25112
asked on
baseball - abc's of training
when you want to learn baseball, what are the very basics that you should master before trying to hit hard (eye coordination etc).. i mention eye because i notice -for most- it is hard to connect the bat to the ball even though the miss always seems close..
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
membership
This solution is only available to members.
To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.
>>Eye on the ball all the way to hit the bat. WATCH IT HIT THE BAT!
Yes it is commonly referred to as keeping your eye on the ball. The natural tendency for a new hitter is to look where they are hitting the ball too soon. They lift their head in mid-swing looking to the outfield, or down the 3rd base line or wherever they believe they are trying to hit the ball. This is the leading reason to miss the ball, or foul it off instead of hitting it solid.
>>>>Follow through ALL THE WAY with your swing.
>>do you mean give it all your energy in the swing?
No. It's easy to swing as hard as you can. That though will make your swing erratic and not smooth and cause your bat to not smoothly go through the contact zone of when it hits the ball, so you get less of a hit. It's more important to swing smoothly with good force than swinging as hard as you can. You'll actually hit the ball further more often with most of your energy in a swing, rather than all of it.
A couple of other tips for working with a 7-year old:
--Short sessions while they are having fun is more important than long sessions when they aren't.
--Let them "run the bases" on the good contacts. for my granddaughter that means running around our backyard while I chase the ball and then chase her, (usually around the trampoline in our yard).
--End the session on a hit, never on a bunch of strikes (unless they are really un-motivated, then let it go).
--Fun is the #1 rule. Nobody is going to be good at something they don't have fun doing.
Keep me updated on progress. Glad to keep helping out.
Anthony
Yes it is commonly referred to as keeping your eye on the ball. The natural tendency for a new hitter is to look where they are hitting the ball too soon. They lift their head in mid-swing looking to the outfield, or down the 3rd base line or wherever they believe they are trying to hit the ball. This is the leading reason to miss the ball, or foul it off instead of hitting it solid.
>>>>Follow through ALL THE WAY with your swing.
>>do you mean give it all your energy in the swing?
No. It's easy to swing as hard as you can. That though will make your swing erratic and not smooth and cause your bat to not smoothly go through the contact zone of when it hits the ball, so you get less of a hit. It's more important to swing smoothly with good force than swinging as hard as you can. You'll actually hit the ball further more often with most of your energy in a swing, rather than all of it.
A couple of other tips for working with a 7-year old:
--Short sessions while they are having fun is more important than long sessions when they aren't.
--Let them "run the bases" on the good contacts. for my granddaughter that means running around our backyard while I chase the ball and then chase her, (usually around the trampoline in our yard).
--End the session on a hit, never on a bunch of strikes (unless they are really un-motivated, then let it go).
--Fun is the #1 rule. Nobody is going to be good at something they don't have fun doing.
Keep me updated on progress. Glad to keep helping out.
Anthony
ASKER
OK- I am following you.. we just had a session with your point #1 (short & fun one).
is "WATCH IT HIT THE BAT!" the same as "Follow through ALL THE WAY with your swing."- if not, what is latter mean?
"Back elbow up to keep your swing level." Just means you have the bat up in the air, ready to go, right?
"run the bases" on the good contacts - you are referring to warm up with good shoes?
i am new to the game too- can you briefly tell what is basic difference between hit and strike?
SOLUTION
membership
This solution is only available to members.
To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.
ASKER
this is so helpful to know the terms and now playing will be different.. the resource looks good- getting it.
thanks for sharing Anthony- i can see it is your passions and proud of you that you are passing it your granddaught and also setting a great example/model to her.
thanks for sharing Anthony- i can see it is your passions and proud of you that you are passing it your granddaught and also setting a great example/model to her.
Baseball is a great bonding sport. I did it with my kids and now grandkids.
Have fun.
Have fun.
ASKER
>>Eye on the ball all the way to hit the bat. WATCH IT HIT THE BAT!
do you mean not take the eye off the ball? what are some causes that the newbie may not be able to keep an eye on the ball? are they afraid sometimes that it will hit the head (they are playing with plastic ball and bat, still the fear of being hit is there and they are not able to keep the eye on the ball all the time)- any tips on how to encourage in that?
>>Follow through ALL THE WAY with your swing.
do you mean give it all your energy in the swing?