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These links are all great baseball sites. But remember your way back to learningbaseball.com PopUp Quiz with Quips 'n' Quotes from this site. Below is a link for my convenience, but you're welcome to visit, of course:
_______________ | The Basics page appears last on the practice list because it is assumed that the basics are known by the reader. Anyone looking for that type of learning can learn everything about baseball through BaseBallLinks.Com. The sections below, then, describe the basics about fielding, throwing and hitting more as a review than as instruction to a novice.
Infield - The ready position is basically the same for every infielder. Your feet should be shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, with your weight on the balls of your feet. Your hands should NOT be resting on you knees, but rather should hang relaxed in front and slightly below your hips. Bend slightly at the waist, with your head up and eyes on the batter. As your Pitcher delivers his pitch you should take a step forward staying on the balls of your feet. This keeps you ready to move at the crack of the bat.
Outfield - The ready position is basically the same for every outfielder. Again, do NOT rest your hands on your knees. Stay loose with your weight on the balls of your feet. Many outfielders (especially left and right) like to stand slightly sideways. Personally I don't. Be ready. Watch the pitch, anticipate the trajectory.
Throwing is certainly one of the most natural acts of baseball to learn. Yet it's felt to be the most unnatural act for some who try to learn it. A common fault is improper body alignment. Make sure you are properly lined up with your target. Imagine an arrow from your back foot through your front foot and aiming at your target. Another common fault involves the step. Did you ever try to bowl starting out with the wrong foot? Same kind of thing happens if you don't step to throw. Except for the those wild, off-balance throws infielders sometimes need to make to force an out, you should always step in the direction you throw. Raise your front elbow, bent with a bent wrist, to shoulder height as your throwing hand sweeps down-back-and-up in a circle, sort of forming a figure eight with the movement of your front hand. Keep your head level until after you release the ball. Lead with your chest, and transfer your weight with your hips opening up, which brings your throwing arm, followed by your back leg, into your throw. (The basics sure sound complicated, don't they?) A good follow-through always helps your accuracy and speed. Of course there is much more on hitting in the Batting part of this site, but the basic ability to swing the bat at a pitched ball is covered here. It is important to remain relaxed yet focused as you wait for the pitch. To be sure, get relaxed before you enter the box, then focus on getting a good pitch. Concentrate on the pitcher, your past experience with her, the game situation, what you're good at today, what she's good at today; see the ball, and all the while remain relaxed until you start you swing. Stance
Swing
(With all that said, expressions like "Throw your hands at the inside of the ball first," and "Lead with the hips" are still true. This narrows the sequence to the smallest details that you won't even consider when doing it right, but sometimes may help to know when something goes wrong.) *Relaxed with a tight grip? How is that possible, you say. While you wait for the pitch it is certainly okay, preferable for some, to keep your hands relaxed. Others will open and close the fingers, but when the pitch comes the grip comes.
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