More Baseball Articles by Coach Nick Dixon

3 Drills That Make Batting Cage Work More Productive
Batting cage batting practice is a great way to improve batting skill, bat speed and batter confidence. Coach Dixon discusses three Hitting Drills That Make Batting Cage Work More Productive. The three drills are the MOVE UP, COUNT ADJUSTMENT and LINE DRIVE CONTEST. Coach Dixon outlines the purpose, description, procedure and coaching points for each hitting drill. These drills are great ways to get maximum benefits from your baseball teams batting cage workouts.

Coaching Baseball Pitchers - The Use of Visual Anchor Points For Curve-Ball Accuracy The skill of throwing a good curve ball accurately is a skill that must be taught and coached. Teaching curve ball control and accuracy is vital to a pitcher's success at any level. Here I discuss the method I use to teach and coach our high school pitchers to vary their curve ball location and to accurately control the spot to which the ball will break.

Baseball Pitching - Coaching Pitchers to Succeed by Starting With the Basics The coaching of baseball pitchers does not require a degree in "pitchingtology". There is no such degree to my knowledge. I just made that up. My point here is that coaching baseball pitching is not rocket science. However, having a basic knowledge of the terms and mechanics is a must.

Coaching Baseball - 12 Things That 3rd Base Coaches Should Say to Baserunners Fewer things in baseball are more embarrassing for a young baseball player than to make a base running mistake that cost his team a run. Some of the most devastating and demoralizing mistakes in baseball are made by baserunners at 3rd base. When a runner gets to third, the team momentum and confidence is increased. The team and the player, and the fans feel like they are going to soon score a run. But, to have that chance of scoring removed by a blunder by the runner or coach can take the momentum completely away from the team.

Coaching Baseball - 4 Things the On-Deck Batter Should Always Do and 4 Things He Should Never Do Baseball coaching is teaching the big and little details of the game. Every position or location on the field requires a player to observe and to be aware of what is happening. Many young batters on deck often do no pay attention to what is happening. They are often guilty of looking into the crowd or even talking to someone through the fence. On-deck batters that do not closely observe the pitcher and the catcher are missing a greatly opportunity to "scout" the opponent.

Teaching Baseball Batters to Use Hip Movement and Leg Leverage to Generate Power When you watch several elite baseball batters hit the ball, you quickly see some common traits. The great high school, college, and pro baseball players all generate incredible power with the lower body, legs, and hips. A good baseball swing incorporates the hips and lower body into the swing. Most of the batter's power is generated by the hips and the leverage created by the front leg. How many times have you heard the following "That batter swings with all arms, and has no power"?

Teaching Young Baseball Batters to Have Better Eye Focus and Visual Concentration The eyes are the hitter's brain when it comes to hitting. A batter can know the count, know the situation, know the pitcher, and know how to swing, but if the eyes are weak or fail, then they will likely suffer defeat at the plate. How many times have we heard a successful batter say that "I am really seeing the ball right now"? Batters that are "hot" at the plate always say that they are really seeing the ball well.

Teaching Young Batters to Use the No-Stride Technique For a Good Baseball Swing If you watched the College World Series on ESPN last June, I am sure that you saw, as I did, player after player, use the no-stride technique. The batter after batter, came to the plate, at the College World Series in Omaha, and used the No-Stride Method of Hitting. Baseball coaches at all levels of baseball, from little league to the pros, are teaching the "wider stance and no stride approach" to hitting. Here I cover the basics of teaching and coaching the "No-Stride" hitting method.

Baseball Hitting - Getting the Hands to the Launch Position Hitting a baseball is a skill that can be learned and improved with proper coaching and instruction. It may be a difficult task, but with the correct fundamentals and techniques hitting can be one of the most rewarding activities in all of sports. There is nothing that is more satisfying and rewarding than hitting a line-drive in the left-center gap to help your team score the go-ahead run.

Coaching Baseball Batters - 3 Common Baseball Swing Mistakes and Corrections Coaching youth and high school baseball batters requires a watchful eye and close attention to detail. Baseball coaches must identify and correct any flaw in a batters hitting mechanics. Players should not be allowed to practice their swing over and over without correcting their mistakes. Good baseball coaches are always on the constant lookout for any bad habits that a young player may develop. Here I discuss three of the most common hitting mechanical flaws and my approach to correcting each.

Baseball Practice Planning Tips and Sample Baseball Practice Schedule There are many four letter words that baseball coaches know, but few are as important as the word for today, PLAN. There are very few volunteer jobs more challenging, time-consuming or rewarding than being a coach in your local league.

Baseball Batting Success Requires Hitting to All Fields
If you watched the 2008 Baseball College World Series, you quickly realized that great college hitters can catch up to any fastball regardless of the velocity. You saw batters over and over, on the ESPN TV Coverage of the CWS in Omaha, hit mid-90s to upper-90s fastballs with amazing power and bat speed. You saw college baseball batters that apply and execute one of the most important and basic skills of hitting a baseball, the skill of "hitting the ball where it is pitched". Here I discuss the basics of coaching young players to master the skill of "hitting to all fields".