Extra Innings Training Tip - Shorten Your Swing

Developing a short, compact and quick swing is essential to becoming a good hitter. The fence drill will help you stop extending your arms and hands too early in your swing, causing you to cast or sweep at the ball by training you to keep your hands inside the ball.

Stand with a bat facing a fence. Take the bat and put the end against the fence lightly. The end of the handle should make slight contact with your stomach. Take your normal batting stance at that distance from the fence and swing in slow motion for safety reasons. If the bat is making more than light contact with the fence, you are not bringing your hands through first. If you swing with your hands in close to the body, staying inside the ball and allow your back foot to pivot as you clear the hitting zone, you will complete the drill properly. Full arm extension does not take place until immediately after contact.

Extra Innings Training Tip - The Wall Drill

Just because the ball fields are still covered with snow and ice does not mean that you can’t practice your defense. The wall drill enables you to work on your defensive footwork, form and hand-eye coordination. All you need is a clear space with a wall, a tennis or rubberized ball and your glove. Stand about 20 feet from the wall, throw the ball against the wall and you’ve got instant grounders.

Focus on getting in front of the ball, fielding the ball out in front with two hands and cradling it into your belly button. This drill can also be done bare-handed, with an Extra Innings training glove or flat glove, all of which will force you to catch the ball with two hands and help develop soft hands by encouraging your hands to give a little bit when you field the ball.

Extra Innings Training Tip - Improving Arm Strength

We all know that the baseball offseason is short enough. Now that winter is fast approaching, it's time to start working toward next season. Pitchers of all ages need to work on increasing their arm strength, mastering proper form and mechanics and developing muscle memory to be ready to go on Opening Day.

Whether you are a pitcher or a position player, your arm will either take you to the next level or hinder you from reaching your goals. The good news is that no matter what you were born with, your arm strength can be improved through dedication and hard work.

To get your arm in-shape, you need to throw a baseball consistently (3 times a week) all winter. Make throwing an important part of your regular offseason routine and you will start to notice results.

If you throw regularly, properly and with a purpose in the offseason, every practice and before every game...you will get stronger and keep your arm healthier! Play catch with a purpose and always work on learning and maintaining proper throwing mechanics. This will prevent arm injuries and also help increase your arm strength and velocity.

You pick up many more tips and create a program to help reach your goals at our Pitching & Catching Clinic or through a private lesson with one of our pitching instructors.

Extra Innings Training Tip - BUNTING 101

Young ballplayers often overlook the importance of the fundamentals of bunting. If you have been watching the MLB Playoffs so far, it’s easy to see the difference a good bunt can make in a close game. Practice these tips and you’ll be able to get the bunt down in crunch-time:

• Pivot your back foot, not your whole body when you square around to bunt.
• Bend your knees
• Hold the bat at a 45-degree angle at the top of your strike zone.
• Keep the head of the bat in front of the plate
• Only bunt strikes!!! If the pitch is not a strike, pull the bat back.
• Catch the ball with your bat - do not stab at the ball
• Make sure you bunt the ball before you start running

Work on your form and footwork in front of a mirror. Be sure to always practice a few bunts before you swing away in batting practice. To learn more about the fundamentals of bunting, book a private lesson with one of Extra Innings hitting instructors.