Here’s a great tip from one of MLBs best hitters in the past 30 years. Don Mattingly shares some great advice in not trying to do too much with a pitch, waiting for something to hit and approaching every at bat the same way, regardless of the game situation or pressure involved. Yes, easier said that done…but good advice nonetheless.   Enjoy…

We all know that practice is essential for becoming a better hitter. But keep in mind that not all practice is created equal. In this clip, Don Mattingly says a few words about trying to get the most out of your training sessions and batting practice.

The keys here are starting slow and keeping your head still.  Moving your eyes even a few inches can be devastating for making good, consistent contact.  Watch Don’s tips for keeping everything in order to see the ball better, maintain a good swing and reduce your chances of striking out.

If you have used good fundamentals in all of the steps leading up the swing, you are probably in good shape.  For these initial hitting tips, we want to keep it simple and he swing should just finish the motion you already started.  In this clip, Don also touches on the importance of proper follow though. 

Now, for some of you who are more advanced, you might want to contribute some other points or have additional questions.  For example, in this clip, Don talks about the issue of swinging up or down to the ball.   There’s also the issue of where you want to make contact with the ball, etc.  Rest assured, there is more coming and we will address these and other important issues.  But for now, we’ll keep to the basics and follow Don’s good advice.   Enjoy!

This is a great video tip. This is clip 3 in a 7 part series done by Don Mattingly.   A lot of hitters get in trouble with the stride so heed Don’s advice here. “Watch the first step…it’s a doozy”. That really holds true for hitting the baseball.  If you get yourself into a bad position with a poor first step, it may be difficult to recover.   The stride should be a soft step or touch…because the weight hasn’t transfered yet.   Keep your weight back…make a soft stride and then transfer your weight through the ball for maximum power and impact. Watch Don explain.

In order to put yourself in the right position for success, a proper setup is critical.  As shown in this video with Don Mattingly, if you put yourself back in the batter’s box, you have a little more time to recognize and react to the pitch. You also want to have your feet in pretty much of a straight line to be able to see the ball and rotate the hips…without being so open that you can’t hit the outside pitch.  Here’s the video clip.

Heres’s the first video in a 7 part series put on by Don Mattingly of Mattingly Sports.  This first video focuses on the critical element of the grip.  That grip may seem simple but it can cause a lot ofmajor problems if done wrong.  Some of the key elements of a proper grip are to have the bat in the fingers…not the palms and to line up the “door knocking” knuckles.    Here’s the first video.

I ran across this article by Mickey B.  He brings up some great points about coaching youth teams…or for coaching any team for that matter.  His main point is to have a plan and I couldn’t agree more.  When we starting using practice plans for our teams, the productivity of our practices went through the roof.  When following a plan, the biggest challenge becomes clock management…but it still helps a ton!  Check out Mickey’s article below:

http://youthbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2010/11/teaching-mechanics-in-youth-baseball-is.html

Here’s a simple drill that we have used many times in our practices.  I would add that this drill provides an excellent opportunity to work on the body positioning of the relay man.  As you work with the players on this drill make sure that they are set up so that they can receive the ball by reach the glove out across their body and then turn to the glove side in order to make a smooth throw.   Below is a clip from the original article by Coach Kenny Buford:

“I found that my players were having trouble hitting the cut-off man correctly and then the cut-off man was making sloppy transfers to the given base. I came up with these baseball throwing drills to address the problem.”

Check out the full details at:  http://www.baseball-tutorials.com/baseball-throwing-drills-hitting-the-cut-off-correctly-drill/870/

In a world of high tech gadgets, it was refreshing to run across this video showing some great old fashioned baseball drills that you can do in your backyard with stuff already lying around your house.   Here’s a video trailer.

Looking for more bat speed and power? Here is a video with a few drills to build arm strength and increase bat speed. This video is from the folks at XLR8 Speed Bat. If you don’t have one of these bat, these drills should work with anything similar in size and weight.

A video from the U.S. Baseball Academy with a good tip and drills to break the habit of “wrapping the bat”. This is a swing flaw that can cause real problems as the pitching speed increases.

Here’s a video from the folks at Load to Explode. Here, they are talking about keeping the hands still and back until the hips have cleared. After analysis of over 100 great hitters, they have determined that this is a key to being successful at the plate.

This video highlights what they call the “straight jacket drill”. I have never heard it called that before, but I like the drill and have used it numerous times with great success. There is also a nice brief description of the desired “palm up, palm down” position at contact. Lastly a good variation of the power hand drill. Nice video.

Here’s a video that was made to demonstrate what is meant by “staying back”.   It’s a bit technical and a little long but there are some good points here.

I would also add that if you can “stay back” and not lunge at the ball, you will be able to keep you head more still, which allows you to better see the ball. You will also have a much better chance of hitting an off speed pitch.

Here’s a cool little video showing a young player using the Insider Bat. Looks like the Insider Bat batting trainer is working for this kid.   Notice how he is quick, directly to the ball and then extends through impact.   Nice stroke!

Here’s a new video from Justin Ruchti, a member of the 2003 National Champion Rice Owls and former member of the Seattle Mariners. It’s a little long at just under ten minutes but if you are curious about what the Insider Bat is all about, you should check it out.

He gives an in-depth breakdown of what it’s good for, how and why it was designed, which hitting problems it solves and which drills you can do with it.

He also clarifies how to size the Insider Bat to know which model is right for you or your hitter.

Here’s a nice video from Ripken Baseball talking about using the Tee for batting practice. We all know that when you bring out the tee at practice the kids start to groan. But as we learn in this video, even the major leaguers hit off the tee every day. The key in this video is focusing on practicing the coil and weight shift. Since the ball isn’t moving, you can really take your time and practice getting your weight through the ball for more power. Enjoy!

Here is a 7 minute video showing how to use jump stretch bands to perform a high intesity workout designed for baseball players.  It’s a bit long but you find a few useful drills that can performed just about anywhere.

If you are a coach and/or parent and you have probably faced one of the many challenges associated with raising athletes. 

• Sometimes kids aren’t motivated or they are nervous. 
• They get scared or don’t believe they can do it.  
• Maybe the fun is gone,  they are burned out or they even want to quit.  

Below is a trailer for Jack Perconte’s book on Positive Parenting in sports.  This book takes on some of these challenges and offers some helpful advice.   I think we are at a critical time in youth sports where the line between fun and performance is constantly being challenged.   You might find this trailer and book interesting and useful. 

Here is a video by Jack Mankin about generating bat speed by creating torque with the top hand.  It’s a bit technical and long but you might find it useful.  The video uses pro players such as A-Rod to demonstrate his points.  Please let me know your thoughts.

What I like most about this video is the tip about keeping your bottom hand at the top of the strike zone.  No only does this put your hands in a good hitting position but this helps the hitter, especially younger hitters, to recognize good and bad pitches.

I highly recommend the Insider Bat. This new, innovative product gives your hitters instant feedback and a “feel” for the correct path of the bat head and the proper set of the hands. Our players have used the Insider Bat and they too, are excited about the results.

Dale Westmoreland
Head Baseball Coach Magnolia High School
2009 Texas High School Baseball Coaches Association
Hall of Fame Inductee
600 + career wins

I am the Head Baseball Coach at Barbe High School in Lake Charles, LA for the past 23 years. My coaching staff was introduced to the Insider Bat by a coach from a visiting team during a rain delay at our tournament. We were talking about drills to teach kids to stay inside the ball and he said hey I have the perfect thing for you. Everyday during drill work, we use the Insider Bat and it has helped raise our kids understanding of how important it is to stay inside the ball. What I like so much about the Insider Bat is that you get immediate feedback. If you roll over, you miss the ball or pound it in the ground. If you dip you either miss the ball or pop it up. You must get in and stay in the correct hitting position in order to get the correct results. I would recommend the Insider Bat to everyone!

Glenn Cecchini
Head Baseball Coach
Barbe High School
Lake Charles, LA

• H.S. Baseball Coaches Assoc. National Coach of the Yr: 00, ’01,’06
• American Baseball Coaches Assoc Dist #8 Nat’l Coach of Yr: ‘00
• La. Baseball Coaches Assoc. 5A Coach of the Yr: ‘98, ‘00-‘06
• 5A State Coach of the Yr (voted by Sportswriters): ‘98, ‘01
• Dist. 3-5A Coach of the Yr: ‘92, ‘93, ‘95 – ‘08
• Southwest La. Coach of the Year: ‘97 – ‘00
• Ranked one of the Top 10 Baseball Programs of the Decade by Baseball America
• Co-Author of “101 Championship Drills”