Overcoming the Fear of Being Hit by the Baseball

Overcoming the Fear of Being Hit by the Baseball
By guest author: Jim Bain

Seems all young baseball players want to be a pitcher, the man who controls the game and who is involved in every play of the game. No day dreaming in the outfield if you're pitching.

Ever wonder why very few players want to be a catcher, who being the second half of the pitching battery, is every bit as important and involved as the pitcher?

Ever cross your mind that maybe the players are afraid of being hurt if they became a catcher? That's not to say every player should want to be a catcher or are afraid, but what about the strong armed kid who runs like a tortoise, making him an excellent candidate for the tools of ignorance, but who shivers when you suggest he try it.

Fear of the baseball is not an uncommon issue with younger aged players, for example, some players will give a coach heartburn all season long because they bail out of the batters box as soon as the pitcher releases the ball.

Fear is a natural instinct God gave us to protect ourselves from our own ignorance, but fear of the baseball can be overcome. The coach is charged with that responsibility and it's a hefty one, but totally achievable with a little patience and coaching.

Let's briefly, without getting into a bunch of physiological mumble jumble, look at why a player is afraid of the baseball. Simply put, he's afraid it will hurt if he gets hit. Pretty basic human stuff, no different than you not wanting to hit your thumb with a hammer; it'll hurt.

Obviously our job is to eliminate that fear by showing the player, if properly equipped, getting hit by the baseball will not hurt.

Let's look at a drill specifically designed to eliminate fear of being hit by the baseball for a prospective candidate for the catching position.

A coach, with an accurate throwing arm, is essential for this drill or don't even try it. The drill is intended to eliminate fear, not intensify it, and a badly placed throw could do just that.

Help the player put on his full complement of protective catching gear. Assist even if the player knows how to don the equipment because you want to establish a "I'm with you every step of the way" and there's nothing to fear attitude.

Joking and kidding around with the player is a crucial part of the mental game, as humor replaces fear. A human can not properly experience two conflicting emotions at the same time.

Have the catcher go to the catcher's position behind home plate, but have him stand instead of squatting and instruct him he is not to catch the balls, but rather let them hit him. The coach will stand 20' to 30' in front of him as the pitcher, with a bucket of rubber balls. Do not use tennis balls if possible, they are not as effective for this drill as harder rubber balls are.

This is where accuracy is essential on the coach's part. Begin throwing the rubber balls, at medium speed, at the player hitting him in different parts of his equipment.

After 20 to 30 throws have the catcher assume the squatting position and throw another 20 to 30 pitches hitting him in every piece of equipment, including the mask, as possible.

Most players will overcome their fear of being hurt after one drill session, some require two and others never will adapt. And that's OK. If just one kid overcomes his fear, you have been successful and if nobody overcomes the fear, you've still helped them overcome the fear of being hit by a pitch while batting.

Two requirements to never forget are, an accurate throwing arm is a must and always be sure the player protects his hands during the drill.

Jim (Coach) Bain is a former Minor League Baseball Player and successful Coach of Youth Baseball for over a decade and a half. He has drawn from fellow successful coaches' experiences and combined them with his own extensive experience to create a Baseball Teaching Website. The site is packed with 100s of tips, drills, history and instruction on how to play and coach the game of baseball.
http://www.Learn-Youth-Baseball-Coaching.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jim_Bain

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Batting Cages: The Secret to Batting Success

Batting Cages: The Secret to Batting Success
By guest author: Jack M Patterson

While practicing as a team is the best way to go, athletes also need to work on their individual skills in a more focused environment. Batting cages are perfect for players who want to enhance their skills, in order to be able to bring more to the game.

This specialized cage is an enclosed area where baseball players can practice their batting skills. It is usually rectangular in shape and made of netting. A batter stands at one end of the enclosure. For safety and practicality, a pitching machine instead of a real pitcher is placed at the other end. The nets keep the balls within close range while allowing batters to hit at full strength. The cage can be placed outdoors or inside of a long room so that batters can practice in all weather conditions. Indoor cages are popular during winter months, when days are shorter and it takes more electricity to light up the field for a longer period of time.

A pitching machine automatically pitches balls at varying speeds and styles. It usually pitches out softballs or synthetic baseballs in place of the official leather baseball. Special mechanisms installed allow the machine to compensate for the true weight of an official ball. It simulates pitching scenarios that batters usually encounter.

Batting cages are important in improving every batter's skills. They are used by both amateur and professional baseball organizations as a necessary part of their training routine. A batter can improve his or her positioning, timing, and focus when practicing with this type of training tool. All baseball teams or serious baseball players should invest on high quality practice cages that will suit their needs.

Resource Box:

SPI Nets is a leader in providing high quality batting cages. The company also provides high-quality golf netting and other sports equipment. Log on to SPINets.net or call 866-243-6387 for more information.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jack_M_Patterson

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Check out these coaching articles at the Softball Coaching Digest:
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• Articles from the Youth Softball Coaching Clinic Blog
• Articles from the Coaching Fastpitch Softball Pitchers Blog
• Articles from the Coaching Fastpitch Softball Hitters Blog
• Articles from the Tips for Fastpitch Softball Coaches Blog
• The Fastpitch Softball Training Equipment Blog

Batting Cage - Its Types - Batting Cage Buying Tips

By Nancy Chin

A batting cage is generally used to practice batting skills for the game of baseball. It is a netted cage that encloses a particular area to catch the balls. A home batting cage is also referred to as backyard batting cage. It is very useful for those who need regular practice as they can skip out on long waiting hours at the sports complex and also save up on traveling time.

When one decides to purchase a home kit, he should make considerations such as, the space available to set it up, the period of use, whether temporary or permanent, and also the perfect pitching distance. Some ideal pitching distances can be seen as follows.

Pinto - 38 ft
Mustang - 44 ft
Little league - 46 ft
Bronco - 48 ft
Pony - 54 ft
Pro/ College/ High school - 60.6 ft

The size of depends on specific requirements for example if you require a pitching machine you would need more space. Whereas a batting cage for T- ball would require very less space. Batting cages are made of different materials for different purposes, for example, if you need to set up one outside, in the sunlight, material suggested is polyethylene. This material is also best for backyard use. Setting up of a cage does not take long, after the ground sleeves are cemented in, it should take roughly one or two hours to finish installing the frame. While using a pitching machine, it is advised to use a backstop. This helps to prevent damages done to the net. This can be used if the pitching machine is at 60 mph or less. For machines more than 80 mph it is advised to choose twisted poly and nylon.

Netting can either be twisted or knitted. Twisted netting is a stronger type of netting, it has knots and includes three strands together. These are hung on squares. Knitted netting in knitted like golf netting. I does not let the balls to escape through them. It is recommended for under high school level baseball. These are hung on diamonds which increases the stretch from all sides.

Batting cages can either be nylon or poly. In case of an indoor one, it is advised to use a nylon cage net. This material is stronger than poly. If outdoor batting is the choice, then one should use poly batting nets.

Our entire selection of pitching machines & batting cages are on sale now. Also enjoy free shipping on your baseball pitching machine, softball pitching machine, or batting cage this week only.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nancy_Chin


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Message to Baseball and Softball Parents
Recommended Blogs & Knols

Baseball Batting Drill - 3 Pitch Location Drill - On the Derek Jeter Hurricane Machine

This video shows how a batter can use the Derek Jeter Hurricane Hitting Machine to practice hitting the inside, middle and away strike locations. Video shows a college player hitting all three locations without stopping to adjust, change or move the Hurricane Batting Trainer. Audio is done by Nick Dixon, inventor, of the Derek Jeter Hurricane Baseball Trainer. Visit Coach Nick's Hurricane Machine Baseball Training blog at http://hurricanebaseballtrainingmachi... or see more info on this great trainer at http://www.HurricaneMachine.com Available at a great price at Baseball2u.com at http://store.baseball2u.com/husotrmaj...

Baseball Coaching Digest - Home Batting Cages - Two Misbeliefs Concerning Baseball Batting Cage Use

Baseball Coaching Digest - Home Batting Cages - Two Misbeliefs Concerning Baseball Batting Cage Use
By Nick Dixon

Two Batting Cage Misbeliefs that baseball people need to know about are (1) Many people belive that a Batting Cage must be long for it to be usable for all ages. That is not true. (2) Many people believe that a batter must see 75 miles per hour pitches to receive maximum benefit from cage work. That is not true.

This article discusses how many buyers are mistaken or misled in the buying or building a new baseball batting cage. The article outlines Two Batting Cage Misbeliefs that are simply not true:

1. Batting Cage Misbelief Number One - A Cage must be long for it to be usable for all ages.

This is simply not true. Players of all ages, even the high school and collegiate levels can benefit from batting practice in cages that are 35 to 50 feet in length. A cage does not have to be 70 feet long for it to beneficial to advanced players. The reason for this is that long-toss, front-toss and various other batting practice drills can be performed at distances under the regular pitching distances. When batters take swings at pitches thrown at 35 feet, the batter is seeing and reacting to pitches that simulate higher speeds at the normal pitching distance. The player must perform the swing with the proper trigger, separate, and load actions. All of these elements of the swing must be done at the same speed, rhythm, and timing as under normal game hitting.

2. Batting Cage Misbelief Number Two - A batter must see 75 miles per hour pitches to receive maximum benefit.

Most hitters at all levels of play including high school, college, and pros would rather see and hit live arm pitches at 45 miles per hour at 30 feet than pitches thrown by a machine at 75 miles per hour. Live-arm batting practice is batting practice thrown by a person not a machine. We must remember that advanced batters benefit most from seeing pitches thrown by a person. The batter must pick-up the pitcher arm-slot, the pitcher release point and time the speed of the pitch thrown. When a person is throwing batting practice the speed and location of every pitch can be changed. It is also a fact that many people are not adept at throwing strikes at longer distances. However, most people can throw an accurate pitch for a strike from 30and 40 feet distances. The batter gets more work in because more pitches are hittable. Not as much time and effort is wasted by with bad pitches out of the strike zone. The shorter distance makes the workout more efficient.

What does this all mean to a potential batting cage buyer?

For the average home user shorter batting cage is suitable for all drills, batting practice, and applications that you will need for your player to be successful through the high school level. I think it is important to realize that the system you buy will be used for a variety of batting drills. The function of the net is safety, ball containment, and practice efficiency. The batting net is no better than the parent or coach that dedicates time for its use. If you use it, you will experience incredible results. It will be a wise investment. Kids can not use the cage without parental or adult supervision and participation.

Make sure to purchase the Batting Cage Door to make your batting cage more convenient and safe.

I hope that you found this article useful and informative. You may find more like it at the Baseball Coaching Digest and at the Youth Baseball Digest. Thanks for reading my article. Have a great day. Nick

Check out the BatAction Hitting Machine baseball pitching simulator. This high speed training machine is 100% Guaranteed to raise Batting Averages and has a full year warranty.

The Joe Mauer Quick Swing Trainer is a popular baseball training machine for home and team use.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nick_Dixon

Building a Batting Cage

BattingCageDoor.com - Easy to Install - Easy to Use!

Building a Batting Cage
By Jason Gluckman

Batting cages are mostly used by baseball or softball coaches and players for practice. There are several types of batting cages, including indoor, outdoor, portable, and tunnel batting cages. Completely enclosed batting cages need more space. There is a simple net behind the batsman.

Weather is an important factor in choosing a batting cage. Indoor batting cages are required if the weather is bad. Portable batting cages are useful for players who frequently participate in games; they can practice any time with the portable cage.

In order to build a batting cage, one must understand its main features. The netting and frame are the two important features of a batting cage. The frame used in a batting cage is constructed with high-strength, adjustable aluminum tubes. In outdoor batting cages, the frame is coated with a special weather?resistant powder coating. Manufacturers are conducting tests with batting cage materials for strength and durability. The material used for netting should be durable enough to withstand adverse weather conditions. The net material may be chosen according to the application. The netting used is often black in color. Nylon material is used for netting in indoor batting cages. Polyethylene, high-density polyethylene, polyester Kevlar, and KVX200 are other common netting materials. Batting cage nettings now available are weather coated with polyurethane and water repellants and spray-coated with resins to ensure longer life. Construction is another factor that determines the durability of a batting cage.

Flooring is usually made of polypropylene stretchable material attached to the net. The cage entrance needs black PVC-coated chain link. Some batting cages use pitching machines, which are either coin- or token-operated pitching machines. The number of pitches in the machine can be selected. Pneumatic ball return systems automatically return the balls to the pitching machine.

Many dealers provide do-it-yourself batting cage kits with proper instructions, which contain all the materials for a standard batting cage.

Batting Cages provides detailed information on Batting Cages, Indoor Batting Cages, Outdoor Batting Cages, Batting Cages Equipment and more. Batting Cages is affiliated with Cheap Baseball Tickets.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jason_Gluckman

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