When you're assessing a few different baseball training centers in your area with the plan to enroll your young athlete in one, the first thing that you'll likely focus on is what programs are available. Additionally, it's a good idea to assess the playing surface on which the instruction will take place. Some facilities have outdoor space with natural grass fields, while others have fields covered with artificial turf. You should make a point of choosing a training center that has one or more artificial turf surfaces. Here are some reasons to look for this surface.
Kids Often Play On Turf
There are countless artificial turf baseball fields around the country, which means that your child will almost certainly play on this type of surface at some point. It's highly likely that your child is already playing at least some of their games on turf. When your child is working on baseball drills, it's ideal if they work on a surface that is consistent with what they'll be playing on. For example, if your child is an infielder who will be working on drills with ground balls, the positive habits that they develop on a turf surface at the training center will translate well onto the local turf fields during games.
Injuries Are Less Likely
A child who practices taking ground balls on a turf surface should have a lower risk of sustaining an injury than performing the same drills on a natural grass surface. Grass fields can contain divots, especially as a result of heavy use. When an infielder attempts to catch a bouncing ball on a grass surface, the ball can sometimes hit a divot and bounce awkwardly — perhaps hitting the child in the body or even the face. This isn't a worry when practicing with ground balls on a uniform turf surface, which can help them to feel confident about making each play.
Rain Won't Be An Issue
After a prolonged period of rain, a natural grass surface can be saturated and unfit for use for baseball drills. This can be an issue if your child has a training program to attend at a facility that only has natural grass fields. Artificial turf holds up well against rain. This surface will typically dry soon after the rain stops falling, which won't interfere with any baseball drills that are scheduled. Contact a few local baseball training centers to determine which ones have artificial turf fields.
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