Little League Baseball Drills - Batting Practice
By guest author: Chris Campbell
I have heard it said by many an accomplished athlete, that one of the hardest things you can do in professional sports, is to hit a major league fastball. Or any major league pitch for that matter. Just ask Micheal Jordan. He may be a living legend in the world of professional basketball, but he only managed a 202 batting average for the Birmingham Barons (a farm team for the Chicago White Sox). The moral being, it's best to get your little leaguer started early, if they plan on challenging some of the MLB hitting records.
With that in mind, lets consider a few hitting drills that the kids can use to get their bats swinging true, and making contact as soon as possible. One of the best drills you can do with your kids, is simply to grab a bucket of balls, and pitch a few to them every day you can find the time to do so. It's practically impossible, for most kids to get enough batting practice with the team. There's a limited number of pitchers, catchers, and backstops for most little league coaches to work with. It's almost impossible for them to get more then a few minutes hitting each practice. A one on one practice with mom or dad every day or so will really help out.
Now just swinging for the sake of swinging will make you a better hitter, but there are a few simple points you should keep in mind, to maximize the time put in. Don't harp on these items too much, as they can be a bit technical and boring for kids. Try to make it fun for them at the same time.
Choosing The Right Bat
Picking a bat that's appropriate for your child's height and strength can make all the difference. It should feel comfortable for them to hold and swing the bat. If the bat is slowing down their swing too much, it's probably a little too heavy. There is a simple way to test a bat, even before you buy one. Simply have your son or daughter hold the bat by the handle, and hold it straight out to the side, so the bat is parallel to the ground. They should be able to hold the bat steady for at least fifteen seconds. If they can't, or their arms starts to shake, you should try a smaller bat.
Batter Positioning
It's important to know where the batters box is, where home plate is, and where the strike zone is. That way, even little league players, can put themselves in good position to reach any ball that is passing through the strike zone. Even if your in your back yard practicing, you can mock up a plate, and batters box. Just use a can of spray paint on the grass to mark out home plate and a made up batters box. Don't worry, it'll disappear the next time you cut the grass.
Little League Baseball Drills is a great resource for helping your little leaguer get the most out of his or hers favorite pastime. With a little good training, amateur or even professional ball players will see a dramatic improvement in the way they play.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_Campbell
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Showing posts with label little league baseball drills. Show all posts
Showing posts with label little league baseball drills. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Little League Baseball Drills - Coaching Your Team to Success
Little League Baseball Drills - Coaching Your Team to Success
By Guest Author Jack Perconte
It is easy for little league baseball coaches to get overwhelmed with all the baseball drills available at their disposal. Using too many drills can lead to confusion and the feeling that players are getting a little taste of everything but not enough of one thing. To prevent this from happening, little league baseball coaches should choose three or four drills in the areas of hitting, fielding and throwing and stick with them until players have mastered the drills, or until the players become totally bored with the same baseball drills.
Some drills are difficult for young players because they may not have the skill level or strength necessary to perform them. It is important that little league coaches pick baseball drills that are challenging but achievable for the little league ball player. Coaches should pay strict attention that the prescribed drills are done as correctly as possible. It is also advised that little league coaches explain clearly why the drills are necessary and the results that will eventually occur when players stick with the drills.
Following are 3 little league baseball team drills that I would recommend for each of the areas of hitting, fielding and throwing.
Little League Hitting Drills
1. Place an object to the opposite side of home plate that a hitter stands and a couple of feet forward of home. Have hitters see that object after contact and before looking to see where their ball was hit.
2. Alternate fast pitch and slow pitches throughout batting practice. Overtime, this method will help hitters understand that they must stay back, see the ball but also be quick and maintain the same swing on all pitches.
3. Play an occasional team intra-squad game using the batting tee. Hopefully, this use of the tee will emphasize the importance of using it and spur more practice with the batting tee.
Little League Fielding Drills
1. Have the first baseman raise a number up with their non-glove hand after a fielder catches the ground ball. The fielder of the ball is required to yell the flashed number out as they are preparing to throw. This fielding drill will help players concentrate on the target and begin to eliminate throwing errors.
2. Take infield practice using any extra players as base runners so fielders get a better sense of the time they have to throw batters out at first. Runners should be allowed to advance on errors and overthrows. This will also give players a chance to run the bases more. Of course, runners should wear helmets.
3. Work on drills for calling fly balls and pop ups as often as possible, requiring players to yell and not whisper when calling for balls. Learning how to communicate on the ball field is essential for winning games. Teaching players which position takes priority on balls that are called for by two different players is also essential to avoiding injuries.
Little League Throwing Drills
1. Having relay throwing drills is a great way to teach throwing accuracy under pressure. Additionally, players will learn how to catch the ball and turn correctly when performing relays, which can help teams win games.
2. Around the horn throwing (4 corners) seeing how long group can keep ball going without missing. Players can learn inside turns, double play turns and throws after tag plays, etc...
3. Line up players in outfield with a base runner tagging up from third and work on long toss by having fielder throw the ball home on caught fly balls. Have a cut off man in line is also helpful. Once again, this is a multi-purpose drill because other players are working on base running at the same time.
As mentioned, there are numerous baseball drills for the little league coaches to use. Above are just a few that I like because they often involve more than one player at a time and have a competitive factor in them, which makes them more fun and challenging to the little league player.
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
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By Guest Author Jack Perconte
It is easy for little league baseball coaches to get overwhelmed with all the baseball drills available at their disposal. Using too many drills can lead to confusion and the feeling that players are getting a little taste of everything but not enough of one thing. To prevent this from happening, little league baseball coaches should choose three or four drills in the areas of hitting, fielding and throwing and stick with them until players have mastered the drills, or until the players become totally bored with the same baseball drills.
Some drills are difficult for young players because they may not have the skill level or strength necessary to perform them. It is important that little league coaches pick baseball drills that are challenging but achievable for the little league ball player. Coaches should pay strict attention that the prescribed drills are done as correctly as possible. It is also advised that little league coaches explain clearly why the drills are necessary and the results that will eventually occur when players stick with the drills.
Following are 3 little league baseball team drills that I would recommend for each of the areas of hitting, fielding and throwing.
Little League Hitting Drills
1. Place an object to the opposite side of home plate that a hitter stands and a couple of feet forward of home. Have hitters see that object after contact and before looking to see where their ball was hit.
2. Alternate fast pitch and slow pitches throughout batting practice. Overtime, this method will help hitters understand that they must stay back, see the ball but also be quick and maintain the same swing on all pitches.
3. Play an occasional team intra-squad game using the batting tee. Hopefully, this use of the tee will emphasize the importance of using it and spur more practice with the batting tee.
Little League Fielding Drills
1. Have the first baseman raise a number up with their non-glove hand after a fielder catches the ground ball. The fielder of the ball is required to yell the flashed number out as they are preparing to throw. This fielding drill will help players concentrate on the target and begin to eliminate throwing errors.
2. Take infield practice using any extra players as base runners so fielders get a better sense of the time they have to throw batters out at first. Runners should be allowed to advance on errors and overthrows. This will also give players a chance to run the bases more. Of course, runners should wear helmets.
3. Work on drills for calling fly balls and pop ups as often as possible, requiring players to yell and not whisper when calling for balls. Learning how to communicate on the ball field is essential for winning games. Teaching players which position takes priority on balls that are called for by two different players is also essential to avoiding injuries.
Little League Throwing Drills
1. Having relay throwing drills is a great way to teach throwing accuracy under pressure. Additionally, players will learn how to catch the ball and turn correctly when performing relays, which can help teams win games.
2. Around the horn throwing (4 corners) seeing how long group can keep ball going without missing. Players can learn inside turns, double play turns and throws after tag plays, etc...
3. Line up players in outfield with a base runner tagging up from third and work on long toss by having fielder throw the ball home on caught fly balls. Have a cut off man in line is also helpful. Once again, this is a multi-purpose drill because other players are working on base running at the same time.
As mentioned, there are numerous baseball drills for the little league coaches to use. Above are just a few that I like because they often involve more than one player at a time and have a competitive factor in them, which makes them more fun and challenging to the little league player.
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
===Advertisement from our sponsor:=====
Baseball2u.com/CoachesBest.com is the ultimate online baseball training and coaching store. With over 1400 products organized into categories Baseball2u.com makes finding that baseball training product easy and simple. Order securely online or by phone. Baseball2u.com is a fully licensed company and has a full time staff available from 8:00 to 5:00 CST. Their toll free customer service number is 1-877-431-4487.
The Categories they have are: BatAction Hitting Machines, Hurricane Hitting Machines, Batting Cages, Pitching Machines, Jugs Equipment, Game and Practice Baseballs, Protective Practice Screens and Nets, Portable Pitching Mounds, Baseball DVDs & Books, Clearance Items on Sales, NEDCO Bataction Replacement Parts, Baseball Training Equipment, Youth Baseball Training Equipment, Training Bats, Pitching & Throwing Trainers, Defensive Trainers, SKLZ Hurricane Replacement Parts and Much Much More! Visit Baseball2U.com today!
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