Youth & Travel Baseball Blog, Updates, Coaching & Instruction

Baseball Catchers develop a Great Feel for the Game

Bat speed is a funny thing

Some players have naturalathleticism and have bat speedearly in their careers. But, for many players, it develops over time. It is almost like one day it is absent, and the next day it is there. As their hitting coach,it is a thrill forme tonoticethe ball jumping off their baseball bat after years of not seeing it.

2015 World Series and Playoff Observations

The best baseball managers in the major leagues have earned that distinction because they know how to manage a game. They give their teams an excellent chance of winning every night. But, many baseball coaches could do that. What makes a great baseball manager and separates them from the rest is the communication that goes on behind closed doors.

Baseball managers of today versus yesterday

One of the things that bothers me when giving baseball lessons is the player who gets upset after one bad swing. My first thought, of course, it is an unspoken one is, "This game is not for you" or "You better change or you will go nuts." It is not hard to spot a perfectionist when coaching hitting because they are never satisfied when hitting a baseball, even after smoking some. The minute they fail to hit one good, they are upset again.

"Yea, what would I know?" That is my thought when I get the look from a young hitter after I suggest they make some baseball hitting adjustments to their swing. They look at me like "Why should I change, I am killing the ball?" They could care less that I played in the major leagues or that I have been teaching for 26 years.

A very necessary point I make and revisit with my students and with their parents is that some changes are easy ones and some take much longer. Of course, easy is a relative term because there is nothing easy when it comes to perfecting baseball skills.

Best Baseball Coaching Tips for Youth Coaching

"Who is that?" is my question after watching a baseball game video of one of my students at-bats. I say one of my baseball hitting students, but that question and situation occurs more often than one would think. I work hitters in practice and they do one thing. Then, a parent sends me their baseballgame videoand theswings look completely different.

Once a player has trouble with hittingtiming, regaining that timing can be a difficult thing. When working with two players of the same age together on their hitting, I may lob the ball to one and fire it to the other. The reason is to help their hitting timing. The one player is early on every ball and can't seem to wait on it, the next is always late.

Cubs W.S. rings

Little is worse than having to work with tired and hungry players. They have trouble focusing and their irritability may become a problem. That's not the players' fault, it is the parents. Many over schedule their child, running from event to event, with no time in between to eat or rest.

Youth Sports were Perfect Once?

Almost daily, an article about how messed up youth sports are shows up in the news. I agree that problems need addressing, but there is danger in turning parents off to youth sports with such writing. Additionally, many of the articles suggest that the environment was once pristine. Come On?

No Wonder Kids don't Listen - Negative Talk

All baseball academies have a chance at being successful, for a reason you might not guess. Parents use of negative talk pretty much guarantees kids will not want to listen to them, so they would rather work with a baseball academy coach. Negative talk not only puts kids at odds with their parents, it often is the beginning of their loss of desire to keep playing.

Saturday Secrets to Great Baseball Coaching

Video Doesn't Lie and Helps make Coaching Baseball Easier

Anything that helps make coaching baseball easier is something all baseball coaches are for, I'm sure. This one method below does make coaching baseball easier and is quite easy to do in a short amount f time because of the technological age we are in.

I have had this conversation many times.

Me - "Turn the knob of your bat down"

Player "It is down"

Me "Not it's not, it's pointing out"

Tuesday Tips to Tattoo the Ball

Baseball Hitting Tip - Things in Motion are Good

In my many years of giving baseball lessons, I receive many common concerns from parents, when it comes to their children's' hitting habits. Things like "It's mental," "They won't swing the bat," "They hit in practice but not in games," and "He isn't watching the ball" are among the most often heard hitting concerns.

Wednesday Web Gems

Correct Footwork for Fielding is Everything - At Least, Notice These

People should not expect youth baseball coaches to be experts with baseball strategy. Additionally, even after playing major league baseball, it took years of study to notice the finer details of the baseball swing and baseball-throwing actions, so volunteer coaches cannot know all the finer details of those, either.

Thursday Throwing & Pitching Tips