Watch Dante Bichette on the SwingAway

Learn How to Re-String a Baseball or Softball Glove

When restringing a baseball or softball glove, a needle is used to thread the leather string like any needle and thread. Restring a baseball or softball glove and remember to retrace the stitches with tips from a baseball instructor in this free video on baseball tips and tricks.

Josh Hamilton Discusses Mechanics

Weight Transfer and Hitting

Why Would a Coach Hate the SwingAway?

“Doc” Pollak, a NJ legend with a record of 1018 lifetime wins, talks about the hitting machine that causes him headaches, because it makes his job as a pitcher that much more difficult. However, as a hitter, Doc couldn’t love the Swing Away more.

Learn How to See the Ball at the Right Time

So when does hitter first see the baseball? Where does hitter look for a Pitchers Release Point? How does hitter track and recognize FB/CB/CH? How many times does hitter actually see the 95+ FB? At release, at half way, at 30 feet?

Release point: that place by his body where the pitcher first exposes the ball as his hand moves forward to throw.. You identify it watching the pitcher as he warms up and/or pitches. See it better if you align your stance with it (not with the plate) – Remember, it can differ fron righty to lefty, overhand to buggywhip releases, and end positions on the rubber. Release points can vary by the width of the Rubber plus two armlengths, from rightys to leftys.

Visual Pickup: as he exposes the ball with the forward motion to release, pick up the white of the ball and follow it in, and that flash of white becomes the ball.

You’ll pick it up and follow it better and longer if your stride and motions are smooth. To check & drill for smoothness: pick a speck on the wall (release point), set up your stance with it, stride to it, see how steady the spot remains through the stride and early upperbody moves. If the spot doesn’t remain steady into the latter, you’ve got analyzing and work to do.

You can track the 95mph pitch unbroken, to well within 10 feet. (Ask a catcher)

Pitch recognition: different folks do it different ways. Most pick up seam/spin pattern as an early warning sign to react to. But it demands an early and clean visual pickup.

I believe that in a clean early visual pickup and good followup, you’re focused so well on the ball that you don’t sense the background, and all you see is ball. But if the pickup etc aren’t right, you’re forced to separate the ball from the background, you see it all, so the ball looks smaller.

Back to the Swing Basics

Tips for Increasing Bat Speed

Infield Drills – Part 1

Taking a Lead

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