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Be A Better Hitter Six Steps Video
Backyard Baseball Drill Video
Team Drill Video
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Choosing the Right Bat
Click here for an outstanding article on selecting a bat.
When shopping for a bat, have your child hold it out to his side with the top hand (right hand for right-handed batter). If he cannot hold it straight out for 20 seconds or so without the arm starting to shake and the bat dropping, it's too heavy.
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Coaching Tips For Pitching Coaches
Teaching the Proper Stride Leg Motion
One of the most important aspects of a pitcher's delivery is the stride leg's motion from the balance position. The proper and correct stride leg motion is "down and out" from the balance position.
Too many times we see a pitcher drive the stride leg forward from the top of the balance position. The result is the body gets out too quick and the arm is left behind. The pitcher has to "rush" the arm to "catch-up". The front side of the body opens too soon and the pitch loses velocity.
The proper "lead-leg" motion follows these steps:
The stride leg goes up until the thigh is at least parallel to the ground.
The leg should come up and in at a angle that puts the thigh inside the lead elbow.
The proper balance position has the toe pointed downward.
The stride leg should come straight down from the balance position until the bottom of the foot is within 3 to 6 inches of the ground.
The stride leg should not start the forward movement until the foot is flat and parallel to the ground. A that moment forward moment should begin.
Any forward movement before the foot gets to the "bottom" is considered "leaking" or "lunging". This flaw causes premature rotation of the hips and shoulders.
The heel of the stride foot should lead the leg's movement forward most of the way out.
The stride foot should land flat on the ball of the foot. Careful attention should be given to make sure the pitcher is not landing on the back or heel of the stride foot.
The pitcher should not begin shoulder or hip rotation until his full weight has been transferred onto the stride leg.
When throwing the fastball, careful attention should be given to eliminating toe drag as the back foot leaves the rubber. Maximum velocity is achieved when the back foot steps cleanly out of the "hole" and does not drag. Of course "toe drag" can be and often is a part of the delivery when off speed pitches are thrown.
(from www.hit2win.com)
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Focus on Hitting - Perfecting the Stride
Perfecting the Stride
Article courtesy of Jon Hoelter at goodswing.com
Young players need to practice their stride (or the little step taken before they swing the bat). The stride should be
1. Straight. Unless they are using an open or closed stance, the stride should be at the pitcher. When opened or closed, the stride should put them in a position where their shoulders make a line pointing at the pitcher.
2. Short (especially for young players). Long strides make it difficult to keep the head relatively still and thus making it difficult to see the ball. Long strides also make timing more difficult, because long strides take more time than short strides.
3. Soft. The weight must be kept back during the stride. Remember that the swing doesn't start until after the stride is complete. If the batter's weight shifts forward during the stride, they will not be able to keep their hands back and will not be able to get their weight into the pitch when they swing. Weight should shift during the swing. Teaching players to turn their front knee in toward their body during the stride will help them to keep the stride soft.
4. Flat. At least for young hitters, the front foot should stay close to the ground during the stride. Some young players lift the front foot to the back of their thigh which makes a soft stride next to impossible.
5. Closed. Many young hitters point their front toe at the pitcher when they stride usually because they want to start swinging the bat before their stride foot lands. The front foot should not be turned more than 45 degrees upon landing. Often the front foot will pivot somewhat during the swing (and may end up pointing at the pitcher), but this is okay as long as it lands closed.
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Focus on Pitching - The Seven Mistakes Made by Youth Pitchers and How to Correct Them
The Seven Mistakes Made By Youth Pitchers and How To Correct Them
Most articles and books written on the mechanics of pitching usually stress the importance of pitching correctly but forget to focus on the things youth pitchers do incorrectly and how to fix them.
Therefore, I'm going to concentrate on the seven most common things youth pitchers do incorrectly and how to create new habits to do away with these mistakes.
GRIP
Youth pitchers usually grip the ball too hard and some can't control the ball because their hand is too small, so they use three or four fingers. To make things easier, players, no matter what age they are, should grip the ball easily with a gap between the ball and the palm of their hand. That way their wrist is free and easy and loose. Young pitchers (6,7,8) can grip the ball with three or four fingers as long as they adhere to the above grip. Nine and ten year olds should start to grip the ball with 2 fingers, and 11 and 12 year olds should definitely use two fingers.
SHORT ARMING
A lot of young pitchers don't reach all the way back behind them with their arm extended before they throw the ball. This is called shortarming and a lot of youth pitchers do this which leads to sore arms, bad mechanics and the inability to get a stronger arm. I try to tell players to reach back and touch second base or try and touch the centerfield fence when they are on the mound. This gets them to think about extension. Most likely, a youth pitcher who is shortarming, is also trying to aim the ball rather than cutting loose and throwing it. A lot of youth pitchers never realize how hard they can actually throw the ball because they shortarm. By just playing catch and learning to reach back and then doorway the ball, you'll eliminate shortarming. If you learn to cut loose and throw, muscle memory will take care of the accuracy.
ARM ANGLE
If you tell a youth pitcher to get his arm up, he probably doesn't know what you mean. Kids work better with visualization in relation to throwing the ball. He can have his arm up too high (12 o'clock) or have it next to his ear(stemming from shortarming). I tell players to think of a doorway in their house. I have them draw the doorway over their heads with their arms. At the upper right and left I have them stop. This is about 2 o'clock. This is also great arm angle. The ball is away from their head and the elbow is above the shoulder. This is the "doorway method". Kids can visualize and do it! And most importantly--- they understand what you're talking about. Put this together with eliminating shortarming and you'll get decent arm action.
RUSHING
If you rush on the mound you'll end up shortarming the ball, because your arm is trying to catch up with your body. Rushing means going too fast through the power position. There is only one way to stop this. Again, using visualization, you can't go forward until your front leg ( non-pivot ) gets to its highest point in the power position. You can say slow down--- it won't work! You can try other things---they won't work! So use this as a guide and you'll never have a problem. Another key factor in this important part of the delivery is to make sure before you go forward that your hands are breaking so that you can throw the ball. Just because you didn't go forward before your front leg got to its highest point, doesn't mean you won't be shortarming. Don't pull the hands apart. They should be dropping down freely just as if you were playing catch. Remember: The hands break or begin to move before the body goes forward.
STEPPING STRAIGHT
When stepping to the plate a lot of young pitchers open up and step incorrectly. From the pivot foot in the power position, draw a straight line from the toe toward the plate. The pitchers non-pivot foot should land on that line. If he opens up way too much it will be difficult to maintain proper arm angle and balance. This is a very common problem in young pitchers (7-10). So watch this point carefully, because sometimes this can effect everything else.
FINISHING CORRECTLY
I like youth pitchers to finish the same way all the time so they can develop a consistent release point. I call this finishing square. Again, a term they can visualize. "Follow Through" is a general statement and means different things to different kids. Finishing square means that your landing foot and pivot foot (after it comes around) finish spread apart and even with one another, leaving you facing the plate. It also puts you in a good position to field the ball. Your arm should finish outside the knee of your front leg (non-pivot) and the palm of your throwing hand should be facing the sky. This assures good wrist snap and continued arm speed to the end of your delivery. After this, your arm will naturally recoil.
RHYTHM
Going too fast means you'll probably rush. Going too slow means you'll most likely aim the ball or look like a robot. Pitching is all TIMING and BALANCE! Your rhythm will be determined by this. If you can do all the 11 points in my book "Molding the Young Pitcher" correctly and balanced, you'll eliminate the seven problem areas. This now becomes your rhythm. It is different for everyone. However, remember one important factor---your arm should be moving the fastest, not your body. The more arm speed you generate, the faster the ball goes. Faster body speed doesn't mean the ball will go faster. This is always a misconception with youth pitchers.
If these seven mistakes can be minimized or eliminated altogether, youth pitchers will begin to be successful on the mound and feel good about themselves, leading to...... you guessed it--- more strikes!
(from www.3-outs.com)
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Outfield Drills That Build Confidence
Outfield drills are not emphasized as much as they should be. Here I outline some drills that we use to build confidence and increase skill.
DRILL # 1 "Go Back" Drill: This drill is done in pairs. Two outfielders face each other at about 30 feet. The purpose of the drill is to give the outfileder repetitive practice at correctly going back on a ball hit over his head. The drill normally is done with 4 pairs of outfielders lined up facing each other and spaced far enough apart for safety. The drill begins with one player "crow hopping" and throwing the ball over his partners head far enough to make him go back, but not too far that he can not make the play. The key to maintaining distance during the drill is that when a partner is "turning" to go back and as he goes back, the "thrower" is moving forward. When the "catcher" stops going back, the thrower stops and gets ready to make his play. His partner will make the catch, crow-hop and throw. We normally do about 6 or 8 of these daily. Make sure the players have properly stretched and thrown to warmup before performing this drill.
DRILL #2 - "Slide Unders" - This drill is for advanced level players only. It's purpose is to practice making catches that require the outfielder to slide under a low fly ball or linedrive to execute the catch. It is a difficult task for some to learn. We normally do only about 6 daily. The outfielder will slide under, catch the ball, and pop-up as quickly as possible. This skill that is a must for advanced players at the high school and collegiate level. The ball is tossed and not thrown hard.
DRILL #3 - "Diving Drill Series" - We try to have our outfielders practice making diving catches everyday. We take the time to show them the proper way to dive and roll to prevent injury and to prevent the glove arm elbow from hitting the ground and jarring the ball loose. The 3 dive drills we do are "no step" drills. The player has to go airborne from behind a marked line or designated spot. The player dives from a still position. The player may not take a step. The dives are low impact dives that are performed in "soft-turf" areas in our outfield. The 3 drive drills we do are:
Dive Left - The catch is made and the player rolls on contact with the ground.
Dive Right - The catch is made and the player rolls on contact with the ground.
Dive Forward - The catch is made and the player makes sure the glove elbow does not hit the ground.
Note: The ball is simply tossed on a line-drive trajectory out in front of the dive. The player must go full horizontal to make the catch. The ball should not be thrown hard.
DRILL #4 - "Shoe-Top" Drill-The purpose of this drill is to practice executing the shoe-top catch while in a full sprint. The player must start from a marked point and sprint straight toward the coach at full speed. The coach tosses the ball so that the player must execute a shoe-top catch with full extension of the arm. The ball is not thrown hard. The player must make the catch and get under control and get in proper throwing position as soon as possible while running full speed.
(from www.hit2win.com)
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Coaching Points for Hitters
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Coaching Points for Fielders
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Key Aspects Of A Coaching Philosophy
Be Positive
Players need a patient, supportive coach that can teach and motivate in a positive way. Knowing how to be positive and having the ability to communicate with your players is more important to a successful season than knowing many aspects of the game.
Show Them You Care
Each player needs to know that you care for him as an individual and that you believe he is an important part of the team. Take time to talk to all players individually. Try to take interest in what is going on in their life outside of baseball.
Have Fun
Fun is essential for kids of all ages. Develop practices that let them do the things they enjoy. It's also important for you to have fun. Create an environment that is structured and varied enough for you to enjoy what your doing. If you're having fun, chances are your players will be having fun also.
Emphasize Improvement
Players want to improve and gain new skills. Make sure that you challenge all your players at an appropriate level to foster improvement. This may require that players focus on different skills than other players during practice.
Be Organized and Discipline as Needed
Kids quickly pick up on a coach that is unorganized and doesn't communicate his expectations. If you don't establish certain rules and don't follow up with an appropriate punishment if the rules are broken, you will quickly lose control of your team. I always have a rule about talking when I'm talking during practice. I expect that when I'm explaining something, that the players will have their eyes on me and pay attention. If they interrupt or don't pay attention, I stop talking and we wait as a team for the individual to stop. If he does it again in the same practice he sits down and watches for awhile. I rarely have a player sitting on the side after the first couple of practices.
Remember That Players Learn By Doing
I love the quote in Mike Krzyzewski's book 'Leading With The Heart'. "When teaching, always remember this simple phrase: 'You hear, you forget. You see, you remember. You do, you understand." Often coaches try to teach players a skill by talking about it. The younger the player the less effective it will be. Give a quick explanation while you show them the skill you want them to perform. Then, have them do it.
Emphasize Attitude And Effort
Coaches that believe winning is everything have only one direction to take the team...down. Everyone wants to win, but when the main goal is winning, a really good season can be lost. If, on the other hand, you emphasize attitude and effort, a successful season can be had without a league championship. Winning games really will take care of itself, if you prepare the team to play hard and always give their best effort.
Teach Sportsmanship
The idea of sportsmanship seems to be lost on many youth players. The fact is, sportsmanship must be taught. If children watch professional sports then their idea of sportsmanship may be to trash talk, spike the ball in the opponent's face, or to mimic some other visual statement that demonstrates their superiority. As a coach it's important that you teach the value of sportsmanship. I want my team to show joy when they make an exciting play, but not at the expense of the players on the opposing team. I want my players to always show the other team respect. Your leadership is the best way to get this across to your players. Interact with the players on the other team. Compliment them when they make a good play. Show your players that you appreciate the other team and the opportunity to play against them.
reprinted from www.QCbaseball.com)
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Baseball Terms and Lingo
A fan's guide to commonly-used terms and phrases.
ace -- A team's best starting pitcher.
alley-- The section of the outfield between the outfielders. Also "gap."
around the horn -- A double play going from third base to second to first.
backdoor slider -- A pitch that appears to be out of the strike zone, but then breaks back over the plate.
bag -- A base.
Baltimore chop -- A ground ball that hits in front of home plate (or off of it) and takes a large hop over the infielder's head.
bandbox -- A small ballpark that favors hitters.
bang-bang play -- A play in which the baserunner hits the bag a split-second before the ball arrives or vice versa.
basket catch -- When a fielder catches a ball with his glove near belt level.
Bronx cheer -- When the crowd boos.
brushback -- A pitch that nearly hits a batter.
bush -- Also "bush league." An amateur play or behavior.
can of corn -- An easy catch by a fielder.
caught looking -- When a batter is called out on strikes.
cellar -- Last place. Also "basement".
cheese -- Also "good cheese." Refers to a good fastball.
chin music -- A pitch that is high and inside.
circus catch -- An outstanding catch by a fielder.
closer -- A team's relief pitcher who finishes the game.
cutter -- A cut fastball (one with a late break to it).
cycle -- When a batter hits a single, double, triple and home run in the same game.
dinger -- A home run.
dish -- Home plate.
fireman -- A team's closer or late-inning relief pitcher.
fungo -- A ball hit to a fielder during practice. It's usually hit by a coach using a "fungo bat," which is longer and thinner than a normal bat.
gap -- See "alley" A ball hit here is a "gapper".
gopher ball -- A pitch hit for a home run, as in "go for".
heat -- A good fastball. Also "heater".
high and tight -- Referring to a pitch that's up in the strike zone and inside on a hitter. Also known as "up and in".
hill -- Pitcher's mound.
homer -- A home run. Other terms include: blast, dinger, dong, four-bagger, four-base knock, moon shot, tape-measure blast and tater.
hot corner -- Third base.
in the hole -- The batter after the on-deck hitter.
jam -- When a hitter gets a pitch near his hands, he is "jammed." Also when a pitcher gets himself in trouble, he is in a "jam".
leather -- Refers to how good a player plays defensively or handles the glove. Ex: "He flashed some leather on that play".
meatball -- An easy pitch to hit, usually right down the middle of the plate.
Mendoza line -- A batting average of around .200.
moon shot -- A very long, high home run.
nail down -- As in "nail down a victory." Refers to a relief pitcher finishing off the game.
on the screws -- When a batter hits the ball hard. Also "on the button".
painting the black -- When a pitcher throws the ball over the edge of the plate.
pea -- A ball traveling at high speed, either batted or thrown.
pepper -- Pepper is a common pre-game exercise where one player bunts brisk grounders and line drives to a group of fielders who are standing about 20 feet away. The fielders try to throw it back as quickly as possible. The batter hits the return throw. (Some ballparks ban pepper games because wild pitches could land in the stands and injure spectators).
pick -- A good defensive play by an infielder on a ground ball. Also a shortened version of "pick-off".
pickle -- A rundown.
punchout -- A strikeout.
rhubarb -- A fight or scuffle.
ribbie -- Another way of saying RBI. Also "ribeye".
rope -- A hard line drive hit by a batter. Also "frozen rope".
rubber game -- The deciding game of a series.
run-down -- When a baserunner gets caught between bases by the fielders.
Ruthian -- With great power.
seeing-eye single -- A soft ground ball that finds its way between infielders for a base hit.
set-up man -- A relief pitcher who usually enters the game in the 7th or 8th inning.
shoestring catch -- A running catch made just above the fielder's shoetops.
shiner -- The result of being hit in the eye with something hard, such as a baseball.
southpaw -- A left-handed pitcher.
sweet spot -- The part of the bat just a few inches from the barrel.
table setter -- Batter whose job is to get on base for other hitters to drive him in. Usually a leadoff or No. 2 hitter.
tape-measure blast -- An extremely long home run.
tater -- A home run.
Texas Leaguer -- A bloop hit that drops between an infielder and outfielder.
tools of ignorance -- Catcher's equipment.
touch 'em all -- Hitting a home run (touching all the bases).
twin killing -- A double play.
Uncle Charlie -- Curve ball.
utility player -- A player who fills in at many positions.
wheelhouse -- A hitter's power zone. Usually a pitch waist-high and over the heart of the plate.
wheels -- A ballplayer's legs.
whiff -- Strikeout.
yakker -- Curve ball.
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Baseball Abbreviations
Hitting Stats
2B - Doubles
3B - Triples
AB - At Bats
AO- Fly Outs
AVG - Batting Average
BB - Bases on Balls (Walks)
CS - Caught Stealing
G - Games Played
GIDP - Ground into Double Plays
GO - Ground Outs
GSH - Grand Slam Home Runs
H - Hits
HBP - Hit by Pitch
HR - Home Runs
IBB - Intentional Walks
LOB - Left On Base
NP- Number of Pitches
OBP - On-base Percentage
PA/SO - Plate Appearances per Strikeout
R - Runs Scored
RBI - Runs Batted In
SAC - Sacrifice Bunts
SB% - Stolen Base Percentage
SB - Stolen Bases
SF - Sacrifice Flies
SLG - Slugging Percentage
SO - Strikeouts
TB - Total Bases
TP- Triple Play
TPA- Total Plate Appearances
XBH- Extra Base Hits
Fielding
A - Assists
CS - Caught Stealing
DP - Double Plays
E - Errors
FPCT - Fielding Percentage
G - Games Played
INN - Innings Played
OFA - Outfield Assists
PB - Passed Balls
PO - Putouts
SB - Stolen Bases (allowed)
TC - Total Chances
TP - Triple Plays
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Pitching
AO - Fly Outs
APP - Appearances
AVG - Opponents Batting Average
BB - Bases on Balls (Walks)
BB/9 - Walks per Nine Innings
BK - Balks
CG - Complete Games
CGL - Complete Game Losses
CS - Caught Stealing
ER - Earned Runs
ERA - Earned Run Average
G - Games Played
GF - Games Finished
GIDP - Grounded Into Double Plays
GO - Ground Outs
GS - Games Started
GSH - Grand Slams
H - Hits
HB - Hit Batsmen
HLD - Hold
HR - Home Runs
IBB - Intentional Walks
IP - Innings Pitched
L - Losses
LOB - Left on Base
NP - Number of Pitches Thrown
OBA - On-base Against
PA - Plate Appearances
P/GS - Pitches per Start
P/IP - Pitches per Innings Pitched
PK - Pick-offs
R - Runs
RW - Relief Wins
SB- Stolen Bases
SHO - Shutouts
SLG - Slugging Percentage Allowed
SO - Strikeouts
SV - Saves
SVO - Save Opportunities
TB - Total Bases
TBF - Total Batters Faced
TP - Triple Plays
UER - Unearned Runs
W - Wins
WP - Wild Pitches
WPCT - Winning Percentage
XBA - Extra Base Hits Allowed
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Defensive Numbering
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Symbols for Scorekeeping
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Sample Scorecard
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Hit by Pitch - When you DO and when you DON'T get 1st base
When a Batter Should Not be Awarded First Base
It may seem obvious when a batter is hit by a pitch and awarded first base, but there are some cases where a base may not be awarded.
-If the ball touches the batter as the batter swings at the ball. This basically means that if the batter is swinging at the ball and the act of swinging has caused the ball to hit the batter, then the ball is a strike. Example: Batter swings and the ball hits him on the forearm as he's swinging. The ball is dead and it is a strike. If the hitter has two strikes, it is strike 3 not a foul ball. This isn't called often as most of the time the player will stop the swing and be hit by the ball. In that case most umpires will determine that the player is attempting to get out of the way by not continuing the swing. So, even though the act of swinging has caused the ball to hit the batter, the umpire may determine that player attempted to get out of the way and award the batter first base.
-The ball touches the batter in the strike zone. Example: Batter is fooled by a curve ball and ducks. He is hit in the head, but his head is over the plate and in the strike zone. The correct call is a strike.
-If the batter makes no attempt to get out of the way of the ball. This normally occurs at higher levels of baseball where a player may "take one for the team". Make sure to check your rule book as some leagues will allow this. What is not allowed is for a player to intentionally get in the way of the ball. For example a player cannot turn his shoulder in towards the plate for the purpose of getting hit by the ball.
-If the ball hits the bat in the act of swinging and then touches the batter. The correct ruling is a foul ball and the batter should not be awarded first base.
When a Batter Should be Awarded First Base
In addition to a batter being hit out of the strike zone while attempting to get out of the way, there are a couple of misconceptions about being hit by the pitch where people will think the batter should not be awarded first and in fact they should be.
-The hand is not part of the bat. Many people think that the hand is part of the bat and that a player shouldn't be awarded first if hit in the hand. This is incorrect. As long as the batter is attempting to get out of the way and is hit in the hand, then the correct call is to award the player first base.
-A pitched ball that hits the batter after bouncing is not a dead ball. Some people believe that once a pitched ball has hit the dirt and then hits the batter, it is a dead ball and should be called a ball. This is incorrect and the batter should be awarded first base.
-A pitched ball that touches the players clothing but not the player. As long as the uniform is properly fitting, the batter should be awarded first base.
-A pitched ball hits a batter and then hits the bat. Once the ball hits the batter, the ball is dead and the batter should be awarded first base.
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