Softball Hitting For Power Basics
By guest author: Brad Henks
Watching some of the best hitters in baseball and softball makes us want to hit just like them. There are great home run hitters like Babe Ruth, Albert Pujols, Crystl Bustos and some others. They all command attention when they step up to the plate because of their explosive hitting power.
Here are some tips to help you become a better, more powerful softball hitter. Implement these at your next softball practice.
1. To be a powerful softball hitter you will need to be powerful and in great shape physically. Work on this by do exercises that will build power such as squats, plyometric jumping drills, long jumps over boxes. Work on your triceps, and chest by doing medicine ball drills or dips for a few ideas. You can come up with more I'm sure.
2. Learn to hold the bat properly. A lot of young players naturally, but mistakenly grip the bat way too firmly. If you loosen your grip on the bat you will be able to swing the bat much faster and it will feel better. You need to have loose wrists and grips. There is even a line of batting gloves out there that help you keep a looser grip on the bat.
That should tell you how important this is for a powerful swing.
3. Do some one handed batting drills. Use a tee, swing the bat with the top hand only. Then repeat using only the bottom hand. Do about 10-15 wings each. This will strengthen your arms and hands. Also gets you into proper alignment with the bat and your body.
4. Using both hands, remember that your front hand pulls the bat while your back hand pushes the bat. Beginners may find this a little tough but stick with it and you will get the hang of it soon.
5. Step to the plate correctly. Align yourself about in the middle of the batters box to give yourself plenty of room to see the pitch and time to swing properly at it.
6. Get a good view of the pitcher. Make certain you are looking straight at the pitcher with both eyes. Hold your chin on your front shoulder to put your head in the proper alignment.
7. Watch the ball all the way to your bat. Don't close your eyes and don't be distracted by the infielders moving or the base runner starting to steal a base. Keep your eye on the ball as they say. This will help you track the ball for a more powerfull softball hit.
8. Let your weight shift forward as you make contact with the ball. Allow your back foot to slide forward a couple of inches. This will put all your power into the hit.
9. Focus on hitting the inside seam of the softball. This will make the ball go back up the middle for a hard hit line drive. These are really hard for infielders to get to.
10. When you hit the ball, run as hard as you can all the way through first base. Your coach will tell you if you need to keep going.
There you go, some basic softball power hitting tips. Practice these at home on a tee or with a friend. What are you waiting on, go out and learn to become a true power softball hitter.
Talk about Fastpitch Softball over at http://FastpitchSoftballTalk.blogspot.com/.
The author is a fastpitch softball enthusiast and has been involved in fastpitch softball and baseball for 20 years as a parent and coach. For more information please visit http://www.BuyFastpitchGloves.com for some of the best fastpitch softball gloves and related accessories.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brad_Henks
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Showing posts with label softball hitting tips. Show all posts
Showing posts with label softball hitting tips. Show all posts
Monday, November 14, 2011
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Softball Hitting Drills - Hip Rotation Drills
Fastpitch Softball Hitting Drills - Hip Rotation Drills
Posted on YouTube by softballperformance
http://www.softballperformance.com Softball Peak Performance Coach Marc Dagenais demonstrates a softball hitting drills on how to mazimize the use of the hips to enhance bat speed and hitting power.
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Check out these coaching articles at the Softball Coaching Digest:
SoftballCoachingDigest.com
• Articles from the Youth Softball Coaching Clinic Blog
• Articles from the Coaching Fastpitch Softball Pitchers Blog
• Articles from the Coaching Fastpitch Softball Hitters Blog
• Articles from the Tips for Fastpitch Softball Coaches Blog
• The Fastpitch Softball Training Equipment Blog
Monday, August 30, 2010
Fastpitch Softball: Girls & Rotational mechanics.
Fastpitch Softball: Girls & Rotational mechanics.
Posted on YouTube by parkertraining
Think rotational hitting is just for the guys? You may be surprised.
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Check out these coaching articles at the Softball Coaching Digest:
SoftballCoachingDigest.com
• Articles from the Youth Softball Coaching Clinic Blog
• Articles from the Coaching Fastpitch Softball Pitchers Blog
• Articles from the Coaching Fastpitch Softball Hitters Blog
• Articles from the Tips for Fastpitch Softball Coaches Blog
• The Fastpitch Softball Training Equipment Blog
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Softball Hitting Drills - How to Increase Batting Power
Softball Hitting Drills - How to Increase Batting Power
http://www.softballperformance.com/ - Marc Dagenais, peak performance coach demonstrates an excellent drill to increase your batting power.
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Sunday, July 4, 2010
Softball Hitting Instructions
Softball Hitting Instructions
By Guest AuthorMarc Dagenais
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. 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!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marc_Dagenais
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http://wildsportsvideos.blogspot.com/
http://rottensports.blogspot.com/
http://fastpitchsoftballcoaching.blogspot.com/
By Guest AuthorMarc Dagenais
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. 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!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marc_Dagenais
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Suggested Links:
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Wednesday, March 10, 2010
The Important Role of Softball Drills in Winning
The Important Role of Softball Drills in Winning
By Marc Dagenais
In any kind of sport, it is always true that practice makes perfect. You need to work hard in order to become a skillful player. You should multiply your skills and abilities to have a better chance of making the best player in your chosen sport. Of course your coach has an important part in your quest. Your coach will be your guide and will tell you what skill should you put more focus on and what are the drills you should practice.
In the field of softball, softball pitching and hitting are two main keys to win the game. You should use a good combination of this in order to have a higher chance of winning. You need to practice more to improve these skills. Softball drill will help a lot to multiply your skills in hitting and pitching.
Your coach should have enough knowledge about the different softball drills so that you can choose the most effective drill.
Some common softball drills which can you incorporate in your everyday practice are:
· Back Knee Down
The main purpose of this drill is to improve your upper body strength and quickness. It is done to decrease the lower body movements like lunging and upper cutting. It focuses to keep the barrel above your hands. The use of proper timing is also essential in this drill.
The drill can be done by using a low T. the hitter will kneel on a towel with the back knee positioned in 90 degree angle. The shoulders should be level on plane. You can also do it in a soft toss as long as the bat will hit the ball.
· Hitting Fungoes
It is the drill that improves the action of the hand, shifting of the weight, downward swing and follow-through.
There should be some players staying on the deck. They will be the one to hit the fungoes toward the direction of the fielders on the side of the infield. You should have four hitters in each of the three hitting stations. The hitters will take a certain number of swings and then rotate at the back of the line of the next hitting station. The hitter should complete the rotation passing the three hitting stations. After the rotation one line can rotate to the infield spots and the infielders can come to hit the ball. You should hit the top half of the baseball using a short, downward swing.
· Draw a Line
It is for the purpose of practicing the moving of the hands to the ball. It will also develop the speed and strengthen the lead arm.
To start with the drill, the batter will estimate the stance even without holding the bat. The lead hand should be in its normal position with the thumb up. The hitter then will draw a line across her chest and then extends the ball.
· Snap Backs
It will multiply the quickness of the hands, small stride, and forearm and the strength of the wrist.
Your player should have corresponding partner. The partner will stand six feet from the batter and will toss the ball in the fastest speed towards the contact point of the strike zone. The hitter standing up will drive one ball after another into the net taking the swing and snapping the bat back to the staring point.
· Quick Hands
It will surely increase your ability in quick hands, backswing and compact swing.
First the tosser will stand in front of the batter and behind a screen with 15 feet distance to the hitter. The batter will positioned the bat pointing the tosser, then return the hand back quickly, and then forward again now hitting the tossed ball.
Mentioned above are some common softball drills to keep you at the top of your game.
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!
Friday, February 19, 2010
Top 5 Softball Batting Tee Drills
Article Title: Top 5 Softball Batting Tee Drills
By Marc Dagenais
Here are the top 5 softball batting tee drills, in no particular order, and in my opinion. They are the ones that can really help turn you into an elite batter.
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 - Bingo
Purpose: To develop a level swing and proper mechanics by offering instant feedback.
Procedure: Position two Ts at the same height with one directly behind the other. The batter drives the back ball into the front ball. The farther apart the Ts, the more difficult it is to hit the front ball because errors are magnified. The path of the hit provides quick feedback on the mechanics of the swing. If the hitter misses to the left, she has an outside-inside swing. If the hitter misses by going above, she is dropping her back shoulder. When successful, the hitter should yell "Bingo."
Drill 3 - Balance Beam
Purpose: To check balance during a swing.
Procedure: The hitter stands on a two-by-four or with both feet on the inner edge or a tire while hitting off the T. A hitter with good balance can stay on the beam throughout the swing.
Drill 4 - Look at Pitcher, Then Hit
Purpose: To practice refocusing from the pitcher to the point of contact.
Procedure: The batter at a T looks out at an imaginary pitcher and then refocuses on the T and takes a normal swing.
Drill 5 - Two Ts
Purpose: To concentrate on hitting to and through the ball on the sweet spot of the bat with a line drive contact.
Procedure: Two Ts are placed at the same height one directly in front of the other with a ball on each. The batter tries to drive the bat through the ball on the first T and into and through the ball on the second T.
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!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marc_Dagenais
By Marc Dagenais
Here are the top 5 softball batting tee drills, in no particular order, and in my opinion. They are the ones that can really help turn you into an elite batter.
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 - Bingo
Purpose: To develop a level swing and proper mechanics by offering instant feedback.
Procedure: Position two Ts at the same height with one directly behind the other. The batter drives the back ball into the front ball. The farther apart the Ts, the more difficult it is to hit the front ball because errors are magnified. The path of the hit provides quick feedback on the mechanics of the swing. If the hitter misses to the left, she has an outside-inside swing. If the hitter misses by going above, she is dropping her back shoulder. When successful, the hitter should yell "Bingo."
Drill 3 - Balance Beam
Purpose: To check balance during a swing.
Procedure: The hitter stands on a two-by-four or with both feet on the inner edge or a tire while hitting off the T. A hitter with good balance can stay on the beam throughout the swing.
Drill 4 - Look at Pitcher, Then Hit
Purpose: To practice refocusing from the pitcher to the point of contact.
Procedure: The batter at a T looks out at an imaginary pitcher and then refocuses on the T and takes a normal swing.
Drill 5 - Two Ts
Purpose: To concentrate on hitting to and through the ball on the sweet spot of the bat with a line drive contact.
Procedure: Two Ts are placed at the same height one directly in front of the other with a ball on each. The batter tries to drive the bat through the ball on the first T and into and through the ball on the second T.
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!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marc_Dagenais
Monday, February 15, 2010
Softball Hitting Tips - Is a Good Swing Good Enough?
Softball Hitting Tips - Is a Good Swing Good Enough?
By Marc Dagenais
A lot of softball players place a premium on good swinging that they start to think that it's the only aspect of hitting they need to do in order to become good hitters. However, nothing can be further from the truth than this.
The truth is that, good swinging mechanics is just a part of the entire equation. There are other things that you need to consider if you want to be a good hitter. And that's what we're going to discuss here in this article.
Tracking the Ball
First of all, you need to able to see where the ball is going. This ability is commonly referred to as tracking. To track the ball well means you should be able to see the ball's direction from the time it leaves the pitcher's hand to the time it reaches within your swinging reach.
Just like all skills, tracking is a skill that takes time to develop. At 70mph, the ball is quick enough that it leaves you just little time to react and trace its direction. That is why it's important that coaches should teach their players this skill through various drills.
One of the most common drills to develop tracking is called the Finger Flash. The good thing with this drill is that it doesn't need any equipment for players to perform. All they need to do is have a 'pitcher' who will quickly flash 1, 2, or 3 fingers from a distance, and the 'batter' would then call out the number of fingers that the pitcher flashed.
Making Split-Second Decisions at Bat
Another skill that a good hitter should have is knowing when NOT to hit the ball. There are times when hitting the ball would be too impossible that doing so would cause a strike while during other times, swinging the bat would constitute a ball, to name a few situations.
Pitchers will have a variety of pitches to throw at batters. The key here is for the batter to know whether to swing the bat or not. It may sound easy, but again, with fast balls, it would be pretty difficult to make split-second decisions.
It's therefore important for hitters to be able to approximate whether the ball is in or out of the strike zone. This skill could be developed through a number of drills that simulate pitches to particular zones. And, then, there's experience. As you go on playing the game, it will become much easier to make these decisions for yourself.
Of course, there's nothing that consistent practice can't remedy. As I said earlier, these skills take time to master. It may be a little more difficult to do these things now, but try to remember the time when you were just trying to learn the mechanics of hitting. It was difficult at first, but eventually you developed it into the good swing you have today.
Take the learning of new skills as a challenge. If you're out to compete with the best of the best, you should keep on developing your skills. And in this case, having a good swing is never enough. You should also train yourself to track the ball and make split-second decisions on whether to hit it or not. I hope you find these softball tips helpful and make them part of your regular training routine.
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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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!
By Marc Dagenais
A lot of softball players place a premium on good swinging that they start to think that it's the only aspect of hitting they need to do in order to become good hitters. However, nothing can be further from the truth than this.
The truth is that, good swinging mechanics is just a part of the entire equation. There are other things that you need to consider if you want to be a good hitter. And that's what we're going to discuss here in this article.
Tracking the Ball
First of all, you need to able to see where the ball is going. This ability is commonly referred to as tracking. To track the ball well means you should be able to see the ball's direction from the time it leaves the pitcher's hand to the time it reaches within your swinging reach.
Just like all skills, tracking is a skill that takes time to develop. At 70mph, the ball is quick enough that it leaves you just little time to react and trace its direction. That is why it's important that coaches should teach their players this skill through various drills.
One of the most common drills to develop tracking is called the Finger Flash. The good thing with this drill is that it doesn't need any equipment for players to perform. All they need to do is have a 'pitcher' who will quickly flash 1, 2, or 3 fingers from a distance, and the 'batter' would then call out the number of fingers that the pitcher flashed.
Making Split-Second Decisions at Bat
Another skill that a good hitter should have is knowing when NOT to hit the ball. There are times when hitting the ball would be too impossible that doing so would cause a strike while during other times, swinging the bat would constitute a ball, to name a few situations.
Pitchers will have a variety of pitches to throw at batters. The key here is for the batter to know whether to swing the bat or not. It may sound easy, but again, with fast balls, it would be pretty difficult to make split-second decisions.
It's therefore important for hitters to be able to approximate whether the ball is in or out of the strike zone. This skill could be developed through a number of drills that simulate pitches to particular zones. And, then, there's experience. As you go on playing the game, it will become much easier to make these decisions for yourself.
Of course, there's nothing that consistent practice can't remedy. As I said earlier, these skills take time to master. It may be a little more difficult to do these things now, but try to remember the time when you were just trying to learn the mechanics of hitting. It was difficult at first, but eventually you developed it into the good swing you have today.
Take the learning of new skills as a challenge. If you're out to compete with the best of the best, you should keep on developing your skills. And in this case, having a good swing is never enough. You should also train yourself to track the ball and make split-second decisions on whether to hit it or not. I hope you find these softball tips helpful and make them part of your regular training routine.
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
sponsor liks
------------
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!
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
How Do You Handle Softball Hitting?
Hurricane Swing Trainer - HurricaneMachine.com
Softball is a game of life for some. It is what keeps others fueled up. It is a game wherein everybody is making their way to reach the top. It is really a great achievement if you put yourself into the limelight of the softball world.
Since softball is a wonderful diversion of life, it is very much important that you take time informing yourself about the latest and the newest learnings that you could use to survive the crucial sport event. There are a lot of ways now on how you could possibly get hold of the best softball hitting activities and drills. You just have to keep your mind's eye open for the possibilities that you could gain in your every search.
First you have your softball coach to train you. Aside from it is his major responsibility to help you in your training, it is still a must to consult him from time to time on what you should do to better your performance in softball hitting. You could approach him and ask some questions on the proper gripping of the softball bat, proper stance, stride and so on. These important skills should be known by you so that you will have that dream success in your every game performance.
Next, after the strenuous trainings that you and your coach have done and performed, you can still maximize your softball hitting training by researching more softball hitting techniques from the internet. For sure, there are several softball sites that are especially designed for softball players who want to learn more about their desired softball skill. Since you are a softball hitter, then you are most probably to be searching about the latest techniques about softball hitting. There are various coaches, as well as professional softball players who have already shared their ideas and experiences to the different sites in the internet so it pays a lot if you keep your patience on searching for them.
Afterwards, you have to put to heart to everything that you have known and learned. By keeping soulfully whatever skill that you have caught from different people and from various sources, you can definitely move on to the self-training. Yes, you also have to have your own softball hitting training. You don't just have to wait for the training that is called for by your coach. You have to take the initiative to train yourself by using all of the training techniques that you have learned. It is when you start having initiative that you can make the big difference.
Softball players really have a big responsibility. They have to keep themselves fit and vigorous at all times. Discipline is another factor when it comes to learning the different information about softball. If you want to learn, you should listen. Do not act as if you know everything. Remember, there are a lot of losers in this world because they don't know how to listen. Discipline and listening are interrelated. You have to bear in your mind and heart these two virtues because they will serve as your secret weapons to battle every challenge that will cross your softball hitting performance.
Check out the Hurricane Hitting Machine: Derek Jeter Series:
Hurricane Hitting Machine - Homepage
15 Reasons To Buy a Hurricane Trainer
6 Questions Often Asked By Customers
Message to Parents From Coach Nick
Examples of Hurricane Hitting Drills
The Highly Acclaimed 20-Minute Hurricane Batting Practice Workout
Hurricane Batting Machine Video Clips
Derek Jeter Hurricane Hitting Machine
Softball is a game of life for some. It is what keeps others fueled up. It is a game wherein everybody is making their way to reach the top. It is really a great achievement if you put yourself into the limelight of the softball world.
Since softball is a wonderful diversion of life, it is very much important that you take time informing yourself about the latest and the newest learnings that you could use to survive the crucial sport event. There are a lot of ways now on how you could possibly get hold of the best softball hitting activities and drills. You just have to keep your mind's eye open for the possibilities that you could gain in your every search.
First you have your softball coach to train you. Aside from it is his major responsibility to help you in your training, it is still a must to consult him from time to time on what you should do to better your performance in softball hitting. You could approach him and ask some questions on the proper gripping of the softball bat, proper stance, stride and so on. These important skills should be known by you so that you will have that dream success in your every game performance.
Next, after the strenuous trainings that you and your coach have done and performed, you can still maximize your softball hitting training by researching more softball hitting techniques from the internet. For sure, there are several softball sites that are especially designed for softball players who want to learn more about their desired softball skill. Since you are a softball hitter, then you are most probably to be searching about the latest techniques about softball hitting. There are various coaches, as well as professional softball players who have already shared their ideas and experiences to the different sites in the internet so it pays a lot if you keep your patience on searching for them.
Afterwards, you have to put to heart to everything that you have known and learned. By keeping soulfully whatever skill that you have caught from different people and from various sources, you can definitely move on to the self-training. Yes, you also have to have your own softball hitting training. You don't just have to wait for the training that is called for by your coach. You have to take the initiative to train yourself by using all of the training techniques that you have learned. It is when you start having initiative that you can make the big difference.
Softball players really have a big responsibility. They have to keep themselves fit and vigorous at all times. Discipline is another factor when it comes to learning the different information about softball. If you want to learn, you should listen. Do not act as if you know everything. Remember, there are a lot of losers in this world because they don't know how to listen. Discipline and listening are interrelated. You have to bear in your mind and heart these two virtues because they will serve as your secret weapons to battle every challenge that will cross your softball hitting performance.
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
Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Marc_Dagenais
Sponsor Links:
Check out the Hurricane Hitting Machine: Derek Jeter Series:
Hurricane Hitting Machine - Homepage
15 Reasons To Buy a Hurricane Trainer
6 Questions Often Asked By Customers
Message to Parents From Coach Nick
Examples of Hurricane Hitting Drills
The Highly Acclaimed 20-Minute Hurricane Batting Practice Workout
Hurricane Batting Machine Video Clips
Derek Jeter Hurricane Hitting Machine
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Softball Hitting Tips on Common Softball Hitting Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
By Marc Dagenais
How well you react to the pitcher's throw increases your chances of hitting the ball or avoiding it if it's outside the strike zone.
But becoming a good batter is easier said than done. The truth is that, it's a lot more challenging to hit the ball when you're playing in front of a crowd, and the odds are stacked against your team.
The good thing is that, you can minimize the errors you commit on the batter's plate if you have a good grasp of softball hitting mechanics.
That's why I'm going to show you some of the most common softball hitting mistakes so you can avoid them in easy-breezy games or even in pressure-packed situations.
Let's begin.
No Follow Through
There's a tendency for a lot of players to cut their swing short as the ball makes contact with the bat. But doing this causes the ball to lose a lot of power.
Instead, follow through your swing by allowing your arms and the bat to complete the batting motion. This allows your body to transfer more power into the ball than you would by cutting your swing short.
Swinging with Your Arms
Your bat speed depends a lot on the strength of your arms and your shoulders. The stronger your arms and shoulders are, the faster you can swing the bat.
However, you cannot fully maximize your bat speed without the help of the proper position and motion from your legs and hips.
That is why you should keep in mind the way you bend your knees and how you rotate your hips when you're practicing your swings. Having a good training coach can help you with the best stance you can use to ensure you can hit the ball with maximum power once it hits the bat.
Gripping the Bat Tightly
You might not notice it but you could be gripping your bat tightly when waiting for the pitch. It could be because of habit or tension during the game, but the thing is that you lose a lot of power when you do this.
What you should do then is that you should train yourself to loosen your grip on the bat. Keep your grip just tight enough to prevent the bat from slipping from your hands. Also, remember to grip the bat with your fingers and not with the palm of your hands.
Failure to Anticipate the Ball
If you're a beginner, you might think that you should only react to the ball when it's already within your bat's reach. But by this time, you're already too late hit the softball with enough power, much less hit the ball altogether.
Instead, track the direction of the ball from the time it leaves the pitcher's hand. This will give you enough time to adjust your stance or your swing depending on how the pitcher released the ball.
Now that you're familiar with the most common softball hitting mistakes, I hope you'll become more aware of these next time you play and be able to avoid them from now on.
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!
How well you react to the pitcher's throw increases your chances of hitting the ball or avoiding it if it's outside the strike zone.
But becoming a good batter is easier said than done. The truth is that, it's a lot more challenging to hit the ball when you're playing in front of a crowd, and the odds are stacked against your team.
The good thing is that, you can minimize the errors you commit on the batter's plate if you have a good grasp of softball hitting mechanics.
That's why I'm going to show you some of the most common softball hitting mistakes so you can avoid them in easy-breezy games or even in pressure-packed situations.
Let's begin.
No Follow Through
There's a tendency for a lot of players to cut their swing short as the ball makes contact with the bat. But doing this causes the ball to lose a lot of power.
Instead, follow through your swing by allowing your arms and the bat to complete the batting motion. This allows your body to transfer more power into the ball than you would by cutting your swing short.
Swinging with Your Arms
Your bat speed depends a lot on the strength of your arms and your shoulders. The stronger your arms and shoulders are, the faster you can swing the bat.
However, you cannot fully maximize your bat speed without the help of the proper position and motion from your legs and hips.
That is why you should keep in mind the way you bend your knees and how you rotate your hips when you're practicing your swings. Having a good training coach can help you with the best stance you can use to ensure you can hit the ball with maximum power once it hits the bat.
Gripping the Bat Tightly
You might not notice it but you could be gripping your bat tightly when waiting for the pitch. It could be because of habit or tension during the game, but the thing is that you lose a lot of power when you do this.
What you should do then is that you should train yourself to loosen your grip on the bat. Keep your grip just tight enough to prevent the bat from slipping from your hands. Also, remember to grip the bat with your fingers and not with the palm of your hands.
Failure to Anticipate the Ball
If you're a beginner, you might think that you should only react to the ball when it's already within your bat's reach. But by this time, you're already too late hit the softball with enough power, much less hit the ball altogether.
Instead, track the direction of the ball from the time it leaves the pitcher's hand. This will give you enough time to adjust your stance or your swing depending on how the pitcher released the ball.
Now that you're familiar with the most common softball hitting mistakes, I hope you'll become more aware of these next time you play and be able to avoid them from now on.
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!
Monday, January 11, 2010
Tips in Softball Hitting
By Marc Dagenais
Perfect Hit, How to make it? Softball hitting is said to be one of the most important skills in playing softball. I am certain that you have already read that statement for many times now. But then I am saying it again on this article because it's the truth.
It is essential for a team to have an excellent softball hitter. You are a softball hitter. As the hitter of the team, greater and bigger responsibilities lie in your hands. Sometimes these things caused a lot of pressure. As you watch a professional softball hitter, you are thinking on how he was able to do it. What did he do to make a perfect hit?
Well, there is really no perfect formula when it comes to softball hitting. You may think of copying the strategies of the player that you are watching but then there is this tendency that his strategies in softball hitting will not suit you. The secret behind the success of every hit lies on the knowledge on what to do first and what to do next. It lies on the familiarization of the proper mechanics.
The stance. The stance is the position of the hitter when he will release a swing. This is that start of it all. This serves as the foundation for the swing. The hitter must have the proper position so that he will be able to have a perfect swing that would eventually result to a perfect hit. As a hitter, you must see to it that you feet are just outside your shoulders and your weight must be equally distributed to the inside balls of your feet. Balance is important. You should not forget that. The line drawn through your toes must extend directly to the pitcher who is about to throw the ball. Your hands must be level with your shoulders and it must be aligned of your rear shoulders. The distance of your hands from your body must be about four to six inches away.
Getting ready for the swing. This is the loading phase. This is when you are already shifting the weight of your hands backwards so that they can have a greater distance that can be applied before you hit the ball. You are loading your power during this time. The hands must now be aligned behind the shoulder and then gently stride the front foot forward directly toward the direction of the pitcher.
The swing. Successful and famous softball hitters always release perfect swings. They were able to do these because they keep on practicing and they do this thing repeatedly. You too can do this. The bottom of the palm down is the one that guides the bat. The top of the palm is the one that pushes the bat. Your arms must be bent slightly as the bat extends. Your eyes must be focused on the ball and the pitcher who is going to throw the ball. When you are about eight inches from the ball, your top wrist must now push the bat to finally hit the ball.
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
===================
Check out these coaching articles at the Softball Coaching Digest:
SoftballCoachingDigest.com
• Articles from the Youth Softball Coaching Clinic Blog
• Articles from the Coaching Fastpitch Softball Pitchers Blog
• Articles from the Coaching Fastpitch Softball Hitters Blog
• Articles from the Tips for Fastpitch Softball Coaches Blog
• The Fastpitch Softball Training Equipment Blog
===================
SoftballrUs.com/FastpitchSoftballSupply.com is the ultimate online fastpitch softball online store. SoftballrUs.com has Batting Trainers,Pitching Training, Training Bats,Defensive Training Equipment
Perfect Hit, How to make it? Softball hitting is said to be one of the most important skills in playing softball. I am certain that you have already read that statement for many times now. But then I am saying it again on this article because it's the truth.
It is essential for a team to have an excellent softball hitter. You are a softball hitter. As the hitter of the team, greater and bigger responsibilities lie in your hands. Sometimes these things caused a lot of pressure. As you watch a professional softball hitter, you are thinking on how he was able to do it. What did he do to make a perfect hit?
Well, there is really no perfect formula when it comes to softball hitting. You may think of copying the strategies of the player that you are watching but then there is this tendency that his strategies in softball hitting will not suit you. The secret behind the success of every hit lies on the knowledge on what to do first and what to do next. It lies on the familiarization of the proper mechanics.
The stance. The stance is the position of the hitter when he will release a swing. This is that start of it all. This serves as the foundation for the swing. The hitter must have the proper position so that he will be able to have a perfect swing that would eventually result to a perfect hit. As a hitter, you must see to it that you feet are just outside your shoulders and your weight must be equally distributed to the inside balls of your feet. Balance is important. You should not forget that. The line drawn through your toes must extend directly to the pitcher who is about to throw the ball. Your hands must be level with your shoulders and it must be aligned of your rear shoulders. The distance of your hands from your body must be about four to six inches away.
Getting ready for the swing. This is the loading phase. This is when you are already shifting the weight of your hands backwards so that they can have a greater distance that can be applied before you hit the ball. You are loading your power during this time. The hands must now be aligned behind the shoulder and then gently stride the front foot forward directly toward the direction of the pitcher.
The swing. Successful and famous softball hitters always release perfect swings. They were able to do these because they keep on practicing and they do this thing repeatedly. You too can do this. The bottom of the palm down is the one that guides the bat. The top of the palm is the one that pushes the bat. Your arms must be bent slightly as the bat extends. Your eyes must be focused on the ball and the pitcher who is going to throw the ball. When you are about eight inches from the ball, your top wrist must now push the bat to finally hit the ball.
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
===================
Check out these coaching articles at the Softball Coaching Digest:
SoftballCoachingDigest.com
• Articles from the Youth Softball Coaching Clinic Blog
• Articles from the Coaching Fastpitch Softball Pitchers Blog
• Articles from the Coaching Fastpitch Softball Hitters Blog
• Articles from the Tips for Fastpitch Softball Coaches Blog
• The Fastpitch Softball Training Equipment Blog
===================
SoftballrUs.com/FastpitchSoftballSupply.com is the ultimate online fastpitch softball online store. SoftballrUs.com has Batting Trainers,Pitching Training, Training Bats,Defensive Training Equipment
Thursday, November 12, 2009
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!
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!
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