Dear Baseball Insiders, Whether you are preparing for all-stars, tourneys, or fall ball, you want your mound and batter boxes to stand up to intense competitive play. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 5 mound and batter box tips for maximum player performance. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - There are at least five things (and probably more) that your players need in a batter box and a mound for maximum performance.  Whether you are preparing for summer tourney games or looking for improvements for the fall or next spring, do these things: 1. Build a solid base, 2. Align the mound properly, 3. Use topdressing, 4. Use your most important maintenance tool - water, and 5. Ensure you have a table top for your mound. A little more about the mound table top: A mound is not supposed to look like a bump or a hill on the field. It needs a large flat area at the top and then gradual sloping to the grass. Otherwise the thing is actually dangerous for a pitcher. For example, a high school size mound should have a top that is 3 feet by 5 feet and level.  A little league field should have a table top that is 2 feet by 4 feet wide. Two quick stories about the impact of bad mounds (and the impact of a good one): First story.  My high school son pitches.  He takes a step back and then explodes forward to deliver the ball. Some call this a momentum delivery. He doesn't step sideways like a lot of players these days. Why step sideways when you want to deliver the ball straight ahead?  He started using this delivery last year and increased his speed 5 mph and increased his strike ratio to 69 percent.  By the way his high school team won the CA state Div 7 section title May 25.  Yay! Another pitcher on his team also winds up this way - step back and then explode forward.  Their high school mound has a proper level table top to do this.  But when they travel to opposing high school fields at least half of them have nothing behind the pitching rubber.  It just falls down fast.  So their delivery was impacted.  They had to go slower to stay balanced and everyone could tell they weren't pitching right.  But it was only a few, me included, that could tell why.  It was obvious. The mound was not to spec. The guys from the other team step sideways and have a very slow, almost come to a complete stop, kind of windup.  The good news is that my son is on his way to a college team and the other excellent junior pitcher on his team probably will be a hot college prospect or get drafted next year.  Their field has the proper mound that helped maximized their performance. Second story.  My 10 year old was in a tournament of champions tourney last week.  His home little league field, of course, had the proper table top on the mound.  I made sure of that.  He also is an example of a pitcher who switched from the 'step sideways' delivery to a step back and explode forward delivery.  A momentum delivery.  But this only works effectively with a mound built to spec.  Sidebar: just look at pitchers who step back vs sideways and see the overall difference in velocity and strike ratio.  It's amazing more pitchers aren't taught to pitch like this.  Oh well... Anyway my 10 yr old played three games at a ballpark across town.  At the end of the first game he came in to close and had a hard time getting his rhythm.  So did the boy who pitched before him.  Turns out the mound had nothing behind or to the sides of the rubber. The only way to pitch of that hill was to use the stretch.  So, I fixed it.  Early the next day after the sprinklers had gone on at night, I raked some of the baseball dirt from the front and front sides of the mound to the back and built a proper table top area.  The dirt was moist and easy to shape and pack.  The hot sun baked it hard.  By game time it was perfect.  My son stepped on it to practice and threw and pitch. Then he looked at me and said hey this is the way it's supposed to be.  He pitched 6 innings in the next two games and did a great job. Third story. A bonus.  My son in college switched to the momentum delivery in 2008. As the closer on his college team he hit 89 mph. He set a school record for saves in a season.  He worked hard to get to this point. But, you know, a proper mound makes it possible.  And who maintained his college mound to spec?  He did it himself.  He knew it was a factor in his success. Proper mound and batter boxes provide players with the chance to maximize their performance.  How could you expect less? As you probably know, a mound and batter box can be strengthened with similar techniques with a few differences. Resources for you: (Note: some email systems out there split these links and/or add a blank space near the end.  If this happens to you, then you will need to copy the whole link into your browser for these to work for you.  I don't know why this happens. Sorry.) http://www.ultimate-baseball-field-renovation-guide.com/s8-make-your-mound-safe-05.html http://www.ultimate-baseball-field-renovation-guide.com/mound.html http://www.ultimate-baseball-field-renovation-guide.com/batter-box.html http://www.ultimate-baseball-field-renovation-guide.com/baseball-mound-clay-bricks.html http://www.ultimate-baseball-field-renovation-guide.com/baseball-mound-best-way-to-tamp.html http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEQPXDjFYsU Do your coaching efforts stand out? Are your players at peak performance? best regards, Jim - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - We have the handbook "How to Transform Your Baseball Field into a Winning Field" and an eight week money back no hassle guarantee. Be a hero.  Knowledge is power.  Use your power to make a difference... Just click on the link below. (Email me if you have a question) http://www.ultimate-baseball-field-renovation-guide.com/baseball-field-maintenance-handbook.html - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Make your sports field do the talking, Jim Reiner Copyright, 2009, The Ultimate Baseball Field Renovation Guide. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any portion of this email is strictly prohibited without the express written consent of Jim Reiner or The Ultimate Baseball Field Renovation Guide. http://www.ultimate-baseball-field-renovation-guide.com