We've all been there before. After hitting the ball consistently for a period of time, we fall into a slump and have no idea what the problem is. Desperate to find a quick answer, we start hunting madly for some new drill that will provide an instant miracle cure.

"Not so fast!" says Doug Bernier. In his article on probaseballinsider.com, titled, " Baseball Batting Drills: Why you might be wasting your time," Doug says that the drills that originally got you hitting well in the first place can likely bring you to the promised land again. It's not the drill that is the problem; the proper and consistent execution of it is the real trouble.

In the article, Doug says the key to improving your hitting is treating your practice time the same as you would during a real ball game. There are no "do overs" in a baseball game, says Doug, and you should treat every single swing in a batting drill exactly as you would during a game. Getting it right on every swing, whether you are hitting from a batting tee or from a pitching machine, will translate into a well-grooved swing come game time. And yes, even the pros still use batting tees to hone their mechanics, according to Doug.

For those unfamiliar with Doug Bernier, he has been playing professional ball for 10+ years and is the founder of probaseballinsider.com, a free online mega-resource for all things related to baseball instruction.

If you are struggling at the plate lately, and even if you're not, you should definitely give the article a read. It'll be a couple of minutes well spent!

Pitching Machine Stop Quote of the Day:"Practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect." - Vince Lombardi