Wish Can Be Granted With Youth Softball Drills
Repetition is the key to muscle memory which is very essential in order to play sports competitively. Correct movement should be done over and over again to make sure that you are doing the movement in a correct manner. You are fond of watching sports and you really admire those players such as Bill Bradley and Dell Curry because they are really very good in basketball. You often wonder how they become that good. Sometime you often dream to become as good as them.
Are you aware that those famous icons in the field of basketball have practiced the same movements over and over again until such time that it becomes their secondary nature? Yes, you can have the chance to become like them if you are determined to learn the basic skills and practice not just for once but for many times. The same principle is applied in the field of softball. If you are always practicing youth softball drills correctly, there will a come time that you can play the game at the highest possible level.
If your child likes to learn softball, you must first understand the basic youth softball drills well before you can implement and teach it to your child. This is also true with a coach who has young players in his team. Sufficient know how about these drill is a must in order for you to teach without any difficulty. Some of the important youth softball drills that you need to teach your players are softball conditioning drills, softball throwing drills, softball batting drills, and softball fielding drills.
Youth softball players are springing up all over the world. This means that more and more are becoming coaches. Whether you are a first time coach or a veteran, it will be wiser for you if you make yourself familiar with a large variety of softball drills so that you can have more chances of improving the quality of the game of your players.
• Youth softball drills – one of the hidden secret to base running is the ability of the runners to cut the corners of the base when rounding them and proceeding to the next base. This action involves hitting the base in the right angle making your right foot cuts the bag. Your left foot should stride and head toward the next base.
• Youth softball throwing drills – if you want to become good in throwing the ball, you must practice a quick release of the ball. You can do this by making your players line up at home plate and at each base. The throw will becoming from the home plate where the pitchers and the catchers are located. The first line of players will have their first try. The catchers will throw the ball to the fielder at the second base who will tosses it to the third baseman, who will tosses it to the first baseman, who will tosses it back home to the catcher. Y6ou can do this drill three times and you can use a timer to not the time. The fastest time will have a reward.
• Youth softball batting drills – you should teach your players the ability to recognize a pitch such as fastball, a change up, a curve, swerve or slider. You can assign a number in each ball. The hitter must concentrate and identify the number of the ball as it comes nearer to the plate. After the swing, he/she must identify the number on the ball.
Youth softball drills can be a part of yoaur daily practice. This way you will help increase the abilities of your players in order for them to have a superb game. Sometimes the simplest drills which can build repetitive muscle memory are the most important in your sports
Wish Can Be Granted With Youth Softball Drills
Tools to Use to Improve Your Softball Pitching Prowess
Tools to Use to Improve Your Softball Pitching Prowess
Among all the roles in the softball team, one of the important, crucial ones is softball pitching where it doesn't only involve simple case of ball throwing. It involves agility, endurance and strength as to how to pitch the ball properly so, that the opposing hitter's bat won't be able to collide with the ball.
There are different ways to pitch a ball. You can do a fastpitch drop, which involves taking a short stride to increase the level of your release point and leaning a bit forward upon release of the ball so, that your head and shoulders are over your front foot. You can also do fastpitch rise where the ball would be able to spin upon release if you spread your fingers more on the ball and squeezing it out of your fingers. In addition, you can do a fastpitch curve where the movement of your wrist and shoulders make the ball spin more.
Other than taking in these softball pitching tips and putting them into practice, here are some softball pitching equipment that you can use to improve your game.
Throw Max
The throw max is a tool that assists players on how to throw the ball in a correct manner by letting them experience this themselves. This way, they would be able to develop a stronger muscle memory in an easier and more consistent way without risking injury.
Power Throw-Ball Softball
This excellent tool helps players enhance strength, especially the shoulders, and endurance so that, they would be more used to the throwing motion.
Rev Fire
Rev Fire is a wonderful tool that you can use to monitor your speed in throwing a ball. This includes three softballs as well as a monitor provides you quick feedback on how quick you pitch a ball.
Glove Radar
Glove radar is an electronic gadget that accurately measures the throwing speed of not just pitchers but also of infielders, outfielders as well as catchers. It's easy to use as you just have to attach it to any glove that you use when practicing the sport.
Weighted Softball Training Ball
The weighted softball training ball can be used either for enhancing shoulder strength or for shoulder rehabilitation. The set is composed of four balls that weigh about nine to 12 ounces so, you can different balls once your arm strength improves.
Xelerator
The Xelerator is a lighter, softer and shorter tool that you can use when practicing throwing motions as it aids you in learning overhand and snap motions without stressing out your shoulders at the same time.
Tightspin Trainer
The Tightspin Trainer allows players to improve their ball throwing capabilities as it increases your speed as well as the rate of the spin.
Finch Windmill
The Finch Windmill aids you in improving your throwing prowess, making it harder and faster as it enhances muscle strength, endurance and balance of the whole body. You would see a difference in you when you use this regularly.
What are you waiting for? Improve your game with these softball pitching tools.
Beware of a Common Pitfall in Golf Putting
Beware of a Common Pitfall in Golf Putting
Summary: This article deals with a problem very well known among golf players: Does your next putt break to the left or to the right? Sometimes, observations from the ball's side and the hole's side lead to different conclusions. Find out why this is so and how to avoid the pitfall in order to save precious strokes to your golf scores.
Now you are on the green, holding your putter, facing the pin and trying to evaluate the shape of that area between your golf ball and the hole. Forget about the strokes needed to reach the green. That's past, that's history. And because it's not the right time to put pressure on you, forget also
a) that the last few yards on the green can take more strokes than the 3 or 4 hundred yards between the tee and the green
b) there's no such thing as a recovery for a missed putt
Let's assume that you are aware of all that and take golf putting seriously. So, the most important thing you desperately need now is to know the slope of your putting area, that is the green's zone your ball will cross on its way to the hole. You observe carefully from the ball's side and there's no doubt it will break slightly say, from north to south (n/s). Now, let's have a look from the other side to get a clearer picture. And . . . oops! It breaks slightly from south to north (s/n).
Now you have a big problem that all of us (who look from both sides) faced several times. If your group is alone on the golf course and your buddies aren't pushing too much, you can repeat the entire process but the results won't change. Perhaps it's because the shadows are distorting the image or, perhaps, some objects in front of you (trees, fences, etc) are giving you a wrong perception. Still more likely, perhaps you are a biased observer. Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps! But the truth is that the data your eyes sent to your CPU are not coincident, so your brain gets confused with that and any commands coming to your muscles will reflect that dilemma. It's easy to predict there's trouble ahead.
Some of us, in this situation, decide to forget what they saw from the hole's side. It's a wise decision. At least you’ll act according to what you see when you take your stance to putt. But you can almost safely bet that you won't make that putt. Why? Because if the break is there it won't disappear just because you decided to ignore it.
Another solution is to try to emulate King Solomon's method, when he ruled that a baby was to be cut in two pieces, one for each of two women who wanted the child (fortunately the case was settled before the King's command was executed!). Using this method you just aim straight to the hole. The rationale is that if you see one thing from one side and the opposite from the other side, chances are that the solution is just in the middle. If you are a lucky guy, it might work. But don't expect too much.
My conclusion, after lots of missed putts and careful observations and experiments, is this: When you see something it's better to believe it's true and not a product of your imagination. If you see a n/s break, it's probably there. If, from the other side, you see a s/n break, it’s probably also there. You have a putt with double break and your observations just privileged the green's area closer to you in both cases. You shouldn't be surprised to get a better and more detailed view of what is closer to you, should you? And don't forget we are talking about slight breaks, not clear double breaks where we can use the method explained in Golf Putting Lines Ebook (http://www.puttinglines.com).
The double break theory explains why some of us only use the information gathered from the ball's side and don't report a major cognitive dissonance. On one hand, our brain is a bit more confident because it's acting according to what our eyes see when we putt. On the other hand, we witness that the ball starts breaking as it's supposed to. There's only one disturbing factor: it rarely enters in the hole, because we didn't consider in our "putting equation" the second break that was there waiting for the ball. Next time try to make a small adjustment and reduce the anticipated break a little bit. It has worked with me and perhaps it will work for you too. Good luck!
Live Bait: Amazing Fishing Secrets About Livebait Check It Out Here!
Live Bait: Amazing Fishing Secrets About Livebait Check It Out Here!
Our article today is dedicated those fisherman who love to fish with live bait. This article is also useful to you artificial bait lovers who know when the fishing gets tough you need to tip your artificial baits with some type of the live form. Anglers who are dedicated to fishing with live baits have a large selection of baits to choose from such as leeches, crayfish, scuds, freshwater shrimp, saltwater shrimp, mud shrimp and ghost shrimp. Other live bait selections that can be used to target various gamefish also include waterdogs, spring lizards, mudpuppies, leopard frogs, green frogs and bullfrogs.
Also when you are talking about live bait selections you can't forget insects. Insects are a staple part of all gamefishes daily diet. These insects aquatic insects such as may flies, stone flies, caddis flies,crane flies, dragon flies. and dobson flies ( hellgrammites). They also include terrestrial adult insect types such as crickets and grasshoppers as well as larva forms of catalpa worms, waxworms, goldenrod grubs, mousees, spikes, euro larvae, and meal worms.
Now we have to mention nightcrawler and other worm types as live bait because they are as close as you can get to a universal live bait for all species of freshwater fish as you can get. They will catch any fish from common bluegill to the elusive sturgeon. Nightcrawlers have amazing fish appeal but there are some important reasons they are so popular. They are a very easy bait to find and a very easy bait to catch or raise if you are a interested in saving a few bucks,or just want fresh bait readily available.
Also we can't forget about the many species of bait fish that are use for live bait. Freshwater Anglers use bait fish to catch small 6 inch freshwater panfish such as bluegills or yellow perch on up to large sturgeon. Saltwater anglers use bait fish to catch marlin,sailfish and Spanish mackerel just to name a few. Most all saltwater predator gamefish can be caught using a combination of some type of bait fish such as freshwater fathead minnows (tuffie, mudminnow), rosey red minnow, bluntnose minnow, creek chub, horneyhead chub (redtail), blacknose dace, redbelly dace (rainbow), golden shiner, emerald shinner, spottail shiner, common shiner, red shinner, goldfish, white sucker, madtom (willow cat), sculpin (bullhead, muddler), shad, skipjack herring, cisco (lake herring, tullibee), smelt, killfish, bluegill or sunfish, yellow perch, American eel, and freshwater shrimp. The saltwater bait fish used for live bait and cut bait include skipjack herring, mackerel, smelt , mullet, mussel, saltwater shrimp, squid and tuna.
Well folks that concludes our summary article about live bait options We sincerly hope you use our fishing information on your next fishing trip Good Luck!
Bait Fishing: Tips And Techniques Check It Out Here!
Bait Fishing: Tips And Techniques Check It Out Here!
For anyone leaning about fishing, baiting a hook is a key part of that knowledge. For experienced fisherman there is a constant trial and error process that occurs, and what works is documented for future fishing trips. Seeking new bait fishing methods and techniques to improve your fish catch is very important. The real challenge to fishing with bait is keeping your baits looking natural to the area you are fishing. the closer you can match your bait fishing presentation to the natural food source of the fish you are targeting the more successful you will be.
We all love fishing with artificial lures, we check out all the latest artificial bait imitations, we purchase them just to say we have the latest and greatest in new artificial bait fishing lures or plastics. But when fishing gets really rough and artificials just are not getting it, Guess what ? we turn to the real thing live baits! Bait fishing naturals such as Nightcrawlers, bait fish, leeches, crustaceans which include crayfish, scuds,freshwater shrimp,saltwater shrimp,mud shrimp and ghost shrimp, also salamanders such as waterdogs,spring lizards, mudpuppies and leopard frogs. We also turn to fishing with live insects such as aquatic insects which include may flies, stone flies, caddis flies,crane flies, dragon flies. and dobson flies ( hellgrammites). And we cant forget terrestrial adult insect types such as crickets and grasshoppers as well as larva forms of catalpa worms, waxworms, goldenrod grubs, mousees, spikes, euro larvae, and meal worms. To be honest , it is estimated that 75 percent of all fish caught with a hook and a line are caught with live bait. We hope that our bait fishing information will help you when the fishing gets tough and you need to turn to natural baits.
There just hundreds of bait fish that work for freshwater fishing baits, and saltwater baits. You can use bait fish such as bluegills or sunfish, golden shiners, spottail shiner minnows, redbelly dace or rainbow minnows, fathead or tuffy or mudminnow, horney head or redtail chub, and freshwater shrimp baits. Some of the many saltwater bait fishing selections include herring, mackerel,smelt,mullet,mussels,saltwater shrimp, squid and tuna. All these bait fish both freshwater and saltwater are excellent selections for you bait fishing rigs.
Also we can't for get the old reliable nightcrawlers as live bait. Nightcrawlers and other worm type such as the common nightcrawlers, european nightcrawlers, african Nightcrawlers, grunt worms, garden worms, red Wigglers,and leaf worms
Also There are just thousands of freshwater catfisherman so we thought we would mention a little bit about catfish baits. The catfish baits we have identified work for live bait presentations or dead cutbaits and prepared stink baits. These baits include nightcrawlers, suckers, chubs, shiners, goldfish, shad, skipjack herring, bluegills, catalpa worms, grasshoppers, leopard frogs, bullfrogs as cutbait, waterdogs, adult salamanders, crayfish, saltwater shrimp, clams, and blood baits. As you can see Catfish will will eat just about any natural bait presentation you put on your bait fishing rigs.
Most of the baits listed in our article can be caught or made by your self but sometimes these natural baits will be very hard to catch so finding reliable bait shop for for your bait fishing needs will be important. Also some of the baits listed are not normally sold in bait shops to learning to catch them yourself to use on your bait fishing rigs will be important.
Check out Mark's website to get some amazing fishing information and fishing articles loaded with fishing tips about bait fishing that really work!
Buy Youth Football Equipment
Buy Youth Football Equipment
It's that time of year! Football season is just awakening with pro teams and college teams starting training camp. This also means our kids are getting ready for football season as well. I remember when I was a young kid getting ready for football season. My friends and I used to go hunting for football equipment all throughout the city to find the latest and best football equipment. Back in those days you had to trek on foot or by car to find the equipment you needed. Thanks to technology we can now shop online to get all the things we need to gear up for the season. One place that really makes this task a very easy one is Amazon. It is the one place that you can find all your youth football equipment needs. Just check out the link below for more information. Youth football equipment can add loads and as the game continues, the more pressure is given by each player, the more also can be the thermal stress upon their bodies, making them feel too much exhausted with high possibilities of heat strokes. Moreover, to prevent this kind of issue among the tough players and teams, their suits are then first verified by the management, though with limited awareness to others, some of the teams are trying to make their equipment practically in-shape with the players to prevent them from getting weaker because of the sun.
Football uniforms are usually made up of heavy materials in which after few improvements of manufacturers, most of these materials are then tested as with the guidelines and preferences in checking the gears before the encounter. Wearing football equipment increase heat metabolism of the body, these uniforms are made to lessen the thermal stress that is absorbed by the body, and otherwise cooling things up a bit inside.
Therefore to provide greater safety measures to the players, Finding the right equipment to ward of heat metabolism of the body should also be taken into concern along with the youth football gear effects to match the players' longer adaptability to the climate
5 Beginner Golf Tips You Really Need To Know
5 Beginner Golf Tips You Really Need To Know
Golf is one of the greatest games on Earth. It is also one of the hardest games. You would do well to follow these beginner golf tips to ensure that your entry into the golf world isn’t as bad as it could be. Too many people give up before they have really begun because they don’t adopt good habits. To give your game a turbo boost read on. You will be part of the ever growing band of Golfers Anonymous in no time at all.
1) The golf swing is a side action. It is not an up and down action. To understand this fully take a ball and throw it from your side with an underarm technique. This is the type of action you want to develop. Notice that the further you want to throw the ball the more you need to turn your shoulders.
2) A time old classic is to imagine that you are swinging a baseball bat. The main difference is that the club will need to reach the ground at some point so your stance will be different. Practice swinging a golf club as if you had a bat in your hand to train your muscles to understand the technique you are looking for.
3) When setting up to the ball stand with your feet shoulder width apart, bend your knees slightly and bend down from your hips with your back straight. Practise this by sticking your behind out to get the right feel for it. You want your arms to hang in front of your body. Try not to hunch over too much. When it comes to playing for real you don’t want to be too near the golf ball or too far away - this tip will help you get this right.
4) Grip the golf club lightly. Most beginner golf tips miss this out - if you grip too tightly you will not be able to swing with freedom. This will have a very negative impact on your game. Imagine you are holding a tube of toothpaste and you only want to squeeze just enough to get a little paste out. This is what you are looking for.
5) When swinging try to be as smooth and rhythmical as you can. It might feel a little strange at first but the more you swing a club the more comfortable you will get. Try to imagine a big hula hoop surrounding your body at an angle. You want the club to be swinging round your body on this path and it should be accelerating the nearer to the ground it gets. Forget about trying to hit the ball - think more about the fact that the ball is in the way of your club. Too many beginners get caught up with trying to hit at the ball and end up taking the club away from its intended path. This will only end in tears.
The golf swing can get very technical. A lot of beginner golf tips introduce some difficult concepts too early and this results in confusion. Golf is as much a feel and touch game as it is a scientific one. As you become more used to the basics you can start to introduce some more advanced techniques.
he 5 Keys To Great Bunker Play
he 5 Keys To Great Bunker Play
Bunkers have always added a little spice to a round of golf. They force a golfer to think a little bit more about the type of shot they should take. There is no doubt that you'd rather avoid hitting the sand as it can result in some pretty difficult shots. If you've gone through the nightmare (and embarrassment) of taking a number of shots to get out of a bunker then you will be aware of this. However, with the right technique the bunker shot should not be as fearsome as you think. Follow these 5 keys and you will instantly see an improvement in your play.
1) It should go without sayng but you'll need to use your sand wedge for this shot. It is specially designed to be used to cut through the sand but you will need to open the club face out as much as possible. This increases the loft of the club face to give you the best chance of getting the golf ball up and out of the sand trap.
2) Set up with an open stance to the target - you want your feet and shoulders aiming to the left of where you want the golf ball to end up. The ball should be toward the back of your stance somewhere in line with the inside of your back heel. If you really need to generate extra height from your shot then the ball needs to be further forward than this default position. To ensure that you have enough stability - remember, you're standing on sand so you could easily slip a little durng the swing - wriggle your feet right into the sand. The clubface should be aiming directly toward your target - imagine you're hittng to just beyond the flag. You should do this because in general mis-hit bunker shots tend to fall very short so this is a risk reduction tactic. Consider using a weak grip - you should not be able to see your knuckles on your left hand (right hand if you're left handed). This helps prevent the hands from rotating round durng your swing - you want the club face to stay open throughout.
3) Use your sholders to rotate into the backswing and hinge your wrists early. This is advisable because releasing your wrists on the downswng is going to generate most of your clubhead speed.
4) You are tryng to hit down on the ball. However, this next point is central to bunker play and will vastly improve your technique. You want to hit the sand 2 inches behnd the ball and try to get right under it as you hit through. Imagine that you are 'splashing' the ball out. This will give the golf ball enough height to get out and will stop it quickly when it lands. You can get less backspin and more roll if you aim to hit further behind the ball - say 3-4 inches. You are not looking to clip the ball off the sand. This only becomes the case when you are playing out of a fairway bunker and need to play a long shot with a full swing. Even then you require a decent lie on the sand.
5) Almost as important as hitting the sand before the ball is that you concentrate on acceleratng your swing right the way through. Too many amateurs let their swng die as they make contact. This is usually because the bunker is near the green and the golfer fears that they will overhit the ball. By hitting the sand behind the ball you are converting the momentum into height and back spin. You should only fear accelerating through the ball if you are trying to get a clean contact as this will send it flying.
To better understand these techniques practise in a bunker by placing your ball on a scorecard and trying to get your sand wedge underneath it. This will encourage the right fundamentals. In no time at all you will wow your golf buddies with your new found ability in the bunker and easily shave a few shots off your round. Who knows you may even hole a couple!
Angel Sports Nutrition Manufacture of Sports Supplements
Angel Sports Nutrition Manufacture of Sports Supplements
What is the Role of Angel Sports Nutrition
While one decides on taking the help of a sport supplement to nourish the body and replenish the energy requirements, he also has to understand what can be the issues that he needs to be mindful of. Today the sports nutrition industry is multi billion-dollar industry with various partners and stakeholders. The competition is fierce; the rewards are pretty high too. In such a scenario it is quite possible that some of the companies thrown in their hat just to make a quick buck without actually realizing the responsibility they have towards their customers. It is for the companies to understand that they are, at the end of the day, dealing with human bodies and it is extremely unfair to be negligent about it. It is also imperative that the end users should know what supplements they are taking. Angel Sports Nutrition, through their innovative and effective products has been able to generate that trust. All their products are free from any harmful chemicals thus ensuring that the supplements do what they are meant to do, and that there are no hidden surprises. With their products there are no negative side effects or long-term problems.
Extreme Drive Power Formula
The singular product that is the main claim to fame for Angel Sports Nutrition is their Extreme Drive Power Formula. This sports drink is just the perfect thing you will need before your workout. Working out demands a lot from our body. We have to feel refreshed before we start our routine as otherwise it will be difficult to stay focused through the routine. We need energy while actually going through a strenuous routine to continue to pull those heavy weights and push the body against new challenges. We also need energy to recover from a difficult workout and help our body recuperate and fix the wear and tear. The innovative Extreme Drive Power Formula addresses all these three needs. Once consumed, the supplement releases energy in three phases ensuring that the body is at its prime during the entire course of the exercise routine and the intensity level never drops off. It is truly amazing to know that one drink can help you achieve so much. And the great thing about Extreme Drive Power Formula is that the results are almost instantaneous. Now, not many sports drinks or sports supplements can claim that.
To recap the benefits of Extreme Drive Power Formula we list them below.
1. Increased ability to make muscles work harder
2. Bigger and stronger muscles
3. Power to go through longer and strenuous exercise routines
4. Easier recovery from muscle wear and tear
After learning the benefits of the Extreme Drive Power Formula you must be inquisitive about what the drink contains that it is able to deliver such power-packed results. The ingredients of the Extreme Drive Power Formula are amino acids in the form of Taurine, N-Acetyl Glutamine, Dicreatine Malate, Diarginine Malate, insulin potentiators such as Vanadyl Sulfate, Dextrose is the source for carbohydrate, Caffeine and American Ginseng helps in increasing the energy, and muscle growth is stimulated by Betaine, Guanidinopropionic Acid, Gamma Oryzanol, and Glycocyamine.
Learn How to Pitch Faster and Smarter with these Fastpitch Softball Pitching Tips
Learn How to Pitch Faster and Smarter with these Fastpitch Softball Pitching Tips
So you want to pitch faster? You can choose to focus only on strengthening your muscles, or you can take a smarter option and take a complete approach to your pitching.
But before I get misunderstood, I’m not discounting the importance of strengthening your muscles to be able to pitch faster. What I’m saying is that it’s not all there is to pitching. And becoming a smart pitcher means you can pitch more effectively with lesser effort.
Want to be a smart and efficient pitcher? Here are some tips I have for you:
1-Focus on the mechanics first. Many players focus too much on strength training to make them pitch faster. But nailing the mechanics before anything else should be your priority as a pitcher.
The proper pitching mechanics teaches you to throw the ball correctly. Throwing the ball correctly solves two problems: it teaches you how to throw the ball without exerting much effort, which at the same time minimizes your chance of injuries due to incorrect mechanics.
2-Do your warm-ups and stretches. How fun would it be to be able to pitch fast right out of the dugout? However, it doesn’t work that way. If you want to pitch fast, you must do your warm-ups and stretches first.
Why? Because doing these helps loosen your muscles which helps you pitch better and prevent injuries due to pulled muscles.
3-Keep yourself relaxed. While stretches and warm-ups help loosen your muscles, tension can cause a reverse effect. So try to keep yourself relaxed before every game. Try to breathe regularly, loosen muscles on your upper back, neck and shoulders. If listening to music helps, you can do that too.
4-Improve the strength muscles involved in pitching. As I mentioned earlier, I’m not at all discounting the importance of strength training to improve your pitching speed. So work out your schedule to include training your muscles involved in pitching such as in your forearms, wrists and shoulders.
5-Don’t forget accuracy. Although this isn’t exactly an advice on how you can pitch faster, I just thought I’d remind you to take the time to focus on your pitches’ accuracy as well. After all, pitching isn’t just about speed, but also on how well you can pitch inside or outside the strike zone.
6-Vary your throws. An arsenal of different pitches is the bane of any batter out there. It keeps them guessing what you’ll be throwing them next, especially in tight games. So work on having different pitching techniques and don’t just focus on speed alone.
It takes more than just these short and quick tips on softball pitching to help you throw faster. It also takes a huge amount of time, training and practicing incessantly until you refine your technique. So work on them and at the same time take into consideration the tips I have for you here. And I’m pretty sure how they will positively affect your game will be evident soon enough.
Softball Pitching Tips – How to become a Consistent Pitcher
Softball Pitching Tips – How to become a Consistent Pitcher
If you want to be a good pitcher, then consistency in your performance should be one of your assets. Why? That’s because consistency makes you dependable on the field. And if you’re dependable, you’ll get more playing time and you can give more wins to your team.
But how can you be a consistent pitcher? It takes more than just your skills to be one. You also need the right amount of discipline, drills and practice to take you there.
Here are some things that you should remember if you want to be a consistent pitcher:
1. Warm up – a lot of players forego warm ups thinking that it’s just a total waste of time. If you’re among these group of players, try to perform warm ups before a game.
I’m not just talking about bobbing your head or flailing your arms like crazy. Do real warm ups. Ask your coach about it or find more warm up tips on this site. Once you’re done, see the difference it makes to your game.
2. Nail the fundamentals – once you see your favorite pitcher on TV or live on the field, you’ll most likely try to emulate what he or she does. But try as you might, you don’t seem to get it right.
Want to know their secret? More than just their natural skills, their knowledge of the fundamental pitching mechanics also plays an important role in their game. As they often say, walk before you run. Learn the fundamental skills first, refine it as you get better.
3. Vary your pitches – although we’re talking about being consistent with your pitching here, you must also be able to vary your pitches depending on the situation you’re faced with. Many pitchers strive to pitch fast, but it’s not always needed in the game. Have a complete arsenal of pitches – from fast balls to curve balls – and use each depending on what the situation calls for.
Another benefit of varying your pitches is that it can have a psychological impact on the opposing batter who doesn’t know what you’re going to throw him or her next.
4. Learn to make the necessary adjustments – no matter what tips you get from me, your coach, or somebody else, there will come a situation that you are not prepared to face. It could be an extended game or a change in your opponent’s strategy. Whatever that is, you should learn to adjust to that situation and give it your best shot.
5. Allow yourself to commit errors – don’t let the fear of committing errors affect your game. You will have your good share of off days and you shouldn’t blame yourself for that. Instead, look at those instances as opportunities to refine your pitching better. Try to analyze what happened and see how you can prevent it from occurring again.
If you really want to be a consistent pitcher and help your team win more games, then the tips I have listed above for you will surely come in handy. You might not learn all of them right away but give them time to grow on you and see the difference they make in your game.
Softball Pitching Tips – How to become a Consistent Pitcher
Softball Pitching Tips – How to become a Consistent Pitcher
If you want to be a good pitcher, then consistency in your performance should be one of your assets. Why? That’s because consistency makes you dependable on the field. And if you’re dependable, you’ll get more playing time and you can give more wins to your team.
But how can you be a consistent pitcher? It takes more than just your skills to be one. You also need the right amount of discipline, drills and practice to take you there.
Here are some things that you should remember if you want to be a consistent pitcher:
1. Warm up – a lot of players forego warm ups thinking that it’s just a total waste of time. If you’re among these group of players, try to perform warm ups before a game.
I’m not just talking about bobbing your head or flailing your arms like crazy. Do real warm ups. Ask your coach about it or find more warm up tips on this site. Once you’re done, see the difference it makes to your game.
2. Nail the fundamentals – once you see your favorite pitcher on TV or live on the field, you’ll most likely try to emulate what he or she does. But try as you might, you don’t seem to get it right.
Want to know their secret? More than just their natural skills, their knowledge of the fundamental pitching mechanics also plays an important role in their game. As they often say, walk before you run. Learn the fundamental skills first, refine it as you get better.
3. Vary your pitches – although we’re talking about being consistent with your pitching here, you must also be able to vary your pitches depending on the situation you’re faced with. Many pitchers strive to pitch fast, but it’s not always needed in the game. Have a complete arsenal of pitches – from fast balls to curve balls – and use each depending on what the situation calls for.
Another benefit of varying your pitches is that it can have a psychological impact on the opposing batter who doesn’t know what you’re going to throw him or her next.
4. Learn to make the necessary adjustments – no matter what tips you get from me, your coach, or somebody else, there will come a situation that you are not prepared to face. It could be an extended game or a change in your opponent’s strategy. Whatever that is, you should learn to adjust to that situation and give it your best shot.
5. Allow yourself to commit errors – don’t let the fear of committing errors affect your game. You will have your good share of off days and you shouldn’t blame yourself for that. Instead, look at those instances as opportunities to refine your pitching better. Try to analyze what happened and see how you can prevent it from occurring again.
If you really want to be a consistent pitcher and help your team win more games, then the tips I have listed above for you will surely come in handy. You might not learn all of them right away but give them time to grow on you and see the difference they make in your game.
Softball Conditioning – 5 Reasons Why Conditioning should be a Part of Your Training
Softball Conditioning – 5 Reasons Why Conditioning should be a Part of Your Training
When you look at it, softball isn’t as physically-demanding as basketball or other sports. With softball, you don’t have to jump and don’t need to run throughout most of the game.
Because of this perception, a lot of coaches and players often overlook the role of conditioning as a part of their overall training. But players miss a lot on their performance when they avoid conditioning exercises.
Why do players like you need softball conditioning? Here are some of the reasons:
1. To increase your endurance – again, softball may not be as physically-demanding as other sports but if you’re in a long game or playing under the heat of the sun, the endurance that you develop with conditioning will play a significant role in ensuring your success.
If you’re well-conditioned, you won’t feel tired easily and you’ll be able to tolerate the heat or extended games much better.
2. To stay healthy and avoid injuries – if you’re playing a long season, or if you want to have a long career in softball, then you must stay healthy. Conditioning will help you with that. More than just helping you increase your endurance, conditioning will also help you recover faster from fatigue and injuries. That’s especially important if you’re one of the teams trusted players. The more quickly you return to your A-game, the better your team’s chances of winning.
3. To steal more bases and explode right out of the box – speed and acceleration are key components that every batter or runner needs. The quicker you can bolt out of the base and run to the next one can make or break your team’s chances of winning. If you are well conditioned, you’ll be able to move much quicker, and in effect steal more bases or explode right out of the box.
4. To prepare you for the next season – no matter how well skilled you are, expect your skills to get rusty after the off-season or the holidays, especially if you don’t practice that much when you’re not playing.
To prevent that from happening, you must be well conditioned before the season starts by training, exercising and doing your drills. And when you’re well conditioned, the more easily you can adjust to the game than just slacking off and doing nothing.
5. To react to situations faster – things can change in a softball game very quickly. Before you know it, you could find yourself at the last base in the middle of a close game. Should you make a run to the home plate or wait for the next pitch? Your mind will learn to react quicker and make lightning-fast decisions if you primed and well conditioned. Don’t expect yourself to make good decisions if you feel sluggish.
There you have it, 5 important reasons why you should make conditioning a part of your training. Leave it out of your regular training and see yourself bite the dust in every game that you play. Or, you could integrate it into your current training and see the difference it makes to your game.
Proper Softball Conditioning through Proper Nutrition
As every softball player knows, proper softball conditioning involves intense physical and mental preparation as well as utmost dedication and love for softball. But do you know that in order to be completely prepared to play the game, you need to have proper nutrition? It is so crucial that without it, you would not be able to play hard and give your best in softball.
Softball is no ordinary sport. You need to have a physically fit body like an well-oiled machine so that you would be able to play all for hours on end. In order to do so, you need to eat meals regularly so, that there is enough energy to sustain your body during such strenuous activity. Otherwise, you would have no energy left even before the game ends.
Try to compare your body to a car. A car without gas can never run as fuel is its energy source. The same goes for the body. Food is what sustains our body to run. We can't expect our bodies to function well if we skip meals or do not eat at all. So, even if we have busy schedules due to school or work, we need to ensure that we eat regular and well-balanced meals.
For instance, before a softball tryout, you need to do preparation work in order to make the list. Here are some suggestions that you can follow. You need to eat a well-balanced dinner as well as breakfast even if you do not feel like eating. It is important to pack in as much energy as you can so that your mind and body would stay sharp and alert. At the same time, you can pack a light snack consisting of tuna sandwich and water, for example, and bring it with you at the tryout. Eat it during a break so, you would be able to replenish whatever energy your body expelled.
Other than ensuring that you eat regular meals, you need to monitor what you eat in order to determine if you have the right eating habits. If you have good eating habits, you would be able to stay physically and mentally active all day long. On the other hand, if you have poor eating habits, you would often feel tired and spent even if the day has not ended yet. In addition, with poor eating habits, you would be more susceptible to virus-induced sickness such as coughs, colds and flu as your immune system bogs down.
So, always be sure to eat the right kinds of food such as whole grains, fish, lean protein, berries, grapes and broccoli. This way, your body would stay healthy and energetic for you to play the game. At the same time, you need to drink a lot of fluids like water and vegetable juice to keep your body well hydrated.
If you follow these suggestions, then, you would be sure to achieve overall softball conditioning for your body, mind and spirit.
Hit the Ball Like Never Before with These State-of-the-Art Softball Hitting Tools
Hit the Ball Like Never Before with These State-of-the-Art Softball Hitting Tools
For a true softball player, softball hitting is not as simple swinging your bat and hoping that you would hit the ball upon the pitcher's release. Aside from agility, strength and firm body control, it involves careful planning, preparation, sharpness of mind and mental toughness. When you walk out of the dugout and as soon as you hold the bat in your hand and stand in front of the umpire, you need to be able to:
-Read the body language of the opposing team's pitcher1
2-Anticipate how the ball would be released
3-Monitor while the ball is in motion
4-Create split-second decisions
5-Adjust your body to be flexible enough to hit the ball in diverse locations
However, if you want to improve your softball hitting skills while mentally preparing yourself at the same time, here are some softball hitting tools that you may use to enhance your skills for your next game.
Power Rope Ball
The Power Rope Ball has different variants depending on weight and color. You can use this equipment, which involves medicinal balls attached to rope handles, in order to enhance your overall rotational strength and power that can aid your bat swinging skills even more.
Fast Pitch Kicker
Do you want to improve on your batting skills even during off-season? You can do that now with the help of the Fast Pitch Kicker. This particular training bat device would be able to teach you how to swing properly as well as improve your strength, accuracy and handy-eye coordination.
Brush Top Batting Tee
The Brush Top Batting Tee is an excellent equipment that you can use in order to enhance your hand-eye coordination skills, making you feel as if you are hitting the ball on air. What is good about this tool is that it is durable enough to withstand prolonged use as its tubing is made out of polyurethane with a sleek new design for the top that is different from the usual tees.
Pitch Location Mat
Do you want help in determining how your bat would meet the ball and where you are going to drive the ball to? Then, look no further as here is the Pitch Location Mat that would simply teach you how to do this.
The Pitch Location Mat can be used with other equipment such as the Advanced Skills Tee, Single Skills Tee, Zone Hitter, Power Bags and Tru-Toss. Other than this, you can use the Pitch Location Mat is durable enough for prolonged enjoyment while you use it for live arm and soft toss hitting drills.
Power Bag
The Power Bag looks like a regular punching bag that allows you to develop strength and your overall batting skills. If you hit the Power Bag just right, you would be able to make it move higher and along with this, you would be able to enhance your hip rotation and hand position as well.
These are just a few of the softball hitting tools that we offer but rest assured that we have other products that can surely cater to your softball hitting needs.
Softball Coaching Tips for Beginners
Softball Coaching Tips for Beginners
All great coaches, even those just coaching young players, had to start from scratch. So you don’t have to worry if you want to become a softball coach. After all, it’s not like breathing that’s something you’re born with.
While it will take a lifetime of learning to hone your softball coaching skills, I have a few tips for you to get you started. Ready? The read on and learn more.
1. Get your safety certification first. Depending where you live, you might be required by local laws to get a safety certification on coaching first if you want to coach a children’s softball team. It usually only lasts 4 hours so there’s no reason why you shouldn’t take it, aside from the fact that you might be required to be certified first.
2. Keep the balance within your team. Many things in life are about balance, and softball isn’t an exception. Try to keep a balance in everything you do as a softball coach. Here are a few: give your players enough time to practice and rest; keep things fun as much as possible usually during training but also be serious on other aspects of the game especially during game time; if you have a child playing in your team, strike a balance between the attention you give to him/her and your other players.
3. Your team’s safety should be your concern. Softball isn’t just about winning games. You should also take into consideration the safety of your players. Accidents could happen during the game, so you better prepare for it. Have ice ready, first aid kit and other adults to assist you when something wrong happens.
4. Start practice sessions with warm-ups and stretches. Some players, even coaches, would prefer to get right into business and practice. But you should never ever skip warm-ups and stretches before beginning practice sessions or games. Doing these does several things for you: it helps their muscles relax which in turn helps them perform better and it also prevents injuries due to pulled muscles and the like.
5. Keep things simple. Simple concepts can be easily understood by your players, especially the younger ones. So try to simplify concepts when you’re delivering it to them for the first time. Another effective way of letting your players remember important concepts is by integrating them to your practice sessions. Most players enjoy practice sessions which makes it even easier for them to remember everything that you’re telling them.
6. Know your team’s strength and weaknesses. It’s simple. Develop your team’s weaknesses until it becomes its strength. And your strength? Bank on it and exploit your opponent’s weaknesses with it.
While I may not be able to tell you everything you need to know about coaching in this short article, I’m pretty sure these tips would be enough to get you started.
Oh, and if you’re nervous about your first softball coaching gig, don’t worry. It will eventually pass. You’ll start enjoying coaching soon enough, believe me. I’ve been doing it for 2 decades now and I don’t see myself slowing down anytime soon.
Become a Better Coach with these Softball Coaching Tips
Become a Better Coach with these Softball Coaching Tips
Being a softball coach is one of the most satisfying jobs in the world. More than just helping a team win games, you also help in molding their character, the way they deal with winning and defeats and so much more.
That’s why when you look at it, coaching can be quite a big responsibility as well. So you must continue on developing your coaching skills along with developing your team’s skills.
Here are some tips that will help you get started:
1. Be a good motivator. You can never expect your team to win every game, no matter how good your team is. There will be off-days that will get your off your usual performance. And when this happens, you must motivate your team to push forward and never give up.
Being a good motivator doesn’t necessarily mean you have to give your players dramatic speeches at the beginning of every game. It’s enough that you tell them that they still have their chance of winning the next game after they’ve lost the last one.
2. Know your players well. Find out what the strengths and weaknesses of your every player. From there, work on making the most of your strengths and improving whatever aspects of the game your team is lacking.
3. Know who your opponents are. Scouting should also be a part of your strategy. The most fantastic plays would be put to waste if you don’t know what’s the best one you can use on your opponent. As much as you should devote time to knowing your players, you should also be familiar on how your opponents operate. Look for patterns; find out their strengths and their weaknesses.
4. Stay organized. From the way you conduct your trainings to your schedules, you must learn how to stay organized. You can gauge your team’s success in reaching its goals much easier that way.
5. Set a good example. One of the challenges of being a coach is being the role model of your players. You might not realize it, but at least some of your players look up to you. That’s why whatever piece of advice you have for them, you should practice too. Want them to follow a strict diet? Make sure you follow that strict diet too. Otherwise, you’d end up disappointing them and they’ll quit believing every word you say.
6. Never forget the element of fun. Coaching can be a serious business, but you should never take the fun out of the game. From dealing with your players to conducting drills, these things should be fun. Your advice and drills are easier to remember that way.
There you have it, my tips on how you can become a better coach. Most of it deals with working with your team. The better you deal with your players, the easier it will be to coach them.
