REPOST: Keys to a Perfect Baseball Swing

In baseball, you only have three chances to hit the ball or else you're out. This article from LiveStrong.com shares some expert tips on how to get the perfect swing.

Ted Williams was the last Major League hitter to bat .400 or better. | Image Source: livestrong.com

You often hear how hitting a baseball is the most difficult feat in sports. It is hard to argue, considering a standout hitter is successful only three times in every 10 at-bats. The odds are always in the pitcher's favor, but developing the perfect swing is possible, and it gives the hitter a competitive edge.

Balancing Act
The process of hitting the baseball begins with the lower half of the body. Thus, to perfect the swing, the hitter's weight starts on the back leg and shifts to the front, creating a smooth hip rotation and power. If the momentum doesn't move evenly from back to front and the hips stay closed, the swing is going to be slow and uneven.

Head Game
"You can't hit what you can't see" is a sentiment you will hear from hitting coaches at all levels of baseball. Quite simply, it means you have to keep your head and eyes on the baseball. If you are not watching the baseball, the swing is not going to matter. With your chin tucked into the shoulder facing the pitcher, keep both eyes on the baseball at all times. Visually recognize the pitch type, velocity and location before committing to the swing.

Helping Hands

Once the lower body is in place, and the head and eyes are focused in, the swing is just about ready. Proper hand placement is the next step. They should be held close to the body near the chest, and the hands come back as the pitch is delivered. That is what you call loading the swing. As the pitch arrives, the hands drive the bat through the zone for contact. It is important to keep the hands together and the wrists straight because this helps keep the swing level.

Making Contact

You can't have the perfect swing unless the bat is striking the baseball with optimum force. If you drop the hands and shoulders, you get an uppercut swing and pop the ball up. If you make contact on top of the baseball, the typical result is a weak ground ball. Centering the pitch with a smooth, level swing and hitting the ball on the barrel of the bat produces the best results.





Will McHale is a big baseball fan. Learn more about the sport by following this Facebook page.

Basics of football: Understanding player positions

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It is not uncommon to see or hear groups talking about the latest football news. American football has reached such a level of popularity that one cannot go to a bar without hearing something related to the NFL or the local college football team. Parents are now encouraging their children to participate, or become more involved, in the sports scene.

So it has become highly important that individuals recognize and understand the different player positions in the sport. Listed below are the different positions, with a brief explanation of each role.

Quarterback: Considered the most important position, the quarterback is often the leader of the group. QBs, as they are often called, determine the offensive and defensive strategies of each play; meaning he is often the one who calls the huddle, yells signals during scrimmages, and receives the ball from the center.

Center: This is the player who snaps the ball back to the quarterback. The center is the one who handles the ball in every play.

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Running Back: This is the player who runs with the football. Running backs can also be called the tailbacks, rushers, or halfbacks.

Fullback: There are three main roles of the fullback. These are: a) to block the opposing team’s running back, b) be open for pass-blocking, and c) to protect the quarterback. This generally means that fullbacks are bigger and short-yard runners.

Wide receiver: There can be as many as two to four of these types of players. Typically, wide receivers are fast and quick. As their name suggests, they receive the football after the throw and have to elude defenders to score.

Tight end: This player can serve as both a receiver and a blocker. Tight ends line up beside the offensive tackle on either side of the quarterback.

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There are many other roles, but these are sub-categories, and can be performed by a single team player. Depending on the specific strategy of the coach and quarterback, one player can be focused more on a defensive or offensive role.

Learn more about the latest in American football by liking this Will McHale Facebookpage.

Driven by a dream: A look back at Derek Jeter's rise to fame

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Derek Jeter, even to those who aren't familiar with Major League Baseball, is a celebrity, a role model, and a sports icon, a rarity in this age where stars with questionable talents are made famous through Youtube and reality TV.

As a child, Jeter was greatly interested in sports. His parents had instilled a can-do attitude in their son from an early age. Jeter's grandparents often took him and his sister, a softball star in her high school, to Yankees games, which made him love the sport.

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As a student at Kalamazoo Central High School in Michigan, Jeter excelled at basketball. However, he was driven by a different dream: to play shortstop for his favorite team, the New York Yankees. He played for his school's baseball team and amassed numerous awards, including an All-State honorable mention and USA Today'​s High School Player of the Year. Jeter's performance in high school baseball and all-star training camp caught the eye of the University of Michigan, which offered him a scholarship to play for the Wolverines, and scouts for the Houston Astros and the New York Yankees. He eventually decided to forego a college education and chose to go pro, signing with the Yankees and debuting in the Major Leagues in 1995. The rest, as they say, is history.

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Much has already been written about Jeter's professional achievements. His lifetime career batting average is 310, and 3,465 hits. While he is not the greatest shortstop of all time, he could easily qualify as the best in his era. Cooperstown, the site of the MLB Hall of Fame, is already preparing for his induction in 2020. At the end of his last game for the Yankees, Jeter directed a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth, the fourth player in his age group in Yankee history to have ever done so. After celebrating with his teammates, he looked over at the opposing team and wished them well. It was a fitting end to an incredible career and an apt tribute to a baseball player who was, in many respects, larger than life.

Will McHale is an assistant coach for La Courneuve Flash and a baseball fan. Like this Facebook page for sports news and articles.

Playing in the Ivy League and beyond

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Despite his father and his grandfather’s histories of having played football with Notre Dame, Will McHale set his sights on playing in the Ivy League as early as high school. And he did just that when he played as linebacker for Yale a few years ago. American football wasn’t his first love as far as sports goes, but it was certainly where he shone the brightest.

In his senior year, he was the lone captain of the Bulldogs and he lived up to all the expectations that came with his position as linebacker. During the spring season of 2012, he earned second-team All-Ivy League honors. He finished second in the league with 7.9 tackles and he was also second on the Bulldogs with 79 tackles. Apart from these, he also earned Yale’s Hammer of the Year Award for scoring the team’s top hits.

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His teammates at the time note his speed and dedication to the game. With his attitude important to the defense team’s performance, the young McHale could be counted on to play fast, physical football that the team needed.

Just a few years after his college football career, McHale has been playing for La Courneuve Flash in France. There, he also works as the team’s assistant coach and he has worked with the United States Embassy to promote American culture and sportsmanship.

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For more information on Will McHale, visit his LinkedIn page.