2005 Amherst Mickey Mantle Baseball - Tip of the Week

Tip of the Week: Blocking, an Oft-Misunderstood but Ultra-Important Skill for Catchers
July 8 - It sounds pretty simple - slap on a mask, squat behind home plate, flash some signs and catch the ball. But sound catching mechanics are often misunderstood and almost always under-appreciated, and using the proper technique to block balls in the dirt is a perfect illustration. Full Story

Tip of the Week: Using the Proper Technique to “Wear” Pitches Can Make You a Safer and More Confident Hitter
June 24 - How many times have you seen a batter jump out of the way of an inside pitch and narrowly avoid - if he’s lucky - getting cracked in the jaw, ribs or kneecap? Unless you employ the proper technique, shunning the inside pitch can be a scary and dangerous proposition, and if you aren’t careful, an incorrect “bail-out” can do more harm than good. Full Story

Tip of the Week: An Effective Two-Strike Approach Can Make You a Deadly Hitter
June 17 - I see it time and time again at every level of baseball, from our Mickey Mantle league all the way through the major leagues: Guys with absolutely no clue of how to hit with two strikes. Trust me on this one. With practice and a concrete gameplan, learning a two-strike approach can immediately transform you into a better and more dangerous hitter, no matter what type of hitter you are. Full Story

Tip of the Week: Reevaluating the Drop-and-Drive in Pitching Mechanics
June 14 - The old “drop-and-drive” pitching delivery. I remember youth coaches teaching it when I was a kid. In fact, I had youth teammates who dropped so much they got their knees dirty. It’s definitely an “old-school” way of thinking, and thankfully, modern technology (such as video analysis and the study of biomechanics) has helped coaches gain a clearer understanding of the pitching motion. Full Story

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