Have you ever played baseball before? Maybe not but you’re just a really good fan? Perhaps you don’t know how to play but want some information to help you follow the game? No matter your reasons for being here, the following article has something for everyone to learn about baseball, so keep reading!
If you want to improve your batting average, don’t try to hit the ball over the fence, aim towards the fence instead. The goal is to send that ball back from which it came. When you try to swing for the fences you may hit the ball in the air and often make it easy to catch.
If you are trying out, always keep yourself professional and remember to show respect. Whether for little league or a school, remember your manners when meeting teammates and your coach. Dealing with the other players courteously is a sign of maturity, and it really has no down side.
You must wear a batting helmet when hitting the ball. These helmets ensure that you won’t suffer serious head injuries. Some helmets will also come with a shield to make sure your face doesn’t get hit by the ball.
Do you have any children or grandchildren that are interested in playing baseball? As in other areas of life, we want to do all we can to help our kids experience success. To develop a quick swing, the hands, wrists and forearms have to be strong. You don’t have to buy expensive equipment to help kids develop better muscle strength. Give your child a tennis ball to squeeze on while watching TV. The tennis ball provides enough resistance to strengthen the hand, wrist and forearm.
While in a comfortable batting position, keep your arms away from your body. Your elbows should be up and away, practically parallel to the ground. Hold the bat at shoulder level and make sure you don’t drop your rear elbow. Practice your stance in front of a large mirror to ensure that your elbows are properly positioned.
Don’t showboat. Some sports condone showboating, like a touchdown dance in football. But in baseball, showboating after a home run or a big strikeout is very much frowned upon. It’s the type of thing that causes a lot of bad blood between teams, and it can easy cause rifts among teammates.
When fielding a ground ball, square up on the ball before catching. Many young players go for a side glove catch or a one-handed grab, but with each you are increasing your chances for an error. If you’ve got the time to get in front of the ball, do so. Use both hands and bend at the knees to help block against a bad hop.
Learn proper stride in baseball. For example, as a right-handed pitcher, you should be picking up your left leg some when releasing the pitch. It’s the opposite for left-handers. When a pitch comes close to you, begin striding about a foot forward to build up a bit of momentum towards that pitcher. If you are smaller, you do not need to make a long stride.
Practice throwing the baseball every day. It may seem obvious, but some ignore throwing for the call of the batter’s cage. They think baseball is all about the big hit. It’s about much more, and a strong arm can mean a lot of runs saved over the course of a season.
When playing the outfield, practice both calling for a fly ball and backing off if a fly ball is called for by someone else. Miscommunication in the outfield has led to more dropped balls than you can ever imagine, even in the pros it happens. So get your outfield team together and shag flies with the goal of getting your communication down.
Baseball equipment is important to the sport. Wear a batting helmet whenever you are in the batter’s box, on deck or running the bases. A baseball is a hard object and pitches have been clocked at over 100 mph. Getting hit in the head with this fast moving object can lead to serious medical conditions or death.
To prevent bunting the ball straight back at the pitcher, aim your bat’s handle towards third or the head towards first base. Of course, if you’re left handed, it will be reversed. Keeping your bat properly angled will keep the bunt fair, while still pushing away from the pitcher’s mound.
Sprints should be part of every warmup. Being a good sprinter can help to improve your baseball skills. After hitting the ball, you have to sprint quickly to the first base. You’re competing against a ball which will be thrown faster than you are able to run, so a big take-off is needed, followed by a keen ability to sprint.
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.
After reading the above article, you are now able to follow a game of baseball more closely. The tips in this article should give you motivation to be a better baseball fan, and really pay close attention the next time a game is on. Remember to keep learning about the game so your enjoyment only continues to grow.