By Nick Dixon
First of all, let me say this is not a commercial or endorsement for a baseball training tool or product, although my company sells some of the best in baseball. This article is about 4 relatively inexpensive components that are valuable coaching tools that are available in your favorite mass merchant store. I feel that these components should be in the carry bag of every sports coach.
We all know and realize that productive practices do not happen by chance. The good practices are well planned and organized with specific practice time periods and specific skill drills. As a high school football and baseball coach with over 25 years of experience, I am 100% convinced that these four components can make any sport practice, at any level, more organized and productive.
Those components are
1) a Stop Watch,
2) A Detailed Practice Schedule,
3) a Video Camera, and
4) Practice Cones or Markers.
How these four coaching tools improve the quality of practice and instruction.
1. Stop Watch - It is essential that every practice be divided into specific individual or team drill periods. A good stop watch helps keep everything on time and running smooth. It is recommended that time slots be kept shorter for younger age groups. Very seldom would a drill go over 10 minutes for youth teams.
2. Written Practice Schedule - Going on a practice field without a written practice schedule is like driving a car without a steering wheel. You can not conduct good practices without good planning and organization. The practice schedule is divided into time periods with specific team and individual drill. Taking the time to evaluate what the team needs most is extremely important. These written schedules should be kept and reviewed to see when various topics, fundamentals, and skills were taught and practiced. Each schedule outlines what drills are done, the time of the session, what players are involved, and what coaches are conducting the drill.
3. Digital Video Camera - As you have heard many times over and over, the "big eye in the sky does not lie". A saying that coaches use to emphasize that what you see on video is exactly the way it is. The video camera is a coaches best friend when it comes to teaching hitting, pitching and fielding fundamentals. Video filmed practice action shows players what they need to improve on or correct. Video play backs can also provide positive or negative feedback to reinforce coaching and teaching sessions. If they actions are wrong, they can see their mistakes. If their action is correct, they can see how well they performed. Players recognize and understand verbal instruction much better when they can see a video. Hitters can correct a flaw in swing mechanics much easier if they can actually see the mistake they are making. It is a good idea to video both individual and team drills for later review.
4. Plastic Practice Cones or Markers - These relatively inexpensive cones or markers are used to set up drills. They are orange in color and stack inside themselves to make this easy to store and carry. There are many uses that these can be used for. You can mark bunt zones. You are mark the "get to the line" spot for pitching fielding practice. You can use them to mark the path for a base runner to "fish hook" at first base on a ball hit through the infield. You will come up with many more uses as you plan your practices and workouts.
I hope this article has been useful to you. If you are looking for more articles on baseball, you may visit the Baseball Coaching Digest Blog and the Youth Baseball Clinic Blog. Both feature daily post and articles on all aspects of coaching baseball.
Players develop incredible bat speed and confidence when they regularly use the Derek Jeter Hurricane Hitting Machine. See it at http://www.HurricaneMachine.com. See the world's most advanced batting tee at AdvancedSkillsTee.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nick_Dixon
Friday, October 30, 2009
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
3 Things Every Tee Ball Baseball Batter Must Be Taught When First Learning to Hit
By Nick Dixon
It is important that very young baseball players receive proper instruction in baseball hitting mechanics. Young baseball players benefit greatly from top quality instruction and teaching that is easy to understand, simple to execute, and consistent from one lesson to another. Young baseball players experience a higher level of success, satisfaction, and enjoyment when they are taught to "do things right". Here are 3 things that every Tee Ball player must be taught when first learning to hit.
1. Keep your eyes on the ball. The batter must learn to keep their eyes on the ball from the time the ball leaves the pitchers hand until the ball leaves the bat after contact. If the batter keeps the eyes on the ball, the possibility of the batter having one common flaw, the "pulling of the head", will be eliminated.
2. Have a proper grip. The proper grip is a grip with the "knocking knuckles" on both hands aligned with each other. This puts the grip of the bat in the fingers and out of the palm. This grip allows for smoothly and quicker hand which will improve bat speed.
3. Take a short step toward the ball. When kids are very young they need to learn to shift their weight. They are need to learn to take a shirt stride. Having them take a short step toward the pitch or pitcher is the best way to teach this early.
4. Hit the ball hard. Young batters should learn to swing level and "kill the ball". The harder you hit the ball, the more successful a batter will be. "Soft" contact leads to outs. The emphasis should be for the batter to make good solid contact by driving the bat barrel through the baseball.
5. Keep the head still during the swing. The lower body strides. The upper body will rotate. But the head should remain still, chin down, and with the eyes on the ball as mentioned in #1. The batter begins with his chin on his front shoulder and ends the swing with his chin on his back shoulder. Is you hear someone say go "Ike to Mike", that is what many coaches use to describe this movement of the shoulders.
Check out Blogs4Coaches.com. for a directory of blogs recommended for baseball coaches, players and parents.
Check out the Bat Action Hitting Machine baseball pitching simulator. This high speed training machine is 100% Guaranteed to raise Batting Averages and has a full year warranty.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nick_Dixon
It is important that very young baseball players receive proper instruction in baseball hitting mechanics. Young baseball players benefit greatly from top quality instruction and teaching that is easy to understand, simple to execute, and consistent from one lesson to another. Young baseball players experience a higher level of success, satisfaction, and enjoyment when they are taught to "do things right". Here are 3 things that every Tee Ball player must be taught when first learning to hit.
1. Keep your eyes on the ball. The batter must learn to keep their eyes on the ball from the time the ball leaves the pitchers hand until the ball leaves the bat after contact. If the batter keeps the eyes on the ball, the possibility of the batter having one common flaw, the "pulling of the head", will be eliminated.
2. Have a proper grip. The proper grip is a grip with the "knocking knuckles" on both hands aligned with each other. This puts the grip of the bat in the fingers and out of the palm. This grip allows for smoothly and quicker hand which will improve bat speed.
3. Take a short step toward the ball. When kids are very young they need to learn to shift their weight. They are need to learn to take a shirt stride. Having them take a short step toward the pitch or pitcher is the best way to teach this early.
4. Hit the ball hard. Young batters should learn to swing level and "kill the ball". The harder you hit the ball, the more successful a batter will be. "Soft" contact leads to outs. The emphasis should be for the batter to make good solid contact by driving the bat barrel through the baseball.
5. Keep the head still during the swing. The lower body strides. The upper body will rotate. But the head should remain still, chin down, and with the eyes on the ball as mentioned in #1. The batter begins with his chin on his front shoulder and ends the swing with his chin on his back shoulder. Is you hear someone say go "Ike to Mike", that is what many coaches use to describe this movement of the shoulders.
Check out Blogs4Coaches.com. for a directory of blogs recommended for baseball coaches, players and parents.
Check out the Bat Action Hitting Machine baseball pitching simulator. This high speed training machine is 100% Guaranteed to raise Batting Averages and has a full year warranty.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nick_Dixon
Monday, October 26, 2009
Baseball Coaching Digest - Trick Play Alert - Fake Time Call by the Batter
By Nick Dixon
This offensive baseball trick play is often used by youth baseball teams to confuse young and inexperienced pitchers and to get balk calls. The ploy uses the inexperience and lack of knowledge of a young pitcher to get a balk call.
Here is how the "Fake Time-Out" play is done:
After the young pitcher begins his pitching motion, the batter simply raises his front hand and acts as if he is asking for time to the pitcher instead of the umpire. The player will in most cases, not say anything, but simply raise the front hand as if calling time. This front hand movement mimics the raining of the back hand to the plate umpire to as for time to be called. The action is done to disrupt the pitchers concentration. The very young pitcher will fall for the "prank" and stop his delivery. If the pitcher stops or alters his normal delivery and pitching motion, it is a balk.
How does a youth baseball coach prevent his young pitcher from falling victim to this trick?
Here are 3 recommended coaching points:
1. Coaches must coach their players to always finish the pitch unless one of the umpires calls time. It is recommended that coaches make sure that youth pitchers know that the only person that can call time out is one of the umpires. If a player, coach or fan yells "time", "stop", or anything abruptly, the pitcher should finish the pitching motion. If it is the opposing team, the umpire will rule verbal obstruction and warn the other team.
2. If the batter steps out of the box, raises his hand or verbally calls time out, the pitcher should not hesitate, stop, or change his delivery. The pitch should be thrown.
3. Make sure that your youth pitcher knows that one of the umpires is the only person that can stop play once the pitching motion has started.
In summary, this trick play does not work well if coaches take the time to inform their players of the rules regarding calling time.
I hope that this article is useful to you and your team.
Good luck til next time, Coach Nick
Make sure to visit the Baseball Coaching Digest Blog for daily articles and post on every aspect of coaching baseball.
Check out the Baseball Coaching Digest Blog for daily articles and post an every aspect of coaching baseball.
Check out the Bat Action Hitting Machine baseball pitching simulator. This high speed training machine is 100% Guaranteed to raise Batting Averages and has a full year warranty.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nick_Dixon
This offensive baseball trick play is often used by youth baseball teams to confuse young and inexperienced pitchers and to get balk calls. The ploy uses the inexperience and lack of knowledge of a young pitcher to get a balk call.
Here is how the "Fake Time-Out" play is done:
After the young pitcher begins his pitching motion, the batter simply raises his front hand and acts as if he is asking for time to the pitcher instead of the umpire. The player will in most cases, not say anything, but simply raise the front hand as if calling time. This front hand movement mimics the raining of the back hand to the plate umpire to as for time to be called. The action is done to disrupt the pitchers concentration. The very young pitcher will fall for the "prank" and stop his delivery. If the pitcher stops or alters his normal delivery and pitching motion, it is a balk.
How does a youth baseball coach prevent his young pitcher from falling victim to this trick?
Here are 3 recommended coaching points:
1. Coaches must coach their players to always finish the pitch unless one of the umpires calls time. It is recommended that coaches make sure that youth pitchers know that the only person that can call time out is one of the umpires. If a player, coach or fan yells "time", "stop", or anything abruptly, the pitcher should finish the pitching motion. If it is the opposing team, the umpire will rule verbal obstruction and warn the other team.
2. If the batter steps out of the box, raises his hand or verbally calls time out, the pitcher should not hesitate, stop, or change his delivery. The pitch should be thrown.
3. Make sure that your youth pitcher knows that one of the umpires is the only person that can stop play once the pitching motion has started.
In summary, this trick play does not work well if coaches take the time to inform their players of the rules regarding calling time.
I hope that this article is useful to you and your team.
Good luck til next time, Coach Nick
Make sure to visit the Baseball Coaching Digest Blog for daily articles and post on every aspect of coaching baseball.
Check out the Baseball Coaching Digest Blog for daily articles and post an every aspect of coaching baseball.
Check out the Bat Action Hitting Machine baseball pitching simulator. This high speed training machine is 100% Guaranteed to raise Batting Averages and has a full year warranty.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nick_Dixon
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