Softball Baseball Batting Practice Trainer Videos

Softball Baseball Batting Practice Trainer Videos

Video shows the Hands Back Hitter baseball batting trainer. The Hands Back Hitter by Swing Buster is a great for all ages and ability levels. The HBH teaches and builds correct hitting fundamentals.



The Stayback Tee is designed to help teach and practice rotational hitting that can increase bat speed. The Stayback Tee helps the batter establish the proper axis to launch the swing. It virtually eliminates forward motion after swing initiation commonly called lunging. This enhances balance in the stride landing and allows the hitter to adjust to different speed pitches and maximize the power by leading with hips and turning into the ball.



Short video demonstration of the BatAction Hitting Machine baseball softball trainer, The BatAction offers high speed ball movement drills that are 100% Guaranteed to Improve batting averages, bat speed and hitting skill. Unit is suitable for all ages from t-ball to high scholo. Great for Little League team parctices and home backyard workouts. The BatAction is often called the "Backyard Basketball Goal" for baseball and softball players.




Baseball2u.com/CoachesBest.com is the ultimate online baseball training and coaching store. With over 1400 products organized into categories Baseball2u.com makes finding that baseball training product easy and simple. Order securely online or by phone. Baseball2u.com is a fully licensed company and has a full time staff available from 8:00 to 5:00 CST. Their toll free customer service number is 1-877-431-4487.

The Categories they have are: Baseball Training Equipment, Youth Baseball Training Equipment, Training Bats, Pitching & Throwing Trainers, Defensive Trainers, Batting Cages, Pitching Machines, Jugs Equipment, Game and Practice Baseballs, Protective Practice Screens and Nets, Portable Pitching Mounds, Baseball DVDs & Books, Clearance Items on Sales, BatAction Hitting Machines, Hurricane Hitting Machines, NEDCO Bataction Replacement Parts, SKLZ Hurricane Replacement Parts and Much Much More! Visit Baseball2U.com today!

Cat Osterman Teaches Pitching DVD Preview

This video is a preview of Cat Osterman's Pitching instructional DVD it can be purchased at www.softballoutlet.com Proceeds benefit ASA/USA Softball, a non-profit organization, and members of the 2008 USA Olympic Team appearing in this DVD



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Stop the Drama on the Field

Stop the Drama on the Field

By Stacie Mahoe

If you have drama in your life, chances are you bring it on yourself. I recently saw another example of the effect of "drama." This time it was in the online business world. No fist fight broke out seeing as how the drama was all carried out online, but there were insults, attacks, name calling - all your basic drama. Interestingly enough, the drama stopped. How? One party manned-up and admitted they were wrong. They admitted that the situation should have been handled privately instead of in a public forum like internet pages. They admitted that they should have contacted the person they were upset with, and talked about how each side had so many other things to do than be involved in drama. This party also talked about the fact that if you stay away from the NEGATIVE and stay focused on the POSTIVE you'll have much greater success in whatever you do.

You see, the "keep the drama off the field" concept is not only a lesson for your softball team. This is a lesson for life AND business.

There's also something else I want to mention. Often times people who DO bring their personal life into public areas end up saying something like, "This has nothing to do with you, you should keep your mouth shut and stay out of it."

Well, that's true. Your personal life isn't the business of your teammates....until you choose to bring it on to the field with you. At that point, you've made the conscious choice to make your personal business the business of everyone on the team because now your personal issues have invaded team time and space. So if you want everyone to "stay out of your business" do not bring NEGATIVE personal issues onto the field with you. This includes any negative comments, actions, or opinions about others on the team. If you have a personal problem with your left fielder, keep it personal and keep it private. If you keep it personal, your short stop or your pitcher or anyone else has no say in how you handle that issue.

However, if you decide to bring those personal issues up in any way shape or form during softball time, you've just made it the entire team's business. Personal drama has no place on the softball field and you are not being the best softball player you can be if you bring it there. Once you bring it into softball time and space, it IS everyone's business and you give up the right to tell others to stay out of it and keep their mouths shut. Great players find a way to leave personal issues off the field so that they can perform at their best day in and day out. They also find a way to help their teammates do the same regardless of how they feel about them personally. Remember, you'll have much greater success if you stay focused on the positive and let the negative go.

by Stacie Mahoe
Get Stacie's Free Fastpitch Tips
Join Stacie's Coach of Action Academy at CoachOfAction.com for help with reaching your BIG coaching goals.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Stacie_Mahoe

Fun Softball Practice Drills

Fun Softball Practice Drills

By Becky Wittenburg

Many softball players believe that practice always involves doing things that aren't fun. However, there are many fun softball practice drills that can be done. Not only are these drills fun but they're also beneficial. Three such drills are - Knock Barney off the Can, Pickle, and Beat the Ball.

Knock Barney off the Can

This drill involves hitting a stuffed Barney (the purple dinosaur some kids love) off of a garbage can that’s turned upside down. A player stands about 50 feet from Barney and all the other players line-up behind her.

The coach should then hit a grounder to that player. That player has to field the ball and then try to hit Barney with the throw. A little prize can be awarded to any player who is successful.

Of course there can be many other fun softball practice drills that are similar to this but use a different object or a different stuffed animal. As long as it works on a player’s fielding and throwing accuracy the drill will work great.

Pickle

For this drill players need to be divided into groups of three. In each group there will be a runner and two fielders. The fielders will line-up on bases that are placed up to sixty feet apart. The runner will begin on one of the bases.

Then the fielders will first throw a grounder to each other and then a pop fly to each other. During one of the four turns (two grounders and two pop flies), the runner has to try to advance to the other base.

Once the runner gets thrown out three times or steals three bases, the runner becomes a fielder and one of the fielders becomes the runner.

This drill gives the runner practice trying to steal a base and it helps the fielders work on fielding grounder and pop flies, throwing, and applying a tag.

Beat the Ball

This drill needs to be done on the base pads. The catcher lines-up behind the plate with a ball and a player takes each base. Then a player starts at the plate and will run around all the bases.

On the coach’s signal, the runner takes off. Meanwhile, the catcher must throw the ball to third base, receive a throw back, throw the ball to second base, receive the ball back, and then throw to first. The first basemen will then throw the ball back to the catcher, receive the throw back and then throw to each of the bases.

This continues until all 4 defensive players have taken their turn throwing to every base and home plate. This should happen before the runner makes it around the bases twice.

This fun softball drill helps work on every major facet of the game - running bases, catching, and throwing - except hitting.

Practice Can be Fun!

Practice doesn’t have to be boring and tough all the time. There are plenty of fun softball practice drills to add some excitement and entertainment. Most of these drills are beneficial too. Three such drills are Knock Barney Off the Can, Pickle, and Beat the Ball.

Coach Becky has been coaching softball for well over a decade. She's constantly on the lookout for new softball practice drills You can get instant access to a sample of her softball practice plans by visiting her website:
SoftballSpot.com

For a limited time, all coaches who visit Becky's site will also get a free copy of her special report: "The 7 Biggest Mistakes Softball Coaches Make". Go get your free copy today!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Becky_Wittenburg

Best Softball Bats Secret - Find Out Why Your Team Needs the Top Softball Bat This Season

Best Softball Bats Secret - Find Out Why Your Team Needs the Top Softball Bat This Season

By Peter Westwood

So your softball team didn't make the playoffs last season. There is always next year right? Well next year is upon us. Are you going to make the same mistakes as last season. The truth is in softball if you don't come to the game with one of the best softball bats then you've lost before you've even threw the first pitch. Bringing a 100 hundred dollar Sports Authority Easton, or Mizuno bat to the game is like bringing a knife to a gun fight. I am going to break down why you need the very best softball bats for your team and how it will help you make the playoffs.

The Best Softball Bats Have Pop! Turn your field into Coors Field by buying the top softball bat. The better the bat the bigger the sweet spot. The Bigger the sweet spot the bigger the pop. Chicks dig the long ball because the long ball wins ball games. If you can turn your fly outs to round trippers then your team is going to score a lot of runs and in slow pitch softball scoring runs wins games.

The Best Softball Bats Stretch The Field! The more times you burn the outfield deep the farther back they are going to play. If you NEVER burn them deep then they will move in. You do not want this to happen. If you have a top softball bat that can back them up then your team will be rewarded by turning little fly out bloops into base hits. Cheap base hits turn quick innings into marathons. This is the kind of advantage a top softball bat can bring to the table.

The Best Softball Bats Last Longer! What you probably don't know is that bats have a limited amount of shelf life. Meaning after a certain number of hits the bat dies. This is true for all bats. But the truth is that the top softball bats last longer. So while you might save money now on a cheap 100 Easton or Mizuno Modells Stick you will end up losing out in the long run. So Don't be cheap. Buy the top softball bat and help your team win games.

Below is a link to the best softball bats. Check them out and seriously consider picking one up and make this year the year you win it all.

Tired of flying out to the outfield. Beat them deep this season with the best softball bats.

Click here to see which 2009 bat is the top softball bat!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Peter_Westwood

Softball Bat Rolling - How Does it Work

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You just bought a brand new composite bat and are holding it admiringly in your hands. What is is made from and what does composite really mean? Also, why does bat rolling make a composite bat so much better? Can't they make a composite bat that doesn't have to be rolled, but rather comes right off the assembly line as good as it will ever be?

By Josephine Maxten

You just bought a brand new composite bat and are holding it admiringly in your hands. What is is made from and what does composite really mean? Also, why does bat rolling make a composite bat so much better? Can't they make a composite bat that doesn't have to be rolled, but rather comes right off the assembly line as good as it will ever be?

Wahat Does Composite Mean?

The actual word "composite" refers to a substance or product that is made from more than one ingredient. Metal bats are not composite bats, because they are made entirely from metal. Composite bats however; are made from graphite fibers and a polymer that is used to bind the fibers together as one unit in a linear fashion.

Graphite Fibers

A polymer, is a resin or glue that requires that more than one ingredient be mixed together to create a reaction. When a polymer resin and graphite fibers are used to make a composite bat, the results are great, because the fibers are long and strong and everything is solidly bound together tightly by the polimer.

A Solid Finished Product

However; while the manufacturing process for a composite bat works great the composite materials in the finished product are in fact a little too tightly bound. By nature of the materials that are used it is impossible to avoid this during the manufacturing process.

A Much More Even Break in

By rolling the bat repeatedly between to hard rubber wheels, some of the graphite fibers inside of the bat are ever so slightly freed up to become more springier. At the same time the integrity of the outside of the bat is completely unaffected. The result is that the bat will be completely broken in in a much more even and well distributed fashion.

Article written by Josephine Maxten. Find out more details on Bat Rolling and we also give you the top info on Composite Softball Bat Rolling.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Josephine_Maxten

Coach a Team, Not a Star

When you begin holding practices for a new season, it’s tempting, as a coach, to identify and the strongest players and really work with them and move at their pace.

However, focusing in on just a handful of talented individuals sends a clear message to the rest of the team. It says that you care most about the win and the rest of them are largely immaterial to your plans.


By Stacie Mahoe

These kids end up arriving at practice everyday feeling like practice dummies set up just to support the all-stars of the team. Feeling like practice was not made for them - they just can’t keep up.

Make practice easier on you and use a “cookie cutter” approach to each player. Or, do what’s best for each person on your team and take the time to help them all progress as much as possible. Every player on the field needs to benefit from equal amounts of training from day one. Each player must feel like they personally benefit from every practice and bring something to the team that is valued by the coaching staff. No matter the skill level each player has a role. Each player can contribute. It’s your job to bring that out of them.

If Hollywood has taught us anything about sports, in movies like 'Remember the Titans' and 'Friday Night Lights' it's that putting all of your eggs into one basket is bad strategy. Your success as a coach should rise and fall on your team, not on one or two superstars.

How can you avoid making this classic coaching mistake? Start with your words.

Sit down with your coaching staff ahead of time and lay out your expectations for the season. Let them know that you will identify strengths in each player but, as a staff, you will not verbally or otherwise classify players in a way that causes any one player to stand out above the rest or causes another player to stand out for lack of ability.

And, this is important: the “gag rule” applies on the field and off.

By presenting a united front and lifting up the value of the team as a whole, you send a message to players, parents, and spectators alike.

As a coach, you will provide positive feed back and do have to offer criticism when it’s due. But hear the difference between these comments:

“You picked that up very well, good job!” or “Yes! You’re the best player we’ve ever had!”

“That was a little slow; let’s be a little quicker next time” or “What’s the matter with you? Do you have molasses in your blood?”

The first examples are straight forward and to the point, giving credit where it’s due and acknowledging a short fall when necessary. The second examples are inappropriate and extreme. You may feel that an exceptional player deserves a few extra strokes but if she is especially skilled, you can be sure that she knows it already. Players that struggle are equally aware of how they fall short. You don’t need to embarrass them in front of an audience.

You’ll be amazed at how changing how you speak about your team affects how the team responds to you, to your staff, and to each other. I know as a coach it feels so good to just rail into players when they play horribly. But I’ve personally played under both types of coaches. The type that let’s you hear it every time you mess up and rarely gives you more than a lift of the head of you do what you’re supposed to; and the type that doesn’t yell, uses constructive criticism, and acknowledges good plays and a job well done. I never learned or grew more as a player than I did under that non-yelling coach. Remember, a player that feels respected and valued works harder than a practice dummy any day of the week.

by Stacie Mahoe
Owner of All About Fastpitch
Pick up Stacie’s Free "Special Report" on Coaching

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Stacie_Mahoe

High School Baseball Coaches Note Fewer Athletes in School to Pick From

By Lance Winslow

Many high school coaches are now noting that there are fewer athletes coming out for teams, and they speculate that this is for a number of reasons. One reason recently is the cost to play sports is very expensive, and some families cannot afford it during the recession.

But there are many more reasons why the fewer and fewer kids are playing baseball. For one it's very hard work and it takes a lot of training, exercise and conditioning. Kids these days are overweight and it is a lot harder for them to run and work out.

Then there are the all the old reasons, to compound the issue such as; teenage boys learn about girls and cars at that age, and they are very busy text messaging, socializing and getting local jobs to help pay for their social life, and there is no time for sports. This is unfortunate because with fewer athletes playing sports in high school that kids are becoming overweight and that is unhealthy and sports teach kids how to win, work hard towards a goal, and work together as a team.

These are valuable lessons for teenagers and if they're not learning this on the field, some of the coaches wonder if they will learn these skills at all. Many baseball coaches that we talked to seem to think that things are much different now than they ever have been in the past. Of course one thing is also true, and that is the problem is fairly universal at all high schools and therefore the competition is also a little easier. Please consider this.

Lance Winslow enjoys community philanthropy - Lance Winslow likes small business. Lance Winslow has also been involved in the Oil Industry; http://www.oilchangeguys.com/aboutus.shtml/.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lance_Winslow

Slap Hitting And Why Its Important

www.SoftballrUs.com
By J Cox

What is Slap Hitting

Slap hitting is often used by batters who are fast runners. Often times this batter is a lefty, which can give her an even better chance of getting on base. This technique is often used against pitchers who are difficult to get hits against, it gives you a chance to get the ball in play.

The ability to be a slap hitter, isn't just something you can do without practice. Just like any other softball skill, the more you practice, the better you can do it.

Sometimes slap hitting is used to advance base runners. When this is the primary goal, the ball is often hit away from the base runner, down the first base line for example, to get a runner from second to third base. If the goal is to get yourself on first, then the goal might be to bounce the ball, or slap it to an area of the field least defended.

In general terms, slap hitting is basically hitting the ball, at the same time getting a jump towards running to first base. The end result is the ball is usually hit with a half swing, or a running swing.

The runner must remain in the batters box throughout the entire swing, so timing becomes very important. But if you can master this skill it can be quite helpful in getting a good jump to first base.

If a player becomes a good slap hitter it can become a great weapon for the team. You will be valuable as a player who can advance runner, and get on base yourself.

J Cox runs http://www.fastpitchsoftballbat.net The site tries to find bargains for the fastpitch fan. The site also has several other Fastpitch Softball Articles, an example is located at http://www.fastpitchsoftballbat.net/fastpitchbaserunning

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=J_Cox

Rec Softball Players Need to Train Like the Pros To Prevent Injuries

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This article discusses how the intramural softball athlete needs to prepare for his/her season so as to prevent as many injuries as possible.

The summer intramural season has ended and for many it is a time of having some fun, re-living their days of athletic grandeur, and partaking in many after-game activities involving the recovery drink for many…beer. For some though, it means rehabbing the injuries that occurred during the season. Knowing each season that you aren’t getting any younger, what can you do to make sure a lot of those nagging injuries don’t occur for next season?Since summer is usually the softball season, let’s talk about how to prepare for the next softball season. Here is how your normal individual gets ready for the season. All winter, you lie around doing nothing, except maybe putting on a few pounds. March rolls around and your team captain calls to see if you are ready for another great season. Getting excited, you go to the batting cage and hit the snot out of the ball for 10-20 swings until you get tired. Next day, your side is a little tender. Throw in a couple practices here or there and you’re ready.
First game rolls around, so you take every precaution to prevent injury by warming up properly. This entails running to the portable toilet and back, then sit there doing stretches while you shoot the breeze with your teammates. It is your turn to bat. You’ve taken two or three good warm-up swings and done the side bend twisty things to get your back ready. You smack the ball to third, oh shoot you mutter, and you run as hard as you can down the line. Then it happens. A sudden pain in your hamstring and just like that you have pulled a muscle. You’re stunned that this is happened, especially with all the preventive training you have done.

Okay, so I exaggerated a little bit here, but this is a typical scenario I see in the softball season each year. One game I saw three of our teammates pull their hamstring running to first. Even I did it and boy, it ticked me off. So next season, I came in prepared and this is what I did.

You have to understand that even though you aren’t a professional athlete, in some ways you do have to train like an athlete. Not because you’re going to get sponsored to play in your over 30 softball league. But, you need to prepare your body for the activity you are doing to prevent injuries and be able to still have fun. Pulling a muscle is a minor injury, but I’ve seen a lot worse. And for some people, if they get injured there is no income coming in for the family. Rather than live in a bubble all your life, let’s try to prevent a lot of those injuries that can be prevented.

So in your off-season, I would recommend working out with weights 2-3 times a week, with a total body routine. You especially want to include exercises that will target your obliques, abdominals, shoulder area, and hamstrings because those are the muscles that seem to get injured a lot. This will help keep those muscles strong in the off-season and not get weak due to inactivity.

Now here is the important part of the equation. You must find time 4-5 weeks prior to the season beginning, to implement a speed program. Basically, if you do nothing for 6 months, haven’t sprinted or anything, you are demanding that your body go from “0 to 60” and have absolutely no problem doing that. As we get older, that is a much greater demand for the body to accomplish, so you must start sprint work that can be done twice a week.

The first week you want to jog around for 5 minutes to get warmed up. Then do a couple active warm-up movements (i.e. jumping jacks, jumping rope, some high knee drills) for another 5 minutes. After this, you will do 7-10 sprints for 20-40 yards. Each sprint is a buildup. Basically, you start at half speed and by the end you are doing 75%-80%. Rest 45-60 seconds and do it again. You don’t want to do full speed this week. Here is how you will progress for the remaining weeks:

• Keep the jog and active warm-up the same each week• The second week you want to build up to full speed• The third week do build-ups for 5 sprints, then full speed sprints for 5• The fourth and fifth week, I would do 2 or three build-ups in your active warm-up and then do all full speed sprintsI know that seems like a lot to ask, but this program eliminated any hamstrings problems I had the year before. Besides, if you want to have fun and not worry about any nagging injuries, this is what you should do or you’ll be gettting plenty of icepacks ready. This obviously won’t prevent the broken bones that could happen, but it will eliminate the minor stuff. You will be amazed about how much better you feel before, during, and after the games.

Article Tags: Prevent Injuries, Active Warm-up, Full Speed

Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com


ABOUT THE AUTHOR


Adam Kessler, is president of Fitness Planning Consultants, Inc., and his company operates Sports Conditioning Specialists, which is located in Gahanna, OH. You can read more great training tips by accessing their free report, Training Right for Baseball, at http://fitnessplanning.com/free_reports.htm

Tips for the New Softball Coach, Dad

Finally, Spring is here and with it comes the beginning of Fastpitch Softball season for hundreds of thousands of little girls. Along with the start of Softball season also comes the recruitment of parents to become volunteer coaches. The FEAR, the anxiety, the hope that you don't lead your daughter's team to a winless season. Here’s the good news, like just about anything else, if the new coach will find a successful mentor the coach can quickly learn what skills and strategies need to be utilized to win. However, the large majority of new fastpitch coaches are dads that think since they played baseball 20 years ago they can easily transfer that knowledge to their team and be successful. After all, it's just a bunch of 7 & 8 year old girls, right? Wrong. To be successful the new coach not only has to coach his team, he must also out coach all of the other dad-coaches.

If you think coaching doesn’t make that big of a difference, then please explain how a coach went 93-4-2 over a 5 year period in 8U fastpitch softball while coaching his daughters. That’s a very impressive record no matter what age you are coaching. And don’t think for a moment that it was talent that led to that record. I’m talking about a team that every year lost half of it’s players to promotion to the older age group and had to pick up 6 or 7 brand new players…typically girls that had never played the game. So how could this one coach pile up 5 straight 1st place finishes and compile a winning percentage of .960%?

It boils down to knowing what strategies and skills are most effective at different ages. That’s the only possible answer. For example, the three most important positions in 8U Softball are First Base, Pitcher and Second Base. As players get older it’s certainly true that talent can make a difference. But talent still has to be coached. An athletic player under a poor coach will never achieve her full potential. However, average talent can achieve superior levels under the guidance of a great coach.

Regarding offense, most new coaches tend to build a batting order similar to how professional baseball teams put together a batting order. That's a sure way to lose games in 8U softball. The best advice is to stagger the strong hitters with weaker hitters mixed in. That way your team is able to bat further into the lineup, allowing for a couple of outs, yet scoring the maximum number of runs allowed. Many new coaches also forget to teach the girls how to bunt the ball. The younger the team is the more important it is teach girls to bunt as it helps to build hand-eye coordination while allowing the player to contribute to the success of the team.

Finally, most new coaches don't know what training tools would be of greatest benefit to their team. Typically the league will issue a sack of softball gear that might include a couple of bats, a dozen balls, a few batting helmets, and some catcher's gear and the new coach never gives it a second thought. However, regardless of age every coach needs to have a sack of plastic poly balls and a hitting tee just to name a couple of training aides. In the younger age groups a coach might want to have two or more hitting tees so his team gets plenty of practice time swinging a bat. As for the poly balls, not only are they perfect for batting practice, but they are also perfect for learning how to catch pop flys in order to prevent injuries.

Good Luck to all of the new softball coaches. Don't assume you know it all, find a mentor, do some research, teach skills that are age appropriate, and have fun. It's going to be a great season of softball and one that your daughter will never forget since her dad was the coach.

Jim Moyer is the author of http://www.mysoftballcoach.com . After coaching over 500 youth fastpitch softball games, Jim decided to put his unique experience and knowledge online for all new coaches to learn the strategies, tips, and drills that are most effective for the various age groups of youth softball.


Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/baseball-articles/dos-and-donts-of-softball-pitching-938409.html

Coaching Your Daughter's Softball Team for the First Time

www.FastpitchSoftballSupply.com

By Jim Moyer

Finally, Spring is here and with it comes the beginning of Fastpitch Softball season for hundreds of thousands of little girls. Along with the start of Softball season also comes the recruitment of parents to become volunteer coaches. The FEAR, the anxiety, the hope that you don't lead your daughter's team to a winless season. Here’s the good news, like just about anything else, if the new coach will find a successful mentor the coach can quickly learn what skills and strategies need to be utilized to win. However, the large majority of new fastpitch coaches are dads that think since they played baseball 20 years ago they can easily transfer that knowledge to their team and be successful. After all, it's just a bunch of 7 & 8 year old girls, right? Wrong. To be successful the new coach not only has to coach his team, he must also out coach all of the other dad-coaches.

If you think coaching doesn’t make that big of a difference, then please explain how a coach went 93-4-2 over a 5 year period in 8U fastpitch softball while coaching his daughters. That’s a very impressive record no matter what age you are coaching. And don’t think for a moment that it was talent that led to that record. I’m talking about a team that every year lost half of it’s players to promotion to the older age group and had to pick up 6 or 7 brand new players…typically girls that had never played the game. So how could this one coach pile up 5 straight 1st place finishes and compile a winning percentage of .960%?

It boils down to great coaching and knowing what strategies work at different ages. That’s the only possible answer. For example, the three most important positions in 8U Softball are First Base, Pitcher and Second Base. As players get older it’s certainly true that talent can make a difference. But talent still has to be coached. An athletic player under a poor coach will never achieve her full potential. However, average talent can achieve superior levels under the guidance of a great coach.

Regarding offense, most new coaches tend to build a batting order similar to how professional baseball teams put together a batting order. That's a sure way to lose games in 8U softball. The best advice is to stagger the strong hitters with weaker hitters mixed in. That way your team is able to bat further into the lineup, allowing for a couple of outs, yet scoring the maximum number of runs allowed. Many new coaches also forget to teach the girls how to bunt the ball. The younger the team is the more important it is teach girls to bunt as it helps to build hand-eye coordination while allowing the player to contribute to the success of the team.

Finally, most new coaches don't know what training tools would be of greatest benefit to their team. Typically the league will issue a sack of softball gear that might include a couple of bats, a dozen balls, a few batting helmets, and some catcher's gear and the new coach never gives it a second thought. However, regardless of age every coach needs to have a sack of plastic poly balls and a hitting tee just to name a couple of training aides. In the younger age groups a coach might want to have two or more hitting tees so his team gets plenty of practice time swinging a bat. As for the poly balls, not only are they perfect for batting practice, but they are also perfect for learning how to catch pop flys in order to prevent injuries.

Good Luck to all of the new softball coaches. Don't assume you know it all, find a mentor, do some research, teach skills that are age appropriate, and have fun. It's going to be a great season of softball and one that your daughter will never forget since her dad was the coach.

Jim Moyer is the author of http://www.mysoftballcoach.com Having coached over 500 youth fastpitch softball games, Jim decided to put the information online to allow parent/coaches to draw on his unique experience.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jim_Moyer

You are the heart and soul, coach!

Building a team of champions in the field of softball needs lots of factors in order to reach that certain goal. One of which is keeping your players fit and agile. And in order to keep them hale and hearty, you should arm them with different types of softball drills.


From a simple calisthenics drill up to a rigorous training just to improve the individual skills of players is already a milestone for every player. Every player has its function in the softball team-from catcher, pitcher and hitter.You must discover where each player excels and where they lack. Softball drills will help them enhance their amazing skills and will help them improve where they are lacking. These drills can develop further their skills and abilities and also give them endurance to perfectly have the dream 7 innings! So, there is no better way than keeping your champions fit and competitive during a crucial inning.


There are a lot of softball drills that will vary on a certain player's position. Pitching exercises will help boost the power of the arms. Arms are the sword of every pitcher so there must be exercises to strengthen it. There are also softball drills that will improve the accuracy of pitching, drills that will make them more active and alert. As I have said, the fact that a pitcher's arm is his or her best weapon during game plays, we don't want that throwing arm get injured or stressed out. You must do everything that you can to take care of it.


There are certain softball drills that include flexibility of catchers while chasing the ball in the field. It involves agility and presence of mind in order to catch a grounder. We don't want to have players that are too slow to react. This will just be a reason for your team to lose. Some drills also require the sturdiness of the arms while catching those 60 mph balls soaring through the field. Continuous softball drills will make catching just a simple and easy task.


It is really important that in every game there will be a preparation, there is a certain module of scheduled softball drills. We need to be prepared and keep those athletes fit and strong. Doing so will give you a very competitive standing to the other team and a high possibility to grab that win.


Softball drills require a few hours of your player's time and energy before a practice game. Even though it may be an exhausting task, the players still get a lot of benefits from it. This will improve their skills and talents, and this will be a way for them to discover and reach their potential. Your team will have the edge if your champions are always fit and physically prepared.


Nothing can be accomplished without hard work, but in the long run you will know that you have done a great job. Have a team of champions! Always remember you are the heart and soul of the team, coach! Do it for them!

Article Source: http://www.ArticleBlast.com

About The Author:

Marc Dagenais, MHK, CSCS, is a softball peak performance coach that helps players and teams hit with more power, run faster, throw harder, become mentally tougher, and be more dominant on the softball field. Visit us to get tons of great FREE softball drills to boost your game!

Softball Cheers

FastpitchSoftballSupply.com





By Kevin Stith

Several hundreds of softball cheers are available online that can raise the spirits of softball players. The word "cheer" means to give encouragement to someone. It can also mean showing approval or wishing good luck by shouting, and cheerfulness is the quality of being happy and dispelling gloom.

Some nice examples of softball cheers are:

"Potato chips, potato chips, munch, munch, munch. We think (opponent's team name) is a mighty fine bunch!"

"Two, four, six, eight, who do we appreciate? (Opponent's team name)"

"You gotta want it, to win it, and we want it more!"

"Two pence, four pence, six pence, a dollar. All for the (team name), stand up and holler!"

"When you're up, you're up, when you're down, you're down, when you're up against our team, you're upside down!"

"(Teammate's name twice), she's our star, she can hit it mighty far, put a bat in her hands, she can hit it to Japan!"

"Swing that bat and bust that ball honey, honey, swing that bat bust that ball babe, babe, swing that bat and bust that ball round those bases yehaw, honey oh babe oh my!"

"Five, four, three, two, we're number one, can't be number two, we're gonna beat the whoopsies outta you! Don't feel sad, don't feel blue, we'll let you be number two!"

"You seen it, now hit it, go, go and get it, you seen it, now hit it, come on (name), get wit it!"

"(Player name), you're the one (repeat), hit that ball and run, run, run, around the bases you shall go, first, second, third and home"

"You the one, you the one, you the one, you the one, say what, say what, say what, you the one, you the one, you the one, you the one, the one, the only one!"

"R-I-P-I-T, rip it for me baby, rip it (clap 4 times), (repeat)."

These softball cheers are from the "Rancho Trabuco Girls Softball Association (RTGSA)" website, but several others also have a nice collection of softball cheers. These above mentioned cheers and many others could truly be an excellent source of enjoyment, and encouragement.

Softball provides detailed information on Softballs, Fastpitch Softball, Softball Equipment, History Of Softball and more. Softball is affiliated with Reviews on Softball Bats.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kevin_Stith

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Softball Coaching Tips and Their Wonders

By Marc Dagenais

Every single person throughout the world appreciates and values all kinds of tips and strategies. Living everyday may be quite tough and challenging for some that is why coaches and tips are provided to make life easier and better. But, in order for these two to become effective and beneficial, it is important for these two aspects to amalgamate and unite for optimum results and advantages most especially in sports fields such as softball.

Softball is becoming more and more popular and relevant these days that is why a sudden rise of effective softball coaching tips are demanded by the public especially newbie softball coaches. Vast amounts of information on the different kinds of softball coaching tips and techniques are readily available in the internet for everyone's disposal...

Trust between coach and players is one of the essential and most effective softball coaching tips the whole sports industry has to offer. A team without trust is not a team at all. A team is defined as a group of people working as one and that is only possible if trust is at the center of every member's hearts.

Improving and enhancing all the player's individual and team skills and prowess should always be the main goal of every softball coach. And one way to do that is to constantly provide your team with a lot of activities that are varied and fun. It has been said that boredom and having a monotonous softball life is one of the main causes of under performance and game play decrease. Get their very important interest and one hundred percent focus every single practice game and tournament through the use of fun, new, and innovative softball training drills for softball hitting, pitching, fielding, running, and more.

Aside from having trust between team members and the coach, it is very vital to always have fairness in everyone's hearts and minds when it comes to effective softball coaching. Stay away from giving unruly praises or punishments to your players just because you feel like it. That will cause players to feel insecure and jealous of the other players. Only give them what is due and do not ever judge your players based entirely on your personal ideas and expectations. Softball coaches should always take note of their player's well-being and improvement at all times.

Another basic yet very effective softball coaching tips a coach must have for efficient coaching and teaching is the power to adjust. Not all players are the same; some may be advanced in level while other may be in the beginners' side. Learn to analyze their current playing level and status and work your way up from their.

Also, one of the great softball coaching tips every softball coach should utilize is to act as role models. One should practice what he preaches right? By being the team's coach, everyone looks at you for guidance that is why it is very important to portray a well-informed and capable look all the time. In this way, the players will learn the basics and softball techniques in a more efficient and fun way.

One will clearly see and experience an improved softball team through the magic and use of these basic yet effectual softball coaching tips. There are a lot more amazing softball coaching tips and tricks in the internet if you want more. Remember that you are one of the most essential elements for the team to take home the glory.

Marc Dagneais is Softball Peak Performance Coach that helps softball players turn their athletic talent into extraordinary performances and help coaches get more out of their players, turn their struggling team around or get an edge over their opponents. Visit us to access our directory of FREE softball drills!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marc_Dagenais

Recommended Websites for Softball Coaches
The Softball 2Day Coaching Journal
The Fastpitch Softball Directory
BatAction Hitting Machines
Derek Jeter Hurricane Machines
Joe Mauer Quick Swing Trainer
Advanced Skills Tee
BattingCagesDirect.com
HomeBattingCages.com
BattingCagesrUs.com
BattingCageBuilder.com
Hands Back Hitter Swing Trainer
Stay Back Tee Baseball Swing Trainer

Three Important Fastpitch Hitting Drills

FastpitchSoftballSupply.com





By J Cox

Three Important Hitting Drills

Hitting a softball is one of the hardest things to do in all of sports. It takes very good eye to hand coordination. It takes great timing, talent, and a bit of luck (sometimes) too. For a player to maximize her chances of being the best hitter she can possibly be, she should regularly go through some hitting drills. Three important hitting drills every player should do are "Hitting off a Tee", "Self Toss and Hit", and "Side Soft Toss".

Many players, unless they're under the age of 12 or so, view hitting off a tee as being too childish, but it isn't. In fact, players of all ages and all capabilities should always hit off a tee. This helps hitters to work on their form as they take their stance, swing, hit the ball, and then follow through. With the help of the coach, problems can quickly be identified and corrected during this hitting drill.

Another important hitting drill is the Self Toss and Hit drill. This drill simply involves the hitter tossing up a ball and then hitting it. The hitters should toss the ball close to their body, farther away from their body, and everywhere in between. Also, the batter should hit the ball when it's high in the strike zone, low in the strike zone, and everywhere in between. This way the hitter can get used to swinging at the ball in all these different positions. The point of this hitting drill is for the batter to once again work on the mechanics with her swing and the drill will also help develop better eye to hand coordination.

The third important hitting drill is the Side Soft Toss. This drill requires a pair of players. One player will hit while the other player will toss the ball. The player hitting will assume her stance and get ready to hit. The other player will stand off to the side a few feet (close but not so close that the bat can reach her) with a softball or a bucket of softballs. The player with the ball will lightly toss the ball into the strike zone of the hitter. The hitter will then put a good swing on the ball and hit it forward. Once again this is a great hitting drill for developing eye to hand coordination and for helping a hitter develop good mechanics.

Hitting is probably the single hardest thing to do during a softball game. It takes a player with good eye to hand coordination, good timing, and good mechanics to be able to hit the ball consistently. Three important hitting drills that will help players become better hitters are "Hitting off a Tee", "Self Toss and Hit", and "Side Soft Toss".

J Cox runs http://www.fastpitchsoftballbat.net . The site tries to find bargains for the fastpitch fan. The new improved site can be found at http://www.accessories.fastpitchsoftballbat.net/home

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=J_Cox

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