Coaching Tips
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Here are the 3 biggest reasons your players strike out, and what you can do to
eliminate them.
1 - Poor Eyesight
If you have a player who has a sound swing, but struggles to make contact, he
may be struggling from poor eyesight.
Tracking the ball from the time the pitcher releases it is one of the most important
fundamentals of hitting.
Bring this up with the player and his parents, and gently remind them that
athlete's should get their eyes checked at least once per year.
2 - Heavy Bat
A heavy bat is difficult to control, and forces hitters to start the bat forward earlier in
the swing.
Not only that, it will kill your bat speed and actually cost you power.
Kids ten and under should use a bat weighing 16-19 ounces (depending on their
height/weight)
11-12 year olds should use a bat weighing 18-23 ounces.
And players 13 or older should use a bat in the 27-30 ounce range.
3 - Overswinging.
Sparky Anderson once said "If you want to cut down your strikeouts, quit trying to
hit the ballso hard!"
Couldn't be more true.
Overswinging causes players to lose balance and lose control over the bat. To
help, try havingyour hitters, choke up an inch or two on the bat.
Or, try spreading out on the stance an extra 2-3 inches, or even eliminating the
stride entirely.
eliminate them.
1 - Poor Eyesight
If you have a player who has a sound swing, but struggles to make contact, he
may be struggling from poor eyesight.
Tracking the ball from the time the pitcher releases it is one of the most important
fundamentals of hitting.
Bring this up with the player and his parents, and gently remind them that
athlete's should get their eyes checked at least once per year.
2 - Heavy Bat
A heavy bat is difficult to control, and forces hitters to start the bat forward earlier in
the swing.
Not only that, it will kill your bat speed and actually cost you power.
Kids ten and under should use a bat weighing 16-19 ounces (depending on their
height/weight)
11-12 year olds should use a bat weighing 18-23 ounces.
And players 13 or older should use a bat in the 27-30 ounce range.
3 - Overswinging.
Sparky Anderson once said "If you want to cut down your strikeouts, quit trying to
hit the ballso hard!"
Couldn't be more true.
Overswinging causes players to lose balance and lose control over the bat. To
help, try havingyour hitters, choke up an inch or two on the bat.
Or, try spreading out on the stance an extra 2-3 inches, or even eliminating the
stride entirely.
| How to Stop Your Hitters From Striking Out |
One of the fastest ways to increase your team's batting average and power is to
improve bat speed.
The quicker the bat head moves through the hitting zone, the longer your players
can wait and see the ball - and make a better choice in a swing, no-swing
situation.
And when your players strike the ball with more velocity, it travels further and
faster, increasing the chances of extra base hits.
Here are 3 simple tips you can use with players of any age to develop
lightning-quick bat speed.
1) Train The Core
A powerful core helps your athletes transfer speed and momentum to the upper
body, the arms, and eventually the bat head.
Here are 3 core exercises you should include in your team's in-season and
off-season program:
* Plank
Lie down on your stomach. Lift your body off the floor with your forearms (elbows
at 90° degrees) and your toes. Keep your body in a straight position (without
arching your back) and hold for 30 seconds to one minute. Lift one foot in the air
for added difficulty.
* Lying glute pushup
The lying glute pushup targets your butt and back muscles. Lie on your back with
your feet resting on top of a chair or bench. Push through your heels to raise
your butt off the floor as high as possible. Form a straight line from your knees to
your shoulders. Hold this position for 60 seconds.
* Twisting crunch
This is one of the most effective crunch workouts, as it hits all of your stomach
muscle fibers at once. Assume a standard crunch position, raise your torso to
a 45° angle, and then twist from side to side. For an advanced movement, extend
your legs and pretend to peddle a bicycle while you continue to twist.
2) Build Grip Strength
To develop a quick bat your kids must have strong hands, wrists and forearms.
Your players can easily build grip strength by using common objects found at
home. Have them spend 30 minutes a day squeezing a tennis ball (they can do
this while watching TV or reading).
Another great at-home tool is the wrist-roller.
Making one is easy. Just take a broom stick and cut it to about 12 inches long.
now drill a hole in the middle of the cut broom stick and insert a piece of rope
around 4-5 feet long.
Now tie one end of the rope to the handle and the other end to a brick or five-lb
weight.
To perform the exercise, twist and turn both wrists in an alternating fashion,
rolling the weight all the way to the top. Lower slowly and repeat.
3) Solo Hitting Practice
Simply put, the best way to improve bat speed is repetition.
improve bat speed.
The quicker the bat head moves through the hitting zone, the longer your players
can wait and see the ball - and make a better choice in a swing, no-swing
situation.
And when your players strike the ball with more velocity, it travels further and
faster, increasing the chances of extra base hits.
Here are 3 simple tips you can use with players of any age to develop
lightning-quick bat speed.
1) Train The Core
A powerful core helps your athletes transfer speed and momentum to the upper
body, the arms, and eventually the bat head.
Here are 3 core exercises you should include in your team's in-season and
off-season program:
* Plank
Lie down on your stomach. Lift your body off the floor with your forearms (elbows
at 90° degrees) and your toes. Keep your body in a straight position (without
arching your back) and hold for 30 seconds to one minute. Lift one foot in the air
for added difficulty.
* Lying glute pushup
The lying glute pushup targets your butt and back muscles. Lie on your back with
your feet resting on top of a chair or bench. Push through your heels to raise
your butt off the floor as high as possible. Form a straight line from your knees to
your shoulders. Hold this position for 60 seconds.
* Twisting crunch
This is one of the most effective crunch workouts, as it hits all of your stomach
muscle fibers at once. Assume a standard crunch position, raise your torso to
a 45° angle, and then twist from side to side. For an advanced movement, extend
your legs and pretend to peddle a bicycle while you continue to twist.
2) Build Grip Strength
To develop a quick bat your kids must have strong hands, wrists and forearms.
Your players can easily build grip strength by using common objects found at
home. Have them spend 30 minutes a day squeezing a tennis ball (they can do
this while watching TV or reading).
Another great at-home tool is the wrist-roller.
Making one is easy. Just take a broom stick and cut it to about 12 inches long.
now drill a hole in the middle of the cut broom stick and insert a piece of rope
around 4-5 feet long.
Now tie one end of the rope to the handle and the other end to a brick or five-lb
weight.
To perform the exercise, twist and turn both wrists in an alternating fashion,
rolling the weight all the way to the top. Lower slowly and repeat.
3) Solo Hitting Practice
Simply put, the best way to improve bat speed is repetition.
| 3 tips for lightning-quick bat speed |
| This page sponsored by The Fun Zone www.thefunzoneburlington.com Coaches! Ask about batting cage team discounts click on the logo to visit their website |
Soft toss drills are a great way to practice
your hitting stroke and work on timing.
Here's how to set one up:
The tosser and hitter face each other with
the hitter in a batting stance and the tosser
kneeling on the ground approx 8-10 feet away.
The tosser is positioned to the side of the
hitter, and well behind the hitters back foot.
The toss is made with a gentle down-up motion
of the hand and arm. The ball should loop
toward the batter and enter the strike zone
at around belt level.
Try to aim the toss so that it lands on the
top of an imaginary batting tee sitting
on home plate.
When hitting a soft toss, encourage your
players to take a swing similar to hitting
off a tee.
Time the cut so that you contact the ball
at about waist height and in line with
the front foot.
Once you have the basic setup down, there
are a number of different soft-toss drills
you can use to work on different elements
of the swing and adjust the difficulty.
your hitting stroke and work on timing.
Here's how to set one up:
The tosser and hitter face each other with
the hitter in a batting stance and the tosser
kneeling on the ground approx 8-10 feet away.
The tosser is positioned to the side of the
hitter, and well behind the hitters back foot.
The toss is made with a gentle down-up motion
of the hand and arm. The ball should loop
toward the batter and enter the strike zone
at around belt level.
Try to aim the toss so that it lands on the
top of an imaginary batting tee sitting
on home plate.
When hitting a soft toss, encourage your
players to take a swing similar to hitting
off a tee.
Time the cut so that you contact the ball
at about waist height and in line with
the front foot.
Once you have the basic setup down, there
are a number of different soft-toss drills
you can use to work on different elements
of the swing and adjust the difficulty.
Soft Toss Drill