Have you ever asked yourself why such a great number of people are obsessed with baseball? Many others are as well. People don’t know how to find out more about baseball. However, you will find this article useful in this aspect.
Learnin How to Throw
Learning how to throw is vital to playing baseball. It does not matter if you are playing infield or outfield, you must know how to accurately throw the ball. To throw accurately, line where you want to the ball up with your hand and follow through from your shoulder.
Watch the pros for tips
When you watch your favorite team play, watch your favorite players to look for pointers and tips. It might even be a good idea to record games so that you can look for technique and method. The pros got where they are by doing the right thing at the games, so you can learn from watching them.
Always hustle to first base
Even if you think you have made an out. You never know what could happen with fielder; he could drop the ball or throw it away. By running as fast as you can, you may be able to get a base hit you did not expect.
Batting Helmet is Your Friend
Always wear a batting helmet when at bat. Head injuries can happen easily if you don’t put on your helmet. The best helmets also feature a shield that protects your face from bad pitches and foul balls.
Like Stealing Bases?
If you’re into stealing bases, practice taking leads off of bases. Taking leads means you need to know not only your own speed, but also the speed of the pitcher’s pick off move, the speed of his delivery to the plate, and the speed and accuracy of the catcher’s arm. There’s a lot to consider that’ll affect how much lead you take.
The Fat Part of the Bat
When swinging the bat, aim for the top center area of the ball. This will keep your bat aligned properly and will make it more likely that you will hit the ball every time. However if you want to hit home runs, aim for the bottom of the ball. You may miss more often, but your balls will get the height they need.
Take a Pitch or Two
When batting, don’t be afraid to take a few pitches, especially against a pitcher you are less familiar with. Those pitches will give you an idea of the pitchers speed and the ball’s action to the plate. Plus, the additional pitches will help wear out the pitcher over the course of the game. A tired pitcher makes more mistakes.
Heads Up
Keep your head up, your eyes level and focus on the ball when batting. You should be looking over your front arm. If you shift your eyes or move your head, your rear shoulder will shift in reaction. Remaining focused on the ball and keeping your head immobile will give you better timing and more consistency.
Take Off
As soon as contact is made with the ball, it is important that the hitter takes off running towards first base. This will help ensure that the hitter does not get called out. If the ball is a foul ball, the hitter will be called back to the plate to hit again.
Don’t showboat
Some sports condone showboating, like a touchdown dance in football. But in baseball, showboating after a home run or a big strikeout is very much frowned upon. It’s the type of thing that causes a lot of bad blood between teams, and it can easy cause rifts among teammates.
The Proper Bat Grip
Learn how to properly grip a bat. If you are right-handed, your left hand must be on the bottom with the right one on the top. The bats should be about 6 inches from your chest. Hold the bat up instead of on your shoulders. Spread your legs about a shoulder-width apart. Don’t stand straight up. Stand with knees slightly bent to avoid feeling stiff.
Take the Base When . . .
If the catcher has to go to his knees to stop a ball, you should try to steal a base. Whenever a catcher goes down on his knees, he must scoop the ball up. As soon as the ball hits the ground take off running. Most times, you will be rewarded with a stolen base.
Learn the Field
The way the grass is mowed is going to affect all ground balls. The lines in the outfield may make the baseball go a different way as it rolls on the ground. By learning the how the ball reacts while rolling along those lines, you will be able to get to where the ball will stop.
Beware of the Lights
The bright lights in a stadium can make it difficult to see the baseball. In order to avoid seeing spots, learn to watch for the baseball without staring towards the sun or at stadium lights. Try using your vision that’s peripheral so you can see the ball better.
Fingers and Bunting
To keep your fingers from getting hurt while bunting, make sure to keep them on your side of the bat. If you wrap them around the bat, the pitch can hit them. You end up with a painful bunt, with no control over where the ball goes, instead of a nifty sacrifice.
Move those Feet
Catching a grounder shouldn’t be done by a cross-body reach. Shuffle from left to right to maintain balance. Otherwise, the ball may graze the side of the glove when you attempt to catch it.
Batting Out of Order
Make sure that you use proper batting order in a game of baseball. The batting order could be what wins your team the game. Generally, you want to avoid putting weak hitters ahead of your strong hitters. You need to properly plan where to place your stronger and weaker hitters so that you don’t jam all of your “ammunition” in one spot.
As this article has shown, there is a lot about baseball that you may not have known before. But with all of these tips, you’ve gotten a nice foundation of knowledge built already. You have now joined the growing number of worldwide fans who can’t get enough of this sport.