.
Effective hitting is the ability to hit the ball to all fields for average and power. This is a rare combination even for those players in the major leagues. You have of course those that can hit for average and possess a lot of speed and will be in the top of the lineup. Then there are the players who will hit more for power and be able to drive the ball, these are your middle of the line-up or 4, 5 and 6 hitters. These are the players who are responsible for driving in runs. The most important thing that any player can have when at the plate is patience. Be willing to wait for the pitch you want and know it when you see it. However, knowing what pitch you want and actually hitting are two different things. Developing strong hand eye coordination as well as quick reflexes are things that will aid in your ability to hit the ball better. Remember in baseball, hitting is lot more than baseball pitching. The ability to hit the ball will always outweigh the ability to throw simply because the hitter plays every day.
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To better train for baseball hitting you will need to be able to dedicate a lot of time to conditioning as well as be able to spend a lot of time at batting cages. The best way to be able to hit a ball consistently and effectively is through repetition. By doing this you will develop muscle memory which will aid you in being able to go up and just watch the ball and let your body take over as it will know what to do. Know where to stand in the batter's box and what angle to hold the bat at. You will want to develop a smooth level swing to hit primarily line drives. A batter whose swing rises as he follows through will get more lift than drive on the ball and is more likely to hit fly balls and pop ups. A hitter whose bat drops as he swings through will hit more ground balls and will have rely primarily on speed to get on base. Consistency, practice, and repetition are the three main items to improve your hitting ability. However, being physically fit and well conditioned will contribute to your success as well.
As you work towards becoming a better hitter, make sure that you understand that there is no true off-season. You must constantly work to improve your baseball hitting much like a pitcher will work to improve their baseball pitching. It is all about consistency.
Make sure to study the pitchers and their tendencies so you know which pitch is coming and where it is likely to end up to better prepare yourself when you face them. Always prepare yourself and condition at all times. Know how you will be approach each at bat and what your routine will be when you are at the plate.
It is important to be consistent and have the same approach in order to achieve success. Never take your eye off the ball and follow through on every swing. This way you will be able to drive the ball better and develop a smoother stroke.
Try to find exercises and activities that will improve hand eye coordination as well as wrist speed. These two things will help tremendously as well as practice.
Author: Chris Moheno
Chris Moheno has a long time passion for sports in general and for baseball coaching more specifically. His goal is to spread the word about effective non-fluff baseball training techniques for both more experienced and young baseball players, to help them perform better during the game. Discover more about baseball training on baseballtrainingsecrets
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_Moheno
