SWINGAWAY SPORTS PRODUCTS.. Atlanta, GA, March 02, 2011 — – Announces the launch of the New SWINGAWAY Model…. Introducing the SA- MVP

SWINGAWAY – Is the ULTIMATE Baseball/Softball Hitting Station and an Offensive/ Defensive Power Training System. The Patented SwingAway is The Most Trusted and Effective Batting Training Machine validated by the highest levels of the game of Baseball and Softball.

The New SwingAway MVP –($199.99)- is one of the next generation of Hitting Training Aids by SWINGAWAY. The MVP Model is the New and Improved version of the New SwingAway for Home Training and is engineered to be a stronger and even more durable Machine. The SA – MVP is the New and Improved version of the New SwingAway Home Training Hitting Station which was launched late in 2009 and quickly became one of the most Successful and Top Selling Hitting Training Aid in the Baseball/ Softball Market. ” We at SWINGAWAY are constantly looking to improve all our Products for every Manufacturing and Production run, Today the improvements made to the SWINGAWAY retail and Home Training Machine are so significant that we believe it is now the time to give this Model its own Branded identity” boasts John J Flading, the President and CEO of SWINGAWAY SPORTS PRODUCTS. The New MVP is made with stronger steel, plastics, ropes, bungees and balls and by the fall will feature a Deep Red powder coat versus the plain galvanized steel it comes in today. The SwingAway MVP Model is specifically designed for Home Training, Team Use (up to13u), and for all players regardless of age or ability. The SwingAway MVP allows varsity and youth players to Train on the Most Effective and Popular Professional Hitting Training Station ever made. The SA- MVP will be complete with new packaging and a new Logo.. This Machine is now available on-line at SWINGAWAY.com and will soon be in Sports Authority and Modell’s retail Sporting Goods Stores plus other Authorized SWINGAWAY Dealers.

“SWINGAWAY strives for Absolute Perfection and will always produce Quality and Highly Effective Training Aids plus we will continue to make the necessary modifications and improvements to make our Products even Better. We are extremely Proud of our products and especially our customers’ response and acceptance of these products. We will continue to delivery that quality Training Aid that our customer’s have grown to expect and truly deserve from SWINGAWAY” says Flading, “Stay Tuned because there is much more to come, and we will not Disappoint! “

Contact Information
SwingAway Sports Products, Inc
John J Flading
800-999-1968, 404-825-7063
jflading@swingaway.com
www.swingaway.com

Overswinging

Question:

In working with my son, he seems to struggle with a problem, he has had on and off for 4 years now. He is currently 13. When he is not swing well, he appears to be too aggressive with his hips and shoulder, ie. pulling away from the ball. I shows up to look like he is not having aggressive hands, with the result of hitting a lot of weak balls to the opposite field. He is right handed. We have worked a lot off the tee, short toss, and live pitching on the outer part of the plate. He has a good understanding of the various contact points. We just haven’t had any long term success at fixing this problem. When his front shoulder pulls off, of course his bottom hand pulls away from the ball, ie. causing him to “what I call, slice the ball”. Sometimes during the season he will get in a real groove where the ball just jumps off his bat, but he eventually falls back into the problem of pulling away from the ball. We have also worked the one handed drills extensively over the past few years. I would appreciate your advice on how to approach this problem for long term success.

Answer:

Take a look at three areas:

• Overswinging, this is one of the areas where most young hitters do not understand. Young hitters generally want to see how far they can hit the ball, This causes them to use their body too much and therefore overswing. It’s best to develop a swing that is about 80% of his max. This does not mean that the hands are not aggressive, but he should feel like he has something left in his body. In hitting, swing at 80% will give you better hand speed. This will help him with the next two areas.
• Balance, swinging at 100% will keep him from having great balance and actually slow his hands down, and as in your son’s case, will miss direct the hand path. Swinging at 80% will allow him to work on the correct hand path and will help with the next area.
• Head position, this is on of the most important aspects of the swing. The proper head position not only allows him to see the ball well, but also allows the upper body to stay over the ball. Have him keep his head down past contact.

Perfect each of these three areas and he will be making consistent hard contact. Good luck.

Positive Self Talk

By using positive self-talk, you can train yourself to effectively recover from unhappiness and emotions self-assessment, thereby enhancing yourself and your performance, rather than diminishing both.

This is a process!  Time and persistence are required.  We don’t unlearn bad habits overnight.  The applications of self-discipline and consistency to this issue can help train you to overcome other difficulties.

Points to remember:

• Negative self-talk is usually a result of early teaching, warnings, or experience.  As an older individual, you are now capable of recognizing and controlling your self talk.  Give yourself positive instruction – as a hitter and as a person.
• Your muscles will do what they are told.  Tell them the right things to do, in the right way – using positive language always.
• Make yourself aware of whatever negative messages you give yourself, so you can change them immediately.
• When you wish to change your though, replace it with one that serves and directs you in a positive way, rather than trying to block the undesirable thought out.  Trying to block out a though keeps your focus on the very thing you’re trying to get rid of.
• Be good to yourself

Fear of the Ball

A major obstacle some young hitters find themselves facing is the fear of being hit by the ball.  Young hitters are not alone in this area.  Many older, more advanced hitters sometimes find themselves in situations where they too, have developed an extreme fear of the ball.  When a pitcher can instill fear into a hitter’s mind, he has defeated that hitter.

If you, the hitter, have a fear of being hit by the pitch, you are not concentrating on the job at hand- seeing the ball.  This doesn’t have to be the case, however, there are steps you can take to help you eliminate this fear:

• Learn how to track the ball.
• On pitches above your waist, turn your shoulder and head back towards the catcher.
• Get the bat head down to the ground to avoid fould balls.
• Practice this with tennis balls in your drill and practice times.
• Have someone throw the tennis balls high and inside. Learn the technique of turning the proper way.

Proper Hydration

As listed in our nutritional absolutes water is one of the most important nutrients in your diet. All athletes should drink adequate amounts of water for optimal performance. Without enough water, not only are you not able to work at your top performance but it could even cause dehydration.  Dehydration is can be very serious. During physical activity your body temperature increases. As your temperature increases, you body compensates by sweating. This sweating evaporates and then cools your body down. If you are not replacing the fluids that are lost in sweat, your body may become dehydrated. Once you become dehydrated your can no longer sweat. This is very dangerous. Some symptoms of dehydration include:

•    Increased body temperature
•    Heat cramps
•    Chills, nausea, and clammy skin
•    Heat exhaustion
•    Hallucinations

In order to prevent dehydration take these precautionary measures:
•    Drink plenty of water before during and after workouts
•    Increase your water intake in hot weather. Weigh yourself before and after exercise, for every pound lost drink 2 cups of fluid
•    Never rely on thirst alone to determine fluid intake

VITAMINS AND MINERALS
The last two items in the nutritional absolute list are vitamins and minerals. It is the consensus of the majority of nutritional experts that a person only needs a well balanced diet to meet all the nutritional requirements the body demands, I tend to disagree. Most kids simply don’t eat properly. Besides not eating properly the demands of the fast paced world in which we live further depletes our bodies of these vitamins and minerals. The answer to this problem is very simple, take a multi-vitamin and mineral supplement to offset any deficiencies you may have in your diet. By reading the labels on the bottle, you can easily determine your recommended daily allowance.

Getting Ready for the Big Game

We have established the value of routine.  Routine – Set Behavior – Habit – Plan.  Call it what you will, effective preparation is grounded in such behavior.  Diet, sleeping habits and workout schedules are part of a hitter’s preparation.  Important as they are, these off-field preparations, and the related philosophy, are too inclusive for these pages.

Before getting to those specifics, I must again note that baseball has been called a game of adjustments.  The vehicle for this adjustment is your brain.  The emotional system won’t allow you to learn from your mistakes.  This has been discussed earlier.  Its importance of the reminder is based on learning.  The ability to make an adjustment implies the ability to learn from mistakes.  When applying that learning, you are not preparing for the next pitch, or the next at-bat or the next game.

When Do You Need Mental Toughness?

No one needs to exercise mental toughness when things are going well, however, you do need mental toughness when things are going bad.  As a challenge grows and pressure increases, so does the need for mental toughness.  By nature, people are competitive.  The greater the challenge, the more pressure you feel.  Challenges offer great potential for satisfaction, and a sense of accomplishment; but if your performance does not meet expectations, it becomes a source of anguish and frustration.  Those who are mentally tough enjoy the challenges of this game; those who are not, are frustrated.

Winners in life, as well as in sports, are mentally tough.  What separates the winners from everyone else is how they deal with pain, adversity, pressure, challenges, and the unexpected.  No matter how difficult or uncomfortable the situation, the mentally tough do their thing.