One of the most important attributes a piece of baseball training equipment can have is that it may be used alone, by one individual. Many training aids require the participation of, if not three, two people, but quite frequently we are left to our own devices to work on our swing. The Schutt Striker II looks to address the necessity of group participation in a piece of training equipment. Even … [Read more...]
Best BBCOR Bats of 2013 to get the most bang for your buck
This week’s segment on advanced/high school hitters will focus on 2013 BBCOR aluminum bats. How does one know if they are getting a good value on a bat that can run upwards of $400? Wouldn’t you like some none biased information to base you decision on? With a lot of money on the line, and little information to base you decision on, I have decided to lend a helping hand to out readers. There are … [Read more...]
The jump from high school to college baseball
Our blog for advanced hitters this week will discuss the transition from high school to college baseball, and, for the lucky few, the jump from high school to pro-baseball. My opinion, when it comes to high school baseball players that want to play college baseball, is that it comes down to two factors: 1) Do you want to play baseball bad enough? 2) Are you a hard worker? Those two factors … [Read more...]
Weighted Training Balls – Training Aid Tuesdays
Baseball Express, amongst their other great products, offers a weighted ball set that is a must own for baseball players of all ages. The idea itself seems quite ingenious. Personally, I remember as boy cutting open a tennis ball, filling the inside of the ball with change, and rapping the ball with duck tape so I could build up my arm strength by throwing a weighted ball. While the “penny ball”, … [Read more...]
Common Youth Baseball Pitches
While there are numerous options in baseball pitches, there are only two required for a successful youth pitcher: the fastball and change up. Let's explore the specifics of these pitches. The Fast Ball There are actually two types of fastball you should master: the four-seam and the two-seam. While they are similar, they each have their unique advantages. Four-Seam Fastball The four-seam … [Read more...]
Olympic Gold Medalist Uses Insider Bat to Teach Softball Hitting
"The Insider Bat has been extremely effective in getting my students to understand the importance of keeping their hands on the inside path of the ball in order to hit the ball on the sweetspot of their bat. Not to mention they have a ton of fun with the drills. It gives them immediate feedback and challenges them as well. I am so thrilled to FINALLY have a tool that helps my students understand … [Read more...]
Stephen Strasburg Fastball
Here's a video from Paul Reddick breaking down the fastball of Stephen Strasburg. Not everyone can be Stephen Strasburg, but Paul helps us understand what can be copied to become a better pitcher. Enjoy! … [Read more...]
Common Swing Problems – Wrapping the Bat
Wrapping the bat is a common problem for young hitters when they are trying to "load" to hit for power. When they set their hands, they let the barrel of the bat tip way over towards the pitcher. There are several significant problems caused by wrapping the bat. First, this greatly increases the distance the barrel of the bat needs to travel to the ball. Greater distance means slower bat … [Read more...]
Common Hitting Problems – Plate Positioning
It may sound simple but where the batter stands in relation to the plate has a huge impact on the ability to hit the ball. There are two elements to plate positioning. The first is the distance from the plate and the second is the distance from the pitcher. Distance If they are too close, it will be difficult to hit the inside pitch and may have trouble hitting the ball on the sweet spot. … [Read more...]