Baseball Tips Newsletter

June 6, 2008
[ printable edition - available at www.baseballtips.com/newsletter/print ]

Coach John Peter's

What I've Learned From Baseball

This week’s topic is Wood Bats.

For Hitters
Train with wood and win with aluminum.
You will REALLY LEARN the strike zone by training with wood simply because of the much smaller sweet spot and negative feedback when players hit the ball incorrectly (yes, it is uncomfortable when hands get stung...aka the “bees”).

We have awesome -- not just average -- wood bats by Brett Brothers. These bats will generally outlast any ash or maple bat no matter the brand or the price tag!

Our pro Maple stock by BWP Bats are the finest maple bats you can find…ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU SEE THE PRICE!

Our own oversized, highly balanced BIG KNOB BATS (called The Big Butt and the Bare Butt Bats) are made from our Big League Pro Maple Stock as well and will help you to quicken your stroke!

Finally, to make yourself into a better hitter… Embrace the batting tee.
Click here to see an awesome line up. I am really excited about our super inexpensive EZ Tee…the only tee that will fold up into your bat bag!

Wants some great tee drills? Check out Rob Ellis’s DVDs on hitting…you’ll get all you need!

For Pitchers
Facing hitters using wood bats should change your mindset.
Do you think you should pitch the same way when hitters are swinging wood? Think again! Wood bats that are the same length and weight as aluminum bats can still take a bit longer to get through the strike zone. So think fastball first… even more than you usually might. If you have an exceptional FB (be honest), consider finishing hitters off with high heat. Again, hitters who use aluminum every day are generally a bit slower with wood (most will NOT train with wood so take advantage of them often!)

Also, don’t fear the long ball. You will find very few home runs are hit with wood when compared to aluminum (see the coaches section next to learn even more about this.)

Want to develop a stronger arm, a better fastball and longer muscles with more flexibility?
Try the Armed & Ready Program by Trevor Hoffman's pitching guru. If you need to perfect your delivery, do what Rogers Clemens did (no, not that!) and take a look at the inexpensive Strikeout Strips…a great tool for players and Dads who coach!

For Coaches
Prepare to play with wood.
What are you doing differently when preparing your team to play in wood bat tournaments…or even an entire summer season?

If you haven’t thought in terms of this, I recommend that you go through every offensive and defensive position in your line up and think IF changes need to be made.

ON DEFENSE:

Long balls are not so long off wood bats of today's aluminum bat players so bring those outfielders in...at least two steps…and over at least two steps towards the hitter's off-field (RF vs. RH batters).

Consider moving your infield in and over appropriately as well.

Get your pitchers thinking fastballs in and out, high and low even more than usual. Many tourneys are over before some teams make the adjustments to swinging with wood.

Try not to throw to the same location twice in a row…In general, expand your normal game-time thinking against opponent's batters.

ON OFFENSE:

See if and how your coaching opponent may be playing against your own team. Many are slow to make those adjustments so take advantage of them.

Play the game like you are facing a great pitcher and where a single run is more meaningful than usual. Scores tend to be low so anytime you can move a runner or have the opportunity to put a big inning together…take the chance. It may be the last one you get!

When in doubt, think running, bunting and combinations of them as runs become scarce. Your club will have much more difficulty stringing continuous hits together along with long balls.

If you could use one resource of ideas, forms, practice plans, etc...do yourself a favor and check out our Youth Baseball Coaches Tool Kit. Contents include coaching principles & philosophy, running your practices and all forms of communication and development. It is inexpensive insurance that’s sure to save you many hours of learning the hard way!

Featured Article

How Important Is Baseball Training?
by Coach JP

There are essentially four places where youth baseball players and their families can get the information needed to improving ballplayers beyond their current or recreational level:

Dad and his baseball knowledge from his own youth
The player’s youth coach(es)
Continuous home training & use of training aids
Paid coaches & lessons

Possibility #1
I have no doubt that an average baseball dad/coach can learn enough from the free information, tips newsletter and instructional articles that we give away at Baseball Tips to offer help to most young players to improve. This takes interest and time of both dad and player and makes for potentially lifelong memories!

Possibility #2
Youth coaches tend to be a player’s dad, so the opportunity and limitations tend to be the same as option number one.

Possibility #3
Backyard training is typically a joint effort where Dad sees the player’s continued interest in this great game and sees benefit in owning a few pieces of reasonably-sized baseball training equipment. He then grants his blessing to using some of the family backyard or basement for this purpose. This is where a player can learn to get the most quality repetitions and become more skilled most quickly… assuming that proper mechanics are being learned to begin with (no use in engraining bad habits…right?)

Possibility #4
Paid coaches & lessons are where the most knowledge can be gained most quickly....especially if a parent will attend at least some lessons to learn what to help the player with and to reinforce and maximize the money invested in these lessons! It does cost money and those dollars are best spent as lesson packages with a set schedule and with a set plan of goals and a realistic timeframe.

So what’s the best way?

All and all at once is the absolute best answer.

However, the reality is that most families will be limited by time, money or the motivation to follow through. So now that you know where the sources of this powerful information lie…it is like any other family decision and is based on you and yours.

It all works…if you can and will do it. But it is worth nothing if there is a lack of consistency or honesty about your own situation.

My Summary
I have had a lifetime of hearing parents who tell me how talented and athletic their young players are but an equal number of players who never flourish because these interested players are not offered the tools or the time needed to develop both the passion or the positive results that result from gaining knowledge and the positive experience that tends to follow.

The old days are gone…sandlot baseball has given way to many different organized sports and choices, all demanding time and effort.

If we truly want our players to stay in the game longer, we will need to influence them with any or all of options 1-4 above.

Life happens quick…so don’t miss an opportunity!

And remember…you may never be closer to your own child than you are at 60 feet away tossing a ball and having a simple game of catch!