Baseball Instruction - How to Find Good Information

By Nate Barnett

There is no shortage of information on baseball instruction within the millions of pages on the internet. Before the web days, baseball instructional information itself was greatly more valuable than that same information today. Why? Because the supply has increased dramatically. I can do a search for "baseball instruction" on Google and today I get 440,000 pages that contain pages that may have the information I'm looking for. The challenge now for the athlete, parent, or coach looking for training information is not where the information can be found, by what information should be accepted and used. Here are some general guidelines.

1. Look for credibility. Anyone can post information online. Looks for some playing and coaching credentials. Be careful however, many prior professional athletes who are no longer playing, turn their attention to coaching. The title of former professional baseball player holds little weight if that individual cannot relay information correctly. I'm just suggesting that you look past the title and look more for content. See if the person supplying training has invested some time communicating the game.

2. Cross-reference content. To avoid being sucked into some sort of baseball philosophy that is on the fringe, always cross reference your baseball instruction with other sources. Start with those whom you already trust, local coaches, athletes, etc. Next turn to online forums, article sites such as this one, and other reputable instructors to see if they are teaching similar skills and techniques.

3. Become a learner. I know quite a number of people who have not played baseball past the high school level who are outstanding coaches. They attend clinics, read books, listen to other successful coaches, and do all they can to make sure their baseball information is current.

4. Find an instructor or information that communicates within your style of learning. Many enjoy reading their information; others hate learning by reading and would much prefer to have information relayed audibly. Many love to learn by watching videos, or viewing DVD's. Whatever your style and preference, there is a good chance an instructor with the same communication style is out there. You'll just have to search some.

In short, the best instructors I had throughout my playing career were those who relayed information in a clear and concise manner. It was easy to understand and the concepts were not complicated. Seek out information that fits your learning style and you'll love the baseball instruction learning process.

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