Correcting problems in a swing means you are telling your kids that they are doing something wrong. How do you correct them without hurting their confidence? The easiest way is with the Positive-Negative-Positive rule. Say something positive about what they are doing. Say what needs to be corrected. Say something positive again. Very simple. The […]
Teaching Hitting Stance
What keys should you focus on when teaching a kid to get ready to hit? See the ball with both eyes Parallel Stance Hands in a comfortable position Distance from the plate As coaches we sometimes become anxious to jump into youth baseball hitting drills because we know the difficulty of teaching and learning the art […]
Long Toss Variation, The Change-Up
One of my favorite drills for all baseball players is Long Toss also called Long Catch. It has 3 benefits: Strengthens the Arm Forces natural throwing motion Increases the awareness of the body rhythm and motion But, I’ve never thought about incorporating some variations into the long toss. In this article, a long toss variation is introduced […]
Baseball Coaching Philosophy: Have you changed a life today?
What do the great coaches possess that helps them change so many lives? Power Authority Knowledge Wisdom They use these tools to shape the direction of their players’ lives. This, I believe, is our biggest opportunity as coaches. After all, no player remembers the win/loss record – but they all will recall that special […]
How to Grip a Baseball Bat. Don’t align your knuckles.
What is the best way to grip a baseball bat? Align your knuckles? Don’t align your knuckles? Which grip gives you the best chance of hitting the baseball? This article attempts to answer the best way to grip the bat. The knocking knuckles grip is the universal way to hold a baseball or softball […]
First Base Footwork: Don Mattingly Shows You How
The footwork at first base isn’t complex, but you need to know how to teach it. Don Mattingly teaches how to find the base and adjust your stretch depending on where the ball is hit and where the throw is going. See full story on youtube.com Related posts: 7 Tips for Teaching Better Outfield Footwork […]
Balloon Drill for Soft Hands in Catching and Bunting
Here are a few drills for the younger baseball players. There is a water balloon drill for soft hands and a drill for help with bunting. Little League Hitting Drills sometimes requires the coach to be creative in order to break up the monotony of BP and a normal practice. Here’s some ideas which can be […]
11 Baseball Coaching Mantras
Coaches should always be positive role models, provide a safe learning environment, have written practice plans, and more. This article has 11 Baseball Coaching philosophies to keep in mind this when coaching. … will be a positive role model on and off the field. … will monitor student’s grades and see that they are […]
What to do if your athlete is getting cocky?
If your kids starts to excel in a sport, they will be tempted to become cocky. [do action=”quote”]The hardest job kids face today is learning good manners without seeing any.[/do] Fred Astaire This article has 8 steps to help prevent and minimize this behavior. Here are the first 3: Model humility. It always starts with […]
How to Field the Bunt
The bunt usually happens in the most crucial parts of the game. The other team is trying to move a runner to second or third so that they can tie the game or for a go-ahead run. Having the proper instruction will increase the odds that your team will make the play. There are […]