Saturday, August 20, 2005
Fielding Cone Drills
By: Jerry Kreber, Omaha Central High
Assistant Baseball Coach, Associate Scout Cleveland Indians
Our program has incorporated the following drills to engage players in situations that promote agility and lateral movement. Since these drills are not traditional, they really help break practice up from the customary routine of fielding balls off the fungo. Our infielders get very excited about doing these drills and often participate in competition against one another.
Objective: To promote infielder’s speed and quickness while staying in good fielding positions at all times.
Materials: 20 Baseballs
5 Orange Cones
Baseball Glove
Procedure: The cone drills will be divided up into 3 different stations. They will be illustrated and listed below.
Station I
3X 2X
5X
4X P 1X
C
X= Cones
P= Players
C= Coach
Set Up: Space cones about 15 feet apart
The coach, on a knee, will be stationed directly in front of the player with a bucket of baseballs. On the coach’s command, the player will take off toward cone #1. At cone #1, the coach will flip the player a ball asking him to swipe the tag, while straddling the cone. After swiping the tag, the player drops the ball outside the square. The coach then says,” Drop step!” The players instantly drop steps toward cone #2. The coach throws a over the shoulder pop up to the player. After catching the pop-up, the player discards the ball outside the square. Then, the coach will say,” Backhand!” and the player shuffles to cone #3 and fields a backhand rolled by the coach. Again, the player discards the ball outside the square. The coach will then say,” Slow roller!” and the player will sprint toward cone #4. The coach will roll a soft grounder to the player. Again, the player discards the ball outside the square. After fielding the slow roller, the coach will say,” Tag!” and the player will shuffle to cone #5 to swipe the final tag. This drill should be done quickly to keep the flow moving. The coach should challenge his players conditioning and stamina by increasing the speed of the drill each time the player goes through the cycle.
1X= Tag
2X= Over Shoulder Catch
3X= Backhand
4X= Slow Roller
5X= Tag
Station II
2X
P
3X 1X
C
X= Cones
P= Players
C= Coach
Set Up: Space cones about 15 feet apart
In the triangle drill the coach, on a knee, will be stationed directly in front of the player with a bucket of baseballs. On the coach’s command, the player will take off toward cone #1. At cone #1, the coach will roll a groundball asking the fielder to make a diagonal cut at the ball. For safety, the player should discard the ball outside the triangle. After fielding the groundball, the fielder will sprint to cone #2 and receive a short hop. The player will field the short hop and swipe a tag, while straddling the cone. Again, the player discards the ball outside the triangle. Finally, the fielder will sprint toward cone #3 and catch a shallow pop up thrown by the coach. The throw should really challenge the fielder to stretch out in front of their body and make the catch.
1X= Diagonal Cut
2X= Short Hop with Tag
3X= Shallow Pop Up
Station III
P
1X 2X 3X
C
X= Cones
P= Players
C= Coach
Set Up: Space cones about 8 feet apart
During the line drill the coach, on a knee, will be stationed directly in front of the player with a bucket of baseballs. The coach will start by rolling a ground ball outside of cone #1. The player will field the ball and discard it outside the playing space. The player will sprint back to starting spot and field ball between cone #1 and 2. He player will repeat process until they have worked their way throughout all the cones. The last ground ball should be fielded outside of cone #3. Again, this drill should be done quickly to keep the flow moving. The coach should challenge his players conditioning and stamina by increase the speed of the drill each time the player goes through the cycle.
By: Jerry Kreber, Omaha Central High
Assistant Baseball Coach, Associate Scout Cleveland Indians
Our program has incorporated the following drills to engage players in situations that promote agility and lateral movement. Since these drills are not traditional, they really help break practice up from the customary routine of fielding balls off the fungo. Our infielders get very excited about doing these drills and often participate in competition against one another.
Objective: To promote infielder’s speed and quickness while staying in good fielding positions at all times.
Materials: 20 Baseballs
5 Orange Cones
Baseball Glove
Procedure: The cone drills will be divided up into 3 different stations. They will be illustrated and listed below.
Station I
3X 2X
5X
4X P 1X
C
X= Cones
P= Players
C= Coach
Set Up: Space cones about 15 feet apart
The coach, on a knee, will be stationed directly in front of the player with a bucket of baseballs. On the coach’s command, the player will take off toward cone #1. At cone #1, the coach will flip the player a ball asking him to swipe the tag, while straddling the cone. After swiping the tag, the player drops the ball outside the square. The coach then says,” Drop step!” The players instantly drop steps toward cone #2. The coach throws a over the shoulder pop up to the player. After catching the pop-up, the player discards the ball outside the square. Then, the coach will say,” Backhand!” and the player shuffles to cone #3 and fields a backhand rolled by the coach. Again, the player discards the ball outside the square. The coach will then say,” Slow roller!” and the player will sprint toward cone #4. The coach will roll a soft grounder to the player. Again, the player discards the ball outside the square. After fielding the slow roller, the coach will say,” Tag!” and the player will shuffle to cone #5 to swipe the final tag. This drill should be done quickly to keep the flow moving. The coach should challenge his players conditioning and stamina by increasing the speed of the drill each time the player goes through the cycle.
1X= Tag
2X= Over Shoulder Catch
3X= Backhand
4X= Slow Roller
5X= Tag
Station II
2X
P
3X 1X
C
X= Cones
P= Players
C= Coach
Set Up: Space cones about 15 feet apart
In the triangle drill the coach, on a knee, will be stationed directly in front of the player with a bucket of baseballs. On the coach’s command, the player will take off toward cone #1. At cone #1, the coach will roll a groundball asking the fielder to make a diagonal cut at the ball. For safety, the player should discard the ball outside the triangle. After fielding the groundball, the fielder will sprint to cone #2 and receive a short hop. The player will field the short hop and swipe a tag, while straddling the cone. Again, the player discards the ball outside the triangle. Finally, the fielder will sprint toward cone #3 and catch a shallow pop up thrown by the coach. The throw should really challenge the fielder to stretch out in front of their body and make the catch.
1X= Diagonal Cut
2X= Short Hop with Tag
3X= Shallow Pop Up
Station III
P
1X 2X 3X
C
X= Cones
P= Players
C= Coach
Set Up: Space cones about 8 feet apart
During the line drill the coach, on a knee, will be stationed directly in front of the player with a bucket of baseballs. The coach will start by rolling a ground ball outside of cone #1. The player will field the ball and discard it outside the playing space. The player will sprint back to starting spot and field ball between cone #1 and 2. He player will repeat process until they have worked their way throughout all the cones. The last ground ball should be fielded outside of cone #3. Again, this drill should be done quickly to keep the flow moving. The coach should challenge his players conditioning and stamina by increase the speed of the drill each time the player goes through the cycle.
Bunt Defense
Playing Small Ball: Executing and Defending the Bunt
By: Andrew Wane and Jerry Kreber
Omaha Central High School
Junior American Legion Coaches
When talking about bunting, many coaches are filled with mixed emotions. Two feelings that quickly jump to mind are frustration and relief. Nothing can be more dejecting than watching a batter bunt in a game’s critical moment and have the ball go improperly fielded by your team. On the other hand, a coach’s outlook on bunting does not always have to be negative. The exciting feeling a third base coach gets after a perfectly performed squeeze play by a batter may totally change a doubter’s perspective on how the bunt is used. Experiencing these feelings too often can make a coach feel like he is riding a roller coaster. As a rookie coaching staff, we rode this ride for our first season and then decided it was time to get off.
Getting burned by the bunt was the best thing that ever happened to our team. It motivated us to incorporate a daily drill sequence that focused on executing and defending the bunt. Running these drills on a daily basis helped instill a lot of confidence in our players both offensively and defensively. This entire drill sequence runs for a 12 minute period. It is broken up into four 3 minute stages. Each stage has a different objective and purpose. Here is a description of the four stages:
Stage One (3 minutes):
On the field: Catcher, 1st baseman, 2nd baseman, and 3rd baseman
Objective: Players will successfully field bunt and get out at 1st base.
Procedure: Catcher, 1st baseman, 2nd baseman, and 3rd baseman line up at their positions. The coach sets up two orange cones, separating the bunting zones into three sections: right side, middle, and left side. The coach, on a knee, has a bucket of balls about 50 ft. from the plate lined up in the middle section. The batter cannot bunt the pitch at the coach pitching in the middle section or he must drop his helmet and touch the right field foul pole. The cones give the hitter two specific areas their bunts must reach: either the left or right side. Also, an empty bucket needs to be placed at all three bases. These buckets allow infielders to easily deposit fielded balls, insuring constant repetition to players. The drill’s physical setup stays the same, only the field personnel and instructional objectives changes from stage to stage. The coach, with the bucket, pitches the ball toward the catcher. The bunter at the plate must push the ball toward either line or hustle down the line toward 1st base. The 1st and 3rd basemen charge the bunt and throw it to the 2nd baseman covering the bag at 1st. The fielders must play the ball out, even if it is not fielded cleanly. A heavy emphasis should be placed on communication between 1st and 2nd baseman. Make sure all the infielders get back to normal depth before the next pitch is delivered.
Stage Two (3 minutes):
On the field: Catcher, 1st baseman, Shortstops, and 3rd baseman
Objective: Players will successfully field bunt and get force out at 2nd base.
Procedure: Catcher, 1st baseman, 2nd baseman, and 3rd baseman line up at their positions. The hitter, in Stage Two, is working on pushing the ball to the left side. This drill focuses on the 3rd baseman attempting to force the runner at 2nd base. During the pitch, the 3rd basemen charges, while the 1st basemen stays home. If the ball is misplayed, the 3rd baseman must get the out at 1st base. Our 2nd basemen are not on the fielding during Stage Two. At this time, they mix in with the other position players and work on offensively executing the bunt.
Stage Three (3 minutes):
On the field: Catcher, 1st baseman, 2nd baseman, and 3rd baseman
Objective: Players will successfully field bunt and get force or tag out at 3rd base.
Procedure: Catcher, 1st baseman, 2nd baseman, and 3rd baseman line up at their positions. In Stage Three, hitters are focusing on placing the bunt on the right side. While fielding during Stage Three, 1st basemen charge the pitch and look to get the force or tag out at 3rd base. The coach will stimulate the situation before the pitch. If the ball is not fielded cleanly, the 1st baseman must throw to the 2nd basemen cover the bag at 1st. Furthermore, 3rd basemen must work on getting in front of bad throws in the dirt or off the base and work on swiping the tag in front of the bag.
Stage Four (3 minutes):
On the field: Catcher, 1st baseman, 2nd baseman, and 3rd baseman
Objective: Players will successfully field bunts and get tag out on squeeze play.
Procedure: Catcher, 1st baseman, 2nd baseman, and 3rd baseman line up at their positions. In Stage Four, half the position players bunting split up and practice running from 3rd base. The coach, moves to the mound, comes to the set position. During the stretch, the 3rd baseman must practice holding the runner on at 3rd. The coach either throws over or goes to the plate. During the pitch, the 1st and 3rd basemen charge toward home plate. The bunter’s objective is to put the ball on the ground, either to the left or right side. When the bunt is successful, the 1st or 3rd basemen must field it and toss it to the catcher. The catcher must apply the tag to the base runner coming to the plate. If the ball is not fielded cleanly, the 1st or 3rd basemen must attempt to get the out at 1st base. Heavy emphasis should be placed on infielders to quickly transfer the ball from glove to hand. On the squeeze play, fielders have no time to mishandle a transfer and still get the out at home.
By: Andrew Wane and Jerry Kreber
Omaha Central High School
Junior American Legion Coaches
When talking about bunting, many coaches are filled with mixed emotions. Two feelings that quickly jump to mind are frustration and relief. Nothing can be more dejecting than watching a batter bunt in a game’s critical moment and have the ball go improperly fielded by your team. On the other hand, a coach’s outlook on bunting does not always have to be negative. The exciting feeling a third base coach gets after a perfectly performed squeeze play by a batter may totally change a doubter’s perspective on how the bunt is used. Experiencing these feelings too often can make a coach feel like he is riding a roller coaster. As a rookie coaching staff, we rode this ride for our first season and then decided it was time to get off.
Getting burned by the bunt was the best thing that ever happened to our team. It motivated us to incorporate a daily drill sequence that focused on executing and defending the bunt. Running these drills on a daily basis helped instill a lot of confidence in our players both offensively and defensively. This entire drill sequence runs for a 12 minute period. It is broken up into four 3 minute stages. Each stage has a different objective and purpose. Here is a description of the four stages:
Stage One (3 minutes):
On the field: Catcher, 1st baseman, 2nd baseman, and 3rd baseman
Objective: Players will successfully field bunt and get out at 1st base.
Procedure: Catcher, 1st baseman, 2nd baseman, and 3rd baseman line up at their positions. The coach sets up two orange cones, separating the bunting zones into three sections: right side, middle, and left side. The coach, on a knee, has a bucket of balls about 50 ft. from the plate lined up in the middle section. The batter cannot bunt the pitch at the coach pitching in the middle section or he must drop his helmet and touch the right field foul pole. The cones give the hitter two specific areas their bunts must reach: either the left or right side. Also, an empty bucket needs to be placed at all three bases. These buckets allow infielders to easily deposit fielded balls, insuring constant repetition to players. The drill’s physical setup stays the same, only the field personnel and instructional objectives changes from stage to stage. The coach, with the bucket, pitches the ball toward the catcher. The bunter at the plate must push the ball toward either line or hustle down the line toward 1st base. The 1st and 3rd basemen charge the bunt and throw it to the 2nd baseman covering the bag at 1st. The fielders must play the ball out, even if it is not fielded cleanly. A heavy emphasis should be placed on communication between 1st and 2nd baseman. Make sure all the infielders get back to normal depth before the next pitch is delivered.
Stage Two (3 minutes):
On the field: Catcher, 1st baseman, Shortstops, and 3rd baseman
Objective: Players will successfully field bunt and get force out at 2nd base.
Procedure: Catcher, 1st baseman, 2nd baseman, and 3rd baseman line up at their positions. The hitter, in Stage Two, is working on pushing the ball to the left side. This drill focuses on the 3rd baseman attempting to force the runner at 2nd base. During the pitch, the 3rd basemen charges, while the 1st basemen stays home. If the ball is misplayed, the 3rd baseman must get the out at 1st base. Our 2nd basemen are not on the fielding during Stage Two. At this time, they mix in with the other position players and work on offensively executing the bunt.
Stage Three (3 minutes):
On the field: Catcher, 1st baseman, 2nd baseman, and 3rd baseman
Objective: Players will successfully field bunt and get force or tag out at 3rd base.
Procedure: Catcher, 1st baseman, 2nd baseman, and 3rd baseman line up at their positions. In Stage Three, hitters are focusing on placing the bunt on the right side. While fielding during Stage Three, 1st basemen charge the pitch and look to get the force or tag out at 3rd base. The coach will stimulate the situation before the pitch. If the ball is not fielded cleanly, the 1st baseman must throw to the 2nd basemen cover the bag at 1st. Furthermore, 3rd basemen must work on getting in front of bad throws in the dirt or off the base and work on swiping the tag in front of the bag.
Stage Four (3 minutes):
On the field: Catcher, 1st baseman, 2nd baseman, and 3rd baseman
Objective: Players will successfully field bunts and get tag out on squeeze play.
Procedure: Catcher, 1st baseman, 2nd baseman, and 3rd baseman line up at their positions. In Stage Four, half the position players bunting split up and practice running from 3rd base. The coach, moves to the mound, comes to the set position. During the stretch, the 3rd baseman must practice holding the runner on at 3rd. The coach either throws over or goes to the plate. During the pitch, the 1st and 3rd basemen charge toward home plate. The bunter’s objective is to put the ball on the ground, either to the left or right side. When the bunt is successful, the 1st or 3rd basemen must field it and toss it to the catcher. The catcher must apply the tag to the base runner coming to the plate. If the ball is not fielded cleanly, the 1st or 3rd basemen must attempt to get the out at 1st base. Heavy emphasis should be placed on infielders to quickly transfer the ball from glove to hand. On the squeeze play, fielders have no time to mishandle a transfer and still get the out at home.
Friday, August 19, 2005
Turning Two
The Double Play: A Defensive Lifesaver
As baseball coaches, how many times have we seen a game’s momentum changed by a double play ending a scoring threat? On the other hand, how exciting is it to witness our team’s execution of getting two outs off a single ground ball? The double play is an excellent way to either break up or enhance the tempo of the game. At Omaha Central High School, we have constructed a drill to isolate different positions and put infielders in game-like situations asking them to execute the double play on a ground ball. The following is a summary of the drill we use:
Phase I 3rd Base Execution
On the Field: 3rd Base, 2nd Base, 1st Base, and Outfielder as Baserunners
Procedure:
Coach stands at the plate with a bucket of baseballs. The above position players will be placed at their spots. Outfielders, acting as baserunners, will be in a single file line at 1st base. One outfielder will jump out and take a lead. The coach will hit ground balls to the 3rd baseman. On contact, the baserunner at 1st base will advance to 2nd base at full speed. The 3rd baseman will execute a double play with the 2nd baseman. Baserunners will slide into 2nd practicing their feet first slide. The second baseman will practice their footwork on catch/throw situation and throwing through an advancing runner. The coach’s pace should be intense focusing on multiple repetitions for the practicing infielders.
Phase II Shortstop Execution
On the Field: Shortstops, 2nd Base, 1st Base, and Outfielder as Baserunners
Procedure:
Coach stands at the plate with a bucket of baseballs. The above position players will be placed at their spots. Outfielders, acting as baserunners, will be in a single file line at 1st base. One outfielder will jump out and take a lead. The coach will hit ground balls to the 3rd baseman. On contact, the baserunner at 1st base will advance to 2nd base at full speed. The shortstop will execute a double play with the 2nd baseman. Baserunners will slide into 2nd practicing their feet first slide. The second baseman will practice their footwork on catch/throw situation and throwing through an advancing runner. The coach’s pace should be intense focusing on multiple repetitions for the practicing infielders.
Phase III 2nd Base Execution
On the Field: Shortstops, 2nd Base, 1st Base, and Outfielder as Baserunners
Procedure:
Coach stands at the plate with a bucket of baseballs. The above position players will be placed at their spots. Outfielders, acting as baserunners, will be in a single file line at 1st base. One outfielder will jump out and take a lead. The coach will hit ground balls to the 2nd baseman. On contact, the baserunner at 1st base will advance to 2nd base at full speed. The shortstop will execute a double play with the 2nd baseman. Baserunners will slide into 2nd practicing their feet first slide. The shortstops will practice their footwork on catch/throw situation and throwing through an advancing runner. The coach’s pace should be intense focusing on multiple repetitions for the practicing infielders.
Phase IV 1st Base Execution
On the Field: Shortstops, 1st Base, and Outfielder as Baserunners
Procedure:
Coach stands at the plate with a bucket of baseballs. The above position players will be placed at their spots. Outfielders, acting as baserunners, will be in a single file line at 1st base. One outfielder will jump out and take a lead. The coach will hit ground balls to the 1st baseman. On contact, the baserunner at 1st base will advance to 2nd base at full speed. The 1st baseman will execute a double play with the shortstop. Baserunners will slide into 2nd practicing their feet first slide. The shortstop will practice their footwork on catch/throw situation and throwing through an advancing runner. The coach’s pace should be intense focusing on multiple repetitions for the practicing infielders.
As baseball coaches, how many times have we seen a game’s momentum changed by a double play ending a scoring threat? On the other hand, how exciting is it to witness our team’s execution of getting two outs off a single ground ball? The double play is an excellent way to either break up or enhance the tempo of the game. At Omaha Central High School, we have constructed a drill to isolate different positions and put infielders in game-like situations asking them to execute the double play on a ground ball. The following is a summary of the drill we use:
Phase I 3rd Base Execution
On the Field: 3rd Base, 2nd Base, 1st Base, and Outfielder as Baserunners
Procedure:
Coach stands at the plate with a bucket of baseballs. The above position players will be placed at their spots. Outfielders, acting as baserunners, will be in a single file line at 1st base. One outfielder will jump out and take a lead. The coach will hit ground balls to the 3rd baseman. On contact, the baserunner at 1st base will advance to 2nd base at full speed. The 3rd baseman will execute a double play with the 2nd baseman. Baserunners will slide into 2nd practicing their feet first slide. The second baseman will practice their footwork on catch/throw situation and throwing through an advancing runner. The coach’s pace should be intense focusing on multiple repetitions for the practicing infielders.
Phase II Shortstop Execution
On the Field: Shortstops, 2nd Base, 1st Base, and Outfielder as Baserunners
Procedure:
Coach stands at the plate with a bucket of baseballs. The above position players will be placed at their spots. Outfielders, acting as baserunners, will be in a single file line at 1st base. One outfielder will jump out and take a lead. The coach will hit ground balls to the 3rd baseman. On contact, the baserunner at 1st base will advance to 2nd base at full speed. The shortstop will execute a double play with the 2nd baseman. Baserunners will slide into 2nd practicing their feet first slide. The second baseman will practice their footwork on catch/throw situation and throwing through an advancing runner. The coach’s pace should be intense focusing on multiple repetitions for the practicing infielders.
Phase III 2nd Base Execution
On the Field: Shortstops, 2nd Base, 1st Base, and Outfielder as Baserunners
Procedure:
Coach stands at the plate with a bucket of baseballs. The above position players will be placed at their spots. Outfielders, acting as baserunners, will be in a single file line at 1st base. One outfielder will jump out and take a lead. The coach will hit ground balls to the 2nd baseman. On contact, the baserunner at 1st base will advance to 2nd base at full speed. The shortstop will execute a double play with the 2nd baseman. Baserunners will slide into 2nd practicing their feet first slide. The shortstops will practice their footwork on catch/throw situation and throwing through an advancing runner. The coach’s pace should be intense focusing on multiple repetitions for the practicing infielders.
Phase IV 1st Base Execution
On the Field: Shortstops, 1st Base, and Outfielder as Baserunners
Procedure:
Coach stands at the plate with a bucket of baseballs. The above position players will be placed at their spots. Outfielders, acting as baserunners, will be in a single file line at 1st base. One outfielder will jump out and take a lead. The coach will hit ground balls to the 1st baseman. On contact, the baserunner at 1st base will advance to 2nd base at full speed. The 1st baseman will execute a double play with the shortstop. Baserunners will slide into 2nd practicing their feet first slide. The shortstop will practice their footwork on catch/throw situation and throwing through an advancing runner. The coach’s pace should be intense focusing on multiple repetitions for the practicing infielders.
Inside-Out Hitting
Inside-Out Hitting: “Drills for Hitters to Achieve and Succeed Swinging in a Straight Line”
As a high school 3rd base coach nothing can be more annoying than dodging foul balls from a right handed hitter, especially when they are belted right down the line. “Why the heck can’t you straighten that out?” These words are often echoed in my head as foul balls are screaming pass. Last year, our team struggled with this problem. So this off-season, I really wanted to find drills that promoted good inside-out hitting techniques. I wanted these drills to be creative, so players could get excited about these movements
It seems like plenty of young hitters have a problem with pulling the ball. Every coach reads and hears professional hitting instructors say,” Just throw your hands at the ball.” As high school players shake their head,” Yes” to this statement, many are asking inside,” What the heck does that mean?”
After examining a lot of information, I began to wonder weather “throwing your hands” is even the right terminology to use with hitters. If you really look at a hitter’s swing in slow motion, are they really throwing you hands? Or is the hitter snapping an extended lead arm forward? From looking at these swings, I concluded by instructing lead arm extension and back elbow positioning the hitter gains more valuable advice rather than hearing “throw your hands” at the pitch.
I created three drills that promote aggressive bat lag, with lead arm extension, for young hitters (it’s not the fence drill either). Below, three hitting drills are listed and explained in natural sequence, going from bottom hand, to top hand, to both hands.
Drill #1 Lead Arm Standing Fungo Drill
Materials:
Fungo or light bat, ball, a net or open area
Application:
The hitter stands, in proper batting stance facing his target, with bottom hand solely gripping the bat and top hand holding the ball. As the hitter rests the bat on their back shoulder, there center of gravity is in a straight line with chin and belly button. With the ball in their top hand, the hitter will slightly lower the hand to signal their weight shift back, replicating the load phase of the swing. Lasting only an instant, the hitter’s weight shift will begin to move forward, entering the stride phase of the swing. The weight shift forward will feel like a controlled fall. The landing of the stride foot should be 5-7 inches in front of the original position of the front foot. The weight shift forward should cause the hitter’s lead arm to become extended. The hitter’s bottom hand has not moved to cause this extension. This extension was caused by forward body weight bracing on the hitter’s front flexed leg. The hitter should glance down at his bottom arm to make sure it has become extended. After checking, the hitter flips the ball out front of their body and swings; making sure the stride leg also has become locked out during the swing. By checking his arm before flipping the ball, the hitter insures himself lead arm extension to start the swing. This drill just targets the lead arm. Drill #2 will focus exclusively on the top hand.
Drill #2 Scraping Back Elbow Drill
Materials:
Tee or partner, bat, ball, a net or open area
Application:
This drill can be performed on a tee or with a soft toss partner. The hitter will start this drill in a post stride position. This means the hitter must start with weight already transferred to their stride leg. The stride leg must contain some flexion; it should not be locked out. This drill tries to isolate the swing stage where the back elbow is initially activated and follows it through finish. Since the drill is started post-stride, the hitter’s first movement will be locking out their front leg. Simultaneously, with just their top hand holding the bat, the hitter brings their back elbow downward toward the ribcage as the swing is started. As the hitter feels the back elbow touch, they should orally say,” Scrap” and swing the bat with game-like intensity. The hitter must make sure that his palm is always facing up during contact. The inside positioning of the elbow will reinforce a straight line hitting approach and help hitters “feel” the difference.
Drill # 3 Cross Legged Tee Drill
Materials:
Tee or partner, bat, ball, a net or open area
Application:
This drill can be performed on a tee or with a soft toss partner. The hitter will have their tee or partner out in front of them. The tee placement can range from 7-10 inches in front of the stride leg. With the hitter adjusting the side to side placement of the tee, hitting the ball to all fields can be worked on during this drill. Bringing their lead leg back, the hitter will cross his back leg with it, making their legs appear in an “X”. The majority of the hitter’s weight should be on the back leg. The hitter should let his body fall out in front, while releasing the front leg from the crossed position. The hitter’s stride leg should land 5-6 inches in front of the original front leg position, just like a normal stride, except the hitter’s center of gravity has moved forward. As soon as this stride movement is completed, the hitter should check their lead arm for extension. After checking for extension, the hitter will initiate their swing at the ball locking out their stride leg. By Drill #3, hopefully, the back elbow and lead arm has experienced the proper reinforcement to produce the accurate swing mechanics from Drills #1 and #2. If this drill is done as a soft toss activity, the hitter’s partner can trigger movements with oral cues in the following sequence,” Stance, cross, fall, and hit”. Furthermore, if the hitter has a partner on the tee, these oral cues can be incorporated as well.
As a high school 3rd base coach nothing can be more annoying than dodging foul balls from a right handed hitter, especially when they are belted right down the line. “Why the heck can’t you straighten that out?” These words are often echoed in my head as foul balls are screaming pass. Last year, our team struggled with this problem. So this off-season, I really wanted to find drills that promoted good inside-out hitting techniques. I wanted these drills to be creative, so players could get excited about these movements
It seems like plenty of young hitters have a problem with pulling the ball. Every coach reads and hears professional hitting instructors say,” Just throw your hands at the ball.” As high school players shake their head,” Yes” to this statement, many are asking inside,” What the heck does that mean?”
After examining a lot of information, I began to wonder weather “throwing your hands” is even the right terminology to use with hitters. If you really look at a hitter’s swing in slow motion, are they really throwing you hands? Or is the hitter snapping an extended lead arm forward? From looking at these swings, I concluded by instructing lead arm extension and back elbow positioning the hitter gains more valuable advice rather than hearing “throw your hands” at the pitch.
I created three drills that promote aggressive bat lag, with lead arm extension, for young hitters (it’s not the fence drill either). Below, three hitting drills are listed and explained in natural sequence, going from bottom hand, to top hand, to both hands.
Drill #1 Lead Arm Standing Fungo Drill
Materials:
Fungo or light bat, ball, a net or open area
Application:
The hitter stands, in proper batting stance facing his target, with bottom hand solely gripping the bat and top hand holding the ball. As the hitter rests the bat on their back shoulder, there center of gravity is in a straight line with chin and belly button. With the ball in their top hand, the hitter will slightly lower the hand to signal their weight shift back, replicating the load phase of the swing. Lasting only an instant, the hitter’s weight shift will begin to move forward, entering the stride phase of the swing. The weight shift forward will feel like a controlled fall. The landing of the stride foot should be 5-7 inches in front of the original position of the front foot. The weight shift forward should cause the hitter’s lead arm to become extended. The hitter’s bottom hand has not moved to cause this extension. This extension was caused by forward body weight bracing on the hitter’s front flexed leg. The hitter should glance down at his bottom arm to make sure it has become extended. After checking, the hitter flips the ball out front of their body and swings; making sure the stride leg also has become locked out during the swing. By checking his arm before flipping the ball, the hitter insures himself lead arm extension to start the swing. This drill just targets the lead arm. Drill #2 will focus exclusively on the top hand.
Drill #2 Scraping Back Elbow Drill
Materials:
Tee or partner, bat, ball, a net or open area
Application:
This drill can be performed on a tee or with a soft toss partner. The hitter will start this drill in a post stride position. This means the hitter must start with weight already transferred to their stride leg. The stride leg must contain some flexion; it should not be locked out. This drill tries to isolate the swing stage where the back elbow is initially activated and follows it through finish. Since the drill is started post-stride, the hitter’s first movement will be locking out their front leg. Simultaneously, with just their top hand holding the bat, the hitter brings their back elbow downward toward the ribcage as the swing is started. As the hitter feels the back elbow touch, they should orally say,” Scrap” and swing the bat with game-like intensity. The hitter must make sure that his palm is always facing up during contact. The inside positioning of the elbow will reinforce a straight line hitting approach and help hitters “feel” the difference.
Drill # 3 Cross Legged Tee Drill
Materials:
Tee or partner, bat, ball, a net or open area
Application:
This drill can be performed on a tee or with a soft toss partner. The hitter will have their tee or partner out in front of them. The tee placement can range from 7-10 inches in front of the stride leg. With the hitter adjusting the side to side placement of the tee, hitting the ball to all fields can be worked on during this drill. Bringing their lead leg back, the hitter will cross his back leg with it, making their legs appear in an “X”. The majority of the hitter’s weight should be on the back leg. The hitter should let his body fall out in front, while releasing the front leg from the crossed position. The hitter’s stride leg should land 5-6 inches in front of the original front leg position, just like a normal stride, except the hitter’s center of gravity has moved forward. As soon as this stride movement is completed, the hitter should check their lead arm for extension. After checking for extension, the hitter will initiate their swing at the ball locking out their stride leg. By Drill #3, hopefully, the back elbow and lead arm has experienced the proper reinforcement to produce the accurate swing mechanics from Drills #1 and #2. If this drill is done as a soft toss activity, the hitter’s partner can trigger movements with oral cues in the following sequence,” Stance, cross, fall, and hit”. Furthermore, if the hitter has a partner on the tee, these oral cues can be incorporated as well.
