Review by Booklist Review
Gr. 5^-9. The process of hitting a baseball, generally conceded to be one of the most difficult skills for an athlete to master, is the subject of this book. Though a baseball swing takes only seconds, Brundage effectively stops the action and discusses a swing's component parts: grip, stance, preswing, swing, contact, and follow-through. The last few chapters discuss placement, quickness, bunting, and the mental aspects of hitting, along with a good section on handling failure. Along the way, Brundage points out common errors and describes drills to help develop good technique, and conditioning exercises for strength and quickness. He also offers tips on studying the pitcher. Clear, colorful photographs of players from Little League to the major leagues illustrate the text effectively, though the pictures of boys and girls may put off older players, who are more likely than younger players to benefit from the book's analysis of technique. A clearly presented manual for those baseball players--and coaches--who turn to books for help. --Carolyn Phelan
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 4-8-Fabulous color photographs of girls and boys through current professional players, diagrams, and a solid text instruct budding athletes on the finer points of hitting a baseball. Chapters cover basic techniques and recommend drills. Later discussions focus on mental skills that will improve hitting percentages such as studying the pitcher, paying attention to the count, understanding an umpire, and situational hitting. Children familiar with the game and their coaches will find this title useful and attractive.-Michael McCullough, Byron-Bergen Middle School, Bergen, NY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A coach on many levels of the amateur game since 1981, Brundage imparts his considerable knowledge of batting basics in this clearly written and illustrated guide. "Being a good hitter is one-third having a solid swing, one-third timing, and one-third understanding the game of baseball." With this philosophy, Brundage details the mechanics of hitting (grip, stance, pre-swing, swing, making contact); understanding aspects of the swing such as hitting for average and opposite-field hitting; mental aspects (analyzing situations such as pitch count and umpires); the art of bunting; and handling failure. He provides practice drills to help young players develop muscle memory and emphasizes keeping a positive attitude. Excellent color photographs of professionals Ken Griffey Jr. and Alex Rodriguez and of some young players, girls and boys, as well as some graphics, ably illustrate the fundamentals described in the text. This is just the book to help produce some future big-league hitters. (index) (Nonfiction. 10+ ) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
