blog.dbatsports.comD-BAT Sports Blog – Covering All Baseball and Softball Topics

D-BAT Sports Blog Covering All Baseball and Softball Topics Menu How Sleep Impacts Performance Mistakes Batter’s Make When Up Against a 2-Strike Count How Sleep Impacts Performance Mistakes Batter’s Make When Up Against a 2-Strike Count 3 Mistakes Outfielders Make – And How to Fix Them In the game of baseball, each inning is a team effort. Outfielders, infielders, pitcher, and catcher – the whole team must be ready at all times to make the play and get off the field. Each position on the field comes with its challenges, and outfield is no exception. Here are 3 mistakes we often see in the outfield – and how to fix them: Losing Focus This can happen at any position, but proximity to the mound (or lack thereof) makes it a particular issue for outfielders. It’s easy to get distracted when you see so much of the field and so many things going on. Maybe the infielders and pitcher have handled all the balls that inning and you’re feeling restless. Regardless of the reason, stay in ready position and keep mental focus through each play. Stay focused by thinking through what you’ll do each time a batter comes up to bat. Not Backing Up the Infielders This one happens often. Coaches often forget the importance of this role until a ball is overthrown and the outfielder isn’t there to back the player up. As an outfielder, always remember to stay alert and move to backup an infielder as you can to prevent stolen bases, and ultimately, more runs by the opposing team. Lacking Communication This one goes out to center fielders in particular. It is your job to call out information to your fellow outfielders. What position in the lineup is this hitter ? How did they hit last time? What’s the count? All outfielders need to be strong verbal communicators with each other on what’s going on, but center fielders need to make sure they are loud and vocal throughout the game to keep the entire outfield engaged and ready. Ready to practice your fielding skills? If you want the best baseball or softball training the in the country, look no further than D-BAT. Our facilities are second-to-none and our expert staff will take your game to the next level. Call us today to schedule lessons. Find the closest location to you HERE ! Author admin Posted on October 8, 2019 Categories October 2019 Tags baseball , D-BAT , dbat , outfield , softball 10,092 Comments on 3 Mistakes Outfielders Make – And How to Fix Them How Sleep Impacts Performance There is a lot on your plate and we get it. Most people understand that sleep plays a powerful role in their overall well-being, but few give it it’s due when it comes to being ready to play your best on game day. In fact, studies have shown that sleep is equally important to hydration, mental toughness, physical conditioning, and nutrition. Here are a few areas of your baseball/softball performance that are impacted by sleep: Accuracy Accuracy is vital to all sports, including baseball and softball, and it may come as no surprise that accuracy is affected by sleep. A recent study of Stanford University basketball players took accuracy results both after regular sleep schedules and then with 10 hours of sleep per night. Athletes saw noticeable improvements in accuracy and speed with 10 hours of sleep. Injury Injuries increase when less sleep is involved, and a study by the University of California confirmed this. They showed that risk of injury increased if the athlete got less than 6 hours of sleep at night, plus less sleep means less time for your body to use sleep for regeneration and healing. Sleeplessness also contributes to a weakened immune system, which impacts play as well. Problem Solving Try making a decision with a little sleep deprivation involved and it’s hard. Reaction times are slower and the cognitive processes are too. Getting ample sleep means a sharper mind come gameday. Shorter Career Not many of our athletes are going to make a career in baseball or softball, but a study of major league baseball players found that not getting enough sleep was directly correlated to shorter careers in the MLB. Just another indicator that you’re not your best when you’re fatigued, and a marker athletes at all levels should pay attention to. At D-BAT, we care about developing the whole player. Come see us to learn more about how to be play your best on gameday at one of our ongoing clinics (clinic specifics vary by location). It’s just one of the ways we strive to be the best baseball and softball training facility in the country! Find the location nearest you HERE ! Author admin Posted on September 26, 2019 Categories September 2019 Tags baseball , dbat , fatigue , sleep , softball 6,211 Comments on How Sleep Impacts Performance Mistakes Batter’s Make When Up Against a 2-Strike Count Batting with a 2-strike count can be unnerving. At D-BAT, we get it. We know the pressure you feel when you’re in the box, and we want to help your mental toughness to get over the hump and be more successful when the 2-strike count is upon you. We’ve coached a lot of players over the years, and here are 4 common mistakes we see players make over and over: Mistake #1: Not Swinging With 2 strikes, you’ve got to swing! Swing hard and aggressively at anything that’s close, and if it goes foul, it’s no big deal. A foul ball keeps you in the count and gives you the opportunity to nail the perfect pitch. Mistake #2: Swinging Too Softly As we said earlier, you’ve got to swing hard every time! Hitting it too softly could result in a weak grounder that is easily fielded. Also, don’t forget to swing through as you make contact. Mistake #3: Getting Down on Yourself Because you Struck Out We must rethink the way we think about strikeouts. Cade Griffis – founder of D-BAT and former scout for the Chicago White Sox/former player for the Kansas City Royals – says the following about strikeouts: I don’t judge a kid (any worse) who goes 1-for-3 and strikes out twice. It’s the same thing if he goes 1-for-3 and hits two weak ground balls to the pitcher. An out is an out. I think we create outs because we put too much emphasis on the strikeout, and we get them out of their comfort zone.” Mistake #4: Ignoring Cues Around You When you’re batting, let all your senses in on the action because you might be surprised what you can hear or see that will tip you off. Listen for cues from the coach and watch the wind-up of the pitcher. If a coach yells, be smart!” then the pitcher might be playing it safe with his pitch. Want to run batting practice with the best? Schedule private batting lessons at D-BAT – the best baseball training facility in the country. Find the location closest to you HERE ! Author admin Posted on September 12, 2019 Categories September 2019 Tags 2 strikes , baseball , dbat , softball , strikeout 6,980 Comments on Mistakes Batter’s Make When Up Against a 2-Strike Count What Does D-BAT Have to Offer? D-BAT began as a one location baseball training facility in Addison, Texas and has since exploded to offer the best baseball/softball training in locations around the country – and even worldwide! Each location varies in terms of services offered, but here are a some of the things you can expect from D-BAT Sports: Batting Cages Practice in our state-of-the-art, climate controlled facilities just once and you’ll never want to practice anywhere else! Our facilities are second-to-none and our cages are class leading. Sign-up for lessons with one of our coaches on staff, rent the cages for practice on your own, or just hit off of our state-of-the-art pitching machines. Baseball and Softball Lessons Speaking of lessons, our coaches offer the best baseball/softball coaching around. Each of the coaches at D-BAT are extremely experienced in the game, with most (if not all) with experience in collegiate level baseball or higher. Take your pitching, hitting, fielding, and personal training routine to the next level at D-BAT. Camps and Clinics Camps and clinics are held throughout the...