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 […]
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 […]
Rotational or Linear Mechanics to Increase Bat Speed?
As you already know, if you increase bat speed, you increase the power or distance that you can hit the ball. But, how do you increase bat speed? There are two thoughts on the swing. Linear Mechanics vs Rotational Mechanics. Linear is a forward movement toward the ball. While rotational is a spinning movement. Happy Gilmore would […]
Double-Cut Relay Drill
The Relay Plus drill is an extension of the outfield relay. You can think of it as the double-cut except you will have them go back up the line of kids. You take four kids and space them out in one line. They need to be far enough to throw to each other. Then they […]
Wiffle Ball Drill – Hitting a Wiffle Ball with PVC increases Hand-Eye Coordination
Here is a Wiffle Ball Drill that you can use for your younger kids. It is one of those drills where you are trying to have them work with something that is more difficult than usual in order to make the real thing seem easier. The Wiffle Ball Drill will help refine the kids’ hand-eye coordination. […]
What is Staying Connected? The Engine That Drives the Baseball Swing
Staying connected is letting your whole body work together. Hence… Connected! Some say it is the engine that drives the baseball swing. But, the main message is that your legs, hips, and back are stronger than your arms. This article tries to describe the “Staying Connected” concept. One part I likes was when it finally broke down […]
4 Corners Drill Baseball
The four corners drill can be thought of as around the horn. Four players are positioned at each base and home plate and you have them throw it around in order. It can also be switched to go the other direction. You can also direct your kids to throw the ball across the diamond. As a baseball […]
3 Drills to help with Baserunning
This article has 3 drills to help with Baserunning. Base Stealing Drill All runners have to know how to react when they are given the signal to steal second or third base First Base to Third Base Drill Good base-runners can go from first base to third base on a base hit. Base Running Relay […]
4 Change-up Grips to Teach in Baseball
The change-up is a very effective tool for changing speeds as a pitcher. But, it is all in the change-up grip. You don’t want to teach your kid to slow down their arm speed, you want the change-up grip to do all of the work. [do action=”quote”]Don’t slow down your motion in order to make […]
How to take a First Base Lead – Base Running
There are different techniques to taking a first base lead. As the kids get older, they will need to be more careful. If the pitcher catches you leaning, they can zip the ball over before you know it. This article talks about 3 key points. Pay Attention How Far off the Bag? Proper Footwork Paying […]