Baseball Hitting Like a Pro

Baseball Hitting Like a Pro
By guest author: Jack D. Elliott

Baseball Hitting is very challenging. Professional hitters are considered good if they get a hit 3 out of every 10 at bats. This essentially means they fail 70% of the time. With this type of rejection rate, it is easy to see why younger players can get frustrated with limited results. The good news is this will not be you if you are willing to put in some practice and apply our tips.

1. Get Lessons From a Top Baseball Hitting Instructor early in your career. A good hitting coach can help improve your swing and teach you the proper mechanics from the very start of your career. This will save you time and energy by doing it the right way first. Although the cost of the lessons may seem initially high, this will be quickly recouped when you start to see your batting average rise and begin to hit them deep.

2. Practice your Swing daily. Never let a lack of access to the batting cage or batting practice prevent you from practicing your swing. Just simply swinging the bat 100 times each day will provide loads of benefits for you. This repetitive practice will make your swing more natural and automatic in games and you will end up having some additional benefits of gradual improvements in your bat speed and arm strength.

3. Review your Swing regularly. Be sure to videotape your swing and determine if you are picking up bad habits. Also, periodically follow-up with your hitting instructor. This should be an ongoing relationship where he acts your mentor. You can provide him with the tape and he can point what he thinks maybe some things you can focus on.

4. Be loyal to your Hitting Coach. Although it may seem like a good idea to ask for multiple opinions on your swing, it is best to take advice only from one or two people. If you have chosen a top hitting coach from the start, it only makes sense to take your cues from him and follow his advice. Avoid other well intentioned advice from less experienced players and coaches if it is in conflict with your hitting coach. Remember your hitting coach's advice only helps you if you follow it.

5. Practice Bat Speed Drills. Plyometric exercises can go a long way toward developing your fast twitch muscles. This is very important in your batting swing where bat speed is determined by how fast your fast twitch arm muscles respond. By simply swinging lighter bats, you will begin teaching your fast twitch muscles valuable muscle memory. This will translate into faster bat speed when using your regular bat in games.

6. Mental Preparation is key. Much like a pitcher must learn to block out all background noise. You too must learn to block everything else out except for the delivery of the baseball. By simply repeating a simple mantra like "See the ball" again and again while you are batting, you will find your concentration improves and the background noise is filtered out. This improved concentration will translate into more consistent hitting for you.

These tips and drills are a good starting point to improve your hitting. However, to get the maximum benefits out of your hitting, you will need more specific Baseball Hitting Tips To get more tips like the ones in this article, please click on http://www.baseballtrainingtechniques.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jack_D._Elliott

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12 Baseball and Softball Batting Cage Buying Tips

12 Baseball and Softball Batting Cage Buying Tips
By guest author: Nick Dixon

There are some basic points that you must know before buying a batting cage. When you buy a batting cage you are making an investment that should provide you with years and years of top quality batting practice. Here I discuss what I believe are the 12 most important things to consider when you purchase your home, team, school or backyard batting cage. Remember these batting cage buying basics:

1. Batting cages nets come in a variety of sizes but they are all rectangles. The net itself must have square corners to save construction time and cost. The sizes of a cage vary with the length, width, and height of the netting. Be careful about buying cages that are too narrow. These cages do not allow older batters to take a comfortable swing and finish. The greater the width and height of the batting cage, the better sensation a batter has when a ball is hit. The wider and higher cages allow the batter to read the path of the ball when it comes off the bat. A short and narrow cage tends to "smother" a hitter. The higher and wider cages are also safer for the coach, player or parent throwing batting practice.

2. Batting cage netting is most commonly available in three common twine sizes which are #21, #36, and #42. The lower the number, the smaller the twine used in construction and the lighter-weight the cage will be. Heavy-duty cages such as the #42 better withstand the elements of time and use therefore they offer more durability and added years of use.

3. Batting cages are most often available in black. The twine is dyed black and UV is added to the netting. Black cages seem to last longer and in my opinion, they look better.

4. When you buy a batting cage do not just consider the cost of the cage, but you must also calculate the cost of shipping. Many companies have shipping managers that provide you with an added service of securing the lowest shipping cost possible.

5. All cages require a support structure from which the cage will be hung. The longer the cage, the more support sections that will be required to hold it in place. The smaller and more light-weight a batting cage is, the less support structure it must have. You can plan on putting a support section at both ends and every 20 feet, if you want your cage to be hung adequately without a lot of droop. So a batting cage60 feet long would require at least 4 supports for a heavy-duty net and you may get by with three supports for a light-weight net. You may also need cable or heavy duty rope suspended between your supports to maximize cage support.

6. You can not fit your space to the batting cage. You must fit your batting cage to the space you have available. Step off you or measure the area you have available. Make sure to order a batting cage that will best suit your available space. Do not allow space to deter your commitment to a batting cage purchase. Small cages in the 35, 40, and 50 foot lengths are long enough to allow great batting practice work.

7. Your chosen area must be level and it must drain well. If you can afford the additional cost, you may want to add a floor to your cage. There are two materials that make a great floor. Cement or concrete is the most costly. You may want to cover your hitting zone with indoor-outdoor carpet to extend the life of your leather baseballs. If you use rubber pitching machine balls in a pitching machine, they will withstand the abrasive properties of the cement cage floor. Another great floor alternative is to use weather treated 2 x 4s to build a raised floor. You will border all sides and ends of your batting cage floor with the 2x4s and stake them into place. You will then fill the inside floor area with a commonly used infield material, crushed stone. This provides a raised dry hitting surface that will offer a safe and less abrasive surface upon which to hit.

8. You are going to need to purchase a protection L-screen to protect the pitchers throwing batting practice. Make sure that your L-screen is a sock style made of at least #42 netting to insure that it will withstand the heavy-duty abuse it will be subjected to. A square protective screen is also a great investment to consider if you will be using a pitching machine often. There are screens specially designed to protect the person operating the pitching machine.

9. You will need a plate for batter and pitcher reference during batting practice. The pitcher will use the plate to throw the various pitch locations and the batter will use it to adjust to certain situational hitting drills. If your cage has a suitable floor, you may want to paint a plate and batters box to add a much appreciated feature.

10. You will need a power source if you have plans to light your cage and to use a pitching machine. Make sure that you can reach a source with extension cords or run a permanent source if you can do so safely.

11. If you have additional questions or need additional assistance, shop with a company that takes orders by phone. This allows your to ask questions and get answers. Depending on the description and details listed on a website, may cause you to order a cage that is not suitable for your needs. Most reputable batting cage companies have toll-free phone numbers and a staff available during business hours to offer you advice and information before you buy.

12. For many families the best and most user-friendly and trouble-free approach to buying a batting cage is to buy a complete batting cage package. These packages contain the net size and weight of your choice and a batting cage frame specifically designed to match the net. These packages are easy to assemble. Most of these batting cage packages can be assembled by two persons with about 2 hours of work. These batting cage packages can easily be taken down in the off-season and stored if there is a need to do so. Many of these packages include everything you need including the protection "L" screen. When the package arrives, all you have to do is carefully read and follow the step-by-step instructions to assemble your new batting cage.

Visit the Baseball Coaching Digest Blog for daily post and articles on every aspect of coaching baseball. The Baseball Coaching Digest Blog. Check out BattingCagesDirect.com for top quality batting cages at discount prices. They specialize in complete batting cage kits with net and frame included for one low price.

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

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Criteria For Choosing Good Batting Cage Nets

Criteria For Choosing Good Batting Cage Nets
By Jack M Patterson

If you are looking to buy baseball batting cage nets, the first thing that you need to consider is the strength of the netting. Generally, the nets for these kinds of cages can be made either of nylon or polyethylene fibers. Both of these types of material can offer you excellent breaking strengths and abrasion resistance. These types of netting, especially the polyethylene fibers, are made of high-density, non-corrosive materials, making them highly resistant to the damage that can be brought about by constant exposure to the elements.

It is also important to check out the construction of the netting that you are planning on buying. Netting with square construction is usually the most recommended type of construction, as this can withstand years of wear and tear. You should also choose a baseball batting cage with a baffle net built behind the batting area for extra safety and protection both for the batter as well as the net.

While the color of the net is not as important as the first two considerations, it is also advisable that you avoid using the ones with bright, dazzling colors. Choose a color that resists the sun's ultraviolet rays, such as black, so you won't get distracted during play or practice.

There are a lot more factors to consider when choosing baseball batting cage nets. The most important thing that you should do, however, is to ensure that your chosen net is strong and durable, and can provide you with the best protection.

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

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Baseball Batting Drills: Batting Cage

Baseball Batting Drills: Batting Cage
By guest author: Jeffery A Wise

If you're looking for good baseball batting drills, there are plenty out there. Drills are important because they make players better hitters. You should always participate in hitting drills before you take live batting practice. They will help you with your hitting mechanics before you ever step into the batter's box. While there are many drills, it's good to give detailed attention to one at a time.

Batting drills can literally be practiced anywhere and at any time, including at home, the ball field, batting cages or the park. If you have the right equipment it will be no problem.

In previous articles we have briefly mentioned a drill known as the underhand toss drill. What you will need for this drill are baseballs, protective screens and either a batting cage or protective netting.

For this drill the coach, parent or teammate helping you doesn't have to kneel to the side. Place a protective screen 10 feet or more away from the hitter with the netting approximately a foot away from the hitter. So, if you're in a batting cage, the batter is positioned very close to the back netting.

The pitcher should underhand to toss the ball as level as possible and allow the hitter to take his swings. You should underhand toss the baseball several times each to the outside, inside and down the middle of the plate. As the hitter, practice hitting the ball to the opposite field, center field and right field, depending on where the ball is pitched.

With the batter so close to the back of the netting, it will help him learn how to have a more compact swing. Without a compact swing, he will most likely hit the netting when he swings. Considered one of the best baseball batting drills, it has been proven to help many players with their hitting mechanics.

Remember that the reason to do baseball batting drills is to give you skills and talent to become the baseball player you want to be. Download free hitting videos with tips and instructions you need to get started quickly by visiting Baseball Hitting and learn how to hit the baseball better.

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

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