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Maple vs Ash -- and now Birch?
The great debate over which wood is best. This will be for you to decide. Here are the facts as we see them. The choice is ultimately yours.
NOW BIRCH IS IN THE MIX
Maple is a very hard, dense wood. The surface hardness is about 20% greater than ash. The harder the surface the faster the ball will jump off the bat. This is one of the reasons you have seen maple become very popular. That and Barry Bonds swings maple. Maple is also a closer grained hard wood. With maple you don't see the grain like you do with ash. With maple the grain straightness doesn't matter like it does with ash. Maple will not splinter like ash. The grain will not separate like ash will. Maple being harder doesn't have much flex to it.
Ash on the other hand does flex. When a ball is hit with ash there is a trampoline affect. The ball doesn't just jump off, it first compresses the wood, then like a spring board it leaves with more force than maple. This spring board affect is one of ash's greatest strengths and week nesses. This spring board and compression will in time cause the grains to separate. Because of this flex the ash will appear to have a larger sweet spot. Ash bats also do not snap the way a maple bat does. They will break just as easy, but usually wear out. The grain will delaminate over many uses.
NEW! THE NEW BIRCH BAT is tougher than ash, more flexible than maple. This hard hitting imported wood does not flake like ash and out performs maple. This lighter wood allows athletes to swing larger barreled bats through the hitting zone.
After two seasons of extensive game play testing in the Cape Cod Baseball Summer League and the Alaskan League, a player is quoted as saying, "Maple is a thing of the past." During the 2006 season birch bats have become a new ciable choice. Hitters have become excited about birch models.!
As you can see these woods have their good points. Maple seams to be more forgiving when you hit in the wrong spot. With the same bat speed and same swing both materials will pre form very similar. With birch right in the middle.
Ash is far lighter than maple. Birch is the lightest of the 3. That is why more models are available with ash and birch than maple.
The heaver the bat the denser the wood. That is why sometimes you will find ash and birch bats that seem to have more pop than others.
Hickory is a complete story in itself. Hickory is the hardest wood used for baseball bats. This is the same wood your Hammer Handle is made out of. The old school bats were all Hickory and would last an entire season. However Hickory is heavy and a good supply of hickory light enough to make bats out of is hard to find.
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The Core
The core consists of muscles of the abdominal area, low back, hips and pelvis. These muscles are broken down into the deep inner core and the outer core. The purpose of the inner core is stabilization of the spine and pelvic region while the outer core muscles act as mobilizers.
If you don't have proper stabilization you will not have proper mobilization and the mechanics of how you play your sport (throw, hit, pitch, run, etc.) will be greatly affected. In time, injuries will most likely occur. Therefore, core training is essential. The core should be trained for both endurance and strength. One core endurance exercise is the plank.
*Before performing any exercise make sure that you consult with your healthcare provider*
The Plank:
1. Lie face down on a soft surface (exercise mat or rug) with your elbows directly under your shoulders.
2. Keep your feet together.
3. Lift yourself up from the floor so that just your elbows and toes are in contact with the floor.
4. Keep your back flat (like a plank of wood).
5. Make sure you suck in your abdominal muscles and hold them in for the entire duration.
6. Time yourself as to how long you can hold this postion. Your goal should be for 60 seconds.
Core strength exercises include crunches.
Crunches:
1. Lie on your back with your knees bent 90 degrees and your feet flat on the floor.
2. Place your fingers along the back of your neck. Do not interlace your fingers.
3. Curl up lifting your shoulders off of the floor. Your lower back should not come off of the floor.
4. Do not pull on your neck. Your chin should not be pushed to your chest.
5. Make sure you are looking up to the ceiling throughout the movement.
6. Return to the starting position and repeat.
7. Your goal should be to do 2 sets of 15 repetitions.
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Hitting Tips
Hitting with two strikes can be difficult. If you choke up you will be able to control the bat better and strike out less. Good hitters choke up with two strikes.
Staying “Inside the ball” means to keep the bat as close to the body for as long as possible. This will help you have more bat speed and hit the ball harder.
In order to hit with more power, try using your legs better. Power hitters roll up onto their back toe at contact. This will help you to use all the power in your legs and hit the ball harder and further more consistently.
Being in a proper, balanced stance is vital. While every hitter’s stance may vary, generally try to stand with your feet shoulder width apart with your hands held comfortably around your back shoulder.
Getting into a strong position of power is vital in order to make hard contact consistently. When taking your stride, make sure that your hands are “clicking” back. This will help you to be in a position to explode to contact.
Balance is one of the most important aspects of the swing. Try to keep the majority of your body weight, in your stance, on the balls of your feet. This will help you to have better balance and stability – which also gives you more power.
Once up at the plate in a game, seeing the ball should be the only aspect of hitting that you are thinking about. If you focus on seeing the ball as well as possible you will make hard contact consistently.
Make sure to keep your head down at contact. Wherever you make contact with the pitch is where you should hold your head. Practice this technique by holding your head for prolonged periods of time at contact during batting practice.
The fence drill is one of the best drills for practicing a short swing. Stand a couple feet away from a fence, take short swing and try to “miss” the fence by pulling your hands close to your body. The longer you practice this drill, the closer you should be able to get to the fence without hitting it.
Bunting should be practiced on a daily basis. The reason for this is because you actually are practicing hand eye coordination at the same time you are practicing your bunting technique.
Practice letting the ball get deep. Hitters who consistently let the ball travel deep into the hitting zone are the ones who have the most consistent success.
Hitting with a wood bat in batting practice is one of the best drills you can do. There is a smaller barrel on a wood bat which forces a hitter to have a shorter swing with better extension in order to hit the ball hard.
Video analysis is one of the best ways to see if a player is swinging improperly. Players at the Major League level watch their swings daily on video to make sure that their mechanics remain perfect. Watch your swing, make sure that you are staying short to the ball and keeping your head down.
Hitters of any age should have a good strength and conditioning training program. Pushups and crunches should be performed by any player wanting to increase power, bat speed, and overall strength.
Stay relaxed at the plate. Take deep breaths before you walk into the batter’s box and make sure that your muscles are relaxed instead of tense. This will help your confidence at the plate.
Before each game you play, visualize in your mind that you are going to be successful and take good swings up at the plate. This will help you to feel more comfortable when the actual game begins.
On deck, take swings like you would want to take in the game. Your at bat really begins well before you walk into the batter’s box.
Make sure that when you swing you are keeping your front foot at a 45 degree angle towards the plate. Hitters who open that front foot too early lose power and bat speed.
Rolling your wrists right after contact will make for inconsistent contact with the ball. To avoid this, practice hitting the ball and keeping your wrists locked until after extension.
In order to hit the ball hard to the opposite field: let the ball get deep into the hitting zone, stay short to contact, and keep your head down.
Your stride should be early and easy. Taking your stride should feel almost like you are stepping on eggs trying not to crack them. This will help you to be consistent in your at-bats.
One-handed drills are some of the best drills to establish the proper swing. Choke up on the bat so that it feels light in your hand, and then take a regular swing with each hand.
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Here are 3 exercises to strengthen the rotator cuff muscles.
Remember, before performing any exercises first consult with your healthcare provider.
Scaption:
1. Stand with your arms at your side and elbows straight.
2. Your feet should be shoulder-width apart.
3. While holding light dumbbells (1-5 lbs.) in both hands, raise your arms up slowly (with your thumbs toward the ceiling) to shoulder height so that your arms make a "V" to your body (arms are about 30 degrees from the front of your body).
4. Slowly lower your arms back down to your sides.
5. Repeat this movement for about 15-20 repetitions. Do 2-3 sets
6. Make sure that you do not arch your back while raising your arms.
External Rotation (for the right shoulder):
* using elastic tubing*
1. With one end of the tubing attached to the door knob, hold the opposite end of the tubing in your right hand.
2. Stand so that your left side is facing the door knob.
3. Your right elbow should be at your side and bent 90 degrees.
4. While keeping your right elbow at your side, rotate your arm away from your body.
5. Return your arm back towards your body so that your forearm touches your stomach.
6. Perform 15-20 repetitions and 2-3 sets.
* to perform this exercise for the left shoulder just reverse the everything*
Internal Rotation (for the right shoulder):
* using elastic tubing*
1. With one end of the tubing attached to the door knob, hold the opposite end of the tubing in your right hand.
2. Stand so that your right side is facing the door knob.
3. Your right elbow should be at your side and bent 90 degrees.
4. While keeping your right elbow at your side, rotate your arm towards your stomach.
5. After your forearm touches your stomach, rotate your arm away from your stomach.
6. Perform 15-20 repetitions and 2-3 sets.
* to perform this exercise for the left shoulder just reverse everything*
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