Boys in Rural America did all of these items above as a matter of routine in their natural occurrences throughout their younger years.

As a consequence they were developing abilities that improved their baseball skills country style.

I did not mention one routine or activity which was not significant toward enhancing the physical or mechanical development of muscles and habits which also improved your baseball skills country style.

Now we will look at these country boy activities and prove the repetitiveness of routine activity fosters development of associated skills.

If these actions apply in playing baseball then I believe you can agree my thoughts may rate some merit.

Baseball Skills Country Style

Shooting A Slingshot Living in rural America meant boys could practice this shooting a slingshot art to their hearts content. Not so for the boys who grew up in the inner cities.

Here is the skill part. Boys of the country were blessed by simple observance of seeing how that pebble would travel straight and true or would do a significant curve or drop over the course of it"s travel. They quickly learned that speed, wind, and difference in temperature played a part in the capability to hit an object.

Natural science, natural observance and natural desire, to control and improve their marksmanship, were being inputted into their memory bank.

Some of baseball skills country style was occurring simply by natural events boys enjoyed and was as natural as falling off of a log.

Velocity control was a function of how far back they pulled the sling before its release. Wind direction and velocity was not controlled but was compensated for in the aim of in front of ,over, or focused directly onto the target.

Weather was a subtle and almost negligible factor but the difference between bright sunny days and cold damp days was noticeable on the travel and eye coordination being employed to place the shot onto the target.

What was taking place is an ability to improve upon ones eye and hand coordination to put a baseball bat to that incoming baseball, that might continue straight, curve or drop.

This development of baseball skills country style shooting slingshots by the boys was as easy as playing hop scotch or skipping a jump rope by the girls while growing up in rural America.

You see these boys of the country were exposed to these phenomenon by their experience of shooting slingshots.

One last point of slingshots to baseball is this, Boys learned to use upper body movement to increase the momentum (IE speed of that pebbles travel).

To lean into the shot as if to fling it with the release was analogous to that "As Mo Goes" I have referred to in learning to throw by beginners.

Throwing Rocks Boys in the country grow up throwing rocks at any and everything from rats to snakes to mean dogs in the neighborhood. It became a natural thing to say, "I bet you can't hit that post first try", Well a dare is a dare. So he got lucky and hit the post.

Bet you can't knock three tin cans from three posts without missing? So it goes.

Country boys have the wide open spaces and God knows plenty of rocks. So there is no harm and does it ever get to be fun this throwing rocks especially on a dare.

The gifted throwing with accuracy was helping baseball skills country style progress with their abilities without fanfare.

If there is a fence there just might be cows inside that pasture so boys be careful do not let an errant hard thrown rock nip ole Bossy. Farmer Brown would not take lightly to having "Bossy" quit giving milk because of baseball skills country style was in process.

Now you know what happens. Rock throwing teaches the ever present practiced skills of correct natural throwing. The control thing and hard throws with plenty of zip and velocity were a must to master.

Never did you want the neighborhood and playground kids to see you as the weak one in these everyday occurring contests. Baseball coaches scream, "bring that ball straight overhand", IE throw in a line with the arm and body forming one line and over your head.

Boys in the country learned early hitting a tree with a rock is thrown straight overhead/overhand was 95 percent better odds than throwing sidearm.

To hit a scampering rodent might require that sidearm fling because time was of the essence and the deliberate overhand would have been too late.

In baseball we use both and must be extremely efficient with either depending on which position you play. A second baseman must be exceptionally skilled in releasing that ball with side arm accuracy making those plays from his position.

Double play action requires the shortstop and the second sack er to be sidearm throwing whiz banger.

A coach might swallow his tobacco ch aw and do a back flip if one of his outfielders routinely tried to cut down a runner sliding into third base by throwing sidearm and the throw not being on target.

I dare say there has never been a boy in the country while walking home from school passing a body of water who didn't toss one or two pebbles to watch them skip across the water.

Folks ! this is developing baseball skills country style without even giving baseball a thought but later on coaches and baseball scouts will marvel at the kids uncanny touch and accuracy in throwing the baseball.

You know what? That rock would duck Ka plunk and be gone or it would skip merrily on its way. Throwing that baseball from the outfield to cut a runner down at second, third or home plate needs this practiced skill.

Baseball skills country style becomes a natural extension of what country boys did as a matter of routine.

The throw to each of those bases requires a very different skill and technique. A throw to second base should be a strike right at the second baseman's letters.

To third base the ball should, reach the hot corner, third baseman on one good hop. The throw to third requires back English or back spin on the ball. This back spin slows up the momentum of the ball and lets it hop right to the third sackers' lap for easy handling.

Throwing to home plate needs top spin, to make the ball speed up, and make a very long hop or maybe two hops for the catcher to gather in and make that easy catch and tag at home.

That hop or skip throwing of the baseballs will allow one to gain those game saving super plays, techniques and skills.

Catching Apples Thrown From The Old Apple Tree Show me a place in the country without an apple tree and I'll tell you like Dorothy found out she was only dreaming.

Somebody would shinny up the tree and pick some of the finest Apples and toss them down. Miss it and bruise it you caught a razzing.

It was a thing of pride and concern to be able to catch that apple with no bobble. Playground playmates did not need to be told who could or could not be depended upon to make that sure handed catch.

This developing of ball players as baseball skills country style sure was easy out there in the country.

In all sports we say one has soft hands if he is known to catch them all. Soft hands is not a sissy term. Its a ballplayers respect for his teammates expertise in catching and never fumbling the catch.

Both of these body strengths are invaluable in batting or hitting of the baseball. Hitting the baseball almost came natural with the baseball skills country style.

The grip strength and the power of the forearm provides for that superb bat control and is incalculable in providing the input to increased bat speed.

When you add this improvement to a batters ability of eye/hand coordination, body movement with timed rhythm of stride and that exact timed wrist flexing at bat to ball contact, zoo wee, you are there son. Look around and "Toto" is probably in the area.

I know the fans in the stands are standing and cheering while the coaches all have that grin on their faces like the proverbial "Mule eating saw briers".

Shooting Marbles Baseball skills country style, includes the art and crafty skill of a steady hand, with an eye for the target like a hawk. No, pussy footing around it, there it is (target) Go get it, cock that thumb, line it up and let fly.

If we can do it marble to marble why not bat to ball! Now you see this baseball skills country style is working like a charm.

Folks that might be a question but it's more of a challenge. Yes it can be done and we are going to do it. You just wait and see.

Your eye is on the target, without moving that head, believe me you will not be concerned about watching that hand. Hitting a baseball is the same-same Just do it. The things which we did to improve our baseball skills country style was routine everyday things we did.

You are not even conscious of the travel route of the marble being shot. Your practiced habit, repetitiveness, is controlling the action properly and with infinite precision. Your vision is concentrating on that target "the marble the ball". This too becomes a practiced thing.

With enough repetitions the thought process is put to rest and this visual concentration becomes simply a mechanical automatic habit...

Like the warning label on the pack of cigarettes there is a need for a warning about marble playing. Mamas do not take lightly to the worn out knees of almost new overalls from all that marble shooting.

So Be Aware you'll soon be wearing knee patches with continued marble playing.

"Annie" or "Ante" Over Many times with only two or a limited number of persons available the skills of throwing and catching can be practiced with any ball you might have. Out in rural America the most common design for a house was a gabled roof with one single ridge the entire length of the house.

This tossing a ball over the roof provided a great practice site. You on one side of the house and your buddy on the other side.

Naturally you could not see each other. Whoever had the ball would cry out loud and clear "Annie Over" and throw the ball over the ridge of the house. The Ball was to hit and slide or roll down the far side roof of the house.

The catcher on the far side had no idea where the ball would show up but he would stand back far enough to see it coming down the roof. He then would hustle to catch the ball. Then he called out "Annie Over" and tossed it back across the house rooftop.

Throwing and catching practiced in this fashion was a boon to the development of many young players. Smaller and young players had a chore throwing it up and over the roof ridge line.

When the throw did not make it they would holler "Pig Tail", signifying it did not make it. This "Annie Over" "Pig Tail" kept up till finally the ball made it over.

The missing of the ball coming off that roof was never seen by our opponent on the far side of the house but the better players knew in their heart and mind that not catching the ball was "my bad."

They would simply grit their teeth and be more determined to grab that ball no drops allowed. This self discipline thing is what will separate winners from losers and the making of champions.

There has never in the annals of sports been an All-Star skilled Hero achieving fame without this fierce self-disciplined competitive spirit.

Carrying Water Two Buckets Full You need not be a muscle bound klutz to be that "King Of The Diamond" baseball player but it helped not to be that 90 lb weakling either.

The development of strong well conditioned arms and shoulders prevented many a baseball player from lifelong crippling injury to his body. This developing baseball skills country style paid huge dividends.

Bringing water from the spring to the wash pot is so familiar to many a boy who grew up out in the country. It was not something to practice. It was a necessity of rural time early 20th Century America.

This country living did however have the tendency to hone those muscles and body strength for ball playing.

The baseball skills country style and payoff of developing strong tough shoulders and arms was worth it all out there on that ball playing diamond.

Every throw made in baseball is not one which allows the player to take his time and use good form and practiced body movement. Therefore the ability to fling that baseball from any body position with all your might could be disastrous to the arm or shoulder that is not up to it.

Conditioning can be achieved by a variety of ways, some easy some hard, but it is a necessary part of life's times and life's pleasures of playing baseball.

Did I say that a kid growing up and learning baseball skills country style in rural America was better prepared as a baseball player than the inner city kids? No Way and Never Never.

All I wanted to portray is that natural everyday life can prepare one to play this great game of baseball, our National Pastime. They all learned to play by the baseball game rules and developed their skills on the diamonds practicing baseball drills making them real baseball players.

Since I grew up in the country my recollections are a little different from the boys who had those gyms and well maintained playing fields they were fortunate enough to enjoy.

Baseball Is For All so!...Throw me the Ball and give me Baseball Skills Country Style.

Baseball Playground Rules was a forerunner for Baseball Skills Country Style click here and return to the Playground Rules Baseball Skills Country Style.

Batter Up----Let's Play Ball....

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