Tagged With "good"
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Hitting Tips
I have been playing ball for over 13 years, but somehow I cannot get over the fear of the ball being so close to me, sometimes I jump back when in the box when really, i could have swung and it would have been a good hit. Do you guys have any tips for...
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Information on Travel Teams in Burke, Va
Does anyone have any recommendations on what 10u travel teams out of Burke is worth while? I have heard good things about the Burke Bulldogs but that is it. Any information is appreciated.
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Re: Information on Travel Teams in Burke, Va
You might start with the nvtbl.org web site under tryouts. You can also add your son's name to the "players looking for a team" link.
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Re: Information on Travel Teams in Burke, Va
My son played up on the Burke Bulldogs for three seasons, 14u and 15u (2011-2012). Highly recommended. I know one of the organizers of the program who also coached my son.
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Re: Hitting Tips
That can be a tough one. First, make sure that you're turning away from truly inside pitch, and not just lurching backwards. Second, get acclimated. Ask your coach if you can stand in the box while the pitchers throw their pens.
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Re: Hitting Tips
I'm going to be completely honest with you. If you've been playing 13 years, you must be at least 16. If you are still afraid of getting hit at this point, you are going to have to take a fairly drastic step to get over that or find another sport (and nothing wrong with that). You will need to take a full-on "embrace getting hit" approach. Have someone throw inside pitches at you as you stand behind a square screen. Practice turning in and taking the hit on your large muscles for pitches...
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Re: Hitting Tips
Good stuff in the posts above. Along with standing in during pens, which some pitchers actually like having (others don't of course)... Try standing in with a pitching machine dialed up to mid to upper 90s. Depending on the machine, you might dial up a curve/slider type pitch shape along with FBs... Random mix if possible. Just grab a bat and work on striding while tracking each pitch... No swinging. Get comfortable with the speed and natural ball movement... And work your way in toward the...
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Re: Hitting Tips
Learn to direct your focus away from getting hit and only focus on attacking the ball. Be aggressive at the plate.
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Re: Hitting Tips
The first thing to avoiding a HBP relates to vision. As a hitter are you seeing the ball well? Do you wear glasses? Have you had your vision checked. The key to hitting is seeing the ball well and the same with avoiding being hit by a ball. If you pick up the ball as early as possible you have more reaction time and this is the whole key to confident at bats. If you are sure vision is not an issue then you MUST practice getting out of the way of the ball to become empowered with the...
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Re: Hitting Tips
Originally Posted by Dadcoach: There is actually proper technique and it involves turning AWAY from the ball, (not into it!) Remember- Good hitters avoid HBP and are good at hitting because they are skilled at seeing the ball well. You mean turn into the pitch right? Also a hitter will take a HBP to get on base (except the head) it shows lack of fear of the ball.
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Re: Hitting Tips
Turn into the pitch? Must be a confusion of terms. Faced with a pitch off the plate inside, a right handed batter will tuck his left shoulder toward the catcher. Correct? I would call that turning away from the pitch. Reminds me of a kid I had in LL Minors. Big kid, bad attitude; had some potential, but was only there because his parents made him. I was showing him how to turn away from a pitch and wear it on his back so he wouldn't get hurt. He wouldn't hear of it. He said that if he was...
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Re: Hitting Tips
Originally Posted by JCG: Turn into the pitch? Must be a confusion of terms. Faced with a pitch off the plate inside, a right handed batter will tuck his left shoulder toward the catcher. Correct? I would call that turning away from the pitch. Reminds me of a kid I had in LL Minors. Big kid, bad attitude; had some potential, but was only there because his parents made him. I was showing him how to turn away from a pitch and wear it on his back so he wouldn't get hurt. He wouldn't hear of it.
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Re: Hitting Tips
Yup, I'm used to same terminology as Standball but just semantics. Dadcoach, everyone from at least HS JV up (if not younger) teaches and encourages players NOT to avoid HBP (unless at the head) but instead, how to get hit properly. Sorry, good hitters do not avoid HBP. OP is a teen and struggling with fear of HBP. The last thing he wants to be thinking about is to move to avoid being hit. You must be dad of a pitcher
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Re: Hitting Tips
Cabbagepatch, My son is actually a hitter, a sophomore who is leading his HS Varsity team in average and slugging so far this season. Scouts are fairly impressed with his approach and the training he has received. One of the keys to coaching is listening very careful to a player who is asking for help. You are right about HBP to the head. But this player has admitted he has true fear of the ball which is a special issue different than a regular hitter.It sounds like you have not coached a...
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Re: Hitting Tips
Originally Posted by cabbagedad: Originally Posted by Dadcoach: Cabbagepatch, My son is actually a hitter, a sophomore who is leading his HS Varsity team in average and slugging so far this season. Scouts are fairly impressed with his approach and the training he has received. One of the keys to coaching is listening very careful to a player who is asking for help. You are right about HBP to the head. But this player has admitted he has true fear of the ball which is a special issue...
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Re: Hitting Tips
Yes- we need to hear from RyyMann for his age and level of play- I am guessing around 16. There is a fascinating chapter in the book "Three Nights In August" by Buzz Bissinger where Tony LaRussa's view on the HBP and beanbballs are a factor. The chapter highlights how this can have a huge and permanent impact on the mental approach of a hitter. Until I read this book I never understood the "Self-Police" approach to paybacks and what it was about from a managers perspective. The book is a...
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Re: Hitting Tips
One of the things we did when I played was actually practicing getting hit by pitches. We would start out with a Juggs Lite Flight machine, just to get techniques down. Then we would then move on to an actual pitching machine set at about 65 with real balls. It helps you realize that it doesn't really hurt that much and it gets you over the fear.
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Re: Hitting Tips
Wow, cabbagedad has posted an impressive resume and his experience is still questioned and from movies. Ted Williams was HBP 39 times in his career. While that isn't a lot, he was dinged a few times. "Getting out of the way" means so many things to good hitters. For example, with my child, one drill we do is called "The Progression Drill." In that drill, I throw at her front hip, throw one down the middle and then throw one away. She protects herself or "gets out of the way" on the one to...
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Re: Hitting Tips
Originally Posted by Dadcoach: Yes- we need to hear from RyyMann for his age and level of play- I am guessing around 16. There is a fascinating chapter in the book "Three Nights In August" by Buzz Bissinger where Tony LaRussa's view on the HBP and beanbballs are a factor. The chapter highlights how this can have a huge and permanent impact on the mental approach of a hitter. Until I read this book I never understood the "Self-Police" approach to paybacks and what it was about from a managers...
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Re: Average Freshman tryout participants
Nick, where do you live in Michigan? I lived in Adrian and graduated from MSU. We had 100 players for the Freshman team, only 5 played 4 years later in the College WS. Our roster included three Football QB [Rose Bowls] and one Hockey player. "the name of the game is to compete and play" Bob
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Re: Average Freshman tryout participants
Hi Nick, Welcome to the site. This site can be helpful to you in many ways but probably not this one. Too many variables. Even within each geographical region, there are high schools of widely different sizes, different levels of quality programs and varying degrees of interest. Many HS's don't even have a freshman program... some don't even have JV. Just ask some of the other players in the program. It doesn't really matter, though. Regardless of whether it is 16 or 160, you just need to be...
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Average Freshman tryout participants
I am going to be trying out for my schools freshman team this spring and was wondering how many students I can expect to be competing against for the 16 available spots on the roster. How many tryout participants should I expect there to be in a class of 220 students? I know that every school will be different but what would be a good estimate?
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Re: Average Freshman tryout participants
Hi Nick, are you in high school? How many teams does your school field? My son's high school has 450 per class, some years they only have a varsity and JV team and no freshman team because not enough players (freshmen are put on JV). When they do have a freshman team, they only cut kids who have never played before, or who have bad attitudes. So it really depends on your community, and which of the youth baseball players plan to do so in high school, vs doing other things in the spring.
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Re: Average Freshman tryout participants
Don’t concern yourself how many players tryout. Be prepared. Put in the work. Show up for tryouts in mid season form. Do your best. Never stop hustling. Then, you will get what you deserve. Don't practice to be good enough to make the team. Practice to be as good of a player as you can be on the team. Most importantly, constantly strive to be better tomorrow than you are today. And the next day, the next week, the next month, the next year.
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Re: Average Freshman tryout participants
Son's graduating class had close to 700 with maybe 60 - 70 trying out for freshman ball. Son went in having the confidence he was able to make the team, just his sights were set on the JV team as a freshman. As others have mentioned, do what you can control. Put in the hard work and when tryouts come work and practice harder than everyone else. Believe in yourself, you can never go wrong.
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Re: Average Freshman tryout participants
It depends, my son's school is like Trust in Him, all boys HS with >500 student per grade. His frosh tryouts had almost 70 kids. His friend goes to a coed school with less than 100 students per grade so the baseball tryout was for "JV" and you made the team as long as you sign up on time. As many stated here, your focus should be the best player on the field. Come to the tryouts prepared and hustle your arse off...thing you CAN control.
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Re: Average Freshman tryout participants
Turns out my school might not even have enough players for a freshman team. I was worried about the wrong things.
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Re: Average Freshman tryout participants
That can happen a lot. You worry about you. Control what YOU can control--and that's you!!! Good luck.