Learning baseball as a sport is something that happens over time. You might even switch positions at some point, and you definitely need to know what your teammates are up to as well right? Baseball is a team effort, and you’re about to find out some things that can help you improve your game.
If you’d like to increase your arm strength, make sure you’re out there every day throwing the baseball and swinging your bat. The more you perform the motion, the easier it becomes. You don’t need to lift weights to build up your arm strength. Continuously throwing a baseball or swinging a bat will work wonders.
When hitting, make sure you put your weight on the back foot more than the front. Why? Your body acts like a coil when hitting. When you go to hit the ball with your weight properly managed, your body will unload like a spring. That gives you a ton more power.
Sliding is an important skill that many baseball players do not know how to do. You cannot be afraid of the dirt. A perfect slide involves timing. You want your foot to hit the base as quickly as possible. Practice sliding daily until you can accurately judge when to begin your slide for maximum distance.
Watch the pros for tips. When you watch your favorite team play, watch your favorite players to look for pointers and tips. It might even be a good idea to record games so that you can look for technique and method. The pros got where they are by doing the right thing at the games, so you can learn from watching them.
Always wear protective equipment when playing baseball. Just like any sport, injuries happen in baseball. Especially when batting, you need to protect your head. That means you need to wear a helmet whenever you enter the batter’s box. One poor pitch can mean a fastball hitting you in the noggin. That’s at minimum a ringing headache with the potential for a concussion or worse. Be safe.
Before stepping in to face a new pitcher, take a couple of practice swings while he’s facing another batter. Use the time to measure the pitcher’s timing. This will give you a better opportunity to have a quality at bat against the pitcher. Otherwise, you may be outclassed pretty quickly.
Be keenly aware of the position of players on the field. If you know where everyone is, it is easier to avoid collisions. Players can receive head injuries if they collide too hard. Letting your teammates know when you’re going for a ball is the easiest way to prevent a collision.
To improve arm strength and gain a steadier swing, purchase some bat weights and practice with them regularly. By working out with a heavier bat than you will use when at the plate, you will able to boost accuracy, refine your batting abilities and become a key contributor to your team’s fortunes.
To keep your fingers from getting hurt while bunting, make sure to keep them on your side of the bat. If you wrap them around the bat, the pitch can hit them. You end up with a painful bunt, with no control over where the ball goes, instead of a nifty sacrifice.
Stay relaxed when trying to catch a ball. A stiff hand always leads to a missed catch. To keep your hand relaxed wear the glove until it feels like it is a part of your hand. If the glove doesn’t fit right, you will miss a lot of catches.
Build repetition into any practice drills that you are doing. To get good at anything, you need to repeat it. In baseball that means repeating at bats over and over. It means shagging fly balls again and again. It means running a double play drill until you dream of it. Only then will you begin to master the skills.
Are you aware of the proper bat for your dimensions? A solid metal bat needs to be at least three ounces lighter than the bat’s length in inches. An example would be 34 inches 31 ounces. Remember this formula so that you pick the right bat.
Many pitchers prefer a two seam fastball. With this type of fastball, the middle finger and index finger is placed on the seam of the baseball. The thumb is placed between the two seams at the bottom of the ball. This allows the ball to spin seamlessly through the air resulting in a fast ball.
If you are playing first base, you will get a lot of pop fly balls. It is important to learn how to quickly catch this ball for an out and then throw the ball to another base for two outs. Once you have caught the ball, tag first base if the runner is not there and the bases are loaded for an immediate out.
When you are sitting in the dugout, don’t talk with the other players. Instead, watch how the pitcher throws to see if he gives any signs of the type of pitch he will be throwing. Many pitchers do not realize that they make minute adjustments based on the type of pitch they will be throwing. By learning these movements, you can know the type of pitch before it ever leaves the pitcher’s mound.
To maintain safety when coaching first or third base, think about wearing a batting helmet. A foul ball that is hit sharply can get to you and knock you down before you know it. You don’t want to suffer a concussion, or worse, because of a random shot. Instead, be prepared.
As you now know a few more things about baseball, it’s time for you to use them on the field. The more you know about the sport, the more fun you are going to have playing. And, the more you are going to be helpful to your team as well.
