Whether you’re just a baseball enthusiast and occasional participant, a dad or mom trying to teach kids to play, or an avid player yourself, you want to be the best you can. Baseball requires patience, and it involves the right techniques and strategies. You’re about to learn some advice that can propel your game to a whole new level.
When you’re working on joining a team, you have to stay professional. Behaving politely will always pay off when you’re meeting new players and coaches, whether you’re joining a neighborhood pickup game or a school team. That way, you give the impression that you are grown up, which is always positive.
Don’t let baseball take over your life. You need a break from everything, including baseball. Time away can actually have a rejuvenating effect on you and your baseball ability, so take time to enjoy other interests. When you return to baseball, you’ll feel refreshed and ready to conquer the world.
For kids in baseball, make sure they their hands are placed properly for hitting. The top hand on the bat needs to be sitting near the same height as their rear shoulder, about 3 to 6 inches from that rear shoulder. Their rear elbow needs to be around 45-degrees. The front elbow needs to be lower and about even with the back elbow.
Teach others to play baseball. One of the best ways to know something even better is to have to teach it to other people. Even if you aren’t a professional, you know more baseball than some others. You can teach kids, for example. Look for ways to bring the joy of baseball to other people, and you’ll have a deeper understanding of the game.
Listen to your base coaches. They have a better view of the field than you do when you are on base. Do not run unless they tell you to run. Also, while running, keep your ears open to your coach. He may need to tell you to slide into base.
Don’t let a losing streak get to you. Losing streaks happen in every sport, but in baseball luck can play a very big factor on any given day. Losing streaks can be prolonged over many games. Never let it get you down. Approach each game with an air of self confidence and soon you’ll beat that slump.
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.
Practice sliding during every practice session. Sliding is one of the harder skills to master in baseball. For those that aren’t well-practiced, a slide can look very awkward. It can even be downright dangerous, not only for you, but also for the defender. Take the time to become a pro at it for the safety of everyone involved in the game.
If you lose a ball game, congratulate the opposing team with sincerity and dignity. Baseball is not a sport for poor losers. It’s very much a team sport and camaraderie. If winning wasn’t in the cards today, work harder to beat them the next time. Never take it out on the opposing team through name calling or rudeness.
Don’t be afraid to get your uniform dirty. Baseball is a game played in grass and dirt. You aren’t playing to 100% if you come out of any game with your uniform as pristine as it was when you first put it on. Make it a goal to get as dirty as possible.
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.
When batting, you may have to sacrifice yourself. That’s all part of being on a team. Often your team needs a player moved over a base, and the best play you can make is a sacrifice bunt or fly. You want to win through solid play rather than showing off and trying to get a home run every time.
Avoid a catcher’s interference call by waiting until the ball hits your catcher’s mitt. If a runner is stealing a base, you can start getting up as the pitch comes, however if you step forward and get your glove in the way of the bat, the batter will be allowed to move to first base.
Communicating with the catcher is important and can be done with a simple head shake or with hand gestures. You and/or the catcher may become frustrated if their sign doesn’t match the pitch you would like to throw.
Well what do you think about what you’ve read? Are you itching to get out there and play some ball? Surely the advice has motivated you to really step up your game. Baseball is a very fun and entertaining sport, and you can now be a bigger part of the game!
