Tips To Becoming A Solid Catcher Behind The Plate

By Jim Bain

Over the years I have personally taught and watched 1000's of baseball catchers execute catching drills and it never ceases to amaze me the grit and toughness these players demonstrate on a daily basis, not only physically, but mentally and emotionally as well.

I've seen catchers who have a rifle for an arm and a rocket launcher for a bat, all the tools for making the team, who were told to pack their bags. Why? Simply stated... they couldn't handle a pitching staff. Here's a few tips on becoming a solid and valuable catcher behind the plate.

Building Trust, whether in a two pitcher or seventeen pitcher staff, is the single most important issue a catcher must master. Normally, just being on the same team, All-Star teams for example, is enough to build camaraderie between players, but a catcher, by nature of the position, has to be more than a team mate, he has to be a Trusted partner.

There's only one way to gain that Respect and Trust from your pitchers, it must be earned by performance, such as:

(1.) The catcher must sacrifice himself not letting any pitch get by him, although the pitcher may seem intent on bouncing every other ball off your shins or trying to hit the back stop with high throws;

(2.) The catcher must establish his reputation of always doing his homework which allows him to call the right pitch against any hitter's weakness;

(3.) The catcher demonstrates the ability to throw the runner, the pitcher just walked on 4 pitches, out at second trying to steal or behind him at first base if he wanders a bit too far off base.

This trust and confidence building comes through shared experiences and history together, and can not be rushed, but by being ahead of the game you can quicken the process, which is imperative. You can't wait till mid season to develop a relationship with your pitching staff, it'll be too late, for you and the team.

Simply put... Building your skills is a never ending process.

You can not expect your pitching staff to respect and trust you if you don't respect and trust your own skills, and there's a huge difference between arrogance and confidence. Arrogance has to proclaim itself... Confidence Silently excels by performing.

Unfortunately there's no magical pill or spell, the only method to build confidence is hard practice. Practice to the point you can't go on, then practice some more. Two Tips to help:

(1.) Always be available and eager for bullpen work. There is no better place to learn your trade and the individual abilities of your pitching staff than by catching them while in the bullpen. You learn the pitcher, he learns you and familiarity is built. Familiarity breeds trust, which breeds confidence.

The more reps you take as a catcher the better you become with the catcher's mitt, the better you learn to shift your weight to the ball without having to think, the more the protective equipment becomes a second skin.

(2.) If there are no pitchers to catch, or if it's an off day, go to the batting cage and catch the pitching machines. So they're called batting cages, does that mean you can only hit the balls, you can't catch them as well.

Always wear your entire compliment of protective gear, not only for safety but to acquire the feeling of the equipment being natural and unrestrictive. I may keep repeating that, but a catcher uncomfortable in his equipment can not perform. Period.

Jim Bain, former Minor league baseball player and member of "Baseball Coaches of America" shares his advice on baseball coaching baseball drills on his exciting info packed website: http://www.learn-youth-baseball-coaching.com

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Three Drills for Improving Baseball Performance on a Budget

By James T Kelly   

Baseball remains the great American pastime. From young to old, baseball brings joy to millions. Though few make it to the show, anyone can take steps to improve their game.
Here are some tips to strengthen your baseball skills or your team's skills:

1. Take an old wooden broom stick and cut off the broom end. Next, use electrical tape to wrap one end of the stick. You need to collect bottle caps to hit in place of baseballs. Bars are a great place to collect some. Then you are ready for your drill. Then go to a empty ball field with a dirt infield. Toss caps into the air and try to hit them as far as possible using your home made bat. This drill will definitely improve your hand-eye coordination.

2. For your next drill you will need some tennis balls, a regular baseball bat, and a partner to throw you some batting practice. Take a black marker and number each ball. Start with number one and write on all four sides of the tennis ball. Continue this until you have balls 1-5. Then take some batting practice asking the batter to identify each ball as to what number he sees. Learning to focus on each numbered ball will sharpen your batting eye.

3. The last drill will strengthen the players grip. Take a five gallon plastic bucket and fill it with rice. Then stick your hand into the rice bucket about halfway, flexing your hand open and closed. You should alternate hands flexing the right hand then the left. You can also do both at the same time. You should complete three sets of ten to strengthen your grip, which will carry over and improve your game.

These tricks and drills are really good for teaching youth how to play well. Truth be told anyone can be a better ball player it just takes three things practice, practice and more practice. Fancy equipment can help make it more fun and enjoyable when working out and practicing however, becoming good at something like baseball takes determination and effort. When teaching youth how to play the game the most important thing is to have fun and to not take the game too seriously. As someone who loves the game baseball I enjoy seeing players give their maximum strength and effort in playing the game. Take some of the suggestions in this article and see if it helps improve your skills or your teams.

Jim Kelly is the owner of http://www.baseballtraininggearpro.com and is a baseball nut. His passion is baseball and loves helping people learn to play the game. He knows the importance of picking the right baseball training gear to help improve performance. He is happy to answer any questions you may have about baseball or any other sport.

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Using Kinetic Bands To Workout

By Jim Bain   

Body strength is naturally associated with being an athlete, from the 98lb. high school wrestler to the 390 lb. offensive lineman, strength is key to success. The question of what method to use to workout, because strength can only be increased by building muscle, without becoming injured, is often hotly debated.

There is no one method to build strength, because the term strength itself is ambiguous. A well built gymnast, an incredibly strength dependent sport, will pale in size and muscle development of a professional body builder, a sprinter will be leaner than a football fullback, although they both run for a living.

One method of exercise which has increased in recent years is the usage of kinetic or resistance bands, as a way to maximize workout results. This is not a new concept as isometrics, basically the same thing as far providing resistance, has been used for years. Springs and large elastic bands have been incorporated into workout routines since the 1900s or earlier.

However, with today's increased technology and the wide variety of synthetic materials available, the kinetic bands which can be utilized have been greatly increased to accommodate nearly every sport we play, baseball included.

The main advantage these bands provide is the ability to provide the benefits of resistance training, while performing the actual physical performance motions you are trying to improve. This serves to not only strengthen the targeted muscles, but re-enforces muscle and neurological memory, which further decreases reaction time, thus increasing performance.

Technique and strength training drills, utilizing kinetic bands, can be incorporated into a training regiment which will increase your speed. For this drill you would need resistance bands connected in such a way as to give resistance when you raise your knees towards your chest.

Sample Drill Procedure: Concentrate more on technique than speed of your sprints. Your upper body should be erect, straight over your hips, do not lean forward. Lift your knees as high as you can towards your chest as you run.

Increasing Range: The first step is always critical in attaining maximum speed as quickly as possible, thus increasing your chances of reaching balls hit deep in the hole or behind the base. The speed and the explosive power of that first step can be enhanced by performing drills while bands are attached to your affected body part.

Sample Drill Procedure: Attach the bands to each ankle providing resistance while you attempt to open your legs wider. Standing with feet slightly wider than shoulder width, shuffle sideways extending your left leg sideways then bringing your right leg to meet it. When finished repeat using the opposite leg going the opposite direction.

This exercise will increase hip flexor strength, a major muscle for increasing lower body quickness, and when resistance is removed, the legs will react quicker, which will also affect the cross over step as it will become explosive allowing more ground to be covered in less time.

Strengthen Legs for Hitting & Pitching:

Sample Drill Procedure: Attach bands to both legs. Perform a normal wind up and delivery as well as a stretch and delivery. Hold at every stage for several seconds (example: leg lift, leg plant) building strength in every muscle required to perform each portion of the windup and delivery, enhancing performance.

Sample Drill Procedure: Attach bands to both ankles. Perform your normal hitting techniques, Starting Mechanism, Stride Forward, Open Hips and follow through with your swing. For maximum performance hit balls off a Tee while performing this drill.

Jim Bain, former Minor league baseball player and member of "Baseball Coaches of America" shares his advice on baseball coaching baseball drills on his exciting info packed website: http://www.learn-youth-baseball-coaching.com

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The Importance of Baseball Drills

By Adam C Moore   

Baseball drills are very essential when you are training for baseball. It is of utmost importance that you work on your drills regularly. This is to guarantee that your playing style improves over time and any issues that you may have with your baseball training can be addressed right away. In addition to this, these exercises can not only improve the playing skills of the players, but can likewise teach them self-discipline and concentration.

In training for baseball, determining the areas where you may be needing some improvements won't always be a breeze. This can only be done accurately through breaking down your games into several sections and incorporate drills on each of them. Baseball drills can really help show you what your strengths and weaknesses are, and will help you improve on these areas. No matter what your age is, or whether you are an expert or a beginner in baseball, baseball drills exercises will truly make a big difference on your playing skills.

Moreover, most professional baseball coaches have a variety of drills prepared for their teams. A good baseball coach focuses not merely on winning every game, but also knowing where his players are good and where they are not. This way, he can make a better game plan because he knows exactly what each members of his team can do.

It is very crucial for the team's coach to have a well-planned and organized set of drills. This can save the whole team a lot of time in trying to determine the exercises that can either improve, or pinpoint a player's weak point. Most coaches do have a book for baseball drills, while some have already mastered these exercises by heart through several years of experiences. Because they know the importance of baseball drills, they usually are on the look out for new drills from other coaches for them to use on their own teams.

If you happen to be a coach or a player who wishes to learn more baseball drills, the internet is a great place to start looking for some. There are actually hundreds of websites out there that can give you some ideas about drills, as well as teach you some very effective playing techniques. Most of these websites use illustrations so you could easily follow the drills, or better yet, you can look for those that have video illustrations of the drills. You may also get some nice drills from other players or coaches as you can get several different styles from a number of people.

While you may often see the same old baseball drills in these websites, you might want to check them every now and then for new updates. It should be a constant learning process because as we all know, one can never learn everything all at once. And lastly, performing these skills correctly is just as important as learning new techniques. Thus, make sure that you perform the baseball drills properly to ensure optimum results.

As a former baseball player, I have had an opportunity to try out many different products. As a former catcher, I have wrote articles on Catchers Mitts, and gear such as Easton Catchers Gear.

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Unique Baseball Drills

By Jim Bain

While observing an advanced skill level team practice have you ever noticed a metal folding chair setting somewhere around the dugout, bull pen or other area adjacent to the practice field? If you have, you've probably either noticed it, but it didn't register or raise any questions in your mind, or you just figured it was for a coach to sit and take a break.

Did it ever occur to you that you were looking at a very important training tool? You heard me right... a baseball training aid which is utilized for rather unique and skill specific training.

We teach hitting mechanics in a systematic building block process which includes, but is not limited to the legs, core, hips, shoulders, wrists and starting mechanisms. Sometimes a player will develop a problem, or bad habit, with one or more of these elements which must be corrected.

The use of the metal folding chair, or a similar chair devise, as a coaching tool begins here. For instance:

1. If a player develops a bad habit of opening his hips too soon while swinging, he will either hit an excessive amount of foul balls to his left, if a right handed hitter, or to his right if a left handed hitter, or pull off the ball, which shortens his bat length and prevents him from being able to reach a pitch on the outside of the plate.

In order to correct this problem, it is imperative you remove the legs and hips as part of the swinging process. By having the player sit in the chair, with his ankles wrapped around the front legs, you accomplish this goal. The coach will soft toss a ball to the player and the player will swing, attempting to hit the ball solidly, but will only be able to utilize his core, shoulders and arms.

Repetitive use of this drill will retard the impulse of opening the hips too soon, as the muscle memory of the core will over ride, yet work in conjunction with the hips and legs, resulting in a quick bat and power generated from the entire body.

2. On the defensive side of the coin, the chair is utilized for drills which increases hand speed and fielding ability. Obviously the legs are an integral part of fielding just as they are with hitting, but there are times the legs will get a fielder where he wants to go, to the ball, in time, but a bad hop occurs which tests the fielder's ability to quickly adapt with his hands and glove.

The player will sit in the chair slightly bent over in a semi-fielding position. The coach will position himself about 10 foot away, facing the player and throw tennis or rubber balls at him in various ways.

The reason tennis or rubber are used instead of a regular baseball is they bounce better, can be made to bounce and skid erratically and for safety as the player is restricted in his movement.

The fast paced drill requires the fielder to react quickly with only his glove and upper body, which replicates the identical situation presented by a bad hop. Repetitive use of this drill will increase the players' hand speed and agility.

So next time you're at a practice field, don't just look...actually see what's going on. There's no telling what you might learn.

Jim Bain, former Minor league baseball player, who since retiring has dedicated his life to teaching baseball to youth, shares his advice on hitting baseball drills on his exciting info packed website: http://www.learn-youth-baseball-coaching.com

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Real Hitting Tips For Baseball Players

By Jeffery A Wise

Hitting tips are meant to help baseball players. And while there are many different tips, some are more effective than others. In order for any hitting tip to work, you have to commit to it and practice it often. Even if you're hitting a.300, don't stop practicing your hitting because practice is sure to make you better and better.

The hitting tips listed here are the most common and the most helpful for baseball players. First, you have to be a confident hitter. If you have doubts about your skills and capabilities, you are more likely to fail and get more strikes than hits. Trust that you can and will get the job done.

You also have to be familiar with the strike zone. If you know this area you will be able to judge whether a pitch is a strike or a ball. This will lessen your chances of striking out.

Baseball is as much mental as it is physical. So, you must be prepared mentally while you're at bat. Ignore what's going on around you and just focus on the pitcher and what he's throwing.

You must have a consistent, smooth swing every time you swing the bat. You also need a good batting stance. If you don't feel balanced and comfortable, you will not be able to hit the ball.

Recognize each pitch and practice adjusting to changes. If you are able to recognize the difference between a curveball and a fastball, you will be better prepared for the swing.

Every baseball player has a hitting slump occasionally. Learn how to shake the slumps and get back in the game physically and mentally. A slump isn't the end of the world, but how you react to slumps determines how quickly you get out of them.

Situational hitting is necessary to learn. Before you even step up to the plate, you need to have a goal and know what your mission is. Do you need to move a runner over? How many outs are there? If you have any questions about what you should do, talk to a coach.

Remember that no matter where you are in the line-up, every position is important for winning games. You have been put where you are because of your strengths. Trust your coaches and just focus on helping your team win.

Lastly, take care of your body on and off the ball field. To be the best player you can be, you need to eat healthy and exercise. Of course, you also need to have fun.

Think about each of these hitting tips and practice them as often as you can. If you need help in any area, ask a coach, teammate or parent.

Remember that the reason to practice your hitting tips is to give you skills and talent to become the baseball player you want to be. Find out why you need Baseball Bats that are comfortable in your hands.

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Important Baseball Skills Honed During Baseball Practice

By Louis Liem

Anyone who aspires to play baseball satisfactorily - either at amateur or professional levels, or for recreational purposes - should give all their mind and heart to mastering baseball skills. There are at least four fundamental baseball skills: batting, pitching, catching, and running. While some players can specialize in mastering one or two of these skills, it is important for them to realize that for a more fulfilling baseball experience, they should be adept in all four skills, and learn how to recognize situations where each of these baseball skills apply, in baseball practice and in real games.

The most important of the four baseball skills is hitting, as this action is the one that gets the baseball team a potential score (home run). Hitting the ball hard and accurately could be difficult for some to develop, for during formal baseball practice, many players rarely get hold of the bat for them to practice their hitting. Therefore, a good advice for aspiring hitters is to practice their batting during their spare time.

Here is some advice for players wanting to improve their hitting:


1.Players should hold the baseball bat with their fingers and not with their palms.


2.The left and right knuckles - the hand portions used for knocking a door should be vertically aligned together.


3.When preparing to bat, players should not squeeze the bat tightly; they should hold on sufficiently and keep the hand muscles relaxed, but not too relaxed as to make them lose control of the bat. When they swing, they will feel that their grip steadily tightens.

In hitting, stance is also important: know where to stand, maintain feet at shoulder width or more apart, bend knees slightly, and focus weight not on heels, but on the balls and the back of the feet. When preparing to hit: keep feet a shoulder width apart, bend knees slightly, shift more weight to back feet, then tighten your grip. When the ball flies in the air, keep your eye on the ball. Then once you decide to hit, you hit. Do not hit baseballs indiscriminately. Hitting and missing will get you an automatic strike; not hitting will get you either a strike or a "ball".

While hitting may be one of the valuable baseball skills, there are other baseball skills that ensure a team's success in the game. Pitching should be done through the "four-seam grip": use only three fingers - thumb, middle, and index; index and middle finger on one side of the ball, and the thumb on the other side; not squeezing the ball, and retaining some space between hand and ball. Baseball should be released by flicking the wrist (not the arms).

While hitting, start with your glove side in front of your target; keep feet a shoulder width apart, shift weight to back leg; move you arm toward the target, flick the wrist, then continue movement of arm down and across body and follow with throwing leg. Catching could be done by applying plenty of hand-eye alertness through properly anticipating the ball. Running should be done in coordination with catching if you are a catcher; or done with all your might if you are on for a home run. All of these baseball skills could be honed with plenty of regard for proper form, dedication, and baseball practice.

What does one need to be a great baseball player? Good baseball training, knowledge and talent. The first two are available on BaseballSquare.com. Just one click away!

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Tips On Handling Baseball Try Outs

By Jim Bain

I was driving past the junior college the other day when I noticed the parking lots were filled to the maximum, which would not have been strange if school was in session, but it wasn't. As I slowed, being nosey, I saw the baseball field was swarming with baseball players of all sizes and dress and realized what was going on.

Either the college or a professional ball club was holding tryouts, and based on the amount of participation, I was betting a major league team. I actually became nauseous to my stomach, sympathy pains for the players, as visions of my first try out flooded my mind. I know it sounds silly, but I actually pulled the truck over to the side of the road to allow my hands to quit trembling.

Try out sessions are either by invitation or a general open session which any one can attend, which an open session may seem crazy as every Tom, Dick and Harry could show up, but believe me, they weed out the impostors incredibly fast.

A player, who is very honest with himself, knows if he actually feels he can play at this level, but that does absolutely nothing to calm the nerves. The saying " A big fish in a little pond... is now a small fish in a big pond," definitely applies in this situation.

For the most part, even on traveling teams, you've seen most of the competition you'll be up against, but suddenly there are literally a hundred unfamiliar faces with unknown talents in which to compete against. If your stomach is not in knots by this time, you may be dead, because no matter how good you are, there's always the doubt someone's better.

As I said earlier, they weed out the want-to-be and other non-qualified contestants rather quickly. The very first measure they use to evaluate you is your size. Too short, too fat, small frame and whatever criteria they may have gets you a polite " Thanks, but no thanks." You've been cut without ever having an opportunity to show your skills.

You'll then be herded like cattle into different groups and put through physical tests, such as a 40 or 60 yard dash, timed from home to first, home to home, left field to center field, the list goes on and on. This cuts the field down dramatically, again without seeing any baseball skills.

I won't go any further with the try out explanation, because from what I experienced they are all a little different. Maybe one coach puts more emphasis on a physical requirement than another, or they want to keep everyone guessing as to what they'll be tested on, doesn't matter why, just know they are.

There are four tips I can give you if you're contemplating going to a try out.

1. Come prepared. Glove, bat, spikes, hat and sunglasses are the minimum requirement. I guarantee you nobody will lend you their sunglasses to help cope with a sun field you're going to be trying to catch fungos in.

2. Prepare mentally. Use positive thinking techniques and meditation to calm your nerves and keep self doubt from creeping in. Don't wait until the try out date. Perform these tasks religiously weeks ahead.

3. Pray. With the intense competition, if you truly want to be a professional ball player, a little Devine intervention is required.

4. Don't give up. Some players who were quickly cut because of their size eventually became major league ball players. David Eckstein is a prime example. He was too small, too slow and didn't have the arm to play shortstop at the professional level, yet he became a star doing just that.

Jim Bain, former Minor league baseball player, who since retiring has dedicated his life to teaching baseball to youth, shares his advice on running baseball drills on his exciting info packed website: http://www.learn-youth-baseball-coaching.com

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7 Ways To Become a Better Baseball Player

By Justin Willman

There are many secrets to becoming a better baseball player, however; these are the top seven secrets that will get you to where you want to go!

1. Make sure you work hard. No matter how good of a skill level you have, remember that anyone can work hard and improve their game.

2. Be a good leader. Coaches and scouts look for people who are leaders and know how to motivate and encourage their teammates. Be that guy they are looking for!

3. Train hard in the off season. This is a crucial step in becoming a better athlete and a better baseball player. Not very man players practice in the off season. What does this mean for you? This means that you can rise above your competition when they aren't working and come back next season to have your best year ever!

4. Make the routine plays. Lots of players try and make the outstanding play and show off with the tough plays, but if you always make the routine play and let your athleticism take over on the tougher plays, you will be a much better player. Remember, extraordinary players do extraordinary things, but that word also has ordinary in it. Make the routine plays!

5. Watch the game. One of the only ways you can get better is by watching baseball and learning from the people who are pros!

6. Find out what your mistakes or flaws are and fix them! Try and video tape yourself and then slow the footage down. See what you are doing correctly and what you need work on!

7. Constantly strive to surpass yourself. Don't try and beat anybody but you!

Click Here To learn how to seriously hit like a pro! Visit http://www.DynamiteHitting.com to watch my 2 hour video training course!

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Tips To Improve Your Baseball Skills

By Harold Meidinger

As an athlete, there is always a room for improvement. A dedicated baseball player will always continue to seek for skill improvement and development everywhere just to become a better player. There are several factors that could affect your capacity to play such as the trainings and programs you've been attending, physical limitations and abilities, determination and persistence in achieving a goal towards the end and many more. But the most important thing that you must ensure is the willingness to learn no matter how difficult the road might be. Here are some tips that you should remember in your journey towards success.

1. Learn the fundamentals of baseball that are written in books, magazines, articles, videos, lessons, actual games and advices from coaches and expert players. Gather significant information as much as you can so that you will be able to comprehend the basics of the game. In short, you have to feed your curiosity with facts. Right after that, you can now proceed to drills. There is a common saying that practice makes it perfect. Make a routine for your drills. You can do it at least four to six days in a week. Follow the routine religiously if you want to gain something out of it. Practice the proper way of handling the bat, the right body swing and pitching motion.

2. Know your limitations. More than anybody else, you know your body best. Determine your strengths and weaknesses. To prevent burnout, it will be best if you will have another kind of sport at the end of the season so that you can relax your muscles from the rigid training. However, keep in mind to select s particular sport or physical exercise that is closely related to baseball. With this, you can maintain body fitness and stamina.

3. Train your body as early as possible. It is very important to build your strength as an athlete. You won't be able to last long in the field if you don't have enough stamina. Therefore, you must gain it in your early years to have a good foundation of strength for the game. Every player has different level of skills and strength. Identify your good points so that you can focus more in that aspect. If you think that you will be more effective as a catcher or a pitcher, then pursue that position by appropriate and adequate training for catchers and pitchers.

4. Have an instructor who is expert in conducting trainings and drills. It will truly help you to save time, energy and effort with great results. Learning the proper execution of each step and techniques is a good way to start your baseball career. By doing this, bad habits will be prevented. Once you already mastered everything, you can now practice on your own and take some refresher course once in a while or as necessary. Use your full strength to enhance your skills. Your speed, endurance and strength must be increased at the end of your lesson. You will definitely observe the change in power and speed after the training and practices you've undergone.

Harold Meidinger enjoys writing for Pitching.com which offers lessons on pitching coach and baseball pitching mechanics as well as host of additional products and services.

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Kids Baseball Drills - 3 Drills That Make Practice Fun

By Kenny Buford

Fun Drills for Kids

Coaching kids baseball can be hard: you have to combat hot summer days, short attention spans, and varying ability levels. The key to kids baseball drills is to keep them fun so the kids don't realize they're learning -- they think they're just playing around! These drills for kids are designed to teach them the basics of baseball while keeping them excited about practicing the game.

Hubba Bubba Ball

For this kids baseball drill, the coach needs an oversized plastic bat and balls -- they can be found at most toy stores. The coach divides the team into defense and offense and acts as full-time pitcher.

The kids play the game as they normally would, only because of the plastic ball the defense doesn't need gloves. The batters should focus on clean hits and correct tossing of the bat -- the coach might want to set up markers on either side of home plate so the kids can see where they bat should go once they get a hit. The defense should focus on catching and throwing with soft hands.

Beat the Heat

This baseball drill for kids teaches them about passing and hitting using water balloons. The coach will need to bring plenty of water balloons to practice -- about 100.

First the kids will practice passing by lining up in two relay lines with a big bucket at the end. The two lines compete to see how many unbroken balloons they can get into the buckets in the fastest time by passing from one player to the next. How far apart the kids are spaced when passing the balloons should be based on their age and ability level -- or how hot it is outside!

Now the kids can practice hitting with the remaining balloons. The kids take turns at bat with the coach pitching them water balloons. This drill is great for kids who have trouble keeping their eye on the ball and are hesitant to follow through with their swing because they don't want to miss seeing the balloon burst.

Ball-Go-Round

For this kids baseball drill, divide the team up into groups of four and have them form a square with each player spaced 10 paces apart. The drill begins with the first player rolling the ball to the player on his right, who will catch the ball, pivot, and roll it to the player on his right, who will in turn catch, pivot, and roll, continuing around the square.

The coach will then add another ball into the mix. The players will continue rolling, catching, and pivoting, but this time with two balls going around simultaneously. The players should start calling out the name of the person they are passing to. The coach continues adding balls until there are four going at the same time. The players can then advance to soft-tossing the ball.

To learn more about coaching kids baseball and some fun drills to try, visit my site to watch a free video:

http://www.baseball-tutorials.com/vid/



Kenny Buford is a youth baseball coach, and the owner and publisher of Baseball-Tutorials.com, the web's #1 resource for kids baseball drills, tips, and practice ideas for youth and high school coaches.

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Fundamentals of Throwing a Baseball

By Lou Schneider

I know you are busy. Life is hectic. However, you want to make the most of teaching youth baseball skills to your team, child or youth organization. This article is designed to reduce the amount of time you must invest, to be a more effective coach, teacher, parent or administrator of youth baseball players. The following instruction will provide easy to use methods to teach youth baseball players the proper fundamentals when throwing a baseball.

These baseball throwing fundamentals are designed for parents, managers and coaches to instruct players on properly throwing the baseball to:

1. Improve your throwing accuracy
2. Maximize your throwing speed
3. Improve the speed of the glove to hand exchange
4. Reduce the risk of arm injuries

Holding the baseball

It all starts here! The key to baseball throwing fundamentals starts with holding the ball correctly. The correct way to hold a baseball is using what's called a 4-seam grip. Please note - Pitchers grips can and will vary, as ball movement may be desired to deceive hitters. This grip should be used by all other positions.

I'll take you through the proper way to hold and throw a baseball. I'm constantly amazed at how few players properly hold and throw a baseball. This technique will make your son throw with more velocity, more accurately, and reduced injury risk. You should only use your index and middle fingers and your thumb. Your index and middle fingers should be on top of the ball crossing the widest seams. Your thumb will support the weight of the ball on the bottom of the grip. Don't squeeze the ball, but hold it tight enough so you won't drop it. Leave a little space between the ball and your hand.

Advantages of using this grip:

1. Better accuracy, as the ball is less likely to tail away from your target.
2. Ball will travel further with less effort, as it takes a more direct route to the target.
3. Ball will get to the target faster, as it takes a more direct route.

Releasing the Baseball

The last motion before you release the baseball should be a wrist flicking motion toward your target that creates a backspin on the baseball. Even though it's the last motion in the process, it should be taught and practiced before the rest of the motion as it should be reinforced as the others parts are learned. This motion, combined with the 4-seam grip, will ensure you maximize the above referenced advantages of this technique.

Bringing it all Together with the Proper Upper/Lower Body Movements We'll cover 4 steps in this section to complete the baseball throwing fundamentals technique:

1. Ready Position

Begin by holding the ball in your throwing hand using the 4-seam grip to begin.

Your glove side shoulder and arm should face your target. At this time, your feet should be shoulder width apart and square with your body.

2. Weight Transfer

Your weight should shift to your rear leg (throwing arm side leg). Once your weight has shifted to your back foot, your throwing arm will extend away from your target (4-seam hold, fingers on top, thumb on bottom) while your glove arm extends toward the target. Take a small step toward your target as your arms extend. This will begin the transition of your weight from back to front. Proper weight transition will give you better leverage, thus more power behind your throw. This increases the velocity of your throw.

3. The Throw

Simultaneously:

-Pivot your waist/hips to square with your target
-Pull your glove away from the target
-Move your arm toward the target (elbow will be above the shoulder).

4. Follow Through

Simultaneously release the ball to its target, continue your throwing arm down (towards the ground) and across your body and follow with your throwing arm leg moving forward toward the target.

Lou Schneider
http://youth-baseball-made-easy.com/

Dedicated to providing coaches and parents the tools to teach baseball fundamentals and drills to youth players. Please visit the website for more detailed instruction including illustrations.

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Baseball Drills For Youth - Baseball Throwing Drills

By Peter S. Smith

Youth baseball tends to be a serious sport, so the young ones are required to master some basic skills before entering the field. There are quite a lot of baseball drills that parents can teach their kids even when they can hardly keep a ball in their hands. It is known that if any progress and performance is to be expected, the training should start early ( nobody who's ever been any good at baseball started playing in high school).

So, what are the best baseball drills for kids? Well, the first and most important thing is playing catch. Even if this sounds boring, it's a very important step and a proper technique needs to be learned. Batting cages are perfect for practice, no matter if it's throwing or pitching. Let's talk a bit about throwing and pitching.

The proper throwing technique is this: the child should always fully stretch his or her arm when throwing, and the arm should always be warm. When throwing the ball, it's important that the glove shoulders point straight to the target. Also, the child will want to step toward the target when throwing the ball, and always follow trough. The arms should be bent at the elbow and up above the shoulder when throwing the ball.

Playing catch and practicing throwing should be done daily and it's best if you just have a bucket of balls ready and watch your child how he or she throws at the batting cage. This way, you will be able to correct his or hers position. That's it for this first part of baseball drills for youth. In the next part you'll find tips on batting - the proper technique.

More information and more throwing drills and tips are widely available online today, so go online and you'll find plenty more. A good site with information on baseball drills for youth can be found here.

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Baseball Drills For Youth - The Proper Batting Technique

By Peter S. Smith

There are a lot of tips and tricks when it comes to youth baseball. However, no matter how gifted the child is, a proper technique needs to be developed at an early age. Without this, further along the way injuries could occur and this could end a promising career fast.

In the first part of this article we talked about the proper throwing technique. In this part we'll focus on batting. Kids will love this, and playing ball will be a lot more fun for them as they will be able to swing the bat faster and hit the ball harder.

So, what's it all about? Well, first things first, you want to get your kid a bat just right for him or her. The child should be able to keep the bat horizontally for at least 15 seconds - if he/she can't, then you will want a lighter and shorter bat.

Once you have the right bat, the child should develop a right stance. This means that feet should be at shoulder wide distance apart, the foot closer to the child lined up near the front of edge of the home plate and knees and waist slightly bent. The bat should be held firmly but loosely - so don't let the child cut the blood flow to his/her hands while waiting for the ball.

When the ball comes his or hers way, he/she should solely focus on the ball, and when they hit it, their head should remain still while the body moves. Practicing this baseball drills for youth on a daily basis will improve strength, efficiency and accuracy.

More comprehensive information on baseball drills for youth can be found here.

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Effective Baseball Off Season Workouts

By Guido Nussbaum

Many athletes like to keep themselves in shape at all times, but this is especially true whenever they are actually playing the game. It is important, however, for you to make sure that you are ready for the upcoming season and that you do not allow yourself to fall into disrepair while the game is not being played. This is true, regardless of what type of sport you play but many people that play baseball feel that exercising in the off-season gives them an edge whenever it comes time to step onto the field again. Here are some effective baseball off season workouts which you may find beneficial.

One of the most important things for you to consider in this regard is going to be the position that you play. An outfielder, for obvious reasons, is going to have to do a different type of workout than the pitcher may do. However, they can all benefit from an overall workout plan that will help to keep them lean and in shape. This is often done through a regular routine of weightlifting, along with effective cardiovascular workouts. Here is the basic way that this is done.

As far as the weightlifting is concerned, there are some considerations for the various positions that are played but almost anybody can benefit from a short routine of multi-joint exercises. The reason why this is the case, is because it allows you to effectively work out more of the body in less time and these exercises also help you to build muscle and in a much faster way. Multi-joint exercises workout more muscles of the body, unlike bicep exercises or something similar which only concentrate on one muscle group. When you do multi-joint exercises effectively, you really assist your body in growing in all areas.

Cardiovascular exercise is also a very important part of any effective baseball off season workout. The type of cardiovascular exercise that you are doing, however, may differ depending upon your position. For the most part, however, short bursts of activity are what is going to be necessary in order to get you in shape for the field and for this, you will need high-intensity interval training. This is where you go hard for a period of time, typically one minute, and then go easy for an equal or longer amount of time. Cycle through this for 8 to 10 sets on any piece of exercise equipment and you will quickly gain cardiovascular endurance.

Of course, you don't need to play baseball regularly in order to benefit from this type of baseball off season workouts. As a matter of fact, anybody that would like to lose weight, get in shape or stay in shape can benefit from doing these combination of exercises. The real key is to be consistent in your efforts and to make sure that you're constantly progressing in the exercises that you are doing. This will not only help you if you decide to step out on the field in the spring, but it will also assist you in looking good all year long.

Visit our web site to learn more about Baseball off Season Workouts

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Youth Baseball Drills Are a Valuable Aspect of the Game, Learn Them When You Are Young!

By Joseph Harrison Jr

There are many youth baseball drills that a coach can use to aid his team in becoming better. And, the more of these that a coach employs, the more apt a baseball team will be at gaining that competitive edge.

Let's begin with discussing the different aspects of the game itself and then follow with a discussion about each one individually. There are three main areas that a new player will be most concerned with, and each is equally important.

Hitting drills should include the stance, the rotation of the hips during the swing, and the swing itself. The stance will include the player having their feet apart so as to feel comfortable and the proper gripping of the bat.

An especially good drill does not even use a ball. It will simply include the coach standing on the mound and winding up as if they are going to pitch and throwing an imaginary pitch. The player wall then watches and to be aware of their actual movements during their swing at this imaginary ball. Where are they holding their weight? Are their knees bent? Did they drop their hands? Did they keep their head up? Did they step into the ball or toward third base, or even out of the batting box itself? Did they rotate at the hips or was their power coming from their arms?

Now, let's assume that a player has hit the ball and needs to run the bases.

There are many drills that will help with this aspect too. For example, on a single hit, have the players run through the first base bag. Then, after they have run through the bag, have them know which way to turn. For example, by turning to the right, the player would be considered safe. However, if the player turns to the left, then they would still be considered in play and can easily be tagged out. A coach can call out, single, double, or triple and have each player run from home plate through the bases depending what the coach had called out. This allows the players the ability to think while running.

Catching is probably the easiest aspect to learn, but the hardest to master. It takes good eye and hand coordination and the ability to use both at once. Many times, a new player will be afraid of being hit with the ball and this will limit him in the beginning. But, by simply tossing a baseball back and forth and letting the player have the opportunity to appreciate the catch itself, their confidence will grow and they will no longer fear getting hit. Also, a good drill for catching grounders is for the players to line up opposite one another and roll the ball back and forth on the ground. This will allow the players to develop the ability to field a ground ball.

While there are many different types of youth baseball drills that can be used as a learning tool, keep in mind that the basics are probably best when starting with younger players.

I am Joseph Harrison, a baseball coach since 20 years ago. I love baseball since I am young, especially the feeling when you know you will absolutely crush the ball. Training your kid to gain interest in baseball will benefit him from both mentally and physically. In with he will gain team spirit, learn how to cope with teammates, and at the same time train up his physical, and concentration (to have good eye and hand coordination and the ability to use both at once). Go through my article and you will know all the benefits of baseball.

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Top 5 Baseball Drills to Improve Your Baseball Game

By Kendra L Fagan

Open professional baseball tryouts are designed to help scouts determine the physical talents and abilities of aspiring baseball players.

Though many of the drills that young MLB hopefuls are put through might seem random. This is because different drills are put to people to test their skills level. While one person trying out might have a killer pitch and he knows it, a scout might want to see what the person's skill level is with other types of baseball maneuvers.

Scouts look for speed, arm strength, glove skills, and hitting skills and overall mechanics. The tryouts are grueling and not like any version of American Idol you've seen. There is no "nice" judge. Instead, baseball scouts simply call out the names of those they like. The rest of the players go home, and many of theme eventually give up on their dream.

But not unlike any talent-based industry, hearing "no" is just part of the game. It is up to you and your trainers to make sure you are getting all the necessary drills and skill-building exercise to take you to your goal of becoming a professional baseball player.

I have compiled some of the best drills for cross-skill development that will give you a leg up in the competition and hopefully win you the interest of a baseball scout.

AROUND THE WORLD DRILL

The "Around the World" drill is a great conditioning exercise that will help any baseball player develop physically.

Here's how it works.

Take the players to the foul pole in left or right field. Then time them from foul pole to foul pole to get a good accurate base time. Then have a set time that they should complete each of the laps. Some choose seven laps, some others. The number should be based on the number of innings one would play professionally. A good hint is that coaches should remember to adhere to is to not let a lap count if it is under time. This will help the player push himself to get it right. There is no "almosts" in pro baseball.

DIVE BACKS

Besides basic conditioning, this drill helps to build the players speed and quickness back to the bag. Also, it is helpful to work on quickly leaving the bag as well as helping the players to recognize how big of a turn they can make around a bag to make sure that they get back in case of a throw. Here's how a good Dive Backs drill is set up.

The players start out at Home Plate and run around first base, making an aggressive turn, and then dive back into the bag. After diving back they get up as fast as they can and head to second base to do the same thing. They do this also at third then slide feet first into home plate to end their round.

A good way to prove the get back theory is to have an outfielder and a second basemen trying to get a player out every couple of times through. This exercise works wonders for agility and speed skills which is an absolute necessity to play in the major leagues.

THE GLOVE BASEBALL DRILL

Conditioning is a grueling task, so some fun elements need to be used as well. A good fun conditioning drill is great because you can make them the hardest and the fun elements makes it not so bad.

The glove drills starts off with separating players in groups of 4 or 5. (If you are just with yourself and your coach, find a friend or two to help.) Line the people up and put their gloves in the outfield at about 25 foot intervals apart, away from them. They start the drill with a ball in their hand and run to the first glove and set the ball on it and come back to the line and go back and get the ball and come back to the line and go to the second glove and set the ball down and go back to the line and so on and so forth, until all the players have gone through and the winners get out of laps at the end of the practice.

SPEED QUICKNESS AND POWER

In any good baseball training program, player development is a primary concern. As players get older they also raise their level of function in the game. One of the areas to try to improve is the physical or talent area. If you are at all seriously about playing professionally you must first be in the talent pool of players. If you can't do the physical levels, no one will look at the skill or playing abilities.

A well rounded pre-season conditioning program starts when the players get back from Christmas break. Work should be focused on 3 areas essential to playing baseball at a professionally competitive level - speed, quickness, and power.

The first day should be spent testing the components of each skills set that are vital to an overall skill matching assessment. Test items can include:

· 40 yard sprint
· 10 yard sprint
· Standing 2 footed vertical jump
· 30 second dips
· 30 second sit-ups
· Home to 1b
· Bench press
· Dot jumps
· Diamond push ups

After the testing is done, you should have a good two months dedicated to a program that incorporates exercises, running, and strength training. Once this part is done, practice the test points listed above again. This will help you accurately measure your progress and where to improve.

THE 60 YARD DASH DRILL

This is used to determine sheer sprint speed, and it is chosen to determine the athlete's ability to run from the length of two bases. If you decide to incorporate this for your child, do so sparingly and make sure that your child is warmed up. Also reduce the length from 60 yards to only twice the distance from home to first. Of course, make sure that your child is medically approved to do sprinting. Keep the number of such dashes very low and GRADUALLY build up over time.

Here is a good pointer:

When asked to hit, scouts do not look at the end result of whether the ball was a hit, home run, foul ball, etc. Instead, they look at mechanics in order to determine if there is a "loop" in a batter's swing, weight transfer, and the batter's overall approach to the plate appearance. If you are able to introduce your child to one of the scouts during a break at the tryout, ask the scout to give you a minute to understand what he likes to see in his ideal batter. You may learn quite a bit.

Baseball Pros Store has excellent online deals on baseball equipment, strength training books, and off-season training guides to help you get into the major leagues in no time! BaseballProsStore.com baseball shop is your one stop shop for baseball bats, gloves, and training equipment. Plus items are updated everyday so you don't have to waste time driving from sports store to sports store. Begin your dream of playing professional baseball and visit http://www.BaseballProsStore.com today!

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