PRACTICE ACTIVITIES The number one reason children decided to stop playing baseball is they get bored. The best approach to planning and organizing practices is to make sure players are always active rather than standing around waiting in line. In most cases, coaches should break their team up into several groups. This will create the opportunity to run two or three drills simultaneously. Players are rotated from one drill to the next. No one is forced to wait in line while one player hits or fields a ball. At this age level, coaches should rarely plan live batting practice or what we know as pre-game infield practice. The following drills are designed to keep players constantly active. Remember, players at this age level are interested in having fun. Feel free to incorporate some drills or warm-up times that have nothing to do with baseball (Follow the Leader, Tag, Simon Says, Duck Duck Goose, etc.).
QUICK TIPS Language & Images Kids don't know what it means to "step in the bucket" or "take an extra base" or "turn two" until you teach them and show them. For young players, these images are best when they are a bit dramatic: point the belly button toward the part of the field where you want to hit the ball (get your hips rotated), make your arm like an elephant's trunk when throwing (don't launch the ball like a catapult, THROW it), and point the button on your cap in the direction the ball came from when fielding a ground ball (keep your head down), for instance. Safety For the safety of your players, set a rule during the first practice that no player is to pick up a bat during practice or game unless instructed to do so by a coach. This is necessary since young players don't pay attention to others around them when they start swinging. Also, remind your players to never go near another player who is holding a bat. THROWING & FIELDING Nose, Toes, and Throws For beginning players, it is helpful to use a rhyme to help the players remember the proper throwing motion. Say "Nose, Toes and Throws" as they practice throwing. "Nose" is for looking at the target before throwing. "Toes" is for stepping toward the target with their glove-side foot and "Throws" is for throwing the ball. It works! Have them begin their throwing motion with their glove-side shoulder facing the target to force them to turn their shoulders as they throw. Why Building Good Technique Is Important 1. By learning the proper throwing techniques, players can achieve their best velocity and accuracy while reducing the risk of injury to their arm and body. 2. Learning the proper throwing techniques when young, allows a player's muscles and mind to develop the correct memory. Proper throwing can therefore become a good habit that will stay with players throughout their playing lives. Getting Ready to Throw 1. Proper throwing starts with conditioning activities well before the ball season begins. 2. Stretching and warming-up the entire body, as well as the shoulders and arms, is necessary before actually starting to throw. "Warm-up to throw; don't throw to warm-up", as stated by the American Sports Medicine Institute. 3. Start throwing slowly, over a short distance. Gradually lengthen the distance and increase velocity. This warm-up period will vary with the individual, but will be typically 10-20 minutes. Some Proper Throwing Techniques 1. Plant the back foot, on the side of your throwing arm, and step with the front foot toward the receiver.
2. As you step, turn the shoulder of your gloved hand also toward the receiver. 3. Reach down and back for power, keeping your hand on top of the ball palm down. 4. Extend the arm of the gloved hand forward, for balance, generally with the elbow somewhat bent. 5. Keep your eyes on the target as you "come almost over the top" with the ball. Sidearm throws are sometimes necessary in game situations, but maximum velocity and accuracy can be achieved with an overhand throwing motion. Let this be your natural motion. 6. Release the ball out in front of your body after your arm passes your head. 7. Follow through with your arm and body -- do not let your throwing side stay back. 8. Your arm follow-through will be a smooth arc down and across to the opposite side of your body to allow your arm to slow down after releasing the ball. 9. The entire throwing motion should be smooth, not herky-jerky. 10. Start off slowly until the entire process becomes natural and comfortable. Perfecting Your Technique 1. Work on receiving the ball coming to you on either side, high or low. 2. Get into your throwing position as you are receiving the ball. 3. To be best prepared to make a quick throw, catch the ball with both hands so that the ball can be transferred easily to your throwing hand. 4. Get your body moving as you receive the ball so that your step toward the receiver is a natural part of making the catch. A short hop or "crow-step" will give your body momentum to make the throw. 5. Try to get set before throwing. Avoid throwing off balance unless it is the only way to make the play quickly. 6. Practice getting rid of the ball quickly -- infielders to get a fast runner, and outfielders to nail the runner tagging-up or stretching a hit. Imagine various game situations as you toss and practice. Three Things That Make a Good Ballplayer 1. Practice 2. Practice 3. Practice Catch Two or more players play catch. Keep score of the number of successful catches or last pair that has not dropped a ball wins. Remind players to try and point their glove fingers to the sky when catching the ball. Relay Race Divide your team into two lines, each player around eight (8) feet apart. x x x x x x x x x x x x Give the first player in each line a baseball. The goal is to get the ball down and back as quickly as possible by throwing it from player to player down the line. If a player in line misses/drops the ball, that player must retrieve the ball and throw to the next player in line.
Throw & Go This drill teaches young players to follow their throws in the right direction. Have two single file lines of players (one behind the other) facing at a comfortable throwing distance. A5 A4 A3 A2 A1 >> << B1 B2 B3 B4 B5 Player A1 throws to the player B1. After the throw, player A1 continues a forward motion (as one should) in the direction of the throw by running to the back of line B. Player B1 then throws to player A2 and continues a forward motion by running to the back of line A. The drill is especially effective for young players as it encourages players to follow their throws instead of allowing them to 'cheat backward' as they tend to do when going to the back of the same line. Starting Right (Infielding) With groups of three or four, teach beginners how to field by showing them the proper hand and body position for fielding grounders. With their gloves off, have them hold their hands in front of them and place their pinkies side-by-side, in a cupped position. Next, demonstrate for them how to bend their knees and get their hands near the ground while keeping their pinkies together. Remind the players to keep their backs straight as possible. With their gloves still off, hand roll grounders to them from eight to ten yards away. Roll it as slow as necessary for them to be successful. By trying this drill at first without gloves, it allows the players to see the correct hand position during fielding. Let them have several turns and then try it with their gloves on, using the same hand positioning. Infield Practice Many different drills can be used for infield practice. Avoid placing players in positions and then throwing/hitting one ball at a time. Here are a few suggestions to help keep players constantly involved: Have players pair up and roll a ball back and forth to each other. Split team up into two or three groups. Have one coach (or adult) in charge of each line. Coach then rolls a ground ball to the first player in his/her line. Player fields ball, throws it to the coach and then goes to the end of the line. As players improve, coaches should hit ground balls rather than throw them. Fly Ball Practice All players will need to practice catching fly balls infielders and outfielders. Avoid placing players in outfield positions and then hitting/throwing fly balls to one player at a time. Here are a few suggestions to help keep players constantly involved: Form several lines with one coach/adult in charge of each line. Coach throws soft fly ball directly at the first player in line. Player catches ball, throws it back to coach and moves to end of line. As players improve, throw the ball higher and away from players. Have players partner up and toss fly balls back and forth to each other. Form several lines with one coach/adult in charge of each line. Have players line up next to coach. Coach throws ball out in front of him while first player runs out to catch it (ages 7 & up) Add competition to any of above drills by seeing how many fly balls one player or team can catch in a row or who can catch the highest fly ball, etc. (be creative)
BASE RUNNING Between Home & First Beginning players will usually not know to run to first base when the ball is hit. Have players line up at home plate. One at a time swing a bat and drop it safely as if a hit. They then become a runner and runner to first base watching the coach. If signaled to run to second base they round the bag and go to second. With each practice add something new. This is a great tool to teach: running through the base rounding a base tagging the inside corner of the base watching and listening to the base coach Race the Clock Using a stopwatch, time how fast each player can run from home to first base, home to second base, home to third base or all the way around the bases. Have base coaches directing and cheering them on. Relay Races Split the team in half, with one group of players behind home plate and other half behind second base. Give the first player in each group a ball (this will be the "baton" for the relay race). At "GO!" the first player from each team begins running the bases with ball in hand. After making a complete lap around the bases (back to each kid's starting point), that player hands the ball off to the next player in line, who continues the relay race. First group of players to finish the race wins. Remembering Positions Line your team up on the first base side of home plate for a base-running drill. Before each player runs, ask them where a different base or field position is located. For example, ask the player "where is center field"? After a correct answer, or a simple point of the finger toward center field, the player can run the bases. Let each player have one or more turns. This will help them remember where all positions are located and will help later when positioning your players for games. They think running bases is fun.
HITTING PRACTICE Using Tees Avoid having one player bat while everyone else fields. Always try to break the team up into groups to keep players constantly involved. Set up several tees along the first base line and have one player hitting off each tee. The rest of the players can be in the field, but make sure they are always paying attention. Soft Toss Drill Place a glove or base on the ground to represent the plate, player acts as if he/she is getting ready to hit off tee or a pitcher, coach kneels down about five (5) feet to the left or right of batter and throws an underhanded soft toss just above eye level that should land on top of the glove or base if not hit (think slow-pitch softball). Batters can hit the balls into a net or out onto the playing field. Balls should not be hit into backstop or fence. Rotation Form several groups one group hits off tees, one group does soft toss drill, one group fields, one group takes live batting practice on the field. Pivot Foot Have the batters practice pivoting their back foot by pretending to "squish a bug". By pivoting the back foot during their swing, the batter will generate more power using their hips and have fun learning how. Bat Selection The starting point for any hitter is finding the right bat size. Have the player grip the bat at the end of the handle and lift it with one arm, fully extended, straight out from their body. They should be able to hold it level with the ground for three seconds without wobbling or shaking. If not, find them a lighter bat. Where the Batter Stands Pay close attention to where and how your hitter stands in the batter's box. Many coaches simply let their hitters approach the tee/plate and start flailing away at the ball. Try using a flat piece of rubber approximately 19' long and 5' wide, like the flat pitching rubber that is included with many throw-down practice base sets. Place the aid in relation to the tee/plate where you want the toes of the batter. This will allow the player to assume the proper batting position with minimal assistance. Positioning the Feet The feet should be about shoulder width apart. The foot closest to the pitcher should be lined up near the front edge of home plate. The batter should be able to tap the outside part of home plate with the end of the baseball bat. The feet should be parallel and be pointing in the direction of home plate. Positioning the Body The knees must be slightly bent. The amount of bend in the knees can vary according to the batter s preference. The hitter should be positioned so that there is a slight bend at the waist.
Gripping & Positioning the Bat The middle knuckles of the hands should be lined up. Some hitters prefer not to do this perfectly. This is acceptable, but the knuckles should be nearly in line. The bat should be held comfortably in the hands and should NOT be squeezed. The handle of the bat should be near the back shoulder. The barrel of the bat should be above and behind the hitter s head. Loading & Striding Many young hitters swing the bat after the ball is past them, and many times this happens because they don t get into the load position in time (the position that the body and bat need to be in just prior to the swing). Around the time that the pitcher lifts the knee, the batter should slightly lift the front knee up and back towards the catcher (knee height varies from hitter to hitter). The body weight should be shifted towards the back leg. About the time that the pitcher releases the ball, the batter should be striding towards the pitcher and transferring the body weight forward. The stride of the front foot needs to be short in length, no longer than 6 inches. The hitter should have the stride foot (front foot) down well before the ball gets to home plate. Keeping the Eyes On the Ball Hitters should keep their eyes on the baseball until contact is made. The hitter s head should not follow the body when it turns. Turning the Hips If lower body strength and bat speed are to be maximized, it is essential that the hips be turned during the swing. In order to turn the hips during the swing, the hitter should pivot on the ball of the back foot. Following Through After contact is made with the ball, the barrel of the bat should maintain a smooth, slightly upward path, which ends with the hands rolling over. The handle of the bat should stop around the left shoulder for a right-handed batter and around the right shoulder for a left handed batter. The barrel of the bat should wrap around the upper back. The hitter s chin should be over the shoulder area at the completion of the swing.