Youth Baseball Drills
240 Pages
Coaches know the importance of drills. The cornerstone of most practices, they are essential in developing player skills and team execution. For younger players, however, the best drills go one step further. They engage the player, promote teamwork, and establish a lifelong love of the game.
Youth Baseball Drills is a comprehensive collection of more than 100 of the very best team drills for young players and their coaches. Developed specifically for players aged 6 to 18, the drills teach and reinforce fundamental skills such as these:
• Hitting
• Bunting
• Fielding
• Catching fly balls
• Throwing
• Pitching
• Base running
Easy to understand and easier to implement, each drill is accompanied by step-by-step instructions, equipment needs, field diagrams, and key coaching points. And the ready-to-use 30-, 60-, and 90-minute practice plans help coaches put them to use and create enjoyable and productive practices.
With variations and progressions for difficulty, Youth Baseball Drills has something for every coach and every player. It is a must-have guide for anyone wanting to teach youngsters how to play, and enjoy, the game of baseball.
Chapter 1 Practice Organization
Chapter 2 Warm-Up Drills
Chapter 3 Throwing and Catching Drills
Chapter 4 Fielding Drills
Chapter 5 Hitting Drills
Chapter 6 Bunting Drills
Chapter 7 Pitching Drills
Chapter 8 Base Running Drills
Chapter 9 Run-Down Drills
Chapter 10 Sliding Drills
Chapter 11 Between-Inning Drills
Chapter 12 Situational Drills
Chapter 13 Player Evaluation Drills
Peter Caliendo serves as president of Caliendo Sports International, a global baseball organization specializing in the training of individuals, teams, and coaches, as well as dealing with professional baseball operations worldwide. He recently worked in Japan as a coach alongside Japanese baseball legend and all-time home run champion Sadaharu Oh.
Caliendo studied the development of youth coaching at the legendary Mickey Owen Baseball School as well as the Grand Slam USA, Billy Williams, and Doyle baseball schools. Putting what he learned into practice, he served as the director of the Pan American Youth Baseball Association for six years. During his time with the organization, he oversaw three gold medals and more than 20 players who entered Major League Baseball. He has also served as coach and director for a number of professional teams, including the Belgium Baseball Federation national teams, team USA (where he coached a team in Australia’s Intercontinental Cup), the Thunder Bay Whiskey Jacks, and the Schaumburg Flyers. While with the Flyers, Caliendo saw more than 20 players sign with Major League organizations.
Caliendo’s resume includes stops at baseball franchises and organizations as a player, coach, and director. He is in his 14th year as a technical commissioner for the International Baseball Federation, where he served as the head of the technical committee for the historic 2009 World Baseball Cup in Europe. In 2012 and 2013 he worked as a technical committee member for the MLB World Baseball Classic’s qualifier and first and second rounds in Japan. As a technical commissioner for the International Baseball Federation (IBAF), he served on the jury of appeal for the Olympic Games in Beijing, China, and as a technical commissioner for the Olympic Qualifier in Havana, Cuba. He has served as director for USA Athletes International’s Baseball Operations, as an associate scout with the Toronto Blue Jays, as director of baseball operations and coach for the Schaumburg Flyers in the Northern League, and as player procurement director for the North Shore Spirit in the independent Northeast League.
Currently Caliendo serves on the International Baseball Federation’s Tournament and Development Committee and has been director of the Great Lakes Region for NTIS—USA Baseball’s National Team Identification Program for potential national team players since 2009. He also served as a board member for the Chicago Baseball Museum and as an immediate past president and board member of the Pitch and Hit Club, where he served eight years as president.
Caliendo has produced five instructional baseball DVDs (Coaching Made Easy) and has created an online baseball coaches certification program with the Baseball Coaches Video Library in Canada. In 20 countries he has presented at clinics, including the National High School Coaches Baseball Clinic, various High School Association Clinics, and the European Baseball Coaches Association clinic (EBCA). In 2011, Caliendo received both the American Baseball Coaches Association Meritorious Service Award and the Pitch and Hit Club Paul "Dizzy" Trout Ambassador Award.
“Pete Caliendo breaks down the ABCs of coaching youth baseball and makes it simple and fun. Anyone coaching youth baseball should add this book to their personal collection.”
Abraham Key-- President and CEO PONY Baseball and Softball
“Pete Caliendo is an amazing store of knowledge in baseball technique. He knows his stuff!”
Jim Colborn-- Former Major League Baseball All-Star Pitcher
“Pete Caliendo possesses a wealth of baseball knowledge and has the ability to impart his expertise to coaches and players in all stages of their development.”
Roland Hemond-- Special Assistant to the President and CEO Arizona Diamondbacks
“Youth Baseball Drills offers what players need to know: how to execute the fine points in the game. Coach Caliendo’s book teaches how to play the game the right way.”
Terry Ayers-- ABCA Hall of Fame
“Peter Caliendo is one of the best teachers of the fundamentals of the game.”
Jim Hall-- ABCA Hall of Fame
“Field to front office, coaching to scouting, locally to nationally and internationally, Pete’s experience and passion improve the game and the people he works with."
Tom House-- Former MLB pitcher, MLB pitching coach, and author of The Pitching Edge
“Pete Caliendo has been involved in coaching both domestically and abroad for the better part of the last 20 years. Those experiences have given him a strong foundation for coaching basics, and this book brings that knowledge to the reader in a way that is easy to understand and apply. Youth Baseball Drills is a must-read for any entry-level coach.” Paul Seiler--Executive Director and CEO USA Baseball
Practice Organization
Practice organization can help a coach improve the skills of individual players and prepare the team overall. If you are well organized and run a fun practice, players become better and stay in the game longer.
Practice organization can help a coach improve the skills of individual players and prepare the team overall. If you are well organized and run a fun practice, players become better and stay in the game longer. When a player improves and shows signs of success, he will want to play the game longer.
This book cannot organize your practices for you before the season begins because we don't know the age of your players, their abilities, and the current level of their fundamentals. But we can lay down a foundation that you can follow to set up your whole plan. You establish your practice plan by considering the number of practices you have before the season begins, the ability of your players, and the equipment and facilities available.
Come Prepared for Practice
By structuring practices for competition and preparing for game situations, you can improve the success rate of your team. To run a successful practice, you need to do several things to accomplish your final goals. The following equipment will help you operate successful practices. Each section has a description of why that equipment or item is important and how it may be used.
Clipboard
A clipboard gives you a place to store all your notes for practice and to write any observations that you might have about a particular player or the overall practice. Many coaches use tablets or other smart devices these days to access apps and record data at practices.
Batting Tees
By setting up batting tees at stations, you can have more than one player hitting at one time. If you cannot afford batting tees, you might get someone to donate orange cones that can serve as makeshift tees.
Wiffle Balls
These hollow plastic balls eliminate fear and allow players to concentrate on working on the mechanics of a swing or catching a baseball. Also, Wiffle balls do not go far when hit, so your player can get more swings when hitting. Wiffle balls can be used with any age or ability level, too.
Soft Baseballs
Soft baseballs are the next stage after Wiffle balls. They also reduce fear, so players can build confidence in their mechanics. A coach can toss the ball from a kneeling position in front of a player and not fear being hit.
Stopwatch
Players like to be timed. A stopwatch allows you to time runners around the bases or from base to base (from home to first, for example) and time stations so that you know when to rotate.
Whistle
A whistle helps you keep the practice structured. Instead of yelling, you can blow the whistle when a certain part of practice ends and you need the players to get together with you. Use the whistle to rotate stations. When you do a team drill, you can use it as a way to say, "Go," instead of yelling it all the time.
Flat Bases
You can set up flat bases in the outfield when you have several stations for throwing or fielding drills. With flat bases, you can set up a field anywhere.
Assistant Coaches
Assistants allow you to have several stations so that all players are doing something all the time and no one is standing around. Volunteers who are educated about your teaching principles, drills, and philosophy can help you keep the practice going and organized.
Baseball Cards
You can use these cards as an incentive for players to listen, hustle, improve, win a game, score high on a drill, and more. You can use baseball cards when you see a player paying attention, hustling, trying to make a mechanical change, or accomplishing something positive like knowing the number of outs during the game. Cards can also be taken back when a player does something negative like not hustling, not know the number of outs, and so on. A player who sees a teammate receive a reward for a positive behavior will want to do the same thing.
Cones
Cones can be used to lay out the area when you are doing warm-ups, drills, and more. Cones can signify where a player stands or where he goes during a running drill.
Audio Recording Device
By having a recording device in your pocket and turning it on during practice, you will have a record of your practice session. Later you can listen to it to hear the tone of voice that you are using and what you are saying to the players. Use this recording to critique yourself and improve as a communicator.
Video Recording Device
A video recording on a smart phone, tablet, or regular video recorder allows players to see and believe both what they are doing wrong and what they are doing well. To videotape players, you need to have parents fill out and sign a permission and consent form. You may want to make copies of the tapes with notes for parents so that they understand what you are trying to work on with the player.
Coaches should set up drills for players during their practices. The drills should include not only the fundamental motion used to accomplish the drill but also a competitive game. Players are more likely to do a drill with passion if it includes some kind of goal and competition. For example, if players are hitting off a batting tee, they should try to hit as many line drives as they can out of 10. Avoid having them just take 10 swings and rotate to the next station. When they do the same drill the next time, they should try to beat their previous score. When a competitive game is included with the drill, players concentrate more on the task. This translates into more learning and being able to deal with competition during a real game. Coaches should organize gamelike drills so that when players get into a real game situation, they have already been through it.
Fundamentals of Every Practice
At the end of the chapter you will see a chart that shows you how to prioritize your practices. The first part of practice should include the fundamentals that players use the most in games. They should practice these skills daily because they are the foundation of development. Then you begin looking at individual positions, such as pitching, catching, infield, and outfield. These individual positions are specialized areas that need special attention and require extra work. Last, you need to look at what your team might need to do to improve defensively, offensively, and strategically.
Hitting
Hitting is the most difficult skill for players to learn because it involves balance, vision, coordination, and timing. Young players are still developing physiologically in these areas, so you need to devote attention to detail when working with your players on hitting. Hitting is difficult at all levels but specifically at the youth level because players are still developing their physical skills. Also, because most young players select a bat that is too heavy and too long and they get too close to home plate, they develop a fear of the ball and they do not have sufficient balance while swinging the bat.
Throwing and Catching
The game is all about throwing and catching; if players cannot do this well, they will have a hard time competing as individuals or as a team. If your players can throw well, you will find it a lot easier when you need to start working on pitching. The ability to throw and catch a baseball well will enhance your team‘s defense and overall confidence. Coaches often assume that players know how to throw and catch a baseball, but the question is how well they can execute in a game situation. Most of the time, players play catch at a slow to average pace. They catch a baseball, look at it, grip it, and then throw it back. The other player often catches the ball one handed and goes through the same process before throwing it back. This routine can be easy because of the pace at which it is done. Players should usually catch the baseball with the bare hand near the glove so that they can transfer the ball from the glove to the bare hand quickly. If they have to reach to catch the ball, they should use one hand and bring the glove to the center of the body begin to throw the baseball.
Players often have a poor grip on the baseball, which causes them to throw incorrectly. Another thing that young players do is fail to turn the body sideways before they throw because doing so feels uncomfortable. By turning the body sideways, they can use the whole body to throw the ball.
Fielding
To reduce their fear about fielding, players need to work on fundamentals. Players who feel comfortable in their ability to field and get out of the way of a bad-hop ball will become better fielders. Their ability to react to a bad hop will increase. A major obstacle in fielding is fear of the baseball, so you should use softer baseballs when working on fielding so that the players can concentrate on technique. Players also need to learn to get into proper fielding position so that they can see the ball better. One way to work on this is to have players start in the fielding position when they field a ball so that the body is aware of the correct position at the time they field it.
Baserunning
Players run bases all the time, so they have to get good at it. This fundamental is also an instinct that needs to be practiced every day. Baserunning can also serve as your warm-up, so you do not have to waste time running laps around the field before practice. Baserunning for young players is fun because they are running, not standing around waiting, but it can be difficult to learn because it involves technique, balance, coordination, and awareness. Players often start out incorrectly from home plate. Most runners have an unbalanced swing that puts them in a poor position to run to first. So, when you are working on running to first base, have your players swing a bat, freeze at the end so that they have a balanced swing, and then start running to first. This drill helps them just drop the bat in a balanced follow-through instead of throwing it. As they run to first, many players wait until they get to first before making the turn to go to second. One way to correct this mistake is to have the hitter swing, look to see where the ball is, and, if it is past the infielders, immediately start angling toward the coach's box and start the turn early rather than late.
Bunting
Bunting can help young players improve their hitting and become more complete players. When working on bunting, start with softer baseballs, work on the technique, and then build up to using a hard baseball. After the player is confident, you can start by throwing the ball underhand and build up to throwing overhand. At a certain point you have to start throwing the ball hard to simulate game situations. Players have trouble in two areas. First is the stance. By having a good balanced stance, they gain confidence and can run after they bunt. This stance, described in the bunting chapter, has the feet in a quarter turn to home plate. Players also have a problem with gripping the bat, also described in the bunting chapter. Players who become good bunters will become better hitters because when they bunt they learn to track the ball longer. Coaches may want to have players bunt for a hit when they are struggling with their hitting.
Pitching
You should begin working on pitching as soon as you think that the players are throwing well. Pitching is where it starts and ends with a team. You need to have good pitching to compete. You should work with all young players on pitching. Instead of having just two or three pitchers, you want most of your guys to have the ability to pitch. Pitching is the most important part of the game because it all starts there. Most young players should start in a set position, not the windup. When they start in the stretch position, all they have to do is lift the leg and throw. Starting from the windup takes a lot more coordination and balance. After players learn to pitch from the stretch, accomplishing the windup is much easier. Another problem area for young pitchers is the grip of the baseball because their fingers are small. Make sure that the thumb is under the baseball and splits it. If they have to throw with a three- or four-finger grip to have better control, let them do it. Pitchers needs to learn to throw the baseball over the plate on the outside part, inside part, middle, up, and down. One way to do this is to have them aim for the catcher's knees and shoulders. These larger areas are easier for them to focus on.
Throwing and Catching Drills
The skill of throwing and catching a baseball is difficult for young players to accomplish.
The skill of throwing and catching a baseball is difficult for young players to accomplish. Many players have a fear of the ball, which is a natural thought process, and after they get hit by the ball, the fear may become even more real. One thing that coaches can say to ruin their credibility with young players is, "Come on. That ball doesn't hurt." If I were a young player, I would ask the coach whether I could throw the ball at him to see whether it hurts. At the same time, to have confidence in their ability to throw and catch a baseball, players have to become confident in their technique first.
Glove Care and Size
As for receiving the baseball, we need to make sure that players do a few things technique wise to build their confidence. First, the player's glove is extremely important. It is not about how much a glove costs; it's about how it is broken in and maintained throughout the year. Many of us, including me, were taught to break in a glove by putting a baseball in it, tying a string around it, and keeping it like that in the off-season. The problem is that the glove forms into a closed position, and a young player may not be able to open it up with his hand. So instead of breaking in the glove the old way, players should try a new way. They should turn the glove inside out and leave it like that when they do not use it. Players should not use a big glove because then they just reach out and hope that the ball lands in it. You want young players to have a small glove that forces them to use two hands. They can get the ball out easier, and they have to move to the baseball with their feet rather than reach out with an oversized glove.
Ball Size
Many young players have to grip the ball with three fingers across the seam or even four because their hands are too small to hold the ball properly. The Japanese have gone to a smaller baseball for young players so that they can grip it and throw it correctly. Later they build up to throwing a regulation-size baseball. This approach is a good way to teach young players to throw the ball correctly. In the United States, people are against it because they believe that using a small ball is not real baseball. We need more coaches who think outside the box when it comes to developing young players. Most of us tend to teach the way that we were taught, and most of the time that is the same old way of traditional teaching.
Receiving Position
Players who set up in proper receiving position will gain the confidence to stay in the right position or get out of the way if for some reason someone throws the ball to them and the sun gets in their eyes. We used to teach players not to throw the ball unless the receiver was looking at them and his hands were out in front. We still do this, but we now teach different hand positioning. The old way was to have the thumbs of the glove and the bare hand together and the fingertips facing up to the sky. Because of this teaching and because players often used big gloves, many players, as the ball got closer to them, had to flip the palm of the glove to the sky to see the ball. The ball would sometimes hit the heel of the glove and then hit them in the head. To make sure that they can see the ball as it is on the way, which will allow them to use their depth perception, we now start the hands and the glove with the thumbs up to the sky and the hands out in front. The player is in a good balanced position. The feet are about shoulder-width apart, and the right foot is slightly behind the left (opposite for left-handed throwers). The toes of the rear foot should be about even with the instep of the other foot.
12. Wrist Stride
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Purpose
The second phase of the throwing motion is important because it begins to work with balance and velocity. In this drill players use the wrist, arm, and chest to throw.
Equipment
Baseball colored in half for each group playing catch
Number of Players
Full team
Setup
Place players farther apart than they were in the previous drill. Players with the baseball have the stride foot forward and grip the ball correctly, placing the throwing arm in a 90-degree angle, elbow even with the shoulder. Throw the baseball by taking the head, eyes, chest, arm, and wrist forward.
Procedure
- On your whistle, the players with the ball throw it to their partners.
- A soon as the ball hits the receiving player's glove, he takes it out quickly and gets to the 90-degree angle, with the stride foot forward.
- Throwing continues back and forth on your whistle for 5 to 10 throws.
Coaching Points
- When you yell, "Ready," make sure that players are in proper position.
- The player throwing the ball should have the hand behind the baseball, not to the side. Make sure that players use the whole upper body to go forward to release the baseball so that the back leg comes up and forward. When players throw the ball, the wrist should go forward, not to one side.
13. Toss-Up Grip
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Purpose
Players can practice this grip by tossing the ball up, catching it, and getting the proper grip as they simulate a throw. Getting the proper grip in a game will become second nature after performing this drill consistently. The important thing is to have the thumb underneath the baseball to keep it firm and balanced in the hand.
Equipment
Baseball for each player
Number of Players
Full team
Setup
Give each player a baseball and put them in a circle with about 20 feet between each player.
Procedure
- When you blow the whistle, the players toss the ball up and catch it.
- As they catch it, they transfer the baseball from the glove to the hand and try to come up with a good grip. When you blow the whistle again, the process continues.
Coaching Points
- At the start of this drill, have the players toss the ball up and slowly take the ball out of the glove. They work on the feel of how to get a good grip.
- As they improve, have them pick up the speed and see whether they can still get the proper grip.
- When they get good at this, have them take the ball out and get the correct grip as they get into a throwing position.
21. Bad Grip Shuffle
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Purpose
What happens if a player does everything well but does not have a good grip? Or what happens when the target player is not looking or not ready? What should the player do? The answer is that the player should shuffle the feet, keep or get the proper grip, and then throw the ball with rhythm. For example, when a ball is hit right back to the pitcher, he usually has plenty of time to throw the ball to first, but the first baseman may not be at the base yet. The pitcher should shuffle his feet until the first baseman gets to the base and then throw the ball in rhythm.
Equipment
Baseballs
Number of Players
Full team
Setup
Have six players on one side and six on the other. Each has a partner. Players on one side have baseballs.
Procedure
- On your whistle, the players toss the ball up to themselves.
- As soon as they catch the baseball, they throw it to their partner. This drill works on the entire process of catching, transferring, turning the body in a good position, and throwing.
- When you blow the whistle, the partners throw the ball back.
- After each line does it once, the players catch the baseball and shuffle one or two times before throwing. Then the players in the other line do the same.
Coaching Points
- Players must not throw the ball until their partner is looking. They shuffle their feet until he is ready.
- As they shuffle, they gain momentum. When they throw the ball, they keep their rhythm.
- They shuffle their feet because if their feet are moving as they throw the ball, the body will be in rhythm with the arms.
- Make sure that the players look before they throw.
Variation
After the players improve, you can yell for them to shuffle or throw as they are catching the baseball. If you yell, "Shuffle," they have to catch the ball, shuffle a couple of times, and then throw. If you yell, "Throw," they catch it, turn, and throw.
How to Determine Your Practice Plan
As you get into the first 5 to 10 practices, you can begin to add individual position drills. As you get more practices in, you can begin to add team skills.
As you get into the first 5 to 10 practices, you can begin to add individual position drills. As you get more practices in, you can begin to add team skills. As you add things, you should always be considering which areas will be more important in games. I tried to prioritize topics for you in each heading, but priorities might change depending on your needs. The hardest one to prioritize is team skills. You have to determine which ones your team needs more.
Five Practices Before the Season Begins
- All you can do here is focus all five days on throwing, fielding, pitching, catching, and hitting.
- You teach individual skills and team skills before your games begin or during your game. For example, if the first baseman is holding the runner on first incorrectly, you can show him the correct stance between innings. If a cutoff and relay is performed incorrectly, talk about it with the players when they come off the field.
Ten Practices Before the Season Begins
- During the first five workouts, you focus on the fundamental skills.
- For the next five practices, you begin to add work for individual positions, such as pitcher, catcher, outfielder, and so on.
Twenty or More Practices
- For the first five practices, focus on the fundamentals
- For next five, decrease work on the fundamentals and start adding work for individual positions.
- On the next five days, you can begin adding team skills. For the last five practices, add the rest of the team skills.
Practice Plans for 90 Minutes, 60 Minutes, and 30 Minutes
- Make sure that you have your practice plan written down and placed on a clipboard.
- With today's technology you should e-mail a practice plan ahead of time to all your players. They will then see what they are working on, how it is organized, and what to expect.
- Make sure that you have all the equipment needed for the practice.
- Get there early and lay out all your cones and equipment where you need it. Do not use your practice time to do this. If players are there early, have them place the items in the correct part of the field.
- Add the sample plan that uses the drills, skills, and philosophy presented in this book.
Baserunning Drills
Baserunning is a fundamental of the game that incorporates many facets that players can work on no matter what their running speed.
Baserunning is a fundamental of the game that incorporates many facets that players can work on no matter what their running speed. Coaches of young players often do not work with their teams on this part of the game. Running the bases is an art. If coaches teach baserunning correctly, they will increase the ability of their players to steal bases and take extra bases. Fast base runners force fielders to throw to another base because the runner got there quicker than the fielder expected. In the field, faster players are able to get to and catch more balls. Before working on baserunning, coaches need to teach young players how to run properly and have them run every day to get faster. Speed and agility training is an important part of helping young players develop their athleticism. After a young player has developed his athleticism, all the facets of baserunning become a lot easier. Most of the time players cannot develop athleticism by playing baseball. This should be a priority when it comes to helping young players run the bases better.
To work on running and running the bases, your warm-ups in practice and before games need to be organized around running. Running needs to become a habit for young players. You can begin and end practices with fun running drills and games. Keep in mind that you always want to end practices with a competitive and fun activity because the last thing they do is what they remember. You want them remembering that practice was fun so that they learn faster.
Coaches should talk to track coaches to learn the proper running techniques so that they can help their players run better. Track coaches can teach the techniques and drills that allow players to perfect their running.
A few things need to be taught to help with all facets of baserunning. First is the ability to move quickly from one spot to another. This art is used in baseball and in many other sports. It begins with the hip turn, pushing off one foot and going. This turn will help runners and fielders. In this technique, players turn their hips as quickly as possible, keep the feet low to the ground, and turn on the angle that they need to run. The hip turn helps them move their feet faster. As they turn their hips and their feet touch the ground, they push off with the back foot. This turn can be practiced in warm-up drills, as we explain in the following drills.
56. Baserunning Game
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Purpose
You can use this drill at the end of practice for a fun game. Work on baserunning and make it a natural instinct. Plus it is competitive and fun for the players.
Equipment
- Bases
- Six cones or plastic milk cartons with water in them
Number of Players
Full team
Setup
Divide players equally into two teams. Make it fair by having the same amount of speed on each team. When you give them the order, mix them up. Don't place all the fast players first. Place half the team at home plate and the other at second base. Place a cone before and after each base. When the runners run around the bases, they go around the first cone and inside the second cone. This will help them understand how the bases are run.
Procedure
- On the whistle, the first runner at each base begins to run around the bases until he gets all the way back to the base where he started. When he touches that base, the next runner goes.
- The team to get around the bases first is the winner. You can play best of three or five, however you like. Winners get two baseball cards and the losers one.
Coaching Points
- Make sure they run the bases correctly. If incorrect, send the runner back.
- Also, make this the end-of-practice drill because players will be warmed up.
62. First to Third
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Purpose
This drill teaches players to be aggressive on their secondary lead, get a good jump, read where the ball is, and continue to third. As described earlier if an outfielder has to move to the right or left more than one step, the runner continues to third base. He will not be able to advance to third if he does not get a good secondary lead and is not moving as the ball enters the hitting area.
Equipment
- Three bases
- Baseballs
- Helmets
- Bat
Number of Players
6 to 12
Setup
Place players at catcher, pitcher, first base, second base, shortstop, third base, and in each outfield position. Place a hitter at home plate with a helmet, tracking the pitches. Have a runner on first base, a pitcher on the mound who delivers the ball to the catcher, and a runner at first.
Procedure
- The pitcher keeps the runner close to the base. He can go home or pick to first.
- If the pitcher goes home, the runner on first takes his secondary lead.
- As the ball crosses the hitting zone, a coach hits the ball to the outfield.
- The runner decides whether to go to third or not.
- The defensive players work as they do in a real game.
- Sliding, tags, and relays all occur as they do in a game.
- The batter - runner stays at first. The runner on first who went to second or third goes in to hit. Players keep rotating.
Coaching Points
- Watch how the defense reacts.
- Watch to see how the runners react.
- If they do something incorrectly, you might want to repeat the play so that they feel the right way to do it.
- A common mistake is not running full speed all the way until the outfielder fields the ball cleanly and has the ball in his throwing hand. Most runners stop, assuming that the outfielder will field the ball or that the transfer to the throwing hand is easy. Fear stops most runners from being aggressive, so they must be encouraged in practice to take chances.
Variation
From this, you can let the hitter run as if he hit the ball. You go to the next phase of the situation, which is holding the runner at first if the runner gets to third or holding the runners at second and first. This becomes a baserunning drill as well as a defensive drill.
Practice Organization
Practice organization can help a coach improve the skills of individual players and prepare the team overall. If you are well organized and run a fun practice, players become better and stay in the game longer.
Practice organization can help a coach improve the skills of individual players and prepare the team overall. If you are well organized and run a fun practice, players become better and stay in the game longer. When a player improves and shows signs of success, he will want to play the game longer.
This book cannot organize your practices for you before the season begins because we don't know the age of your players, their abilities, and the current level of their fundamentals. But we can lay down a foundation that you can follow to set up your whole plan. You establish your practice plan by considering the number of practices you have before the season begins, the ability of your players, and the equipment and facilities available.
Come Prepared for Practice
By structuring practices for competition and preparing for game situations, you can improve the success rate of your team. To run a successful practice, you need to do several things to accomplish your final goals. The following equipment will help you operate successful practices. Each section has a description of why that equipment or item is important and how it may be used.
Clipboard
A clipboard gives you a place to store all your notes for practice and to write any observations that you might have about a particular player or the overall practice. Many coaches use tablets or other smart devices these days to access apps and record data at practices.
Batting Tees
By setting up batting tees at stations, you can have more than one player hitting at one time. If you cannot afford batting tees, you might get someone to donate orange cones that can serve as makeshift tees.
Wiffle Balls
These hollow plastic balls eliminate fear and allow players to concentrate on working on the mechanics of a swing or catching a baseball. Also, Wiffle balls do not go far when hit, so your player can get more swings when hitting. Wiffle balls can be used with any age or ability level, too.
Soft Baseballs
Soft baseballs are the next stage after Wiffle balls. They also reduce fear, so players can build confidence in their mechanics. A coach can toss the ball from a kneeling position in front of a player and not fear being hit.
Stopwatch
Players like to be timed. A stopwatch allows you to time runners around the bases or from base to base (from home to first, for example) and time stations so that you know when to rotate.
Whistle
A whistle helps you keep the practice structured. Instead of yelling, you can blow the whistle when a certain part of practice ends and you need the players to get together with you. Use the whistle to rotate stations. When you do a team drill, you can use it as a way to say, "Go," instead of yelling it all the time.
Flat Bases
You can set up flat bases in the outfield when you have several stations for throwing or fielding drills. With flat bases, you can set up a field anywhere.
Assistant Coaches
Assistants allow you to have several stations so that all players are doing something all the time and no one is standing around. Volunteers who are educated about your teaching principles, drills, and philosophy can help you keep the practice going and organized.
Baseball Cards
You can use these cards as an incentive for players to listen, hustle, improve, win a game, score high on a drill, and more. You can use baseball cards when you see a player paying attention, hustling, trying to make a mechanical change, or accomplishing something positive like knowing the number of outs during the game. Cards can also be taken back when a player does something negative like not hustling, not know the number of outs, and so on. A player who sees a teammate receive a reward for a positive behavior will want to do the same thing.
Cones
Cones can be used to lay out the area when you are doing warm-ups, drills, and more. Cones can signify where a player stands or where he goes during a running drill.
Audio Recording Device
By having a recording device in your pocket and turning it on during practice, you will have a record of your practice session. Later you can listen to it to hear the tone of voice that you are using and what you are saying to the players. Use this recording to critique yourself and improve as a communicator.
Video Recording Device
A video recording on a smart phone, tablet, or regular video recorder allows players to see and believe both what they are doing wrong and what they are doing well. To videotape players, you need to have parents fill out and sign a permission and consent form. You may want to make copies of the tapes with notes for parents so that they understand what you are trying to work on with the player.
Coaches should set up drills for players during their practices. The drills should include not only the fundamental motion used to accomplish the drill but also a competitive game. Players are more likely to do a drill with passion if it includes some kind of goal and competition. For example, if players are hitting off a batting tee, they should try to hit as many line drives as they can out of 10. Avoid having them just take 10 swings and rotate to the next station. When they do the same drill the next time, they should try to beat their previous score. When a competitive game is included with the drill, players concentrate more on the task. This translates into more learning and being able to deal with competition during a real game. Coaches should organize gamelike drills so that when players get into a real game situation, they have already been through it.
Fundamentals of Every Practice
At the end of the chapter you will see a chart that shows you how to prioritize your practices. The first part of practice should include the fundamentals that players use the most in games. They should practice these skills daily because they are the foundation of development. Then you begin looking at individual positions, such as pitching, catching, infield, and outfield. These individual positions are specialized areas that need special attention and require extra work. Last, you need to look at what your team might need to do to improve defensively, offensively, and strategically.
Hitting
Hitting is the most difficult skill for players to learn because it involves balance, vision, coordination, and timing. Young players are still developing physiologically in these areas, so you need to devote attention to detail when working with your players on hitting. Hitting is difficult at all levels but specifically at the youth level because players are still developing their physical skills. Also, because most young players select a bat that is too heavy and too long and they get too close to home plate, they develop a fear of the ball and they do not have sufficient balance while swinging the bat.
Throwing and Catching
The game is all about throwing and catching; if players cannot do this well, they will have a hard time competing as individuals or as a team. If your players can throw well, you will find it a lot easier when you need to start working on pitching. The ability to throw and catch a baseball well will enhance your team‘s defense and overall confidence. Coaches often assume that players know how to throw and catch a baseball, but the question is how well they can execute in a game situation. Most of the time, players play catch at a slow to average pace. They catch a baseball, look at it, grip it, and then throw it back. The other player often catches the ball one handed and goes through the same process before throwing it back. This routine can be easy because of the pace at which it is done. Players should usually catch the baseball with the bare hand near the glove so that they can transfer the ball from the glove to the bare hand quickly. If they have to reach to catch the ball, they should use one hand and bring the glove to the center of the body begin to throw the baseball.
Players often have a poor grip on the baseball, which causes them to throw incorrectly. Another thing that young players do is fail to turn the body sideways before they throw because doing so feels uncomfortable. By turning the body sideways, they can use the whole body to throw the ball.
Fielding
To reduce their fear about fielding, players need to work on fundamentals. Players who feel comfortable in their ability to field and get out of the way of a bad-hop ball will become better fielders. Their ability to react to a bad hop will increase. A major obstacle in fielding is fear of the baseball, so you should use softer baseballs when working on fielding so that the players can concentrate on technique. Players also need to learn to get into proper fielding position so that they can see the ball better. One way to work on this is to have players start in the fielding position when they field a ball so that the body is aware of the correct position at the time they field it.
Baserunning
Players run bases all the time, so they have to get good at it. This fundamental is also an instinct that needs to be practiced every day. Baserunning can also serve as your warm-up, so you do not have to waste time running laps around the field before practice. Baserunning for young players is fun because they are running, not standing around waiting, but it can be difficult to learn because it involves technique, balance, coordination, and awareness. Players often start out incorrectly from home plate. Most runners have an unbalanced swing that puts them in a poor position to run to first. So, when you are working on running to first base, have your players swing a bat, freeze at the end so that they have a balanced swing, and then start running to first. This drill helps them just drop the bat in a balanced follow-through instead of throwing it. As they run to first, many players wait until they get to first before making the turn to go to second. One way to correct this mistake is to have the hitter swing, look to see where the ball is, and, if it is past the infielders, immediately start angling toward the coach's box and start the turn early rather than late.
Bunting
Bunting can help young players improve their hitting and become more complete players. When working on bunting, start with softer baseballs, work on the technique, and then build up to using a hard baseball. After the player is confident, you can start by throwing the ball underhand and build up to throwing overhand. At a certain point you have to start throwing the ball hard to simulate game situations. Players have trouble in two areas. First is the stance. By having a good balanced stance, they gain confidence and can run after they bunt. This stance, described in the bunting chapter, has the feet in a quarter turn to home plate. Players also have a problem with gripping the bat, also described in the bunting chapter. Players who become good bunters will become better hitters because when they bunt they learn to track the ball longer. Coaches may want to have players bunt for a hit when they are struggling with their hitting.
Pitching
You should begin working on pitching as soon as you think that the players are throwing well. Pitching is where it starts and ends with a team. You need to have good pitching to compete. You should work with all young players on pitching. Instead of having just two or three pitchers, you want most of your guys to have the ability to pitch. Pitching is the most important part of the game because it all starts there. Most young players should start in a set position, not the windup. When they start in the stretch position, all they have to do is lift the leg and throw. Starting from the windup takes a lot more coordination and balance. After players learn to pitch from the stretch, accomplishing the windup is much easier. Another problem area for young pitchers is the grip of the baseball because their fingers are small. Make sure that the thumb is under the baseball and splits it. If they have to throw with a three- or four-finger grip to have better control, let them do it. Pitchers needs to learn to throw the baseball over the plate on the outside part, inside part, middle, up, and down. One way to do this is to have them aim for the catcher's knees and shoulders. These larger areas are easier for them to focus on.
Throwing and Catching Drills
The skill of throwing and catching a baseball is difficult for young players to accomplish.
The skill of throwing and catching a baseball is difficult for young players to accomplish. Many players have a fear of the ball, which is a natural thought process, and after they get hit by the ball, the fear may become even more real. One thing that coaches can say to ruin their credibility with young players is, "Come on. That ball doesn't hurt." If I were a young player, I would ask the coach whether I could throw the ball at him to see whether it hurts. At the same time, to have confidence in their ability to throw and catch a baseball, players have to become confident in their technique first.
Glove Care and Size
As for receiving the baseball, we need to make sure that players do a few things technique wise to build their confidence. First, the player's glove is extremely important. It is not about how much a glove costs; it's about how it is broken in and maintained throughout the year. Many of us, including me, were taught to break in a glove by putting a baseball in it, tying a string around it, and keeping it like that in the off-season. The problem is that the glove forms into a closed position, and a young player may not be able to open it up with his hand. So instead of breaking in the glove the old way, players should try a new way. They should turn the glove inside out and leave it like that when they do not use it. Players should not use a big glove because then they just reach out and hope that the ball lands in it. You want young players to have a small glove that forces them to use two hands. They can get the ball out easier, and they have to move to the baseball with their feet rather than reach out with an oversized glove.
Ball Size
Many young players have to grip the ball with three fingers across the seam or even four because their hands are too small to hold the ball properly. The Japanese have gone to a smaller baseball for young players so that they can grip it and throw it correctly. Later they build up to throwing a regulation-size baseball. This approach is a good way to teach young players to throw the ball correctly. In the United States, people are against it because they believe that using a small ball is not real baseball. We need more coaches who think outside the box when it comes to developing young players. Most of us tend to teach the way that we were taught, and most of the time that is the same old way of traditional teaching.
Receiving Position
Players who set up in proper receiving position will gain the confidence to stay in the right position or get out of the way if for some reason someone throws the ball to them and the sun gets in their eyes. We used to teach players not to throw the ball unless the receiver was looking at them and his hands were out in front. We still do this, but we now teach different hand positioning. The old way was to have the thumbs of the glove and the bare hand together and the fingertips facing up to the sky. Because of this teaching and because players often used big gloves, many players, as the ball got closer to them, had to flip the palm of the glove to the sky to see the ball. The ball would sometimes hit the heel of the glove and then hit them in the head. To make sure that they can see the ball as it is on the way, which will allow them to use their depth perception, we now start the hands and the glove with the thumbs up to the sky and the hands out in front. The player is in a good balanced position. The feet are about shoulder-width apart, and the right foot is slightly behind the left (opposite for left-handed throwers). The toes of the rear foot should be about even with the instep of the other foot.
12. Wrist Stride
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Purpose
The second phase of the throwing motion is important because it begins to work with balance and velocity. In this drill players use the wrist, arm, and chest to throw.
Equipment
Baseball colored in half for each group playing catch
Number of Players
Full team
Setup
Place players farther apart than they were in the previous drill. Players with the baseball have the stride foot forward and grip the ball correctly, placing the throwing arm in a 90-degree angle, elbow even with the shoulder. Throw the baseball by taking the head, eyes, chest, arm, and wrist forward.
Procedure
- On your whistle, the players with the ball throw it to their partners.
- A soon as the ball hits the receiving player's glove, he takes it out quickly and gets to the 90-degree angle, with the stride foot forward.
- Throwing continues back and forth on your whistle for 5 to 10 throws.
Coaching Points
- When you yell, "Ready," make sure that players are in proper position.
- The player throwing the ball should have the hand behind the baseball, not to the side. Make sure that players use the whole upper body to go forward to release the baseball so that the back leg comes up and forward. When players throw the ball, the wrist should go forward, not to one side.
13. Toss-Up Grip
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Purpose
Players can practice this grip by tossing the ball up, catching it, and getting the proper grip as they simulate a throw. Getting the proper grip in a game will become second nature after performing this drill consistently. The important thing is to have the thumb underneath the baseball to keep it firm and balanced in the hand.
Equipment
Baseball for each player
Number of Players
Full team
Setup
Give each player a baseball and put them in a circle with about 20 feet between each player.
Procedure
- When you blow the whistle, the players toss the ball up and catch it.
- As they catch it, they transfer the baseball from the glove to the hand and try to come up with a good grip. When you blow the whistle again, the process continues.
Coaching Points
- At the start of this drill, have the players toss the ball up and slowly take the ball out of the glove. They work on the feel of how to get a good grip.
- As they improve, have them pick up the speed and see whether they can still get the proper grip.
- When they get good at this, have them take the ball out and get the correct grip as they get into a throwing position.
21. Bad Grip Shuffle
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Purpose
What happens if a player does everything well but does not have a good grip? Or what happens when the target player is not looking or not ready? What should the player do? The answer is that the player should shuffle the feet, keep or get the proper grip, and then throw the ball with rhythm. For example, when a ball is hit right back to the pitcher, he usually has plenty of time to throw the ball to first, but the first baseman may not be at the base yet. The pitcher should shuffle his feet until the first baseman gets to the base and then throw the ball in rhythm.
Equipment
Baseballs
Number of Players
Full team
Setup
Have six players on one side and six on the other. Each has a partner. Players on one side have baseballs.
Procedure
- On your whistle, the players toss the ball up to themselves.
- As soon as they catch the baseball, they throw it to their partner. This drill works on the entire process of catching, transferring, turning the body in a good position, and throwing.
- When you blow the whistle, the partners throw the ball back.
- After each line does it once, the players catch the baseball and shuffle one or two times before throwing. Then the players in the other line do the same.
Coaching Points
- Players must not throw the ball until their partner is looking. They shuffle their feet until he is ready.
- As they shuffle, they gain momentum. When they throw the ball, they keep their rhythm.
- They shuffle their feet because if their feet are moving as they throw the ball, the body will be in rhythm with the arms.
- Make sure that the players look before they throw.
Variation
After the players improve, you can yell for them to shuffle or throw as they are catching the baseball. If you yell, "Shuffle," they have to catch the ball, shuffle a couple of times, and then throw. If you yell, "Throw," they catch it, turn, and throw.
How to Determine Your Practice Plan
As you get into the first 5 to 10 practices, you can begin to add individual position drills. As you get more practices in, you can begin to add team skills.
As you get into the first 5 to 10 practices, you can begin to add individual position drills. As you get more practices in, you can begin to add team skills. As you add things, you should always be considering which areas will be more important in games. I tried to prioritize topics for you in each heading, but priorities might change depending on your needs. The hardest one to prioritize is team skills. You have to determine which ones your team needs more.
Five Practices Before the Season Begins
- All you can do here is focus all five days on throwing, fielding, pitching, catching, and hitting.
- You teach individual skills and team skills before your games begin or during your game. For example, if the first baseman is holding the runner on first incorrectly, you can show him the correct stance between innings. If a cutoff and relay is performed incorrectly, talk about it with the players when they come off the field.
Ten Practices Before the Season Begins
- During the first five workouts, you focus on the fundamental skills.
- For the next five practices, you begin to add work for individual positions, such as pitcher, catcher, outfielder, and so on.
Twenty or More Practices
- For the first five practices, focus on the fundamentals
- For next five, decrease work on the fundamentals and start adding work for individual positions.
- On the next five days, you can begin adding team skills. For the last five practices, add the rest of the team skills.
Practice Plans for 90 Minutes, 60 Minutes, and 30 Minutes
- Make sure that you have your practice plan written down and placed on a clipboard.
- With today's technology you should e-mail a practice plan ahead of time to all your players. They will then see what they are working on, how it is organized, and what to expect.
- Make sure that you have all the equipment needed for the practice.
- Get there early and lay out all your cones and equipment where you need it. Do not use your practice time to do this. If players are there early, have them place the items in the correct part of the field.
- Add the sample plan that uses the drills, skills, and philosophy presented in this book.
Baserunning Drills
Baserunning is a fundamental of the game that incorporates many facets that players can work on no matter what their running speed.
Baserunning is a fundamental of the game that incorporates many facets that players can work on no matter what their running speed. Coaches of young players often do not work with their teams on this part of the game. Running the bases is an art. If coaches teach baserunning correctly, they will increase the ability of their players to steal bases and take extra bases. Fast base runners force fielders to throw to another base because the runner got there quicker than the fielder expected. In the field, faster players are able to get to and catch more balls. Before working on baserunning, coaches need to teach young players how to run properly and have them run every day to get faster. Speed and agility training is an important part of helping young players develop their athleticism. After a young player has developed his athleticism, all the facets of baserunning become a lot easier. Most of the time players cannot develop athleticism by playing baseball. This should be a priority when it comes to helping young players run the bases better.
To work on running and running the bases, your warm-ups in practice and before games need to be organized around running. Running needs to become a habit for young players. You can begin and end practices with fun running drills and games. Keep in mind that you always want to end practices with a competitive and fun activity because the last thing they do is what they remember. You want them remembering that practice was fun so that they learn faster.
Coaches should talk to track coaches to learn the proper running techniques so that they can help their players run better. Track coaches can teach the techniques and drills that allow players to perfect their running.
A few things need to be taught to help with all facets of baserunning. First is the ability to move quickly from one spot to another. This art is used in baseball and in many other sports. It begins with the hip turn, pushing off one foot and going. This turn will help runners and fielders. In this technique, players turn their hips as quickly as possible, keep the feet low to the ground, and turn on the angle that they need to run. The hip turn helps them move their feet faster. As they turn their hips and their feet touch the ground, they push off with the back foot. This turn can be practiced in warm-up drills, as we explain in the following drills.
56. Baserunning Game
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Purpose
You can use this drill at the end of practice for a fun game. Work on baserunning and make it a natural instinct. Plus it is competitive and fun for the players.
Equipment
- Bases
- Six cones or plastic milk cartons with water in them
Number of Players
Full team
Setup
Divide players equally into two teams. Make it fair by having the same amount of speed on each team. When you give them the order, mix them up. Don't place all the fast players first. Place half the team at home plate and the other at second base. Place a cone before and after each base. When the runners run around the bases, they go around the first cone and inside the second cone. This will help them understand how the bases are run.
Procedure
- On the whistle, the first runner at each base begins to run around the bases until he gets all the way back to the base where he started. When he touches that base, the next runner goes.
- The team to get around the bases first is the winner. You can play best of three or five, however you like. Winners get two baseball cards and the losers one.
Coaching Points
- Make sure they run the bases correctly. If incorrect, send the runner back.
- Also, make this the end-of-practice drill because players will be warmed up.
62. First to Third
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Purpose
This drill teaches players to be aggressive on their secondary lead, get a good jump, read where the ball is, and continue to third. As described earlier if an outfielder has to move to the right or left more than one step, the runner continues to third base. He will not be able to advance to third if he does not get a good secondary lead and is not moving as the ball enters the hitting area.
Equipment
- Three bases
- Baseballs
- Helmets
- Bat
Number of Players
6 to 12
Setup
Place players at catcher, pitcher, first base, second base, shortstop, third base, and in each outfield position. Place a hitter at home plate with a helmet, tracking the pitches. Have a runner on first base, a pitcher on the mound who delivers the ball to the catcher, and a runner at first.
Procedure
- The pitcher keeps the runner close to the base. He can go home or pick to first.
- If the pitcher goes home, the runner on first takes his secondary lead.
- As the ball crosses the hitting zone, a coach hits the ball to the outfield.
- The runner decides whether to go to third or not.
- The defensive players work as they do in a real game.
- Sliding, tags, and relays all occur as they do in a game.
- The batter - runner stays at first. The runner on first who went to second or third goes in to hit. Players keep rotating.
Coaching Points
- Watch how the defense reacts.
- Watch to see how the runners react.
- If they do something incorrectly, you might want to repeat the play so that they feel the right way to do it.
- A common mistake is not running full speed all the way until the outfielder fields the ball cleanly and has the ball in his throwing hand. Most runners stop, assuming that the outfielder will field the ball or that the transfer to the throwing hand is easy. Fear stops most runners from being aggressive, so they must be encouraged in practice to take chances.
Variation
From this, you can let the hitter run as if he hit the ball. You go to the next phase of the situation, which is holding the runner at first if the runner gets to third or holding the runners at second and first. This becomes a baserunning drill as well as a defensive drill.
Practice Organization
Practice organization can help a coach improve the skills of individual players and prepare the team overall. If you are well organized and run a fun practice, players become better and stay in the game longer.
Practice organization can help a coach improve the skills of individual players and prepare the team overall. If you are well organized and run a fun practice, players become better and stay in the game longer. When a player improves and shows signs of success, he will want to play the game longer.
This book cannot organize your practices for you before the season begins because we don't know the age of your players, their abilities, and the current level of their fundamentals. But we can lay down a foundation that you can follow to set up your whole plan. You establish your practice plan by considering the number of practices you have before the season begins, the ability of your players, and the equipment and facilities available.
Come Prepared for Practice
By structuring practices for competition and preparing for game situations, you can improve the success rate of your team. To run a successful practice, you need to do several things to accomplish your final goals. The following equipment will help you operate successful practices. Each section has a description of why that equipment or item is important and how it may be used.
Clipboard
A clipboard gives you a place to store all your notes for practice and to write any observations that you might have about a particular player or the overall practice. Many coaches use tablets or other smart devices these days to access apps and record data at practices.
Batting Tees
By setting up batting tees at stations, you can have more than one player hitting at one time. If you cannot afford batting tees, you might get someone to donate orange cones that can serve as makeshift tees.
Wiffle Balls
These hollow plastic balls eliminate fear and allow players to concentrate on working on the mechanics of a swing or catching a baseball. Also, Wiffle balls do not go far when hit, so your player can get more swings when hitting. Wiffle balls can be used with any age or ability level, too.
Soft Baseballs
Soft baseballs are the next stage after Wiffle balls. They also reduce fear, so players can build confidence in their mechanics. A coach can toss the ball from a kneeling position in front of a player and not fear being hit.
Stopwatch
Players like to be timed. A stopwatch allows you to time runners around the bases or from base to base (from home to first, for example) and time stations so that you know when to rotate.
Whistle
A whistle helps you keep the practice structured. Instead of yelling, you can blow the whistle when a certain part of practice ends and you need the players to get together with you. Use the whistle to rotate stations. When you do a team drill, you can use it as a way to say, "Go," instead of yelling it all the time.
Flat Bases
You can set up flat bases in the outfield when you have several stations for throwing or fielding drills. With flat bases, you can set up a field anywhere.
Assistant Coaches
Assistants allow you to have several stations so that all players are doing something all the time and no one is standing around. Volunteers who are educated about your teaching principles, drills, and philosophy can help you keep the practice going and organized.
Baseball Cards
You can use these cards as an incentive for players to listen, hustle, improve, win a game, score high on a drill, and more. You can use baseball cards when you see a player paying attention, hustling, trying to make a mechanical change, or accomplishing something positive like knowing the number of outs during the game. Cards can also be taken back when a player does something negative like not hustling, not know the number of outs, and so on. A player who sees a teammate receive a reward for a positive behavior will want to do the same thing.
Cones
Cones can be used to lay out the area when you are doing warm-ups, drills, and more. Cones can signify where a player stands or where he goes during a running drill.
Audio Recording Device
By having a recording device in your pocket and turning it on during practice, you will have a record of your practice session. Later you can listen to it to hear the tone of voice that you are using and what you are saying to the players. Use this recording to critique yourself and improve as a communicator.
Video Recording Device
A video recording on a smart phone, tablet, or regular video recorder allows players to see and believe both what they are doing wrong and what they are doing well. To videotape players, you need to have parents fill out and sign a permission and consent form. You may want to make copies of the tapes with notes for parents so that they understand what you are trying to work on with the player.
Coaches should set up drills for players during their practices. The drills should include not only the fundamental motion used to accomplish the drill but also a competitive game. Players are more likely to do a drill with passion if it includes some kind of goal and competition. For example, if players are hitting off a batting tee, they should try to hit as many line drives as they can out of 10. Avoid having them just take 10 swings and rotate to the next station. When they do the same drill the next time, they should try to beat their previous score. When a competitive game is included with the drill, players concentrate more on the task. This translates into more learning and being able to deal with competition during a real game. Coaches should organize gamelike drills so that when players get into a real game situation, they have already been through it.
Fundamentals of Every Practice
At the end of the chapter you will see a chart that shows you how to prioritize your practices. The first part of practice should include the fundamentals that players use the most in games. They should practice these skills daily because they are the foundation of development. Then you begin looking at individual positions, such as pitching, catching, infield, and outfield. These individual positions are specialized areas that need special attention and require extra work. Last, you need to look at what your team might need to do to improve defensively, offensively, and strategically.
Hitting
Hitting is the most difficult skill for players to learn because it involves balance, vision, coordination, and timing. Young players are still developing physiologically in these areas, so you need to devote attention to detail when working with your players on hitting. Hitting is difficult at all levels but specifically at the youth level because players are still developing their physical skills. Also, because most young players select a bat that is too heavy and too long and they get too close to home plate, they develop a fear of the ball and they do not have sufficient balance while swinging the bat.
Throwing and Catching
The game is all about throwing and catching; if players cannot do this well, they will have a hard time competing as individuals or as a team. If your players can throw well, you will find it a lot easier when you need to start working on pitching. The ability to throw and catch a baseball well will enhance your team‘s defense and overall confidence. Coaches often assume that players know how to throw and catch a baseball, but the question is how well they can execute in a game situation. Most of the time, players play catch at a slow to average pace. They catch a baseball, look at it, grip it, and then throw it back. The other player often catches the ball one handed and goes through the same process before throwing it back. This routine can be easy because of the pace at which it is done. Players should usually catch the baseball with the bare hand near the glove so that they can transfer the ball from the glove to the bare hand quickly. If they have to reach to catch the ball, they should use one hand and bring the glove to the center of the body begin to throw the baseball.
Players often have a poor grip on the baseball, which causes them to throw incorrectly. Another thing that young players do is fail to turn the body sideways before they throw because doing so feels uncomfortable. By turning the body sideways, they can use the whole body to throw the ball.
Fielding
To reduce their fear about fielding, players need to work on fundamentals. Players who feel comfortable in their ability to field and get out of the way of a bad-hop ball will become better fielders. Their ability to react to a bad hop will increase. A major obstacle in fielding is fear of the baseball, so you should use softer baseballs when working on fielding so that the players can concentrate on technique. Players also need to learn to get into proper fielding position so that they can see the ball better. One way to work on this is to have players start in the fielding position when they field a ball so that the body is aware of the correct position at the time they field it.
Baserunning
Players run bases all the time, so they have to get good at it. This fundamental is also an instinct that needs to be practiced every day. Baserunning can also serve as your warm-up, so you do not have to waste time running laps around the field before practice. Baserunning for young players is fun because they are running, not standing around waiting, but it can be difficult to learn because it involves technique, balance, coordination, and awareness. Players often start out incorrectly from home plate. Most runners have an unbalanced swing that puts them in a poor position to run to first. So, when you are working on running to first base, have your players swing a bat, freeze at the end so that they have a balanced swing, and then start running to first. This drill helps them just drop the bat in a balanced follow-through instead of throwing it. As they run to first, many players wait until they get to first before making the turn to go to second. One way to correct this mistake is to have the hitter swing, look to see where the ball is, and, if it is past the infielders, immediately start angling toward the coach's box and start the turn early rather than late.
Bunting
Bunting can help young players improve their hitting and become more complete players. When working on bunting, start with softer baseballs, work on the technique, and then build up to using a hard baseball. After the player is confident, you can start by throwing the ball underhand and build up to throwing overhand. At a certain point you have to start throwing the ball hard to simulate game situations. Players have trouble in two areas. First is the stance. By having a good balanced stance, they gain confidence and can run after they bunt. This stance, described in the bunting chapter, has the feet in a quarter turn to home plate. Players also have a problem with gripping the bat, also described in the bunting chapter. Players who become good bunters will become better hitters because when they bunt they learn to track the ball longer. Coaches may want to have players bunt for a hit when they are struggling with their hitting.
Pitching
You should begin working on pitching as soon as you think that the players are throwing well. Pitching is where it starts and ends with a team. You need to have good pitching to compete. You should work with all young players on pitching. Instead of having just two or three pitchers, you want most of your guys to have the ability to pitch. Pitching is the most important part of the game because it all starts there. Most young players should start in a set position, not the windup. When they start in the stretch position, all they have to do is lift the leg and throw. Starting from the windup takes a lot more coordination and balance. After players learn to pitch from the stretch, accomplishing the windup is much easier. Another problem area for young pitchers is the grip of the baseball because their fingers are small. Make sure that the thumb is under the baseball and splits it. If they have to throw with a three- or four-finger grip to have better control, let them do it. Pitchers needs to learn to throw the baseball over the plate on the outside part, inside part, middle, up, and down. One way to do this is to have them aim for the catcher's knees and shoulders. These larger areas are easier for them to focus on.
Throwing and Catching Drills
The skill of throwing and catching a baseball is difficult for young players to accomplish.
The skill of throwing and catching a baseball is difficult for young players to accomplish. Many players have a fear of the ball, which is a natural thought process, and after they get hit by the ball, the fear may become even more real. One thing that coaches can say to ruin their credibility with young players is, "Come on. That ball doesn't hurt." If I were a young player, I would ask the coach whether I could throw the ball at him to see whether it hurts. At the same time, to have confidence in their ability to throw and catch a baseball, players have to become confident in their technique first.
Glove Care and Size
As for receiving the baseball, we need to make sure that players do a few things technique wise to build their confidence. First, the player's glove is extremely important. It is not about how much a glove costs; it's about how it is broken in and maintained throughout the year. Many of us, including me, were taught to break in a glove by putting a baseball in it, tying a string around it, and keeping it like that in the off-season. The problem is that the glove forms into a closed position, and a young player may not be able to open it up with his hand. So instead of breaking in the glove the old way, players should try a new way. They should turn the glove inside out and leave it like that when they do not use it. Players should not use a big glove because then they just reach out and hope that the ball lands in it. You want young players to have a small glove that forces them to use two hands. They can get the ball out easier, and they have to move to the baseball with their feet rather than reach out with an oversized glove.
Ball Size
Many young players have to grip the ball with three fingers across the seam or even four because their hands are too small to hold the ball properly. The Japanese have gone to a smaller baseball for young players so that they can grip it and throw it correctly. Later they build up to throwing a regulation-size baseball. This approach is a good way to teach young players to throw the ball correctly. In the United States, people are against it because they believe that using a small ball is not real baseball. We need more coaches who think outside the box when it comes to developing young players. Most of us tend to teach the way that we were taught, and most of the time that is the same old way of traditional teaching.
Receiving Position
Players who set up in proper receiving position will gain the confidence to stay in the right position or get out of the way if for some reason someone throws the ball to them and the sun gets in their eyes. We used to teach players not to throw the ball unless the receiver was looking at them and his hands were out in front. We still do this, but we now teach different hand positioning. The old way was to have the thumbs of the glove and the bare hand together and the fingertips facing up to the sky. Because of this teaching and because players often used big gloves, many players, as the ball got closer to them, had to flip the palm of the glove to the sky to see the ball. The ball would sometimes hit the heel of the glove and then hit them in the head. To make sure that they can see the ball as it is on the way, which will allow them to use their depth perception, we now start the hands and the glove with the thumbs up to the sky and the hands out in front. The player is in a good balanced position. The feet are about shoulder-width apart, and the right foot is slightly behind the left (opposite for left-handed throwers). The toes of the rear foot should be about even with the instep of the other foot.
12. Wrist Stride
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Purpose
The second phase of the throwing motion is important because it begins to work with balance and velocity. In this drill players use the wrist, arm, and chest to throw.
Equipment
Baseball colored in half for each group playing catch
Number of Players
Full team
Setup
Place players farther apart than they were in the previous drill. Players with the baseball have the stride foot forward and grip the ball correctly, placing the throwing arm in a 90-degree angle, elbow even with the shoulder. Throw the baseball by taking the head, eyes, chest, arm, and wrist forward.
Procedure
- On your whistle, the players with the ball throw it to their partners.
- A soon as the ball hits the receiving player's glove, he takes it out quickly and gets to the 90-degree angle, with the stride foot forward.
- Throwing continues back and forth on your whistle for 5 to 10 throws.
Coaching Points
- When you yell, "Ready," make sure that players are in proper position.
- The player throwing the ball should have the hand behind the baseball, not to the side. Make sure that players use the whole upper body to go forward to release the baseball so that the back leg comes up and forward. When players throw the ball, the wrist should go forward, not to one side.
13. Toss-Up Grip
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Purpose
Players can practice this grip by tossing the ball up, catching it, and getting the proper grip as they simulate a throw. Getting the proper grip in a game will become second nature after performing this drill consistently. The important thing is to have the thumb underneath the baseball to keep it firm and balanced in the hand.
Equipment
Baseball for each player
Number of Players
Full team
Setup
Give each player a baseball and put them in a circle with about 20 feet between each player.
Procedure
- When you blow the whistle, the players toss the ball up and catch it.
- As they catch it, they transfer the baseball from the glove to the hand and try to come up with a good grip. When you blow the whistle again, the process continues.
Coaching Points
- At the start of this drill, have the players toss the ball up and slowly take the ball out of the glove. They work on the feel of how to get a good grip.
- As they improve, have them pick up the speed and see whether they can still get the proper grip.
- When they get good at this, have them take the ball out and get the correct grip as they get into a throwing position.
21. Bad Grip Shuffle
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Purpose
What happens if a player does everything well but does not have a good grip? Or what happens when the target player is not looking or not ready? What should the player do? The answer is that the player should shuffle the feet, keep or get the proper grip, and then throw the ball with rhythm. For example, when a ball is hit right back to the pitcher, he usually has plenty of time to throw the ball to first, but the first baseman may not be at the base yet. The pitcher should shuffle his feet until the first baseman gets to the base and then throw the ball in rhythm.
Equipment
Baseballs
Number of Players
Full team
Setup
Have six players on one side and six on the other. Each has a partner. Players on one side have baseballs.
Procedure
- On your whistle, the players toss the ball up to themselves.
- As soon as they catch the baseball, they throw it to their partner. This drill works on the entire process of catching, transferring, turning the body in a good position, and throwing.
- When you blow the whistle, the partners throw the ball back.
- After each line does it once, the players catch the baseball and shuffle one or two times before throwing. Then the players in the other line do the same.
Coaching Points
- Players must not throw the ball until their partner is looking. They shuffle their feet until he is ready.
- As they shuffle, they gain momentum. When they throw the ball, they keep their rhythm.
- They shuffle their feet because if their feet are moving as they throw the ball, the body will be in rhythm with the arms.
- Make sure that the players look before they throw.
Variation
After the players improve, you can yell for them to shuffle or throw as they are catching the baseball. If you yell, "Shuffle," they have to catch the ball, shuffle a couple of times, and then throw. If you yell, "Throw," they catch it, turn, and throw.
How to Determine Your Practice Plan
As you get into the first 5 to 10 practices, you can begin to add individual position drills. As you get more practices in, you can begin to add team skills.
As you get into the first 5 to 10 practices, you can begin to add individual position drills. As you get more practices in, you can begin to add team skills. As you add things, you should always be considering which areas will be more important in games. I tried to prioritize topics for you in each heading, but priorities might change depending on your needs. The hardest one to prioritize is team skills. You have to determine which ones your team needs more.
Five Practices Before the Season Begins
- All you can do here is focus all five days on throwing, fielding, pitching, catching, and hitting.
- You teach individual skills and team skills before your games begin or during your game. For example, if the first baseman is holding the runner on first incorrectly, you can show him the correct stance between innings. If a cutoff and relay is performed incorrectly, talk about it with the players when they come off the field.
Ten Practices Before the Season Begins
- During the first five workouts, you focus on the fundamental skills.
- For the next five practices, you begin to add work for individual positions, such as pitcher, catcher, outfielder, and so on.
Twenty or More Practices
- For the first five practices, focus on the fundamentals
- For next five, decrease work on the fundamentals and start adding work for individual positions.
- On the next five days, you can begin adding team skills. For the last five practices, add the rest of the team skills.
Practice Plans for 90 Minutes, 60 Minutes, and 30 Minutes
- Make sure that you have your practice plan written down and placed on a clipboard.
- With today's technology you should e-mail a practice plan ahead of time to all your players. They will then see what they are working on, how it is organized, and what to expect.
- Make sure that you have all the equipment needed for the practice.
- Get there early and lay out all your cones and equipment where you need it. Do not use your practice time to do this. If players are there early, have them place the items in the correct part of the field.
- Add the sample plan that uses the drills, skills, and philosophy presented in this book.
Baserunning Drills
Baserunning is a fundamental of the game that incorporates many facets that players can work on no matter what their running speed.
Baserunning is a fundamental of the game that incorporates many facets that players can work on no matter what their running speed. Coaches of young players often do not work with their teams on this part of the game. Running the bases is an art. If coaches teach baserunning correctly, they will increase the ability of their players to steal bases and take extra bases. Fast base runners force fielders to throw to another base because the runner got there quicker than the fielder expected. In the field, faster players are able to get to and catch more balls. Before working on baserunning, coaches need to teach young players how to run properly and have them run every day to get faster. Speed and agility training is an important part of helping young players develop their athleticism. After a young player has developed his athleticism, all the facets of baserunning become a lot easier. Most of the time players cannot develop athleticism by playing baseball. This should be a priority when it comes to helping young players run the bases better.
To work on running and running the bases, your warm-ups in practice and before games need to be organized around running. Running needs to become a habit for young players. You can begin and end practices with fun running drills and games. Keep in mind that you always want to end practices with a competitive and fun activity because the last thing they do is what they remember. You want them remembering that practice was fun so that they learn faster.
Coaches should talk to track coaches to learn the proper running techniques so that they can help their players run better. Track coaches can teach the techniques and drills that allow players to perfect their running.
A few things need to be taught to help with all facets of baserunning. First is the ability to move quickly from one spot to another. This art is used in baseball and in many other sports. It begins with the hip turn, pushing off one foot and going. This turn will help runners and fielders. In this technique, players turn their hips as quickly as possible, keep the feet low to the ground, and turn on the angle that they need to run. The hip turn helps them move their feet faster. As they turn their hips and their feet touch the ground, they push off with the back foot. This turn can be practiced in warm-up drills, as we explain in the following drills.
56. Baserunning Game
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Purpose
You can use this drill at the end of practice for a fun game. Work on baserunning and make it a natural instinct. Plus it is competitive and fun for the players.
Equipment
- Bases
- Six cones or plastic milk cartons with water in them
Number of Players
Full team
Setup
Divide players equally into two teams. Make it fair by having the same amount of speed on each team. When you give them the order, mix them up. Don't place all the fast players first. Place half the team at home plate and the other at second base. Place a cone before and after each base. When the runners run around the bases, they go around the first cone and inside the second cone. This will help them understand how the bases are run.
Procedure
- On the whistle, the first runner at each base begins to run around the bases until he gets all the way back to the base where he started. When he touches that base, the next runner goes.
- The team to get around the bases first is the winner. You can play best of three or five, however you like. Winners get two baseball cards and the losers one.
Coaching Points
- Make sure they run the bases correctly. If incorrect, send the runner back.
- Also, make this the end-of-practice drill because players will be warmed up.
62. First to Third
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Purpose
This drill teaches players to be aggressive on their secondary lead, get a good jump, read where the ball is, and continue to third. As described earlier if an outfielder has to move to the right or left more than one step, the runner continues to third base. He will not be able to advance to third if he does not get a good secondary lead and is not moving as the ball enters the hitting area.
Equipment
- Three bases
- Baseballs
- Helmets
- Bat
Number of Players
6 to 12
Setup
Place players at catcher, pitcher, first base, second base, shortstop, third base, and in each outfield position. Place a hitter at home plate with a helmet, tracking the pitches. Have a runner on first base, a pitcher on the mound who delivers the ball to the catcher, and a runner at first.
Procedure
- The pitcher keeps the runner close to the base. He can go home or pick to first.
- If the pitcher goes home, the runner on first takes his secondary lead.
- As the ball crosses the hitting zone, a coach hits the ball to the outfield.
- The runner decides whether to go to third or not.
- The defensive players work as they do in a real game.
- Sliding, tags, and relays all occur as they do in a game.
- The batter - runner stays at first. The runner on first who went to second or third goes in to hit. Players keep rotating.
Coaching Points
- Watch how the defense reacts.
- Watch to see how the runners react.
- If they do something incorrectly, you might want to repeat the play so that they feel the right way to do it.
- A common mistake is not running full speed all the way until the outfielder fields the ball cleanly and has the ball in his throwing hand. Most runners stop, assuming that the outfielder will field the ball or that the transfer to the throwing hand is easy. Fear stops most runners from being aggressive, so they must be encouraged in practice to take chances.
Variation
From this, you can let the hitter run as if he hit the ball. You go to the next phase of the situation, which is holding the runner at first if the runner gets to third or holding the runners at second and first. This becomes a baserunning drill as well as a defensive drill.
Practice Organization
Practice organization can help a coach improve the skills of individual players and prepare the team overall. If you are well organized and run a fun practice, players become better and stay in the game longer.
Practice organization can help a coach improve the skills of individual players and prepare the team overall. If you are well organized and run a fun practice, players become better and stay in the game longer. When a player improves and shows signs of success, he will want to play the game longer.
This book cannot organize your practices for you before the season begins because we don't know the age of your players, their abilities, and the current level of their fundamentals. But we can lay down a foundation that you can follow to set up your whole plan. You establish your practice plan by considering the number of practices you have before the season begins, the ability of your players, and the equipment and facilities available.
Come Prepared for Practice
By structuring practices for competition and preparing for game situations, you can improve the success rate of your team. To run a successful practice, you need to do several things to accomplish your final goals. The following equipment will help you operate successful practices. Each section has a description of why that equipment or item is important and how it may be used.
Clipboard
A clipboard gives you a place to store all your notes for practice and to write any observations that you might have about a particular player or the overall practice. Many coaches use tablets or other smart devices these days to access apps and record data at practices.
Batting Tees
By setting up batting tees at stations, you can have more than one player hitting at one time. If you cannot afford batting tees, you might get someone to donate orange cones that can serve as makeshift tees.
Wiffle Balls
These hollow plastic balls eliminate fear and allow players to concentrate on working on the mechanics of a swing or catching a baseball. Also, Wiffle balls do not go far when hit, so your player can get more swings when hitting. Wiffle balls can be used with any age or ability level, too.
Soft Baseballs
Soft baseballs are the next stage after Wiffle balls. They also reduce fear, so players can build confidence in their mechanics. A coach can toss the ball from a kneeling position in front of a player and not fear being hit.
Stopwatch
Players like to be timed. A stopwatch allows you to time runners around the bases or from base to base (from home to first, for example) and time stations so that you know when to rotate.
Whistle
A whistle helps you keep the practice structured. Instead of yelling, you can blow the whistle when a certain part of practice ends and you need the players to get together with you. Use the whistle to rotate stations. When you do a team drill, you can use it as a way to say, "Go," instead of yelling it all the time.
Flat Bases
You can set up flat bases in the outfield when you have several stations for throwing or fielding drills. With flat bases, you can set up a field anywhere.
Assistant Coaches
Assistants allow you to have several stations so that all players are doing something all the time and no one is standing around. Volunteers who are educated about your teaching principles, drills, and philosophy can help you keep the practice going and organized.
Baseball Cards
You can use these cards as an incentive for players to listen, hustle, improve, win a game, score high on a drill, and more. You can use baseball cards when you see a player paying attention, hustling, trying to make a mechanical change, or accomplishing something positive like knowing the number of outs during the game. Cards can also be taken back when a player does something negative like not hustling, not know the number of outs, and so on. A player who sees a teammate receive a reward for a positive behavior will want to do the same thing.
Cones
Cones can be used to lay out the area when you are doing warm-ups, drills, and more. Cones can signify where a player stands or where he goes during a running drill.
Audio Recording Device
By having a recording device in your pocket and turning it on during practice, you will have a record of your practice session. Later you can listen to it to hear the tone of voice that you are using and what you are saying to the players. Use this recording to critique yourself and improve as a communicator.
Video Recording Device
A video recording on a smart phone, tablet, or regular video recorder allows players to see and believe both what they are doing wrong and what they are doing well. To videotape players, you need to have parents fill out and sign a permission and consent form. You may want to make copies of the tapes with notes for parents so that they understand what you are trying to work on with the player.
Coaches should set up drills for players during their practices. The drills should include not only the fundamental motion used to accomplish the drill but also a competitive game. Players are more likely to do a drill with passion if it includes some kind of goal and competition. For example, if players are hitting off a batting tee, they should try to hit as many line drives as they can out of 10. Avoid having them just take 10 swings and rotate to the next station. When they do the same drill the next time, they should try to beat their previous score. When a competitive game is included with the drill, players concentrate more on the task. This translates into more learning and being able to deal with competition during a real game. Coaches should organize gamelike drills so that when players get into a real game situation, they have already been through it.
Fundamentals of Every Practice
At the end of the chapter you will see a chart that shows you how to prioritize your practices. The first part of practice should include the fundamentals that players use the most in games. They should practice these skills daily because they are the foundation of development. Then you begin looking at individual positions, such as pitching, catching, infield, and outfield. These individual positions are specialized areas that need special attention and require extra work. Last, you need to look at what your team might need to do to improve defensively, offensively, and strategically.
Hitting
Hitting is the most difficult skill for players to learn because it involves balance, vision, coordination, and timing. Young players are still developing physiologically in these areas, so you need to devote attention to detail when working with your players on hitting. Hitting is difficult at all levels but specifically at the youth level because players are still developing their physical skills. Also, because most young players select a bat that is too heavy and too long and they get too close to home plate, they develop a fear of the ball and they do not have sufficient balance while swinging the bat.
Throwing and Catching
The game is all about throwing and catching; if players cannot do this well, they will have a hard time competing as individuals or as a team. If your players can throw well, you will find it a lot easier when you need to start working on pitching. The ability to throw and catch a baseball well will enhance your team‘s defense and overall confidence. Coaches often assume that players know how to throw and catch a baseball, but the question is how well they can execute in a game situation. Most of the time, players play catch at a slow to average pace. They catch a baseball, look at it, grip it, and then throw it back. The other player often catches the ball one handed and goes through the same process before throwing it back. This routine can be easy because of the pace at which it is done. Players should usually catch the baseball with the bare hand near the glove so that they can transfer the ball from the glove to the bare hand quickly. If they have to reach to catch the ball, they should use one hand and bring the glove to the center of the body begin to throw the baseball.
Players often have a poor grip on the baseball, which causes them to throw incorrectly. Another thing that young players do is fail to turn the body sideways before they throw because doing so feels uncomfortable. By turning the body sideways, they can use the whole body to throw the ball.
Fielding
To reduce their fear about fielding, players need to work on fundamentals. Players who feel comfortable in their ability to field and get out of the way of a bad-hop ball will become better fielders. Their ability to react to a bad hop will increase. A major obstacle in fielding is fear of the baseball, so you should use softer baseballs when working on fielding so that the players can concentrate on technique. Players also need to learn to get into proper fielding position so that they can see the ball better. One way to work on this is to have players start in the fielding position when they field a ball so that the body is aware of the correct position at the time they field it.
Baserunning
Players run bases all the time, so they have to get good at it. This fundamental is also an instinct that needs to be practiced every day. Baserunning can also serve as your warm-up, so you do not have to waste time running laps around the field before practice. Baserunning for young players is fun because they are running, not standing around waiting, but it can be difficult to learn because it involves technique, balance, coordination, and awareness. Players often start out incorrectly from home plate. Most runners have an unbalanced swing that puts them in a poor position to run to first. So, when you are working on running to first base, have your players swing a bat, freeze at the end so that they have a balanced swing, and then start running to first. This drill helps them just drop the bat in a balanced follow-through instead of throwing it. As they run to first, many players wait until they get to first before making the turn to go to second. One way to correct this mistake is to have the hitter swing, look to see where the ball is, and, if it is past the infielders, immediately start angling toward the coach's box and start the turn early rather than late.
Bunting
Bunting can help young players improve their hitting and become more complete players. When working on bunting, start with softer baseballs, work on the technique, and then build up to using a hard baseball. After the player is confident, you can start by throwing the ball underhand and build up to throwing overhand. At a certain point you have to start throwing the ball hard to simulate game situations. Players have trouble in two areas. First is the stance. By having a good balanced stance, they gain confidence and can run after they bunt. This stance, described in the bunting chapter, has the feet in a quarter turn to home plate. Players also have a problem with gripping the bat, also described in the bunting chapter. Players who become good bunters will become better hitters because when they bunt they learn to track the ball longer. Coaches may want to have players bunt for a hit when they are struggling with their hitting.
Pitching
You should begin working on pitching as soon as you think that the players are throwing well. Pitching is where it starts and ends with a team. You need to have good pitching to compete. You should work with all young players on pitching. Instead of having just two or three pitchers, you want most of your guys to have the ability to pitch. Pitching is the most important part of the game because it all starts there. Most young players should start in a set position, not the windup. When they start in the stretch position, all they have to do is lift the leg and throw. Starting from the windup takes a lot more coordination and balance. After players learn to pitch from the stretch, accomplishing the windup is much easier. Another problem area for young pitchers is the grip of the baseball because their fingers are small. Make sure that the thumb is under the baseball and splits it. If they have to throw with a three- or four-finger grip to have better control, let them do it. Pitchers needs to learn to throw the baseball over the plate on the outside part, inside part, middle, up, and down. One way to do this is to have them aim for the catcher's knees and shoulders. These larger areas are easier for them to focus on.
Throwing and Catching Drills
The skill of throwing and catching a baseball is difficult for young players to accomplish.
The skill of throwing and catching a baseball is difficult for young players to accomplish. Many players have a fear of the ball, which is a natural thought process, and after they get hit by the ball, the fear may become even more real. One thing that coaches can say to ruin their credibility with young players is, "Come on. That ball doesn't hurt." If I were a young player, I would ask the coach whether I could throw the ball at him to see whether it hurts. At the same time, to have confidence in their ability to throw and catch a baseball, players have to become confident in their technique first.
Glove Care and Size
As for receiving the baseball, we need to make sure that players do a few things technique wise to build their confidence. First, the player's glove is extremely important. It is not about how much a glove costs; it's about how it is broken in and maintained throughout the year. Many of us, including me, were taught to break in a glove by putting a baseball in it, tying a string around it, and keeping it like that in the off-season. The problem is that the glove forms into a closed position, and a young player may not be able to open it up with his hand. So instead of breaking in the glove the old way, players should try a new way. They should turn the glove inside out and leave it like that when they do not use it. Players should not use a big glove because then they just reach out and hope that the ball lands in it. You want young players to have a small glove that forces them to use two hands. They can get the ball out easier, and they have to move to the baseball with their feet rather than reach out with an oversized glove.
Ball Size
Many young players have to grip the ball with three fingers across the seam or even four because their hands are too small to hold the ball properly. The Japanese have gone to a smaller baseball for young players so that they can grip it and throw it correctly. Later they build up to throwing a regulation-size baseball. This approach is a good way to teach young players to throw the ball correctly. In the United States, people are against it because they believe that using a small ball is not real baseball. We need more coaches who think outside the box when it comes to developing young players. Most of us tend to teach the way that we were taught, and most of the time that is the same old way of traditional teaching.
Receiving Position
Players who set up in proper receiving position will gain the confidence to stay in the right position or get out of the way if for some reason someone throws the ball to them and the sun gets in their eyes. We used to teach players not to throw the ball unless the receiver was looking at them and his hands were out in front. We still do this, but we now teach different hand positioning. The old way was to have the thumbs of the glove and the bare hand together and the fingertips facing up to the sky. Because of this teaching and because players often used big gloves, many players, as the ball got closer to them, had to flip the palm of the glove to the sky to see the ball. The ball would sometimes hit the heel of the glove and then hit them in the head. To make sure that they can see the ball as it is on the way, which will allow them to use their depth perception, we now start the hands and the glove with the thumbs up to the sky and the hands out in front. The player is in a good balanced position. The feet are about shoulder-width apart, and the right foot is slightly behind the left (opposite for left-handed throwers). The toes of the rear foot should be about even with the instep of the other foot.
12. Wrist Stride
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Purpose
The second phase of the throwing motion is important because it begins to work with balance and velocity. In this drill players use the wrist, arm, and chest to throw.
Equipment
Baseball colored in half for each group playing catch
Number of Players
Full team
Setup
Place players farther apart than they were in the previous drill. Players with the baseball have the stride foot forward and grip the ball correctly, placing the throwing arm in a 90-degree angle, elbow even with the shoulder. Throw the baseball by taking the head, eyes, chest, arm, and wrist forward.
Procedure
- On your whistle, the players with the ball throw it to their partners.
- A soon as the ball hits the receiving player's glove, he takes it out quickly and gets to the 90-degree angle, with the stride foot forward.
- Throwing continues back and forth on your whistle for 5 to 10 throws.
Coaching Points
- When you yell, "Ready," make sure that players are in proper position.
- The player throwing the ball should have the hand behind the baseball, not to the side. Make sure that players use the whole upper body to go forward to release the baseball so that the back leg comes up and forward. When players throw the ball, the wrist should go forward, not to one side.
13. Toss-Up Grip
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Purpose
Players can practice this grip by tossing the ball up, catching it, and getting the proper grip as they simulate a throw. Getting the proper grip in a game will become second nature after performing this drill consistently. The important thing is to have the thumb underneath the baseball to keep it firm and balanced in the hand.
Equipment
Baseball for each player
Number of Players
Full team
Setup
Give each player a baseball and put them in a circle with about 20 feet between each player.
Procedure
- When you blow the whistle, the players toss the ball up and catch it.
- As they catch it, they transfer the baseball from the glove to the hand and try to come up with a good grip. When you blow the whistle again, the process continues.
Coaching Points
- At the start of this drill, have the players toss the ball up and slowly take the ball out of the glove. They work on the feel of how to get a good grip.
- As they improve, have them pick up the speed and see whether they can still get the proper grip.
- When they get good at this, have them take the ball out and get the correct grip as they get into a throwing position.
21. Bad Grip Shuffle
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Purpose
What happens if a player does everything well but does not have a good grip? Or what happens when the target player is not looking or not ready? What should the player do? The answer is that the player should shuffle the feet, keep or get the proper grip, and then throw the ball with rhythm. For example, when a ball is hit right back to the pitcher, he usually has plenty of time to throw the ball to first, but the first baseman may not be at the base yet. The pitcher should shuffle his feet until the first baseman gets to the base and then throw the ball in rhythm.
Equipment
Baseballs
Number of Players
Full team
Setup
Have six players on one side and six on the other. Each has a partner. Players on one side have baseballs.
Procedure
- On your whistle, the players toss the ball up to themselves.
- As soon as they catch the baseball, they throw it to their partner. This drill works on the entire process of catching, transferring, turning the body in a good position, and throwing.
- When you blow the whistle, the partners throw the ball back.
- After each line does it once, the players catch the baseball and shuffle one or two times before throwing. Then the players in the other line do the same.
Coaching Points
- Players must not throw the ball until their partner is looking. They shuffle their feet until he is ready.
- As they shuffle, they gain momentum. When they throw the ball, they keep their rhythm.
- They shuffle their feet because if their feet are moving as they throw the ball, the body will be in rhythm with the arms.
- Make sure that the players look before they throw.
Variation
After the players improve, you can yell for them to shuffle or throw as they are catching the baseball. If you yell, "Shuffle," they have to catch the ball, shuffle a couple of times, and then throw. If you yell, "Throw," they catch it, turn, and throw.
How to Determine Your Practice Plan
As you get into the first 5 to 10 practices, you can begin to add individual position drills. As you get more practices in, you can begin to add team skills.
As you get into the first 5 to 10 practices, you can begin to add individual position drills. As you get more practices in, you can begin to add team skills. As you add things, you should always be considering which areas will be more important in games. I tried to prioritize topics for you in each heading, but priorities might change depending on your needs. The hardest one to prioritize is team skills. You have to determine which ones your team needs more.
Five Practices Before the Season Begins
- All you can do here is focus all five days on throwing, fielding, pitching, catching, and hitting.
- You teach individual skills and team skills before your games begin or during your game. For example, if the first baseman is holding the runner on first incorrectly, you can show him the correct stance between innings. If a cutoff and relay is performed incorrectly, talk about it with the players when they come off the field.
Ten Practices Before the Season Begins
- During the first five workouts, you focus on the fundamental skills.
- For the next five practices, you begin to add work for individual positions, such as pitcher, catcher, outfielder, and so on.
Twenty or More Practices
- For the first five practices, focus on the fundamentals
- For next five, decrease work on the fundamentals and start adding work for individual positions.
- On the next five days, you can begin adding team skills. For the last five practices, add the rest of the team skills.
Practice Plans for 90 Minutes, 60 Minutes, and 30 Minutes
- Make sure that you have your practice plan written down and placed on a clipboard.
- With today's technology you should e-mail a practice plan ahead of time to all your players. They will then see what they are working on, how it is organized, and what to expect.
- Make sure that you have all the equipment needed for the practice.
- Get there early and lay out all your cones and equipment where you need it. Do not use your practice time to do this. If players are there early, have them place the items in the correct part of the field.
- Add the sample plan that uses the drills, skills, and philosophy presented in this book.
Baserunning Drills
Baserunning is a fundamental of the game that incorporates many facets that players can work on no matter what their running speed.
Baserunning is a fundamental of the game that incorporates many facets that players can work on no matter what their running speed. Coaches of young players often do not work with their teams on this part of the game. Running the bases is an art. If coaches teach baserunning correctly, they will increase the ability of their players to steal bases and take extra bases. Fast base runners force fielders to throw to another base because the runner got there quicker than the fielder expected. In the field, faster players are able to get to and catch more balls. Before working on baserunning, coaches need to teach young players how to run properly and have them run every day to get faster. Speed and agility training is an important part of helping young players develop their athleticism. After a young player has developed his athleticism, all the facets of baserunning become a lot easier. Most of the time players cannot develop athleticism by playing baseball. This should be a priority when it comes to helping young players run the bases better.
To work on running and running the bases, your warm-ups in practice and before games need to be organized around running. Running needs to become a habit for young players. You can begin and end practices with fun running drills and games. Keep in mind that you always want to end practices with a competitive and fun activity because the last thing they do is what they remember. You want them remembering that practice was fun so that they learn faster.
Coaches should talk to track coaches to learn the proper running techniques so that they can help their players run better. Track coaches can teach the techniques and drills that allow players to perfect their running.
A few things need to be taught to help with all facets of baserunning. First is the ability to move quickly from one spot to another. This art is used in baseball and in many other sports. It begins with the hip turn, pushing off one foot and going. This turn will help runners and fielders. In this technique, players turn their hips as quickly as possible, keep the feet low to the ground, and turn on the angle that they need to run. The hip turn helps them move their feet faster. As they turn their hips and their feet touch the ground, they push off with the back foot. This turn can be practiced in warm-up drills, as we explain in the following drills.
56. Baserunning Game
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Purpose
You can use this drill at the end of practice for a fun game. Work on baserunning and make it a natural instinct. Plus it is competitive and fun for the players.
Equipment
- Bases
- Six cones or plastic milk cartons with water in them
Number of Players
Full team
Setup
Divide players equally into two teams. Make it fair by having the same amount of speed on each team. When you give them the order, mix them up. Don't place all the fast players first. Place half the team at home plate and the other at second base. Place a cone before and after each base. When the runners run around the bases, they go around the first cone and inside the second cone. This will help them understand how the bases are run.
Procedure
- On the whistle, the first runner at each base begins to run around the bases until he gets all the way back to the base where he started. When he touches that base, the next runner goes.
- The team to get around the bases first is the winner. You can play best of three or five, however you like. Winners get two baseball cards and the losers one.
Coaching Points
- Make sure they run the bases correctly. If incorrect, send the runner back.
- Also, make this the end-of-practice drill because players will be warmed up.
62. First to Third
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Purpose
This drill teaches players to be aggressive on their secondary lead, get a good jump, read where the ball is, and continue to third. As described earlier if an outfielder has to move to the right or left more than one step, the runner continues to third base. He will not be able to advance to third if he does not get a good secondary lead and is not moving as the ball enters the hitting area.
Equipment
- Three bases
- Baseballs
- Helmets
- Bat
Number of Players
6 to 12
Setup
Place players at catcher, pitcher, first base, second base, shortstop, third base, and in each outfield position. Place a hitter at home plate with a helmet, tracking the pitches. Have a runner on first base, a pitcher on the mound who delivers the ball to the catcher, and a runner at first.
Procedure
- The pitcher keeps the runner close to the base. He can go home or pick to first.
- If the pitcher goes home, the runner on first takes his secondary lead.
- As the ball crosses the hitting zone, a coach hits the ball to the outfield.
- The runner decides whether to go to third or not.
- The defensive players work as they do in a real game.
- Sliding, tags, and relays all occur as they do in a game.
- The batter - runner stays at first. The runner on first who went to second or third goes in to hit. Players keep rotating.
Coaching Points
- Watch how the defense reacts.
- Watch to see how the runners react.
- If they do something incorrectly, you might want to repeat the play so that they feel the right way to do it.
- A common mistake is not running full speed all the way until the outfielder fields the ball cleanly and has the ball in his throwing hand. Most runners stop, assuming that the outfielder will field the ball or that the transfer to the throwing hand is easy. Fear stops most runners from being aggressive, so they must be encouraged in practice to take chances.
Variation
From this, you can let the hitter run as if he hit the ball. You go to the next phase of the situation, which is holding the runner at first if the runner gets to third or holding the runners at second and first. This becomes a baserunning drill as well as a defensive drill.
Practice Organization
Practice organization can help a coach improve the skills of individual players and prepare the team overall. If you are well organized and run a fun practice, players become better and stay in the game longer.
Practice organization can help a coach improve the skills of individual players and prepare the team overall. If you are well organized and run a fun practice, players become better and stay in the game longer. When a player improves and shows signs of success, he will want to play the game longer.
This book cannot organize your practices for you before the season begins because we don't know the age of your players, their abilities, and the current level of their fundamentals. But we can lay down a foundation that you can follow to set up your whole plan. You establish your practice plan by considering the number of practices you have before the season begins, the ability of your players, and the equipment and facilities available.
Come Prepared for Practice
By structuring practices for competition and preparing for game situations, you can improve the success rate of your team. To run a successful practice, you need to do several things to accomplish your final goals. The following equipment will help you operate successful practices. Each section has a description of why that equipment or item is important and how it may be used.
Clipboard
A clipboard gives you a place to store all your notes for practice and to write any observations that you might have about a particular player or the overall practice. Many coaches use tablets or other smart devices these days to access apps and record data at practices.
Batting Tees
By setting up batting tees at stations, you can have more than one player hitting at one time. If you cannot afford batting tees, you might get someone to donate orange cones that can serve as makeshift tees.
Wiffle Balls
These hollow plastic balls eliminate fear and allow players to concentrate on working on the mechanics of a swing or catching a baseball. Also, Wiffle balls do not go far when hit, so your player can get more swings when hitting. Wiffle balls can be used with any age or ability level, too.
Soft Baseballs
Soft baseballs are the next stage after Wiffle balls. They also reduce fear, so players can build confidence in their mechanics. A coach can toss the ball from a kneeling position in front of a player and not fear being hit.
Stopwatch
Players like to be timed. A stopwatch allows you to time runners around the bases or from base to base (from home to first, for example) and time stations so that you know when to rotate.
Whistle
A whistle helps you keep the practice structured. Instead of yelling, you can blow the whistle when a certain part of practice ends and you need the players to get together with you. Use the whistle to rotate stations. When you do a team drill, you can use it as a way to say, "Go," instead of yelling it all the time.
Flat Bases
You can set up flat bases in the outfield when you have several stations for throwing or fielding drills. With flat bases, you can set up a field anywhere.
Assistant Coaches
Assistants allow you to have several stations so that all players are doing something all the time and no one is standing around. Volunteers who are educated about your teaching principles, drills, and philosophy can help you keep the practice going and organized.
Baseball Cards
You can use these cards as an incentive for players to listen, hustle, improve, win a game, score high on a drill, and more. You can use baseball cards when you see a player paying attention, hustling, trying to make a mechanical change, or accomplishing something positive like knowing the number of outs during the game. Cards can also be taken back when a player does something negative like not hustling, not know the number of outs, and so on. A player who sees a teammate receive a reward for a positive behavior will want to do the same thing.
Cones
Cones can be used to lay out the area when you are doing warm-ups, drills, and more. Cones can signify where a player stands or where he goes during a running drill.
Audio Recording Device
By having a recording device in your pocket and turning it on during practice, you will have a record of your practice session. Later you can listen to it to hear the tone of voice that you are using and what you are saying to the players. Use this recording to critique yourself and improve as a communicator.
Video Recording Device
A video recording on a smart phone, tablet, or regular video recorder allows players to see and believe both what they are doing wrong and what they are doing well. To videotape players, you need to have parents fill out and sign a permission and consent form. You may want to make copies of the tapes with notes for parents so that they understand what you are trying to work on with the player.
Coaches should set up drills for players during their practices. The drills should include not only the fundamental motion used to accomplish the drill but also a competitive game. Players are more likely to do a drill with passion if it includes some kind of goal and competition. For example, if players are hitting off a batting tee, they should try to hit as many line drives as they can out of 10. Avoid having them just take 10 swings and rotate to the next station. When they do the same drill the next time, they should try to beat their previous score. When a competitive game is included with the drill, players concentrate more on the task. This translates into more learning and being able to deal with competition during a real game. Coaches should organize gamelike drills so that when players get into a real game situation, they have already been through it.
Fundamentals of Every Practice
At the end of the chapter you will see a chart that shows you how to prioritize your practices. The first part of practice should include the fundamentals that players use the most in games. They should practice these skills daily because they are the foundation of development. Then you begin looking at individual positions, such as pitching, catching, infield, and outfield. These individual positions are specialized areas that need special attention and require extra work. Last, you need to look at what your team might need to do to improve defensively, offensively, and strategically.
Hitting
Hitting is the most difficult skill for players to learn because it involves balance, vision, coordination, and timing. Young players are still developing physiologically in these areas, so you need to devote attention to detail when working with your players on hitting. Hitting is difficult at all levels but specifically at the youth level because players are still developing their physical skills. Also, because most young players select a bat that is too heavy and too long and they get too close to home plate, they develop a fear of the ball and they do not have sufficient balance while swinging the bat.
Throwing and Catching
The game is all about throwing and catching; if players cannot do this well, they will have a hard time competing as individuals or as a team. If your players can throw well, you will find it a lot easier when you need to start working on pitching. The ability to throw and catch a baseball well will enhance your team‘s defense and overall confidence. Coaches often assume that players know how to throw and catch a baseball, but the question is how well they can execute in a game situation. Most of the time, players play catch at a slow to average pace. They catch a baseball, look at it, grip it, and then throw it back. The other player often catches the ball one handed and goes through the same process before throwing it back. This routine can be easy because of the pace at which it is done. Players should usually catch the baseball with the bare hand near the glove so that they can transfer the ball from the glove to the bare hand quickly. If they have to reach to catch the ball, they should use one hand and bring the glove to the center of the body begin to throw the baseball.
Players often have a poor grip on the baseball, which causes them to throw incorrectly. Another thing that young players do is fail to turn the body sideways before they throw because doing so feels uncomfortable. By turning the body sideways, they can use the whole body to throw the ball.
Fielding
To reduce their fear about fielding, players need to work on fundamentals. Players who feel comfortable in their ability to field and get out of the way of a bad-hop ball will become better fielders. Their ability to react to a bad hop will increase. A major obstacle in fielding is fear of the baseball, so you should use softer baseballs when working on fielding so that the players can concentrate on technique. Players also need to learn to get into proper fielding position so that they can see the ball better. One way to work on this is to have players start in the fielding position when they field a ball so that the body is aware of the correct position at the time they field it.
Baserunning
Players run bases all the time, so they have to get good at it. This fundamental is also an instinct that needs to be practiced every day. Baserunning can also serve as your warm-up, so you do not have to waste time running laps around the field before practice. Baserunning for young players is fun because they are running, not standing around waiting, but it can be difficult to learn because it involves technique, balance, coordination, and awareness. Players often start out incorrectly from home plate. Most runners have an unbalanced swing that puts them in a poor position to run to first. So, when you are working on running to first base, have your players swing a bat, freeze at the end so that they have a balanced swing, and then start running to first. This drill helps them just drop the bat in a balanced follow-through instead of throwing it. As they run to first, many players wait until they get to first before making the turn to go to second. One way to correct this mistake is to have the hitter swing, look to see where the ball is, and, if it is past the infielders, immediately start angling toward the coach's box and start the turn early rather than late.
Bunting
Bunting can help young players improve their hitting and become more complete players. When working on bunting, start with softer baseballs, work on the technique, and then build up to using a hard baseball. After the player is confident, you can start by throwing the ball underhand and build up to throwing overhand. At a certain point you have to start throwing the ball hard to simulate game situations. Players have trouble in two areas. First is the stance. By having a good balanced stance, they gain confidence and can run after they bunt. This stance, described in the bunting chapter, has the feet in a quarter turn to home plate. Players also have a problem with gripping the bat, also described in the bunting chapter. Players who become good bunters will become better hitters because when they bunt they learn to track the ball longer. Coaches may want to have players bunt for a hit when they are struggling with their hitting.
Pitching
You should begin working on pitching as soon as you think that the players are throwing well. Pitching is where it starts and ends with a team. You need to have good pitching to compete. You should work with all young players on pitching. Instead of having just two or three pitchers, you want most of your guys to have the ability to pitch. Pitching is the most important part of the game because it all starts there. Most young players should start in a set position, not the windup. When they start in the stretch position, all they have to do is lift the leg and throw. Starting from the windup takes a lot more coordination and balance. After players learn to pitch from the stretch, accomplishing the windup is much easier. Another problem area for young pitchers is the grip of the baseball because their fingers are small. Make sure that the thumb is under the baseball and splits it. If they have to throw with a three- or four-finger grip to have better control, let them do it. Pitchers needs to learn to throw the baseball over the plate on the outside part, inside part, middle, up, and down. One way to do this is to have them aim for the catcher's knees and shoulders. These larger areas are easier for them to focus on.
Throwing and Catching Drills
The skill of throwing and catching a baseball is difficult for young players to accomplish.
The skill of throwing and catching a baseball is difficult for young players to accomplish. Many players have a fear of the ball, which is a natural thought process, and after they get hit by the ball, the fear may become even more real. One thing that coaches can say to ruin their credibility with young players is, "Come on. That ball doesn't hurt." If I were a young player, I would ask the coach whether I could throw the ball at him to see whether it hurts. At the same time, to have confidence in their ability to throw and catch a baseball, players have to become confident in their technique first.
Glove Care and Size
As for receiving the baseball, we need to make sure that players do a few things technique wise to build their confidence. First, the player's glove is extremely important. It is not about how much a glove costs; it's about how it is broken in and maintained throughout the year. Many of us, including me, were taught to break in a glove by putting a baseball in it, tying a string around it, and keeping it like that in the off-season. The problem is that the glove forms into a closed position, and a young player may not be able to open it up with his hand. So instead of breaking in the glove the old way, players should try a new way. They should turn the glove inside out and leave it like that when they do not use it. Players should not use a big glove because then they just reach out and hope that the ball lands in it. You want young players to have a small glove that forces them to use two hands. They can get the ball out easier, and they have to move to the baseball with their feet rather than reach out with an oversized glove.
Ball Size
Many young players have to grip the ball with three fingers across the seam or even four because their hands are too small to hold the ball properly. The Japanese have gone to a smaller baseball for young players so that they can grip it and throw it correctly. Later they build up to throwing a regulation-size baseball. This approach is a good way to teach young players to throw the ball correctly. In the United States, people are against it because they believe that using a small ball is not real baseball. We need more coaches who think outside the box when it comes to developing young players. Most of us tend to teach the way that we were taught, and most of the time that is the same old way of traditional teaching.
Receiving Position
Players who set up in proper receiving position will gain the confidence to stay in the right position or get out of the way if for some reason someone throws the ball to them and the sun gets in their eyes. We used to teach players not to throw the ball unless the receiver was looking at them and his hands were out in front. We still do this, but we now teach different hand positioning. The old way was to have the thumbs of the glove and the bare hand together and the fingertips facing up to the sky. Because of this teaching and because players often used big gloves, many players, as the ball got closer to them, had to flip the palm of the glove to the sky to see the ball. The ball would sometimes hit the heel of the glove and then hit them in the head. To make sure that they can see the ball as it is on the way, which will allow them to use their depth perception, we now start the hands and the glove with the thumbs up to the sky and the hands out in front. The player is in a good balanced position. The feet are about shoulder-width apart, and the right foot is slightly behind the left (opposite for left-handed throwers). The toes of the rear foot should be about even with the instep of the other foot.
12. Wrist Stride
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Purpose
The second phase of the throwing motion is important because it begins to work with balance and velocity. In this drill players use the wrist, arm, and chest to throw.
Equipment
Baseball colored in half for each group playing catch
Number of Players
Full team
Setup
Place players farther apart than they were in the previous drill. Players with the baseball have the stride foot forward and grip the ball correctly, placing the throwing arm in a 90-degree angle, elbow even with the shoulder. Throw the baseball by taking the head, eyes, chest, arm, and wrist forward.
Procedure
- On your whistle, the players with the ball throw it to their partners.
- A soon as the ball hits the receiving player's glove, he takes it out quickly and gets to the 90-degree angle, with the stride foot forward.
- Throwing continues back and forth on your whistle for 5 to 10 throws.
Coaching Points
- When you yell, "Ready," make sure that players are in proper position.
- The player throwing the ball should have the hand behind the baseball, not to the side. Make sure that players use the whole upper body to go forward to release the baseball so that the back leg comes up and forward. When players throw the ball, the wrist should go forward, not to one side.
13. Toss-Up Grip
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Purpose
Players can practice this grip by tossing the ball up, catching it, and getting the proper grip as they simulate a throw. Getting the proper grip in a game will become second nature after performing this drill consistently. The important thing is to have the thumb underneath the baseball to keep it firm and balanced in the hand.
Equipment
Baseball for each player
Number of Players
Full team
Setup
Give each player a baseball and put them in a circle with about 20 feet between each player.
Procedure
- When you blow the whistle, the players toss the ball up and catch it.
- As they catch it, they transfer the baseball from the glove to the hand and try to come up with a good grip. When you blow the whistle again, the process continues.
Coaching Points
- At the start of this drill, have the players toss the ball up and slowly take the ball out of the glove. They work on the feel of how to get a good grip.
- As they improve, have them pick up the speed and see whether they can still get the proper grip.
- When they get good at this, have them take the ball out and get the correct grip as they get into a throwing position.
21. Bad Grip Shuffle
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Purpose
What happens if a player does everything well but does not have a good grip? Or what happens when the target player is not looking or not ready? What should the player do? The answer is that the player should shuffle the feet, keep or get the proper grip, and then throw the ball with rhythm. For example, when a ball is hit right back to the pitcher, he usually has plenty of time to throw the ball to first, but the first baseman may not be at the base yet. The pitcher should shuffle his feet until the first baseman gets to the base and then throw the ball in rhythm.
Equipment
Baseballs
Number of Players
Full team
Setup
Have six players on one side and six on the other. Each has a partner. Players on one side have baseballs.
Procedure
- On your whistle, the players toss the ball up to themselves.
- As soon as they catch the baseball, they throw it to their partner. This drill works on the entire process of catching, transferring, turning the body in a good position, and throwing.
- When you blow the whistle, the partners throw the ball back.
- After each line does it once, the players catch the baseball and shuffle one or two times before throwing. Then the players in the other line do the same.
Coaching Points
- Players must not throw the ball until their partner is looking. They shuffle their feet until he is ready.
- As they shuffle, they gain momentum. When they throw the ball, they keep their rhythm.
- They shuffle their feet because if their feet are moving as they throw the ball, the body will be in rhythm with the arms.
- Make sure that the players look before they throw.
Variation
After the players improve, you can yell for them to shuffle or throw as they are catching the baseball. If you yell, "Shuffle," they have to catch the ball, shuffle a couple of times, and then throw. If you yell, "Throw," they catch it, turn, and throw.
How to Determine Your Practice Plan
As you get into the first 5 to 10 practices, you can begin to add individual position drills. As you get more practices in, you can begin to add team skills.
As you get into the first 5 to 10 practices, you can begin to add individual position drills. As you get more practices in, you can begin to add team skills. As you add things, you should always be considering which areas will be more important in games. I tried to prioritize topics for you in each heading, but priorities might change depending on your needs. The hardest one to prioritize is team skills. You have to determine which ones your team needs more.
Five Practices Before the Season Begins
- All you can do here is focus all five days on throwing, fielding, pitching, catching, and hitting.
- You teach individual skills and team skills before your games begin or during your game. For example, if the first baseman is holding the runner on first incorrectly, you can show him the correct stance between innings. If a cutoff and relay is performed incorrectly, talk about it with the players when they come off the field.
Ten Practices Before the Season Begins
- During the first five workouts, you focus on the fundamental skills.
- For the next five practices, you begin to add work for individual positions, such as pitcher, catcher, outfielder, and so on.
Twenty or More Practices
- For the first five practices, focus on the fundamentals
- For next five, decrease work on the fundamentals and start adding work for individual positions.
- On the next five days, you can begin adding team skills. For the last five practices, add the rest of the team skills.
Practice Plans for 90 Minutes, 60 Minutes, and 30 Minutes
- Make sure that you have your practice plan written down and placed on a clipboard.
- With today's technology you should e-mail a practice plan ahead of time to all your players. They will then see what they are working on, how it is organized, and what to expect.
- Make sure that you have all the equipment needed for the practice.
- Get there early and lay out all your cones and equipment where you need it. Do not use your practice time to do this. If players are there early, have them place the items in the correct part of the field.
- Add the sample plan that uses the drills, skills, and philosophy presented in this book.
Baserunning Drills
Baserunning is a fundamental of the game that incorporates many facets that players can work on no matter what their running speed.
Baserunning is a fundamental of the game that incorporates many facets that players can work on no matter what their running speed. Coaches of young players often do not work with their teams on this part of the game. Running the bases is an art. If coaches teach baserunning correctly, they will increase the ability of their players to steal bases and take extra bases. Fast base runners force fielders to throw to another base because the runner got there quicker than the fielder expected. In the field, faster players are able to get to and catch more balls. Before working on baserunning, coaches need to teach young players how to run properly and have them run every day to get faster. Speed and agility training is an important part of helping young players develop their athleticism. After a young player has developed his athleticism, all the facets of baserunning become a lot easier. Most of the time players cannot develop athleticism by playing baseball. This should be a priority when it comes to helping young players run the bases better.
To work on running and running the bases, your warm-ups in practice and before games need to be organized around running. Running needs to become a habit for young players. You can begin and end practices with fun running drills and games. Keep in mind that you always want to end practices with a competitive and fun activity because the last thing they do is what they remember. You want them remembering that practice was fun so that they learn faster.
Coaches should talk to track coaches to learn the proper running techniques so that they can help their players run better. Track coaches can teach the techniques and drills that allow players to perfect their running.
A few things need to be taught to help with all facets of baserunning. First is the ability to move quickly from one spot to another. This art is used in baseball and in many other sports. It begins with the hip turn, pushing off one foot and going. This turn will help runners and fielders. In this technique, players turn their hips as quickly as possible, keep the feet low to the ground, and turn on the angle that they need to run. The hip turn helps them move their feet faster. As they turn their hips and their feet touch the ground, they push off with the back foot. This turn can be practiced in warm-up drills, as we explain in the following drills.
56. Baserunning Game
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Purpose
You can use this drill at the end of practice for a fun game. Work on baserunning and make it a natural instinct. Plus it is competitive and fun for the players.
Equipment
- Bases
- Six cones or plastic milk cartons with water in them
Number of Players
Full team
Setup
Divide players equally into two teams. Make it fair by having the same amount of speed on each team. When you give them the order, mix them up. Don't place all the fast players first. Place half the team at home plate and the other at second base. Place a cone before and after each base. When the runners run around the bases, they go around the first cone and inside the second cone. This will help them understand how the bases are run.
Procedure
- On the whistle, the first runner at each base begins to run around the bases until he gets all the way back to the base where he started. When he touches that base, the next runner goes.
- The team to get around the bases first is the winner. You can play best of three or five, however you like. Winners get two baseball cards and the losers one.
Coaching Points
- Make sure they run the bases correctly. If incorrect, send the runner back.
- Also, make this the end-of-practice drill because players will be warmed up.
62. First to Third
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Purpose
This drill teaches players to be aggressive on their secondary lead, get a good jump, read where the ball is, and continue to third. As described earlier if an outfielder has to move to the right or left more than one step, the runner continues to third base. He will not be able to advance to third if he does not get a good secondary lead and is not moving as the ball enters the hitting area.
Equipment
- Three bases
- Baseballs
- Helmets
- Bat
Number of Players
6 to 12
Setup
Place players at catcher, pitcher, first base, second base, shortstop, third base, and in each outfield position. Place a hitter at home plate with a helmet, tracking the pitches. Have a runner on first base, a pitcher on the mound who delivers the ball to the catcher, and a runner at first.
Procedure
- The pitcher keeps the runner close to the base. He can go home or pick to first.
- If the pitcher goes home, the runner on first takes his secondary lead.
- As the ball crosses the hitting zone, a coach hits the ball to the outfield.
- The runner decides whether to go to third or not.
- The defensive players work as they do in a real game.
- Sliding, tags, and relays all occur as they do in a game.
- The batter - runner stays at first. The runner on first who went to second or third goes in to hit. Players keep rotating.
Coaching Points
- Watch how the defense reacts.
- Watch to see how the runners react.
- If they do something incorrectly, you might want to repeat the play so that they feel the right way to do it.
- A common mistake is not running full speed all the way until the outfielder fields the ball cleanly and has the ball in his throwing hand. Most runners stop, assuming that the outfielder will field the ball or that the transfer to the throwing hand is easy. Fear stops most runners from being aggressive, so they must be encouraged in practice to take chances.
Variation
From this, you can let the hitter run as if he hit the ball. You go to the next phase of the situation, which is holding the runner at first if the runner gets to third or holding the runners at second and first. This becomes a baserunning drill as well as a defensive drill.
Practice Organization
Practice organization can help a coach improve the skills of individual players and prepare the team overall. If you are well organized and run a fun practice, players become better and stay in the game longer.
Practice organization can help a coach improve the skills of individual players and prepare the team overall. If you are well organized and run a fun practice, players become better and stay in the game longer. When a player improves and shows signs of success, he will want to play the game longer.
This book cannot organize your practices for you before the season begins because we don't know the age of your players, their abilities, and the current level of their fundamentals. But we can lay down a foundation that you can follow to set up your whole plan. You establish your practice plan by considering the number of practices you have before the season begins, the ability of your players, and the equipment and facilities available.
Come Prepared for Practice
By structuring practices for competition and preparing for game situations, you can improve the success rate of your team. To run a successful practice, you need to do several things to accomplish your final goals. The following equipment will help you operate successful practices. Each section has a description of why that equipment or item is important and how it may be used.
Clipboard
A clipboard gives you a place to store all your notes for practice and to write any observations that you might have about a particular player or the overall practice. Many coaches use tablets or other smart devices these days to access apps and record data at practices.
Batting Tees
By setting up batting tees at stations, you can have more than one player hitting at one time. If you cannot afford batting tees, you might get someone to donate orange cones that can serve as makeshift tees.
Wiffle Balls
These hollow plastic balls eliminate fear and allow players to concentrate on working on the mechanics of a swing or catching a baseball. Also, Wiffle balls do not go far when hit, so your player can get more swings when hitting. Wiffle balls can be used with any age or ability level, too.
Soft Baseballs
Soft baseballs are the next stage after Wiffle balls. They also reduce fear, so players can build confidence in their mechanics. A coach can toss the ball from a kneeling position in front of a player and not fear being hit.
Stopwatch
Players like to be timed. A stopwatch allows you to time runners around the bases or from base to base (from home to first, for example) and time stations so that you know when to rotate.
Whistle
A whistle helps you keep the practice structured. Instead of yelling, you can blow the whistle when a certain part of practice ends and you need the players to get together with you. Use the whistle to rotate stations. When you do a team drill, you can use it as a way to say, "Go," instead of yelling it all the time.
Flat Bases
You can set up flat bases in the outfield when you have several stations for throwing or fielding drills. With flat bases, you can set up a field anywhere.
Assistant Coaches
Assistants allow you to have several stations so that all players are doing something all the time and no one is standing around. Volunteers who are educated about your teaching principles, drills, and philosophy can help you keep the practice going and organized.
Baseball Cards
You can use these cards as an incentive for players to listen, hustle, improve, win a game, score high on a drill, and more. You can use baseball cards when you see a player paying attention, hustling, trying to make a mechanical change, or accomplishing something positive like knowing the number of outs during the game. Cards can also be taken back when a player does something negative like not hustling, not know the number of outs, and so on. A player who sees a teammate receive a reward for a positive behavior will want to do the same thing.
Cones
Cones can be used to lay out the area when you are doing warm-ups, drills, and more. Cones can signify where a player stands or where he goes during a running drill.
Audio Recording Device
By having a recording device in your pocket and turning it on during practice, you will have a record of your practice session. Later you can listen to it to hear the tone of voice that you are using and what you are saying to the players. Use this recording to critique yourself and improve as a communicator.
Video Recording Device
A video recording on a smart phone, tablet, or regular video recorder allows players to see and believe both what they are doing wrong and what they are doing well. To videotape players, you need to have parents fill out and sign a permission and consent form. You may want to make copies of the tapes with notes for parents so that they understand what you are trying to work on with the player.
Coaches should set up drills for players during their practices. The drills should include not only the fundamental motion used to accomplish the drill but also a competitive game. Players are more likely to do a drill with passion if it includes some kind of goal and competition. For example, if players are hitting off a batting tee, they should try to hit as many line drives as they can out of 10. Avoid having them just take 10 swings and rotate to the next station. When they do the same drill the next time, they should try to beat their previous score. When a competitive game is included with the drill, players concentrate more on the task. This translates into more learning and being able to deal with competition during a real game. Coaches should organize gamelike drills so that when players get into a real game situation, they have already been through it.
Fundamentals of Every Practice
At the end of the chapter you will see a chart that shows you how to prioritize your practices. The first part of practice should include the fundamentals that players use the most in games. They should practice these skills daily because they are the foundation of development. Then you begin looking at individual positions, such as pitching, catching, infield, and outfield. These individual positions are specialized areas that need special attention and require extra work. Last, you need to look at what your team might need to do to improve defensively, offensively, and strategically.
Hitting
Hitting is the most difficult skill for players to learn because it involves balance, vision, coordination, and timing. Young players are still developing physiologically in these areas, so you need to devote attention to detail when working with your players on hitting. Hitting is difficult at all levels but specifically at the youth level because players are still developing their physical skills. Also, because most young players select a bat that is too heavy and too long and they get too close to home plate, they develop a fear of the ball and they do not have sufficient balance while swinging the bat.
Throwing and Catching
The game is all about throwing and catching; if players cannot do this well, they will have a hard time competing as individuals or as a team. If your players can throw well, you will find it a lot easier when you need to start working on pitching. The ability to throw and catch a baseball well will enhance your team‘s defense and overall confidence. Coaches often assume that players know how to throw and catch a baseball, but the question is how well they can execute in a game situation. Most of the time, players play catch at a slow to average pace. They catch a baseball, look at it, grip it, and then throw it back. The other player often catches the ball one handed and goes through the same process before throwing it back. This routine can be easy because of the pace at which it is done. Players should usually catch the baseball with the bare hand near the glove so that they can transfer the ball from the glove to the bare hand quickly. If they have to reach to catch the ball, they should use one hand and bring the glove to the center of the body begin to throw the baseball.
Players often have a poor grip on the baseball, which causes them to throw incorrectly. Another thing that young players do is fail to turn the body sideways before they throw because doing so feels uncomfortable. By turning the body sideways, they can use the whole body to throw the ball.
Fielding
To reduce their fear about fielding, players need to work on fundamentals. Players who feel comfortable in their ability to field and get out of the way of a bad-hop ball will become better fielders. Their ability to react to a bad hop will increase. A major obstacle in fielding is fear of the baseball, so you should use softer baseballs when working on fielding so that the players can concentrate on technique. Players also need to learn to get into proper fielding position so that they can see the ball better. One way to work on this is to have players start in the fielding position when they field a ball so that the body is aware of the correct position at the time they field it.
Baserunning
Players run bases all the time, so they have to get good at it. This fundamental is also an instinct that needs to be practiced every day. Baserunning can also serve as your warm-up, so you do not have to waste time running laps around the field before practice. Baserunning for young players is fun because they are running, not standing around waiting, but it can be difficult to learn because it involves technique, balance, coordination, and awareness. Players often start out incorrectly from home plate. Most runners have an unbalanced swing that puts them in a poor position to run to first. So, when you are working on running to first base, have your players swing a bat, freeze at the end so that they have a balanced swing, and then start running to first. This drill helps them just drop the bat in a balanced follow-through instead of throwing it. As they run to first, many players wait until they get to first before making the turn to go to second. One way to correct this mistake is to have the hitter swing, look to see where the ball is, and, if it is past the infielders, immediately start angling toward the coach's box and start the turn early rather than late.
Bunting
Bunting can help young players improve their hitting and become more complete players. When working on bunting, start with softer baseballs, work on the technique, and then build up to using a hard baseball. After the player is confident, you can start by throwing the ball underhand and build up to throwing overhand. At a certain point you have to start throwing the ball hard to simulate game situations. Players have trouble in two areas. First is the stance. By having a good balanced stance, they gain confidence and can run after they bunt. This stance, described in the bunting chapter, has the feet in a quarter turn to home plate. Players also have a problem with gripping the bat, also described in the bunting chapter. Players who become good bunters will become better hitters because when they bunt they learn to track the ball longer. Coaches may want to have players bunt for a hit when they are struggling with their hitting.
Pitching
You should begin working on pitching as soon as you think that the players are throwing well. Pitching is where it starts and ends with a team. You need to have good pitching to compete. You should work with all young players on pitching. Instead of having just two or three pitchers, you want most of your guys to have the ability to pitch. Pitching is the most important part of the game because it all starts there. Most young players should start in a set position, not the windup. When they start in the stretch position, all they have to do is lift the leg and throw. Starting from the windup takes a lot more coordination and balance. After players learn to pitch from the stretch, accomplishing the windup is much easier. Another problem area for young pitchers is the grip of the baseball because their fingers are small. Make sure that the thumb is under the baseball and splits it. If they have to throw with a three- or four-finger grip to have better control, let them do it. Pitchers needs to learn to throw the baseball over the plate on the outside part, inside part, middle, up, and down. One way to do this is to have them aim for the catcher's knees and shoulders. These larger areas are easier for them to focus on.
Throwing and Catching Drills
The skill of throwing and catching a baseball is difficult for young players to accomplish.
The skill of throwing and catching a baseball is difficult for young players to accomplish. Many players have a fear of the ball, which is a natural thought process, and after they get hit by the ball, the fear may become even more real. One thing that coaches can say to ruin their credibility with young players is, "Come on. That ball doesn't hurt." If I were a young player, I would ask the coach whether I could throw the ball at him to see whether it hurts. At the same time, to have confidence in their ability to throw and catch a baseball, players have to become confident in their technique first.
Glove Care and Size
As for receiving the baseball, we need to make sure that players do a few things technique wise to build their confidence. First, the player's glove is extremely important. It is not about how much a glove costs; it's about how it is broken in and maintained throughout the year. Many of us, including me, were taught to break in a glove by putting a baseball in it, tying a string around it, and keeping it like that in the off-season. The problem is that the glove forms into a closed position, and a young player may not be able to open it up with his hand. So instead of breaking in the glove the old way, players should try a new way. They should turn the glove inside out and leave it like that when they do not use it. Players should not use a big glove because then they just reach out and hope that the ball lands in it. You want young players to have a small glove that forces them to use two hands. They can get the ball out easier, and they have to move to the baseball with their feet rather than reach out with an oversized glove.
Ball Size
Many young players have to grip the ball with three fingers across the seam or even four because their hands are too small to hold the ball properly. The Japanese have gone to a smaller baseball for young players so that they can grip it and throw it correctly. Later they build up to throwing a regulation-size baseball. This approach is a good way to teach young players to throw the ball correctly. In the United States, people are against it because they believe that using a small ball is not real baseball. We need more coaches who think outside the box when it comes to developing young players. Most of us tend to teach the way that we were taught, and most of the time that is the same old way of traditional teaching.
Receiving Position
Players who set up in proper receiving position will gain the confidence to stay in the right position or get out of the way if for some reason someone throws the ball to them and the sun gets in their eyes. We used to teach players not to throw the ball unless the receiver was looking at them and his hands were out in front. We still do this, but we now teach different hand positioning. The old way was to have the thumbs of the glove and the bare hand together and the fingertips facing up to the sky. Because of this teaching and because players often used big gloves, many players, as the ball got closer to them, had to flip the palm of the glove to the sky to see the ball. The ball would sometimes hit the heel of the glove and then hit them in the head. To make sure that they can see the ball as it is on the way, which will allow them to use their depth perception, we now start the hands and the glove with the thumbs up to the sky and the hands out in front. The player is in a good balanced position. The feet are about shoulder-width apart, and the right foot is slightly behind the left (opposite for left-handed throwers). The toes of the rear foot should be about even with the instep of the other foot.
12. Wrist Stride
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Purpose
The second phase of the throwing motion is important because it begins to work with balance and velocity. In this drill players use the wrist, arm, and chest to throw.
Equipment
Baseball colored in half for each group playing catch
Number of Players
Full team
Setup
Place players farther apart than they were in the previous drill. Players with the baseball have the stride foot forward and grip the ball correctly, placing the throwing arm in a 90-degree angle, elbow even with the shoulder. Throw the baseball by taking the head, eyes, chest, arm, and wrist forward.
Procedure
- On your whistle, the players with the ball throw it to their partners.
- A soon as the ball hits the receiving player's glove, he takes it out quickly and gets to the 90-degree angle, with the stride foot forward.
- Throwing continues back and forth on your whistle for 5 to 10 throws.
Coaching Points
- When you yell, "Ready," make sure that players are in proper position.
- The player throwing the ball should have the hand behind the baseball, not to the side. Make sure that players use the whole upper body to go forward to release the baseball so that the back leg comes up and forward. When players throw the ball, the wrist should go forward, not to one side.
13. Toss-Up Grip
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Purpose
Players can practice this grip by tossing the ball up, catching it, and getting the proper grip as they simulate a throw. Getting the proper grip in a game will become second nature after performing this drill consistently. The important thing is to have the thumb underneath the baseball to keep it firm and balanced in the hand.
Equipment
Baseball for each player
Number of Players
Full team
Setup
Give each player a baseball and put them in a circle with about 20 feet between each player.
Procedure
- When you blow the whistle, the players toss the ball up and catch it.
- As they catch it, they transfer the baseball from the glove to the hand and try to come up with a good grip. When you blow the whistle again, the process continues.
Coaching Points
- At the start of this drill, have the players toss the ball up and slowly take the ball out of the glove. They work on the feel of how to get a good grip.
- As they improve, have them pick up the speed and see whether they can still get the proper grip.
- When they get good at this, have them take the ball out and get the correct grip as they get into a throwing position.
21. Bad Grip Shuffle
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Purpose
What happens if a player does everything well but does not have a good grip? Or what happens when the target player is not looking or not ready? What should the player do? The answer is that the player should shuffle the feet, keep or get the proper grip, and then throw the ball with rhythm. For example, when a ball is hit right back to the pitcher, he usually has plenty of time to throw the ball to first, but the first baseman may not be at the base yet. The pitcher should shuffle his feet until the first baseman gets to the base and then throw the ball in rhythm.
Equipment
Baseballs
Number of Players
Full team
Setup
Have six players on one side and six on the other. Each has a partner. Players on one side have baseballs.
Procedure
- On your whistle, the players toss the ball up to themselves.
- As soon as they catch the baseball, they throw it to their partner. This drill works on the entire process of catching, transferring, turning the body in a good position, and throwing.
- When you blow the whistle, the partners throw the ball back.
- After each line does it once, the players catch the baseball and shuffle one or two times before throwing. Then the players in the other line do the same.
Coaching Points
- Players must not throw the ball until their partner is looking. They shuffle their feet until he is ready.
- As they shuffle, they gain momentum. When they throw the ball, they keep their rhythm.
- They shuffle their feet because if their feet are moving as they throw the ball, the body will be in rhythm with the arms.
- Make sure that the players look before they throw.
Variation
After the players improve, you can yell for them to shuffle or throw as they are catching the baseball. If you yell, "Shuffle," they have to catch the ball, shuffle a couple of times, and then throw. If you yell, "Throw," they catch it, turn, and throw.
How to Determine Your Practice Plan
As you get into the first 5 to 10 practices, you can begin to add individual position drills. As you get more practices in, you can begin to add team skills.
As you get into the first 5 to 10 practices, you can begin to add individual position drills. As you get more practices in, you can begin to add team skills. As you add things, you should always be considering which areas will be more important in games. I tried to prioritize topics for you in each heading, but priorities might change depending on your needs. The hardest one to prioritize is team skills. You have to determine which ones your team needs more.
Five Practices Before the Season Begins
- All you can do here is focus all five days on throwing, fielding, pitching, catching, and hitting.
- You teach individual skills and team skills before your games begin or during your game. For example, if the first baseman is holding the runner on first incorrectly, you can show him the correct stance between innings. If a cutoff and relay is performed incorrectly, talk about it with the players when they come off the field.
Ten Practices Before the Season Begins
- During the first five workouts, you focus on the fundamental skills.
- For the next five practices, you begin to add work for individual positions, such as pitcher, catcher, outfielder, and so on.
Twenty or More Practices
- For the first five practices, focus on the fundamentals
- For next five, decrease work on the fundamentals and start adding work for individual positions.
- On the next five days, you can begin adding team skills. For the last five practices, add the rest of the team skills.
Practice Plans for 90 Minutes, 60 Minutes, and 30 Minutes
- Make sure that you have your practice plan written down and placed on a clipboard.
- With today's technology you should e-mail a practice plan ahead of time to all your players. They will then see what they are working on, how it is organized, and what to expect.
- Make sure that you have all the equipment needed for the practice.
- Get there early and lay out all your cones and equipment where you need it. Do not use your practice time to do this. If players are there early, have them place the items in the correct part of the field.
- Add the sample plan that uses the drills, skills, and philosophy presented in this book.
Baserunning Drills
Baserunning is a fundamental of the game that incorporates many facets that players can work on no matter what their running speed.
Baserunning is a fundamental of the game that incorporates many facets that players can work on no matter what their running speed. Coaches of young players often do not work with their teams on this part of the game. Running the bases is an art. If coaches teach baserunning correctly, they will increase the ability of their players to steal bases and take extra bases. Fast base runners force fielders to throw to another base because the runner got there quicker than the fielder expected. In the field, faster players are able to get to and catch more balls. Before working on baserunning, coaches need to teach young players how to run properly and have them run every day to get faster. Speed and agility training is an important part of helping young players develop their athleticism. After a young player has developed his athleticism, all the facets of baserunning become a lot easier. Most of the time players cannot develop athleticism by playing baseball. This should be a priority when it comes to helping young players run the bases better.
To work on running and running the bases, your warm-ups in practice and before games need to be organized around running. Running needs to become a habit for young players. You can begin and end practices with fun running drills and games. Keep in mind that you always want to end practices with a competitive and fun activity because the last thing they do is what they remember. You want them remembering that practice was fun so that they learn faster.
Coaches should talk to track coaches to learn the proper running techniques so that they can help their players run better. Track coaches can teach the techniques and drills that allow players to perfect their running.
A few things need to be taught to help with all facets of baserunning. First is the ability to move quickly from one spot to another. This art is used in baseball and in many other sports. It begins with the hip turn, pushing off one foot and going. This turn will help runners and fielders. In this technique, players turn their hips as quickly as possible, keep the feet low to the ground, and turn on the angle that they need to run. The hip turn helps them move their feet faster. As they turn their hips and their feet touch the ground, they push off with the back foot. This turn can be practiced in warm-up drills, as we explain in the following drills.
56. Baserunning Game
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/120/E6016_487953_ebook_Main.jpg
Purpose
You can use this drill at the end of practice for a fun game. Work on baserunning and make it a natural instinct. Plus it is competitive and fun for the players.
Equipment
- Bases
- Six cones or plastic milk cartons with water in them
Number of Players
Full team
Setup
Divide players equally into two teams. Make it fair by having the same amount of speed on each team. When you give them the order, mix them up. Don't place all the fast players first. Place half the team at home plate and the other at second base. Place a cone before and after each base. When the runners run around the bases, they go around the first cone and inside the second cone. This will help them understand how the bases are run.
Procedure
- On the whistle, the first runner at each base begins to run around the bases until he gets all the way back to the base where he started. When he touches that base, the next runner goes.
- The team to get around the bases first is the winner. You can play best of three or five, however you like. Winners get two baseball cards and the losers one.
Coaching Points
- Make sure they run the bases correctly. If incorrect, send the runner back.
- Also, make this the end-of-practice drill because players will be warmed up.
62. First to Third
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/120/E6016_485593_ebook_Main.jpg
Purpose
This drill teaches players to be aggressive on their secondary lead, get a good jump, read where the ball is, and continue to third. As described earlier if an outfielder has to move to the right or left more than one step, the runner continues to third base. He will not be able to advance to third if he does not get a good secondary lead and is not moving as the ball enters the hitting area.
Equipment
- Three bases
- Baseballs
- Helmets
- Bat
Number of Players
6 to 12
Setup
Place players at catcher, pitcher, first base, second base, shortstop, third base, and in each outfield position. Place a hitter at home plate with a helmet, tracking the pitches. Have a runner on first base, a pitcher on the mound who delivers the ball to the catcher, and a runner at first.
Procedure
- The pitcher keeps the runner close to the base. He can go home or pick to first.
- If the pitcher goes home, the runner on first takes his secondary lead.
- As the ball crosses the hitting zone, a coach hits the ball to the outfield.
- The runner decides whether to go to third or not.
- The defensive players work as they do in a real game.
- Sliding, tags, and relays all occur as they do in a game.
- The batter - runner stays at first. The runner on first who went to second or third goes in to hit. Players keep rotating.
Coaching Points
- Watch how the defense reacts.
- Watch to see how the runners react.
- If they do something incorrectly, you might want to repeat the play so that they feel the right way to do it.
- A common mistake is not running full speed all the way until the outfielder fields the ball cleanly and has the ball in his throwing hand. Most runners stop, assuming that the outfielder will field the ball or that the transfer to the throwing hand is easy. Fear stops most runners from being aggressive, so they must be encouraged in practice to take chances.
Variation
From this, you can let the hitter run as if he hit the ball. You go to the next phase of the situation, which is holding the runner at first if the runner gets to third or holding the runners at second and first. This becomes a baserunning drill as well as a defensive drill.
Practice Organization
Practice organization can help a coach improve the skills of individual players and prepare the team overall. If you are well organized and run a fun practice, players become better and stay in the game longer.
Practice organization can help a coach improve the skills of individual players and prepare the team overall. If you are well organized and run a fun practice, players become better and stay in the game longer. When a player improves and shows signs of success, he will want to play the game longer.
This book cannot organize your practices for you before the season begins because we don't know the age of your players, their abilities, and the current level of their fundamentals. But we can lay down a foundation that you can follow to set up your whole plan. You establish your practice plan by considering the number of practices you have before the season begins, the ability of your players, and the equipment and facilities available.
Come Prepared for Practice
By structuring practices for competition and preparing for game situations, you can improve the success rate of your team. To run a successful practice, you need to do several things to accomplish your final goals. The following equipment will help you operate successful practices. Each section has a description of why that equipment or item is important and how it may be used.
Clipboard
A clipboard gives you a place to store all your notes for practice and to write any observations that you might have about a particular player or the overall practice. Many coaches use tablets or other smart devices these days to access apps and record data at practices.
Batting Tees
By setting up batting tees at stations, you can have more than one player hitting at one time. If you cannot afford batting tees, you might get someone to donate orange cones that can serve as makeshift tees.
Wiffle Balls
These hollow plastic balls eliminate fear and allow players to concentrate on working on the mechanics of a swing or catching a baseball. Also, Wiffle balls do not go far when hit, so your player can get more swings when hitting. Wiffle balls can be used with any age or ability level, too.
Soft Baseballs
Soft baseballs are the next stage after Wiffle balls. They also reduce fear, so players can build confidence in their mechanics. A coach can toss the ball from a kneeling position in front of a player and not fear being hit.
Stopwatch
Players like to be timed. A stopwatch allows you to time runners around the bases or from base to base (from home to first, for example) and time stations so that you know when to rotate.
Whistle
A whistle helps you keep the practice structured. Instead of yelling, you can blow the whistle when a certain part of practice ends and you need the players to get together with you. Use the whistle to rotate stations. When you do a team drill, you can use it as a way to say, "Go," instead of yelling it all the time.
Flat Bases
You can set up flat bases in the outfield when you have several stations for throwing or fielding drills. With flat bases, you can set up a field anywhere.
Assistant Coaches
Assistants allow you to have several stations so that all players are doing something all the time and no one is standing around. Volunteers who are educated about your teaching principles, drills, and philosophy can help you keep the practice going and organized.
Baseball Cards
You can use these cards as an incentive for players to listen, hustle, improve, win a game, score high on a drill, and more. You can use baseball cards when you see a player paying attention, hustling, trying to make a mechanical change, or accomplishing something positive like knowing the number of outs during the game. Cards can also be taken back when a player does something negative like not hustling, not know the number of outs, and so on. A player who sees a teammate receive a reward for a positive behavior will want to do the same thing.
Cones
Cones can be used to lay out the area when you are doing warm-ups, drills, and more. Cones can signify where a player stands or where he goes during a running drill.
Audio Recording Device
By having a recording device in your pocket and turning it on during practice, you will have a record of your practice session. Later you can listen to it to hear the tone of voice that you are using and what you are saying to the players. Use this recording to critique yourself and improve as a communicator.
Video Recording Device
A video recording on a smart phone, tablet, or regular video recorder allows players to see and believe both what they are doing wrong and what they are doing well. To videotape players, you need to have parents fill out and sign a permission and consent form. You may want to make copies of the tapes with notes for parents so that they understand what you are trying to work on with the player.
Coaches should set up drills for players during their practices. The drills should include not only the fundamental motion used to accomplish the drill but also a competitive game. Players are more likely to do a drill with passion if it includes some kind of goal and competition. For example, if players are hitting off a batting tee, they should try to hit as many line drives as they can out of 10. Avoid having them just take 10 swings and rotate to the next station. When they do the same drill the next time, they should try to beat their previous score. When a competitive game is included with the drill, players concentrate more on the task. This translates into more learning and being able to deal with competition during a real game. Coaches should organize gamelike drills so that when players get into a real game situation, they have already been through it.
Fundamentals of Every Practice
At the end of the chapter you will see a chart that shows you how to prioritize your practices. The first part of practice should include the fundamentals that players use the most in games. They should practice these skills daily because they are the foundation of development. Then you begin looking at individual positions, such as pitching, catching, infield, and outfield. These individual positions are specialized areas that need special attention and require extra work. Last, you need to look at what your team might need to do to improve defensively, offensively, and strategically.
Hitting
Hitting is the most difficult skill for players to learn because it involves balance, vision, coordination, and timing. Young players are still developing physiologically in these areas, so you need to devote attention to detail when working with your players on hitting. Hitting is difficult at all levels but specifically at the youth level because players are still developing their physical skills. Also, because most young players select a bat that is too heavy and too long and they get too close to home plate, they develop a fear of the ball and they do not have sufficient balance while swinging the bat.
Throwing and Catching
The game is all about throwing and catching; if players cannot do this well, they will have a hard time competing as individuals or as a team. If your players can throw well, you will find it a lot easier when you need to start working on pitching. The ability to throw and catch a baseball well will enhance your team‘s defense and overall confidence. Coaches often assume that players know how to throw and catch a baseball, but the question is how well they can execute in a game situation. Most of the time, players play catch at a slow to average pace. They catch a baseball, look at it, grip it, and then throw it back. The other player often catches the ball one handed and goes through the same process before throwing it back. This routine can be easy because of the pace at which it is done. Players should usually catch the baseball with the bare hand near the glove so that they can transfer the ball from the glove to the bare hand quickly. If they have to reach to catch the ball, they should use one hand and bring the glove to the center of the body begin to throw the baseball.
Players often have a poor grip on the baseball, which causes them to throw incorrectly. Another thing that young players do is fail to turn the body sideways before they throw because doing so feels uncomfortable. By turning the body sideways, they can use the whole body to throw the ball.
Fielding
To reduce their fear about fielding, players need to work on fundamentals. Players who feel comfortable in their ability to field and get out of the way of a bad-hop ball will become better fielders. Their ability to react to a bad hop will increase. A major obstacle in fielding is fear of the baseball, so you should use softer baseballs when working on fielding so that the players can concentrate on technique. Players also need to learn to get into proper fielding position so that they can see the ball better. One way to work on this is to have players start in the fielding position when they field a ball so that the body is aware of the correct position at the time they field it.
Baserunning
Players run bases all the time, so they have to get good at it. This fundamental is also an instinct that needs to be practiced every day. Baserunning can also serve as your warm-up, so you do not have to waste time running laps around the field before practice. Baserunning for young players is fun because they are running, not standing around waiting, but it can be difficult to learn because it involves technique, balance, coordination, and awareness. Players often start out incorrectly from home plate. Most runners have an unbalanced swing that puts them in a poor position to run to first. So, when you are working on running to first base, have your players swing a bat, freeze at the end so that they have a balanced swing, and then start running to first. This drill helps them just drop the bat in a balanced follow-through instead of throwing it. As they run to first, many players wait until they get to first before making the turn to go to second. One way to correct this mistake is to have the hitter swing, look to see where the ball is, and, if it is past the infielders, immediately start angling toward the coach's box and start the turn early rather than late.
Bunting
Bunting can help young players improve their hitting and become more complete players. When working on bunting, start with softer baseballs, work on the technique, and then build up to using a hard baseball. After the player is confident, you can start by throwing the ball underhand and build up to throwing overhand. At a certain point you have to start throwing the ball hard to simulate game situations. Players have trouble in two areas. First is the stance. By having a good balanced stance, they gain confidence and can run after they bunt. This stance, described in the bunting chapter, has the feet in a quarter turn to home plate. Players also have a problem with gripping the bat, also described in the bunting chapter. Players who become good bunters will become better hitters because when they bunt they learn to track the ball longer. Coaches may want to have players bunt for a hit when they are struggling with their hitting.
Pitching
You should begin working on pitching as soon as you think that the players are throwing well. Pitching is where it starts and ends with a team. You need to have good pitching to compete. You should work with all young players on pitching. Instead of having just two or three pitchers, you want most of your guys to have the ability to pitch. Pitching is the most important part of the game because it all starts there. Most young players should start in a set position, not the windup. When they start in the stretch position, all they have to do is lift the leg and throw. Starting from the windup takes a lot more coordination and balance. After players learn to pitch from the stretch, accomplishing the windup is much easier. Another problem area for young pitchers is the grip of the baseball because their fingers are small. Make sure that the thumb is under the baseball and splits it. If they have to throw with a three- or four-finger grip to have better control, let them do it. Pitchers needs to learn to throw the baseball over the plate on the outside part, inside part, middle, up, and down. One way to do this is to have them aim for the catcher's knees and shoulders. These larger areas are easier for them to focus on.
Throwing and Catching Drills
The skill of throwing and catching a baseball is difficult for young players to accomplish.
The skill of throwing and catching a baseball is difficult for young players to accomplish. Many players have a fear of the ball, which is a natural thought process, and after they get hit by the ball, the fear may become even more real. One thing that coaches can say to ruin their credibility with young players is, "Come on. That ball doesn't hurt." If I were a young player, I would ask the coach whether I could throw the ball at him to see whether it hurts. At the same time, to have confidence in their ability to throw and catch a baseball, players have to become confident in their technique first.
Glove Care and Size
As for receiving the baseball, we need to make sure that players do a few things technique wise to build their confidence. First, the player's glove is extremely important. It is not about how much a glove costs; it's about how it is broken in and maintained throughout the year. Many of us, including me, were taught to break in a glove by putting a baseball in it, tying a string around it, and keeping it like that in the off-season. The problem is that the glove forms into a closed position, and a young player may not be able to open it up with his hand. So instead of breaking in the glove the old way, players should try a new way. They should turn the glove inside out and leave it like that when they do not use it. Players should not use a big glove because then they just reach out and hope that the ball lands in it. You want young players to have a small glove that forces them to use two hands. They can get the ball out easier, and they have to move to the baseball with their feet rather than reach out with an oversized glove.
Ball Size
Many young players have to grip the ball with three fingers across the seam or even four because their hands are too small to hold the ball properly. The Japanese have gone to a smaller baseball for young players so that they can grip it and throw it correctly. Later they build up to throwing a regulation-size baseball. This approach is a good way to teach young players to throw the ball correctly. In the United States, people are against it because they believe that using a small ball is not real baseball. We need more coaches who think outside the box when it comes to developing young players. Most of us tend to teach the way that we were taught, and most of the time that is the same old way of traditional teaching.
Receiving Position
Players who set up in proper receiving position will gain the confidence to stay in the right position or get out of the way if for some reason someone throws the ball to them and the sun gets in their eyes. We used to teach players not to throw the ball unless the receiver was looking at them and his hands were out in front. We still do this, but we now teach different hand positioning. The old way was to have the thumbs of the glove and the bare hand together and the fingertips facing up to the sky. Because of this teaching and because players often used big gloves, many players, as the ball got closer to them, had to flip the palm of the glove to the sky to see the ball. The ball would sometimes hit the heel of the glove and then hit them in the head. To make sure that they can see the ball as it is on the way, which will allow them to use their depth perception, we now start the hands and the glove with the thumbs up to the sky and the hands out in front. The player is in a good balanced position. The feet are about shoulder-width apart, and the right foot is slightly behind the left (opposite for left-handed throwers). The toes of the rear foot should be about even with the instep of the other foot.
12. Wrist Stride
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Purpose
The second phase of the throwing motion is important because it begins to work with balance and velocity. In this drill players use the wrist, arm, and chest to throw.
Equipment
Baseball colored in half for each group playing catch
Number of Players
Full team
Setup
Place players farther apart than they were in the previous drill. Players with the baseball have the stride foot forward and grip the ball correctly, placing the throwing arm in a 90-degree angle, elbow even with the shoulder. Throw the baseball by taking the head, eyes, chest, arm, and wrist forward.
Procedure
- On your whistle, the players with the ball throw it to their partners.
- A soon as the ball hits the receiving player's glove, he takes it out quickly and gets to the 90-degree angle, with the stride foot forward.
- Throwing continues back and forth on your whistle for 5 to 10 throws.
Coaching Points
- When you yell, "Ready," make sure that players are in proper position.
- The player throwing the ball should have the hand behind the baseball, not to the side. Make sure that players use the whole upper body to go forward to release the baseball so that the back leg comes up and forward. When players throw the ball, the wrist should go forward, not to one side.
13. Toss-Up Grip
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Purpose
Players can practice this grip by tossing the ball up, catching it, and getting the proper grip as they simulate a throw. Getting the proper grip in a game will become second nature after performing this drill consistently. The important thing is to have the thumb underneath the baseball to keep it firm and balanced in the hand.
Equipment
Baseball for each player
Number of Players
Full team
Setup
Give each player a baseball and put them in a circle with about 20 feet between each player.
Procedure
- When you blow the whistle, the players toss the ball up and catch it.
- As they catch it, they transfer the baseball from the glove to the hand and try to come up with a good grip. When you blow the whistle again, the process continues.
Coaching Points
- At the start of this drill, have the players toss the ball up and slowly take the ball out of the glove. They work on the feel of how to get a good grip.
- As they improve, have them pick up the speed and see whether they can still get the proper grip.
- When they get good at this, have them take the ball out and get the correct grip as they get into a throwing position.
21. Bad Grip Shuffle
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Purpose
What happens if a player does everything well but does not have a good grip? Or what happens when the target player is not looking or not ready? What should the player do? The answer is that the player should shuffle the feet, keep or get the proper grip, and then throw the ball with rhythm. For example, when a ball is hit right back to the pitcher, he usually has plenty of time to throw the ball to first, but the first baseman may not be at the base yet. The pitcher should shuffle his feet until the first baseman gets to the base and then throw the ball in rhythm.
Equipment
Baseballs
Number of Players
Full team
Setup
Have six players on one side and six on the other. Each has a partner. Players on one side have baseballs.
Procedure
- On your whistle, the players toss the ball up to themselves.
- As soon as they catch the baseball, they throw it to their partner. This drill works on the entire process of catching, transferring, turning the body in a good position, and throwing.
- When you blow the whistle, the partners throw the ball back.
- After each line does it once, the players catch the baseball and shuffle one or two times before throwing. Then the players in the other line do the same.
Coaching Points
- Players must not throw the ball until their partner is looking. They shuffle their feet until he is ready.
- As they shuffle, they gain momentum. When they throw the ball, they keep their rhythm.
- They shuffle their feet because if their feet are moving as they throw the ball, the body will be in rhythm with the arms.
- Make sure that the players look before they throw.
Variation
After the players improve, you can yell for them to shuffle or throw as they are catching the baseball. If you yell, "Shuffle," they have to catch the ball, shuffle a couple of times, and then throw. If you yell, "Throw," they catch it, turn, and throw.
How to Determine Your Practice Plan
As you get into the first 5 to 10 practices, you can begin to add individual position drills. As you get more practices in, you can begin to add team skills.
As you get into the first 5 to 10 practices, you can begin to add individual position drills. As you get more practices in, you can begin to add team skills. As you add things, you should always be considering which areas will be more important in games. I tried to prioritize topics for you in each heading, but priorities might change depending on your needs. The hardest one to prioritize is team skills. You have to determine which ones your team needs more.
Five Practices Before the Season Begins
- All you can do here is focus all five days on throwing, fielding, pitching, catching, and hitting.
- You teach individual skills and team skills before your games begin or during your game. For example, if the first baseman is holding the runner on first incorrectly, you can show him the correct stance between innings. If a cutoff and relay is performed incorrectly, talk about it with the players when they come off the field.
Ten Practices Before the Season Begins
- During the first five workouts, you focus on the fundamental skills.
- For the next five practices, you begin to add work for individual positions, such as pitcher, catcher, outfielder, and so on.
Twenty or More Practices
- For the first five practices, focus on the fundamentals
- For next five, decrease work on the fundamentals and start adding work for individual positions.
- On the next five days, you can begin adding team skills. For the last five practices, add the rest of the team skills.
Practice Plans for 90 Minutes, 60 Minutes, and 30 Minutes
- Make sure that you have your practice plan written down and placed on a clipboard.
- With today's technology you should e-mail a practice plan ahead of time to all your players. They will then see what they are working on, how it is organized, and what to expect.
- Make sure that you have all the equipment needed for the practice.
- Get there early and lay out all your cones and equipment where you need it. Do not use your practice time to do this. If players are there early, have them place the items in the correct part of the field.
- Add the sample plan that uses the drills, skills, and philosophy presented in this book.
Baserunning Drills
Baserunning is a fundamental of the game that incorporates many facets that players can work on no matter what their running speed.
Baserunning is a fundamental of the game that incorporates many facets that players can work on no matter what their running speed. Coaches of young players often do not work with their teams on this part of the game. Running the bases is an art. If coaches teach baserunning correctly, they will increase the ability of their players to steal bases and take extra bases. Fast base runners force fielders to throw to another base because the runner got there quicker than the fielder expected. In the field, faster players are able to get to and catch more balls. Before working on baserunning, coaches need to teach young players how to run properly and have them run every day to get faster. Speed and agility training is an important part of helping young players develop their athleticism. After a young player has developed his athleticism, all the facets of baserunning become a lot easier. Most of the time players cannot develop athleticism by playing baseball. This should be a priority when it comes to helping young players run the bases better.
To work on running and running the bases, your warm-ups in practice and before games need to be organized around running. Running needs to become a habit for young players. You can begin and end practices with fun running drills and games. Keep in mind that you always want to end practices with a competitive and fun activity because the last thing they do is what they remember. You want them remembering that practice was fun so that they learn faster.
Coaches should talk to track coaches to learn the proper running techniques so that they can help their players run better. Track coaches can teach the techniques and drills that allow players to perfect their running.
A few things need to be taught to help with all facets of baserunning. First is the ability to move quickly from one spot to another. This art is used in baseball and in many other sports. It begins with the hip turn, pushing off one foot and going. This turn will help runners and fielders. In this technique, players turn their hips as quickly as possible, keep the feet low to the ground, and turn on the angle that they need to run. The hip turn helps them move their feet faster. As they turn their hips and their feet touch the ground, they push off with the back foot. This turn can be practiced in warm-up drills, as we explain in the following drills.
56. Baserunning Game
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/120/E6016_487953_ebook_Main.jpg
Purpose
You can use this drill at the end of practice for a fun game. Work on baserunning and make it a natural instinct. Plus it is competitive and fun for the players.
Equipment
- Bases
- Six cones or plastic milk cartons with water in them
Number of Players
Full team
Setup
Divide players equally into two teams. Make it fair by having the same amount of speed on each team. When you give them the order, mix them up. Don't place all the fast players first. Place half the team at home plate and the other at second base. Place a cone before and after each base. When the runners run around the bases, they go around the first cone and inside the second cone. This will help them understand how the bases are run.
Procedure
- On the whistle, the first runner at each base begins to run around the bases until he gets all the way back to the base where he started. When he touches that base, the next runner goes.
- The team to get around the bases first is the winner. You can play best of three or five, however you like. Winners get two baseball cards and the losers one.
Coaching Points
- Make sure they run the bases correctly. If incorrect, send the runner back.
- Also, make this the end-of-practice drill because players will be warmed up.
62. First to Third
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Purpose
This drill teaches players to be aggressive on their secondary lead, get a good jump, read where the ball is, and continue to third. As described earlier if an outfielder has to move to the right or left more than one step, the runner continues to third base. He will not be able to advance to third if he does not get a good secondary lead and is not moving as the ball enters the hitting area.
Equipment
- Three bases
- Baseballs
- Helmets
- Bat
Number of Players
6 to 12
Setup
Place players at catcher, pitcher, first base, second base, shortstop, third base, and in each outfield position. Place a hitter at home plate with a helmet, tracking the pitches. Have a runner on first base, a pitcher on the mound who delivers the ball to the catcher, and a runner at first.
Procedure
- The pitcher keeps the runner close to the base. He can go home or pick to first.
- If the pitcher goes home, the runner on first takes his secondary lead.
- As the ball crosses the hitting zone, a coach hits the ball to the outfield.
- The runner decides whether to go to third or not.
- The defensive players work as they do in a real game.
- Sliding, tags, and relays all occur as they do in a game.
- The batter - runner stays at first. The runner on first who went to second or third goes in to hit. Players keep rotating.
Coaching Points
- Watch how the defense reacts.
- Watch to see how the runners react.
- If they do something incorrectly, you might want to repeat the play so that they feel the right way to do it.
- A common mistake is not running full speed all the way until the outfielder fields the ball cleanly and has the ball in his throwing hand. Most runners stop, assuming that the outfielder will field the ball or that the transfer to the throwing hand is easy. Fear stops most runners from being aggressive, so they must be encouraged in practice to take chances.
Variation
From this, you can let the hitter run as if he hit the ball. You go to the next phase of the situation, which is holding the runner at first if the runner gets to third or holding the runners at second and first. This becomes a baserunning drill as well as a defensive drill.
Practice Organization
Practice organization can help a coach improve the skills of individual players and prepare the team overall. If you are well organized and run a fun practice, players become better and stay in the game longer.
Practice organization can help a coach improve the skills of individual players and prepare the team overall. If you are well organized and run a fun practice, players become better and stay in the game longer. When a player improves and shows signs of success, he will want to play the game longer.
This book cannot organize your practices for you before the season begins because we don't know the age of your players, their abilities, and the current level of their fundamentals. But we can lay down a foundation that you can follow to set up your whole plan. You establish your practice plan by considering the number of practices you have before the season begins, the ability of your players, and the equipment and facilities available.
Come Prepared for Practice
By structuring practices for competition and preparing for game situations, you can improve the success rate of your team. To run a successful practice, you need to do several things to accomplish your final goals. The following equipment will help you operate successful practices. Each section has a description of why that equipment or item is important and how it may be used.
Clipboard
A clipboard gives you a place to store all your notes for practice and to write any observations that you might have about a particular player or the overall practice. Many coaches use tablets or other smart devices these days to access apps and record data at practices.
Batting Tees
By setting up batting tees at stations, you can have more than one player hitting at one time. If you cannot afford batting tees, you might get someone to donate orange cones that can serve as makeshift tees.
Wiffle Balls
These hollow plastic balls eliminate fear and allow players to concentrate on working on the mechanics of a swing or catching a baseball. Also, Wiffle balls do not go far when hit, so your player can get more swings when hitting. Wiffle balls can be used with any age or ability level, too.
Soft Baseballs
Soft baseballs are the next stage after Wiffle balls. They also reduce fear, so players can build confidence in their mechanics. A coach can toss the ball from a kneeling position in front of a player and not fear being hit.
Stopwatch
Players like to be timed. A stopwatch allows you to time runners around the bases or from base to base (from home to first, for example) and time stations so that you know when to rotate.
Whistle
A whistle helps you keep the practice structured. Instead of yelling, you can blow the whistle when a certain part of practice ends and you need the players to get together with you. Use the whistle to rotate stations. When you do a team drill, you can use it as a way to say, "Go," instead of yelling it all the time.
Flat Bases
You can set up flat bases in the outfield when you have several stations for throwing or fielding drills. With flat bases, you can set up a field anywhere.
Assistant Coaches
Assistants allow you to have several stations so that all players are doing something all the time and no one is standing around. Volunteers who are educated about your teaching principles, drills, and philosophy can help you keep the practice going and organized.
Baseball Cards
You can use these cards as an incentive for players to listen, hustle, improve, win a game, score high on a drill, and more. You can use baseball cards when you see a player paying attention, hustling, trying to make a mechanical change, or accomplishing something positive like knowing the number of outs during the game. Cards can also be taken back when a player does something negative like not hustling, not know the number of outs, and so on. A player who sees a teammate receive a reward for a positive behavior will want to do the same thing.
Cones
Cones can be used to lay out the area when you are doing warm-ups, drills, and more. Cones can signify where a player stands or where he goes during a running drill.
Audio Recording Device
By having a recording device in your pocket and turning it on during practice, you will have a record of your practice session. Later you can listen to it to hear the tone of voice that you are using and what you are saying to the players. Use this recording to critique yourself and improve as a communicator.
Video Recording Device
A video recording on a smart phone, tablet, or regular video recorder allows players to see and believe both what they are doing wrong and what they are doing well. To videotape players, you need to have parents fill out and sign a permission and consent form. You may want to make copies of the tapes with notes for parents so that they understand what you are trying to work on with the player.
Coaches should set up drills for players during their practices. The drills should include not only the fundamental motion used to accomplish the drill but also a competitive game. Players are more likely to do a drill with passion if it includes some kind of goal and competition. For example, if players are hitting off a batting tee, they should try to hit as many line drives as they can out of 10. Avoid having them just take 10 swings and rotate to the next station. When they do the same drill the next time, they should try to beat their previous score. When a competitive game is included with the drill, players concentrate more on the task. This translates into more learning and being able to deal with competition during a real game. Coaches should organize gamelike drills so that when players get into a real game situation, they have already been through it.
Fundamentals of Every Practice
At the end of the chapter you will see a chart that shows you how to prioritize your practices. The first part of practice should include the fundamentals that players use the most in games. They should practice these skills daily because they are the foundation of development. Then you begin looking at individual positions, such as pitching, catching, infield, and outfield. These individual positions are specialized areas that need special attention and require extra work. Last, you need to look at what your team might need to do to improve defensively, offensively, and strategically.
Hitting
Hitting is the most difficult skill for players to learn because it involves balance, vision, coordination, and timing. Young players are still developing physiologically in these areas, so you need to devote attention to detail when working with your players on hitting. Hitting is difficult at all levels but specifically at the youth level because players are still developing their physical skills. Also, because most young players select a bat that is too heavy and too long and they get too close to home plate, they develop a fear of the ball and they do not have sufficient balance while swinging the bat.
Throwing and Catching
The game is all about throwing and catching; if players cannot do this well, they will have a hard time competing as individuals or as a team. If your players can throw well, you will find it a lot easier when you need to start working on pitching. The ability to throw and catch a baseball well will enhance your team‘s defense and overall confidence. Coaches often assume that players know how to throw and catch a baseball, but the question is how well they can execute in a game situation. Most of the time, players play catch at a slow to average pace. They catch a baseball, look at it, grip it, and then throw it back. The other player often catches the ball one handed and goes through the same process before throwing it back. This routine can be easy because of the pace at which it is done. Players should usually catch the baseball with the bare hand near the glove so that they can transfer the ball from the glove to the bare hand quickly. If they have to reach to catch the ball, they should use one hand and bring the glove to the center of the body begin to throw the baseball.
Players often have a poor grip on the baseball, which causes them to throw incorrectly. Another thing that young players do is fail to turn the body sideways before they throw because doing so feels uncomfortable. By turning the body sideways, they can use the whole body to throw the ball.
Fielding
To reduce their fear about fielding, players need to work on fundamentals. Players who feel comfortable in their ability to field and get out of the way of a bad-hop ball will become better fielders. Their ability to react to a bad hop will increase. A major obstacle in fielding is fear of the baseball, so you should use softer baseballs when working on fielding so that the players can concentrate on technique. Players also need to learn to get into proper fielding position so that they can see the ball better. One way to work on this is to have players start in the fielding position when they field a ball so that the body is aware of the correct position at the time they field it.
Baserunning
Players run bases all the time, so they have to get good at it. This fundamental is also an instinct that needs to be practiced every day. Baserunning can also serve as your warm-up, so you do not have to waste time running laps around the field before practice. Baserunning for young players is fun because they are running, not standing around waiting, but it can be difficult to learn because it involves technique, balance, coordination, and awareness. Players often start out incorrectly from home plate. Most runners have an unbalanced swing that puts them in a poor position to run to first. So, when you are working on running to first base, have your players swing a bat, freeze at the end so that they have a balanced swing, and then start running to first. This drill helps them just drop the bat in a balanced follow-through instead of throwing it. As they run to first, many players wait until they get to first before making the turn to go to second. One way to correct this mistake is to have the hitter swing, look to see where the ball is, and, if it is past the infielders, immediately start angling toward the coach's box and start the turn early rather than late.
Bunting
Bunting can help young players improve their hitting and become more complete players. When working on bunting, start with softer baseballs, work on the technique, and then build up to using a hard baseball. After the player is confident, you can start by throwing the ball underhand and build up to throwing overhand. At a certain point you have to start throwing the ball hard to simulate game situations. Players have trouble in two areas. First is the stance. By having a good balanced stance, they gain confidence and can run after they bunt. This stance, described in the bunting chapter, has the feet in a quarter turn to home plate. Players also have a problem with gripping the bat, also described in the bunting chapter. Players who become good bunters will become better hitters because when they bunt they learn to track the ball longer. Coaches may want to have players bunt for a hit when they are struggling with their hitting.
Pitching
You should begin working on pitching as soon as you think that the players are throwing well. Pitching is where it starts and ends with a team. You need to have good pitching to compete. You should work with all young players on pitching. Instead of having just two or three pitchers, you want most of your guys to have the ability to pitch. Pitching is the most important part of the game because it all starts there. Most young players should start in a set position, not the windup. When they start in the stretch position, all they have to do is lift the leg and throw. Starting from the windup takes a lot more coordination and balance. After players learn to pitch from the stretch, accomplishing the windup is much easier. Another problem area for young pitchers is the grip of the baseball because their fingers are small. Make sure that the thumb is under the baseball and splits it. If they have to throw with a three- or four-finger grip to have better control, let them do it. Pitchers needs to learn to throw the baseball over the plate on the outside part, inside part, middle, up, and down. One way to do this is to have them aim for the catcher's knees and shoulders. These larger areas are easier for them to focus on.
Throwing and Catching Drills
The skill of throwing and catching a baseball is difficult for young players to accomplish.
The skill of throwing and catching a baseball is difficult for young players to accomplish. Many players have a fear of the ball, which is a natural thought process, and after they get hit by the ball, the fear may become even more real. One thing that coaches can say to ruin their credibility with young players is, "Come on. That ball doesn't hurt." If I were a young player, I would ask the coach whether I could throw the ball at him to see whether it hurts. At the same time, to have confidence in their ability to throw and catch a baseball, players have to become confident in their technique first.
Glove Care and Size
As for receiving the baseball, we need to make sure that players do a few things technique wise to build their confidence. First, the player's glove is extremely important. It is not about how much a glove costs; it's about how it is broken in and maintained throughout the year. Many of us, including me, were taught to break in a glove by putting a baseball in it, tying a string around it, and keeping it like that in the off-season. The problem is that the glove forms into a closed position, and a young player may not be able to open it up with his hand. So instead of breaking in the glove the old way, players should try a new way. They should turn the glove inside out and leave it like that when they do not use it. Players should not use a big glove because then they just reach out and hope that the ball lands in it. You want young players to have a small glove that forces them to use two hands. They can get the ball out easier, and they have to move to the baseball with their feet rather than reach out with an oversized glove.
Ball Size
Many young players have to grip the ball with three fingers across the seam or even four because their hands are too small to hold the ball properly. The Japanese have gone to a smaller baseball for young players so that they can grip it and throw it correctly. Later they build up to throwing a regulation-size baseball. This approach is a good way to teach young players to throw the ball correctly. In the United States, people are against it because they believe that using a small ball is not real baseball. We need more coaches who think outside the box when it comes to developing young players. Most of us tend to teach the way that we were taught, and most of the time that is the same old way of traditional teaching.
Receiving Position
Players who set up in proper receiving position will gain the confidence to stay in the right position or get out of the way if for some reason someone throws the ball to them and the sun gets in their eyes. We used to teach players not to throw the ball unless the receiver was looking at them and his hands were out in front. We still do this, but we now teach different hand positioning. The old way was to have the thumbs of the glove and the bare hand together and the fingertips facing up to the sky. Because of this teaching and because players often used big gloves, many players, as the ball got closer to them, had to flip the palm of the glove to the sky to see the ball. The ball would sometimes hit the heel of the glove and then hit them in the head. To make sure that they can see the ball as it is on the way, which will allow them to use their depth perception, we now start the hands and the glove with the thumbs up to the sky and the hands out in front. The player is in a good balanced position. The feet are about shoulder-width apart, and the right foot is slightly behind the left (opposite for left-handed throwers). The toes of the rear foot should be about even with the instep of the other foot.
12. Wrist Stride
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Purpose
The second phase of the throwing motion is important because it begins to work with balance and velocity. In this drill players use the wrist, arm, and chest to throw.
Equipment
Baseball colored in half for each group playing catch
Number of Players
Full team
Setup
Place players farther apart than they were in the previous drill. Players with the baseball have the stride foot forward and grip the ball correctly, placing the throwing arm in a 90-degree angle, elbow even with the shoulder. Throw the baseball by taking the head, eyes, chest, arm, and wrist forward.
Procedure
- On your whistle, the players with the ball throw it to their partners.
- A soon as the ball hits the receiving player's glove, he takes it out quickly and gets to the 90-degree angle, with the stride foot forward.
- Throwing continues back and forth on your whistle for 5 to 10 throws.
Coaching Points
- When you yell, "Ready," make sure that players are in proper position.
- The player throwing the ball should have the hand behind the baseball, not to the side. Make sure that players use the whole upper body to go forward to release the baseball so that the back leg comes up and forward. When players throw the ball, the wrist should go forward, not to one side.
13. Toss-Up Grip
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Purpose
Players can practice this grip by tossing the ball up, catching it, and getting the proper grip as they simulate a throw. Getting the proper grip in a game will become second nature after performing this drill consistently. The important thing is to have the thumb underneath the baseball to keep it firm and balanced in the hand.
Equipment
Baseball for each player
Number of Players
Full team
Setup
Give each player a baseball and put them in a circle with about 20 feet between each player.
Procedure
- When you blow the whistle, the players toss the ball up and catch it.
- As they catch it, they transfer the baseball from the glove to the hand and try to come up with a good grip. When you blow the whistle again, the process continues.
Coaching Points
- At the start of this drill, have the players toss the ball up and slowly take the ball out of the glove. They work on the feel of how to get a good grip.
- As they improve, have them pick up the speed and see whether they can still get the proper grip.
- When they get good at this, have them take the ball out and get the correct grip as they get into a throwing position.
21. Bad Grip Shuffle
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Purpose
What happens if a player does everything well but does not have a good grip? Or what happens when the target player is not looking or not ready? What should the player do? The answer is that the player should shuffle the feet, keep or get the proper grip, and then throw the ball with rhythm. For example, when a ball is hit right back to the pitcher, he usually has plenty of time to throw the ball to first, but the first baseman may not be at the base yet. The pitcher should shuffle his feet until the first baseman gets to the base and then throw the ball in rhythm.
Equipment
Baseballs
Number of Players
Full team
Setup
Have six players on one side and six on the other. Each has a partner. Players on one side have baseballs.
Procedure
- On your whistle, the players toss the ball up to themselves.
- As soon as they catch the baseball, they throw it to their partner. This drill works on the entire process of catching, transferring, turning the body in a good position, and throwing.
- When you blow the whistle, the partners throw the ball back.
- After each line does it once, the players catch the baseball and shuffle one or two times before throwing. Then the players in the other line do the same.
Coaching Points
- Players must not throw the ball until their partner is looking. They shuffle their feet until he is ready.
- As they shuffle, they gain momentum. When they throw the ball, they keep their rhythm.
- They shuffle their feet because if their feet are moving as they throw the ball, the body will be in rhythm with the arms.
- Make sure that the players look before they throw.
Variation
After the players improve, you can yell for them to shuffle or throw as they are catching the baseball. If you yell, "Shuffle," they have to catch the ball, shuffle a couple of times, and then throw. If you yell, "Throw," they catch it, turn, and throw.
How to Determine Your Practice Plan
As you get into the first 5 to 10 practices, you can begin to add individual position drills. As you get more practices in, you can begin to add team skills.
As you get into the first 5 to 10 practices, you can begin to add individual position drills. As you get more practices in, you can begin to add team skills. As you add things, you should always be considering which areas will be more important in games. I tried to prioritize topics for you in each heading, but priorities might change depending on your needs. The hardest one to prioritize is team skills. You have to determine which ones your team needs more.
Five Practices Before the Season Begins
- All you can do here is focus all five days on throwing, fielding, pitching, catching, and hitting.
- You teach individual skills and team skills before your games begin or during your game. For example, if the first baseman is holding the runner on first incorrectly, you can show him the correct stance between innings. If a cutoff and relay is performed incorrectly, talk about it with the players when they come off the field.
Ten Practices Before the Season Begins
- During the first five workouts, you focus on the fundamental skills.
- For the next five practices, you begin to add work for individual positions, such as pitcher, catcher, outfielder, and so on.
Twenty or More Practices
- For the first five practices, focus on the fundamentals
- For next five, decrease work on the fundamentals and start adding work for individual positions.
- On the next five days, you can begin adding team skills. For the last five practices, add the rest of the team skills.
Practice Plans for 90 Minutes, 60 Minutes, and 30 Minutes
- Make sure that you have your practice plan written down and placed on a clipboard.
- With today's technology you should e-mail a practice plan ahead of time to all your players. They will then see what they are working on, how it is organized, and what to expect.
- Make sure that you have all the equipment needed for the practice.
- Get there early and lay out all your cones and equipment where you need it. Do not use your practice time to do this. If players are there early, have them place the items in the correct part of the field.
- Add the sample plan that uses the drills, skills, and philosophy presented in this book.
Baserunning Drills
Baserunning is a fundamental of the game that incorporates many facets that players can work on no matter what their running speed.
Baserunning is a fundamental of the game that incorporates many facets that players can work on no matter what their running speed. Coaches of young players often do not work with their teams on this part of the game. Running the bases is an art. If coaches teach baserunning correctly, they will increase the ability of their players to steal bases and take extra bases. Fast base runners force fielders to throw to another base because the runner got there quicker than the fielder expected. In the field, faster players are able to get to and catch more balls. Before working on baserunning, coaches need to teach young players how to run properly and have them run every day to get faster. Speed and agility training is an important part of helping young players develop their athleticism. After a young player has developed his athleticism, all the facets of baserunning become a lot easier. Most of the time players cannot develop athleticism by playing baseball. This should be a priority when it comes to helping young players run the bases better.
To work on running and running the bases, your warm-ups in practice and before games need to be organized around running. Running needs to become a habit for young players. You can begin and end practices with fun running drills and games. Keep in mind that you always want to end practices with a competitive and fun activity because the last thing they do is what they remember. You want them remembering that practice was fun so that they learn faster.
Coaches should talk to track coaches to learn the proper running techniques so that they can help their players run better. Track coaches can teach the techniques and drills that allow players to perfect their running.
A few things need to be taught to help with all facets of baserunning. First is the ability to move quickly from one spot to another. This art is used in baseball and in many other sports. It begins with the hip turn, pushing off one foot and going. This turn will help runners and fielders. In this technique, players turn their hips as quickly as possible, keep the feet low to the ground, and turn on the angle that they need to run. The hip turn helps them move their feet faster. As they turn their hips and their feet touch the ground, they push off with the back foot. This turn can be practiced in warm-up drills, as we explain in the following drills.
56. Baserunning Game
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Purpose
You can use this drill at the end of practice for a fun game. Work on baserunning and make it a natural instinct. Plus it is competitive and fun for the players.
Equipment
- Bases
- Six cones or plastic milk cartons with water in them
Number of Players
Full team
Setup
Divide players equally into two teams. Make it fair by having the same amount of speed on each team. When you give them the order, mix them up. Don't place all the fast players first. Place half the team at home plate and the other at second base. Place a cone before and after each base. When the runners run around the bases, they go around the first cone and inside the second cone. This will help them understand how the bases are run.
Procedure
- On the whistle, the first runner at each base begins to run around the bases until he gets all the way back to the base where he started. When he touches that base, the next runner goes.
- The team to get around the bases first is the winner. You can play best of three or five, however you like. Winners get two baseball cards and the losers one.
Coaching Points
- Make sure they run the bases correctly. If incorrect, send the runner back.
- Also, make this the end-of-practice drill because players will be warmed up.
62. First to Third
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Purpose
This drill teaches players to be aggressive on their secondary lead, get a good jump, read where the ball is, and continue to third. As described earlier if an outfielder has to move to the right or left more than one step, the runner continues to third base. He will not be able to advance to third if he does not get a good secondary lead and is not moving as the ball enters the hitting area.
Equipment
- Three bases
- Baseballs
- Helmets
- Bat
Number of Players
6 to 12
Setup
Place players at catcher, pitcher, first base, second base, shortstop, third base, and in each outfield position. Place a hitter at home plate with a helmet, tracking the pitches. Have a runner on first base, a pitcher on the mound who delivers the ball to the catcher, and a runner at first.
Procedure
- The pitcher keeps the runner close to the base. He can go home or pick to first.
- If the pitcher goes home, the runner on first takes his secondary lead.
- As the ball crosses the hitting zone, a coach hits the ball to the outfield.
- The runner decides whether to go to third or not.
- The defensive players work as they do in a real game.
- Sliding, tags, and relays all occur as they do in a game.
- The batter - runner stays at first. The runner on first who went to second or third goes in to hit. Players keep rotating.
Coaching Points
- Watch how the defense reacts.
- Watch to see how the runners react.
- If they do something incorrectly, you might want to repeat the play so that they feel the right way to do it.
- A common mistake is not running full speed all the way until the outfielder fields the ball cleanly and has the ball in his throwing hand. Most runners stop, assuming that the outfielder will field the ball or that the transfer to the throwing hand is easy. Fear stops most runners from being aggressive, so they must be encouraged in practice to take chances.
Variation
From this, you can let the hitter run as if he hit the ball. You go to the next phase of the situation, which is holding the runner at first if the runner gets to third or holding the runners at second and first. This becomes a baserunning drill as well as a defensive drill.
Practice Organization
Practice organization can help a coach improve the skills of individual players and prepare the team overall. If you are well organized and run a fun practice, players become better and stay in the game longer.
Practice organization can help a coach improve the skills of individual players and prepare the team overall. If you are well organized and run a fun practice, players become better and stay in the game longer. When a player improves and shows signs of success, he will want to play the game longer.
This book cannot organize your practices for you before the season begins because we don't know the age of your players, their abilities, and the current level of their fundamentals. But we can lay down a foundation that you can follow to set up your whole plan. You establish your practice plan by considering the number of practices you have before the season begins, the ability of your players, and the equipment and facilities available.
Come Prepared for Practice
By structuring practices for competition and preparing for game situations, you can improve the success rate of your team. To run a successful practice, you need to do several things to accomplish your final goals. The following equipment will help you operate successful practices. Each section has a description of why that equipment or item is important and how it may be used.
Clipboard
A clipboard gives you a place to store all your notes for practice and to write any observations that you might have about a particular player or the overall practice. Many coaches use tablets or other smart devices these days to access apps and record data at practices.
Batting Tees
By setting up batting tees at stations, you can have more than one player hitting at one time. If you cannot afford batting tees, you might get someone to donate orange cones that can serve as makeshift tees.
Wiffle Balls
These hollow plastic balls eliminate fear and allow players to concentrate on working on the mechanics of a swing or catching a baseball. Also, Wiffle balls do not go far when hit, so your player can get more swings when hitting. Wiffle balls can be used with any age or ability level, too.
Soft Baseballs
Soft baseballs are the next stage after Wiffle balls. They also reduce fear, so players can build confidence in their mechanics. A coach can toss the ball from a kneeling position in front of a player and not fear being hit.
Stopwatch
Players like to be timed. A stopwatch allows you to time runners around the bases or from base to base (from home to first, for example) and time stations so that you know when to rotate.
Whistle
A whistle helps you keep the practice structured. Instead of yelling, you can blow the whistle when a certain part of practice ends and you need the players to get together with you. Use the whistle to rotate stations. When you do a team drill, you can use it as a way to say, "Go," instead of yelling it all the time.
Flat Bases
You can set up flat bases in the outfield when you have several stations for throwing or fielding drills. With flat bases, you can set up a field anywhere.
Assistant Coaches
Assistants allow you to have several stations so that all players are doing something all the time and no one is standing around. Volunteers who are educated about your teaching principles, drills, and philosophy can help you keep the practice going and organized.
Baseball Cards
You can use these cards as an incentive for players to listen, hustle, improve, win a game, score high on a drill, and more. You can use baseball cards when you see a player paying attention, hustling, trying to make a mechanical change, or accomplishing something positive like knowing the number of outs during the game. Cards can also be taken back when a player does something negative like not hustling, not know the number of outs, and so on. A player who sees a teammate receive a reward for a positive behavior will want to do the same thing.
Cones
Cones can be used to lay out the area when you are doing warm-ups, drills, and more. Cones can signify where a player stands or where he goes during a running drill.
Audio Recording Device
By having a recording device in your pocket and turning it on during practice, you will have a record of your practice session. Later you can listen to it to hear the tone of voice that you are using and what you are saying to the players. Use this recording to critique yourself and improve as a communicator.
Video Recording Device
A video recording on a smart phone, tablet, or regular video recorder allows players to see and believe both what they are doing wrong and what they are doing well. To videotape players, you need to have parents fill out and sign a permission and consent form. You may want to make copies of the tapes with notes for parents so that they understand what you are trying to work on with the player.
Coaches should set up drills for players during their practices. The drills should include not only the fundamental motion used to accomplish the drill but also a competitive game. Players are more likely to do a drill with passion if it includes some kind of goal and competition. For example, if players are hitting off a batting tee, they should try to hit as many line drives as they can out of 10. Avoid having them just take 10 swings and rotate to the next station. When they do the same drill the next time, they should try to beat their previous score. When a competitive game is included with the drill, players concentrate more on the task. This translates into more learning and being able to deal with competition during a real game. Coaches should organize gamelike drills so that when players get into a real game situation, they have already been through it.
Fundamentals of Every Practice
At the end of the chapter you will see a chart that shows you how to prioritize your practices. The first part of practice should include the fundamentals that players use the most in games. They should practice these skills daily because they are the foundation of development. Then you begin looking at individual positions, such as pitching, catching, infield, and outfield. These individual positions are specialized areas that need special attention and require extra work. Last, you need to look at what your team might need to do to improve defensively, offensively, and strategically.
Hitting
Hitting is the most difficult skill for players to learn because it involves balance, vision, coordination, and timing. Young players are still developing physiologically in these areas, so you need to devote attention to detail when working with your players on hitting. Hitting is difficult at all levels but specifically at the youth level because players are still developing their physical skills. Also, because most young players select a bat that is too heavy and too long and they get too close to home plate, they develop a fear of the ball and they do not have sufficient balance while swinging the bat.
Throwing and Catching
The game is all about throwing and catching; if players cannot do this well, they will have a hard time competing as individuals or as a team. If your players can throw well, you will find it a lot easier when you need to start working on pitching. The ability to throw and catch a baseball well will enhance your team‘s defense and overall confidence. Coaches often assume that players know how to throw and catch a baseball, but the question is how well they can execute in a game situation. Most of the time, players play catch at a slow to average pace. They catch a baseball, look at it, grip it, and then throw it back. The other player often catches the ball one handed and goes through the same process before throwing it back. This routine can be easy because of the pace at which it is done. Players should usually catch the baseball with the bare hand near the glove so that they can transfer the ball from the glove to the bare hand quickly. If they have to reach to catch the ball, they should use one hand and bring the glove to the center of the body begin to throw the baseball.
Players often have a poor grip on the baseball, which causes them to throw incorrectly. Another thing that young players do is fail to turn the body sideways before they throw because doing so feels uncomfortable. By turning the body sideways, they can use the whole body to throw the ball.
Fielding
To reduce their fear about fielding, players need to work on fundamentals. Players who feel comfortable in their ability to field and get out of the way of a bad-hop ball will become better fielders. Their ability to react to a bad hop will increase. A major obstacle in fielding is fear of the baseball, so you should use softer baseballs when working on fielding so that the players can concentrate on technique. Players also need to learn to get into proper fielding position so that they can see the ball better. One way to work on this is to have players start in the fielding position when they field a ball so that the body is aware of the correct position at the time they field it.
Baserunning
Players run bases all the time, so they have to get good at it. This fundamental is also an instinct that needs to be practiced every day. Baserunning can also serve as your warm-up, so you do not have to waste time running laps around the field before practice. Baserunning for young players is fun because they are running, not standing around waiting, but it can be difficult to learn because it involves technique, balance, coordination, and awareness. Players often start out incorrectly from home plate. Most runners have an unbalanced swing that puts them in a poor position to run to first. So, when you are working on running to first base, have your players swing a bat, freeze at the end so that they have a balanced swing, and then start running to first. This drill helps them just drop the bat in a balanced follow-through instead of throwing it. As they run to first, many players wait until they get to first before making the turn to go to second. One way to correct this mistake is to have the hitter swing, look to see where the ball is, and, if it is past the infielders, immediately start angling toward the coach's box and start the turn early rather than late.
Bunting
Bunting can help young players improve their hitting and become more complete players. When working on bunting, start with softer baseballs, work on the technique, and then build up to using a hard baseball. After the player is confident, you can start by throwing the ball underhand and build up to throwing overhand. At a certain point you have to start throwing the ball hard to simulate game situations. Players have trouble in two areas. First is the stance. By having a good balanced stance, they gain confidence and can run after they bunt. This stance, described in the bunting chapter, has the feet in a quarter turn to home plate. Players also have a problem with gripping the bat, also described in the bunting chapter. Players who become good bunters will become better hitters because when they bunt they learn to track the ball longer. Coaches may want to have players bunt for a hit when they are struggling with their hitting.
Pitching
You should begin working on pitching as soon as you think that the players are throwing well. Pitching is where it starts and ends with a team. You need to have good pitching to compete. You should work with all young players on pitching. Instead of having just two or three pitchers, you want most of your guys to have the ability to pitch. Pitching is the most important part of the game because it all starts there. Most young players should start in a set position, not the windup. When they start in the stretch position, all they have to do is lift the leg and throw. Starting from the windup takes a lot more coordination and balance. After players learn to pitch from the stretch, accomplishing the windup is much easier. Another problem area for young pitchers is the grip of the baseball because their fingers are small. Make sure that the thumb is under the baseball and splits it. If they have to throw with a three- or four-finger grip to have better control, let them do it. Pitchers needs to learn to throw the baseball over the plate on the outside part, inside part, middle, up, and down. One way to do this is to have them aim for the catcher's knees and shoulders. These larger areas are easier for them to focus on.
Throwing and Catching Drills
The skill of throwing and catching a baseball is difficult for young players to accomplish.
The skill of throwing and catching a baseball is difficult for young players to accomplish. Many players have a fear of the ball, which is a natural thought process, and after they get hit by the ball, the fear may become even more real. One thing that coaches can say to ruin their credibility with young players is, "Come on. That ball doesn't hurt." If I were a young player, I would ask the coach whether I could throw the ball at him to see whether it hurts. At the same time, to have confidence in their ability to throw and catch a baseball, players have to become confident in their technique first.
Glove Care and Size
As for receiving the baseball, we need to make sure that players do a few things technique wise to build their confidence. First, the player's glove is extremely important. It is not about how much a glove costs; it's about how it is broken in and maintained throughout the year. Many of us, including me, were taught to break in a glove by putting a baseball in it, tying a string around it, and keeping it like that in the off-season. The problem is that the glove forms into a closed position, and a young player may not be able to open it up with his hand. So instead of breaking in the glove the old way, players should try a new way. They should turn the glove inside out and leave it like that when they do not use it. Players should not use a big glove because then they just reach out and hope that the ball lands in it. You want young players to have a small glove that forces them to use two hands. They can get the ball out easier, and they have to move to the baseball with their feet rather than reach out with an oversized glove.
Ball Size
Many young players have to grip the ball with three fingers across the seam or even four because their hands are too small to hold the ball properly. The Japanese have gone to a smaller baseball for young players so that they can grip it and throw it correctly. Later they build up to throwing a regulation-size baseball. This approach is a good way to teach young players to throw the ball correctly. In the United States, people are against it because they believe that using a small ball is not real baseball. We need more coaches who think outside the box when it comes to developing young players. Most of us tend to teach the way that we were taught, and most of the time that is the same old way of traditional teaching.
Receiving Position
Players who set up in proper receiving position will gain the confidence to stay in the right position or get out of the way if for some reason someone throws the ball to them and the sun gets in their eyes. We used to teach players not to throw the ball unless the receiver was looking at them and his hands were out in front. We still do this, but we now teach different hand positioning. The old way was to have the thumbs of the glove and the bare hand together and the fingertips facing up to the sky. Because of this teaching and because players often used big gloves, many players, as the ball got closer to them, had to flip the palm of the glove to the sky to see the ball. The ball would sometimes hit the heel of the glove and then hit them in the head. To make sure that they can see the ball as it is on the way, which will allow them to use their depth perception, we now start the hands and the glove with the thumbs up to the sky and the hands out in front. The player is in a good balanced position. The feet are about shoulder-width apart, and the right foot is slightly behind the left (opposite for left-handed throwers). The toes of the rear foot should be about even with the instep of the other foot.
12. Wrist Stride
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Purpose
The second phase of the throwing motion is important because it begins to work with balance and velocity. In this drill players use the wrist, arm, and chest to throw.
Equipment
Baseball colored in half for each group playing catch
Number of Players
Full team
Setup
Place players farther apart than they were in the previous drill. Players with the baseball have the stride foot forward and grip the ball correctly, placing the throwing arm in a 90-degree angle, elbow even with the shoulder. Throw the baseball by taking the head, eyes, chest, arm, and wrist forward.
Procedure
- On your whistle, the players with the ball throw it to their partners.
- A soon as the ball hits the receiving player's glove, he takes it out quickly and gets to the 90-degree angle, with the stride foot forward.
- Throwing continues back and forth on your whistle for 5 to 10 throws.
Coaching Points
- When you yell, "Ready," make sure that players are in proper position.
- The player throwing the ball should have the hand behind the baseball, not to the side. Make sure that players use the whole upper body to go forward to release the baseball so that the back leg comes up and forward. When players throw the ball, the wrist should go forward, not to one side.
13. Toss-Up Grip
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Purpose
Players can practice this grip by tossing the ball up, catching it, and getting the proper grip as they simulate a throw. Getting the proper grip in a game will become second nature after performing this drill consistently. The important thing is to have the thumb underneath the baseball to keep it firm and balanced in the hand.
Equipment
Baseball for each player
Number of Players
Full team
Setup
Give each player a baseball and put them in a circle with about 20 feet between each player.
Procedure
- When you blow the whistle, the players toss the ball up and catch it.
- As they catch it, they transfer the baseball from the glove to the hand and try to come up with a good grip. When you blow the whistle again, the process continues.
Coaching Points
- At the start of this drill, have the players toss the ball up and slowly take the ball out of the glove. They work on the feel of how to get a good grip.
- As they improve, have them pick up the speed and see whether they can still get the proper grip.
- When they get good at this, have them take the ball out and get the correct grip as they get into a throwing position.
21. Bad Grip Shuffle
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Purpose
What happens if a player does everything well but does not have a good grip? Or what happens when the target player is not looking or not ready? What should the player do? The answer is that the player should shuffle the feet, keep or get the proper grip, and then throw the ball with rhythm. For example, when a ball is hit right back to the pitcher, he usually has plenty of time to throw the ball to first, but the first baseman may not be at the base yet. The pitcher should shuffle his feet until the first baseman gets to the base and then throw the ball in rhythm.
Equipment
Baseballs
Number of Players
Full team
Setup
Have six players on one side and six on the other. Each has a partner. Players on one side have baseballs.
Procedure
- On your whistle, the players toss the ball up to themselves.
- As soon as they catch the baseball, they throw it to their partner. This drill works on the entire process of catching, transferring, turning the body in a good position, and throwing.
- When you blow the whistle, the partners throw the ball back.
- After each line does it once, the players catch the baseball and shuffle one or two times before throwing. Then the players in the other line do the same.
Coaching Points
- Players must not throw the ball until their partner is looking. They shuffle their feet until he is ready.
- As they shuffle, they gain momentum. When they throw the ball, they keep their rhythm.
- They shuffle their feet because if their feet are moving as they throw the ball, the body will be in rhythm with the arms.
- Make sure that the players look before they throw.
Variation
After the players improve, you can yell for them to shuffle or throw as they are catching the baseball. If you yell, "Shuffle," they have to catch the ball, shuffle a couple of times, and then throw. If you yell, "Throw," they catch it, turn, and throw.
How to Determine Your Practice Plan
As you get into the first 5 to 10 practices, you can begin to add individual position drills. As you get more practices in, you can begin to add team skills.
As you get into the first 5 to 10 practices, you can begin to add individual position drills. As you get more practices in, you can begin to add team skills. As you add things, you should always be considering which areas will be more important in games. I tried to prioritize topics for you in each heading, but priorities might change depending on your needs. The hardest one to prioritize is team skills. You have to determine which ones your team needs more.
Five Practices Before the Season Begins
- All you can do here is focus all five days on throwing, fielding, pitching, catching, and hitting.
- You teach individual skills and team skills before your games begin or during your game. For example, if the first baseman is holding the runner on first incorrectly, you can show him the correct stance between innings. If a cutoff and relay is performed incorrectly, talk about it with the players when they come off the field.
Ten Practices Before the Season Begins
- During the first five workouts, you focus on the fundamental skills.
- For the next five practices, you begin to add work for individual positions, such as pitcher, catcher, outfielder, and so on.
Twenty or More Practices
- For the first five practices, focus on the fundamentals
- For next five, decrease work on the fundamentals and start adding work for individual positions.
- On the next five days, you can begin adding team skills. For the last five practices, add the rest of the team skills.
Practice Plans for 90 Minutes, 60 Minutes, and 30 Minutes
- Make sure that you have your practice plan written down and placed on a clipboard.
- With today's technology you should e-mail a practice plan ahead of time to all your players. They will then see what they are working on, how it is organized, and what to expect.
- Make sure that you have all the equipment needed for the practice.
- Get there early and lay out all your cones and equipment where you need it. Do not use your practice time to do this. If players are there early, have them place the items in the correct part of the field.
- Add the sample plan that uses the drills, skills, and philosophy presented in this book.
Baserunning Drills
Baserunning is a fundamental of the game that incorporates many facets that players can work on no matter what their running speed.
Baserunning is a fundamental of the game that incorporates many facets that players can work on no matter what their running speed. Coaches of young players often do not work with their teams on this part of the game. Running the bases is an art. If coaches teach baserunning correctly, they will increase the ability of their players to steal bases and take extra bases. Fast base runners force fielders to throw to another base because the runner got there quicker than the fielder expected. In the field, faster players are able to get to and catch more balls. Before working on baserunning, coaches need to teach young players how to run properly and have them run every day to get faster. Speed and agility training is an important part of helping young players develop their athleticism. After a young player has developed his athleticism, all the facets of baserunning become a lot easier. Most of the time players cannot develop athleticism by playing baseball. This should be a priority when it comes to helping young players run the bases better.
To work on running and running the bases, your warm-ups in practice and before games need to be organized around running. Running needs to become a habit for young players. You can begin and end practices with fun running drills and games. Keep in mind that you always want to end practices with a competitive and fun activity because the last thing they do is what they remember. You want them remembering that practice was fun so that they learn faster.
Coaches should talk to track coaches to learn the proper running techniques so that they can help their players run better. Track coaches can teach the techniques and drills that allow players to perfect their running.
A few things need to be taught to help with all facets of baserunning. First is the ability to move quickly from one spot to another. This art is used in baseball and in many other sports. It begins with the hip turn, pushing off one foot and going. This turn will help runners and fielders. In this technique, players turn their hips as quickly as possible, keep the feet low to the ground, and turn on the angle that they need to run. The hip turn helps them move their feet faster. As they turn their hips and their feet touch the ground, they push off with the back foot. This turn can be practiced in warm-up drills, as we explain in the following drills.
56. Baserunning Game
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Purpose
You can use this drill at the end of practice for a fun game. Work on baserunning and make it a natural instinct. Plus it is competitive and fun for the players.
Equipment
- Bases
- Six cones or plastic milk cartons with water in them
Number of Players
Full team
Setup
Divide players equally into two teams. Make it fair by having the same amount of speed on each team. When you give them the order, mix them up. Don't place all the fast players first. Place half the team at home plate and the other at second base. Place a cone before and after each base. When the runners run around the bases, they go around the first cone and inside the second cone. This will help them understand how the bases are run.
Procedure
- On the whistle, the first runner at each base begins to run around the bases until he gets all the way back to the base where he started. When he touches that base, the next runner goes.
- The team to get around the bases first is the winner. You can play best of three or five, however you like. Winners get two baseball cards and the losers one.
Coaching Points
- Make sure they run the bases correctly. If incorrect, send the runner back.
- Also, make this the end-of-practice drill because players will be warmed up.
62. First to Third
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Purpose
This drill teaches players to be aggressive on their secondary lead, get a good jump, read where the ball is, and continue to third. As described earlier if an outfielder has to move to the right or left more than one step, the runner continues to third base. He will not be able to advance to third if he does not get a good secondary lead and is not moving as the ball enters the hitting area.
Equipment
- Three bases
- Baseballs
- Helmets
- Bat
Number of Players
6 to 12
Setup
Place players at catcher, pitcher, first base, second base, shortstop, third base, and in each outfield position. Place a hitter at home plate with a helmet, tracking the pitches. Have a runner on first base, a pitcher on the mound who delivers the ball to the catcher, and a runner at first.
Procedure
- The pitcher keeps the runner close to the base. He can go home or pick to first.
- If the pitcher goes home, the runner on first takes his secondary lead.
- As the ball crosses the hitting zone, a coach hits the ball to the outfield.
- The runner decides whether to go to third or not.
- The defensive players work as they do in a real game.
- Sliding, tags, and relays all occur as they do in a game.
- The batter - runner stays at first. The runner on first who went to second or third goes in to hit. Players keep rotating.
Coaching Points
- Watch how the defense reacts.
- Watch to see how the runners react.
- If they do something incorrectly, you might want to repeat the play so that they feel the right way to do it.
- A common mistake is not running full speed all the way until the outfielder fields the ball cleanly and has the ball in his throwing hand. Most runners stop, assuming that the outfielder will field the ball or that the transfer to the throwing hand is easy. Fear stops most runners from being aggressive, so they must be encouraged in practice to take chances.
Variation
From this, you can let the hitter run as if he hit the ball. You go to the next phase of the situation, which is holding the runner at first if the runner gets to third or holding the runners at second and first. This becomes a baserunning drill as well as a defensive drill.
Practice Organization
Practice organization can help a coach improve the skills of individual players and prepare the team overall. If you are well organized and run a fun practice, players become better and stay in the game longer.
Practice organization can help a coach improve the skills of individual players and prepare the team overall. If you are well organized and run a fun practice, players become better and stay in the game longer. When a player improves and shows signs of success, he will want to play the game longer.
This book cannot organize your practices for you before the season begins because we don't know the age of your players, their abilities, and the current level of their fundamentals. But we can lay down a foundation that you can follow to set up your whole plan. You establish your practice plan by considering the number of practices you have before the season begins, the ability of your players, and the equipment and facilities available.
Come Prepared for Practice
By structuring practices for competition and preparing for game situations, you can improve the success rate of your team. To run a successful practice, you need to do several things to accomplish your final goals. The following equipment will help you operate successful practices. Each section has a description of why that equipment or item is important and how it may be used.
Clipboard
A clipboard gives you a place to store all your notes for practice and to write any observations that you might have about a particular player or the overall practice. Many coaches use tablets or other smart devices these days to access apps and record data at practices.
Batting Tees
By setting up batting tees at stations, you can have more than one player hitting at one time. If you cannot afford batting tees, you might get someone to donate orange cones that can serve as makeshift tees.
Wiffle Balls
These hollow plastic balls eliminate fear and allow players to concentrate on working on the mechanics of a swing or catching a baseball. Also, Wiffle balls do not go far when hit, so your player can get more swings when hitting. Wiffle balls can be used with any age or ability level, too.
Soft Baseballs
Soft baseballs are the next stage after Wiffle balls. They also reduce fear, so players can build confidence in their mechanics. A coach can toss the ball from a kneeling position in front of a player and not fear being hit.
Stopwatch
Players like to be timed. A stopwatch allows you to time runners around the bases or from base to base (from home to first, for example) and time stations so that you know when to rotate.
Whistle
A whistle helps you keep the practice structured. Instead of yelling, you can blow the whistle when a certain part of practice ends and you need the players to get together with you. Use the whistle to rotate stations. When you do a team drill, you can use it as a way to say, "Go," instead of yelling it all the time.
Flat Bases
You can set up flat bases in the outfield when you have several stations for throwing or fielding drills. With flat bases, you can set up a field anywhere.
Assistant Coaches
Assistants allow you to have several stations so that all players are doing something all the time and no one is standing around. Volunteers who are educated about your teaching principles, drills, and philosophy can help you keep the practice going and organized.
Baseball Cards
You can use these cards as an incentive for players to listen, hustle, improve, win a game, score high on a drill, and more. You can use baseball cards when you see a player paying attention, hustling, trying to make a mechanical change, or accomplishing something positive like knowing the number of outs during the game. Cards can also be taken back when a player does something negative like not hustling, not know the number of outs, and so on. A player who sees a teammate receive a reward for a positive behavior will want to do the same thing.
Cones
Cones can be used to lay out the area when you are doing warm-ups, drills, and more. Cones can signify where a player stands or where he goes during a running drill.
Audio Recording Device
By having a recording device in your pocket and turning it on during practice, you will have a record of your practice session. Later you can listen to it to hear the tone of voice that you are using and what you are saying to the players. Use this recording to critique yourself and improve as a communicator.
Video Recording Device
A video recording on a smart phone, tablet, or regular video recorder allows players to see and believe both what they are doing wrong and what they are doing well. To videotape players, you need to have parents fill out and sign a permission and consent form. You may want to make copies of the tapes with notes for parents so that they understand what you are trying to work on with the player.
Coaches should set up drills for players during their practices. The drills should include not only the fundamental motion used to accomplish the drill but also a competitive game. Players are more likely to do a drill with passion if it includes some kind of goal and competition. For example, if players are hitting off a batting tee, they should try to hit as many line drives as they can out of 10. Avoid having them just take 10 swings and rotate to the next station. When they do the same drill the next time, they should try to beat their previous score. When a competitive game is included with the drill, players concentrate more on the task. This translates into more learning and being able to deal with competition during a real game. Coaches should organize gamelike drills so that when players get into a real game situation, they have already been through it.
Fundamentals of Every Practice
At the end of the chapter you will see a chart that shows you how to prioritize your practices. The first part of practice should include the fundamentals that players use the most in games. They should practice these skills daily because they are the foundation of development. Then you begin looking at individual positions, such as pitching, catching, infield, and outfield. These individual positions are specialized areas that need special attention and require extra work. Last, you need to look at what your team might need to do to improve defensively, offensively, and strategically.
Hitting
Hitting is the most difficult skill for players to learn because it involves balance, vision, coordination, and timing. Young players are still developing physiologically in these areas, so you need to devote attention to detail when working with your players on hitting. Hitting is difficult at all levels but specifically at the youth level because players are still developing their physical skills. Also, because most young players select a bat that is too heavy and too long and they get too close to home plate, they develop a fear of the ball and they do not have sufficient balance while swinging the bat.
Throwing and Catching
The game is all about throwing and catching; if players cannot do this well, they will have a hard time competing as individuals or as a team. If your players can throw well, you will find it a lot easier when you need to start working on pitching. The ability to throw and catch a baseball well will enhance your team‘s defense and overall confidence. Coaches often assume that players know how to throw and catch a baseball, but the question is how well they can execute in a game situation. Most of the time, players play catch at a slow to average pace. They catch a baseball, look at it, grip it, and then throw it back. The other player often catches the ball one handed and goes through the same process before throwing it back. This routine can be easy because of the pace at which it is done. Players should usually catch the baseball with the bare hand near the glove so that they can transfer the ball from the glove to the bare hand quickly. If they have to reach to catch the ball, they should use one hand and bring the glove to the center of the body begin to throw the baseball.
Players often have a poor grip on the baseball, which causes them to throw incorrectly. Another thing that young players do is fail to turn the body sideways before they throw because doing so feels uncomfortable. By turning the body sideways, they can use the whole body to throw the ball.
Fielding
To reduce their fear about fielding, players need to work on fundamentals. Players who feel comfortable in their ability to field and get out of the way of a bad-hop ball will become better fielders. Their ability to react to a bad hop will increase. A major obstacle in fielding is fear of the baseball, so you should use softer baseballs when working on fielding so that the players can concentrate on technique. Players also need to learn to get into proper fielding position so that they can see the ball better. One way to work on this is to have players start in the fielding position when they field a ball so that the body is aware of the correct position at the time they field it.
Baserunning
Players run bases all the time, so they have to get good at it. This fundamental is also an instinct that needs to be practiced every day. Baserunning can also serve as your warm-up, so you do not have to waste time running laps around the field before practice. Baserunning for young players is fun because they are running, not standing around waiting, but it can be difficult to learn because it involves technique, balance, coordination, and awareness. Players often start out incorrectly from home plate. Most runners have an unbalanced swing that puts them in a poor position to run to first. So, when you are working on running to first base, have your players swing a bat, freeze at the end so that they have a balanced swing, and then start running to first. This drill helps them just drop the bat in a balanced follow-through instead of throwing it. As they run to first, many players wait until they get to first before making the turn to go to second. One way to correct this mistake is to have the hitter swing, look to see where the ball is, and, if it is past the infielders, immediately start angling toward the coach's box and start the turn early rather than late.
Bunting
Bunting can help young players improve their hitting and become more complete players. When working on bunting, start with softer baseballs, work on the technique, and then build up to using a hard baseball. After the player is confident, you can start by throwing the ball underhand and build up to throwing overhand. At a certain point you have to start throwing the ball hard to simulate game situations. Players have trouble in two areas. First is the stance. By having a good balanced stance, they gain confidence and can run after they bunt. This stance, described in the bunting chapter, has the feet in a quarter turn to home plate. Players also have a problem with gripping the bat, also described in the bunting chapter. Players who become good bunters will become better hitters because when they bunt they learn to track the ball longer. Coaches may want to have players bunt for a hit when they are struggling with their hitting.
Pitching
You should begin working on pitching as soon as you think that the players are throwing well. Pitching is where it starts and ends with a team. You need to have good pitching to compete. You should work with all young players on pitching. Instead of having just two or three pitchers, you want most of your guys to have the ability to pitch. Pitching is the most important part of the game because it all starts there. Most young players should start in a set position, not the windup. When they start in the stretch position, all they have to do is lift the leg and throw. Starting from the windup takes a lot more coordination and balance. After players learn to pitch from the stretch, accomplishing the windup is much easier. Another problem area for young pitchers is the grip of the baseball because their fingers are small. Make sure that the thumb is under the baseball and splits it. If they have to throw with a three- or four-finger grip to have better control, let them do it. Pitchers needs to learn to throw the baseball over the plate on the outside part, inside part, middle, up, and down. One way to do this is to have them aim for the catcher's knees and shoulders. These larger areas are easier for them to focus on.
Throwing and Catching Drills
The skill of throwing and catching a baseball is difficult for young players to accomplish.
The skill of throwing and catching a baseball is difficult for young players to accomplish. Many players have a fear of the ball, which is a natural thought process, and after they get hit by the ball, the fear may become even more real. One thing that coaches can say to ruin their credibility with young players is, "Come on. That ball doesn't hurt." If I were a young player, I would ask the coach whether I could throw the ball at him to see whether it hurts. At the same time, to have confidence in their ability to throw and catch a baseball, players have to become confident in their technique first.
Glove Care and Size
As for receiving the baseball, we need to make sure that players do a few things technique wise to build their confidence. First, the player's glove is extremely important. It is not about how much a glove costs; it's about how it is broken in and maintained throughout the year. Many of us, including me, were taught to break in a glove by putting a baseball in it, tying a string around it, and keeping it like that in the off-season. The problem is that the glove forms into a closed position, and a young player may not be able to open it up with his hand. So instead of breaking in the glove the old way, players should try a new way. They should turn the glove inside out and leave it like that when they do not use it. Players should not use a big glove because then they just reach out and hope that the ball lands in it. You want young players to have a small glove that forces them to use two hands. They can get the ball out easier, and they have to move to the baseball with their feet rather than reach out with an oversized glove.
Ball Size
Many young players have to grip the ball with three fingers across the seam or even four because their hands are too small to hold the ball properly. The Japanese have gone to a smaller baseball for young players so that they can grip it and throw it correctly. Later they build up to throwing a regulation-size baseball. This approach is a good way to teach young players to throw the ball correctly. In the United States, people are against it because they believe that using a small ball is not real baseball. We need more coaches who think outside the box when it comes to developing young players. Most of us tend to teach the way that we were taught, and most of the time that is the same old way of traditional teaching.
Receiving Position
Players who set up in proper receiving position will gain the confidence to stay in the right position or get out of the way if for some reason someone throws the ball to them and the sun gets in their eyes. We used to teach players not to throw the ball unless the receiver was looking at them and his hands were out in front. We still do this, but we now teach different hand positioning. The old way was to have the thumbs of the glove and the bare hand together and the fingertips facing up to the sky. Because of this teaching and because players often used big gloves, many players, as the ball got closer to them, had to flip the palm of the glove to the sky to see the ball. The ball would sometimes hit the heel of the glove and then hit them in the head. To make sure that they can see the ball as it is on the way, which will allow them to use their depth perception, we now start the hands and the glove with the thumbs up to the sky and the hands out in front. The player is in a good balanced position. The feet are about shoulder-width apart, and the right foot is slightly behind the left (opposite for left-handed throwers). The toes of the rear foot should be about even with the instep of the other foot.
12. Wrist Stride
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Purpose
The second phase of the throwing motion is important because it begins to work with balance and velocity. In this drill players use the wrist, arm, and chest to throw.
Equipment
Baseball colored in half for each group playing catch
Number of Players
Full team
Setup
Place players farther apart than they were in the previous drill. Players with the baseball have the stride foot forward and grip the ball correctly, placing the throwing arm in a 90-degree angle, elbow even with the shoulder. Throw the baseball by taking the head, eyes, chest, arm, and wrist forward.
Procedure
- On your whistle, the players with the ball throw it to their partners.
- A soon as the ball hits the receiving player's glove, he takes it out quickly and gets to the 90-degree angle, with the stride foot forward.
- Throwing continues back and forth on your whistle for 5 to 10 throws.
Coaching Points
- When you yell, "Ready," make sure that players are in proper position.
- The player throwing the ball should have the hand behind the baseball, not to the side. Make sure that players use the whole upper body to go forward to release the baseball so that the back leg comes up and forward. When players throw the ball, the wrist should go forward, not to one side.
13. Toss-Up Grip
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Purpose
Players can practice this grip by tossing the ball up, catching it, and getting the proper grip as they simulate a throw. Getting the proper grip in a game will become second nature after performing this drill consistently. The important thing is to have the thumb underneath the baseball to keep it firm and balanced in the hand.
Equipment
Baseball for each player
Number of Players
Full team
Setup
Give each player a baseball and put them in a circle with about 20 feet between each player.
Procedure
- When you blow the whistle, the players toss the ball up and catch it.
- As they catch it, they transfer the baseball from the glove to the hand and try to come up with a good grip. When you blow the whistle again, the process continues.
Coaching Points
- At the start of this drill, have the players toss the ball up and slowly take the ball out of the glove. They work on the feel of how to get a good grip.
- As they improve, have them pick up the speed and see whether they can still get the proper grip.
- When they get good at this, have them take the ball out and get the correct grip as they get into a throwing position.
21. Bad Grip Shuffle
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Purpose
What happens if a player does everything well but does not have a good grip? Or what happens when the target player is not looking or not ready? What should the player do? The answer is that the player should shuffle the feet, keep or get the proper grip, and then throw the ball with rhythm. For example, when a ball is hit right back to the pitcher, he usually has plenty of time to throw the ball to first, but the first baseman may not be at the base yet. The pitcher should shuffle his feet until the first baseman gets to the base and then throw the ball in rhythm.
Equipment
Baseballs
Number of Players
Full team
Setup
Have six players on one side and six on the other. Each has a partner. Players on one side have baseballs.
Procedure
- On your whistle, the players toss the ball up to themselves.
- As soon as they catch the baseball, they throw it to their partner. This drill works on the entire process of catching, transferring, turning the body in a good position, and throwing.
- When you blow the whistle, the partners throw the ball back.
- After each line does it once, the players catch the baseball and shuffle one or two times before throwing. Then the players in the other line do the same.
Coaching Points
- Players must not throw the ball until their partner is looking. They shuffle their feet until he is ready.
- As they shuffle, they gain momentum. When they throw the ball, they keep their rhythm.
- They shuffle their feet because if their feet are moving as they throw the ball, the body will be in rhythm with the arms.
- Make sure that the players look before they throw.
Variation
After the players improve, you can yell for them to shuffle or throw as they are catching the baseball. If you yell, "Shuffle," they have to catch the ball, shuffle a couple of times, and then throw. If you yell, "Throw," they catch it, turn, and throw.
How to Determine Your Practice Plan
As you get into the first 5 to 10 practices, you can begin to add individual position drills. As you get more practices in, you can begin to add team skills.
As you get into the first 5 to 10 practices, you can begin to add individual position drills. As you get more practices in, you can begin to add team skills. As you add things, you should always be considering which areas will be more important in games. I tried to prioritize topics for you in each heading, but priorities might change depending on your needs. The hardest one to prioritize is team skills. You have to determine which ones your team needs more.
Five Practices Before the Season Begins
- All you can do here is focus all five days on throwing, fielding, pitching, catching, and hitting.
- You teach individual skills and team skills before your games begin or during your game. For example, if the first baseman is holding the runner on first incorrectly, you can show him the correct stance between innings. If a cutoff and relay is performed incorrectly, talk about it with the players when they come off the field.
Ten Practices Before the Season Begins
- During the first five workouts, you focus on the fundamental skills.
- For the next five practices, you begin to add work for individual positions, such as pitcher, catcher, outfielder, and so on.
Twenty or More Practices
- For the first five practices, focus on the fundamentals
- For next five, decrease work on the fundamentals and start adding work for individual positions.
- On the next five days, you can begin adding team skills. For the last five practices, add the rest of the team skills.
Practice Plans for 90 Minutes, 60 Minutes, and 30 Minutes
- Make sure that you have your practice plan written down and placed on a clipboard.
- With today's technology you should e-mail a practice plan ahead of time to all your players. They will then see what they are working on, how it is organized, and what to expect.
- Make sure that you have all the equipment needed for the practice.
- Get there early and lay out all your cones and equipment where you need it. Do not use your practice time to do this. If players are there early, have them place the items in the correct part of the field.
- Add the sample plan that uses the drills, skills, and philosophy presented in this book.
Baserunning Drills
Baserunning is a fundamental of the game that incorporates many facets that players can work on no matter what their running speed.
Baserunning is a fundamental of the game that incorporates many facets that players can work on no matter what their running speed. Coaches of young players often do not work with their teams on this part of the game. Running the bases is an art. If coaches teach baserunning correctly, they will increase the ability of their players to steal bases and take extra bases. Fast base runners force fielders to throw to another base because the runner got there quicker than the fielder expected. In the field, faster players are able to get to and catch more balls. Before working on baserunning, coaches need to teach young players how to run properly and have them run every day to get faster. Speed and agility training is an important part of helping young players develop their athleticism. After a young player has developed his athleticism, all the facets of baserunning become a lot easier. Most of the time players cannot develop athleticism by playing baseball. This should be a priority when it comes to helping young players run the bases better.
To work on running and running the bases, your warm-ups in practice and before games need to be organized around running. Running needs to become a habit for young players. You can begin and end practices with fun running drills and games. Keep in mind that you always want to end practices with a competitive and fun activity because the last thing they do is what they remember. You want them remembering that practice was fun so that they learn faster.
Coaches should talk to track coaches to learn the proper running techniques so that they can help their players run better. Track coaches can teach the techniques and drills that allow players to perfect their running.
A few things need to be taught to help with all facets of baserunning. First is the ability to move quickly from one spot to another. This art is used in baseball and in many other sports. It begins with the hip turn, pushing off one foot and going. This turn will help runners and fielders. In this technique, players turn their hips as quickly as possible, keep the feet low to the ground, and turn on the angle that they need to run. The hip turn helps them move their feet faster. As they turn their hips and their feet touch the ground, they push off with the back foot. This turn can be practiced in warm-up drills, as we explain in the following drills.
56. Baserunning Game
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Purpose
You can use this drill at the end of practice for a fun game. Work on baserunning and make it a natural instinct. Plus it is competitive and fun for the players.
Equipment
- Bases
- Six cones or plastic milk cartons with water in them
Number of Players
Full team
Setup
Divide players equally into two teams. Make it fair by having the same amount of speed on each team. When you give them the order, mix them up. Don't place all the fast players first. Place half the team at home plate and the other at second base. Place a cone before and after each base. When the runners run around the bases, they go around the first cone and inside the second cone. This will help them understand how the bases are run.
Procedure
- On the whistle, the first runner at each base begins to run around the bases until he gets all the way back to the base where he started. When he touches that base, the next runner goes.
- The team to get around the bases first is the winner. You can play best of three or five, however you like. Winners get two baseball cards and the losers one.
Coaching Points
- Make sure they run the bases correctly. If incorrect, send the runner back.
- Also, make this the end-of-practice drill because players will be warmed up.
62. First to Third
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Purpose
This drill teaches players to be aggressive on their secondary lead, get a good jump, read where the ball is, and continue to third. As described earlier if an outfielder has to move to the right or left more than one step, the runner continues to third base. He will not be able to advance to third if he does not get a good secondary lead and is not moving as the ball enters the hitting area.
Equipment
- Three bases
- Baseballs
- Helmets
- Bat
Number of Players
6 to 12
Setup
Place players at catcher, pitcher, first base, second base, shortstop, third base, and in each outfield position. Place a hitter at home plate with a helmet, tracking the pitches. Have a runner on first base, a pitcher on the mound who delivers the ball to the catcher, and a runner at first.
Procedure
- The pitcher keeps the runner close to the base. He can go home or pick to first.
- If the pitcher goes home, the runner on first takes his secondary lead.
- As the ball crosses the hitting zone, a coach hits the ball to the outfield.
- The runner decides whether to go to third or not.
- The defensive players work as they do in a real game.
- Sliding, tags, and relays all occur as they do in a game.
- The batter - runner stays at first. The runner on first who went to second or third goes in to hit. Players keep rotating.
Coaching Points
- Watch how the defense reacts.
- Watch to see how the runners react.
- If they do something incorrectly, you might want to repeat the play so that they feel the right way to do it.
- A common mistake is not running full speed all the way until the outfielder fields the ball cleanly and has the ball in his throwing hand. Most runners stop, assuming that the outfielder will field the ball or that the transfer to the throwing hand is easy. Fear stops most runners from being aggressive, so they must be encouraged in practice to take chances.
Variation
From this, you can let the hitter run as if he hit the ball. You go to the next phase of the situation, which is holding the runner at first if the runner gets to third or holding the runners at second and first. This becomes a baserunning drill as well as a defensive drill.