Batting Info for Fall

Today I'm going to give you plenty of batting info that you've been expecting since you signed up for my newsletter

I've honestly written a lot over the years about how to be a better hitter that I've had trouble recently finding new information to write about.

I tell a lot of my students I can teach you everything you need to know in 4 - 8 lessons, but it will take a lifetime to perfect it.

So today I'm going to point you to some of the things I've shared in the past and point you to some batting info from other authors around the Internet, so hopefully you'll get your fill of baseball or softball hitting information.

1st a Favor, Please

I have told you a lot about my son that's learning all these things I've shared with you in becoming a good hitter and I've shared about my daughters' efforts in softball, but I haven't shared what my oldest son's been doing in relationship to baseball, but it might be of interest and help to you if you're in the same boat he's in. He's now getting to the age of coaching his own son and sure he played in the past and certainly learned a lot from me about playing the game, but what about coaching kids and teams?

So what he's asked me to do is share my knowledge with him and he's even going to get me to put it into written and/or video form so that not only will he benefit, but if you'd like to learn how to coach a team the way I do, you can get it as well.

He has lots of questions for me, but he wants to make this as complete as possible so we've put up a questionnaire asking you to give us the #1 thing you'd want to know about coaching a youth baseball or youth softball team from a 35 year veteran. It can be about the mechanics of game and how to get kids to do them, it can be about choosing the team, running the practice, how to organize the team party, how to get kids to not be afraid of the ball, what bats to use, simply anything you'd like to know.

And as a thank you for helping us out by asking that, I'm going to give my top 3 tips on how to get kids to hit better the fastest and enter you in a drawing to win the product for free.

Please help, by going to my 1 question page for coaching youth baseball
If you have been a coach for a while, you might be able to help me by telling me what you wished you'd known starting out.

If you'll be coaching girls in softball you can go to my separate questioinnaire for softball.

For the girls, you might want to ask the same questions or ones specific to coaching girls or if any of the skills differ, or what about the different pitching motion than throwing overhand or what about the slapping game.

Thanks for doing that. Again the two sites are either https://www.theinternethittingcoach.com/baseballcoachingask.html for the boys baseball and https://www.theinternethittingcoach.com/softballcoachingask.html for the girls softball.

The #1 question I get asked

Over and over again, whether it comes from a 40 year old playing slo-pitch in the freezing cold or a beginning player, or an elite player ready for that added edge, they all want to know how to choose the right bat for them.

There are so many variables and I've already answered so many questions on my website https://www.theinternethittingcoach.com/choose-a-bat.html that I thought you'd enjoy hearing other's perspectives.

Here's what a dad/coach had to say about choosing a new bat. The whole article is located at http://www.baseball-bats.net/baseball-bats/choosing-a-baseball-bat/bat-article1.html

It's by Randy Dykstra. Here are just a few sentences from the whole article:
"I've become a staunch opponent to what I call the "golfer" syndrome in baseball lately.

Many golfers are too busy or lazy (or old) to work on their game so many believe that they can go and purchase the latest greatest technology to improve their game. Super fiber shafts with lowest possible CGs and computer aided lofts with over-sized heads costing hundreds of dollars per club.

Well IMHO youth baseball has been going the way of golf. Parents want what is best for their child and they figure a better bat will make a better hitter. They want to try "make" their son into a ball player with money because it is too difficult the real way (too much time and effort required).

If you're interested in all he has to say read the rest of the article.

If you really want some extra reading on the subject here's a full two articles written by a physicist, it's really deep into what's the right bat to swing, including formulas :)
http://paws.kettering.edu/~drussell/bats-new/batw8.html
There's a wrong link on his page getting to the next article, the correct link is:
http://paws.kettering.edu/~drussell/bats-new/bat-moi-details.html

Did you enjoy Ken Burn's "Baseball"

If you're like me you loved the 9 part (innings) - 18 hour documentary Ken Burns did on the 150 year history of Baseball.

Well this upcoming Tuesday and Thursday (I believe it's Thursday, but make sure it's not Wednesday) they're doing 4 more hours to catch you up on what's happened since 1994.

Here's an article that gives all the details: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100923/ap_on_sp_ba_ne/bbo_ken_burns_extra_innings

Some other fun stuff for you

Let me tell you about a couple of organizations I belong to that you might want to join as well if it matches your interests.

One is the NFCA which I'll tell you about in a few paragraphs, but now I want to tell you about a "Facebook for Baseball", it's called CheckSwing

Visit CheckSwing

In it there are all kinds of articles and discussions. The one I wanted to bring to your attention today was one of the coaches, Coach Watkins, takes a very thorough look at how to hit inside and outside pitches. It actually goes against what I and most coaches teach, but he did such a good job of addressing his case that I feel like I shouldn't withold it from you. You're smart enough to make up your own mind.

Here's the article http://www.checkswing.com/group/letstalkhittingmechanics/forum/topic/show?id=2099111%3ATopic%3A122731&xg_source=msg_group_disc

If you like high tech gadgets and how they are applying them to batting, plus see how it tracks a Ryan Howard swing you'll like this video here: http://www.wonderhowto.com/how-to-hack-baseball-bat-ryan-howard-speed-test-216200/

How would you answer this question? WHAT IS YOUR NO. 1 OBJECTIVE OF FALL PRACTICE-?

See if your answer matched these 183 respondents who answered this question.

Working on Fundamentals 49.5%
Evaluating Newcomers 33.3%
Team Bonding 11.8%
Creating a Starting Lineup 5.4%
Establishing the Pitching Rotation 0.0%

For those of you into fastpitch softball the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (of which I'm a member), is asking this month's question: WHEN DO YOU GET EXCITED ABOUT THE UPCOMING SEASON? If you'd like to answer that for them and be taken to the association's website afterwards to see more great information, including a national convention that's coming to San Diego in December (so I may see some of you there), please answer their survey question at this website - http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/TKKGYHN

Thanks for reading this hitting newsletter.

Again, if you have any questions or comments you can call me at 805-642-5827 or write to me via e-mail.

To see other hitting tips in past newsletters, go to the past issues of my hitting newsletter page.

Welcome to you who are new to my hitting e-zine.

Thanks for reading and talk to you next time.

Coach Andy

6801 Dove St. Ventura, CA 93003

805-642-5827

Coach Andy Collins has been helping players achieve their goals in softball and baseball for over 35 years. He's an advisor to national teams and can help you be a better hitter. He offers free information on his website www.theInternetHittingCoach.com and through free e-mail hitting lessons and has just introduced 4 new videos on teaching fielding, throwing, and running hitting practices along with another hitting video discussing and demonstrating how to hit great with either the rotational or linear hitting methods. https://www.theinternethittingcoach.com/hitting-video.html

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