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It’s baseball season, and you are ready for it. You bought a new bat, dusted off the cleats, and oiled the glove. You drilled, grounder after grounder, only to follow it by fly ball, after fly ball. When the fielding drills were over, you moved on to the batting cages. You have hit so many balls that you could probably tag a slider in your sleep. So, what’s next but to hit the field, right? Wrong!

What about your weight training? Yes that’s right, lifting weights. Almost all baseball clubs, from high school to the majors, use weight training for injury prevention, rehabilitation of injuries and for strengthening individual weaknesses. One of the most important things a weight training program needs to do is to isolate certain muscles specific to the throwing motion and strengthen them to prevent arm injuries.

A combination of various forms of exercises tends to work best: isometrics, isotonic and is kinetic, plyometrics, (not just for tennis anymore), active resistive and especially flexibility/stretching exercises are all important in developing a well-balance program. Players at different positions need to emphasize different elements of the program, and different body parts.

For pitchers, you need to build cardiovascular endurance, and lower body strength and endurance. You also need to build general flexibility, and strengthen the shoulders and the elbows. For catchers, you need to emphasize leg strength, flexibility and agility. Building hand a wrist strength is also important along with building abdominal strength.
For Infielders and outfielders, a combination of building leg flexibility, hand and wrist strength, upper body strength and endurance is very important.

For all positions its important to add exercises that emphasize the rotator cuff complex, consisting of internal and external shoulder rotation, and front, rear and side elevation isolating the supraspinatus. Especially effective are lightweight shoulder excursuses stimulating the small muscles (rotator cuff) essential to the throwing motion.

When putting together a workout program for baseball, it is most effective if three programs are built. The first program should be the off-season program. The program should be designed to strengthen and balance all major muscle groups of the body. You should consult your coach or trainer about varying the exercises in the program to strengthen your particular weakness and/or correct muscle imbalance.

The second program should be the pre-season program. This program should be designed to build more strength. This program should be started 4-6 weeks before the season, this is also the time to start incorporating baseball-specific exercises in the gym or out on the field. This helps get your body ready to perform baseball skills again.

The third program should be the in-season program. This program should be designed to maintain strength levels acquired during the off and pre season programs. Abdominal, rotational and light weight work are essential parts of any in-season program. Pitchers should concentrate on light weight shoulder work such as deltoid raises.
As you can see, as much as we want to hit that chalk lined field, it’s just as important to incorporate a weight training program, to insure a fun filled, and injury free season

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The most difficult part perhaps in baseball offense is to try and hit the ball no matter it is homerun, groundball or fly ball. This where your skill and ability is measured and will come into play. You should possess certain qualities in order for you to become an ideal hitter. You will need determination, strength, coordination, quick hand reflex and the will to learn. Your confidence will also matter as well as your willingness to listen for advice and coaching. Otherwise you will not grow to be an ideal hitter which will always play n important role in baseball offense.

You can begin by choosing the right and suitable bat for you. This will include your comfort and the ability to handle a certain bat. This is an important step where you choose the bat that somehow has become a second part of your body. Once you have selected it, handling it will almost always come naturally.

The importance of hitting lies if you know the strike zone. This is the area between your shoulders and knees. You should never bat on so high and so low pitches. In other words, never swing the bat if you know the pitch is bad. You have to choose the balls you hit and not just swing as if you are on a golf practice or reaching something beyond your bat’s reach. You just swing right down the middle and only to good pitches.

Focus on the pitcher, if possible don’t lose sight of his eyes and body movements. You need to pretend as if no one else exists except you, the pitcher, the ball and the bat. Do not mind all the cheers and yell at this point of time. The moment you get inside the batter’s plate you will have to ignore all other distractions. You can never afford to be distracted even for a split second because fast-balls can be delivered in this manner and before you knew it, you are already stuck in strikes one.

The way to ready your hand is to move your arms back. You will recognize this moment because of the pitcher’s body movement and is now ready to release the ball going toward your direction. If the pitch is good and you are confident you could hit it, then this will do and go ahead swing the bat. Otherwise, have control and hold your swing.

As I have said earlier you need to possess qualities that will enable you to become a good hitter. One that I have mentioned was strength. You need to learn to hit the ball with all your strength or gather all the strength that you can muster and hit the ball with it. You should be able to pick the pitch just right for you to make that solid bat to ball contact.

In closing, I must say practice will always make things perfect. There is really nothing that you can’t achieve provided you follow principles and guidelines and more importantly listen to advices. This will totally make you into a better baseball hitter.

James Brown writes about Mitchell & Ness coupon codes, Football Fanatics coupon codes and FansEdge.com coupon codes

Perhaps the most important aspect of baseball is to have a bat that suits your needs. A bat’s weight, length, and material can all have a positive or negative affect on a batter’s swing. Consider every option when choosing a baseball bat for yourself.

Bats come in all shapes and sizes. Wooden bats are often popular with major leaguers, but some feel you get a better crack using a metal baseball bat. There are restrictions, however, on which bats can be used.

Every league has rules on what material a bat can be made from and the circumference of the bat’s barrel. Do not become ejected from a game because you failed to pay attention to the rules. Ask the appropriate commissioner, umpire, or coach to give you the rules on weight and height ratios. Remember that corked bats are not allowed for anything other than practice in many leagues.

When shopping for a bat, read the packaging. It is becoming increasingly common for a bat to have print directly on it that states, “Approved for such and such a league.” This can help you select a bat that will meet your needs and any restrictions.

Baseball bats can be as low as $20 and as high as $500. A pricey bat is not necessarily an excellent bat, just as an inexpensive bat does not mean that bat is inferior quality. The key to making any bat work for you is by practicing regularly. Nonetheless, you should find a bat that is appropriate to your strengths and weaknesses.

Today’s bats are advanced. The thin walls, wood choices, and formation can create the perfect environment for a ball to go flying. These same bats are also far more susceptible to dents and fractures; so increased technology is not necessarily the greatest option. Babe Ruth managed to hit numerous home runs without using today’s streamlined bats.

Batting cages often have balls pitched harder and faster than in a normal baseball game. If you regularly practice in batting cages, consider a metal bat. They are able to withstand the test of time better than one of today’s wooden bats.

Speaking of today’s bats, some even have nitrogen or helium inside. A bat enhanced with these gasses allows more of a “trampoline effect”, meaning the ball literally bounces off the bat at impact. This causes the ball to travel farther.

Visit stores and sample a variety of bats to find which baseball bat feels best to you. There is no tried or true formula for choosing a length. For this reason, it is far more beneficial to sample a number of bats until you find a bat that feels like an extension of your arm. The bat should allow you to swing freely without feeling like the weight of the baseball bat is knocking you off balance.

Never choose a bat that will last for a few years, especially for children. Any bat should fit for that immediate season, not be something a child grows into.

By following a few simple steps, you can find a bat that feels natural. As an extension of yourself, you are guaranteed to improve your swing!

Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Beach, Florida. Find more about this as well as a baseball bats at http://www.baseballequipmentplus.com

Baseball is America’s pastime. To play the game there are a few basic pieces of equipment that everyone must have on hand. For most, this equipment is common knowledge, but some may be less familiar with the terminology and rules.

Every game revolves around a baseball bat and a ball. The ball contains a cork center that is wrapped in string and then covered with a layer of leather that is then stitched up. The bat is made of metal or wood, usually maple or ash. Metal bats are not allowed in professional games, but many minor league and Little League teams allow them.

In the game of baseball, the pitcher throws a ball to the man standing at home plate. That person is called the batter, and his goal is to hit the ball. The bases or plates are set up in a diamond shape a certain distance from one another. As the ball is hit, the batter runs to each base in order from home to first, second, third, and back to home.

Everyone on the team needs a baseball mitt. This protects the players’ hands from the impact of the ball. Catchers have a special mitt with additional padding and a wider span. Some players choose to put on an additional glove underneath the glove for added protection.

Batters wear batting gloves. This helps them grip the bat more tightly and offers a little insulation against the shock of the bat hitting the ball.

A batting helmet is required as head protection for any batter. Pitches can travel upwards of 90 miles per hour, so headgear is necessary. Catchers wear a helmet as well; only their helmet also has a wire cage that pulls down over the face to protect from additional injuries.

All players wear a cup. This protects them from groin injury during a game. A jockstrap holds the genitals in place inside the cup.

Pitchers and players on the field wear a baseball cap. This helps shade their eyes from the sun and also ties in to their team colors and uniform designs.

Uniforms also tie in to the team’s color scheme. Teams have two uniforms, one for home games and one for away games. Belts keep the pants from falling down during the game. Usually, the team has a logo, such as their mascot, that appears somewhere on the uniform. Often the players were sliding shorts under their uniforms to protect the legs from injury when a player slides into a base.

Also important to any uniform are the spiked sneakers. These special additions to the sole of the sneakers grip the ground tightly. This can be a lifesaver when the ground is slick from prior rain showers.

There are other items that may be used in any game, but they are optional. As long as a player is dressed in uniform and the coaches have the proper equipment, there is nothing to stop a number of players from enjoying their sport.

Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Beach, Florida. Find more about this as well as a baseball equipment at http://www.baseballequipmentplus.com

There are a number of advantages to using fastpitch softball bats and among them are the ability score more runs, add greater number of hits as well as win more at the sport. It is quite surprising to learn that many fastpitch softball bats can actually help you to hit the ball as much as twenty percent harder than your normal run of the mill softball bats. With such bats around, you can look forward to turning your ground outs into single runs scored, and you can also turn your single runs into doubles.

Most people that are interested in the sport of softball are keen to know which the best bats are. There are of course quite a few options to choose from and before you choose any particular one you need to do some comparisons. Some people prefer using a Miken while others will go for the Anderson RocketTech. Still others would prefer the Worth Mayhem and there are also many takers for Easton Stealth as well as Louisville Slugger Catalyst and it would also be wrong to discount the DeMarini Onyx.

With so much variety to choose from, it can be hard figuring out which fastpitch softball bats are the best. To make things simple you need to follow a few simple rules such as making sure that the bats are tested as well as held to the twenty percent rule. In other words it should not be possible for the ball to come off from your fastpitch softball bat at a speed greater than one hundred and twenty percent of the speed at which it came into contact with the bat.

Any differences that are noticed can be accounted to the way that the bats are weighed and also how they are balanced as well as the amount of flexibility that is ingrained in it which gives the bats their whipping effect. Another feature that you will need to look closely at when choosing your fastpitch softball bats is the numbers on it which include numbers such as minus 10, 9 and 8 and these numbers relate to the length versus weight. So, a bat with -10 will be thirty-one inches long and twenty ounces in weight.

To get the best out of your fastpitch softball bats you should go for ones that are longer as well as on the lighter side; however, if the batter is tall as well as lanky you may well have to choose a bat that is more compact. Another aspect to buying the correct fastpitch softball bats is that you should not expect to pay less for the bats and at the same time expect too much in return. There is bound to be a difference between a twenty dollar bat and one that costs upwards of fifty dollars. However, it may be more advisable to buy a bat that costs between one hundred and seventy-five dollars and two hundred and seventy-five dollars for which price you can expect to get premium quality fastpitch softball bats. If you are in need of saving some money; then consider buying a slightly outdated model which will mean having to pay between forty and one hundred dollars less.

The author’s web site http://cheapfastpitchsoftballbats.com/ provide information about cheap fastpitch softball bats & Easton Stealth Fastpitch Softball Bats.

It’s true, practice does make perfect. However, sometime practice gets dull, and predictable. Even coaches get board doing the same thing over and over. My suggestion, look for new drills to do, or coaches, get creative and make up your own. If you are not the creative type, then I have two drills that might help your infield out, and save you the time of trying to come up with something new.

The first drill is to help players improve in tracking and fielding ground balls hit directly at them, to their backhand side, to their glove side, and on short hops. The infielders should work as partners with one ball per pair. Have the players face each other three to five yards apart, on the infield dirt or outfield grass.

While facing each other, both infielders should get into good fielding position, knees bent, butt down, and hands out in front of the body. Fielders roll ground balls to each other. In round 1, they roll ground balls right at each other. In round 2, they roll ground balls to the back hand side. In round 4, they roll short hops. Each round should have ten rolls. Fielders should not move their feet but should stay in good fielding position, tracking the ball with their glove, work to get the glove under the ball when fielding it, and catch the ball in the web of the glove. Every third ball and infielder fields , he or she should flip back to his or her partner straight from his or her glove. This way the fielder learns to feel the ball in the web of the glove.

When you are coaching your players you should focus on fielders fielding balls out in front of their body, tracking the ball into their glove, and catching the ball in the web of their glove. Don’t let your players get sloppy with their fielding position. Remind fielders to work hard to stay under the ball with their gloves and to field the ball from the ground up. If you want to change it up a bit, have the fielders increase their distance to 7 to 10 yards apart. This allows them to roll the ball a little harder and makes the drill more game like.

Another great drill similar to this one centers around just the short-hop ground ball. Again, have the infielders partner up and face each other about three yards apart with a ball. Fielders should get into a good fielding position, knees bent, butt down and hands out in front of the middle of their body. One fielder tosses a short hop in front of his or her partner, about 6 to 12 inches in front of his or her glove. The partner fields the ball on the short hop, working on fielding it from the bottom up or getting under the ball with his glove. Have the fielders do 10 to 12 short hops each.

Coaches should focus on reminding their players to catch the ball out in front of their bodies with arms slightly extended and wrists flexed down. They are to field the ball from the bottom up, working on keeping their glove under the ball and keeping their head down.

If players have trouble throwing each other short hops, you might want to line up your fielders in a single-file line and give them short hops one at a time. This allows you to give fielders a proper short hop and correct them as needed. You can also slow the drill down for players who are struggling.

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Life as a Little League or Pony League catcher can be tough. You can read baseball tips on this, baseball tips on that, do drill for this and train for that. Listen to this person, listen to that person. Try this and try that.

But still, you find yourself not throwing many people out in games. It seems like there are always balls getting by you and going back to the backstop. You may have gotten whacked way more times than you’d like by wild pitches. Long games and hot games. Is catching really worth it?

Well, fear not young catchers! Here are a few baseball tips and advice for you on why you should hang in there if you really like catching.

Right now at your age in Little League or Pony League there are things going on that you really have no control over. This makes catching seem impossible at times. It can be discouraging to young catchers because at this age and in these leagues success doesn’t come often. You’re not throwing a lot of people out, balls are flying everywhere (and hitting you) and you many times feel like you’re the catcher only because no one else is stupid enough to do it. Well, those things may be true right now, but here are some things to consider:

* In Little League and Pony League the bases are pretty short. When someone takes off, you’re relying on a good pitch from the pitcher, a perfect throw from you and a perfect catch and tag from the second baseman or shortstop. These things don’t happen routinely in Little League and are just getting better in Pony League.

* Kids are bigger, stronger and faster these days. Look at the Little League World Series this year. They moved the fence back a good distance because the home runs keep increasing and there are just too many. (yes, those high tech bats played a role too!) My point is, the bases are short and there are a lot of fast runners. This is not a good combination for throwing runners out.

* Many young pitchers at these ages throw a lot of balls and wild pitches. You need good pitches to have any chance at all of throwing someone out. Wild pitches and runners advancing easily can be discouraging You can catch, but you can’t pitch and catch. So you are at the mercy of the pitcher too.

* Young pitchers don’t always know how to hold runners well or perform good pick-off moves to keep runners honest. Watch a Pony League game sometime. Smart runners will be more than half way down to second base by the time the catcher gets the ball. There’s nothing you can do here. Just do your best.

So if you are a young catcher and get a little bit discouraged from time to time, remember these baseball tips and keep your head up.

You can’t control the pitched ball. It’s going to go where it’s going to go. What you need to do is become very, very good at blocking the ball. So what if you don’t pop up and throw the runner out. That time will come. Just focus on becoming a technically good blocking catcher. This will always make you stand out from other catchers and this becomes even more true as you get older.

Throwing runners out? If it happens, great! But, what you want to do is develop fast, correct footwork instead of worrying too much about how many people you throw out. Learn correct footwork and practice it over and over and develop a technically correct delivery to second base. Wait and see what happens once the bases become 90 feet apart. You’ll be amazed.

Work on other things like:

* Handling bunts, or choppers in front of the plate
* Footwork to block home plate on throws from the outfield. Again, the Little League World Series had great plays at home this year.
* Handling passed balls

Also, and very important, work on that thing sitting on top of your shoulders! Be confident, know that you are a good catcher and believe in yourself and your ability.

When those bases become 90 feet apart, the whole game changes for catchers. If you really worked on being technically good, fast feet and good delivery, you’ll throw a lot of people out because now your pitchers and fielders are also much better.

Block everything. People will notice you for this. This will separate you from other catchers. This is true right into High School. Lazy catchers who won’t block balls will sit at that point, regardless of their arm strength.

Consider these baseball tips that you’ve just read young catchers. Stick with it. It will pay off and catching will become a lot more fun once the bases are 90 feet. Just be ready and prepared with your skills when this time comes. And when it does, those same kids that might have thought you were stupid for catching years ago will look to you for the big play, the bases loaded block of a wild pitch, or the big throw that turns the game around. This is when you’ll realize that it was all worth it being a catcher. The BEST position to play!

For Baseball Hitter

Many youth baseball players will have far too much hand and foot movement to achieve balance throughout the entire swing. These players could get away with these flaws when pitchers are just trying to throw strikes in younger leagues. As pitchers develop velocity and location these flaws will be exposed.Some young players will resist keeping their hands held up high. They resist keeping their shoulders stacked up over their feet. They may not have a wide enough base in their stance. These players like to stride out at the ball. A small controlled stride is acceptable. Many newer coaches are unaware that a long stride will hamper the player’s power base.Many of the top youth baseball hitters will no stride at all. They may use some front foot movement as a timing trigger to begin to “load up’ their swing.

I became a student of the baseball swing to learn all I could. When your gets professional instruction (which I encourage) pay close attention,and take notes.Many of the instructors are great sources of knowledge who are willing to help you too. After all, it is in their best interest for your players to improve. It is a reflection on his talent as an instructor.It may mean more business for him.It is the player’s responsibility to work on their swing. You can give them the tools and information. You can attempt to inspire them to work harder. Don’t feel any guilt about a player’s swing if they are not putting in extra work to improve.

Players must look at the pitcher with both eyes. Too often the player’s shoulder position will be turned so that both eyes are not on the ball. These batters may have hit the ball well at lower even with these flaws,it may take some strikeouts or weakly hit balls to get their attention. Just be a patient instructive leader. Focus on what the batter is doing right first, then move on to correcting mistakes. Most young players don’t get proper extension and follow through on their swings.They may be trying too hard to pull all pitches. This is a common mistake. When players wrap the bat around on their follow through, and it ends up below the front shoulder, it is a sign that they are “pulling off “of the ball. The finish should be up high, with the bat and the hands up near or above the front shoulder.

Power is not always generated just by size. It is a function of bat speed.The quicker the bat head can get into the hitting zone the better. The batter’s hands must lead into the zone, and the hips and torso will follow. The player must focus on extension through the entire hitting zone. This will help the player to finish the swing with a nice high follow through. Then the hips and torso will come along also. Professional instruction with a qualified instructor is worth every cent. I believe the coaching staff will get just as much help from it as the players. There will be more articles on hitting for youth baseball players coming up soon.

The author’s web site http://worthysoftballbats.com/ provides information about Worth Softball Bats, Worth Prodigy Softball Bats and Worth Clincher Softball Bats.

Whether you want a traditional wood baseball bat or a new, high-tech metal bat, there is a wide selection of discount baseball bats available. A baseball bat is a vital piece of equipment and its quality can greatly impact a player’s performance, so it is no surprise that many people are willing to pay a premium. Luckily, you can get a high-tech, top quality bat at discount prices. Discount baseball bats are available at most sporting equipment outlets, and especially at online stores.

Brand new aluminum baseball bats cost usually start at $200 and go up from there. Prices increase as technology introduces stronger and lighter materials. By crafting baseball bat barrels with cutting-edge metal alloys, manufacturers like Easton and Demarini arm batters with power while maintaining a quick, lightweight feel.

Discount baseball bats are abundantly available online. In many cases, online stores can offer discount baseball bats at great prices because there is less overhead than at a sporting goods store and, in many cases, there is no sales tax or shipping charged. When you shop for baseball bats online you have access to a vast and easily accessible selection user product reviews to help you get a feel for which bats are best for you, and also can save a great deal of time.

Don’t forget to check out blemished baseball bats. This little secret can save you 30 to 70 percent. Many baseball bat dealers offer blemished baseball bats at severely slashed prices due to a cosmetic imperfection such as chipped paint. Lucky for you, the baseball bat’s performance is untouched, but the price is hacked down significantly. Blemished baseball bats are available at many outlets and online. With a little looking, it is not that difficult to find a bat that offers premium performance at a reasonable price.

So, How Can I Choose The Right Baseball Bat?

This years’ baseball season is here and parents I understand how you feel. It almost as if you’re buying a new baseball bat every year, especially if you have younger kids playing that are literally growing right out of their equipment right before your eyes. When it comes to purchasing a new baseball bat though, it can really wear on you when it comes time to pull out your wallet. It’s understandable; these aluminum baseball bats nowadays are very pricey. It then becomes that much more important to choose the right baseball bat.

The quality is there if you consider the amount of use you can get out of an aluminum baseball bat. Most aluminum baseball bats will last through a rigorous season of many practices and games, but some are a better bang for your buck than others. The big question is which bat to get? There are so many makes and models to choose from that it is not always an easy decision. Of course you will be looking for a bat that suits every need. It has to be a bat that is a controllable size and feels comfortable. The bat should be very responsive and most importantly it should last.

How do you know you have covered all of these points? By doing some research and perhaps a little ‘trial and error,’ you will find the best bat to buy. See if your child can ask a teammate to swing their bat a few times to see what an appropriate size is. If they can somehow actually hit with it a few times, that’s even better.

Try and notice how much ‘pop’ some of your top choices are when others are using them. Obviously if a particular bat works for one person, it doesn’t guarantee the same results for the next person. It is just another way of getting an idea. You can certainly ask around or look for sources offering baseball bat reviews that will discuss the components of the bats and give reviews about the durability and expected performance. Most websites with reviews will have Louisville Slugger, Demarini, Rawlings, and Easton baseball bat reviews because they are the more common bat makers.

The author’s web site http://baseballbatsandsoftballbats.com/ provides information about Easton Bats and Stealth Softball Bats.

I have been through many baseball/softball games where I play as the pitcher. Being one is fun as long as you know when and where to cross the lines of pressure. It is a very crucial role. You lead the game. Each hit, score and run from the enemy entirely depends on you. I’ve been to wins and losses but I just knew I had to survive.

Here is some advice from my experience as a pitcher:

Conquer your fear

My greatest fear as a pitcher is to let somebody hit my pitch. I strive too hard to never allow anyone hit anything. But thinking about this has brought me to frustrations. I learned it the hard way. This adds to the pressure build-up. What I had to do to conquer my fear is never easy and that is to shut my mind off from every thought except the game. Too many cheers, negative pulses and yells from the crowd can get you distracted. I let it distract me too many times and it leads me to my loss.

Take control

I don’t really think of how fast I can throw the ball. Some would think that the faster you pitch, the harder it would be hard to hit it. It’s a myth. It’s wrong. Truth is the faster your throw is, the harder it will be to take control of the ball. Fast balls (especially when you’ve not mastered it yet) could either go to three directions. It would be either too high, too low or if you are lucky enough, inside. So you have to know your capacity of handling and controlling the ball otherwise never try it while on the game. Of course you can practice for it.

Throw inside

By this would mean throwing a strike. As soon as you’ve learned how to take control of your pitch, another step is on throwing inside. What I do is have a spot to throw to, like in hitting bull’s eye. My spot always fall just between the arms and the knees. You should be able to know where your spot is once you go inside your pitcher’s base. I don’t look anywhere else except in that spot. Looking somewhere else would shake your line of view. Imagine yourself and that spot are the only ones existing and nothing else. This would really help.

Finally, in closing, Practice and be confident that you can do it. I always believe that practicing always makes everything perfect. I was never born a good pitcher and neither was I trained to be one but I do believe that I have the skill and practiced my way to hone it. I got bruised, muscle cramps and trembling hands but it pays off. It is the reason why I am confident that I can do it, that I can win games and that I can take control of the game. Remember having a good pitcher in the team is the best defense you got. I’ve seen so many teams with pitchers who just pitch just for the heck of pitching and it brought them losses. So be flattered, be a real pitcher and do your thing.

James Brown writes about Football Fanatics coupon codes, Mitchell & Ness coupon codes and FansEdge.com coupon codes

All parents want their children to reach their full potential in anything that they do. If you have kids playing baseball or softball then you know that one of the most exciting and difficult aspects is hitting. And since you may only get 3 to 5 at-bats per game then you want to make sure that they count.

Whether your kids are playing baseball or softball, if they can hit the ball like they want then they will enjoy playing so much more. There’s nothing worse than watching a player walk back to the dugout dejected and sad.

So what can you do as a parent to instill confidence at the plate? The best way to accomplish this is with repetition. Unless you are willing to pitch to your kids 200 balls a day then they won’t get the kind of repetition that will improve their batting. Plus, unless you have Nolan Ryan accuracy, you won’t be doing your kids any favors by having them swing at pitches outside the strike zone. And, you’ll save your arm for throwing that football in the fall.

The best tool for repetition is a pitching machine. Pitching machines come in a variety of types and costs. Some have large wheels and run on gas motors and can feed up to 12 baseball sized balls. Some are just for baseball and others just for softball. These are usually expensive for a parent to purchase and are bulky and can’t be self-operated safely by young batters.

The less expensive options are portable whiffle ball pitching machines. Most of these use the golf ball sized whiffle balls and run on rechargeable batteries so they can be used almost anywhere. Plus, they are just as effective for softball players as baseball players.

Many ask, “Why golf ball sized whiffle balls?” The small balls force the batter to concentrate more and to aim for a smaller target. When you can hit a small target consistently then a larger target will be even easier to hit. Plus the small balls are inexpensive and can still be thrown at high speeds.

The whiffle ball pitching machines are lightweight, some hold up to 100 whiffle balls, adjusts from 20 mph to 60 mph, pitch consistently, can pitch curve balls and sliders from both right hand and left hand pitchers.

Best of all, the whiffle ball pitching machines are FUN! Kids and adults of all ages have fun hitting from these machine and it truly has the ability to increase the confidence and ability of young and older batters in a matter of minutes.

Anthony Stai is a proud contributing author and writes articles on several sports related topics including baseball. To learn more about the Personal Pitcher and a unique opportunity to get a FREE Personal Pitcher visit Free Personal Pitcher Pitching Machine at http://www.squidoo.com/personalpitcher for all the details and a personal review.