Softball Baseball Batting Practice Trainer Videos

Softball Baseball Batting Practice Trainer Videos

Video shows the Hands Back Hitter baseball batting trainer. The Hands Back Hitter by Swing Buster is a great for all ages and ability levels. The HBH teaches and builds correct hitting fundamentals.



The Stayback Tee is designed to help teach and practice rotational hitting that can increase bat speed. The Stayback Tee helps the batter establish the proper axis to launch the swing. It virtually eliminates forward motion after swing initiation commonly called lunging. This enhances balance in the stride landing and allows the hitter to adjust to different speed pitches and maximize the power by leading with hips and turning into the ball.



Short video demonstration of the BatAction Hitting Machine baseball softball trainer, The BatAction offers high speed ball movement drills that are 100% Guaranteed to Improve batting averages, bat speed and hitting skill. Unit is suitable for all ages from t-ball to high scholo. Great for Little League team parctices and home backyard workouts. The BatAction is often called the "Backyard Basketball Goal" for baseball and softball players.




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The Categories they have are: Baseball Training Equipment, Youth Baseball Training Equipment, Training Bats, Pitching & Throwing Trainers, Defensive Trainers, Batting Cages, Pitching Machines, Jugs Equipment, Game and Practice Baseballs, Protective Practice Screens and Nets, Portable Pitching Mounds, Baseball DVDs & Books, Clearance Items on Sales, BatAction Hitting Machines, Hurricane Hitting Machines, NEDCO Bataction Replacement Parts, SKLZ Hurricane Replacement Parts and Much Much More! Visit Baseball2U.com today!

Quick and Effective Softball Hitting Tips

By Marc Dagenais

Whether you're a softball coach or player, you're probably aware that it takes a lot of time and dedication to be the best that you can ever be. Even the world's top coaches and players had to start from scratch like everyone else.



But we have to admit that there are also times when we simply can't spend too much time learning something. Take for example a situation wherein your best pitcher was injured, and therefore, your secondary pitcher should step up. You could spend an entire season refining her technique. But it would also help if you have a quick remedy to the situation under your sleeve.

That's why I came up with these quick yet effective softball hitting tips. I made this for coaches and players who need something quick and easy to implement to help step up their game.

1. Train with the Overload/Underload Training Protocol. Doing this training protocol helps increase your bat swing by 2-3 mph. To do this, you need 3 bats of different weights: 1 regular bat, 1 heavy bat, and 1 light bat. As a rule of thumb, the heavy and light bat should be around 15-20% more or less of the regular bat's weight.

First, you swing the heavy bat 10 times, then, the light bat 10 times. Finally, pick up the regular bat and try to replicate the bat speed you achieved with the light bat for another 10 swings. Perform this set 3 times.

To achieve maximum results, I recommend you do this training protocol 2-3 times per week for 6-8 weeks. You will, then, notice a 2-3 increase in your bat speed after that.

2. Swing with a regular bat on the deck. Contrary to popular belief, swinging with a heavy bat on the deck actually slows down your bat speed. That's why I recommend you swing with a regular bat, or a bat that's 2-3 oz. lighter than the regular one.

The reason for this is that, what you're after is to loosen your muscles before stepping on the plate, and not to strengthen your muscles. So again, swing with a regular bat when you're on the deck, not a heavy one.

3. Approach the plate with confidence. Nothing speaks louder on your lack of confidence than the way you approach the plate. If you're slouching and dragging your bat to the plate, then, you're telling the opposing team that you're an easy prey.

Therefore, I suggest that you approach the plate with an air of confidence. Stand upright and look the pitcher in the eye. Chances are, the pitcher will be more afraid of you than you are of her.

So if you're looking for quick and easy tips to improve your game or that of your players, I'm sure these three tips I shared with you will do just that.

But don't just depend on these softball hitting tips. I recommend that you also come up with a long term solution to your situation to put your game to an ever higher gear than you're playing now.

Marc Dagenais is a Softball Peak Performance Coach that helps softball players turn their athletic talent into extraordinary performances and help coaches get more out of their players, turn their struggling team around or get an edge over their opponents. Visit us to sign-up to get our FREE softball pitching tips!

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


SoftballrUs.com/FastpitchSoftballSupply.com is the ultimate online fastpitch softball online store. SoftballrUs.com has Batting Trainers,Pitching Training, Training Bats,Defensive Training Equipment,Coaching DVDs & Books, Softball Pitching Machines, Softball Complete Net & Frame Batting Cage Packages, Batting Cage Nets, Protective Practice Screens and Nets, and BatAction Hitting Machines, and much, much more. Visit Softballrus.com now!

Softball Hitting - Learning the Right Confidence Before You Hit the Hit

www.SoftballrUs.com

By Marc Dagenais

In any sport, it is important to be able to master a certain skill in order to become an expert in it. Softball, as part of the leading sports in the world, has been part of the sports that has gained numerous positive feedbacks from the viewers. It is because most of the time, the softball fanatics have been carried away with their numerous fantasies about playing softball.

There is a need therefore of a great avenue wherein you will have to observe a great softball game performance. If you are a softball hitter, then you might want to know more about softball hitting so that you can hone more your skills on your existing skills. Yes, it is amazing to note that from your existing skill, you can still actually gain another skill from it.

Hereunder is some of the softball hitting tips that are considered to be great tools in the achievement of a great play.

First, you must spend as much time on your hitting powers as you do in your resistance. It is important that you learn to be ready with the tough hitting drills so that you can move to a more challenging softball hitting technique later as you move on with the next steps. Practice refining your softball hitting skills and then master them. It is not an easy task to master each skill but it will help if you constantly master the skill that you know or the skill that is taught to you. Mastering a particular softball hitting skill doesn't require a highly-skilled hitter. It just needs a hitter who has the patience to learn things.

Second, you must select the heaviest bat wherein you could feel like you can swing it without losing your bat velocity. It is important that you still give your full power the moment you will hit the softball.

Third, you must hold the bat with your fingers. You should have to consider that your power should rely on your fingers and not on your palms.

Fourth, you can regulate the location of your position in the box as long as you are still in accordance with the direction of the pitcher. You must remember that a single move can make a big impact, so be careful with your every single move.

Fifth, never alter your swing the moment before or during the game. If you want to learn a new swing or if you are just learning a new swing, you must not use it right away in the current season of your softball performance. Remember that there is so much to learn about a new move and incorporating it right away to the next game performance will do you no good because you lack enough practice for the certain skill.

Sixth, you should always remain loose at the plate. Relax. Tensed muscles can make you move slowly. Remember, you should move quickly.

Seventh, you shall make each of your swing count. And never zoom on your batting average. Instead you must focus on your on-base proportion.

Marc Dagenais is a softball peak performance coach that helps softball players and coaches improves their game by sharing with them the tips and strategies used by the world's best softball players and coaches to achieve extraordinary performances. Visit his site and sign-up to get his FREE softball hitting tips!

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


SoftballrUs.com/FastpitchSoftballSupply.com is the ultimate online fastpitch softball online store. SoftballrUs.com has Batting Trainers,Pitching Training, Training Bats,Defensive Training Equipment,Coaching DVDs & Books, Softball Pitching Machines, Softball Complete Net & Frame Batting Cage Packages, Batting Cage Nets, Protective Practice Screens and Nets, and BatAction Hitting Machines, and much, much more. Visit Softballrus.com now!

Softball Coaching Tips - Why Perform Video Analysis on Your Players

By Marc Dagenais

Take a look at the following situations. First, you know one of your players is doing something wrong with his pitching, but you can't exactly point out what the problem is. Or you'd like to find out why your batter seems to hit the sweet spot most of the time. You ask him about it, and all he can tell you is that that's the way he's been doing it since he was a kid.

It's frustrating, right? To give your players accurate feedback on their performance, you also need an accurate instrument to observe it. And what simple yet better way to do it than performing a video analysis of your players' game?

But let's get deeper into that. There are several reasons why you should do this, which I'm sharing with you in these softball coaching tips.

It helps you analyze your players' game closely

Because you can slow down videos of your players' performance, you can look at how they do things a lot more closely. Slowing down their throws or bats, helps you detect the tiny nuances of their actions. And even the minutest of adjustments can make a world of difference to your players.

You can repeat it over and over again

You can only make your players do so many rounds of pitches before they start complaining. So, instead of doing that just to analyze their game, perform a video analysis of their pitch. Now all you need is just several samples of their pitch, watch them, and rewind them. You can do hours of analysis without wearing your players down.

It's cheap

With new models of video cameras coming out several times per year, the old ones - usually just a year old - quickly gets cheaper. And since you don't really need a very high quality video for your video analysis, you can get year-old cameras to do the job. With the level of sophistication of these devices, you'll find most of your recording needs covered already. Well, that's just the basic record, rewind, and play buttons of course.

It's straightforward

Video cameras aren't just cheap, they're now simpler and easier to use. Gone are the days when huge and bulky cameras were the norm. Now you have lightweight cameras. Some even feature touch screens which make things easier for you to understand. So, even if you're a technophobe, there's no reason why you shouldn't use these cameras.

Or if you know how to hook your video camera to your computer, you can save your data there, so you can do your video analysis even when you're on the road. Fantastic, right?

So unless you're living under a rock, or aren't really serious about softball coaching, then, you should start investing on a simple video rig. Analyzing videos of your players' performance makes things a lot simpler for you. Aside from that, it eliminates the guesswork involved in relying just on your sight to do the job.

Marc Dagenais is a softball peak performance coach that helps softball players and coaches improves their game by sharing with them the tips and strategies used by the world's best softball players and coaches to achieve extraordinary performances. Visit his site and sign-up to get his FREE softball hitting tips!

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

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Softball Hitting Instruction by Mike Candrea - 4X6 Drill

RightView Pro is a video analysis software company that specializes in baseball and softball hitting and pitching instruction. RVP is the only video analysis software company that is licensed by Major League Baseball, National Pro Fastpitch and Olympic Softball Players.



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How to Make the Most of Your Softball Hitting Practice

By Marc Dagenais

Practicing your hitting skills should be one of your top priorities as a player. Practice makes perfect, sure. That's because practice improves your muscle memory. And if you do your drills and exercises often enough, they will become second nature to you.

When all the drills, techniques and mechanics become a part of your system, you'll be performing a lot more consistently compared to your performance if you don't practice often enough.

However, practice alone simply doesn't cut it. You must practice correctly to ensure that you achieve your practice goals much faster. Aside from that, doing your drills and exercises correctly ensures that you're not leading yourself to greater chances of injury.

So here are some of my tips that will help you make the most of your hitting practice. Follow them and you'll save yourself a lot of time and keep yourself from getting injured.

Get a Training Coach

Not many players may be able to afford hiring one, but if you're really serious about improving your game then, I strongly suggest you get a training coach.

Sure, your team's coach can guide you during practices, but he's already working hard enough. He also has your teammates to take care of which is why you may not be getting the most of your training with him.

So I suggest you get a training coach who can share with you more time to take a closer look at your game. And since his suggestions are more personalized, you'll be cutting your time shorter in learning new moves, drills, etc.

Vary Your Drills

There are some players who practice their hitting only with the ball on the tee for probably the rest of their careers. But you know that it's not enough. Hitting tee balls doesn't completely prepare you for different situations on the field since it can only help improve your swing.

That's why you should vary your hitting drills and exercises. No exercise is ever going to give you a complete training on how to become a better hitter.

As I mentioned earlier, tee ball is just a part of the equation. You should also learn how to hit the inside and outside balls, learn how to bunt, and more. The more varied your drills are, the better-rounded a hitter you'll become.

Take a Closer Look at How You Hit the Ball

This part is where a training coach can help you. Several videos of you hitting the ball will help him and yourself analyze how you approach this skill. If there's room for improvement, it would be easier to detect with a video because you could freeze it or slow it down.

Why is this important? Knowing how you hit the ball helps solve a lot of problems, from your mechanics to how you handle your bat. Basically, the analysis of your batting will help determine what types of softball drills and exercises will benefit you the most.

Marc Dagneais is Softball Peak Performance Coach that helps softball players turn their athletic talent into extraordinary performances and help coaches get more out of their players, turn their struggling team around or get an edge over their opponents. Visit us to access our directory of FREE softball drills!

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










SoftballrUs.com/FastpitchSoftballSupply.com is the ultimate online fastpitch softball online store. SoftballrUs.com has Batting Trainers,Pitching Training, Training Bats,Defensive Training Equipment,Coaching DVDs & Books, Softball Pitching Machines, Softball Complete Net & Frame Batting Cage Packages, Batting Cage Nets, Protective Practice Screens and Nets, and BatAction Hitting Machines, and much, much more. Visit Softballrus.com now!

Quick and Effective Softball Hitting Tips

By Marc Dagenais

Whether you're a softball coach or player, you're probably aware that it takes a lot of time and dedication to be the best that you can ever be. Even the world's top coaches and players had to start from scratch like everyone else.

But we have to admit that there are also times when we simply can't spend too much time learning something. Take for example a situation wherein your best pitcher was injured, and therefore, your secondary pitcher should step up. You could spend an entire season refining her technique. But it would also help if you have a quick remedy to the situation under your sleeve.

That's why I came up with these quick yet effective softball hitting tips. I made this for coaches and players who need something quick and easy to implement to help step up their game.

1. Train with the Overload/Underload Training Protocol. Doing this training protocol helps increase your bat swing by 2-3 mph. To do this, you need 3 bats of different weights: 1 regular bat, 1 heavy bat, and 1 light bat. As a rule of thumb, the heavy and light bat should be around 15-20% more or less of the regular bat's weight.

First, you swing the heavy bat 10 times, then, the light bat 10 times. Finally, pick up the regular bat and try to replicate the bat speed you achieved with the light bat for another 10 swings. Perform this set 3 times.

To achieve maximum results, I recommend you do this training protocol 2-3 times per week for 6-8 weeks. You will, then, notice a 2-3 increase in your bat speed after that.

2. Swing with a regular bat on the deck. Contrary to popular belief, swinging with a heavy bat on the deck actually slows down your bat speed. That's why I recommend you swing with a regular bat, or a bat that's 2-3 oz. lighter than the regular one.

The reason for this is that, what you're after is to loosen your muscles before stepping on the plate, and not to strengthen your muscles. So again, swing with a regular bat when you're on the deck, not a heavy one.

3. Approach the plate with confidence. Nothing speaks louder on your lack of confidence than the way you approach the plate. If you're slouching and dragging your bat to the plate, then, you're telling the opposing team that you're an easy prey.

Therefore, I suggest that you approach the plate with an air of confidence. Stand upright and look the pitcher in the eye. Chances are, the pitcher will be more afraid of you than you are of her.

So if you're looking for quick and easy tips to improve your game or that of your players, I'm sure these three tips I shared with you will do just that.

But don't just depend on these softball hitting tips. I recommend that you also come up with a long term solution to your situation to put your game to an ever higher gear than you're playing now.

Marc Dagenais is a Softball Peak Performance Coach that helps softball players turn their athletic talent into extraordinary performances and help coaches get more out of their players, turn their struggling team around or get an edge over their opponents. Visit us to sign-up to get our FREE softball pitching tips!

Article Source: Whether you're a softball coach or player, you're probably aware that it takes a lot of time and dedication to be the best that you can ever be. Even the world's top coaches and players had to start from scratch like everyone else.

But we have to admit that there are also times when we simply can't spend too much time learning something. Take for example a situation wherein your best pitcher was injured, and therefore, your secondary pitcher should step up. You could spend an entire season refining her technique. But it would also help if you have a quick remedy to the situation under your sleeve.

That's why I came up with these quick yet effective softball hitting tips. I made this for coaches and players who need something quick and easy to implement to help step up their game.

1. Train with the Overload/Underload Training Protocol. Doing this training protocol helps increase your bat swing by 2-3 mph. To do this, you need 3 bats of different weights: 1 regular bat, 1 heavy bat, and 1 light bat. As a rule of thumb, the heavy and light bat should be around 15-20% more or less of the regular bat's weight.

First, you swing the heavy bat 10 times, then, the light bat 10 times. Finally, pick up the regular bat and try to replicate the bat speed you achieved with the light bat for another 10 swings. Perform this set 3 times.

To achieve maximum results, I recommend you do this training protocol 2-3 times per week for 6-8 weeks. You will, then, notice a 2-3 increase in your bat speed after that.

2. Swing with a regular bat on the deck. Contrary to popular belief, swinging with a heavy bat on the deck actually slows down your bat speed. That's why I recommend you swing with a regular bat, or a bat that's 2-3 oz. lighter than the regular one.

The reason for this is that, what you're after is to loosen your muscles before stepping on the plate, and not to strengthen your muscles. So again, swing with a regular bat when you're on the deck, not a heavy one.

3. Approach the plate with confidence. Nothing speaks louder on your lack of confidence than the way you approach the plate. If you're slouching and dragging your bat to the plate, then, you're telling the opposing team that you're an easy prey.

Therefore, I suggest that you approach the plate with an air of confidence. Stand upright and look the pitcher in the eye. Chances are, the pitcher will be more afraid of you than you are of her.

So if you're looking for quick and easy tips to improve your game or that of your players, I'm sure these three tips I shared with you will do just that.

But don't just depend on these softball hitting tips. I recommend that you also come up with a long term solution to your situation to put your game to an ever higher gear than you're playing now.

Marc Dagenais is a Softball Peak Performance Coach that helps softball players turn their athletic talent into extraordinary performances and help coaches get more out of their players, turn their struggling team around or get an edge over their opponents. Visit us to sign-up to get our FREE softball pitching tips!

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





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Improve Your Team's Performance With These Softball Hitting Drills

www.BatAction.com

By Marc Dagenais

Your team's offense is as important as your defense. Good defense that's not complemented by points scored by your team won't amount to anything especially if your opponent outscores you.

Thus, it's important that you should also give a significant amount of your practice time to softball hitting drills. Look for drills that will help you hit the ball further and more accurately, give you quicker reflexes and enable you to anticipate what the pitcher is going to throw at you.

So here are some softball hitting drills I have for you to use during practice. Each drill has a specific purpose to it and each of them aims to improve a certain aspect of your player's game. Read on and learn more.

Tee Drill

This is probably one of the most basic hitting drills that every coach should have. A tee drill helps your players practice the proper hitting mechanics while at the same time let them practice hitting the balls in different areas on the plate.

Partners should do this drill: a hitter and a feeder. The feeder places the ball on the tee and at the same time moves the tee to different areas on the home plate and adjusts the height to practice hitting low and high as well as inside, middle and outside pitches.

Finger Flash

While a majority of hitting drills focus on the proper mechanics, developing batting strength and speed, you should also train your players to read and find the pitcher's release point. This will help increase your batter's reaction time so she can immediately adjust accordingly the way she hits the ball.

To perform this drill, there must be a hitter and a pitcher. But instead of throwing a ball to the batter, the pitcher would flash 1,2, or 3 fingers. The batter would then call out the number the pitcher flashed.

Two-Pitch Game

More than just a training for your batters, this drill would also help your team practice particular game situations.

The two-pitch game does what its name says. Batters are only allowed two opportunities to hit the ball. When the batter hits the first pitch, she would move on to the 1st base. Otherwise, she would have to hit again. A 2nd missed hit is an out.

Pivot Rotation

You must also teach your players to hit the ball correctly by performing the proper hitting mechanics. To do this, isolating a particular area of the body involved would make it easier for you to teach the correct way of hitting the ball. In the case of doing the proper hip rotation, there's the Pivot Rotation drill.

In this drill, let your player put the bat behind her back and lock it with her arms. Let her then take her normal stance. After that, let the player pop her hips, quickly rotating her trunk while pivoting on her back foot. After doing this, the player must remain balanced and shouldn't move either feet.

There you have it, drills to help your players improve their batting by developing their reflexes, hitting mechanics and accuracy. If you want more softball drills similar to these, make sure you check out my website at http://www.Softballperformance.com.

Marc Dagenais is a Softball Peak Performance Coach that helps softball players turn their athletic talent into extraordinary performances and help coaches get more out of their players, turn their struggling team around or get an edge over their opponents. Visit us to sign-up to get our FREE softball pitching tips!

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

Softball Hitting Techniques to Improve Your Game

www.HurricaneMachine.com

By Marc Dagenais

Do you want to produce more runs for your team? Do you want to have the ability to keep the ball out of your opponent's reach every time you hit the ball?

Then you must work on your softball hitting techniques. Each player have his own unique way of approaching how to hit the ball, but there are some techniques that will help you improve your batting much better.

Want to know what these hitting techniques are? Then read on and find out more about them.

Grip

Let's begin with the grip. You might not be aware of it, but the way how you grip the bat can have a significant impact on where and how far the ball will go.

There are many players who tend to choke the bat thinking it would provide them with more control and power when they hit the ball. But that isn't the case, unfortunately. When you grip the bat too tightly, you will reduce the power of your batting, unless of course that's what you're aiming for.

But if you want to bring the ball further out of the field, your grip must be loose. You must hold the bat with your fingers and not with your palms. Also make your wrists a little more flexible to further loosen your grip on the bat.

Swing

The way you swing the bat will also affect how far out you can take the ball when you hit it. Although it may seem that swinging is largely dependent on your arms and shoulders, the foundation of a good swing begins with your legs and hips. So keep in mind how you bend your knees and rotate your hips when hitting the ball.

Of course, your shoulders do play an important role in your swing as well. When trying to hit the ball, your shoulders must remain relaxed. This will help you keep your eyes on the approaching ball better and you will have more control of your swing.

Follow Through

A lot players cut their swing short just after they've hit the ball. But you must always follow through whenever you hit the ball, as it can help you get the ball further compared to stopping your swing abruptly.

To get a good follow through with your swing, you should let your arms extend and your wrists roll over, with your hands ending near your front shoulder and your chin on the back shoulder.

If you're not practicing your follow through just yet, I strongly recommend that you do so. Because as much as it seems insignificant on how you hit the ball, the truth is that you can drive the ball further with a good follow through.

So let me sum up for you the softball hitting techniques I discussed in this article. If you want to be able to hit the ball further and harder, you should keep in mind to keep your grip on the bat loose, your swing should begin with your legs and hips, and finally, you must always follow your bat through.

Marc Dagenais is a Softball Peak Performance Coach that helps softball players turn their athletic talent into extraordinary performances and help coaches get more out of their players, turn their struggling team around or get an edge over their opponents. Visit us to sign-up to get our FREE softball pitching tips!

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

Your Simplified Guide to Softball Rules

By Marc

If you're a player who's just getting into softball or a spectator who wants to gain more appreciation for the game, then knowing the rules in playing softball would definitely help.

It could be a headache to try to understand all the rules of softball at the same time. Every year, there are minor changes being made to the game and it could be difficult for everyone to keep track of that. Some leagues also modify the rules depending on their requirements, which could make their rules even more different.

That's why I'm providing you here with some of the most basic softball rules to help you get started. These are the rules that you will see applied to most, if not all of the games so you'll be able to pick these rules out almost immediately the next time you watch a game.

Here they are.

The Players and Teams

Let's begin with the number of players. Each team must have 9 players each to play the game.

The defensive side is composed of the pitcher, catcher, 3 basemen, 1 shortstop and 3 outfielders. The pitcher is the one that throws the pitch at the catcher who's positioned behind the batter's plate. Basemen are assigned to each of the bases, while the shortstop is positioned in the middle of the 2nd and 3rd bases. Finally, the outfielders are positioned in the outfield.

The offensive side is the one that hits the ball. There is a certain batting order for each team that will be followed throughout the game.

Deciding which side a team plays first is done by a toss coin at the beginning of the game.

Game Length

There are 7 innings in a game. An inning is where both teams take turns in playing offense and defense. Some rules may limit the game further into a certain time period, while others may be limited by the number of runs a team is leading.

Scoring in Softball

There are two ways a team can score in softball. One is when a batter hits a homerun - that's when the ball is hit and goes outside the field - or when a base runner safely runs to the home plate.

Foul, Ball, Strike, Out

A foul ball is called when the ball is hit to either of the foul areas found on the right side of the 1st base and the left of the 3nd base.

When a pitch doesn't enter the strike zone, it is called a ball. Four balls would be equal to a walk, where the hitter walks to the first base. If a base runner is on the first base during a walk, she proceeds to the 2nd base.

Meanwhile, a pitch is called a strike when it comes within the strike zone. Three strikes would result in an out.

A base runner is considered out when she is tagged with the ball before reaching the base. A batter is also considered out when the defensive team catches the ball she hit before it reaches the ground.

The offensive team is only allowed three outs. After that, the teams change sides.

This is by no means a comprehensive guide of rules used in softball as some leagues incorporate some rules of their own or modify the rules depending on their own requirements.

What I have shared with you are some of the most basic softball rules that will aid you in understanding the game better. With that knowledge, I hope you'll be able to appreciate the game even further.

Marc Dagenais is a Softball Peak Performance Coach that helps softball players turn their athletic talent into extraordinary performances and help coaches get more out of their players, turn their struggling team around or get an edge over their opponents. Visit us to sign-up to get our FREE softball pitching tips!

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

Tips on Coaching Softball Hitting

By Marc Dagenais

If you want to have a well-rounded team, you must teach them how to perform all the aspects of the game well. You should teach them how to pitch and throw the ball correctly. You should also show them how to slide. And of course, you should teach them how to hit with more power and accuracy.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of so-called hitting coaches who do not have an idea on how to teach players how to hit the ball correctly. They only tell players to do this and that but never really know if that's what the particular player really needs to improve her hitting. Worse, these coaches never show players HOW to do it.

So if you want to improve your team's hitting, here are some of my softball hitting tips for you.

Before You Teach Softball Hitting Techniques

First, you should begin by looking into each of your player's hitting technique. You could do this by letting them hit the ball several times and find out what they're doing. But if you want to be more accurate in your analysis, I strongly recommend that you videotape their swings so you can review them several times, and if possible, slow it down.

Once you've nailed down what's working and not for each of your players, you should provide each of them with feedback. It eats up your time but it's something that will truly help your team become better hitters.

But what particular areas of softball hitting should you look out for?

Teaching Your Team the Proper Softball Hitting Techniques

One of the areas you should look out for is the stance. Teaching your players the proper stance is important for several reasons. For one, it helps them to keep their balance while on the plate. Another thing is that a confident or aggressive stance can also play a significant role in the mental part of the game.

You should also teach your players how to handle the bat correctly. The tendency of most players is to choke the handle of the bat, hoping that it will provide them with better grip and control. It does provide them with better grip, but gripping the bat tightly reduces the bat and ball speed. Tell them to loosen up their grip on the bat instead.

Anticipation is also important for your players to hit the ball with greater accuracy. To improve your team's anticipation and accuracy, teach them how the track the path of the ball from the time it leaves the pitcher's hand to the time it goes within their hitting range.

All in all, it's about teaching your players the correct softball hitting mechanics. When they know how to hit the ball correctly, they will be able to do it with lesser effort but with more accuracy and power. And as a coach, there's probably nothing more you could wish for from an offensive point of view.

But you should also take a scientific approach at coaching your players in doing the correct hitting mechanics. Take the time to individually analyze the way they hit the ball so you can provide each of them with specific advice on how to improve their hitting.

Marc Dagenais is a Softball Peak Performance Coach that helps softball players turn their athletic talent into extraordinary performances and help coaches get more out of their players, turn their struggling team around or get an edge over their opponents. Visit us to sign-up to get our FREE softball pitching tips!

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The Latest Greatest Hitting Training Device

The Latest Greatest Hitting Training Device
By Todd Thomas

The latest, greatest training device for young hitters...

...may be EARPLUGS!

So many young hitters and even some of the not so young hitters are so confused at the plate. Why? They are hearing so many people in the ears telling them what to do and not to do mechanically WHILE AT THE PLATE. This is not the time or place to be working on mechanics. It's already hard enough for hitters to make the necessary adjustments needed to what the pitcher is throwing them without their head swimming with what every coach(and parent sometimes not even their own parent) within ear shot telling them what to do or not to do when in the box and when they swing. It's no wonder so many young hitters struggle not only with their swing, but even more tragically in most cases their confidence.

The problem is that most of the time they are hearing a variety of different cues: "swing down", "keep your elbow up", "don't dip your back shoulder", "keep your head down", "you're pulling your head out", "stay tall", "stay back", "swing level", "quit doing (this)", quit doing (that), (insert one you've heard or said here); ...and to add confusion to confidence destruction, some of the things they hear are physically contrary to each other even to actual physics itself. Have you ever tried to "stay back" AND "swing down"? Have you ever tried to "swing level" to a pitch at your knees?

What players should be hearing during game time situations and especially when they are actually at the plate are simple things like "look for something you can hit hard" or "make contact and put the ball in play". Before a player goes to the plate, I like the simple phrase "Don't try to do too much just look for a good pitch to hit and put a good swing on it." Save the intensive mechanical and technique instruction for practice and the cage. Another simple encouraging comment is simply, "Let's go! Make contact and put the ball in play". That's it. Tell them to do. More specifically, tell them what you want them to do, not what you don't want them to do. For example, "Hit the ball hard somewhere"... "Let's go! Hit a line drive"... "Hit the ball to the right side, let's move the runner"... "Drive one to the gap"... "Keep you focus on the ball and put the ball in play"... "Make contact"... "Drive this run in"... (insert your positive message of what you want them to do here)...

There's an old story of a pitcher in a tight situation that was facing a big hitter and his manager came to visit him on the mound. The manager didn't say much. He just said, "Whatever you do, DO NOT throw him anything on the inside half of the plate". The manager returned to the dugout. The first pitch... a fastball on the inside corner... Going, Going, GONE! Instead of planting the seed in that pitcher's mind of where he shouldn't throw the ball, wouldn't it have been better to say something like, "Keep the ball low and away on this guy. You can do it". I think so.

You would be surprised. A lot of young hitters have a very good natural swing and the ability to make on the fly adjustments to what the pitcher has thrown until some coach(es) and/or parents come and take it away from them with either bad hitting "instruction" cues or even good ones but at the wrong time. The problem with even the good ones(as far as mechanical or technique cues) is that the hitter is often hearing contradictory messages coming in the other ear. Now their head is swimming while confidence in what they can actually do is taking a nose dive.

The time to for a hitter to work on their hitting and their swing is at practice and in the cage. For those who think ONE practice a week and ONE trip to the cage a week is good, you should know that the best hitters in the world take batting practice and work on their technique every day! What does that tell you about hitting? It's HARD! Hitting a is a lifelong pursuit. It is something that must be constantly worked on with lots of repetition. Write down this simple phrase and put it somewhere that you see it everyday... Repetition Is The Mother Of Skill.

When it comes to actual instruction and the things we say to hitters or ask them to do, do we tell them why? If a hitter is given a piece of advice, tell them exactly why that is the best thing for them to do. We should show them, demonstrate, and explain why what we're showing them is proper and what they should expect from such technique? How about evidence? Do we show them visual evidence that what we are telling them to do is what the great hitters do? Show them a picture of Alex Rodriguez, Barry Bonds, or Derek Jeter doing what you are asking them to do. Show them. I can hear it already... "these kids are not ARod, they should not be trying be him or trying to do what he is doing. He's a home run hitter." First off.. why not? Secondly, okay then show them Derek Jeter. He's not a home run hitter. Derek has never hit more than 24 HRs in a season and he's only topped 20 HRs three times. He's just a career .317 hitter at the big league level. Show Derek. I guarantee you that Derek's and ARod's techniques are scary similar.

If you don't want your son/daughter/hitters to try to hit like the MLB hitters, that's okay. Show them some pictures of the best collegiate hitters or of the best high school hitters that you know. You might be surprised if you compared the best high school and collegiate hitters to the best big league hitters at what you might see. Similarities! OR... if you don't want to show them evidence of the best hitters at the high school and collegiate level, then show them evidence of average to below average hitters in their sport. It's up to you, but show them some visual evidence that what you are telling them to do is what is right.

I guarantee you kids are not stupid. They watch SportsCenter. Many have Tivo or some kind of DVR. They can stop, rewind, and slowmo. They can see the contradictions of what they often hear and what they are actually seeing the best hitters doing. Unfortunately, the highlights are almost always certainly the best hitters of the sport doing what they do. There aren't too many Highlights of the average or bad hitters so if that's what you want them to show them, you'll have to do that yourself.

Finally... Don't overreact to one at-bat or one game or even a few games for that matter. I doubt the Yankees hitting coach made any major changes to ARod's swing or approach when he struck out FOUR TIMES in one game last season(three of them LOOKING!). It happens. It ALL happens. Watch any big league game and you'll see it all... Strikeouts(swinging and looking)... Pop ups... Fly Balls... Ground Balls... Line Drives... Long Fly Balls.. Bloopers... Dribblers... Bleeders... Texas Leaguers...Home Runs!... Every hitter does all those things, save only for the home runs. Don't overreact or over coach, and in doing so you will give them a better chance to build confidence and succeed. Give or get them good instruction from someone who teaches what the best players at ever level are doing. An instructor's nice resume is just that. Nice. Check out what an instructor is teaching and as Mike Epstein says just ask yourself one simple question in regards to what a coach is telling them to do. And that is... "Does this make sense?"...

Bottom line... Give your young hitters a consistent, positive message about their technique and abilities.

Todd Thomas is a Baseball Coach and Professional Hitting Instructor for Mike Epstein Hitting. Coach Todd's personal hitting website is http://www.HitItHere.net. Coach Todd also enthusiastically endorses http://PlayMyBestBaseball.com as a place where baseball and softball hitters can master the Confidence, Composure, Focus and Consistency of their game so they can reach their full potential.

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Teaching Softball Drills To Win

Teaching Softball Drills To Win

By Becky Wittenburg

In softball, a coach cannot afford to underestimate the other team; they can only prepare their own team to be the best. As a coach, it’s important to set the standards for your team. Along with setting an example of the right attitude, you are responsible to make sure that the players’ skills and overall game improve over time. Therefore, teaching softball drills should always be a vital part of practice.

The most effective way for teaching softball drills is through hands-on demonstrations. For example, it’s obviously necessary to teach softball players the correct batting stance. While they’ll learn from your example, it is more valuable if you show them the way and then allow each member of the team to try it themselves. After you show them the ropes, allow them to use what you have taught to try hitting the ball themselves. As the coach, you should assess the placement of their feet, their knees, their hips, their shoulders and their eyes. Following that, you will know what the team needs to work on when it comes to batting stance and hitting the ball.

Videos are useful to give the team a visual of different strategies and skills. However, videos are even more effective if the team is interactive while it’s playing. For example, the team can watch the video of a pro-game. You can show them part of an inning and then ask them to explain the different plays that they could execute. Therefore, you can make sure that they know the best actions to take in different situations. Teaching softball drills like this gives the team a chance to think logically and work out different strategies in their heads.

Another classic method for teaching softball drills is using a chalkboard, dry-erase board, or poster to work out different plays. This is one of the most important ways to coach the team because it gives you the chance to explain the ins and outs of different plays. Plus, during this time you can assign different players to practice different positions. Drawing out different plays is also an important part of tracking the improvement of the team. Having records of each play allows you to mark the ones that the team has mastered and to mark the ones that the team still needs to work on.

Teaching softball drills is one of the most vital tasks of a coach. All of the different drill methods are necessary to master the entire softball game. Using a variety of ways of teaching ensures not only that the team will perform well but they will know exactly what they are doing and why they are doing it. It’s important to remember that the quality of your coaching directly affects the quality of your team.

Becky Wittenburg is a softball coach, softball blogger, and author. If your looking for more tips on teaching softball drills, please visit her softball drills library here.

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Basic Things About Softball Hitting

Basic Things About Softball Hitting

By Marc Dagenais

Softball hitting is one of the major skills that a player needs to know. Hitting is not just merely hitting the ball, it is more than that. He must practice it many times in order to be good at it. A good softball player is the one who has great ability when it comes to hitting.

The bat is your major partner in hitting. Most of the time, the bat has something to do with the way you hit that is why it is important for you to choose the right bat. A lot of players usually make mistakes in choosing a bat for they are always choosing a bat that is too big for them. Yes, a big bat has its advantages but remember that this can affect the speed especially if you are too small to handle big bats. Bat speed is important and you must not forget that. It will be wiser if you choose and use bats with the right size, the one that suits you. In hitting and handling a bat, it is essential that you have strong arms and hands.

Aside from choosing the right bat, the stance is also an important area in softball hitting. Your feet should be much more than your shoulder's width but you don't have to make your stance real wide. Balanced stride is the secret here. Your knees must always be unlock and bend on your waist.

Slight inward turn and slightly picking up the front foot are the two main types of triggers. You can use both of them but the key here is you should match the pitcher's movement. Watch his every move and focus your attention to him.

Stride is another important thing in hitting. Timing is essential when it comes to this. Don't stride too early, too open, or too far or you'll be dead. Watch your step. Step with the front shoulder closed.

As I have said earlier, the hands are essential in softball hitting. It should remain strong or else you will not be able to hit the ball. Your hands must be high and don't just adjust it down. Your hands must always be in there proper place because that is the key here. Look at the pitcher and follow the direction of the ball. If you are not going to follow the direction of the ball then you will not hit anything and that would be a big problem.

Marc Dagneais is Softball Peak Performance Coach that helps softball players turn their athletic talent into extraordinary performances and help coaches get more out of their players, turn their struggling team around or get an edge over their opponents. Visit us to access our directory of FREE softball drills!

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Softball Hitting - 6 Tips to Get Out of a Slump

Hitting slumps are caused by a variety of factors and each hitter is different in what's causing her slump, so it would stand to reason that each may be different in the method she employs to get back on the road of success.

By Marc Dagenais

This is probably the most frustrating thing in softball and every player will experience them in their career. Hitting slumps in softball are just part of the game like Gatorade or sunflower seeds. You can't avoid them. Isn't it one of the reasons what we call softball a sport of failure and that we all agree that it is such a mental sport?

However, while all ball players struggle periodically at the plate, the better hitters are able to minimize the length of their slumps. They do so by being more aware of what's causing their slumps and what to do about it.

However, there are several hitting tips that the best softball hitters use to help them get out of their slumps. Here are a few softball hitting tips fight slumps.

1. Take extra batting practice. Taking extra batting practice makes sense, and it's usually the first step taken by hitters in a slump. There is no substitute for hard work. The hitter should identify the fundamental flaw or error in approach, make the proper adjustment, and retrain her body to swing the bat the right way. She needs to get that feeling right again. Extra batting practice helps iron out the swing, and with that, it rebuilds confidence. When hitters put the time in away from competition, they develop a psychological edge that they carry into the game.

There is one extremely important point to understand. Before hopping in the batting cage, hitters must be absolutely sure that they've identified their problem and have a plan for making adjustments during batting practice. In other words, you don't want to get good at doing something the wrong way. You don't want to dig a bigger hole. You have to rehearse proper mechanics whenever you practice hitting.

2. Get back to the basics. In the midst of a slump, hitting can seem very complicated. In that case, it may help to simplify everything. A hitter should go back to what build his swing. Tee work and soft-toss drills allow a player to feel and focus on the fundamentals of the swing. A hitter should walk through basic drills and gradually build towards live batting practice. She may discover that her swing just needed a tune-up.

3. Visualize. When a hitter struggles, it's easy to fall in the habit of expecting the worst. This is never a productive mindset for competitive softball players. Positive thoughts breed positive results especially in a sport like softball. A hitter should think back to when she was swinging the bat well. Recall hard-hit balls to the outfield gap, line drives up the middle, and stroked balls to the opposite field.

Before at bats, instruct the hitter to imagine the pitch she wants and to see herself crushing it. When she sees something positive happening in her own mind, it helps her believe she's capable of actually doing it.

4. Have honest conversation. Many slumps are born of a poor approach at the plate. For example, a hitter may approach each at bat trying to hit every pitch over the outfielder's head. This commonly results in dropping the rear shoulder and swinging under the pitch.

Talk to the hitter and ask her what she's thinking. Is she attempting to hit every pitch over the fence? Is she trying to pull every pitch? Is she simply looking to put the ball in play? Is she afraid to make an out? By asking the hitter to share her thoughts, you may expose the root of the problem.

5. Review videotape. We always say, "Seeing it is believing it." Many young hitters don't want to listen to instruction. Kids can be stubborn, but it's also possible they simply don't believe or don't get it what they're being told. Well, it's one thing to hear it, but it's another thing if they can actually see it. The video camera can serve as an extremely useful tool. It not only provides visual proof but accurately illustrates what may be difficult to place into words.

6. Change. Some players respond positively to change. A change in the stance, pre-swing, mental approach, or even equipment can jump-start a hitting streak. It should not be a major change in mid-season, but a subtle adjustment can have a positive impact. There is more than one way to hit a baseball, so maybe the hitter just needs to shake things up to get himself going. If he believes a minor change makes him a better hitter, by all means, let him do it.

Marc Dagenais is a softball peak performance coach that provides softball tips, softball drills, and information on techniques for hitting, pitching, coaching, and training through his blog at http://www.softballperformance.com/blog

He also helps softball players and coaches improves their game by sharing with them the tips and strategies used by the world's best softball players and coaches to achieve extraordinary performances. You can sign-up to get his FREE Softball Tips at http://www.softballperformance.com/softball-tips.html Go Sign-up Now!

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Free Girls Softball Practice Drills

FastPitchSoftballSupply.com/SoftballrUs.com has the ZipnHit-Pro Softball batting Trainer.

Free softball drills can really help out softball players and make them become better players. Softball drills can also easily be used during practices and improve their skills. The following are free girls softball practices drills that coaches can use to get their players to reach the next level.

By Marc Dagenais

Drill 1 - Soccer Ball (Softball Hitting)

Purpose: To learn how to drive through the ball.

Procedure: Place a soccer ball on a T. If the T is an open tube, place a small bathroom plunger in the T to hold the ball or use a traffic cone and a plunger. The batter hits the soccer ball hard off the T. If she does not drive through the soccer ball, it will not explode off the bat.

Drill 2 - Football Up and Down

Purpose: To develop the agility and quickness to escape a rundown.

Procedure: In staggered rows, players assume well-balanced positions as if between bases. The coach faces the players and gives hand signals to indicate the direction in which players move. The signals are right, left, down, and up. Players shuffle to the side on right and left signals. On the down signal they quickly hit the ground. Players should be absolutely flat. On the up signal they get up quickly to be ready to go again. In a rundown, players use the prone position to trip the defensive player.

Drill 3 - Timed Throws (Softball Catchers)

Purpose: To evaluate quickness of release and speed of the throw.

Procedure: The catcher catches a pitched ball in full gear so that the drill is gamelike. The coach starts a stopwatch when the ball enters the glove and stops it when the ball is released or when the ball reaches the shortstop's glove at second base. Good times for the ball to go from glove to glove for college catchers are between 1.65 and 1.75 seconds. High school catchers should make the throw in less than 2 seconds.

Drill 4 - Wall Drill (Softball Pitching)

Purpose: To develop proper rotation of the arm.

Procedure: The pitcher throws imaginary pitches using a wall to keep the arm straight in a perfect circle. She stands perpendicular to a wall with the pitching arm close to the wall and about four inches away. The pitcher uses the full pitching motion (including the stride and the opening of the hips), keeping the arm straight and in tight so that it does not contact the wall. The pitcher walks and moves down the wall throwing imaginary pitches.

Drill 5 - Moving to the Base (Softball Infield)

Purpose: To improve quickness and range moving to first base.

Procedure: The first baseman takes a position halfway to home as if fielding a bunt. On the coach's command "go," she sprints to the base (turning inward to the diamond), finds the base, takes the receiving position, catches an imaginary ball, and tags the base. The player repeats the drills, moving ever closer to home to increase the distance and push herself to improve quickness in getting to the base.

Marc Dagenais is a softball peak performance coach that provides softball tips, softball drills, and information on techniques for hitting, pitching, coaching, and training through his blog at http://www.softballperformance.com/blog

He also helps softball players and coaches improves their game by sharing with them the tips and strategies used by the world's best softball players and coaches to achieve extraordinary performances. You can sign-up to get his FREE Softball Tips at http://www.softballperformance.com/softball-tips.html Go Sign-up Now!

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Softball Hitting Instructions

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If you are a softball coach, you have a big responsibility at hand. You need to empower the players every now and then. You need to be a living example of what you tell them to do.

By Marc Dagenais

Most importantly, you need to improve their learning and make them become better. In order to improve the softball playing techniques of every member of your team, you need as much power and willingness to device a prevailing plan and instructions.

Now, softball has been one of the most popular team sports in the U.S. You must have observed that in every softball game, much of the control in the runs come from the batting. That is why every softball coach should properly and constantly instruct every softball player to practice and learn the different softball hitting styles and techniques.

There is a need to know that there are different hitting drills that are fit for every softball player. With this fact, the player and the coach must evaluate the varieties of softball hitting styles so that you will both know what works for you and what will not work for you but will still work for the other members of the team. Incorporate your new learning style to your practice and approach in each bat.

Hitting the softball is one of the most difficult skills to be learned. It is also one of the most difficult to coach. Because of these reasons, there is a call for both the players and the coach to work hand in hand for the direct positive result of every undertaking. Just avoid extreme changes when incorporating new styles. Change is good but when it is applied radically, it may bring a negative result which you don't want to happen of course.

The coach and the player must be well coordinated with the kind of style they will use. If the player uses a certain stance, the coach must observe him first. The coach must not reprimand the player in an instant. Observe first the comfort the player while he is using his own style of hitting and the stance as well. The player, on the other hand, should always listen to the coach. Both of you have one major aim. And that is to produce the most number of runs. In order for this to happen, a coordinated plan should be working between the coach and the players. In this way, a smooth flow of the game plan will materialize. Eventually, all the softball hitting instructions that the coach and the players have practiced will serve as their winning edge over the other competing teams.

Marc Dagneais is Softball Peak Performance Coach that helps softball players turn their athletic talent into extraordinary performances and help coaches get more out of their players, turn their struggling team around or get an edge over their opponents. Visit us to access our directory of FREE softball drills!

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Coaching Fastpitch Softball Hitters: Often Forgotten Tips for Producing Game Ready Hitters

I just wanted to share two very basic, yet often overlooked, tips for hitting practice. By Stacie Mahoe

Tip #1 – Practice Running

When you practice hitting, practice GETTING OUT OF BOX ON EVERY SINGLE SWING. Especially at the younger age level, often times in practice, we just have them stay in the box and swing at a set number of pitches. Maybe we have them run on the last hit. Then in the game we wonder why they “forget” to run after they hit the ball. It’s probably because in 80%-90% of the swings they take in the box during practice we don’t have them run. So they practice not running after they hit a ball more than they practice running after making contact with the ball. Which do you think will be their “habit” come game time?

Tip #2 – Take Enough Swings

How many swings do your batters get in practice? Consider the fact that pitchers pitch 100 or more pitches per day for practice. Hitters should take at least as many swings preferably off a tee if not against live pitching. But maybe your team doesn’t have the capability to have each player take that many cuts off a tee or live pitching during practice. Some teams only have one tee, do not have the luxury of a batting cage, and have only 1 or 2 players/coaches that are capable of pitching live to players. Here are some suggestions of different ways you can have players get all those cuts in.

Visualization

Have players get into their stance with the bat and visualize a pitcher pitching to them. They should go through their routine of starting outside the batters box then stepping in and getting ready for the pitch. Have them “see” the ball being pitched to different spots (inside high, inside low, outside high, outside low, etc) and take cuts at the different pitches they are “seeing.” They should visualize solid contact with each pitch and use the proper swing to hit the ball coming in the different locations. If they do 5 pitches at each location list above, they will get in 20 swings with this one drill.

Soft Toss

Whether you have a net or you have to soft toss into the field, this is another way players can get some swings. If you do have to soft toss into the field because you do not have a net, set up two stations to run at once. Just be sure that the tossers do not toss the ball at the same time. This gets more swings in a shorter period of time compared to live pitching because batters should be able to hit every tossed ball whereas in live pitching, they may not be swinging if the pitch is not good.

Wiffle Balls

Have a couple of stations where the players hit wiffle balls. You can soft toss these if you want, but it’s probably better to pitch them to the batters. Distance between the pitcher and the batter should be close (10-15 ft). This is a little quicker than hitting live with regular balls because you can set up 2-3 stations vs. having just one player hit live at the plate with real balls. Plus wiffles don’t go as far so it’s easier and faster to shag all the balls.

Soft/Sponge/Nerf Balls

Use these types of balls for live hitting. Some are the same color and size as regular balls, but they don’t go as far so it’s easier and quicker to shag than live balls. Plus if you’re having a coach pitch to the players, the coach can stand closer using these soft balls and probably get more accuracy leading to less “wasted” pitches where the batters don’t swing because the pitch isn’t good.

Hit Live in the Cage

If you do have the luxury of a batting cage, do your live hitting in the cage. That way, you don’t have to have the whole team shagging while just a few get to go through hitting stations. More players can be getting some of their 100 swings in instead of standing on the field waiting for balls to maybe come to them.

Those are just a few ideas to get you started. If you do have the capability it’s always great to allow your pitchers to pitch to your hitters. It helps make the pitchers stronger so long as you’re not telling them to “just let the batters hit.” And it makes the batters stronger, again, that’s only if you’re having your pitchers throw their best stuff. If you do have a machine and a cage, that’s a great way to get a number of cuts in within a shorter time frame. Even if you don’t have a cage, using a machine can cut down on time because players should be able to swing at just about every pitch. However, it’s no substitute for live hitting so don’t just rely on the machine. Live hitting is an important part of hitting practice. After all, it’s the type situation you expect your players to perform in during the game. It’s only fair that you put them in a similar situation in practice.

One last thing, don’t rush your hitters through their 100+ swings. Why? Because that’s not game-like. In a game, they see a pitch, have about a 10 second break, then see another pitch, then have a break, and so on. They aren’t going to be taking 5 swings in the span of 10 or 20 seconds. In at least some of your hitting drills, allow your hitters to take a good swing, get out of their stance, reset, get ready again, then take another swing. Even if they have 30 seconds between each swing, 100 swings will take less than an hour. So don’t rush. Let them have quality swings with breaks in between, just like game time.

Article by Stacie Mahoe
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Performance Enhancing Softball Hitting Tips

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One of the most difficult and most strenuous roles in the softball field is the role of a hitter. The hitter can definitely make or break a game. That is why it is very important to engage in holistic and softball hitting specific drills and tips to help the players deliver devastating hits and win the team a lot of scores and home-runs.


By Marc Dagenais

The very basic softball hitting tips that needs to be put into mind all the time is to practice the swing. Practicing the proper and most efficient way of swinging the bat is the base skill that softball hitters must know and develop. Hold the bat with your fingers and a lot less with your palms. The fingers give you extra control of the bat. Use your palms for support.

Another softball tip to try out is to find your hitting style and technique. This is essential as being comfortable with your hitting style and technique determines the success of your hits. 50% of the wining hit relies on your mastery of that swing that is why it is highly crucial to stick to the swing your most comfortable and in-tune with.

If you want to be able to hit really effective, a softball hitting tip to remember is to know what the pitcher is thinking. Analyze his or her movements carefully and use that to make your move. If the pitcher seems to be preparing for an underhand and low toss then shift your bat angle and weight. It is all about countering and assuming.

If you want to excel and improve your hitting skills, it is quite vital for you to find the best and right softball bat. Remember that a hitter's weapon in the filed of softball is his or her softball bat. Not all softball hitters need the same bat, bat's are completely relative to the user that is why it is vital for you to make the right decision.

A softball tip when in pursuit of purchasing a softball bat is to look for one which is bout as long as your dominant arm. This is because having a bat that is about the length of your dominant arm will give you a sense of being one or in other words, just like having an extended arm. This will help to maximize your hitting skills especially if accompanied with the right hitting drills, practices, and games.

Softball hitting tips such as complete devoting your focus and power in the swing is very vital indeed. Make your every single softball swing count by thinking about where to drive the ball and what angle the ball is heading. Keep your head in the game but in this case, keep your head on the ball.

Also try to improve your mental focus. Softball hitting is quite an arduous job indeed because it entails hitting a fast flying ball mid-air. Engage in focus enhancing drills to help you cope with fast pitch hitting in softball. Remember that a healthy mind is a vessel for physical success whether in the sport of softball or not.

These are just some of the performance enhancing softball hitting tips to try out. The key is to practice, practice, and practice swinging and mastering the bat. Use all that you can you and forget the uncontrollable when hitting a softball.

Marc Dagneais is Softball Peak Performance Coach that helps softball players turn their athletic talent into extraordinary performances and help coaches get more out of their players, turn their struggling team around or get an edge over their opponents. Visit us to access our directory of FREE softball drills!

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Softball Batting Drills

By Marc Dagenais

Ask any softball coach, and they'll tell you that softball pitching and hitting are the two most important areas of the game. Without one or the other, the chances of winning a game get very slim. So it's a very good idea that you take the time to practice hitting more than any other part of the sport, besides pitching if that's your role on the team. Here are some very good softball hitting drills that you can use to practice softball hitting:

Drill 1 - Back Knee Down

Purpose: To develop upper-body strength and quickness. The drill helps the player stop lunging by eliminating lower-body movement. The drill can reduce upper cutting. It emphasizes keeping the barrel above the hands and using correct timing.

Procedure: Use a low T for this drill. The hitter kneels on a towel with the back knee at a 90-degree angle, keeping the shoulders on a level plane. The drill can also be done off a soft toss. The player sees the bat hit the ball.

Drill 2 - Hitting Fungoes

Purpose: To develop proper hand action, weight shift, downward swing, and follow-through.

Procedure: Players who are waiting on deck hit fungoes to the fielders on their side of the infield. Include up to four hitters in each of the three hitting stations. Hitters rotate to the back of the line of another hitting station after taking a certain number of swings. After a complete rotation of the hitters through all three hitting stations, one line can rotate to the infield spots and the infielders can come in to bat. Concentrate on hitting the top half of the baseball with a short, downward swing.

Drill 3 - Draw a Line

Purpose: To practice moving the hands to the ball and to develop speed and a strong lead arm.

Procedure: The batter assumes her stance without a bat and with her lead hand in its normal position with the thumb up. The hitter draws a line across her chest and then extends to the ball.

Drill 4 - Snap Backs

Purpose: To develop quick hands, a small stride, and forearm and wrist strength.

Procedure: The partner stands six feet from the batter and tosses balls in rapid succession to the contact point of the strike zone. The hitter is standing up and drives one ball after another into a net by taking her swing and snapping the bat back to the starting position in preparation for the next toss.

Drill 5 - Quick Hands

Purpose: To develop quick hands, the backswing, and a compact swing.

Procedure: The tosser stands in front of the batter and behind a screen about 15 feet in front of the hitter. The batter starts with the bat pointing at the tosser and must quickly get the hands back and forward to hit the tossed ball.

Marc Dagenais is a softball peak performance coach that provides softball tips, softball drills, and information on techniques for hitting, pitching, coaching, and training through his blog at http://www.softballperformance.com/blog

He also helps softball players and coaches improves their game by sharing with them the tips and strategies used by the world's best softball players and coaches to achieve extraordinary performances. You can sign-up to get his FREE Softball Tips at http://www.softballperformance.com/softball-tips.html Go Sign-up Now!

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