Sometimes it's a little thing that helps win a baseball game. It's not always what makes the headlines in the newspapers or something that draws the most attention. "Productive outs" definitely fit into the category of little things that aren't so little at all.I think it's a truly great at bat when an important run is on third base with less than two outs and the batter hits a very weak six-hopper to the second baseman and the much needed run...more
As a baseball pitcher, you absolutely must make pitching adjustments throughout a game. Just as you make your adjustments, remember that the good baseball hitters will adjust to you also, which is one of the reasons they are good hitters.If you made a good hitter look bad on a changeup, he's going to adjust. There is a very fine line you have to walk here. If a particular batter is struggling with a certain pitch or a certain location, by all...more
Whenever possible, try to grip the ball with four seams before throwing the baseball to one of your teammates. It's one of the most important baseball fielding tips that unfortunately, very few focus on. You want the closed part of the horseshoe formed by the seams on the baseball to be either facing inside toward you or outside and away from you. In other words, your index finger is on two seams and your middle finger is on two seams and thus the name four-seam. My preference is having the horseshoe facing inside because it feels better to me in my hand but this is strictly your call. The objective is to simply create a perfect backspin on the throw. It's not difficult at all. If you are limited time wise and have to hurry on a play, you might not be able to have the choice as to which way the horseshoe faces but you still should strive to get the four-seam grip. Think of it as a baseball pitcher. A pitcher throws a four-seamer, which is for the most part straight and fast. A pitcher throws a two-seamer, which is not as fast and has movement. You don't want less speed and more movement when throwing to a teammate, do you? More baseball coaches should put this near the top of their...more
Recognizing a curve ball quickly is not an easy thing to do. Hitting a well located curve is not easy either. That's why you will hear the expression, "he's a good fastball hitter" ten times for every one time you will hear, "he's a good curve ball hitter." I'm well aware that part of that is because there are many more fastballs being thrown, so...more
A major advantage of the suicide squeeze bunt over the safety squeeze bunt is that the bunter does not have to make an exceptionally good bunt to get the runner in from third base on the suicide squeeze.Many very good baseball authorities will teach their base runner on third base to break for the plate as soon as the pitcher goes into his full...more
The baseball hitting benefits of the soft toss drill are incredible but this drill must be done properly. The soft toss drill is one of the best baseball coaching drills around and please don't ever sell it short. It is a great time saver to break a bad habit, get into a good habit or to simply maintain your baseball swing if you are in a good groove.Let's say you're into baseball coaching and you want to break a bad habit that one of your baseball hitters has suddenly gotten into. It may take about 300 swings for the baseball hitter's muscle memory to take over and break the bad habit. For you to throw this player enough pitches for him to get 300 swings would take a long time. Even if you went to the park every other day and threw 50 pitches a day to the hitter and they were all strikes, it would take a couple of weeks. Now you can see the major advantage if you can accomplish the same thing in only a couple of days. I would much rather have my player struggle for a day or two instead of a week or two. That's awesome.Remember, you don't have to be in a baseball hitting slump to practice your baseball swing. It is simply one of the outstanding baseball coaching drills and do...more
With an important runner on second base and no outs, try to drive the ball the opposite way if you are a right-handed batter or try to pull the ball if you are a left-handed batter. You have a much better chance of advancing an important runner on a...more
Low profile baseball caps are six unstructured panels sewn together so they are soft and fit comfortably. This hat can be folded to put in your pocket or bag and you don't need to worry about it getting crushed. It will look just as good the next...more
When youre coaching youth softball teams, the first thing youll notice is the huge role players parents play in the team. Theyre not a part of the team itself, but they can help make or break the team depending on their attitude.The key here is...more
When youre in the thick of the game, its easy to forget that softball should be a fun game. Isnt that the reason why you picked the game up in the first place? This is the case for most young players.Sure, a certain amount of seriousness is also...more
In the last four plus decades, I've answered all baseball questions respectfully. Please don't test me by asking me this one!I've answered many questions on baseball hitting, baseball pitching, baseball coaching and more over several decades. I can...more
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...more