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Nick Dixon
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Joined EzineArticles on Nov 30, 2008 Baseball Coaching Digest: Putting the Squeeze on Your Competition
Recreation and Sports: Baseball • Published: March 14, 2011
The squeeze play should be a part of the playbook of every baseball team. It is important to properly teach the techniques, fundamentals, and proper timing to execute a successful squeeze play. This article covers the three common plays associated with the squeeze, the purpose of each and how each is run.a great day, Nick
Baseball Coaching Digest: What Is the Most Important Adjustment in Baseball?
Recreation and Sports: Baseball • Published: March 14, 2011
Teaching players to make the right adjustments and to have the correct approach in different situations that arise in a game is one of the keys to coach success. This article outlines and discusses what the author feels is the absolute most important change that a player must make during a game.
Baseball Coaching Digest: Defending the First and Third Early Break Play
Recreation and Sports: Baseball • Published: March 14, 2011
One of the plays that teams will run with runners at first and third base is to have the first base runner early break. This article outlines this play and the best ways to defend against it.
Baseball Coaching Digest: 12 Strange Examples of Baseball Lingo
Recreation and Sports: Baseball • Published: December 17, 2010
Baseball is a great sport. It truly is America's Game. Baseball coaches and players know and love the game. They even have their own language, lingo or jargon. This article takes a look at 12 strange baseball terms and phases and their meaning. You will enjoy this inside look at the game and the lingo that is spoken.
Baseball Coaching Digest: How to Execute the "Wheel Play" Bunt Coverage
Recreation and Sports: Baseball • Published: December 17, 2010
The "Wheel Play" is a strategic defensive baseball play used to defend against the sacrifice bunt. This article outlines the basic details and explains how to run this defensive baseball play.
Youth Baseball Digest: 10 Things Every Youth Baseball Coach Should Know About Bunting
Recreation and Sports: Baseball • Published: November 10, 2010
Bunting is an important aspect of the game. Every youth baseball coach must be able to properly teach the techniques and skills related to bunting. You must also be able to "sell" your kids on the importance of learning, practicing, and properly executing both the sacrifice and base hit bunt. This article list 10 important coaching points that every youth coach should be familiar with.
Baseball Coaching Digest: 5 Solid Tips for Taking Your Team From Worst to First in Batting Stats
Recreation and Sports: Baseball • Published: November 9, 2010
There are five things that I recommend baseball coaches do to improve a team's offensive numbers. These are changes that coaches must put into place if they are looking to take their team to a higher level in hitting statistics. This article explains those five things that I suggest that you make a part of your regular team baseball practice routine.
Baseball Coaching Digest: The Perils of Defensive Assumption in Baseball Action
Recreation and Sports: Baseball • Published: November 5, 2010
Assuming or taking certain things for granted when your team is playing or coaching baseball defense can lead to costly mistakes and could even cause your team to lose. This article outlines three things that coaches and players should never assume when you are coaching or playing baseball defense.
Baseball Coaching Digest: The Perils of Offensive Assumption in Baseball Action
Recreation and Sports: Baseball • Published: November 5, 2010
Coaching and playing baseball requires total mental concentration and focus. One mental thought that has caused many teams to lose in baseball is the thought of assumption. Assumption is defined by the Webster dictionary as the taking of something for granted; something expected. This article explains two types of situations during a game that offensive players must be taught not to make assumptions. This article discusses how coaches should eliminate the perils or dangers of offensive assumption by properly preparing their baseball team in practice.
Youth Baseball Digest: The 3 Absolutes of Coaching Youth Baseball
Recreation and Sports: Baseball • Published: September 30, 2010
Baseball is one of the most demanding sports to coach. The purpose and function of youth baseball is to provide a quality sports team experience that builds baseball skills, teaches team-first attitudes, builds a respect for authority and regulations, and develops an appreciation for the value and consequences of hard work. To be a successful baseball coach, you must have an understanding how the game is taught, played and practiced. There are three absolutes that every youth baseball coach should remember when they plan, organize, and prepare their "game plan" for the coming season! This article outlines those three absolutes.
Baseball Coaching Digest: Teaching Baseball Pitchers the Correct and Proper Stride Leg Mechanics
Recreation and Sports: Baseball • Published: September 30, 2010
One of the most common pitching flaws seen in baseball has to do with the motion and action of the pitcher's front leg or stride leg and foot. This article discusses three common baseball pitching flaws associated with the stride leg and foot. Stride leg movement and landing foot action is an extremely important part of proper pitching mechanics. Here are three common mistakes made by pitchers that can make them suffer the embarrassment of a poor performance on the mound.
Baseball Coaching Digest - The 5 Keys to Obtaining and Maintaining Power Pitcher Status
Recreation and Sports: Baseball • Published: September 24, 2010
A "Power Pitcher" is a pitcher that dominates with an overpowering fastball. There are five conditions that I think add to the likelihood that a pitcher will be overpowering to the opposition. Those keys are above average arm and body strength, above average conditioning and flexibility, good and proper mechanics, an understanding of the importance of proper warm-up, and dedicated commitment to proper post-game arm care. This article gives insight in how important each of these keys are and how each can be improved.
Baseball Coaching Digest - Teach Batters to Use Their New Brain When Batting
Recreation and Sports: Baseball • Published: September 23, 2010
To me the hitter's brain is his eyes. If you literally try to think yourself through every at-bat, you are in trouble in today's game. The hitter must let his eye's do his thinking at the plate. I consider the eyes a batter's new brain. They must learn to properly use it. This article discusses several coaching points, tips and details related to this approach to hitting.
Baseball Coaching Digest - Want to Be a Great Hitter? Learn to Be Patient
Recreation and Sports: Baseball • Published: September 17, 2010
One of the worst hitting flaws in baseball is "lack of patience" at the plate. This article discusses importance of being a patience batter and the reasons being a patient hitter puts the odds in the hitters favor. It also discusses one common baseball practice procedure that causes batters to not be patience at the plate.
Baseball Coaching Digest - Coaching Young Baseball Pitchers With the 1, 2, 3 Pitching Drill
Recreation and Sports: Baseball • Published: September 10, 2010
Quality pitching is one of the keys to winning baseball games. Regardless if you are coaching a Little League, High School or College baseball team, it is difficult to consistently win with a weak pitching staff. Quality pitching staffs are made not made through hard work, off season training, and a commitment to detail when it comes to baseball pitching instruction. Learning to pitch a baseball requires a lot of practice repetition and drill work. The player must learn to control both his body and the flight of the baseball.
Baseball Coaching Digest - The Magic of the 10 Minute Baseball Drill
Recreation and Sports: Baseball • Published: September 9, 2010
One of the main reasons some kids refuse to play baseball is that baseball practice is too boring. One thing that makes it so boring is that many coaches run certain drills too long and do not break their practices into short times periods. This article discusses the "magic of the 10 Minute Baseball Drill" and why many coaches use short time periods and drill variety to minimize boredom during baseball practice.
Baseball Coaching Digest - The 3 Keys to Winning Close Games
Recreation and Sports: Baseball • Published: September 8, 2010
In my almost thirty years of coaching, the games that haunt you when you look back are the close games that you lost that you should have won. This article explains the three keys to winning the close baseball games. The three keys to winning the close game are: 1) Getting the leadoff batter in the inning, on base. 2) Getting the Bunt Down when you need to move a runner into scoring position. 3) Getting the timely hit to score the tying or winning run.
Baseball Coaching Digest - The 4 Keys to Hitting Success and Helping Your Team Win
Recreation and Sports: Baseball • Published: September 8, 2010
Being a successful batter in today's game of baseball requires four things; strength, skill, confidence, and a proper approach. To improve your game, you must improve your level of proficiency in one of these four areas. This article explains each of these prerequisites and how each is a key to baseball hitting success.
Baseball Coaching Digest - Baseball Batting - Don't Let "Pullitis" Ruin Your Hitter's Season
Recreation and Sports: Baseball • Published: September 8, 2010
As a high school coach with 25+ years in coaching, I often think about what is the most common cause of hitting failure? What is the one hitting bad habit that most limits a player's future in the game? This article discusses the flaw that I call, "Pullitis", what it means, and why it must be corrected as soon as possible.
Baseball Player - The Baseball Player That Will Never Make It to the Next Level
Recreation and Sports: Baseball • Published: September 8, 2010
In my 25 years of coaching baseball I have seen many great players come and go. Many were gifted players that were great high school players that excelled and made it to the next level. In fact, a couple have even made to the Big League in the MLB Draft. This article outlines what it takes to fail. It outlines the five traits of the players destined to fail at any level. Those traits are "Will Nots" that the player practices regularly.
Youth Baseball Digest - Attention Baseball Coaches - Do Your Homework
Recreation and Sports: Baseball • Published: September 8, 2010
This article outlines several ways baseball coaches can improve their coaching abilities during the off-season. Coach It points out several recommended off-season activities and resources that all youth baseball coaches should consider. Many of these activities are free and are available online.
Baseball Parent Guide - What is the Key to a Youth Baseball Player Becoming a High School Prospect?
Recreation and Sports: Baseball • Published: May 5, 2010
As a high school baseball coach, I see players of all sizes, shapes, and ability levels try out for our JV and varsity teams. Baseball is the one sport that will never be ruled totally by size, speed, and power. I am not saying that power, speed and size do not help a player. What I am saying is that having certain physical attributes is not the key to baseball success. There is a place for all body builds to succeed.
Youth Baseball Digest - Pitcher Having Control Problems - 3 Pitching Delivery Flaws I Check First
Recreation and Sports: Baseball • Published: May 3, 2010
You are a youth baseball coach. One of your pitchers is having trouble throwing strikes. When a pitcher is having a bad day on the mound, there has to be a reason. In most cases bad days are caused by simple pitcher delivery flaws. Often times these flaws can be quickly identified and corrected. What are the first three things that a coach should check in the pitchers delivery?
Baseball Coaching Digest - Team Making Too Many Errors? Two Great Mid Season Team Defensive Drills
Recreation and Sports: Baseball • Published: May 3, 2010
Team defensive drills should be a daily routine for your baseball team. Team defensive drills make your players execute and perform under pressure more than regular ground ball drills. These two team defensive drills are excellent ways to build defensive skills, build confidence, and to improve mental concentration.
Little League Digest - 10 Base Running Tips For Little League Baseball Players
Recreation and Sports: Baseball • Published: March 4, 2010
There are several important coaching points that need to be remembered when teaching Little League players to run the bases correctly. This article presents 10 coaching points for little league baseball runners related to first baseball.