How does one cork their bat like Sammy "the cork" Sousa?
550456
Here is a link on how to make a corked bat.
439314
Usually there is a screw thingy that connects it with the G# key.  Make sure the A key is opening enough, if not, move it further away from the G# key with a screw driver.\n\nIf that doesn't help...cork pads, instead of animal skin, works much better, mine's cork, as well as some other keys.\n\nIs it an embochure problem? Ask a clarinet pro.
466195
I think the best drill to do is to practice getting a feel for the size of the ball.  Practice against the wall by repeatedly setting the ball against the wall.  You can even look at markings on the wall and try to set the ball to touch the mark.  You can try different distances from the wall too.\n\nIf you have access to a weighted setters ball (kind of like a tetherball but volleyball sized) you can try to practice setting with that.  It should strengthen your wrists.\n\nSince you are on the shorter side, I would say it's also a good idea to learn to use your knees and weight to get more power into your set (allowing you to set higher/farther).  I don't have a lot of experience with this (I am a 5'6" guy with very good "hops") however but supposedly that helps.\n\nYou can also work on a "back set" where you set the hitter behind you.  If you develop a smooth back set, you can freeze the middle blocker from always committing to the side you are setting.  The key to this is to not arch your back too much and release the ball slightly behind "overhead."  You can work on your quick sets to keep the opponent off balance (1's) too.\n\nThe key to setting is control.  I say you should never be so aggressive to force a set.  If you get a bad pass, it's better to just get it up so that it's playable, even if it's off the net.  Putting up a nice "10" is better than forcing a bad outside.  You should think about your hitters' angles too.  It is much more difficult for a hitter to hit a set that is coming from directly behind them.  For example, if you receive a bad pass at the 5 position (right back), it is better to set the weak side (2 position) or the middle hitter (3 position).  The strong side hitter (4 position) will have a bad angle and it will be more difficult for that person to get a good hit.  Also you can work on your "pass" (or "bump"--the colloquial term) as a set too if the pass is too low.\n\nAnother important point is communication.  You should call "help" early and AUDIBLY if you cannot get to it.  If you should wish, you can say something like "right here" or something like that so that your teammates can hear where you are as they are passing to you.  I can tell you the main difference I see in high school players versus older, more experienced players is their talking.  You should help call in or out if you can.  You can communicate to your hitters how many blockers they are going up against right after you set it, you can call out "one" or "two" or whatever.  Or you can tell them where to hit it (line, angle, etc.) or adjust your sets based on what the opponent is blocking.\n\nI can go on an on about this, obviously.  But communication is key.  Your coach will love you for talking.\n\nOne thing that you can also do is to find out where and how your hitters like to be set.  I have hitters who like their sets really high, others who like it rather low (i.e. "loop") and others who like it "off" and others who like it "tight."  Finding that out will help you set them better and thus make you look better.
819878
Official MLB description:\n"The ball shall be a sphere formed by yarn wound around a small core of cork, rubber or similar material, covered with two stripes of white horsehide or cowhide, tightly stitched together. It shall weigh not less than five nor more than 5 1/4 ounces avoirdupois and measure not less than nine nor more than 9 1/4 inches in circumference."\n\nActual construction of the ball:\n"The cork nucleus, enclosed in rubber, is wound with 121 yards of blue-gray wool yarn, 45 yards of white wool yarn, and 150 yards of fine cotton yarn.  Core and winding are enclosed by rubber cement and a two piece cowhide cover hand-stitched with just 216 raised red cotton stitches."
317575
This is actually pretty easy.\n1) Take a 2 liter bottle and poke a hole in the cap (with a sharp knife or philips head screwdriver) just a bit smaller than the diameter of a straw.\n\n2) Get a straw and force it through the hole in the lid. The straw should be made out of a fairly strong substance.... perhaps like a curly straw. The curly straws actually have straight sections. If the straight section is at least 3 inches long, it should work to go ahead and cut it. If the straw jams too tightly in the lid, it will obstruct the flow so just cut the hole slightly bigger until you get the right fit. We just want the straw to fit REALLY snug.\n\n3) position the straw so only a small length of it is pointing out the bottom of the cap (the longer portion should be sticking out of the top of the cap acting as a nozzle). Once the straw is placed, you could use a little epoxy or tape just to keep it from coming out.\n\n4) Get a small water balloon. Lower it into the opening of the bottle but DON'T LET IT FALL IN!!!!  While holding the opening of the water balloon above the opening of the bottle (with the rest of the balloon hanging inside the bottle), fill the balloon with vinegar so that it takes up about half the volume of the bottle. Once this is done, tie off the top of the water balloon and let it drop into the bottle. You may want to hold the bottle on it's side so the balloon doesn't smack the bottom of the bottle. Then slowly tip the bottle back up.\n\n5) Now, carefully fill the remaining space in the bottle with baking soda. (we don't want the balloon to pop YET)\n\n6) Put the lid back on the bottle and stick a piece of chewed gum just barely in the outside opening of the straw. This will preserve the baking soda by not letting any excess moisture in while the fire extinguisher is not in use. Make sure that the gum is not in too tightly or too far as we want to be able to remove it quickly.\n\n7) You are done!!!!! To use it just remove the gum and smack the bottle on a hard surface so the balloon breaks inside the bottle. When the balloon breaks, the vinegar and baking soda will mix, react, cause pressure, and the pressure will be released through the straw and in the direction that you point the fire extinguisher  : )\n\nHope this helps\nThanks\nJon
1146239
make sure the fence is quite low, and stand next to it so when you swing your bat it connects with the baseball "over" the fence....every time..
497376
in a good baseball about 8 yards of string and a solid  cork ball the size of a golfball\n\nin a crap ball just grounded up cork\n\ngo buy a baseball and cut it open one day
1040886
No.\n\nScientifically speaking. cork or super balls inside of a bat accomplish this: A lighter bat with the same density. So say you use a 32 oz. bat. You'll have it's density but 30 oz. instead. Allows you to turn on the ball faster. So say you're a struggling hitter, just off the DL. You're having trouble catching up to that 95 mph fastball with you're normal bat. Cork it and you gain 5/1000 of a second bat speed and equal response off the bat.\n\nAn edge maybe. Probably mostly psychological.
366932
To determine this, attach a room temperature (17°C) aluminium bat horizontally into a vice by its handle. Make sure the bat cannot move. Remove all the variables, such as the tightness of the vice, the length of the bat out of the vice (51cm), and the angle of the bat (level). Next, attach a 130cm string to a softball and attach the string to the ceiling above the bat with the ball level with the bat. Hold the ball up to the ceiling away from the bat with the string level with the ceiling. Make sure the ball is held in the same place every time. Let the ball drop and swing into the bat. Measure the distance that the ball rebounds off the bat by the tape measure that is placed on the rebounding track of the ball. Do 100 trials (drops of the ball). Record the distances. Repeat this procedure with the bat at 15°C (below room temperature), at 0°C (placed in a freezer), 24°C (above room temperature), and at 30°C (heated on a baseboard heater).
575769
Start with the fastball, and work on placement and control.  Try different grips, holding the ball across two and four seams (two seams is along the stitching, four is across, most basically).  See how the ball moves, and perfect those pitches.\n\nThen work on a circle change.  Hold the ball with your index finger completely curled up so you can't see any light through the center of the curl.  Position you other 3 fingers naturally, and throw like a fastball.  It'll give you screwball action without hurting you arm, and it'll take 12-15 mph off the pitch, too.\n\nOnce you have those mastered, try the other pitches.  Get a good pitching coach to teach you how to grip them best.  A split-finger fastball (a/k/a a forkball) is a great pitch to have; it dives at the last second.  A curve is okay IF you can throw it naturally without anything hurting.  At 13, though, you're too young to be throwing it.  I'd wait at least 3 years, until your arm grows more.\n\nWith respect to one of the other posters, I would NOT learn a slider.  It's hard on your elbow... you don't snap your wrist when you throw it, so you do more of a stiff-arm with it.  Plus, if you throw it poorly, it gets hit about 500 feet.  If you want to try it, learn the curve first and see how it is for you.\n\nThe one pitch I advise against ever throwing is the screwball.  It is the hardest pitch on your elbow and shoulder, because you are throwing against your body and wrenching your arm the wrong way for the spin.  The circle change is better, has similar action, and acts like a reverse slider to a degree.\n\nHope all this helps... oh, and you may want to see how a knuckleball works for you (2- or 3-finger style).  If you can kill all the spin, you have a trick pitch that nobody can hit.  It got Tim Wakefield to the majors when he failed as a 1st baseman... and got Phil Niekro to the Hall of Fame... :)
536243
Here you go, just follow these simple steps.\n\n1.Hide the ball in your glove.\n \n2.Grip the ball with your middle and index fingers perpendicular to the seams at their widest point, with your thumb underneath the ball.\n \n3. Spread your top fingers apart slightly and keep your ring finger and pinkie tucked into your palm. \n \n4. Hold the ball firmly, applying pressure with your middle finger and thumb. Try not to let the ball rest in the palm of your hand, and keep your index finger relaxed. \n \n5.Wind up into the pitch. Use the same pitching motion as in your other pitches so that the batter cannot predict a curveball. \n \n6.Keep your wrist relaxed. After drawing back the pitch, hold your wrist so that the back of your hand points toward your body. \n \n7.Roll your wrist downward and to the right (if you are right-handed) or to the left (if you're left-handed) immediately before releasing the pitch. \n \n8.Release the pitch and follow through by bending your wrist. A right-hander should finish with the palm facing in toward the chest. The top of your thumb should be facing up.\n \n9.Throw the ball between the batter and home plate if you're a left-handed pitcher facing a left-handed batter or if you're a right-handed pitcher facing a right-handed batter.\n \n \n\n \n \nTips:\nYou can also try gripping the ball between and along the seams. Spread your fingers apart slightly and press your middle finger into the ball. Go with the grip that allows you a comfortable release, the proper spin and maximum control.\n \nTurn your wrist further to increase the ball's spin. You will lose some control but will gain more curve. Throw harder, and the pitch gains speed but loses some of the curving movement.\n \n \nWarnings:\nThrowing a curveball can cause serious and possibly permanent damage to your shoulder, elbow and wrist. For this reason, most managers and coaches advise that young players avoid this pitch until they reach physical maturity.
521523
When you've got this pitch under control, hitters have no idea when to swing. When it's out of control, though, even the pitcher doesn't know where the ball is going!\n \n\nSteps:\n\n1. Grip the baseball by clenching the top of the ball with the tips of your index, middle and ring fingers just below the seams. Dig the tips of your fingers deep into the ball.\n \n2. Place your thumb below the ball to give it support. Keep your pinkie off to the side.\n \n3. Go into your windup. Remember to pivot and shift your body weight from the back foot forward toward home plate.\n \n4. Throw the ball toward home, but don't snap your wrist - keep it stable, eliminating as much spin as possible.\n \n5. Follow through. Extend all fingers toward home plate as you release the pitch. Your feet should be parallel at the end of the pitch, and your throwing arm should come across the front of your body.\n \n \nTips:\nAn effective knuckleball moves in two or three different directions in flight.\n \nTry a variation on the knuckleball grip by using just the index and middle fingers on the top of the ball. The ring finger joins the pinkie off to the side.\n \nThe slower the pitch, the more time the ball has to weave toward home plate.
265038
unless it's cracked and you're trying to extend the life of the bat, why would you want to spoil the feeling of the bat in your hand by putting tape on it?\nJust use pine tar ... it will allow you better feeling (and thus control) and improve your grip as well (if not better) than tape.
615811
hit it with a baseball bat
1096033
ok, first get a decent stance, when you swing bring your knob to the ball and never just swing your barrel, when you swing never roll your wrists and hit the ball on a level swing.always step towards the pitcher and keep your eye on the ball and check where the pitcher releases, that tels you if its high or low. good luck.
466034
make it sound like something normal and you really don't care abut his answer.\na friend can help you. You can tell him that you lost a bat and if you don't go out with him you will have to do something something you hate most or something like that.\n you will figure that out.
1173324
keep your eye on the ball and swing fast. Get as far in on the plate as you safely can. That way you can at least catch a piece of it. Its your bat speed you need to increase. Try hitting skittles and let someone time you (seriously) Let them see how long it takes for you to swing and get back into stance to be ready for the next one. The skittles help your accuracy because they are small and the bright colors help you to see them. It will help your speed guaranteed. See how long it takes you to hit ten and then start over and try to beat your own speed. Do this over and over. IT works.