By Marty Schupak
It is amazing how Little League baseball teams and beyond do not practice some fundamental aspects of the game. From my standpoint, the reason I practice certain things other coaches may not is because I've been burned by other teams and have lost games and championships because of it. In my 21 years coaching youth baseball, the list of things that should be practiced is long but some situations come up over and over again. Here are four of them:
1) Pitchers not practicing fielding. This issue is incredible to me, though it took a few years before I began having my pitchers practice fielding. When youth baseball teams practice fielding, usually it will include every position but the pitcher. Youth baseball coaches need to put pitchers on the mound in practice and include them in fielding drills. Coaches also need to rotate the pitchers. Have the pitcher to go through his pitching motion without the ball. The coach then throws or hits a baseball to him. And not just right at him. Hit the balls to the left, center and right of him. Then put one or more runners on base and declare how many outs there are and continue hitting to him and let him decide which base to throw to. Try also having the coach hit ground balls to the pitcher on the mound and instead of trying to catch it clean, he has to knock it down, establish himself and then field the ball. The drills work and also get pitchers familiar with game situations.
2) Catching a foul ball near a fence. I swear I'm the only one in my league who takes this serious. Probably because I've seen more catchable foul balls hit the ground than any team in my league. The scenario usually starts with a pop fly just foul of first base. The ball moves deeper into foul territory. The first baseman looks like he has a beat on the ball as he gets closer to the fence or dugout. He then looks like he is hesitating the further he moves into foul territory. Then "plop"! The ball falls right near his feet about 12-24 inches from the fence. Of course we all know the consequences of giving away outs in youth baseball. This stuff kills me. So how can we coaches rectify this? At least once a year usually before the season I do the "Fence Drill" with my team. I first start on the first base side having the players line up behind each other about 6 feet from the fence in foul territory parallel to first base. I'm located around home plate. I throw pop ups as close to the fence as I can and instruct my players to track the ball. As they do this they should come right near the fence and either with their glove hand if they are a rightie or free hand for lefties, put their arm out feeling for the fence then proceed to track and catch the ball from there. This is getting them used to feeling for structures while keeping their eye on the ball. It makes them more comfortable and helps limit the fear of getting hurt. I then move the line closer to fair territory eventually moving the line where every player is a first baseman and has to hustle to feel for the fence first then catch the ball. I then move the line to the third base side of the infield. Is this drill fool proof? Absolutely not! But I did notice a few more catches over the course of a season if we practiced this drill!
3) Players not sliding at every base. This is tough one. I've seen major leaguers not slide and cost their team runs. The Yankees-Oakland A's 2001 American League Championship series comes to mind when Derek Jeter made that great backhand flip to home and Jeremy Giambi didn't slide and cost his team a run and possibly the game and series. You can preach and preach for players to slide but they will continue to forget to slide. As youth coaches, we have to remember that these are 10, 11 and 12 year old kids and their retention is different than say a high school player. But this is also something that you can practice instead of just telling the player when it comes up in a regular game. I want my players to slide on a force play even if they know they will be thrown out. To me having a reputation even on the youth level that my team slides might become a potential distraction for the opposition and the fielders might bobble a throw to them at the base. When we practicing sliding, I take my team in the outfield grass and have my players remove their cleats. I have a diamond set up with throw down bases. We go through a few scenarios rotating players having them slide in the grass and this process helps. We reinforce for them to slide during the game from the coaching box. Again, not fool proof, but very effective.
4) Practicing fielding a wild pitch or passed ball with at least one player on third base. In youth baseball usually not a game goes by without a wild pitch or a passed ball. When there is a base runner on third base, he has a better than 50% chance of scoring if he has just average speed. Let's break this down from the defensive end. The pitcher pitches and the ball gets by the catcher. The pitcher recognizes this and rushes home to protect against the runner on third from scoring. His head is going back and forth between the baserunner coming from third and the catcher getting ready to make the toss. Many times the toss from the catcher is off target or the pitcher swoops down to tag the runner without the ball. Very few coaches practice this other than to yell out to the pitcher, "Cover home if the ball gets by the catcher" when the situation comes up in a game. To practice this, set up the positions with a baserunner at third. Plant a ball behind the catcher without him seeing it. Have the pitcher do his wind up without the ball and when the coach yells "go" the baserunner breaks for home and the catcher locates the ball while the pitcher comes to cover home. Here we are setting up a practical situation and the catcher is practicing his toss and the pitcher is getting used to the baserunner coming at him while trying to secure the toss and tag him. Coaches should rotate both pitchers and catchers during this drill.
These are only four situations out of many that need to be practiced. In youth baseball we coaches tend to try and teach during the game. Practices are the place to teach and games are the place to reinforce what we conveyed to the players. With this formula they become familiar with the situation and give your team the competitive edge on the field.
http://www.YouthSportsClub.com
Marty Schupak has coached youth baseball for 21 years and is the video creator of "The 59 Minute Baseball Practice", "Backyard Baseball Drills", "Winning Baseball Strategies", "Hitting Drills & Techniques", "Pitching Drills & Techniques", "Baserunning & Bunting Drills" and author of the popular book, "Youth Baseball Drills". He is President of the Youth Sports Club, a group dedicated to making sports practices and games more enjoyable for kids.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marty_Schupak
Showing posts with label baseball tips. Show all posts
Showing posts with label baseball tips. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Thursday, August 18, 2011
How to Be Number One on Your Baseball Team
By Jim Bain
It was recently suggested to me that I write an article on "How to be number one on your baseball team." My first thought on the request was "What an odd question," and initially dismissed the idea as quite silly. However, the question, and more possibly the motive for such a question, continued to gnaw at me until I decided to take a crack at answering the question.
Since it wasn't specified, the first issue I had to isolate was "number one at what?" The number one pitcher, hitter, fielder, cheerleader, or what? This was quite a cumbersome and rather confusing task, as I could write page after page of instructions and advise on any one of a 100 subjects related to a baseball team.
Thank God for computers and the delete key, because I nearly wore mine out writing and rewriting ideas which would pop into my head, meander around and eventually lead to a dead end. This simple little article was quickly becoming a monumental task, one which at the time, I was failing miserably at.
The problem with answering how to become number one on your baseball team is, there is no One answer, but rather a combination of many skills and talents both physical and emotional involved.
Baseball is an Individual game, played in a team environment. Confused? For example, you, the individual, wants to succeed at getting a base hit. By succeeding as an individual and getting the base hit, you drive home the winning run, which makes the team successful.
In my opinion, this unique mixture of achievement and goals results in the only answer possible for becoming number one on the team... Don't try to become number one, is the only way to become number one. I've confused you again. Allow me to explain.
Being the number one player on a team, any team, can not be something accomplished by learning any certain skills. Sure, you can develop into the Ace pitcher on the team and be voted to the All-Star team, but that doesn't make you number one on the team. Neither does being the clean up hitter, who has achieved remarkable numbers at home runs, RBIs and slugging percentage, still not considered the number one player.
Again in my humble opinion, I believe the following two things about players:
1. There is the player who strives as an individual to succeed, and by doing so the team succeeds...
2. There is the player who strives to succeed in order for the team to succeed.
What's the difference?
1.The #2 player is happy about grounding out to the second baseman, because he moved a runner to third base.
2. As the second baseman, he makes a fantastic fielding play which starts a game ending double play and high fives the shortstop for making a strong throw to first base.
3. He hits a walk off home run, but seeks out the timid 9th place hitter who walked in front of him allowing a winning home run instead of a game tying home run.
How can you tell the difference between the two types of players, both great team mates? You normally can't, because the difference is in the heart of the player and that produces an aura of its own, which produces a number one player on the team.
My advise on how to become the number one player on the team... work your guts out practicing and play with your heart.
Jim Bain, former Minor league baseball player, who since retiring has dedicated his life to teaching baseball to youth, shares his advice on running youth baseball drill on his exciting info packed website: http://www.learn-youth-baseball-coaching.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jim_Bain
It was recently suggested to me that I write an article on "How to be number one on your baseball team." My first thought on the request was "What an odd question," and initially dismissed the idea as quite silly. However, the question, and more possibly the motive for such a question, continued to gnaw at me until I decided to take a crack at answering the question.
Since it wasn't specified, the first issue I had to isolate was "number one at what?" The number one pitcher, hitter, fielder, cheerleader, or what? This was quite a cumbersome and rather confusing task, as I could write page after page of instructions and advise on any one of a 100 subjects related to a baseball team.
Thank God for computers and the delete key, because I nearly wore mine out writing and rewriting ideas which would pop into my head, meander around and eventually lead to a dead end. This simple little article was quickly becoming a monumental task, one which at the time, I was failing miserably at.
The problem with answering how to become number one on your baseball team is, there is no One answer, but rather a combination of many skills and talents both physical and emotional involved.
Baseball is an Individual game, played in a team environment. Confused? For example, you, the individual, wants to succeed at getting a base hit. By succeeding as an individual and getting the base hit, you drive home the winning run, which makes the team successful.
In my opinion, this unique mixture of achievement and goals results in the only answer possible for becoming number one on the team... Don't try to become number one, is the only way to become number one. I've confused you again. Allow me to explain.
Being the number one player on a team, any team, can not be something accomplished by learning any certain skills. Sure, you can develop into the Ace pitcher on the team and be voted to the All-Star team, but that doesn't make you number one on the team. Neither does being the clean up hitter, who has achieved remarkable numbers at home runs, RBIs and slugging percentage, still not considered the number one player.
Again in my humble opinion, I believe the following two things about players:
1. There is the player who strives as an individual to succeed, and by doing so the team succeeds...
2. There is the player who strives to succeed in order for the team to succeed.
What's the difference?
1.The #2 player is happy about grounding out to the second baseman, because he moved a runner to third base.
2. As the second baseman, he makes a fantastic fielding play which starts a game ending double play and high fives the shortstop for making a strong throw to first base.
3. He hits a walk off home run, but seeks out the timid 9th place hitter who walked in front of him allowing a winning home run instead of a game tying home run.
How can you tell the difference between the two types of players, both great team mates? You normally can't, because the difference is in the heart of the player and that produces an aura of its own, which produces a number one player on the team.
My advise on how to become the number one player on the team... work your guts out practicing and play with your heart.
Jim Bain, former Minor league baseball player, who since retiring has dedicated his life to teaching baseball to youth, shares his advice on running youth baseball drill on his exciting info packed website: http://www.learn-youth-baseball-coaching.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jim_Bain
Friday, April 9, 2010
One Word That Will Make You Sound Like a Baseball Expert - 5 Tips For Hitting, Pitching & Fielding
By Jack Perconte
Not everyone knows the finer details of the game of baseball and, of course, many do not care to be baseball coaches or experts. Everyone has there own interests and that is fine. However, that does not mean you cannot say helpful things to young ballplayers. Using this one word will make one sound like a baseball expert and sound like you really know the game of baseball. As a baseball instructor over the past 21 years there is one word that I believe I have said more than any other word. This word is revealed below. If you would like a hint, think of the first thing that you teach your dog to do?
You guessed it - stay. Using the word "stay" with most any baseball term gives instant, "expert" credibility to the one saying it. Following are the terms good coaches often use when talking to players about the three key skill components in baseball - hitting, pitching and fielding. People, who use these terms with the magic word "stay," will sound like a knowledgeable, baseball expert.
Hitting Tips:
1. Stay back - good hitters do not jump at the ball, they let it come to them.
2. Stay inside - good hitters do not reach for balls, they try to hit the side closest to them on all pitches.
3. Stay behind - when good hitters swing, they rotate, transfer their weight and throw their bat at the ball while keeping their head back over their rear hip.
4. Stay balanced - good hitters swing the bat at 100% speed, but make it look like they are not working hard at all.
5. Stay ready - good hitters always expect the next pitch to be "their pitch."
6. Stay focused - good hitters concentrate on just watching the baseball from the pitcher's release to the hitting zone and tune out all other thoughts.
Pitching Tips:
1. Stay balanced - good pitchers throw at maximum speeds but make it look effortless.
2. Stay direct - good pitchers keep great direction, stepping on direct line towards home plate with their delivery.
3. Stay on top - good pitchers keep their fingers on top of ball on backswing and at release.
4. Stay behind - good pitchers do not rush themselves, allowing their arm time to come around.
5. Stay focused - good pitchers remain focused on their target, and tune out any distractions.
Fielding Tips:
1. Stay ready - good fielders "want" and expect the ball to be hit their way.
2. Stay down - good fielders approach ground balls low to the ground and keep their glove below the hop initially.
3. Stay smooth - good fielders make fielding look effortless, moving through the ball with grace.
4. Stay focused - good fielders keep their concentration on the ball, ready for any hop.
5. Stay balanced - good fielders have great footwork when fielding, always remaining under control.
You may have noticed that there are two terms used with our word "stay" that applies to every fundamental tip and those are balanced and focus. Everything in sport requires great balance and focus. So, when you are not sure what to say to your athlete, you can never go wrong with saying, "stay balanced" and "stay focused" as long as they are said in a positive, affirmative manner.
Former major league baseball player, Jack Perconte gives baseball hitting tips and batting practice advice for ballplayers of all ages. His baseball playing lessons, books and advice can be found at http://www.baseballhittinglessons.com/baseball Jack is the author of two books, The Making of a Hitter and Raising an Athlete - his positive parenting advice and books can be found at http://positiveparentinginsports.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jack_Perconte
Not everyone knows the finer details of the game of baseball and, of course, many do not care to be baseball coaches or experts. Everyone has there own interests and that is fine. However, that does not mean you cannot say helpful things to young ballplayers. Using this one word will make one sound like a baseball expert and sound like you really know the game of baseball. As a baseball instructor over the past 21 years there is one word that I believe I have said more than any other word. This word is revealed below. If you would like a hint, think of the first thing that you teach your dog to do?
You guessed it - stay. Using the word "stay" with most any baseball term gives instant, "expert" credibility to the one saying it. Following are the terms good coaches often use when talking to players about the three key skill components in baseball - hitting, pitching and fielding. People, who use these terms with the magic word "stay," will sound like a knowledgeable, baseball expert.
Hitting Tips:
1. Stay back - good hitters do not jump at the ball, they let it come to them.
2. Stay inside - good hitters do not reach for balls, they try to hit the side closest to them on all pitches.
3. Stay behind - when good hitters swing, they rotate, transfer their weight and throw their bat at the ball while keeping their head back over their rear hip.
4. Stay balanced - good hitters swing the bat at 100% speed, but make it look like they are not working hard at all.
5. Stay ready - good hitters always expect the next pitch to be "their pitch."
6. Stay focused - good hitters concentrate on just watching the baseball from the pitcher's release to the hitting zone and tune out all other thoughts.
Pitching Tips:
1. Stay balanced - good pitchers throw at maximum speeds but make it look effortless.
2. Stay direct - good pitchers keep great direction, stepping on direct line towards home plate with their delivery.
3. Stay on top - good pitchers keep their fingers on top of ball on backswing and at release.
4. Stay behind - good pitchers do not rush themselves, allowing their arm time to come around.
5. Stay focused - good pitchers remain focused on their target, and tune out any distractions.
Fielding Tips:
1. Stay ready - good fielders "want" and expect the ball to be hit their way.
2. Stay down - good fielders approach ground balls low to the ground and keep their glove below the hop initially.
3. Stay smooth - good fielders make fielding look effortless, moving through the ball with grace.
4. Stay focused - good fielders keep their concentration on the ball, ready for any hop.
5. Stay balanced - good fielders have great footwork when fielding, always remaining under control.
You may have noticed that there are two terms used with our word "stay" that applies to every fundamental tip and those are balanced and focus. Everything in sport requires great balance and focus. So, when you are not sure what to say to your athlete, you can never go wrong with saying, "stay balanced" and "stay focused" as long as they are said in a positive, affirmative manner.
Former major league baseball player, Jack Perconte gives baseball hitting tips and batting practice advice for ballplayers of all ages. His baseball playing lessons, books and advice can be found at http://www.baseballhittinglessons.com/baseball Jack is the author of two books, The Making of a Hitter and Raising an Athlete - his positive parenting advice and books can be found at http://positiveparentinginsports.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jack_Perconte
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
