8 New Baseball Drills for Advanced Catchers

Catching drills that improve receiving, blocking and throwing techniques for catchers.

Are We Raising Cry Baby Athletes?

Are We Raising Cry Baby Athletes?

By Guest Author Jim Bain

Unfortunately, with my age and schedule I don't have the time to watch little league baseball like I wish. So when the neighbors invited my wife and I to go to their twelve year old grandson's baseball game, we both jumped at the chance.

I almost wish I hadn't went. It'd be totally unfair to judge the state of our young athletes by what I saw at one ball game, but I was shocked at what I witnessed from the players of both teams.

By twelve years old players should be coming to terms with the basics of fielding, hitting and running, but that is not what I saw. Although the opposing team seemed to be the better coached team, most of their quality efforts were the skills of the individual players.

You're probably thinking "lighten up buddy, these teams may have been thrown together from the remnants of non-drafted players." I wish that were true, but this was a playoff game between undefeated and once defeated teams.

I was not impressed with the quality of coaching from either dugout, as there was little coaching to be impressed about. In order to give the coaches the benefit of the doubt, I can see the reasoning, although I strongly disagree, with being a hardnosed coach during practices, then sit back at the game and see how well the kids have learned. Idiotic reasoning.

If you're thinking "I thought this was an article on the players, not lousy coaches," you were not wrong. Just wanted to set the scenario for you.

We all know the regulation strike zone called out in the rule book, but we also know each umpire has his own strike zone. This particular home plate umpire had a low strike zone, which I agree with, but that doesn't matter. What matters is the zone was called consistently and equally for both teams. You can not ask for anything any better from a plate umpire.

I guess it was the bottom of the second inning when what I began seeing astonished me. Despite a strike zone being firmly established, most players would stand and watch two called strike pitches go by without attempting a swing, which is not necessarily unusual.

What was unusual, and in my opinion totally unacceptable, was the players would either argue the call, or clearly demonstrate their disagreement with the call with their body language. These are 12 year old kids arguing with, or trying to show up an adult umpire over called strikes and nobody did anything about it.

I was stunned, but the worse was yet to come. If the batter swung and missed the third strike, he'd stand at the plate showing his disgust. Then he'd walk slowly to the dugout with an assortment of different actions from different players.

Some would jog back to the dugout and sit down, some would throw their batting helmets to the ground, some mumbled under their breath, and by this point I was convinced they were curse words. If this had been an isolated incident it'd be no big deal, but this type of situation played out at least a dozen times during the game.

My wife recognized I wanted to leave, but vetoed the idea as not polite. Then... then the ultimate shock. I had to do a double take because I'd never seen anything like this before, but I saw several batters, these are twelve year old players, returning from striking out with tears running down their cheeks.

I noticed a player sniffling returning to the dugout after being thrown out attempting to steal second base, which bled into another issue. I stood there, I could no longer sit, and watched one runner after another either be thrown out on the base paths, or end up at second on a ball hit off the fence and misplayed by the outfielder.

I turned to my wife and asked her if it was me or did the runners appear to be running in slow motion. Seeing some rabbits round the bases from both sides I decided it wasn't me, these kids literally didn't know how to run.

My wife knew I was confounded by my silence in the truck and answered my unasked question. We are raising a generation which success is not only expected, but owed them. Their game playing, by whatever medium, has replaced or hindered the development of basic skills, such as running.

I truly believe I'm over-reacting and this is not the general state of little league baseball. Disrespect and the throwing of tantrums by players can not be the norm. Coaches acting like they're... I don't know what, but not coaches, is not the norm.

I felt like Rip-Van-Winkle awaking to an entirely different world. I do hope this was only a dream.

Jim Bain, former Minor league baseball player and member of "Baseball Coaches of America" shares his advice on baseball coaching baseball drills on his exciting info packed website: http://www.learn-youth-baseball-coaching.com

Be sure to check out his 2 books on Amazon, "The Pitch" and "Season of Pain". Great reading about baseball.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jim_Bain

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Here's Some Baseball Thoughts And Quotes For Youth Baseball Coaches And Players

Here's Some Baseball Thoughts And Quotes For Youth Baseball Coaches And Players
By Guest Author Chip Lemin

Here are baseball thoughts and some quotes that I thought all you youth baseball coaches would appreciate. There are far too many hot dog players and coaches in youth baseball today. I believe we must honor the game baseball by example. Most of it is just common sense and courtesy. I'm not giving you any secret formula to success. Let's behave like mature adults and remember we don't have a team full of future professional baseball players even though others may think otherwise.

Everyone on the team must be willing to trade sweat, effort, and sacrifice for success. When looking at yourself as a player, the critical. There are too many egotists among players today. Egotism is the anesthetic which deadens the pain of stupidity.

Success is costly. You must exchange something solid in yourself for success.

Concentrate on improving your weaknesses. It is more obvious than your strong points.

No player ever becomes a success by giving up. Keep trying.

If your coach criticizes you, it indicates that he is watching you, so appreciate that.

Never alibi. Excuses never win games.

Be confident. Say to yourself, I can I will, I must.

Be a good team player. Encourage your teammates and cooperate with them. They in turn will do the same.

Don't yell at the officials or umpires. They are seldom responsible for your success so don't blame them for your failure.

Your conduct, both on the field and off the field of, is a true test of you as an individual. It reflects your degree of dependability, responsibility, and the extent of your self sacrifice.

Here are some anonymous quotes...

If what you did yesterday still looks big to you, you haven't done much today.

The coach may not always be right, but he's always the coach.

When I won I thought I was lucky, but the harder I work, the luckier I got.

Every athlete has problems, the winners handle theirs.

The player who refuses to be beaten is tough to beat.

Not always a winner but never a loser.

If you know anyone who has always received a fair deal, get a witness- you're seeing a miracle.

Repetition is the mother of education.

I will get ready and perhaps my chance will come.

Enthusiasm is like a coat of paint- it covers up a lot of mistakes.

Little things make big things.

The surest way not to fail is be determined enough to succeed.

The player who does what he pleases is seldom pleased with what he does.

When a winner makes a mistake, he says I was wrong. One loser makes a mistake, he says, it was not my fault.

Hustle! You cannot survive without.

Enthusiasm and action will overcome fear.

The greatest key to success is a good attitude.

If You Think You are good, then why not be better. If you'd think you are better, then be the best.

Winning is not everything, but wanting to win is.

It takes a cool head to win a hot game.

I will leave you with this, it pertains to more than just baseball.

You can never get ahead of someone as long as you are trying to get even with them.

Thanks for your time, I hope these quotes, the ones without quotation marks around them, will help you get through this long winter waiting for baseball season start.

Thanks again, Coach Chip

Hello My name is Chip Lemin. I'm a long time youth baseball coach who loves to promote this great game of youth baseball. Promoting sportsmanship in this game of youth baseball is something that really needs I feel. I have a free course that will give you some solid coaching information along with great help on the inter-personal relationships we must have to be good youth baseball coaches.

Things such as parents, travel baseball, getting parents to help out, how to communicate better to parents and players, just to touch on a few. This course will help to organize practices like an elite coach. How to motivate players and other coaches with your positive attitude. It really is not very hard to be a great coach when you know what to do.Best of all you will learn how to have fun with these great kids that you have the privilege of coaching. Do yourself a favor and check it out, it's free,you will get 1 part every couple of days in your e-mail. Coaching can be fun and rewarding if you have a plan in place first, and you have an idea what you are doing. I would like to help you with that.

Sign up at http://www.baseballecourse.com

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Coaching Youth Baseball - Team Building Ideas

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Coaching Youth Baseball - Team Building Ideas
By Jake Wyatt

When coaching youth baseball, you often end up with a bunch of boys who may not know each other. Team building is very important to ensure a cohesive team, one where the players support each other rather than compete with each other.

At the first practice, you need to break the ice with the players. Some will be very outgoing, some will be shy. Try to gently get all the boys to introduce themselves and share something simple about why they like to play baseball, or perhaps what position they like to play. This will help you get a feel for the boys as well.

Here are some great ideas to help the boys become a team that plays well together:

1. Have activities outside of practice. One or two pizza parties or hot dog picnics gets the families together and lets the boys get to know each other outside of baseball. Have a few gifts (packs of baseball cards) to hand out for drills that center on knowledge of the sport. During the event, ask questions to generate conversation.

2. Pay particular attention to boys who are not fitting into the team during practice. Figure out ways to gently include them into the practice routines. For instance, if you are doing hitting drills, make this boy catcher for the day. Or put him in charge of counting or measuring. This can be difficult to do without being obvious, but with some thought a good coach can make it happen.

3. Have a rule that during games, the players in the dugout pay attention to the game. They should be making a lot of noise in support of team members who are on the field.

4. Make it clear, in your initial meeting with the boys, that you will not tolerate whining, bullying, or meanness. Point out that in order to win, all the players must support each other. Establish the consequences for unacceptable behavior right away, and stick to it.

5. Have some team-building activities during practices. For instance, have the players stand in a circle and pass the ball around the circle. Time how long it takes. Then ask them to try again and beat their time. Watch them work together to figure out how to go faster.

In coaching youth baseball, if you successfully build a strong team spirit, your team will play better and have more fun during games!

In order to be the best possible baseball player, training should happen year-round and be a joint effort between the coach, the player and the parents. Get more free tips to improve baseball performance, reviews of e-products related to baseball, and links to training resources at http://youth-baseball-training.com.

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Youth Baseball - How to Handle Stress

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How To Handle Stress
By Jim Bain

The regular youth baseball season is winding down, and except for a few divisions in certain leagues, which are still being hotly contested, you know if your team is headed for the playoffs or not. If you're one of the talented, or lucky teams that are headed into Post-Season play, how well you perform very well may depend on how you handle the stress.

Briefly, and in layman's terms, stress is that anxious feeling you experience before an important event or test, such as a championship game or a college entrance exam. It's that queasy unsettled feeling in your stomach which makes you feel as though you may throw up, or not being able to stop bouncing your foot up and down.

The inability to handle stress can render an athlete totally unable to compete, literally making the player so sick, he's unable to perform. However, on the flip side of this situation, an athlete accustomed to stress and has developed the ability to control it, can channel this anxious energy into a positive thing, which allows him to explode onto the playing field with an abundance of energy and motivation.

So how do we control or learn to channel the anxious energy stress creates? Perhaps we should examine what creates stress first. In my experiences I found Fear, fear of failure, creates most types of stress. For instance, while in pre-game warm ups against a team which is clearly in the wrong division and your team has defeated four times by an accumulated score of 52 - 1, you are loose, humorous and anxious to get the game underway.

However, during the same pre-game warm ups against a known and powerful opponent, or worse yet, an unknown opponent, you are fidgety, somewhat sick to your stomach and constantly scanning the other team attempting to assess their skills.

In the first scenario, there is a calmness created by the complete belief and confidence of not only winning the game, but more importantly, you know you'll perform well. Previous encounters with this team's pitchers have resulted in nothing but your success and there's no reason to believe today will be any different.

The second scenario paints an entirely different picture. The game is very important, an elimination game from the tournament, which your team must win or go home. This added weight of winning means everything, puts nerves which are normally calm, on edge and irritable.

Fear, fear of the unknown and what it can mean directly to you, sends your nerves into a frenzy. Will I be able to hit this pitcher? Will I let a ball go between my legs? Can I steal without being thrown out? These and another hundred questions race through your mind because of your fear of failure. Of course you don't want to let the team down, but what directly happens to you, success or failure, is what spurs stress to an unhealthy level.

Let's exam one method to not only defeat stress, but turn it into an ally.

Fear of failure is created when the mind wonders if the body did everything it could to prepare for this test. For instance, if you had planned on going to the batting cages on two separate days before this game, but stayed with your girlfriend at the swimming pool instead, your mind knows this and knows you're not as prepared as you could be. Because of this there is an increased anxiety of possible failure.

However, if you had gone to the batting cages twice a day for two days prior to the game, and was hitting bullets off the fastest pitching machine available, your mind knows you are prepared. The nervous energy you now experience can be channeled into a positive adrenalin resource which very well may give you that spurt of energy which allows you to catch the line drive, instead of missing it by an inch.

Proper Preparation is a major key to handling stress. Remember, you can not hide from yourself and you can not lie to yourself.

Jim Bain, former Minor league baseball player, who since retiring has dedicated his life to teaching baseball to youth, shares his advice on pitching baseball drills on his exciting info packed website: http://www.learn-youth-baseball-coaching.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jim_Bain

3 Advanced Baseball Coaching Tips for Youth Baseball and Little League Coaches

I recently attended a baseball clinic and one of the speakers was Coach Gaspard from the University of Alabama. He gave these 3 tips to the high school coaches at the clinic. These tips can be applied at any level including youth baseball, little league baseball, high school baseball and above.

1. DO NOT TURN YOUR HEAD - He made the point that if you want to create a environment of perfect practice equals perfect play, you pay close attention to what is happening. Be observant of every player and every thing happening. Do not allow yourself to be distracted. Seeing, identifying, and correcting is the "purpose of coaching". Your job is to teach and teaching does not happen when tthe coach is not paying attention.

2. DO NOT ACCEPT SUB-PAR EXECUTION - If you want it to happen correctly in the game, you must see that it happens correctly in practice. If you not not set a high standard of excellence from the very beginning, it is hard to do a "restart". Make it known that you expect correct fundamentals, mechanics, and performance from everyone. Create a climate with high standards of practice performance so that your team will be game ready.

3. TEACH and RETEACH - Coach Gaspard recommends that you teach or cover team learning sessions on back-to-back days. On back-to-back days you may want to cover bunt coverages, 1st 3rd offense and defense, and other mental learning.

Other points that he recommended:

1. Put a stopwatch on certain baseball drills and skills practice to add an element of pressure and competition.
2. Use quotes to teach, motivate and to maintain focus on a daily, weekly or season lomh basis.

Youth Baseball Spring Training - Tips For Off Season Training In Youth Baseball

Youth Baseball Spring Training - Tips For Off Season Training In Youth Baseball
By guest author: Brian McClure


Baseball practice should not stop when the season is over. There are several things you can do and as a player, and coaches should give these suggestions to the players and parents after the season to help the players next time around. Why? Because the best time to get ready for the next season is during the off season, not just a couple of weeks before the first game. Building hand eye coordination and muscle memory takes time. Here are some tips for youth baseball players to use during the off season.

Knowledge- You may have heard knowledge is power. Its true especially in baseball. Think about game situations and where does each player need to be. If you are a pitcher work on your grip or a new grip. What plays would help improve the team? Watch other players and teams and purchase some DVD's and youth baseball instructional books to help with this.

Batting Stance and Swing- Make sure your grip is right, head is down, shoulders in the right spot. Is your stride too long? Do you swing the bat through the hitting zone correctly? This is something youth baseball players can do in front of a mirror at home to imbed them in young players minds and develop muscle memory. Learn the proper aspects of hitting by using a hitting instructor and videos.

Keep in shape- You don't have to look like a weight lifter but some simple exercises can help develop pitchers arms and endurance. Batters can gain from more power when they hit the ball, and base running(Ah.. something as simple as doing sprints 3 times a week can make you fly around the bases next season. Lets don't forget to eat right while on this subject.

Equipment- How's the bat? Is it still the right size? Is the glove in good shape and still fit. Pitching machines and nets should be in good condition for safety. Even the balls should be in good shape. Pitchers need nice seams on the ball and proper weight. Old water logged balls can also throw a hitters timing off. Plus there's just something about a new baseball!

I am sure coaches and parents and players too can think of some others, but this should get your minds to working. Something I have found effective is sitting down with my son and writing down together what we want to work on. He comes up with some things I overlook. But by all means.. Have some too. Rent some cool baseball movies and play some baseball video games. Baseball is a game after all, and games are meant to be fun.

Author- Brian McClure Want to learn more about helping your child in youth baseball as a parent or coach? http://www.coaching-youth-baseball.com/

See our complete list of Topics and articles on youth baseball here http://www.coaching-youth-baseball.com/topics.html

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Top 10 Tips for Stealing Bases in Baseball

BY: Dustin Peek


In the game of baseball, stealing bases is one of the most exciting plays to be a part of. Strategically, it's one of the riskiest calls for a coach or manger to make. However, when successful, it can give any team a significant scoring advantage. There are many things that a player can do to give himself an advantage when stealing a base. Read on to discover the top 10 tips for stealing bases:

1. Know your opponents - One of the biggest factors that determines the success rate of a baserunner is the talent level of the opposing team. If the opposing team has a pitcher with a slow delivery and a catcher with a weak arm, then the risk of stealing a base should be low. However, if the pitcher has a quick release, and the catcher has a cannon for an arm, then you better think twice before taking that first step toward the next base.

2. Get a good lead - The closer you can get to the next base before the pitch is thrown, the better your chances of beating the throw. However, this has to be balanced so that you are close enough to the current base to avoid a pick-off. The typical lead should be such that you can take one step and slide head first back to the bag. This distance is different depending on each runner and each opposing pitcher.

3. Keep a low stance - You want to keep a balanced and low stance prior to the pitch. Don't lean one way or the other. This allows you to get a better push off for the steal or a quicker return to the bag during a pick-off move.

4. Anticipate the pitch - Statistics show that you have a much better chance of stealing a base against a breaking ball or changeup than a fastball. There are two reasons for this. First, breaking balls and changeups are slower pitches so it increases the time for the ball to reach home plate. Second, breaking balls and changeups are more difficult for a catcher to handle because it interrupts their rhythm and ball exchange. Take a quick look at the catcher's signs to see if you can tell what the next pitch will be. If you can't tell from the signs, try to pick non-fastball counts when attempting a steal.

5. Watch for the trigger - For a right-handed pitcher, watch for his left foot. As soon as he lifts it, make your jump. For a left-handed pitcher, the trigger is much less obvious. One of the only things to look for is his right foot. If a left-handed pitcher's right foot crosses back behind the pitching rubber, then he must go home with the ball.

6. Take a crossover step - Make your first step a crossover step with your left foot. Don't lose time by taking a short first step with your right foot.

7. Stay low at the jump - Ask any track and field sprinter what the most important factor is for winning a race, and he'll tell you that it is the first few fractions of a second when he jumps off of the blocks. This also applies to base stealing. Getting a good jump is much more important than running speed. Stay low and keep your head down during the initial jump. Concentrate on getting to full speed within the first two to three steps.

8. Take a quick peek - After you cross the half-way point, take a quick look back to home plate to make sure that the batter didn't hit a pop fly. The last thing you want to do is be the cause of a double play.

9. Slide away from the tag - Almost all infielders covering second or third base during steal attempts are right handed. In this case, the tag will be applied from the runner's left to right. Always slide on the right side of the bag to give yourself a better chance of avoiding the left-to-right tag.

10. Find the ball after the slide - After safely reaching the next base, quickly find the location of the ball. Errant throws from the catcher are common, and you could take an extra base if the ball finds its way into the outfield.

The above list contains the top 10 tips that you can use to improve your base stealing skills. Use these tips to help your team advance runners and score more runs.

Dustin Peek enjoys helping others learn the skills necessary to dominate on the baseball field. He is a former player and true fan of America's pastime. Learn everything you need to know about baseball, stealing bases, and other baserunning topics at: http://www.baseballskillscenter.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dustin_Peek


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Baseball Coaching - How to Motivate Your Players to Hustle

Baseball Coaching - How to Motivate Your Players to Hustle
By Jim Bain

Motivation is defined as the Driving Force to Achieve Goals.

If you're extremely lucky you'll have a player who acts as a spark plug and keeps the team up, but don't forget, even an All-Star player becomes only a team mate if the going gets real rough. In fact it can actually hurt a team in certain circumstances if players become resentful of the spark plug.

That being said, let's get to the Brass Tacks, Team Motivation begins and ends with the Coach. Period. Your team will assume your personality and mental attitude, so be as prepared to teach attitude as you are to instruct hitting.

Spring training is about more than learning physical skills, although it is @ 90% of it, but mental and emotional toughness must also begin to be taught. Getting to know your players is extremely important from all aspects. Watch the reaction of players as they go through their drills. Some players will become angry when they fail, others embarrassed, others take it as a learning experience and go about their business. You must make a mental note of how each player reacts in order to be able to individually motivate him at sometime during the season.

TIPS

You don't want to raise your voice or pump your fist to motivate a player who is already so anxious he's bouncing off the dugout walls. This is when an arm around his shoulder and a softer monotone instruction is required.

"Okay Johnny, listen up. I don't need a home run. Just make contact. OK"

Let's look at what we just did. We calmed Johnny down somewhat with the soft voice. We let him know we didn't expect him to try and overachieve by hitting a home run. We gave him specific directions, make contact. Then reaffirmed it all with an acknowledge question he has to reply to.

A player who has demonstrated passive or emotional feelings, anger, when failing at something requires a different approach.

"Alright now Johnny, this is no different than what you do every practice. In fact I throw faster at batting practice than this pitcher throws. Now go get 'em."

What'd we accomplish? Our voice has more of an authority tone, which means we know what we're talking about and we have confidence he's up to the task. We remind him he's already accomplished hitting baseballs thrown faster than he's about to bat against. A final word of encouragement and a directive to do something.

Addressing and motivating a team is naturally somewhat different than an individual because you're dealing with various styles of motivation at the same time. This is where it's imperative to make the players a team, they are being addressed as a team and will respond as a team.

98% of the time when I went to the pitching mound the entire infield came to the mound. First thing I did was have everyone take a deep breath to somewhat relax, but mainly to give their minds time to slow and prepare to listen.

No matter the reason for the situation, errors, walks or hits I made sure they understood we couldn't change the situation we were in, we could only react to it. Then I would give specific directions and remind them as a "team" they could get out of this jam.
The conversation may go like this.

" Alright, everyone deep breath. (Wait) Ok, we got into this situation as a team and we're getting out of it as a team. I want everyone to come in @ 4 steps. Ground ball...comes home. Fly ball...help one another." Looking at my pitcher "We just need strikes." Glancing at my catcher "Good target now."

As I left the field I always yelled to the outfielders and indicated with my fingers how many outs there were. That not only brought them back to focus but reinforced the "Team" feeling.

There are hundreds of different situations requiring different methods of motivation and 1000s of books, videos and various material with advise on how to handle motivation. Reading or listening to these materials can do nothing but help improve your understanding of how to motivate, but do you really have the time?

The important thing is you're aware motivation is a needed skill in which to successfully coach a baseball team and it's your responsibility, as the coach, to set the tone for the team.

Everyone has their own style and mine may sound quite foreign or unrealistic to you, and that's fine. It worked for me, but another avenue may work much better for you.

I'll close this segment with this comment:

" The way a team plays as a whole determines its success. You may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world, but if they don't play together, the club won't be worth a dime." Babe Ruth

Jim ( Coach ) Bain is a former Minor League Player and Coach of Youth Baseball for over 10 years. He has drawn from fellow successful coaches' experiences and combined them with his own extensive experience to create a Baseball Teaching Website. The site is packed with 100s of tips, drills, history and instruction on how to play and coach the game of baseball.
http://www.Learn-Youth-Baseball-Coaching.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jim_Bain

Learning to Hit the Ball Hard Every Time Baseball Drill

Learning to Hit the Ball Hard Every Time Baseball Drill
By Jim Bain

Based on physics, the hitting of a round ball, traveling 87 mph and moving up and down... with a round bat is impractical, if not highly unlikely, yet we as baseball players, execute this task on a daily basis during Batting Practice.

We execute the task of making contact with the ball with the bat, but do we consistently hit the ball correctly and hard, an honest answer would be "No."

One of the problems we encounter, unless there is a hitting coach watching and correcting our swing, you have no idea what you're doing right or wrong. The only gauge you have is the end result of the swing. Did you hit a screaming line drive? Great, what did you do right? Did you hit a feeble pop fly in the infield? What did you do wrong?

The idea of having a hitting coach with you at all times is impractical and without him you limit your batting practice, which is the only way to improve, to some else's schedule.

This Baseball hitting drill solves the problem of needing an extra pair of eyes watching you in order for you to improve your hitting. It's called the Tee-hit.

This drill is a "hitting mechanics specific" drill, which means it's designed to build muscle memory and eye to hand coordination when hitting the ball.

In order to perform this drill you'll need a batting tee, the same type of batting tee Tee-Ball players use, making sure it is adjustable up and down. A good quality whiffle ball bat and a number of whiffle balls, which must be of good quality in order to withstand the punishment, and with holes in it. The ball must have holes in it in order to properly perform this drill.

In order to conserve the time of collecting the batted balls, which is swing time, I suggest hitting into a net. If you're hitting against a solid object, such as the back of the garage or house, be sure to position the hitting tee at least 30' to 40' away from the building to reduce the damage the structure will cause the ball.

Here is how the drill works and why the holes in the ball are so important. Placing the ball on the tee, take your normal batting stance and swing, hitting the ball off the tee.

If you hit the ball correctly, as the ball travels it will create a distinct whooshing sound as the air travels through the holes in the ball. If not hit correctly, although still creating a noise as air passes through the holes, will not be a distinct whooshing sound and the ball will slice, dip, soar or spin when it hit's the ground. Any of these results means you did not hit the ball squarely. Adjust your swing until you are able to hit the ball creating the distinct whooshing sound on a consistent basis.

You are now able to take batting practice alone and still be able to figure out what adjustments you need to make, on your own.

Hello, my name is Jim Bain. I have been a licensed plumber fitter for over 34 years, a strong advocate for Social Justice, as a technical writer for the UAW and a former Minor league baseball player and Coach. Since retirement I have dedicated my life to teaching baseball and have developed a website packed with Baseball information and tips. http://www.Learn-Youth-Baseball-Coaching.com
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Kids Baseball - Coach the Fundamentals of Throwing and Catching

Kids Baseball - Coach the Fundamentals of Throwing and Catching
By Kenny Buford

When coaching kids' baseball, an important first step is identifying the mechanical elements of each skill and then using that knowledge to teach the fundamentals of the game. Most beginning players will not know the proper technique for gripping, throwing, and catching the ball. Establishing these skills early will ensure players feel more confident and have fun playing the game.

Proper Grip

Start by teaching how to grip the ball:


For proper grip, the ball should only contact the fingers and thumb, not the palm of the hand. However, because beginning players' hands are often small, they might have to use their whole hand in the grip.
Players should grip the ball across the seams, with their fingers spread over the top of the ball and their thumb positioned on the bottom. Those with big enough hands should use only the index and middle fingers, while those with smaller hands can use three fingers to grip the ball across the top.
As the grip is released, players should focus on keeping the fingers directly behind the ball. Following through with the fingers after the throw will increase the velocity of the ball.

Throwing Fundamentals

Next, coach proper throwing technique for a basic overhand:


Players should begin the throwing motion by taking a step with the foot opposite of the throwing arm. The step should be in the direction they will be throwing.
The front shoulder and hip should be positioned so that they are pointing in the direction of the throw.
The front shoulder should be positioned toward the target, and the rest of the body is turned to the side. The arms should be extended from the body in a T-formation.
As the arm begins the throwing motion, the elbow should be as high as the shoulder and the hand should be higher than the head.
The front foot should now start forward, stepping toward the target.
As the arm continues the throw, the front shoulder and hip should turn so that they face toward the target.
The ball should be released above and in front of the head, snapping the wrist right before the release and pushing through with the fingers directly behind the ball.
Follow through the throw by bending the back slightly forward.

Basic Catching Technique

To coach catching, follow these steps:


Keep arms bent and relaxed, and provide a target for the thrower.
Hold the glove open toward the thrower, keeping the fingers up. If the ball is thrown low, switch to position the fingers down.
Use the bare hand to cover the ball once it is caught in the glove.
After the catch, bring the glove, ball, and throwing hand up to the chest and prepare to throw.

And if you'd like to see more free kids baseball drills and coaching tips, go here to watch a free video:
http://www.baseball-tutorials.com
Kenny Buford is a kids baseball coach, and the owner and publisher of Baseball-Tutorials.com, the web's #1 resource for kids baseball drills, practice ideas, and coaching tips.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kenny_Buford

Baseball Practice - How to Prepare for a Successful Season

Baseball Practice - How to Prepare for a Successful Season
By Kenny Buford

The key to successful baseball practice -- and a successful season -- is communication. Coaches, players, and parents should all be on the same page regarding the expectations and philosophy of the team.

Communication is Key

Some important issues that should be communicated at the beginning of the season are:


Schedule: players and parents should receive a practice and game calendar as soon as possible so that they can make family and travel plans around it.
Uniform: communicate to players (and parents, depending on age) what you expect them to wear to practice. Games will most likely require uniforms, but if you have any expectations of what players will wear to practice, you need to let them know early.
Practice plan: coaches and players should know what's expected of them during practice and how long each practice is going to last. Each coach should have a clipboard outlining the practice plan for that day, and it would also be beneficial for the plan to be posted so that players can access it as well.
Having all this information available requires a lot of organization and thinking ahead. By knowing your philosophy and approach ahead of time, you can effectively communicate with your team.

Organizing Baseball Practice

When organizing a practice schedule, you should first consider what your goals are for both the short and long term. This will help you determine what to accomplish over the entire season, and you can then break it down into months, weeks, and single practice sessions. Your plan should be flexible to allow change as needed, but having goals will keep your team focused and provide direction for the season.

Any given practice might go something like this:


Begin with stretching while talking about baseball. Players should get their head in the game as soon as practice starts.
Next have the players run to get warmed up.
After running, pair up the players for catch. More advanced players should be paired based on their positions, and beginning players should be paired based on ability level.
Next players should work on drills based on their positions. When teaching drills, coaches should first demonstrate them so that they know players do them correctly, and then have them repeat the drill until it becomes habit.
After drills on the individual, group, and team level, players should have batting practice.
The final part of practice should be running. Running conditioning is most effective if it is somehow related to game play, like exercises to improve base-running technique or even sprinting on or off the field.
For a successful season, practices should be consistent and progressive. Follow the steps above for each practice, knowing ahead of time which skills you would like to focus on. By being organized and communicating your goals to your team, players will come to practice knowing that their hard work is going to pay off!

To learn more coaching tips, go here to watch a free video:

http://www.baseball-tutorials.com/vid/

Kenny Buford is a youth baseball coach, and the owner and publisher of Baseball-Tutorials.com, the web's #1 resource for baseball practice drills, tips, and ideas for youth and high school coaches.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kenny_Buford

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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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Baseball Coaching Tips - Mind Games Between the Pitcher and Hitter!

Baseball Coaching Tips - Mind Games Between the Pitcher and Hitter!
By Larry Cicchiello

As you advance to older levels of play, you will find that many baseball hitters will play certain mind games with the pitcher and pitchers will do the same with hitters. Personally, I would NOT recommend getting involved in any mind games until the high school level of play or higher whether you are the pitcher or the hitter. One of the better baseball coaching tips to always remember is that playing good baseball requires clever use of the mind and not just the body.

Hitters will ask for a time out when you are getting ready to make the pitch to annoy you. This is not to say every time a baseball hitter does this he's playing a mind game but sometimes he is. They will wander away from the batter's box while you are kept waiting, hoping to annoy you.

If you are well aware BEFOREHAND that these things are definitely going to happen, it should be easier for you as a pitcher to deal with them. You know batters are going to do it so why let them accomplish what they want to do and let it bother you? If you do, it's a victory for the batter, isn't it?

As a pitcher, you too can play a few mind games with the batter. It is pretty much a proven fact that working quickly on the mound is beneficial to a pitcher because his fielders have to "stay on their toes." There simply isn't any time for their minds to wander. An added plus is that the pitcher is also sending an indirect message to the hitters that he is extremely confident and can't wait to throw the next pitch to them.

There are times however, when it just might be the right time to slow things down a little! When a very aggressive and anxious batter gets to the plate and it appears that he can't wait to hit, it may be a very good time to step off the mound and rub up the baseball. Hey, if the hitter likes things to happen fast, make sure you slow things down which is the exact opposite of what the hitter wants.

It may be the perfect time to talk something over with your catcher. You may want to motion for your catcher to come out to the mound for a chat. Tell your catcher that you simply are "fussing" with the batter and want to simply talk for a minute. Anything to keep the over anxious hitter waiting impatiently.

When I pitched, if a runner was on first base and a real good anxious hitter was up, I would make sure I came to the set position and would pause there for two or three seconds and then lob the ball to first base. I might do it a second or even a third time also.

I may pause in the set position on the rubber for three or four seconds and then step off the rubber. I could literally see the look of anger on the faces of some of these hitters. Many times these mind games will make the batter angry or very impatient at the plate and swing at pitches out of the strike zone!

Obviously, I would much rather have a hitter thinking about how annoyed he is with me instead of focusing strictly on his baseball hitting. That's a victory for me as a pitcher. Disrupting the batter's thinking means that I've won half the battle before it has even begun!

If you are involved in baseball coaching, just remember that mind games should NOT be played with younger players, who are just starting to learn the game of baseball.

Larry is the successful author of several very user friendly eBooks and CD's covering 320 topics on playing or coaching excellent baseball. ANY player, coach or parent who wants to help their child will be fully equipped! Check out some FREE baseball tips on hitting and FREE baseball pitching tips at LarryBaseball.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Larry_Cicchiello

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Baseball Coaching Digest - Team Making Too Many Errors? Two Great Mid Season Team Defensive Drills

Baseball Coaching Digest - Team Making Too Many Errors? Two Great Mid Season Team Defensive Drills
By Nick Dixon

Team defensive baseball drills should be a daily routine for your baseball team. Team defensive drills make your players execute and perform under pressure more than regular ground ball drills. These two team defensive baseball drills are excellent ways to build defensive skills, build confidence, and to improve mental concentration. The two drills are: 1) Infield Live Batting Drill 2) Live Game Action Drill.

If you incorporate these two drills into your baseball practice routine, I am confident that you will see an improvement in your team defensive play and a reduction in errors.

Infield Live Batting Drill - Your infield players will be in their regular positions and they will be making the plays. Your outfield will be the base runners. The coach hits the ball. When the coach hits the ball, the base runners will run to first. If the runner is safe, the runner is on first base. You will keep hitting balls until the infielder record three outs. The infielders must talk during this drill to make sure they know where the runners are, how many outs there are, and where the play should be made. For example, with bases loaded and two outs, the players will say "take it to the easiest base or that the play is at one".

This baseball drill has multiple purposes. The outfielders can improve their base running skills also. You will clear the bases after each three outs. The coach can also lay down bunts to check bunt coverage. Make sure to mark a starting spot for the base runners. Make sure that the runners wear helmets during this drill.

It is recommended that you perform this drill for 21 outs at least two days a week.

Live Game Action Drill - This drill is performed with all players at their defensive positions. You will have 5 or 6 players running the bases while your infielders make plays. The coach will hit the ball in this drill with the base runners going as far as the hit ball will allow them. The players must execute, communicate, and stay alert mentally during this drill. You will clear the baseball after each three outs. Normally you will require your team to do this drill for 21 outs two days a week. Make sure to mark a starting spot for the base runners. Make sure that the runners wear helmets during this drill.

I hope that these two drills prove to be useful in helping your team improve defensive play. Thanks for taking the time to read this article. For more articles like it, you can visit the Baseball Coaching Digest, Youth Baseball Digest, and Little League Digest. Good Luck to You and Your Team. Have a great day, Nick

The CoachesBest Baseball Store has a great selection of 1400 Baseball Products. Check out the BatAction Hitting Machine baseball pitching simulator. This high speed training machine is 100% Guaranteed to raise Batting Averages and has a full year warranty.

Nick Dixon is the President and founder of Nedco Sports, a sports training company established in 1999. Dixon is also an active and full time high school baseball coach with over 25 years experience. Coach Dixon is better known as the inventor of the BatAction Hitting Machine, the SKLZ Derek Jeter Hurricane Hitting Machine, the SKLZ Target Trainer, the SKLZ Derek Jeter ZipnHit Pro, and the SKLZ Strikeback Trainer. Dixon is also a contributing writer for BaseballCoachingDigest, the Youth Baseball Digest, the Baseball Parent Guide, the Baseball 2Day Coaches Journal, and Blog4Coaches.

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Helping Hitters With a Positive Mental Outlook

Gy Guest Author Jack Perconte

Having worked with thousands of baseball hitters over the years, I have noticed that many of them become upset when they hit foul balls, especially in batting practice. I try to have hitters feel good about fouling balls off. In that way they keep a confident, positive outlook for the rest of the at-bat. Once negativity enters a hitters mind, they may lose the confidence and the edge they may have had. Additionally, I do not believe it is good to show the pitcher that you are upset or ever give the opposition the feeling that you are less confident.

When I notice a hitter become upset over fouling off some pitches, I say, "Wait a minute, that was a good thing. It is better than a swing and a miss. Hitting is not that easy so just making contact is a positive thing." I follow that up with "Hey, that foul ball kept you alive for another pitch, and your pitch is coming." I strive to convince hitters that fouling a ball off on a tough pitch is a total victory because, "Even if you put that one in play, it would have probably been for an easy out." I follow that up with, "The chances of the pitcher throwing the next pitch in the same tough spot are very slim."

Of course, fouling a pitch off that was very hittable (right down the middle) can be demoralizing but I never want my hitters to feel negatively at home plate and, as mentioned, I never want them to give the pitcher the mental edge.

From a coaching stand point, good coaches should never give batters the impression that they do not believe in the hitters or that they (batters) may have missed an opportunity. Coaches often do this by looking disgusted or showing disappointment when a player fouls a good, hittable pitch off. Any negative feelings in sport generally lead to failure. Additionally, there are many words that coaches can use so hitters stay positive, optimistic and confident. Here are some of those that will help hitters keep a positive mental outlook:

1. "That wasn't your pitch anyway" - this is good to say when a hitter takes a borderline pitch that was called a strike or when the umpire makes a questionable call.
2. "Be ready, your pitch is coming" - always good advice and better than saying "Protect the plate," which puts the hitter in a defensive, negative mode.
3. "I know you can do this," which is always good advice, especially for less confident players.
4. "It only takes one," which is good to say to get hitters to stay positive and not dwell on past missed opportunities.
5. "Now you're ready" - good to say after a hitter did not swing at a pitch that maybe they should have swung at.
6. "Way to hang in there" - good advice after they foul off a pitch on a 2-strike count.
7. "Good at-bat" - good to say after the batter made an out but either hit the ball hard, had some good swings or battled the pitcher for many pitches.
8. "Nothing you can do about that at-bat, it's over and you will get him the next time" - always important advice suggesting hitters have short memories and a positive mental outlook in the future.

Of course, there are hundreds of positive words coaches can use, with the above being examples. The key is that athletes and coaches remember, "Negativity rarely brings out the best in a ball 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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How to Develop Youth Baseball Championship Attitude

Coaching Youth Baseball
By Guest Author Mike Xavier

The secret to developing a winning youth baseball team is to build a foundation of the correct championship attitude in your players. This solid foundation is supported by four critical pillars that must be present to succeed and explained to your squad repetitively.

The first pillar is called crossing the lines attitude. When your players are at home with their families, they must be nice to their siblings, respectful of their parents and perform their daily chores without a fuss. They absolutely should be nice as nice can be. But when they cross the foul lines on a baseball field, that is not that place. On the field, they need to have the mindset of being the toughest guy around - taking a ball off their face and still throwing someone out. Upon crossing back over the lines when the game is over, they return to help their mom take out the trash.

Next is the attitude of no excuses. They need to be taught that they need to take personal responsibility for everything that they can control. Items such as, the sun was in their eyes, the grass is too long, the umpire stinks are all excuses. Your coaching staff should set an environment of trust where no cares if you mess up if you take responsibility for your actions and fix it proactively.

Everyone can perform well when things are going great, but the mark of a true championship team is how they respond when things are not going well. This leads you to the pillar of dealing with adversity. By bringing this to the forefront of their thinking, they begin to check their emotions to the side and look for solutions on how to get out the the jam they currently are in.

Finally, the fourth pillar to complete the support of your team's attitude foundation is referred to as - we are all in this together. Have your players look around at each other as you describe that the last time you checked we are all in this together. Coming together as a unit will significantly alter the odds in your favor to be on the winning side of the score. This almost always involves picking each other up when something goes wrong, but also occasionally can involve getting on each other when a player is dragging a bit.

By developing these four characteristics in your team's attitude with your consistent words and actions, your team will win at home and your team will win on the road.

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Xavier

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Baseball Mental Training and Baseball Goal Setting

Mental Training and Goal Setting


Mental Training and Goal Setting
By Nate Barnett

Each year I work with teams of youth baseball players in teaching them the values of the mental game of baseball. Just as there are skills needed to develop the physical side of the sport, there are skills necessary to build the mental side of the game as well. Unfortunately, teaching the mental game is a bit more difficult to teach because the results aren't necessary visible as quickly. Let me assure you however, if you have goals of playing baseball at the collegiate level or above, you will need a sold mental game if you are going to excel.

One of the first things I teach kids is set proper goals. This usually sounds a bit dry and boring, but it's important that a game plan is created in order to form a path to follow as an athlete. There are three important steps involved in setting goals that are functional. Broad goals, process goals, and action habits. Let me explain those below.

If we are talking about a season to season focus, broad goals are essentially what you want to accomplish by the end of the season. These should be something you can measure like batting average, fielding percentage, stolen bases, etc.

Process goals are the middle level of goal setting. There are the things you need to solve or improve upon in order to accomplish your broad goals. They should be specific as far as the things you are going to do daily, but they should be areas in your game that need immediate improvement. So let's say you have a season goal of hitting .400. A process goal would be to improve on your ability to hit off speed pitches. Or, it could be that you need to work on what pitches you choose to swing at.

The last part of this goal setting process is your daily action habits. These are the day to day things that you will do to get better at accomplishing your process goals. Using the example from above, if you process goal is to get better at hitting off speed pitches, your daily action habit might be to spend 15 minutes in the batting cage working on hitting a curveball. Whatever you choose to make it, it should be something that has a time frame attached to it.

Nate Barnett is owner of BMI Baseball designed to improve the mental game of baseball in athletes. Come download a free ebook on dealing with failure and the mental game of baseball.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nate_Barnett

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