You Really Should Learn How To Hit To The Opposite Field!
By now, we’ve all heard the expression, “hit it where it’s pitched.” It’s very frustrating for a baseball pitcher when he throws a perfect low and away strike and the batter hits the ball to the opposite field for a hit. Most baseball pitchers will realize immediately how well schooled this particular baseball hitter is. […]
How To Get To Know Your Plate Umpire Very Quickly!
If while pitching, you have the very good fortune to have a plate umpire who is calling strikes on pitches not in the strike zone, don’t feel any obligation whatsoever to throw strikes. If he is calling them high, why should you bring your pitches down? If he is calling them low, why should you […]
Baseball Tips On Hitting: You Better Be Moving Your Head!
It is very important to make sure your head is turned and facing the pitcher to ensure that you get a good view of the pitch that will soon follow. Your head should be totally relaxed and pretend that you are simply watching TV. Make sure both the front shoulder and arm are completely out […]
Baseball Pitching Tips – How to Find the Right Grip For Your Changeup!
There are hundreds of different grips that pitchers use on many different pitches. You really have to experiment and find out what is the most comfortable for you. This definitely applies to throwing the changeup. I would venture that 95% of all pitchers, at any level of play, use one of the following three grips […]
Catching science: The mind behind the mask
Editor’s note (SABR editor): This article was first published in the APS Observer Vol. 25, No. 4, in April 2012 and is reprinted at SABR.org with permission of the authors. BR Editor’s Note: This is being republished with permission from the authors. By James R. Arkin and Robert M. Arkin Home plate was round, something like […]
How To Bunt Efficiently Is A Great Offensive Weapon!
During every at bat, it costs you absolutely nothing to take a sneaky and very quick glance and see where the first baseman and third baseman are playing. You will occasionally see one of them six or seven steps behind the bag and you can get a hit that is really “on the house.” Right-Handed […]
Being Ahead In The Count Is Critical For You!
The ability of a baseball hitter to get the count in his favor will very often determine how much success he has. With counts of 2-0 or 3-1, there isn’t any such thing as a mediocre swing, late swing, weak swing or check swing at a pitch. The batter should have the buttons on his […]
Eight Baseball Hitting Tips For Your Success!
Here is a list of eight very good baseball tips on hitting that are highly recommended to help you be successful. 1. A Balanced And Workable Stance. All good athletes are balanced almost all the time no matter what sport we are talking about. It gives you a solid, comfortable foundation, which is where baseball hitting […]
The Number One Baseball Hitting Problem On Earth!
A “quick hip” is when the front hip opens a fraction of a second early. It is a very common baseball hitting problem and a very serious one for many hitters at all levels of play. The swing itself should force the front hip open. If the hip opens a fraction of a second too […]
Ben Zobrist’s Kind of Decent Start
This post was written by Jesse Sakstrup. With a batting average flirting with the Mendoza line, those who drafted Ben Zobrist are probably a bit annoyed with his performance so far. Putting batting average aside, he is still on pace for 20 home runs and 17 stolen bases. And putting fantasy value aside, he is […]
Baseball Tips On Hitting: Focusing On Just This One Thing May Lead To Your Success!
Wouldn’t it be great if in order to be a very successful hitter you were only required to do one simple thing. Guess what? There is only one thing for you to do to be very successful at the plate. That one thing is to consistently get the “sweet spot” of the bat on the […]
Baseball Tips: How To Focus On Three Things To Improve Your Hitting!
I believe hitters are way too often bombarded with too many baseball tips on hitting. The guilty culprits are often teammates, coaches, parents and occasionally even your Aunt Mary. Take your time and take hitting in stride. No pun intended. Try to learn a little bit at a time and you will be just fine. […]
Good Coaches Take Nothing for Granted – Valuable Base Running Tips
“Baseball is a game of inches,” is an often-used phrase and nowhere is that more evident than with base running. Saving an inch or two when running the bases makes all the difference whether players are out or safe and makes a difference in the win/loss column. A couple inches here and there mean a […]
Preseason Timing Tips for Hitting
I have seen so many kids season ruined before the season even gets close to starting. Dad or team coach takes player(s) to the batting cages and sets the speed at game speed on their first day of hitting, after a long offseason. It is important to realize that hitters’ eyes are not close to […]
How Players And Coaches Should Deal With A Hitting Slump!
Very simply, a baseball hitting slump occurs because of something that you are now doing that is mechanically incorrect when swinging the bat or it can be something that you were doing correctly and now you are not doing it. In other words, either you have developed a bad habit or have gotten away from […]
One Umpire’s Perspective on a Batter’s Approach at the Plate
When I was younger I had a great eye for pitches thrown for balls & strikes. I almost never got called out on strikes, but over the last 2 seasons (and over 20 years later) in my over 30 baseball league I have been called out on pitches thrown on the outside corner (some teammates […]
Baseball Pitching Tips: How To Improve Your Control By Playing A Game That Is Fun!
Take a look at almost any inning in which three or more runs are scored and I would venture that in at least 75% of those innings one or more walks were involved. I teach pitchers that you must throw strikes consistently and I don’t care if a batter hits the ball into the trees […]
Hitting Drills using Two Batting Tees to “Stay” Fundamentally Sound
Three important ingredients of a good baseball swing are staying compact, staying inside the ball, and staying through the ball. The following drills involve using two batting tees. These drills work on good hitting fundamentals and just as important, give hitters a better understanding of what those ingredients mean. 1. “High, Low tee drill” develops […]
Are You Really Comfortable With Your Circle Changeup Grip?
You really have to experiment and find out what is the most comfortable for you when it comes to different grips on the baseball. Baseball pitching tips involve experimenting with many different ways to grip your pitches. This definitely applies to throwing the changeup. I would venture that 95% of all pitchers, at any level […]
How To Properly Expand The Strike Zone Is Critical!
Whenever you are ahead in the count, you should “expand the strike zone.” No, let’s rephrase that. You must expand the strike zone! That simply means throwing a pitch off the plate, that’s actually a ball. Or throwing a pitch too high or too low that is out of the strike zone. Let’s be clear […]
Baseball Pitching Tips: How You Hide Your Grip Is Critical!
For something that’s very important, I’m quite surprised hiding your grip isn’t talked about or taught more. How many things can be more detrimental for a pitcher than tipping off his pitches to opposing players and their coaches? Trust me. Players, coaches and managers will look for opposing pitchers that tip off their pitches! For […]
Coaching Tips: Mind Games Between The Pitcher And The Hitter!
As you advance to older levels of play, you will find that many baseball hitters will play certain mind games with the pitcher and pitchers will do the same with hitters. Personally, I would not recommend getting involved in any mind games until the high school level of play or higher whether you are the […]
Baseball Pitching Tips: How You Can Get To Know The Tendencies Of A Hitter Very Quickly!
It is mandatory for baseball pitchers to find out the strengths and weaknesses of the baseball hitters they face. There are certain very clever things a pitcher can do. If the hitter takes a practice swing before facing you, pay attention to his practice swing! If he appears to be hitting an inside pitch […]
Helping Ballplayers Eliminate Fear of Being Hit by the Ball
Let’s face it, when you get hit by a pitched ball, it hurts. When a ball hits young ballplayers, it can lead to such fear of being hit that it actually ends their desire to continue playing. Sometimes, nothing will work, but with time and patience, this fear can disappear. One thing that I have […]
Not so Obvious Baseball Tips – Teaching the Game
Since retiring from major league baseball many years ago, I have studied and taught the game to many. I wish I had a few extra bucks for every time I thought to myself, “If I only knew then what I know now.” The good news is that what I know now, I pass on to […]
Ten Hitting Tips that Guarantee Success
Never accept mediocrity. When hitters have good hand, eye coordination there is no reason for inconsistent contact – work harder on the fundamentals. Hitters do not need to know what they are doing wrong but they need to know how to adjust. I often tell my students that no one forces them to […]
A Good Stance Begins with Your Feet
Throughout my career, and even since the conclusion of my playing days, people always took notice of my unique batting stance. My stance actually came about because of Nolan Ryan, the great Hall of Fame pitcher known for, among many other highlights, his seven career no-hitters. Nolan struck me out 29 times, with most of […]
Batting Practice using Pitching Machines – Good or Bad?
Frequently, I receive this question from my student’s parents, “Should I take him/her to the batting cages.” You would think my response is, “Sure, practice is good.” However, it is not that simple an answer for a number of reasons. First, and this is often my response, “Let’s wait awhile, because they are just going […]
How to Raise Your Batting Average
It is true that major league players, who get two hits for every ten at-bats, go back to the minor leagues and those, who get three hits ever ten at-bats, are superstars. What a difference just one hit every ten at-bats make. All baseball players want to hit for a high batting average […]
Rod Carew: 10 Important Keys to Good Hitting
In the 43 years since I debuted in Major League Baseball, I’ve watched thousands of great and not-so-great hitters. I’ve seen what works and what doesn’t, and I’ve sought to understand the fundamentals of success and failure. I’ve spent thousands of hours experimenting, watching video tape and refining my own hitting techniques. In the end, […]
