We get asked all of the time about what types of balls to use for training aids.  There are some hitting aids (like the Insider Bat) that simply don’t allow for hitting real baseballs.  In these cases, we typically recommend wiffle balls or a tennis ball with a hole punched in it.

But now we can offer yet another alternative.    Introducing the new SoftHit Training Balls.  These balls are the same size as a real baseball and look like a baseball.

Advantages include: More substantial feel that wiffles Pick up the laces in batting practice Won’t break glass Throw faster batting practice to kids afraid of fast pitching Don’t break like wiffles

Useful for:

• Taking full swings in the yard without worrying about broken windows
• Tee or soft toss work where and when you can’t use baseballs
• Training to catch pop ups when a hard ball might be dangerous
• Use them in the gym or indoors when you can’t hit outside

Overall, a great addition to your training gear…and kids love them!

Put some in your bag today.  Free Shipping!

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.

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”

“We have been using the insider bat and one of the main thing we like is the instant feedback you receive with each swing and the variety of drills that can be used with the insider bat. It really gives my players an understanding of keeping their hands inside the ball”

Head Coach Larry Turner
Head Baseball Coach
Owasso High School
Owasso, Oklahoma
State Champions 1987, 98, 99, 2001,03,04,07,08,09
State Runner-up 1997, 2000,05,06

“The insiderbat is the latest and greatest hitting tool I have seen regarding the extension part of the swing in both baseball and softball. It is an everyday tool in my individual and private lesson program.”

Coach Greg Riddoch
Former San Diego Padres Manager
Current San Diego Padres Mental Skills Coach

“The Insider bat is the most effective training tooI I have encountered in my career in regards to proper hand path to the ball. The instant feedback, the portablity, the muscle memory development, are all reasons every player/coach should own an insider bat. It is like having an extra assistant coach for the players. The insider bat is and will be a part of any program I am involved with in the future”

Coach Rod Delmonico
Tennessee’s all time winningest baseball coach (699+ victories)
Ranked 4th on the all time SEC coaching wins list
4 SEC Eastern Division Titles
2 SEC Conference Championships
Coached over 100 players that signed professionally
Managed the Netherlands in the World Baseball Classic in the upset over the Dominican Republic
Author of 4 books and produced 4 baseball videos
A feature coach at the MLB academies in Europe

 ”I highly recommend the insider bat. Very rarely do you come across a training aide that is easy to use and takes so little instruction. Immediately when the hitter picks up the insider bat his mind starts calculating the necessary swing path to hit the ball squarely.”

Don Slaught
President and Founder/Rightview Pro
16 Yr MLB Career
Former Detroit Tiger Hitting Coach