Top 7 Beginner Baseball Coaching Tips For Dads
By Jeff Wise | May 9, 2012
Many kids want to play baseball and a lot of them want their parents to be involved one way or another.
Many dads who’ve played the game growing up introduce baseball to their kids. Often times kids end up liking the sports their parents played.
If coaching your own child/s is your plan, here are some beginner baseball coaching tips for dads to keep in mind:
- You are your child’s most important role model – Coaches can be the most influential person in a kid’s life. As a parent, you are your child’s role model.
You need to teach your kids not only skills on how to throw, catch, hit and run but also the values of teamwork, positive attitude, work ethic, perseverance and more.
Your kids look up to you not only for guidance and instruction but also on how you deal with real game situations. Kids are watchful on how you react on situations, so if you choose to coach your own child, you must take it seriously. - Stay positive – Some kids learn baseball fast, others don’t. Your kids need a patient coach and dad that will support and teach them the basics of baseball and other essential techniques in the game.
You should stay positive in coaching them to help your kids develop the ability to communicate their apprehensions, questions and doubts about their abilities. - Show your kids you care – As a parent and a coach, kids need to feel that you care. Take time to listen to them. You may watch a live game to discuss what skills they can improve on or you may discuss how they feel about how they’re doing.
- Make sure you and your kids are having fun- Regardless of age, fun is essential to a player’s life to stay motivated and keep interested in the game.
Make sure you and your kids are having fun by creating a happy playing environment. If your kids approve, you may invite family members and some of their friends to watch your baseball practice. What you don’t want is for baseball to become a chore for them and you. - Motivate your kids to improve skills- Do not make the mistake of motivating your kids to learn baseball by telling them that you want them to become the next baseball star. Pressure is not a good baseball motivator.
When motivating your kids, you should focus on strengths and skills that need improvement.My dad never put pressure on me during my 14 year baseball playing. He basically let us lead him in a sense. If I said I wanted to be as good as Wade Boggs then he would motivate me and let me practice as often as I wanted. - Let your kids learn baseball by practice or doing – Explaining to your kids the basics, rules, and methods are important but it is through practice they totally learn the in’s and out’s of baseball.
- Emphasize organization and discipline – As a coach, you need to communicate your expectations and required discipline to your kids for them to take seriously your coaching.
If you don’t establish rules, you will quickly lose control of your kids learning. Make them pay attention, look into to each player’s eye and talk to them what you expect and what they need to do to learn baseball right.
If you have any additional baseball coaching tips for dads you think are important then please leave a comment below.
Topics: baseball, baseball coaching, sports | No Comments »
Basics of Baseball Kids Need To Learn
By Jeff Wise | May 7, 2012
There are four basics of baseball kids need to practice to get better at the greatest game on Earth.
The four basics I’m talking about are catching, hitting, throwing and base running.
As a coach, it is quite important to teach these fundamentals to the kids or you will find a lot of caos and confusion during the games.
We are all there to have fun but part of having fun is learning how to appreciate the intricate parts of the game.
4 Basics of Baseball
- Throwing- Kids need to warm up before every practice and sometimes for beginners you should spend a little more time working on it.The act of throwing is not a simple baseball skill. It requires the whole body to work together to accurately send the ball to a specific target. The proper position of throwing should be front shoulder facing the target, lower body lined up in the same direction, back foot perpendicular to the target, and hips closed.
The motion the arm makes when throwing a baseball is circular motion. Asking children to practice throwing through circular motion is an effective technique to make children experience natural momentum of sending the ball at specific target. Check occasionally if children throw with a circular motion by asking them to freeze after pulling the ball out of the glove.
Many times kids learn by example so make sure you have other coaches to demonstrate to.
- Catching- Catching the baseball involves preparation. Besides standing there holding the target at chest level another important tip you can give to kids is to expect that the ball won’t be thrown to them.Many times kids just starting out will have good position but they won’t move their body or their glove to catch the ball.
The right position of catching baseball should be knees slightly bent and weight on the balls of the feet. Ask children to move into the position that will give them the best opportunity to catch the ball.
- Hitting- Learning to hit the baseblal is the most difficult skill a coach teaches. The best approach on teaching children how to hit baseball is to be open-minded and recognize that each player needs individual hitting instruction.Take time on teaching each beginner on baseball hitting. Analyze each problem, take notes on how each player does, or even take videos of their practice. Many players don’t figure out what they are doing wrong until they see themselves on video.
Another important technique for teaching kids to hit is to help them build confidence. Motivate players through pep talks and praises each time they do good or make good effort.
- Base Running- This skill is very important for scoring opportunities. As a coach you need to give your players plenty of time to run the bases. You should teach players to run every ball out and run through first base each time unless there are other runners on base of course.Eventually you’ll teach them how to round the bases, how to slide and even how to tag up.
Teaching The Basics of Baseball Has Rewards
For a coach the rewards can be great. He gets to teach kids all the basics and gets to see the player mature and get better as the season goes on.
He also is rewarded because he’s helping to build confidence in each player which can go a long way in life, not just baseball.
Teach the basics of baseball starting today and you’ll have a team ready to win tomorrow.
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Proper Path Of The Baseball Swing
By Jeff Wise | April 23, 2012
The proper path of the baseball swing will more times than not give you solid contact with the ball and that’s our goal each time we go up to bat.
Let’s examine the flight of the bat from when you hold it to contact and then the finish. I’ve talked before about the slightly-up swing.
As you hold the bat in a vertical position and start swinging, the bat is level through part of the zone but the finish is high above your front shoulder.
The Baseball Swing Should Be Smooth and Finish Up
You aren’t swinging up like an uppercut and you aren’t swinging down in a chopping motion. It should be a smooth swing through the zone and slightly up as you finish.
Remember that each pitch is coming from a mound above the level of the plate. The slightly-up swing helps place the bat and the ball on the same plane which in essence actually levels out the swing. So again, when coaches tell you to have a level swing, they are meaning level on the same plane at contact.
Make sure to keep your shoulders parallel with the plate while the ball is being pitched. Try to keep the front shoulder closed until contact. If you don’t, your shoulders and hips will fly open too early and you will have an uncontrolled swing.
Try not to dip your shoulders either because you’ll most likely pop out or hit a groundout. So, when you swing, your top hand is actually a touch below the bottom hand which will help start that slightly-up swinging motion which will level everything out.
Weight Transfer And the Baseball Swing
At the height of your weight transfer from front to back when the pitch is thrown, your front foot should start to move forward ready to attack. Your hips and shoulders will still be even with the plate.
The last step before you swing the bat is the landing position for that front foot. You actually do take a step forward. You aren’t merely staying in one position with that foot. You stride forward a little as you’re about to take the swing.
The landing of your front foot should be soft and smooth and should still be perpendicular to the pitch. If you open up that front foot then your hips and shoulders will fly open and you won’t have a ton of success hitting the ball. You’ll also lose power at that point.
This brings us to the next step … contact. You don’t have to have a monster swing to hit the ball far. In fact, every single one of my home runs was a nice, smooth swing. I didn’t grunt and I didn’t swing as hard as I could. I had a never-changing swing and followed all the mechanics I’m teaching you here and the ball sailed over the fence.
The power itself isn’t necessarily coming from your swing. Here’s what I mean. Your power comes from the bottom up when you properly transfer your weight through the ball. We talked about that earlier.
Contact happens just after you land your front foot softly in the dirt and your back leg bends. Your front leg actually stiffens and your hands help swing the bat through the zone.
Practicing your hitting each day will allow you to consistently follow the proper path of the baseball swing and then you will be more ready for actual games.
Topics: baseball, baseball batting technique, baseball hitting, baseball hitting basics, baseball swing, sports | No Comments »
The Perfect Baseball Swing Should Be a Consistent One
By Jeff Wise | April 16, 2012
For the perfect baseball swing it doesn’t matter where the ball is pitched or where you want to hit the ball, the one thing that should remain the same is a consistent, mechanical swing.
Former Boston Red Sox player and current Hall of Famer Wade Boggs taught that the “slightly-up” swing smoothly through the strike zone is the swing you want to have. Boggs says that your swing should never vary.
You should find the swing that brings you the most success and keep it consistent from there on out.
The Perfect Baseball Swing Doesn’t Have To Be Level Literally
Pretty insightful information and it makes a lot of sense to me. You may hear a coach tell you to have a “level swing.” He probably doesn’t mean to have a swing completely level literally. A lot of coaches say that because some ballplayers have a tendency to dip their shoulder and swing up at the ball, or the opposite where players swing with a chopping motion. The “slightly-up” swing that Boggs talks about makes total sense.
Practice your swing now. Be as natural as you can be. Not too hard but not too soft either. When you take your practice swings I want you to try something. Practice facing towards the pitcher like you would in a normal game and when you make contact your head will tilt slightly down.
You should practice this almost every day. You always want to be trained to have that head down looking at your bat with arms extended. Basically, you want to be focused on the ball at all times. From the pitcher’s hand to your bat and finally following where the ball is hit. Then, of course, look straight at your first base coach for base running instructions.
The Perfect Baseball Swing Should Be Smooth
Everything about the swinging process should be done in a smooth motion. You get your swing started by triggering back and then forward with the full power of your body to hit the ball. The trigger is what gets you going.
The trigger shifts weight to your back leg/foot as the pitcher is about to hurl the ball towards home plate. As the weight is transferred back you will notice that your shoulders and hips almost follow that weight transfer. They close just a bit. Even your hands go back a little, ready to launch the bat in a smooth motion towards the ball.
As the pitcher is about to throw the ball, your back leg should start to transfer that weight evenly, which involves your front foot and hands, and you have to decide in that very moment whether or not you are going to swing.
If you decide to swing you know that your hands will go forward and the full amount of weight completely transfers to your front leg and your shoulders and hips open up once you hit the ball.
This whole process should be consistent for each at bat no matter what. Once you find success and rinse and repeat every day then you can claim you have the perfect baseball swing.
Image: Master isolated images / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Topics: baseball, baseball batting tips, baseball hitting, baseball hitting tips, baseball swing, baseball swinging tips, sports | No Comments »
Quick Tips On How To Hold a Baseball Bat
By Jeff Wise | April 9, 2012
Here are some quick tips on how to hold a baseball bat. It’s very important to have your hands in the right place while batting so that you’re best able to swing quickly and fluidly.
I wouldn’t recommend doing weird things with your hands, such as holding them too low or too high. It’s much harder to get the bat through the strike zone if your hands are near your waist or way above your chest.
The best place to hold your hands is at or just below your chest and five to eight inches from your body.
Holding it there will help you swing the bat through the strike zone smoothly and quickly.
How To Hold a Baseball Bat – Angle and Position
The next thing you should do is consider what angle to hold the bat. I see many young ballplayers struggling with this issue. Hold the bat at an angle that is comfortable to you as long as you still have that smooth, consistent swing through the strike zone.
Holding the bat in an upward, vertical position is the most comfortable in my view because the bat is balanced and the bat feels light and easy to control. You swing more quickly and smoothly than if you were to hold the bat slightly back, leaning towards the umpire.
How To Hold a Baseball Bat – The Remaining Parts
The remaining parts of your upper body should be relaxed and calm. I’ve experienced times when my upper body (especially my neck) was too tense and it really does make a difference.
It’s actually harder to get the swing going and sometimes it feels somewhat choppy. That isn’t going to get you very many hits. If you’re having a hard time with tension, just step out of the box and take a few deep breaths.
Both of your elbows should be bent and in a position that is parallel to the plate. As far as your shoulders go, keep them in line with where the pitcher is and keep your shoulder closed because if it’s left a little open it might fly through the strike zone too quickly.
There are many components to becoming a great hitter and once all the parts are put together and you practice often you will achieve this goal.
Learning the basics such as how to hold a baseball bat is step one to becoming that great hitter.
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The Best Batting Stance Guaranteed To Get You More Hits
By Jeff Wise | March 28, 2012
I’m going to share with you the best batting stance for beginners. I guarantee you it will give you more hits if you start this way in the beginning.
Let’s take a closer look at the batter’s box and how to set up. It’s good to have your feet shoulder width apart so that you have as much balance as possible. Try to have your front foot even with the plate.
Basically, starting out you should be in the middle of the box (see photo). I used to touch my bat in the middle of the plate and then settle my feet.
Why Is This The Best Batting Stance?
The reason I like setting up right in the middle of the box is because curve balls, sliders, and sinkers break right in front of you and you still have time to catch up to a speedy fastball.
Some people like to set up in the back to buy more time, but when I tried that the curveballs were harder to hit. That’s me, though. Maybe you’ve found more success in the back.
As far as distance between you and the plate, I would also avoid crowding the plate. The pitcher can then throw on the inside corner and it’s harder to hit. Don’t be worried about not being able to hit the outside corner pitches.
Your arms will extend automatically when you swing at the pitch. The key is to be as comfortable as you can. Once you’ve found the right spot in the box for you, stick with it and master your hitting from that spot.
After your feet are set, bend forward at the waist and bend your knees so that you are in a slight crouch and make sure your weight is even on the balls of both feet.
When I say crouch I’m not talking about a crouch like a catcher or even the crouch you take in the field. Jeff Bagwell had a massive crouch and it worked for him but most players have just a slight crouch.
Maybe You’ve Tried The Best Batting Stance Ever – Try These Too
There are a few stance options you can use, each having its own style with strengths and weaknesses. Choose the one that is most comfortable for you. The open stance protects hitters against inside pitches and most pull hitters use that stance.
An open stance is when you point your foot 45 percent toward the pull side of the field (bottom left photo). That means for a right-handed hitter it would point more towards the shortstop area rather than the pitcher’s mound. Your hips open sooner and you have more power on the middle to inside part of the plate.
Now, the trouble with the open stance is with the outer-middle to outside part of the plate. The closed stance protects you from pitches on the outside part of the plate. It’s basically the opposite of the open stance.
You move your front foot more towards the direction of third base. Your front foot is slightly over your back leg by maybe one to three inches. People who might want to try this stance are those who pull their hips, head or hands too early.
Maybe you pull every ball no matter where it’s pitched. Try the closed stance and see if that helps you out. The problem with the closed stance is the possibility of problems with pitches inside.
The stance I use and recommend especially to beginners is the square stance because it can better enable you to get the maximum coverage of the whole strike zone.
Like we talked about earlier, you line your feet up shoulder width apart and even in the box. It’s a feeling of complete balance.
You have equal availability to hit the inside or outside pitch. So, test out these stances and find out which one is more comfortable to you. Once you find one that works for you, stick with it.
If you tried something that seems to be the best batting stance for you please share it with us by leaving a comment below.
Topics: basball batting tips, baseball, baseball batting tips, baseball hitting, baseball hitting instruction, baseball hitting tips, proper baseball batting stance, sports | No Comments »
Baseball Hitting Tips – Gaining The Mental Edge
By Jeff Wise | March 21, 2012
Here is one of the baseball hitting tips that many players overlook. Gaining the mental edge.
Once you’ve got your bat and the right grip, it’s time to get mentally focused. Whether you’re in the dugout or the on-deck circle, you should concentrate as you study the pitcher and watch your teammates at the plate.
Before you even step up to bat, picture yourself making that perfect swing and making solid contact. Visualize yourself getting a hit and take those positive thoughts into the batter’s box. Study the base runners and determine what situation you may face.
Get ready for anything. Maybe you need to advance the runner, bunt or swing for a hit. You should be ready mentally for whatever situation you are in.
Important Baseball Hitting Tips – Stay Focused and No Distractions
Here’s a word of advice for those of you in Little League and high school baseball. Take this notion of concentrating and preparing mentally. Don’t get distracted by the crowd, family, or friends who may be at the ballpark. Stay focused on the pitcher as you step into the on-deck circle.
Study his pitches and study where he’s throwing the ball. Maybe you can find out that he does something with his hat or belt right before he throws a curveball or maybe you discover that he just can’t get his fastball over the plate.
In the on-deck circle you might want to stretch a little bit and take some practice swings. Don’t let your nerves distract you from being mentally prepared. Grab the doughnut or grab another bat and loosen up.
Keep good form and remember your grip even as you take practice swings. I would always take practice swings and visualize myself hitting the ball.
Once you step into the batter’s box you should always think you’re going to get the job done. Doubts shouldn’t enter your mind. Don’t worry about getting hit by a pitch or making an out.
Do your best to be positive and totally focused. The pitcher thinks he’s going to win the battle, but you’ve got to match him the same intensity. Don’t even focus on the pitcher’s face.
You should instead focus everything you have on that baseball. From the time he releases it to the time it gets smacked by your bat.
Baseball Hitting Tips – Ask Yourself These Questions
- Where is the defense playing you?
- Is there a hole you can drive the ball through?
- Is the first or third baseman playing way too far back?
You should have rehearsed situations in practice so you will be prepared to face any circumstance. If there’s a man on third with less than two outs you should try and drive the ball to the outfield.
If there’s a man on second with less than two outs, try to hit the ball to the right side of the field to get him to third. Be patient and aggressive, always ready to attack the ball.
There is no doubt you will gain the edge if you go over these baseball hitting tips in practice and at games so get to it today!
Topics: baseball, baseball batting tips, baseball hitting, baseball hitting tips, baseball tips on hitting, batting tips, hitting tips, sports | No Comments »
How To Grip a Bat For Maximized Hitting
By Jeff Wise | March 15, 2012
Part of hitting preparation is how to grip a bat. You want to make sure that you have a firm grip on the bat handle and if I were you I would acquire some decent batting gloves to help you with that grip.
In my opinion, you’re not a tough guy if you hit with no batting gloves. You will find that most major leaguers use batting gloves and they do it for better grip. Depending on what your league will allow, you can even apply rosin or pine tar to the area where you grip the bat for an extra strong feeling.
Step One In How To Grip a Bat
You’ve just got to make sure that you firmly hold the bat. Have you ever held a bat loosely and then hit the ball? Have you experienced that jolting, ringing feeling and pain in your hand for the rest of the night?
I have and what a horrible feeling it is. That is all the more reason to hold onto that bat firmly. The key is to make sure you’re comfortable. You don’t want to hold onto the bat too tightly and you don’t want to hold onto it too loosely.
Your knuckles on your hands should line up between one another with your bottom hand pinky just touching or actually around the knob of the bat if that’s your preference.
Now, if you’re not careful you’ll get blisters. At the beginning of the season, pace yourself with batting practice, even if you use gloves. Don’t spend an hour or more in batting practice every day. Thirty minutes is probably the maximum in the beginning. Over time calluses will develop and will help prevent your hands from tearing up.
How To Grip a Bat For More Control
There is a time when you will need to adjust your grip and that is when you choke up for better bat control. You usually choke up when you have two strikes on you.
This is smart because it shortens and lightens the bat. You can actually guide your bat to the ball easier which is something you need to do sometimes with two strikes, especially if the fastball is coming.
No matter what you think of these two players personally, Ty Cobb and Pete Rose were two awesome hitters and they choked up on the bat often and had thousands of hits. Their stats speak for themselves.
Knowing how to grip a bat is a key component of baseball hitting preparation we need to pay attention to whether we are a player, coach or parent.
Topics: baseball, baseball bat, baseball bat grip, baseball batting tips, baseball grip, baseball hitting, baseball hitting tips, bat grip, batting grip, sports | No Comments »
How To Select a Baseball Bat
By Jeff Wise | March 12, 2012
One of the funnest and sometimes most time consuming tasks is finding the right equipment and I want to give you a few tips on how to select a baseball bat.
Part of feeling comfortable in the batter’s box, which is very important, is finding the right bat for you. Don’t just use a massive 35″ long, 50 ounce bat because that “big guy” uses it and clobbers home runs.
That may cause you to swing and miss a lot. Bat speed is very important to a hitter. The faster you can swing the bat, the more often you’ll make solid contact.
How To Select a Baseball Bat – Testing and Other Considerations
You may need to try out several bats before finding the right one for you. Again, just because a bat looks cool doesn’t mean it’s going to produce as many hits as you’d like.
You don’t want something too heavy and you don’t want something too light. You should look for a bat that you can get around on the pitch, but not light enough so that you end up too far in front of the pitch.
As you grow physically, you will want to move up in weight to match your strength and power. Or consider this: As the season goes on and you begin to tire, you may want to switch to a lighter bat.
Overall, don’t get used to a bat if it’s going to impede you from being the best hitter you can be. I know bats are expensive and you don’t want to spend a lot of money buying five bats for the season, so you can always borrow a teammate’s bat if need be.
How To Select a Baseball Bat – My Success Story
I remember when I finally found the right bat for me. It was in high school and finally we were able to afford my very own bat. I tried out many in practice but none of them were very comfortable.
I went to many stores and swung who knows how many bats. Finally, the clouds cleared and I saw it there, starring at me. It was gold and beautiful. It was the one – 34″ long and 29 ounces. That became my go-to bat in high school.
In the fall of 1991 that bat launched a massive home run that went out to right over a green monster-like fence and into the night. I never saw where it landed. It just disappeared.
That same bat cracked two grand slams in one week in 1992. It also crushed a home run, a game winning run in 1993 to lift us up over a tough district opponent.
In addition, this bat provided many singles, doubles, triples, and bunts. The bat didn’t do all those feats on its own, but it was a tool that I felt comfortable using every day for a few years.
Once you know how to select a baseball bat you can buy one and then shift all your focus on mechanics and becoming a better hitter.
Topics: basball batting tips, baseball, baseball bat, baseball bats, baseball batting tips, baseball equipment, baseball hitting, baseball hitting tips, sports | No Comments »
Baseball Tips For Kids – Walks, Runs, and Never Giving Up
By Jeff Wise | March 6, 2012
I have a few baseball tips for kids which I consider extremely important.
We all have dreams of hitting home runs and even simulate game situations in our backyards. I’m all for that. I did that as a kid too. Some out there really hype up the big hit in practice and ignore being selective at the plate thus taking a few walks.
Some people despise walking because they always want to be the person to get a hit. Some people would rather fly out than walk. I think that is nonsense as walks seem to be a part of a hitter’s arsenal.
Baseball Tips For Kids – Walking Is As Good As a Hit
One of the ways to minimize outs is by walking. I’ve been a part of so many games where a walk started or sustained rallies and even won games. Walks also create base runners which in turn score runs and could mean a win for the team.
Would you rather hit three-for-five with a dinky groundout or three-for-four with a walk? That walk could mean a whole lot for your team because it could mean the winning run. I’m not saying to go up to the plate looking for a walk.
Instead, go up there looking for good pitches to hit and if the pitcher doesn’t give you anything to hit, that’s good for you and your team and bad for him. He not only puts a runner on base, but walks always tire a pitcher’s arm. The pitcher then gets a clue that you and your team only swing at strikes so he better start throwing them over the plate.
You would be forcing him to make mistakes and that is only going to frustrate him. You have the upper hand when you take a walk. Now, like we said in an earlier example, if you’re a free swinger, very aggressive, and hitting over .300 then you might not want to change a thing.
I recommend that you take the first pitch during your first at-bat and maybe even every at-bat. This is especially true if you’ve never faced a certain pitcher. Yes, you’ve seen him in warm-ups and even seen him while you’re in the on-deck circle, but you haven’t seen him while at the plate. Get familiar with what he’s throwing.
I’ve broken this rule before and I regretted it most of the time. It’s so tempting to take a hack at a first pitch fastball (or should I say meatball) but a lot of the time I’d end up hitting a first pitch groundout. That leaves a terrible feeling with you and it makes things easier for the pitcher.
The fewer pitches he throws the longer he’ll be able to pitch in the game without dipping into the relief pitchers. Taking the first pitch will serve you well later in the game because in a situation when you have runners on and you need to get those runs in, you’ll have a better idea of what he can throw.
Baseball Tips For Kids – Never Give Up
Overall, never ever give up, even if you have two strikes on you. Two strikes means they’ve thrown at least two pitches and they have to throw at least one more. High school and below a lot of the time throw you a nice strike over the plate when it’s 0-2 or 1-2. You never know so don’t give up and always be ready to attack the ball.
You may need to choke up a little bit with two strikes and that may give you a little better bat control. Take advantage of seeing all the pitches and select a good one to hit instead of swinging at the first pitch and possibly making a mistake.
Walking occasionally leads to runs scored and never giving up will net you more hits and more wins for your team. Share these baseball tips for kids with as many people as possible by “sharing the knowledge” at the bottom of this post.
Topics: basball batting tips, baseball, baseball hitting, baseball hitting tips, baseball tips on hitting, batting tips, sports | 2 Comments »
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