Pitching Drills & Techniques

Pitching Drills & Techniques

Backyard Baseball Drills

Backyard Baseball Drills

Baseball Coaching:Pitching Drills and Techniques

Description
VIDEO LIBRARIAN
THE VIDEO REVIEW GUIDE FOR LIBRARIES
July-August 2004 SPORTS,GAMES & RECREATION Pitching Drills & Techniques
***1/2
( 2004 ) 34 min. VHS or DVD: Youth Sports Club …. More >>

Baseball Coaching:Pitching Drills and Techniques

Pitching Drills And Fielding Skills For Youth Baseball Players

Description
Pitching Drills and Fielding Skills for Youth Baseball Players presents a series of game-tested pitching drills and a detailed overview of fielding fundamentals and techniques for youth baseball players. In an easy-to-understand and apply manner, the DVD shows youth baseball coaches how to enhance the skill level of their pitchers and fielders. Among the topics covered: pitching drills, fundamentals of fielding ground balls, first base play, middle infielder play, thi… More >>

Pitching Drills And Fielding Skills For Youth Baseball Players

Hitting Skills And Drills For Youth Baseball Players

Description
Hitting Skills and Drills for Youth Baseball Players presents a comprehensive overview of the fundamentals and techniques involved in teaching youth baseball players the mechanics of sound hitting and bunting. In an easy-to-understand and apply manner, the DVD explains and demonstrates how to develop the key components of hitting. Among the topics covered: basic hitting fundamentals, basic swing mechanics, bunting techniques, putting it all together, and coaching poin… More >>

Hitting Skills And Drills For Youth Baseball Players

Basketball Coaching:48 Championship Basketball Drills

Description
Marty Schupak and the Youth Sports Club, the producers of the best selling video “The 59 Minute Baseball Practice” and “Championship Soccer Drills” take on the sport of basketball. This high digitized DVD shows coaches and parents from the youth level all the way up to High School a wide variety of useful drills. “48 Championship Basketball Drills” covers: shooting, conditioning, defensive skills, rebounding, ball handling, passing and foul shooting techniques. The 22 shoot… More >>

Basketball Coaching:48 Championship Basketball Drills

T-Ball University: Batting Drills For New Tee Ball Coaches

Baseball Season is just around the corner, so parents and parent coaches, start digging through the garage for your baseball equipment and begin stretching out those rusty arm and leg muscles. For many communities, children begin their baseball or softball careers playing the lead-up skill called Tee Ball, which is baseball, minus the pitcher. In Tee Ball which is also spelled T-Ball, children learn the fundamentals of batting, fielding and base-running. For the purposes of this article we´ll be concentrating on batting. In Tee Ball, batting takes place utilizing a Tee which sits approximately waste high to the hitter. The Tee is a great tool for perfecting a child´s swing. When used correctly, a coach can analyze all of the components used in a swing and make subtle or not so subtle adjustments to a child´s swing, batting stance, hip rotation and foot work.

It is my opinion after coaching all these seasons that proper footwork is the most important aspect of hitting. If you have the proper footwork, the arms, hips, and head will fall into place with the required timing.

In order to achieve proper footwork, I will place the tee on top of home plate. I will draw a perpendicular line in the dirt with the handle of the player´s tee ball bat from the middle 45 degree corner of the tee´s base. The line length is approximately 12 inches. Adjust this length accordingly to a comfortable extension of each player´s arms with the bat swing. I then will draw a perpendicular line from the first line and parallel to the edge of the tee base going back toward the backstop. Therefore, this line is in the shape of an inverted “L”. I will squat down and point with my index finger as to where I want each foot to be placed along the parallel line. Drawing the 12-inch line allows the hitter to extend his or her arms when swinging to comfortably hit the tee-ball with the “sweet” spot of the bat.

I want each child to have a stiff front leg with feet square to the parallel line. The player should be placing their weight on the balls of both of their feet. The square front foot will prevent the front knee from buckling or bending. Imagine a bug underneath the back foot. I want the child to squash that imaginary bug with a pivot of their back foot. Approximately 60% of the player´s weight should be on the back foot. This is called the “load” position. This pivot will open the hips toward the pitcher when “squashing the bug”. The front foot should remain square and the front knee locked when “squashing the bug” also. The back leg can bend but do not take a large dip with the back leg. (This drill is presented in a short video on our www.tballu.com website, within the “Free Sample Video” section).

Most coaches and parents who played the game when they were young were taught to take a step toward the pitcher with their front foot when swinging the bat. Most coaches and parents remember taking a small step or a large step. I do not want the player to take a step with their front foot when “squashing the bug” since a step will cause the player´s head to slightly dip when swinging the bat and therefore, the player´s eyes will dip when swinging the bat also. The no-step will prevent an eye dip when attempting to hit a breaking ball (e.g., curve, slider, etc) later in the player´s career when he or she advances to high school baseball or softball. Use a series of batting helmets as impediments to prevent the player´s front foot from taking a step if they had been previously taught to do so.

Practice “squashing the bug” with a bat situated between the arms and the back´s shoulder blades. Have the entire team practice this drill at the same time making sure they are a good distance away from each other. Keep an eye on a stiff front leg and the back foot should pivot on the ball of their back foot. Some players will pivot and raise the heel of the back foot such that the back weight is placed on the toe of the back foot instead of the ball of the back foot. The player´s head should stay down while looking in the hitting zone. If the back shoulder does not remain in the hitting zone upon pivot, the head will lift up from the hitting zone and the front foot will automatically lift up as well where the hitter is pivoting on the heel of the front foot. This is called “rolling” the front foot. Repeat this drill 50 times each practice and before each game. The player can also do this drill 50 times daily in front of a full length mirror at home. This will provide the player great muscle memory to ensure a proper swing every time.

After more than ten years coaching youth baseball, it has been my experience that, despite the best efforts of parent-coaches, too many children do not learn the basics of hitting and fielding and develop bad habits from the start. As these children progress to coach-pitch and kid-pitch leagues, this results in coaches spending many hours trying to correct problems, which could have been easily avoided at the Tee Ball or Beginner Baseball level. Coaching children, whether your own or children in your community, is one of the most rewarding experiences you´ll have. Watching children learn and successfully apply the skills that you´ve taught them is tremendously fulfilling. I wish you all the best of luck in your t-ball, baseball or softball seasons.

Youth Softball Drills Improve Play

Repetition is the key to muscle memory, which is necessary in order to play sports at a competitive level. It is important to involve repetitive movement, but the movements must also be performed correctly. Champion-level basketball shooters, such as Bill Bradley and Dell Curry, practiced the same movements over and over again until it became second nature to them. The same philosophy applies to the game of softball and to baseball, as well. By correctly practicing youth softball drills, you will be able to play the game at the highest possible level.

For parents and coaches, it is necessary for you to know and understand youth softball drills before you can implement these drills for your players. Some of the more important of the youth softball drills are as follows: Softball conditioning drills; softball throwing drills; softball batting drills; softball fielding drills.

Youth softball leagues are springing up all over the country, which means more and more people are becoming coaches. Whether you are a volunteering parent, a first time coach, or veteren, it would be wise for you to familiarize yourself with a large variety of youth softball drills in order to improve the proficiency of your players.

Youth Softball Base Running Drills – One of the often overlooked secrets to base running is the ability of the runners to cut the corners of the bases when rounding them and proceeding to the next base. This involves hitting the base at an angle so that your right foot cuts the bag. In that way, your left foot is on stride and heading toward the next base. You can cut down on the time it takes to circle the bases by practicing cutting the bases in this manner.

Youth Softball Throwing Drills – One way to improve your throwing is by practicing a quick release. This can be done by lining up players at home plate, and at each base. You have the throws emanate from home plate where pitchers and catchers are located. The first line of players take their positions in the field. The catcher throws the softball to the fielder at second base, who tosses it to the third baseman, who tosses it to the first baseman, who tosses it back home to the catcher. Repeat this drill three times, and use a stop watch to note time. The team with the quickest time gets a reward.

Youth Softball Batting Drills – One way to improve players’ hitting is to improve their ability to recognize a pitch, such as a fastball, a change up, a curve, swerve or slider. If you paint a number on the softball, the batter must concentrate and identify the number as the pitch comes to the plate. After the batter swings at the pitch, he or she must identify the number on the softball.

By implementing youth softball drills as a customary part of your practice sessions, you will be helping to elevate the abilities of your players in order for them to play softball at a higher level. Sometimes the simplest drills that build repetitive muscle memory can be the most productive and most valuable.

Mitch Thompson: Youth Baseball Series: Hitting Mechanics & Drills

Product Description
with Mitch Thompson,
Assistant Coach,
Baylor University

Thompson breaks down the mechanics of the swing into seven parts: bat selection, grip, stance, start, stride, swing, and finish. Thompson also explores the mental approach to hitting and explains ways to make hitting simple. He demonstrates drills using the hitting stick, dry swing drills, the side toss, the short toss, tees, and front toss drills.
2000. 42 minutes…. More >>

Mitch Thompson: Youth Baseball Series: Hitting Mechanics & Drills

Hitting Drills & Techniques

Hitting Drills & Techniques

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