It Is Hitting practice, Not Batting Practice
I would like to propose that we change the name from batting practice to hitting practice! When the Astros face Randy Johnson, they don't find the hardest throwing lefty and have him throw BP from 40 feet. But I have seen high school coaches do exactly that. - READ MORE

KEY TO A LEVEL APPROACH
Baseball is a game of failure. It is how well you handle the failures not the successes that will be the determining factor in how well and how long a player plays the game. Stats are an integral part of the game but if used as a measure of how well one is performing can be a heavy burden and not a valid indicator of how well one is performing. A more valid and helpful measurement is Quality At Bats. - READ MORE

3 KEY ELEMENTS OF HITTING
I was recently asked what is the most important thing in hitting. After thinking a while I have decided that there are 3 vital elements to successful hitting. - READ MORE

HELP HE'S O-7
He's hit the ball hard thrice but right at someone, struck out twice, once looking on a low and away pitch, and got his weight way out front on a change-up and dribbled it to second and his last swing yesterday was what appeared to be a half swing to the third baseman. He plays on a 10 yr old travel squad and last year he hit .395 on a team that hit .340 on the year. He's always ben a good hitter, but now, we're seeing a lot more change of speed, including sadly, hooks. Any advice? I think his last swing yesterday showed he is losing confidence and is becoming tentative. - READ MORE

THE RIGHT BAT
It that time of the year when you might be in the market for a new bat for your son to use in the coming season. I came across an excellent article in Junior League Baseball Magazine that gives you the information necessary to make an informed bat buying decision. - READ MORE

HEROES?
Last year one of my alleged “pro prospect” players was hit in the back with a pitch. This 17 year old, rolled around in the dirt in the batter’s box for a good 60 seconds before I finally went out to inquire of his well being. With an anguished expression and a tear in his eye he groaned he was OK. I told him to get his butt down to first and don’t ever make me come out of the dugout unless a bone was exposed and he needed an ambulance. As he limped to first the crowd came to their feet and applauded his heroics! - READ MORE

HITTING THE CHANGE UP
The key to being a good hitter is to be able to keep your weight back long enough to be able to identify the pitch and react to the velocity and break. How does one master this skill? - READ MORE

SWING LEVEL

Swing Level! Swing Level! She repeated this over and over everytime her son was at the plate. Besides the fact she needed to learn to not coach from the stands, she was repeating one of the great falacies in the game.

Don't Teach A Formula For Failure

     TIPS FROM THE COACH

Bat back. Elbow up. Step and Swing! This has been the mantra for batting instruction mouthed by youth league coaches for decades. I honestly can not think of a more effective formula for failure.