Baseball Positive

THE SWING ZONE …a mental approach for greater hitting success

Successful batters stand in the batter’s box expecting to swing - YES!

They anticipate that each pitch will be right down the middle, belt high; a great pitch for them to crush. Their mindset, as the pitcher starts their delivery, is: “YES! I am going to swing”.

The expectation of a perfect pitch to hit remains heightened with the ball approaching the plate as they load up and get physically prepared to execute a swing, “YES, YES, YES…”
Only at the very last moment, if they see the pitch is not going to be a good one to hit, does their thinking change to ‘no’, don’t swing.

Working with in our young hitters, our objective is to ingrain their habit of thought, and physical preparation for every pitch, to be: “YES! YES! YES! …..no”.
This is the mindset and approach we want them to have on every ball pitched to them, be it in batting practice, a game, or wiffle ball in the backyard…

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The Swing Zone …a mental approach for greater hitting success — Baseball Positive This is the second of a 3-part series on helping kids with the metal side of hitting… The Pitcher Is Your Servant The Swing Zone Batting Is Not Fair Note: Part 2 assumes the kid(s) you are working with have a rudimentary understanding of their swing and/or demonstrated the abilit

WILD PITCH/PAST BALL WITH A RUNNER ON THIRD
…this quick and easy drill saves runs

Possibly the number one reason a runner on third base scores on a wild pitch or passed ball is home plate being left uncovered. This is the responsibility of the pitcher. Get into the head of most youth baseball and softball pitchers to find out what they think of as their role on the field, many have a list with one thing on it …Pitch.

In the situation we are addressing, since the pitcher is not getting the ball, their responsibility becomes Cover the Base. Establishing in the pitcher’s mind that they have this responsibility starts with teaching the game to the the team...
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Wild Pitch / Passed Ball With A Runner On Third …this quick and easy drill saves runs — Baseball Positive Common in youth baseball and softball is a pitched ball getting past the catcher.  This is especially a concern with a runner on third base. At the youth level of play we see quite a few runs scored as a result of wild pitches and passed balls. Three common reasons for allowing the runner t

SSOFTBALL/BASEBALL: THE UNIQUE CULTURE OF THE GAME
…down time on the bench brings out special personalities

This VIDEO ----- is Soooooooooo ----- Much ----- FUN

Fastpitch Softball Culture. Fun moments in the dugout. — Baseball Positive Managing the personalities of your players and building a positive culture. Discipline is important for a team's success. However, coaches understand that the stressful nature of the game and the downtime when a team is batting calls for giving some leash, allowing player personalities to come out