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| are pitching machines good for batting practice: Clean Your Cleats Dan Blewett, 2022-02-15 What Does it Take to Have a Great Baseball Career? You daydream about one day seeing your face on a baseball card. You live for pressure and the green grass beneath your cleats. But as your career progresses, the game gets harder. You slump and struggle. You get injured and overlooked. Your confidence plummets. Can you keep improving? Are your big dreams still within reach? A Handbook for the Dedicated Player Clean Your Cleats is filled with stories and advice learned the hard way, over a long career on the diamond. Develop better routines and improve your consistency. Handle the ups and downs with confidence and resolve. Strengthen relationships with teammates, parents and coaches. Learn mindset strategies to become the best version of you. Dan Blewett, in this practical guide, helps players understand all the little things in baseball that make a huge difference over a long career. Why clean your cleats? Because every detail matters. |
| are pitching machines good for batting practice: Hitting with Torque Paul F. Petricca, 2017-11-07 Paul Petricca draws on his experience as a coach, player, blogger, and student of baseball and softball to share what hes learned about hitting in this essential guide for players seeking dramatic results at the plate. The author presents easy to understand hitting mechanics highlighting how the engineering concept of torque can be applied to hitting and is often the difference between a weak groundball or a long home run. Topics covered include understanding where hitting power really comes from and the importance of increasing bat speed through the fundamentals of a repeatable and powerful rotational swing. Hitters of all ages who adopt his eight hitting keys will enjoy a dramatic increase in bat speed and power almost immediately. Hitting with Torque is more than a set of hitting mechanics---its a mindset. Readers will be challenged to look past the worn-out hitting theories and myths that have been holding back hitters from reaching their full potential. With an open mind and practice, all hitters can unlock the power and consistency that is Hitting with Torque. |
| are pitching machines good for batting practice: The Physics of Baseball Robert K. Adair, 2015-01-20 Blending scientific fact and sports trivia, Robert Adair examines what a baseball or player in motion does-and why. How fast can a batted ball go? What effect do stitch patterns have on wind resistance? How far does a curve ball break? Who reaches first base faster after a bunt, a right- or left-handed batter? The answers are often surprising—and always illuminating. This newly revised third edition considers recent developments in the science of sport such as the neurophysiology of batting, bat vibration, and the character of the sweet spot. Faster pitchers, longer hitters, and enclosed stadiums also get a good, hard scientific look to determine their effects on the game. Filled with anecdotes about famous players and incidents, The Physics of Baseball provides fans with fascinating insights into America's favorite pastime. |
| are pitching machines good for batting practice: Dear Baseball Gods: A Memoir Dan Blewett, 2019-04-08 Dear Baseball Gods, Why didn't you look out for him? Didn't he deserve better? He hustled, competed, and played the game the right way. What happened wasn't fair. A Second Comeback Dan sat by a tree, staring at the ground trying to decide what he would do next. The doctor had just explained that everything he worked for was now ruined. A second Tommy John surgery? Does anyone come back from that? Is my career over? Is this it? A Winding Road to the Top As a walk-on in college, Dan had to earn everything. He pitched on three hours sleep, lived in the clubhouse, played for a team that collapsed mid-season, and endured more arm pain than any kid should. A Way to Move On When finally forced to hang up his cleats, Dan looked in the mirror and didn't recognize the man peering back. If no longer a ballplayer...what would he do? What had been the point of it all? Who was he? The Deeper Side of Life as an Athlete In this philosophical memoir, written as a series of letters, you'll learn that the pinstripes don't wash off so easily. |
| are pitching machines good for batting practice: Winning Baseball Trent Mongero, 2011 From age-appropriate drills to motivation strategies, this step-by-step guide to youth baseball offers all the information parents and coaches need to help young players reach their full potential. |
| are pitching machines good for batting practice: The MVP Machine Ben Lindbergh, Travis Sawchik, 2019-06-04 Move over, Moneyball -- this New York Times bestseller examines major league baseball's next cutting-edge revolution: the high-tech quest to build better players. As bestselling authors Ben Lindbergh and Travis Sawchik reveal in The MVP Machine, the Moneyball era is over. Fifteen years after Michael Lewis brought the Oakland Athletics' groundbreaking team-building strategies to light, every front office takes a data-driven approach to evaluating players, and the league's smarter teams no longer have a huge advantage in valuing past performance. Lindbergh and Sawchik's behind-the-scenes reporting reveals: How undersized afterthoughts José Altuve and Mookie Betts became big sluggers and MVPs How polarizing pitcher Trevor Bauer made himself a Cy Young contender How new analytical tools have overturned traditional pitching and hitting techniques How a wave of young talent is making MLB both better than ever and arguably worse to watch Instead of out-drafting, out-signing, and out-trading their rivals, baseball's best minds have turned to out-developing opponents, gaining greater edges than ever by perfecting prospects and eking extra runs out of older athletes who were once written off. Lindbergh and Sawchik take us inside the transformation of former fringe hitters into home-run kings, show how washed-up pitchers have emerged as aces, and document how coaching and scouting are being turned upside down. The MVP Machine charts the future of a sport and offers a lesson that goes beyond baseball: Success stems not from focusing on finished products, but from making the most of untapped potential. |
| are pitching machines good for batting practice: Downright Filthy Pitching Book 1 Perry L. Husband, 2005-07-07 Downright Filthy Pitching - The Science of Effective Velocity (EV) is the study of baseball pitch speeds and how location changes the reaction time of the hitter. This science answers why pitchers are great one day and awful the next and why hitters fall into slumps with no answers. For the first time there is scientific proof that will teach pitchers how to go from having 'Nasty Stuff' to becoming 'Downright Filthy'. This book series shows you how to maximize the effects of every pitch in your arsenal, like time management for pitch speed usage. This is the first provable explanation for why certain pitches are swung on and missed one day and hit out of the yard the next. EV gives pitchers a detailed plan to help them maximize their deception............and yes, deception is now measurable and can be practiced. The only scientific pitch calling method has been implemented by Collegiate programs in baseball and softball throughout the country and with many Major League pitchers, catchers and coaches. EV has uncovered the truth behind some longtime myths about pitching. Find out why: 'Shorter Pitchers' may actually be far more deceptive' - 'Outside fastball is not the best pitch in baseball' - 'Keeping the ball down is killing you' and many other myths explained through this new set of goggles that has changed the game. You will never look at the game of baseball the same way again. |
| are pitching machines good for batting practice: Maru Batting Center Julie Hennessy, Evan Meagher, 2017 This exercise is one in a series intended to help students learn how to perform financial calculations in marketing contexts. Maru Keitou, a decorated former collegiate softball player with a PhD from Oxford University, ran Maru Batting Center in the Roppongi district of Tokyo's Minato ward. She had a deep knowledge of the game and of her customers, but she lacked a marketing background. She had recently signed up for a hosted customer relationship management service that would allow her to track the cost of acquiring and serving each of her four main customer segments. Using this data, she could determine which segments to target in the upcoming year. The exercise describes the use of calculations of customer acquisition cost, retention rates, and customer lifetime value in picking between market segments and various options for activities to acquire customers. After completing the exercise, students should be able to: -Calculate customer acquisition cost -Determine customer break-even -Calculate and explain customer lifetime value. |
| are pitching machines good for batting practice: Born to Play Dustin Pedroia, 2009-07-14 The inspirational story of Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia—a giant talent in a small package—who defied his critics to become one of the greatest players in the game today. Dustin Pedroia, at five feet seven inches and 170 pounds, is not the biggest, the strongest, or the fastest player in the game of baseball, but in just two years of major-league play he was named Rookie of the Year, Most Valuable Player, and helped the Boston Red Sox win a World Championship. At a time when steroid scandals dominate media coverage of America’s beloved pastime, Pedroia has proven to the world that a good baseball player is more than size and statistics. His success comes from the heart. In Born to Play, Pedroia shares the story of his difficult and uplifting journey to prove himself at every turn. More than anything, his love of the game and desire to win, not just for himself but for his teammates, defines Pedroia as an athlete—but his dedication, his perseverance, and of course, his monster swing have made him a beloved new symbol of baseball and offer hope for the future of America’s favorite game. |
| are pitching machines good for batting practice: The Performance Cortex Zach Schonbrun, 2019-04-09 “A must-read for the cerebral sports fan . . . like Moneyball except nerdier. Much nerdier.” —Sports Illustrated Why couldn’t Michael Jordan, master athlete that he was, crush a baseball? Why can’t modern robotics come close to replicating the dexterity of a five-year-old? Why do great quarterbacks always seem to know where their receivers are? On a quest to discover what actually drives human movement and its spectacular potential, journalist, sports writer, and fan Zach Schonbrun interviewed experts on motor control around the world. The trail begins with the groundbreaking work of two neuroscientists in Major League Baseball who are upending the traditional ways scouts evaluate the speed with which great players read a pitch. Across all sports, new theories and revolutionary technology are revealing how the brain’s motor control system works in extraordinarily talented athletes like Stephen Curry, Tom Brady, Serena Williams, and Lionel Messi; as well as musical virtuosos, dancers, rock climbers, race-car drivers, and more. Whether it is timing a 95 mph fastball or reaching for a coffee mug, movement requires a complex suite of computations that many take for granted—until they read The Performance Cortex. Zach Schonbrun ushers in a new way of thinking about the athletic gifts we marvel over and seek to develop in our own lives. It’s not about the million-dollar arm anymore. It’s about the million-dollar brain. |
| are pitching machines good for batting practice: We Beat the Street Sampson Davis, George Jenkins, Rameck Hunt, Sharon Draper, 2006-04-20 Growing up on the rough streets of Newark, New Jersey, Rameck, George,and Sampson could easily have followed their childhood friends into drug dealing, gangs, and prison. But when a presentation at their school made the three boys aware of the opportunities available to them in the medical and dental professions, they made a pact among themselves that they would become doctors. It took a lot of determination—and a lot of support from one another—but despite all the hardships along the way, the three succeeded. Retold with the help of an award-winning author, this younger adaptation of the adult hit novel The Pact is a hard-hitting, powerful, and inspirational book that will speak to young readers everywhere. |
| are pitching machines good for batting practice: The Biomechanics of Batting, Swinging, and Hitting Glenn Fleisig, Young-Hoo Kwon, 2016-04-22 In the movie Bull Durham, frustrated manager Joe Riggins stresses to his team, This is a simple game. You throw the ball. You hit the ball. You catch the ball. This simplification works well for biomechanists too, as sports can be broken down into specific physical tasks like throwing, hitting, catching, and running. There have been significant advances in understanding some actions, but not others. In the first ten years of the journal Sports Biomechanics, only 18 of 236 articles were about hitting a ball. This scarcity is startling considering that according to USA Today (May 20, 2005), three of the five hardest things to do in sports involve hitting a ball (#1: baseball batting, #4: golf tee shot, and #5: tennis serve return). This book provides the latest biomechanical research in the under-studied field of hitting a ball. The biomechanics of baseball, cricket, hockey, hurling, softball, table tennis, and tennis are all examined. The chapters are written in a style that will both satisfy the high standards of biomechanists and provide information for instructors and athletes to improve performance. This book is based on a special issue of Sports Biomechanics. |
| are pitching machines good for batting practice: The Art of Hitting Tony Gwynn, Roger Vaughan, 1998 |
| are pitching machines good for batting practice: Pitching. Isn't. Complicated. Dan Blewett, 2013-12 There are many complexities in pitching, but the complexities are the last ten percent, not the first ninety. The first 90% - the things every good pitcher does - are simple. Pitching. Isn't. Complicated. is a concise explanation of the pitching maxims that every pitcher must exhibit. Covered are mechanics, mindset, mental training, situational pitching, holding runners, and more. The author has combined his playing experience with innovative training techniques to become one of the most successful young pitching coaches in the country. The methods in this book are not sensational and there are no fads, no superfluous exercises and no gimmicks. Rather, the goal is to provide only the best drills, teaching methods and concepts that comprise the optimal dose of training. Pitching. Isn't. Complicated. is a concise, layman and actionable book written to give coaches, parents and pitchers a holistic understanding of elite pitching. With a mountain of conflicting information available on the Internet, the development of pitchers has become more confusing than ever; this book will change that. |
| are pitching machines good for batting practice: The Baseball Drill Book Bob Bennett, American Baseball Coaches Association, 2004 Offers 198 activities for baseball players' training. Covers drills for warm-up, throwing, catching, base running, hitting, pitching, and fielding. |
| are pitching machines good for batting practice: The Hardball Times Baseball Annual 2008 Bryan Tsao, Carolina Bolado, Joe Distelheim, 2007-11 A comprehensive analysis of the entire 2007 baseball season from the first pitch to the last out, including a breakdown of the post season and the World Series. Key features include: ? Reviews of how 2005 played out in each of baseball's six divisions ? An in-depth look at the minor leagues ? Detailed team stats and graphs ? Team-by-team individual hitting and fielding numbers ? A postseason and World Series round up |
| are pitching machines good for batting practice: Sophie's World Jostein Gaarder, 2007-03-20 A page-turning novel that is also an exploration of the great philosophical concepts of Western thought, Jostein Gaarder's Sophie's World has fired the imagination of readers all over the world, with more than twenty million copies in print. One day fourteen-year-old Sophie Amundsen comes home from school to find in her mailbox two notes, with one question on each: Who are you? and Where does the world come from? From that irresistible beginning, Sophie becomes obsessed with questions that take her far beyond what she knows of her Norwegian village. Through those letters, she enrolls in a kind of correspondence course, covering Socrates to Sartre, with a mysterious philosopher, while receiving letters addressed to another girl. Who is Hilde? And why does her mail keep turning up? To unravel this riddle, Sophie must use the philosophy she is learning—but the truth turns out to be far more complicated than she could have imagined. |
| are pitching machines good for batting practice: Baseball Coach's Survival Guide Jerry Weinstein, Tom Alston, 1998-04 Here is a comprehensive, practical resource that makes building a successful baseball program considerably easier for both the new and the experienced coach. Included are proven techniques and ready-to-use materials for virtually every aspect of the coach?s job, from recruiting to training talent for each position. For easy use, the Guide is printed in a handy spiral-bound format that folds flat and is organized into 15 sections focusing on 15 different coaching concerns: Getting Started Recruiting and Tryouts Game Control From Start to Finish Pitching The Pitches Catching General Infield Play Outfield Play Defensive Strategy and Positioning Team Defense Hitting The Short Game Base Running Offensive Strategy and Techniques Scholarships and Professional Baseball Each section is packed with inside tips, drills for skill development, and winning strategies for a variety of game situations and for dealing effectively with a wide range of problems. Here are just a few examples of the ready-to-use help you?ll find: Guidelines for setting team goals, establishing standards, and marinating positive relationships with players and parents Pitching mechanics and skills including the pitching sequence form starting position to landing, special issues with right and left handers, and insights into various pitches Tested ways to prevent and treat arm soreness 39 defensive play diagrams for cutoffs and relays, bunt defense, first and third defense, and more Techniques and drills to help players improve their hitting in all situations Guidelines for stealing against left- and right-handed pitchers Tips for helping outfielders establish the proper psyche, state of readiness, and way to react to the ball And that?s not all! Baseball Coach?s Survival Guide includes nearly 140 photos showing stance, position, and technique ... plus 85 reproducible forms, checklists, and charts for recording progress and performance that can be photocopied for immediate use to help even the most veteran coach save time! |
| are pitching machines good for batting practice: Ask a Manager Alison Green, 2018-05-01 From the creator of the popular website Ask a Manager and New York’s work-advice columnist comes a witty, practical guide to 200 difficult professional conversations—featuring all-new advice! There’s a reason Alison Green has been called “the Dear Abby of the work world.” Ten years as a workplace-advice columnist have taught her that people avoid awkward conversations in the office because they simply don’t know what to say. Thankfully, Green does—and in this incredibly helpful book, she tackles the tough discussions you may need to have during your career. You’ll learn what to say when • coworkers push their work on you—then take credit for it • you accidentally trash-talk someone in an email then hit “reply all” • you’re being micromanaged—or not being managed at all • you catch a colleague in a lie • your boss seems unhappy with your work • your cubemate’s loud speakerphone is making you homicidal • you got drunk at the holiday party Praise for Ask a Manager “A must-read for anyone who works . . . [Alison Green’s] advice boils down to the idea that you should be professional (even when others are not) and that communicating in a straightforward manner with candor and kindness will get you far, no matter where you work.”—Booklist (starred review) “The author’s friendly, warm, no-nonsense writing is a pleasure to read, and her advice can be widely applied to relationships in all areas of readers’ lives. Ideal for anyone new to the job market or new to management, or anyone hoping to improve their work experience.”—Library Journal (starred review) “I am a huge fan of Alison Green’s Ask a Manager column. This book is even better. It teaches us how to deal with many of the most vexing big and little problems in our workplaces—and to do so with grace, confidence, and a sense of humor.”—Robert Sutton, Stanford professor and author of The No Asshole Rule and The Asshole Survival Guide “Ask a Manager is the ultimate playbook for navigating the traditional workforce in a diplomatic but firm way.”—Erin Lowry, author of Broke Millennial: Stop Scraping By and Get Your Financial Life Together |
| are pitching machines good for batting practice: Tim McCarver's Baseball for Brain Surgeons and Other Fans Tim McCarver, Danny Peary, 1999-03-16 From pitching to baserunning from defending the bunt to making a trip to the mound, the authors have every aspect of the game covered. |
| are pitching machines good for batting practice: The 2006 ESPN Baseball Encyclopedia Peter Palmer, Gary Gillette, Stuart Shea, Matthew Silverman, Greg Spira, 2006 Details statistics from United States baseball teams and players from 1900 through the previous season, including draft information, and provides lists of award winners and world champion teams. |
| are pitching machines good for batting practice: The Sabermetric Revolution Benjamin Baumer, Andrew Zimbalist, 2014-01-23 The authors look at the history of statistical analysis in baseball, how it can best be used today and how its it must evolve for the future. |
| are pitching machines good for batting practice: Softball Skills & Drills Judi Garman, Michelle Gromacki, 2011-02-14 Looking for the ultimate book to help you learn and master softball’s essential skills? Look no further than the guide that has helped develop the game’s top players and most successful teams. This new edition of Softball Skills & Drills is completely updated with more skills, more drills and strategies, and more of the stellar instruction that have made it the top-selling title on the sport. Judi Garman, one of the winningest coaches in NCAA history, teams with Cal State Fullerton’s Michelle Gromacki to share their secrets to developing and mastering every aspect of the game. With step-by-step instruction, full-color photo sequences, technique tips, and unique insight into the game, you’ll learn every fundamental skill: •Hitting •Bunting •Slap Hitting •Baserunning •Sliding •Fielding •Throwing •Pitching •Catching And with over 230 of the game’s best drills, coverage of team offense and defense, pitch selection, pitch recognition, and in-game strategies, Softball Skills and Drills is simply the most comprehensive and practical guide on the sport. Whether striving to become a complete player or preparing your team for another championship run, Softball Skills &Drills is the one book you cannot be without. |
| are pitching machines good for batting practice: Becoming a Pro Baseball Player Andrew Pina, 2014-12-15 Baseball players can make their careers look effortless. They lob balls into the stands and sprint around the bases easily. But behind these actions are years and years of practice honing the skills that got them into the major leagues. This high-interest volume is an insider's guide of the path to the big leagues, from Little League to the MLB. Easy-to-follow drills and essential pro tips will interest the beginner and the seasoned ball player. Photographs of famous players as well as amateurs will further interest and enlighten young athletes. |
| are pitching machines good for batting practice: The Hitting Edge Tom Robson, 2003 Hitting can be tough enough without trying to follow confusing technical advice and pet philosophies. Keep it simple, and keep making contact. Take the knowledge available in this book with you to every at-bat, and you'll have The Hitting Edge.--BOOK JACKET. |
| are pitching machines good for batting practice: Skill Building Competitions Gary E Barr, 2021-10-02 Effective coaching requires planning varied formats that keep players mentally and physically engaged throughout the practice. For example, challenging and cooperative games support exciting training sessions, improve focus, and encourage player-coach and player-player rapport. While we provide vital offensive and defensive tips for most competitions, this book is not a fundamentals book. Instead, its primary purpose is to demonstrate how to use team skill-building contests under game-like pressure to get your baseball and fastpitch softball players game-ready more quickly than straight drills alone. Focus and learning amplify when you gamify. The baseball and fastpitch softball games are a constant competition, not only against opponents but also against oneself. As coaches, we want our players to get comfortable with both types of competition and enjoy it. The best way to be comfortable in competitive situations is to create a competitive culture in your practices. Providing game-like structures, combining skill-building with competition is the objective of this book. These are not simple drills that can be found all over the internet. Instead, the 65 unique competitions are precisely detailed. Fast-moving and designed to maximize quality repetitions (swings, ground balls, fly balls, throws to bases, etc.) in an allotted amount of time. This handy coaching tool contains functional and innovative games that reinforce your fundamentals instruction. The rules of each competition, clearly laid on step-by-step, promote habit building for individual skills and team communication in situations players face during every game. Each game includes the purpose, equipment needed, time required, ages the drill is suitable, and well-thought-out rules. Chapters include competitions for throwing, infield, outfield, pitching, catching, hitting, bunting, baserunning, and offense vs. defense. Games are designed for youth, Middle School, High School, and College. Written by Coach Gary Barr, author of Building the High-Level Swing Series, the hitting competitions alone are valuable for their suggestions on utilizing targeting, constraints, and learning how to perform well under game-like pressure. Skill Building Competitions is a coaching lifesaver. Coming up with great games that work to improve vital skills and that players love is time-consuming. Flip open a chapter depending on the desired type of drill, read the rules, and you are ready to incorporate the competition in today's practice plan. |
| are pitching machines good for batting practice: Physics of Baseball & Softball Rod Cross, 2011-02-22 This book describes the physics of baseball and softball, assuming that the reader has a basic background in both physics and mathematics. The physics will be explained in a conversational style, with words and illustrations, so that the explanations make sense. The book provides an excellent opportunity to explain physics at a relatively simple level, even though the primary objective is to explain the many subtle features concerning the physics of baseball. For those readers who already know quite a bit of physics and who will be comfortable with mathematical equations, additional material of this nature will be provided in appendices. The latest research findings and statistical data have been incorporated by the author. The book also contains many simple experiments that the reader can perform to convince themselves that the effects described do indeed exist. |
| are pitching machines good for batting practice: Results Bruce A. Pasternack, Gary L. Neilson, 2005-10-18 Every company has a personality. Does yours help or hinder your results? Does it make you fit for growth? Find out by taking the quiz that’s helped 50,000 people better understand their organizations at OrgDNA.com and to learn more about Organizational DNA. Just as you can understand an individual’s personality, so too can you understand a company’s type—what makes it tick, what’s good and bad about it. Results explains why some organizations bob and weave and roll with the punches to consistently deliver on commitments and produce great results, while others can’t leave their corner of the ring without tripping on their own shoelaces. Gary Neilson and Bruce Pasternack help you identify which of the seven company types you work for—and how to keep what’s good and fix what’s wrong. You’ll feel the shock of recognition (“That’s me, that’s my company”) as you find out whether your organization is: • Passive-Aggressive (“everyone agrees, smiles, and nods, but nothing changes”): entrenched underground resistance makes getting anything done like trying to nail Jell-O to the wall • Fits-and-Starts (“let 1,000 flowers bloom”): filled with smart people pulling in different directions • Outgrown (“the good old days meet a brave new world”): reacts slowly to market developments, since it’s too hard to run new ideas up the flagpole • Overmanaged (“we’re from corporate and we’re here to help”): more reporting than working, as managers check on their subordinates’ work so they can in turn report to their bosses • Just-in-Time (“succeeding, but by the skin of our teeth”): can turn on a dime and create real breakthroughs but also tends to burn out its best and brightest • Military Precision (“flying in formation”): executes brilliant strategies but usually does not deal well with events not in the playbook • Resilient (“as good as it gets”): flexible, forward-looking, and fun; bounces back when it hits a bump in the road and never, ever rests on its laurels For anyone who’s ever said, “Wow, that’s a great idea, but it’ll never happen here” or “Whew, we pulled it off again, but I’m tired of all this sprinting,” Results provides robust, practical ideas for becoming and remaining a resilient business. Also available as an eBook From the Hardcover edition. |
| are pitching machines good for batting practice: The Talent Code Daniel Coyle, 2009-04-28 What is the secret of talent? How do we unlock it? This groundbreaking work provides readers with tools they can use to maximize potential in themselves and others. Whether you’re coaching soccer or teaching a child to play the piano, writing a novel or trying to improve your golf swing, this revolutionary book shows you how to grow talent by tapping into a newly discovered brain mechanism. Drawing on cutting-edge neurology and firsthand research gathered on journeys to nine of the world’s talent hotbeds—from the baseball fields of the Caribbean to a classical-music academy in upstate New York—Coyle identifies the three key elements that will allow you to develop your gifts and optimize your performance in sports, art, music, math, or just about anything. • Deep Practice Everyone knows that practice is a key to success. What everyone doesn’t know is that specific kinds of practice can increase skill up to ten times faster than conventional practice. • Ignition We all need a little motivation to get started. But what separates truly high achievers from the rest of the pack? A higher level of commitment—call it passion—born out of our deepest unconscious desires and triggered by certain primal cues. Understanding how these signals work can help you ignite passion and catalyze skill development. • Master Coaching What are the secrets of the world’s most effective teachers, trainers, and coaches? Discover the four virtues that enable these “talent whisperers” to fuel passion, inspire deep practice, and bring out the best in their students. These three elements work together within your brain to form myelin, a microscopic neural substance that adds vast amounts of speed and accuracy to your movements and thoughts. Scientists have discovered that myelin might just be the holy grail: the foundation of all forms of greatness, from Michelangelo’s to Michael Jordan’s. The good news about myelin is that it isn’t fixed at birth; to the contrary, it grows, and like anything that grows, it can be cultivated and nourished. Combining revelatory analysis with illuminating examples of regular people who have achieved greatness, this book will not only change the way you think about talent, but equip you to reach your own highest potential. |
| are pitching machines good for batting practice: Branch Rickey , 2009-01-01 He was not much of a player and not much more of a manager, but by the time Branch Rickey (1881?1965) finished with baseball, he had revolutionized the sport?not just once but three times. In this definitive biography of Rickey?the man sportswriters dubbed ?The Brain,? ?The Mahatma,? and, on occasion, ?El Cheapo??Lee Lowenfish tells the full, colorful story of a life that forever changed the face of America?s game. From 1917 to 1942, Rickey was the mastermind behind the Saint Louis Cardinals who enabled small-market clubs to compete with the rich and powerful by creating the farm system . Under his direction in the 1940s, the Brooklyn Dodgers became the first true ?America?s team.? By signing Jackie Robinson and other black players, he single-handedly thrust baseball into the forefront of the civil rights movement. Lowenfish evokes the peculiarly American complex of God, family, and baseball that informed Rickey?s actions and his accomplishments. His book offers an intriguing, richly detailed portrait of a man whose life is itself a crucial chapter in the history of American business, sport, and society. |
| are pitching machines good for batting practice: A Constraints-Led Approach to Baseball Coaching Rob Gray, Randy Sullivan, 2023-03-15 A Constraints-Led Approach to Baseball Coaching presents a new approach to baseball coaching and practice. Applying a CLA to the player development process across the skill spectrum from the beginners to elite, this book uses practical examples to demonstrate the theoretical principles of the constraints-led coaching style embedded in research showing the numerous benefits of the approach. This book incorporates case studies and examples of how constraints are manipulated to develop more adaptable players that can perform at a higher level with a reduced risk of injury, shifting the reader’s view of skill acquisition from the concept of the one “correct” solution, acquired through repetition, to the ecological dynamics framework focused on variability, adaptability, and self-organization. Individual chapters cover major topics such as hitting, pitching, and fielding for players from Little League to the pros. This book illustrates the underlying principles so that coaches can develop their own practice activities. A Constraints-Led Approach to Baseball Coaching is a key reading for undergraduate students and practicing sports coaches, physical education teachers and sport scientists alike as well as practicing players and coaches in baseball and related sports. |
| are pitching machines good for batting practice: Thinking Machines Luke Dormehl, 2017-03-07 A fascinating look at Artificial Intelligence, from its humble Cold War beginnings to the dazzling future that is just around the corner. When most of us think about Artificial Intelligence, our minds go straight to cyborgs, robots, and sci-fi thrillers where machines take over the world. But the truth is that Artificial Intelligence is already among us. It exists in our smartphones, fitness trackers, and refrigerators that tell us when the milk will expire. In some ways, the future people dreamed of at the World's Fair in the 1960s is already here. We're teaching our machines how to think like humans, and they're learning at an incredible rate. In Thinking Machines, technology journalist Luke Dormehl takes you through the history of AI and how it makes up the foundations of the machines that think for us today. Furthermore, Dormehl speculates on the incredible--and possibly terrifying--future that's much closer than many would imagine. This remarkable book will invite you to marvel at what now seems commonplace and to dream about a future in which the scope of humanity may need to broaden itself to include intelligent machines. |
| are pitching machines good for batting practice: Big and Little Poison Clifton Blue Parker, 2002-12-23 The Waner brothers, Paul and Lloyd--also known as Big Poison and Little Poison--played together for fourteen seasons in the same Pittsburgh outfield in the 1920s and 1930s. More than half a century after retiring, they still rank as the best-hitting brothers in major league history with a combined 5,611 hits--517 more than the three Alou brothers, 758 more than the three DiMaggio brothers, and 1,400 more than the five Delahanty brothers. And both Waners are in the Hall of Fame, the only playing brothers so honored. This work tells the story of the Waner brothers from their early lives in Oklahoma through their playing days, which included a World Series against the legendary 1927 New York Yankees. It is also the story of two American eras: the Roaring Twenties and the Depression years. Both put up impressive numbers individually: Paul amassed 3,152 hits, and his .333 lifetime average ranks among the highest ever in the game. Lloyd, a lifetime .316 hitter, collected 2,459 hits, and had it not been for health problems, he might have cleared the 3,000 hit milestone as well. Together, they were baseball heroes. |
| are pitching machines good for batting practice: Dodgerland Michael Fallon, 2016-06-01 Chronicles two memorable seasons of the late 70s Los Angeles Dodgers and a transformative, multilayered tale of LA in a time of promise unrealized and great potential squandered-- |
| are pitching machines good for batting practice: The Science of Baseball Will Carroll, 2022-03-15 In The Science of Baseball, sportswriter and injury expert Will Carroll shows how understanding the science behind the Great American Pastime helps fans appreciate its nuances and that it enhances, not detracts from the greatest game ever invented. Carroll, as well as several experts via interviews, covers topics like what makes the ball break, bounce, and fly; how material science and physics work together to make the bat function; how hitters use physics, geometry, and force to connect; sensors and cameras; injuries; and much more. Baseball aficionados and science geeks alike will better appreciate the game--no matter which teams are playing--after reading this comprehensive book! |
| are pitching machines good for batting practice: Perfect Game USA and the Future of Baseball Les Edgerton, 2009-01-14 For decades baseball scouts have beat the bushes for talent, wandering throughout the United States in search of promising young players. But technology and competition have recently brought about big changes, as potential stars are identified as early as Little League. The largest such scouting and development service, Perfect Game USA, has become the primary pipeline to college and professional baseball, with its participants accounting for more than 70 percent of the players taken in the 2007 amateur draft. This book looks at the history, methods, and impact of Perfect Game USA, which continues to change the landscape of youth baseball. |
| are pitching machines good for batting practice: The Baseball Coaching Bible Jerry Kindall, John Winkin, 2000 Presents a comprehensive guide to coaching baseball with contributions from twenty-seven coaches who share their secrets to winning; and offers advice on building and managing a program, practice sessions, team strategies, player motivation and leadership, and making baseball fun. |
| are pitching machines good for batting practice: Official Gazette of the United States Patent and Trademark Office , 2003 |
| are pitching machines good for batting practice: Health Opportunities Through Physical Education Charles B. Corbin, Karen E. McConnell, Guy C. Le Masurier, David E. Corbin, Terri D. Farrar, 2014-05-28 This innovative new textbook, with a full suite of related resources, has been created to support student development and enhancement of healthy behaviors that influence their lifestyle choices and fitness, health, and wellness. A key feature of this curriculum is the complete integration of physical education and health concepts and skills to maximize student interest, learning, and application. This objective was accomplished by combining the expertise of our author teams from two related textbooks--Fitness for Life, Sixth Edition, and Health for Life. This is not just a health textbook with a few physical education concepts thrown in. School systems that want a single textbook to help them address both physical education and health education standards will find that this book provides them a unique and cost-effective option. Health Opportunities Through Physical Education is available in print and digital formats, including an iBooks interactive version for iPads plus other e-book formats that students can use across a variety of platforms. Part I, Fitness for Life, will help students become physically literate individuals who have the knowledge, skills, and confidence to enjoy a lifetime of healthful physical activity. The book will guide students in becoming informed consumers on matters related to lifelong physical activity and fitness, taking responsibility for setting individualized goals, and making their own plans for active living. To accomplish this overarching goal, they learn a variety of self-management skills, including self-assessment. The program is based on established educational theory, which is outlined in the teacher web resources. And they learn all of this through a combination of classroom and physical activity lessons that meet national, state, and local physical activity guidelines and help instill a love for lifetime fitness activities. Part I also enables students to achieve the following goals: · Meet college and career readiness standards by learning and using critical thinking, decision making, and problem-solving skills · Use the Stairway to Lifetime Fitness concept, created by author Chuck Corbin, to encourage higher-order learning (move from dependence to independence) · Perform self-assessments, including all tests in the Fitnessgram battery and the Presidential Youth Fitness Program Part I includes many features that actively engage students by allowing them to: • Assess their own fitness and other health and wellness factors to determine personal needs and assess progress resulting from healthy lifestyle planning. • Use Taking Charge and Self-Management features to learn self-management skills (e.g., goal setting, self-monitoring, self-planning) for adopting healthy lifestyles. • Learn key concepts and principles, higher-order information, and critical thinking skills that provide the basis for sound decision making and personal planning. • Do reading and writing assignments as well as calculations that foster college and career readiness. • Try out activities that are supported by lesson plans offered in the teacher web resources and that can help students be fit and active throughout their lives. • Take part in real-life activities that show how new information is generated by using the scientific method. • Become aware of and use technology to learn new information about fitness, health, and wellness and learn to discern fact from fiction. • Use the web and the unique web icon feature to connect to relevant and expanded content for essential topics in the student web resource. • Find Academic Connections that relate fitness topics to other parts of the curriculum such as science, language arts, and math. • Use other features such as fitness quotes, consumer corner, Fit Facts, and special exercise features (including exercise and self-assessment videos) that promote higher-order learning. • Focus their study time by following cues from Lesson Objectives and Lesson Vocabulary elements in every chapter. • Use the chapter-ending review questions to test their understanding of the concepts and use critical thinking and project assignments to meet educational standards, including college and career readiness standards. Part II, Health for Life, teaches high school students the fundamentals of health and wellness, how to avoid destructive habits, and how to choose to live healthy lives. This text covers all aspects of healthy living throughout the life span, including preventing disease and seeking care; embracing the healthy lifestyles choices of nutrition and stress management; avoiding destructive habits; building relationships; and creating healthy and safe communities. Part II also has an abundance of features that help students connect with content: • Lesson Objectives, Lesson Vocabulary, Comprehension Check, and Chapter Review help students prepare to dive in to the material, understand it, and retain it . • Connect feature spurs students to analyze various influences on their health and wellness. • Consumer Corner aids students in exploring consumer health issues. • Healthy Communication gets students to use and expand their interpersonal communication skills as they share their views about various health topics. • Skills for Healthy Living and Making Healthy Decisions help students learn and practice self-management so they can make wise choices related to their health and wellness. • Planning for Healthy Living assists students in applying what they’ve learned as they set goals and establish plans for behavior change. • Self-Assessment offers students the opportunity to evaluate their health habits and monitor improvement in health behaviors. • Find Academic Connections that relate fitness topics to other parts of the curriculum such as science, language arts, and math. • Take It Home and Advocacy in Action prepare students to advocate for health at home and in their communities. • Health Science and Health Technology focus on the roles of science and technology as they relate to health and where science and technology intersect regarding health issues. • Living Well News challenges students to integrate health literacy, math, and language skills to better understand a current health issue. |
| are pitching machines good for batting practice: In Pursuit of Pennants Mark L. Armour, Daniel R. Levitt, 2015-04 The 1936 Yankees, the 1963 Dodgers, the 1975 Reds, the 2010 Giants--why do some baseball teams win while others don't? General managers and fans alike have pondered this most important of baseball questions. The Moneyball strategy is not the first example of how new ideas and innovative management have transformed the way teams are assembled. In Pursuit of Pennants examines and analyzes a number of compelling, winning baseball teams over the past hundred-plus years, focusing on their decision making and how they assembled their championship teams. Whether through scouting, integration, instruction, expansion, free agency, or modernizing their management structure, each winning team and each era had its own version of Moneyball, where front office decisions often made the difference. Mark L. Armour and Daniel R. Levitt show how these teams succeeded and how they relied on talent both on the field and in the front office. While there is no recipe for guaranteed success in a competitive, ever-changing environment, these teams demonstrate how creatively thinking about one's circumstances can often lead to a competitive advantage. |
How to Pitch a Business Idea: 5 Steps | HBS Online
Aug 27, 2020 · Pitching a business idea is one of the most nerve-wracking parts of any entrepreneur’s journey. It’s what stands in the way between your vision and the financing needed …
The Pitching Mechanics Article You'll Actually Understand - DAN …
In this detailed but clear guide to pitching mechanics, learn how to pitch like a pro. Technique is shown in steps with tons of photos, videos and tips and more
How to Pitch a Baseball: Grips, Techniques, Tips, & More - wikiHow
May 1, 2025 · Learning how to pitch properly takes dedication, an understanding of the mechanics of pitching, and a love of the game. Note: All directions are for a right-handed pitcher. If you are …
How To Effectively Pitch Your Ideas In 6 Easy Steps - Science of …
Apr 10, 2025 · Whether you’re a startup looking for funding or trying to convince your office to implement a new protocol, pitching ideas is a social superpower that will help you in both …
Pitching - definition of pitching by The Free Dictionary
pitching - abrupt up-and-down motion (as caused by a ship or other conveyance); "the pitching and tossing was quite exciting"
Pitch (baseball) - Wikipedia
In baseball, the pitch is the act of throwing the baseball toward home plate to start a play. The term comes from the Knickerbocker Rules. Originally, the ball had to be thrown underhand, much like …
11 Types of Baseball Pitches (and How to Throw Them)
May 7, 2021 · Here are the 11 most common baseball pitches and how to throw them. 1. The Fastball. 2. The Changeup. 3. The Curveball. 4. The Slider. 5. The Knuckleball. 6. The Sinker. 7. …
6 Fundamentals Of Pitching In Baseball - Baseball Training World
What are the fundamentals of pitching? The six key fundamentals of pitching in baseball are the pitcher’s grip, starting stance, windup, pivot, stride, and follow-through. Successful pitchers …
What Makes a Great Pitch - Harvard Business Review
May 6, 2020 · Pitching for new business is a make-or-break moment for many teams. You want to win the pitch, and so you develop a detailed slide deck, tout your credentials, capabilities and …
Welcome to Pitching Easy with Dennis Long
Gain confidence in yourself with the help of the Pitching Easy program. Since 1984, Dennis Long has helped thousands of athletes - from 8 to 80 - understand and master pitching basics. …
How to Pitch a Business Idea: 5 Steps | HBS Online
Aug 27, 2020 · Pitching a business idea is one of the most nerve-wracking parts of any entrepreneur’s journey. It’s what stands in the way between your vision and the financing …
The Pitching Mechanics Article You'll Actually Understand - DAN …
In this detailed but clear guide to pitching mechanics, learn how to pitch like a pro. Technique is shown in steps with tons of photos, videos and tips and more
How to Pitch a Baseball: Grips, Techniques, Tips, & More - wikiHow
May 1, 2025 · Learning how to pitch properly takes dedication, an understanding of the mechanics of pitching, and a love of the game. Note: All directions are for a right-handed …
How To Effectively Pitch Your Ideas In 6 Easy Steps - Science of …
Apr 10, 2025 · Whether you’re a startup looking for funding or trying to convince your office to implement a new protocol, pitching ideas is a social superpower that will help you in both …
Pitching - definition of pitching by The Free Dictionary
pitching - abrupt up-and-down motion (as caused by a ship or other conveyance); "the pitching and tossing was quite exciting"
Pitch (baseball) - Wikipedia
In baseball, the pitch is the act of throwing the baseball toward home plate to start a play. The term comes from the Knickerbocker Rules. Originally, the ball had to be thrown underhand, …
11 Types of Baseball Pitches (and How to Throw Them)
May 7, 2021 · Here are the 11 most common baseball pitches and how to throw them. 1. The Fastball. 2. The Changeup. 3. The Curveball. 4. The Slider. 5. The Knuckleball. 6. The Sinker. …
6 Fundamentals Of Pitching In Baseball - Baseball Training World
What are the fundamentals of pitching? The six key fundamentals of pitching in baseball are the pitcher’s grip, starting stance, windup, pivot, stride, and follow-through. Successful pitchers …
What Makes a Great Pitch - Harvard Business Review
May 6, 2020 · Pitching for new business is a make-or-break moment for many teams. You want to win the pitch, and so you develop a detailed slide deck, tout your credentials, capabilities and …
Welcome to Pitching Easy with Dennis Long
Gain confidence in yourself with the help of the Pitching Easy program. Since 1984, Dennis Long has helped thousands of athletes - from 8 to 80 - understand and master pitching basics. …
