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gimicks????....ahhhhh!!!

L LOW337100+ posts
The post in the hitting section got my ire up......got me thinking also (this thought is about 15yrs old).....It bothers me to see people trying to gain an advantage through a short cut.....If you want to handle the bat then work on it and make your work (practice) as game like as possible.....Situational BP is a good.. what is wrong with the kids in the neighborhood playing a game at the little league park w/ the pull side is an out....teach kids to use the middle of the field.....This could take hours........How in the world did they play the game as well as they did before the 70's or 80's.....it's amazing....I do understand the climate of society and the amount of idiots out there that can harm your kids and letting them just run freely through the neighborhood is a big risk.......but they are not going to get better overnight by something you buy online.......It takes work, playing w/ friends in the local park etc......not sitting in front of the tv playing video games......if you want to hit better, then do just that, HIT. Make it creative...situational.....free swings......Hit and run (on the ground where it is pitched out of the middle of the field), runner at third less than two outs (infield in, infield back), runner at second nobody out etc... I think you get the idea......Wear out the back of the cage not the pull side..........
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W Will1,000+ posts
quote:
if you want to hit better, then do just that, HIT.


It always amazed me how people try to sell you something that will make you a better hitter. fielder etc etc . SWING THE BAT SWING THE BAT SWING THE BAT. You want to be a better fielder. Get a fungo and a bucket of balls and have someone hit you ground balls till the bucket is empty. Then fill it up and hit some more. You want to be a better pitcher throw throw throw.
P PGStaff10,000+ posts
I've never been a big believer in gimmicks either. However, every so often someone comes up with something new that proves to be a valuable tool. We can't ignore technology.

Agree with those who say practice is the most important thing, but every so often someone comes up with something that makes practice more efficient and productive.

I'm sure glad someone sold me a lap top computer, a cell phone and a digital camera. I was doing just fine without them, but now can't imagine living the same way without these items.

Ideas and Inventions are the reason we live the way we do. Otherwise we'd still be riding horses, using candles and visiting the outhouse.

Why should people disregard ideas and inventions in baseball? Was the maple bat a gimmick? How about the catchers throat gaurd or knee savers? How about the pitching machine or batting gloves? There has been many ideas that proved valuable. Just have to figure out the good ideas from the not so good. IMO
W Will1,000+ posts
quote:
Just have to figure out the good ideas from the not so good. IMO


the only problem is that people spend good money for sizzle. Example Talking to a coach that was excited that they have a pop up machine. 1000 plus dollars. Back in the neanthedral days i could have found a better way to use 1000 dollars a couple replacement uniforms extra balls for practice and I would get a bat and hit the pop ups to the players.
FungoFungoHighly Regarded and Beloved Old Timer
PG, Very good post. Like you I have seen many "gimmicks" over the years. The batting "T" and the soft toss machine and the pitching machine. I've seen batting cages and aluminum bats make their appearance. Artificial lights were rare for youth baseball when I was a kid. I have seen players pull on rubber bands attached to the fence and seen the batting donut take the place of having to swing multiple bats. I’ve seen the heavy baseballs to undersized baseballs to whiffle balls to black and white baseball to help pick up the rotation on a curve. Shortcuts? I don't see it as such. I see it as a better way to get better by focusing on a particular aspect of the game. Sure there are "things" that cost money that don't work but let’s not confuse the two. I enjoy and appreciate the nostalgia of the game and would like to see time stand still but that’s not reality. If its plastic vs. leather I will normally go for the leather .... unless the plastic works better.

LOW337, would you rather drive 20 miles to practice in your air conditioned SUV or should you use the old proven method of walking and ..... do you Wanna trade that new CB71X Louisville TPX Exogrid Baseball Bat for a wood bat and a black and white picture of Ty Cobb?
Fungo

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