Baseball Ideas

Most Recent Work

2011-11-03T10:23:00.000-07:00

Dear Readers:

Sorry for the long delay between posts. Here is an article that I authored that was included in the most recent Coaching Management (Baseball Edition) Magazine.

Look for more posts soon.....

Best,

Coach Kreber

An Assistant Coach's Perspective

Look at almost any successful baseball program and you will see a good head coach. Look behind those good head coaches and you will usually see a stable of assistants who work tirelessly to make the program the best it can be. At the same time, though, these assistant coaches are also trying to learn their craft and maybe even climb the coaching ladder.

It’s easy for a head coach to take these assistant coaches for granted. After all, a head coach has a roster full of players to think of, and assistant coaches can take care of themselves. But with a little bit of thoughtful care and well-timed words and actions, head coaches can turn their assistant coaches into valuable partners who grow and develop with the program.

As a long-time assistant coach who has worked under several head coaches with different approaches and styles, I’d like to share some of my thoughts on how head coaches can help their assistants better help them. Assistant coaches who feel valued are more likely to take the extra steps needed to make the program better, and thus help the head coach look better. Of course, as they develop and grow, some may leave the nest and take over programs of their own, but even this can help a head coach establish a legacy that extends beyond his own program.

Looking for Input

Every organization has a person at the top—the one who makes the final decision on the most important matters. These are the people held accountable for the organization’s success or failure. In baseball, this is the head coach. He is the one who faces the criticism after a loss or collects the glory after a big victory.

However, most head coaches don’t make big decisions by themselves. Each of the head coaches I have worked under had their own way of making decisions. Some valued their assistant coaches’ input more than others, but they all wanted to hear what their assistants had to say. Over my coaching experience, I have found that head coaches who truly consider on their assistants’ feedback and opinions generally make the best decisions.

Maybe it’s a matter of two heads being better than one. An assistant coach can see another side of an issue or recognize ramifications that the head coach couldn’t. Often the best solutions were a mix of ideas from the head coach and the assistants.

But even when a decision was made that I didn’t agree with, I always felt good if I believed my thoughts mattered. When the head coach listened to what I had to say, I figured they must put some significance into my opinion. Even when they completely disagreed with me, the simple act of listening created an atmosphere of respect.

That being said, assistant coaches may need help is seeing things from a head coach’s perspective. Early in my career, a common area of disagreement I had with my head coaches was roster selection. Tryouts are always a tense time for coaches. Working in a cold weather state, like Nebraska, spring baseball tryouts generally took place indoors, which is not optimal environment for properly evaluating players. Nevertheless, we were often forced to make roster cuts based off players’ indoor performances.

In addition to sometimes disagreeing on a player’s performance level, I found my basic philosophy to building a roster was in direct conflict with one of my head coaches. This very successful head coach believed in giving older players, especially seniors, the roster spot unless a younger player was clearly better. I, on the other hand, believed in playing younger kids with comparable ability.

In retrospect, my preference of playing younger kids instead of the more experienced players was easy to have as an assistant. I wasn’t the one breaking the news to a senior that he didn’t make the team and fielding calls from angry parents. I was oblivious to the fallout of these decisions. Once the head coach explained this to me, I was able to better help him with the preseason selection process.

Sharing Success

Fair or unfair, coaches are judged by their team’s performance during games. Wins and losses are the measuring stick for head coaches and assistants alike.

Although it’s not fair, the best head coaches share the credit, but take all the blame when things go bad. It is not equitable, but it is part of being the leader. One of the easiest ways to turn an assistant coach against you is to criticize him in public. As an assistant coach, I was always appreciative of constructive criticism from my head coaches, and I understood that I would be accountable for any mistakes I made. However, if a criticism was made in public, I would be left with no opportunity to defend my actions or ask questions that would help me learn how to avoid future problems. Head coaches who keep these discussions in private will earn and maintain the respect of their assistants. Those don’t will find themselves regularly looking for new assistants.

Conversely, when things go well, head coaches have a golden chance to publicly recognize their assistants. There are several occasions when a head coach I worked for mentioned my name during interviews with the local media, and they still mean a lot to me today.

One example occurred when our team performed well offensively. Our hitters banged out 15 hits, including four home runs, against a highly ranked opponent. When talking with a reporter after the game, the head coach explained that I had helped these players develop their swing technique to generate more power and force.

Another time while I was working as a pitching coach, our pitchers recorded three consecutive shutouts. In talking about these performances, the head coach emphasized they were due to my instruction and teaching methodology. He stressed my effectiveness as a teacher and thorough knowledge of pitching research and instruction.

On both occasions, I was surprised and flattered to see my name mentioned in print. These two examples inspired me to work harder and try to do my job at an even higher level. I also felt a stronger sense of loyalty to the head coach for putting my name out there. It might have just been a few words, but they went a long way to motivate me.

However it’s not just dealings with the media that matter. At the high school level, parental criticism is much more likely than media criticism to have an impact on a team or coaching staff. Writers or commentators rarely go after a coach’s job, but parents have been known to run for school board for the sole purpose of having a certain coach fired. In these cases, the head coach and the assistants must stand together.

Over the years, several parents have grumbled about my style and instructional methods. Some mentioned my rigid approach on discipline, while others have complained about the demanding practice schedule. To avoid disagreements, it might seem easier for the head coach to just go along with what a parent is saying, but effective head coaches need to combat these arguments head-on so there is no division within the coaching staff. I have no problem answering a head coach’s questions about how I do things, and I will make whatever changes he deems necessary. But I will always support my head coach when parents bring complaints (and believe me, they do) and I expect him to do the same for me.

The Personal Touch

There are stretches of time where coaches spend more time with their teams than they do with their families. But since coaching is only part of our lives, the demands of the family and jobs don’t go away during baseball season. Thus it is important for head coaches to develop personal relationships with their coaching staff. By getting to know their assistants, head coaches can understand what is going on in each coach’s life and how it could affect them.

How can managers develop these relationships? First, it is imperative for head coaches to at least know the names of each assistant’s wife and children. Next, there must be a level of understanding about where each coach is in his life. Are they buying a house? Getting their Master’s degree? Going to have a new baby? All of these things, and many more, could impact the assistant’s performance and are important for head coaches to know.

Getting together socially is another good way for a staff to develop relationships. When I was a member of one coaching staff, the head coach made sure that our families met the night before the team’s first practice to have dinner together. Since those practices took place early in the morning, it was a nice way to spend the evening before jumping into the season. These dinners gave us a chance to see how each family had changed over the last year. I was sad to see that tradition end as my coaching career changed course.

It’s also important to be prepared for life to suddenly get in the way of coaching and be understanding when it does. For example, several years ago, my wife had an emergency appendectomy just as the season started. Being so sudden, I missed several practices due to her surgery. On her second day in the hospital, to my surprise, she received a plant from our head coach. It is hard to express how thankful that small act made my family feel. I know my absence made his job more difficult, but that little gesture showed that he cared about me as a person, not just as a coach.

Promote From Within

As time moves along, a coaching staff seldom stays the same. As the dynamics of people’s lives change, so do their priorities. Some assistants move on to different positions while others may get out of the business altogether. When these things happen, head coaches must have a plan to fill the void. One of the best ways is by continually developing their assistants coaches and then promoting from within.

One natural way to help assistants grow and develop is by increasing their responsibilities as their experience and abilities grow. That way, as the coaching staff naturally turns over, there is a knowledgeable, capable replacement to transition efficiently into a new role. For me, this happened after my third season as an assistant. That’s when my head coach assigned me to create an off-season conditioning schedule and lifting routine. The task required me to research all the possible options and decide which one was best for our team. I had to review and revise the calendar several times before it was implemented.

The whole process helped me grow as a coach because it forced me to seek out information and explore new techniques. Also, it required me to be organized and thorough with small details. I remember being very excited and determined to create the best possible system. Successfully completing this project gave me a new confidence in my abilities and helped me as I took on additional responsibilities throughout my career.

Why is internal promotion a big deal to an assistant coach, even if it’s a different assistant who gets a promotion? First, it illustrates that the head coach has confidence in their abilities. And, if they perform with an increased level of proficiency, they, too will have the chance to move up to more advanced positions. Not only is an assistant’s motivation level elevated, but it helps to create a professionally rewarding environment.

Also, players benefit from continuity of instruction, especially if they have experienced success under a specific coach. If players are continually forced to learn a new system or teaching style when a coach leaves, it may upset their balance and flow of development. This can spell trouble in a baseball where player improvement relies on consistency and repetition.

Moving Out

Some assistant coaches enjoy their role and have no desire to become a head coach. Others aspire to run their own program down the line. While it may hurt to lose a trusted and experienced assistant coach, it behooves a head coach to help his assistant achieve his career goals.

First, their selection shows that people are impressed with an assistant’s philosophy, motivation, instructional methods, and values. These qualities are seen as a reflection of the head coach and his efforts to develop his assistants’ skills and attitude. The acorn usually doesn’t fall far from the coaching tree and administrators are often drawn to a certain assistant coach because of the head coaches he has worked with.

There also comes a point when it’s time for an assistant coach to spread his wings and fly out on his own. He may get restless waiting for his chance to become a head coach. Should he see his head coach as an obstacle instead of a helper in getting a head coaching job, resentment could begin to build. For many head coaches who have watched their assistants move on, it gives them a sense of parental-like pride to know they helped someone reach a career goal.

There are several other practical benefits to having assistant coaches move to the next level. First, it helps programs earn respect among its peers by producing leaders. Players and parents are drawn to schools with this type of reputation.

It can also help attract accomplished and capable assistants to the program. Assistant coaches talk to each other a lot, and if a head coach has a reputation of leading their assistants to the next level, it is definitely noticed throughout certain circles. Assistants who are looking for work often flock to these types of head coaches.

Helping an assistant with his career goals usually means supporting their candidacy for open positions and being willing to support them if they get a new job. However, sometimes the best career advice a head coach can offer an assistant is an honest appraisal of a job opening, even if the assistant doesn’t want to hear it.

Sometimes, assistant coaches get a feeling of just wanting to be the head coach somewhere, which leads to looking at jobs anywhere. However, getting stuck in the wrong spot has ruined a lot of coaching careers. When looking at a position, it is easy for aspiring head coaches to view things with rose-colored glasses. Veteran head coaches should give their assistants some straight talk about a program’s reputation and their positive or negative interactions with the school’s administrators.

Ultimately, assistant coaches are a reflection of their head coach. Their abilities and skills are dependent upon a head coach taking a personal and professional interest in their development. With that approach, there is a good chance that one day a head coach will look across the diamond to see a former assistant leading his own team and know his legacy will carry on even after he’s done coaching.

New Book

2011-07-05T18:31:00.001-07:00

I am finally finished writing and re-writing my first book. Please check it out on Amazon. The material is a little different than your traditional "coaching" book. Any coach looking for some new, fresh ideas should really check it out. There is lots of stuff on pitching velocity, bat speed, player development, and team concepts. It is jammed packed with workouts, practice schedules, and pictures to help any coach spice up their program.

A Blast From the Past

2010-09-03T10:38:00.000-07:00

Attention coaches looking for some off-season reading..... I found the gem that every coach needs in their library. It is called Baseball Coach's Guide to Skills and Drills by Danny Litwhiler. The former coach of Florida State and Michigan State wrote a wonderful book that was published in 1963 by Prentice Hall. I was walking through an antique shop in Kansas City, MO when this book caught my eye. I whole-heartedly recommend this book to coaches looking for out-of-the-box drills and practice organization techniques. It is awesome!

A Coaches Best Friend

2010-08-17T17:49:00.000-07:00

Two brothers , Mike and Sam Welsh, have come up with an answer to the question as old as America's Pastime, "How do you clean a dirty baseball?" They have created an innovative product that answers this question and them some - it doesn't just clean one baseball, it cleans an entire bucket of baseballs at one time. Their product is called "The Oyster" since it makes "pearls" out of dirty baseballs. The idea behind this product is to give teams across America the capability to practice like the pros while saving cash in baseball expenses. Its a win-win.

Since both Mike and Sam grew up with baseball in their blood, they understand the power of practicing with clean, white baseballs. Mike and Sam both started playing ball in Southern California in the William S Hart Pony League and they both played at Hart High School. Mike played at Hart High all four years, tuned his game at College of the Canyons for a year, then headed to Nicholls State University in Thibodeaux, Louisiana to be a starting Division I pitcher. Sam played one year at Hart High, then finished up his last three years at Coppell High School near Dallas, Texas, where he was on the 1995 Texas State Championship 4A team. He headed to East Texas and played SS/3B for Tyler Junior College for two years.

Since the glory days of playing ball, Mike and Sam continue to play organized baseball in various leagues off and on, but are now committed to creating baseball cleaning solutions. Mike and Sam created their Texas-based company, Between the Lines LLC, in 2009 and have been working hard with NDH Design to perfect The Oyster's design. NDHdesign is a full service industrial design company located in Texas that specializes in product design and development. The Oyster will be hitting the market in the Fall of 2010 with the hope to change the way teams practice, ultimately enhancing the game. Not to mention, saving programs cash in baseball expenses - we all know baseballs aren't cheap!
You can check out more information at www.baseballoyster.com and take a look at their blog at http://blog.baseballoyster.com/.

Playing Whiffle Ball: A Youngster’s Best Tool to Improve

2010-04-16T07:49:00.000-07:00

“Little Fenway” is probably the nicest whiffle ball field in the United States. Built in 2000, the field was constructed as a replica of the Boston Red Sox famous stadium. From pictures, the place looks absolutely awesome. The field, which opened on July 2, 2001, has been used by charities to help raise money for worthy causes. According to their website, the field has helped to raise almost 1 million dollars in charity donations.

Though many kids won’t get the chance to play at “Little Fenway” that should not interfere with their love of a long standing tradition….backyard whiffle ball. It is a game, played by family and friends, which has helped millions of kids fall in love with baseball. Not only that, but the game has helped propel players to pick up the small nuances that baseball has to terms of rules and regulations.

Baseball is a game that is peppered with rules. Playing whiffle ball help to assist younger players to learn the rules on the game. In their own backyard, players pick up the difference between a force or tag out. To start, they may even learn the simplest rule---what is a foul ball? These things can be tricky especially to someone new to the game. Baseball’s rules are complicated (aka…tagging up) so younger players have a large learning curve. Making mistakes in their own backyard provide kids with a safe, comfort zone.

Baserunning is another positive element of youngsters playing whiffle ball. Remember getting stuck in a pickle or having ghost runners? These learning tools are exactly what the kids need to make the game fun. Also, it let’s kids play without a full team letting them hit multiple times while running the bases. These adjustments help the game move fast, not allowing kids to get bored.

Moreover, playing defense against these baserunning situations require fielders to think quickly by mentally rehearsing the situation. Over time, players start to learn the difference between outs. They are able to read the spin and judge a flyball These real, game-like situations are the only methods that really encourage true development.

What about hitting? Developing proper swing mechanics is very important for young hitters. Whiffle ball participation allow players the chance to produce multiple repetitions at a varied ability level. All the characteristics of solid hitting mechanics should be incorporated like weight transfer, effective swing tilt, and extension into finish.

Pitchers may chose to pitch using an underhand or overhand delivery depending on the hitter’s skill level. Underhand pitching allows players time to incorporate good hitting mechanics. As players get more comfortable, an overhand style may be more appropriate. Using the overhand model, players receive less reaction time to the pitch making them swing harder and quicker at the ball.

In addition, older players may take on the challenge of varied speed pitching. Off-speed pitches are not part of basic hitting concepts, but more advanced levels. Also, pitchers may also choose to throw at multiple arm angles. Both of these methods greatly enhance a young player’s ability to learn some advanced hitting concepts.

Another major attribute backyard whiffle ball gives young players is there ability to handle failure. Baseball is a game immersed in failure where quality professional hitters only get on base 3 out of 10 times. One big concern at every level, especially youth baseball is how kids deal with striking out. Today, it is not uncommon to see helmets or bats thrown after a player strikes out. That type of behavior is not acceptable. Being able to handle failure should lead to improving overall sportsmanship concept.

Finally, being outdoors and having fun with friends naturally helps kids fall in love with the game. After everything is stripped away like techniques, mechanics, and rules having players love the game is the most important lesson these backyard games can teach. You are never too old to play!

Coach Rod Huff: A Great Resource for Youth Baseball

2010-04-07T06:44:00.000-07:00

Coach Rod Huff was published a great resource for youth baseball coaches through Coaches Choice, Inc. His book titled Coaching Made Easier gives coaches a clear and specific vision going into their upcoming season. I would highly recommend it for coaches out there looking to maintain their edge this season over the competition. In September, it was the #1 seller in its division on Amazon.com.

Here is a brief description of the book:

Coaching Made Easier: How to Successfully Manage Your Youth Baseball Team – A Step-by-Step Guide to a Rewarding Season, is the author’s labor of love for the sport of baseball in general and specifically the brave, volunteer coaches who stepped up to coach a team. Scheduled for release in August 2008, the book helps a coach maneuver through the season from the draft to the end of the year party.

Huff coached his son’s teams for eleven years. He started as an assistant for two years but was quickly asked to take a team as a head coach. Immediately after volunteering he went to the book store to find books that would assist him with this responsibility. What he found was a plethora of books on baseball instruction ─ books that taught general baseball skills such as hitting, pitching, etc. He was unable to find any books on what it actually takes to manage a team, the players, and the parents.

Through trial and error over the years, he developed an effective way to manage the process of coaching youth baseball teams and wished to share it with other volunteers who find themselves in this situation. His “system” was effective from a win/lose point of view but he also found the parents and players asking to be on his teams year after year. A testimony to his concern for his “team” - parents and players alike.

Author Rod Huff has two children and resides with his wife, Lisa, in Brentwood, Tennessee. His desire is to equip volunteer coaches with tips, tricks and ideas that will make everyone’s experience better. Coaching Made Easier can be ordered through Coaches Choice at www.coacheschoice.com or the number listed below.

Upcoming Posts

2010-04-01T11:11:00.000-07:00

1. The Mental Game of Baseball: Sharpening the Edge

2. Playing the Hot Corner: Tips for Third Baseman

3. Bullpen Work: Pitchers Staying Sharp

4. Keeping Fresh: Not Letting Down During the Hot Summer

5. In-Season Pitching: Sample Pitching Pamphlet

Teaching the Curveball

2010-03-26T05:59:00.000-07:00

As an experienced coach, I have always thought teaching the curveball has been the hardest pitch for players to master. Whether it be the arm slot, spin, or grip; the curve has been a challenge to teach. Players who come into high school having never thrown the pitch; seldom managed to perfect the vertical break a good curve possesses.

It wasn’t until I started giving structured lessons at a local baseball academy, that I got a clear picture on the skills needed to throw the breaking ball. After seeing a lot of players struggle with the pitch, I started having the players use the following sequence to master the curveball. Segmenting the movement, without slowing each action down, helps the body master the physical programming at actual game speed.

The process allows players to do the five things needed to throw a nasty breaking pitch. Three of the drills should be performed on flat ground; the final exercise should be done on the pitching mound. Here is the list:

- Create Maximum Top Spin

- Use Fastball Arm Action

- Incorporate Appropriate Leverage

- Release Producing Vertical Break

- Linear Finish in Proper Fielding Position

1. Two Knee Laydown Spinners: Players start on two knees with a 45 degree relationship between their shoulders and the target. With their throwing elbow raised to slightly below parallel with shoulder, players lay their forearm down on their bicep. With the forearm resting against the upper arm, the player should point their glove toward the target.

When ready, players extend the throwing elbow working on spinning the ball in a vertical fashion. Extension should occur at the highest possible point to help the pitching break in a 12-6 fashion.

2. Two Knee Arm Swing Spinners: Players start on two knees with a 45 degree relationship between their shoulders and the target. With their hands together, players wait to start the drill. When ready, players violently break their hands, starting a forceful downward swing of the arm.

As the arm circles past the pass the pitching ear, players incorporate the increased elbow flexion practiced in Drill #1. Passing through that position, players again try to release the pitch at the highest point. Releasing high encourages a larger break in the pitching due to increased gravity Pulldown.

3. Getting to the Kickstand: Players start with their lower body in a torque position. That is, with the pitchers glove toe facing the target while their shoulders stay back facing either first or third base (depending on which hand the player throw with). Also, like in Drill #2, players start with their hands together.

The drill, much like Drill #1 and #2, isolate the pitcher’s upper body. The legs are not used in this drill as well. On the hand break, pitchers explode the ball down trying to gain maximum momentum into the circle. Pitchers release out front, at the highest point, pulling the rear heel off the ground.

With the rear heel off the ground, the pitcher’s toe remains connected. This helps the pitcher maintain balance and stay in a straight line with the target. Getting a vertical break does require the pitcher to keep a linear relationship with the target. Many times, too many rotational movement increases the horizontal movement on the pitch.

After release, a pitcher’s rear shoelaces, belly-button, chest, and nose should be pointed at the target. Staying in a straight line with the target, pitchers encourage their arm to travel in a linear path producing proper up/down break on the ball.

4. Step-Behind Spinners: Players start with their feet and glove shoulder facing the target. With hands together, players take a step forward with their rear leg. The step should be behind the glove leg not in front (like a traditional crow hop). Stepping behind allows the player a chance to swing the glove leg open using their hips to throw the baseball.

During the linear step, the pitcher should tilt their glove shoulder up creating a teeter-totter effect. During the forceful lower body step, players should break their hands and circle the arm at an increased tempo.

With the lower body action, players should be able to throw harder than normal. This should help produce “fastball” type arm action. Keeping the same arm action allows the pitcher a chance to get the greatest amount of spin on the baseball.

5. Double Bounce Karate Chops: On the mound, pitchers assume a balanced position with their glove leg lifted parallel at the waist. With their hands together, the pitcher takes two small hops with their rear leg. Both of the hops should be straight up and down, so ground is not being gained forward. Instead, these hops should be used to build energy from the ground up.

After the second hop, players are “putting together” each movement practiced. That is why Drill #5 is performed last. Players should tilt the shoulders, circle the arm, provide flexion to the elbow, and release at the highest possible point. Also, the drill should provide pitchers with enough momentum to get enhanced action on their pitches.

Blind Guy Hitting: Check it Out!!!

2010-03-16T07:20:00.000-07:00

What is that old adage; seeing is believing, right? How many times has that been said over the years? I had always believed these old words until I saw firsthand the exception to the rule. For years, one Omaha man has been breaking every logical rule that common sense puts forth.

Mark Wetzel has been legally blind for a long time. He has almost no straight forward vision. Instead, he relies on his peripheral sight to help him navigate the world. With all these obstacles, someone would wonder how Wetzel has become one of the Midwest’s best hitting instructors. How on earth could this happen?

Tucked away in the hills of North Omaha, Wetzel hitting facility is definitely off the beaten path. Driving up the quarter mile path, hitters find posted messages sticking out of the ground on motivation, work ethic, and concentration. With two batting cages confined in an aluminum shed, Wetzel works his magic almost seven days a week.

Players are not just local; they come from all over the Midwest to seek his advice. Also, they vary in age from youth to professional. No kidding!! On some nights, it is likely to find a seven year old waiting for a lesson while a college player is getting instruction. The dynamics are crazy, but the message is clear: hitting is all about fundamentals.

Wetzel, who quit baseball as a teen once his sight started to go, was motivated to learn about hitting when his son started playing little league baseball. With bad vision, Wetzel would almost press his face against the television to view hitting tapes by all the professional instructors. From there, Wetzel would take the information and apply it to his son’s swing.

His son’s ability to hit improved rapidly. Soon, other parents began to notice how Wetzel’s son had progressed. Gradually, other players migrated to Wetzel’s house to learn new batting tips. By the season’s end, Wetzel’s team was setting league batting records at the delight of their parents.

That was just the start. In the following years, Wetzel’s business took off. Players from around the Midwest would drive in to seek Wetzel’s advice. Tony Gwynn, one of the game’s best hitters ever, has sought out Wetzel for swing guidance and instruction. Furthermore, Wetzel has served a variety of college and professional teams as a consultant.

On his website www.blindguyhitting.com, Wetzel’s most famous students are listed. Several have gotten chances to play professionally with one actually making it to the Major Leagues! Wetzel’s story is certainly amazing and shows that nothing can get in the way of someone who is determined to achieve a specific goal.

When the Going Get’s Tough; The Tough Get Going: Why Do Baseball Players Quit?

2010-03-11T09:51:00.000-08:00

I was doing a little research on the internet looking at local little leagues for my seven year old son. As a former high school baseball coach, one trend really struck a cord with me. Looking at the league’s tee ball/coach pitch section the teams numbered 13-15 per division. If each team consisted of 12-13 kids, that would mean almost 200 participants. For a local little league, I thought that was pretty good.

The league had a much smaller 13-14 year old division. That group only had two teams, a big difference from the first group of young kids. I was shocked; in the matter of 5-6 years, almost 85% of the kids quit baseball. I am sure some of these kids could have helped out their high school team someday, especially in the urban area where the league was located. What was going on that soured kids on the game?

I went to other league websites and they illustrated the same trend. By the age of 13, many kids were done with baseball. Why? Interested, I started to do a little snooping around. This was not scientific, but I started talking to some people to see what I could find out. Participation is vital in helping the game of baseball continue to grow.

One big roadblock for baseball is other sports, particularly football and basketball. With an abundance of summer camps, these sports lure participants away. Many feel guilty about missing summer games and practices so they decide to quit. Although their absence may frustrate coaches, these players need to be encouraged to continue playing.

In high school, many of these players realize that their athletism does not translate to success in basketball or football. Depending on the competitive level, both of these sports require athletes to be or adequate size and strength. What if any athlete stops growing? What if they can’t put on the bulk that is necessary for these sports? Having continued with baseball, their skills might be a better fit with better.

Having written on this subject before; improvement is imperative to getting kids to continue with baseball. If kids start the season not being able to catch; they better learn by the end. If not, they wouldn’t be back next year. If they chose to volunteer, coaches have a responsibility to their players to think of ways to improve their skills. Many times, traditional methods may not work with players. Coaches must look outside the box to help players refine their coordination, balance, and vision.

Boredom is another problem baseball was encountered. In some cases, the games and practices move slowly. Kids just stand around waiting for some action. Coaches need to find ways to speed things up. Having equipment set-up, enough adult assistance, and scheduled activities planned should help things move faster. Games are always an awesome way to keep kids involved in what is going on. If a coach becomes creative, they can use games to help teach any situation.

Self-image is another concept that coaches must be aware of when dealing with young kids. When players are young; they view themselves as great. No matter where their skill level is at. This naivety is awesome because kids go out in the yard pretend to be Ken Griffey Jr. or Derek Jeter. Sometimes, they even view their future profession as a “ballplayer”.

Here is example of how things may be taken a little too far at a young age. Last fall, I spoke to a neighbor whose son had not been picked for a league’s All-Star team. I think the kid was like seven years old. She said he always thought of himself as good; but now he didn’t want to play anymore. To make things worse, besides three kids, his entire team made the All-Stars. Wow, is that really an All-Star team?

During our whole conversation, I never told the lady I coached baseball or anything like that. I just listened to her story. After awhile, I began to wonder who else had story like this lady. Our conversation forced me to take time to analyze what she said from a coach’s viewpoint. Who was right; who was wrong?

Is 7 years old too young to start labeling kids “All Stars”? Is it more for the parents than the kids? How many other kids quit because of a similar situation? Finally, do these youth All-Star come out better when their careers are over? I pondered all of these questions as I thought about player development.

I remembered a unique article I read in the local paper about a year earlier. The story followed three successful Omaha pitchers. Each player had been cut at the youth level from the elite “select” teams. All three of these players ended up on the same team as young kids. The ironic twist to the article is that these players now pitch professionally in the Twins, Yankees, and Phillies organization. Even after being cut during their youth; these guys were the best at the end.

What does that mean? I am not real sure; obviously these kinds of examples are found on both sides. As an urban baseball coach, I shudder to think kids are being “run off” at such a young age; especially kids that could someday contribute to a HS program. On the other hand, if I’m a coach at a place where numbers aren’t a problem Darwin’s “Survival of the Fittest” mentality might be a better way to trim the fat.

In the end, I guess there has to be a happy medium where kids are allowed to failed but not be labeled a “loser” just because there slightly behind as a 5-6 year old. If it happens too much, baseball will continue to lose players to soccer and other youth sports that are more inclusive. As a fan, I desperately do not want that to happen!!

Making the Adjustment: Coaching College vs. HS Players

2010-03-03T11:32:00.000-08:00

This summer, after ten years of coaching high school baseball, I got a chance to coach a college baseball team in the summer. The squad consisted of players from multiple colleges migrating back to Nebraska for the summer. There ages varied with the oldest being a college senior. Much different from the 15 and 16 year olds I was use to dealing with.

To be honest, I was a little worried. Coming from the high school level, I didn’t know how my “act” would play. On the high school front, I was pretty regimented in the way my teams approached practice and pre-game. I was concerned some players would think my drills were childish or immature. They had never been used on older players; I was concerned about their effectiveness.

In the end, I was issued an excellent group of young men. So my initial worries fell by the wayside. These guys would have followed any instruction given to them, no matter how stupid. They did not challenge anything I offered about mechanics or instruction. In fact, they seemed far more interested than my high school kids.

More importantly, I got a chance to observe how other coaches did things. It was interesting to see how they interacted with their players, especially the more veteran coaches. The following are a list of C’s that I observed these coaches demonstrating while they were working with players:

• Confidence

The effective coaches displayed a lot of confidence working with players and implementing strategy on the field. By their body language, you could tell, they didn’t second guess game decisions like unexecuted bunts, runners getting thrown out, or missed scoring opportunities. Their disposition seemed to say,” We will get it next time.” You do not always see that type of coaching style at the younger levels.

• Communication

Talking to players was a major area of difference between the HS and college level. During the high school season, I was use to talking at players. During the summer, I noticed effective coaches talking “with” players. Also, in my observation, the older players did not respond well to coaches using a “talking at” style. That could be a result of not being their actual college coach. Nevertheless, the more mature level of communication the coach outputted; the better players responded to their message.

• Command

There is no concrete way to describe this attribute; it is totally subjective. I guess the best way to put it is that most veteran coaches have a “presence”. It is the way they carry themselves around the team, opposing coaches, umpires, and fans. No one matter happens, nothing can take them off their rhythm.

This was my biggest struggle when switching over to older players. A lot of it had to do with confrontation. It is a big difference jumping a 15 year old over running out a ground ball compared to a 21 year old. It takes some time to get use to. I feel like I got better at it; but still have a long ways to go to be comfortable.

Also, confrontation extended between other teams. As you know, baseball is a sport etched in respect. People get spiked, thrown at, and run over during a game. The coach has a split second to decide how to handle those situations. Was it on purpose? How should it be responded to? This part of the game is not tolerated at the high school level, but is a common occurrence at higher level. Coaches have to know what to do and be comfortable with these confrontations.

• Common-Sense

When emotion is used, a person’s ability to use logical thinking is compromised. You hear about people making stupid decisions out of anger all the time. Veteran coaches know how to separate emotion from their decisions. Also, they know how to communicate that to their players.

With so many one on one battles, baseball can present players with a lot of frustration. College players have a lot time and effort invested into each at-bat, fielding attempt, and pitch. Their reaction to failure in a one on one battle may be the difference between their successes next time.

I noticed the successful veteran coaches know when to approach a player after one of these incidents. They let the player "cool" down and are not confrontational about helmet throwing (when it's their own). These coaches understand players have real emotions when it comes to their performance. At the high school level, I understand why this cannot happen. Kids take things to far and are not able to contain frustration from becoming stupidity. Veteran coaches know their is a fine line and are successful because their kids don't cross it.

• Commitment

College players are very interested in baseball especially if they are willing to give up their summer. With that expectation, coaches need to be aware that baseball is their priority. Keeping that in mind, coaches need to match their energy level and dedication. At the high school level, this is not allows the case.

To successful veteran guys, being committed is second nature. It’s like putting on pants. These guys are comparable to basketball’s “gym rats”. They are always around… showing, discussing, and drills. It seemed to me, they always went the extra step to help players in the game. These guys never seemed to tire of baseball even in the summer’s intense heat.

Just a few things I noticed..................

Baserunning: Committing to it Everyday

2010-03-01T10:25:00.000-08:00

Special Note***Was not able to post the diagrams for this article. Please email me at gkreber@cbcsd.org for them if you are interested. Sorry for the trouble.

Baserunning is the most under practiced part of the game. It is kind of like special teams in football. Taken for granted, many coaches do not want to waste valuable practice time on things outside of offense or defense. The only time they really stand out is when something goes wrong. It is only then that coaches realize how important baserunning really is to the game.

Warming up athletes to start practice is an every day activity in high school sports. Usually coaches spend between 10-15 minutes on it each practice. The time may be spent constructively or not depending on the level of planning a coach puts into it. Some coach use the time to let players relax and ease into practice. Other coaches have the opposite approach.

I have found that using baserunnering as a warm-up kills two birds with one stone. First, it allows players to use a dynamic lower body warm up in a functional way. It stops the static stretching and meaningless form running. Secondly, done over time, it allows players the ability to increase their comfort level on the base paths.

Below are descriptions and diagrams of three baserunnering circuits my teams have used to warm up. Generally to start, the team will take two home run laps around the bases. Circling the bases, players jog at a 50% exertion level making sure each bag is touched. As players progress into the stages their exertion level should move to 75% finally reaching maximum effort.

There are several reasons to practice baserunner daily:

1.   Practicing transitions: During a play, there are several transitions players must make running the bases. First, they must get out of the batter’s box quickly. Secondly, they must accelerate through first base or use the proper footwork to align with second. From there, they must execute an aggressive rounding or running straight through. That is just on a single. With extra base hits there is even more to practice.

2.   Shortening the angles: Kids always find the easiest way; no matter what subject is being talked about. If they do something long enough, they seem to find a way to gain advantages. Baserunning is no different. As players practice, they should improve their ability to get from base to base. They will find a way to quicken their time from home to second or second to home. Their footwork on each base should improve helping them to create better angles. These angles help singles get stretched into doubles; something every coach loves to see.

3.   Body absorbing pressure and tension: In each of the stages, sliding is incorporated into the drill. Sliding is an activity rarely practiced by players. It is a dirty activity that does put a lot of stress and tension on the body. What a great activity for practice? Getting players use to that kind of shock to the body should eliminate all the small injuries players may acquire during the game.

Stage #1

The triangles at the plate represent two single file lines. After performing a swing, the inside group is running through the base, while the outside group takes a banana turn towards second base. Since it is the first stage, players are allowed to use several of their turns working up to full speed. Players are encouraged to perform longer strides, higher knee raises, and elevated heel action during their first few runs.

After being fully warmed up, players are expected to work on the below skills. Coaches are stationed on the first base line communicating to the outside runner on making a hard turn or taking second base.

Inside Group

Fluid transition from swing

Eyes up and arm relaxed

Accelerating through the base

Quick look to the right for overthrow

Outside Group

Fluid transition from swing

Eyes up and arms relaxed

Agile footwork in banana turn

No slow down when foot hits the bag

Stage #2

The triangles represent two groups again. On the mound, the coach serves as the pitcher. He gets into the set position. He will either perform a simulated pick off or throw to the plate. Baserunners work on reading his feet to produce the best possible jump.

The group at second base performs two shuffle steps, then breaking for third. They should practice both types of slides: head first or pop up. The first base group should be performing straight steals of second base. On the steal, players should practice a hook slide trying to avoid an infielder’s tag. The following skills are needed by both groups:

Second Base Group

Pre-Pitch Foot Movement

Eyes locked on pitcher

Accelerating through the base

Quick look to the right for overthrow

First Base Group

Adequate lead off

Eyes locked on pitcher

Aggressive right elbow throw

Quick crossover step

Stage #3

The triangles represent two groups just like in drills #1 and #2. In the third base box, the coach communicates for the runner to “tag up”. Once to the base, the runner should wait for the coach to say “GO!” At that, players race home accelerating through the plate.

The runner at first should advance to third base. When going into the base, players should practice a pop-up slide. Both baserunning groups should work on getting the best possible jump. The group at third base performs a tag up before racing to the plate. On the other side, the first base group runs out a simulated single to the outfield. Each group is required to slide into the advancing base. The following are skills needed by both groups:

Third Base Group

Pre-pitch walking lead

Eyes locked on pitcher

Agile move back to bag for tag

Strong push off third base toward plate

Acceleration through home

First Base Group

Swift first step

Seamless transition across second base

Fluid slide into third base

A Book to Add to Your Collection

2010-02-24T12:42:00.000-08:00

Attention Coaches:

Dr. Coop DeRenne, a University of Hawaii-Manoa professor, has written a book I storngly recommend. It is titled The Scientific Approach to Hitting. You get a "Sneak Peak" on-line through University Press. As many of you know, Dr. DeRenne is a pioneer in baseball research. His opinion is universally respected throughout the baseball community.

Topics to Cover in March

2010-02-23T12:10:00.000-08:00

I am trying to get back into the swing of writing articles for the blog. In the coming weeks, here are four topics I will try to cover:

1. The Best Baserunning Circuit

2. Throwing the Breaking Ball: A Work in PROGRESSION

3. Mark Wetzel: Omaha's Blind Hitting Instructor

4. Making an Adjustment: The Experience Being Around College Players

Coaching Confidential: Balancing a Family with Sports

2010-02-22T10:33:00.000-08:00

On T.V or in the newspaper, coaching looks so glamorous. Football and basketball does the best job of displaying these sharp dressed men leading their teams on the sidelines. A majority of time, they always look in control ready to handle the situation. These guys on T.V get paid millions of dollars, have a ton of power, and never walk into a place unknown. It looks like the good life; easy street. Underneath it all, I think you would find something to the contrary.

A hint to this theory came to light in the fall with Florida’s Head Football Coach Urban Meyer. Here is a guy that looked like he had it all after leading the Gator’s to National Championships in 2006 and 2008. Inside though, he was being torn apart. When he announced in December that he was taking a leave of absence from coaching, it was reported that his daughter responded by saying,” I finally got my Dad back!” Ouch!

This is just the most recognizable example. Everyday, thousands of high school coaches go to work leaving their families behind. They are usually forgotten about because their faces are not on T.V. But these guys put in the same amount of hours, giving up the same stuff, and exerting the same energy to no fanfare, cameras, or bright lights.

Their sacrifices are not reported, like Coach Meyer’s, but still very real. What Coach Meyer’s daughter said about her father probably resonates with every coach at every level. People cannot be two places at once, no matter how hard they try. Being pulled in two directions is a tough and takes a toll on relationships. There is no other way around it.

Being a high school football and baseball coach, I understand the mixed emotions coaches struggle with internally. With a couple babies at home; it was a little easier to leave. With a lot of naps and limited mobility, kids were low maintenance. During that time, my wife at least got some time to herself. Now with three mobile children at home, it is a lot harder to leave. With every practice or game at school, leaves a missed moment at home.

I think baseball coaches have it worse compared to the other sports. Football, on the high school level, has only a nine week regular season. Obviously, there is preseason, daily practices, and off-season work, but nothing like baseball. Basketball is a little worse with 20-25 games, but what really goes on in the winter anyways. No baseball takes the prime dates away from people in the spring and summer. With at least 40-50 games to set-up and tear down, the time commitment is unbelievable.

How can coaches manage to pull this off without seeming like a deadbeat husband and father? Over the years, I have made many mistakes on this front. I have given far too much time to other people’s children beside my own. Recently, I have gotten a lot better with managing time. This are some key changes I made to help me keep a personal and professional balance.

- Morning Workouts

What does your family have going on at 6AM? I don’t know about you, but my family is fast asleep. You want to stop feeling guilty about practice, start having it in the morning. These are a great way to have the afternoon free to pick up the kids. Obviously, this won’t work during the regular season. But in the off-season, it is a nice alternative to coming in during the prime evening hours.

Moreover, kids learn the value of waking up. Having to get started early, they must learn to prioritize things like homework, part-time jobs, and friends. Players must be organized, so they are not late for the workout. Furthermore, by getting their workout done before school it energizes them as they walk into first period.

- When It’s Over; It’s Over

A major problem for me is having practices that last forever. Because of the teams I coached there was always just,” One more…” We had to do everything extra from hitting to baserunning to defense. After that, then it was pitching; an entire practice itself. By the time I got home, dinner was put away and the kids had their pajama’s on. Something had to change.

The first thing I started to do was stick to the schedule. If a certain drill was scheduled for five minutes, that’s how long it lasted. There were no exceptions. At first, it was a little weird but it really helped the tempo of practice. The entire team’s focused sharpened as well. I think, just by taking this little step, our development improved because we stopped drilling everything to death.

Also, I moved from predominately individual drills to a more team centered practice. Groups of outfielder and infielders were mixed up, often practicing sequenced events with multiple throws. In the past, our teams usually split up between outfielders/infielders. It was easier, but didn’t make us any better. By changing the groups, the kids got to practice a lot more situations that required several positions making plays.

At the end of practice, our team use to meet to gain a sense of closure for the game. Sometimes, these meetings would take a while as I would drone on about the practice and upcoming games. No one was getting anything out of these “talks”. It dawned on me when I heard a quote from Bobby Knight, the Hall of Fame college basketball coach, who said,” The Gettysburg address lasted three minutes; I have nothing to say more important than that!” That quote helped me put a lot of things in perspective.

- Being Honest about Time

I don’t know about you, but I always struggled with getting home when I told my wife. If practiced lasted until six; I would often be home at 7:30. I found myself flying through intersections to try and beat the clock. It just never worked.

My wife would get frustrated because I was always late. Evaluating the situation, it occurred with me that I wasn’t being honest with her. If I told her, “Home at six” but my practice scheduled ended at six it was going to be tough to make it. I knew it sounded better than,” Home at seven” even though I knew I couldn’t make the six deadline.

After several years, this process drove my wife crazy. So I decided to be more honest. If we needed time at practice; I told her. That way, she could plan for it. The only rule was if I told her a time; I had to stick with it. It was only fair. The method alleviated a lot of the tension my tardiness caused. Plus, the guilt I felt about being late was lifted as well.

- Let’s Sleep on It

When I first started coaching, problems always had to be decided NOW! There was no tomorrow. Arguments, punishments, and disagreements were all to be solved and administrated immediately. Looking back, I was really stupid. Not only did this arrangement cause me to react emotionally but also didn’t allow me to attack things intelligently.

Many times, I wish I could go back and change the way I handled certain things. That seems to be a pretty common thing in coaching. These rash decisions, not only impacted the team, but my family at home. Countless nights I would spend on the phone talking with parents explaining a stupid situation that could have been avoided. Though, after awhile, I began to wise up.

Taking time “sleep on it” allowed me to think things through. It took all the emotion out of the response. Also, it stopped the “Coach screamed at me” nonsense that the players went home telling their parents. Furthermore, it also allowed me to give them a sense of future consequences for their actions. The phone calls stopped and night time was a little more peaceful.

- Leave it at the Field

When I first got into the profession, like every other coach, I lived it 24 hours a day. I thought it, dreamed it, and talked it all day long. Sometimes, after practice, my assistant coaches would call me at home to talk about it so more. It was never ending. My family got sick of it. Personally, I think my son almost didn’t want to play.

I had to find a way of letting go of baseball when I left the park. It was hard, especially after a close loss. No one at home cared either way. Our three children needed to be fed, changed, and put to bed no matter what the score. It was definitely a reality check; big time.

The best way to forget things, I have found, is to jump into whatever is going on at home. Participating in games, helping to cook dinner, or refereeing arguments are all things that are in my “world” at home. I am sure that is true for everyone. Most times, my kids do not even ask who won the game. That really puts things into perspective. In about ten minutes, the game is fuzzy, while life buzzes around me. The next game is only 24 hours away, let’s keep it there…..

Lonely Days: Managing a Team Solo

2010-02-17T12:20:00.000-08:00

If you survey coaches from almost every sport, boys or girls, I would bet my lunch money on what they would say is most enjoyable about coaching. That’s easy; it is the relationships. Not just with the players, but their fellow coaches on staff. That is the “good stuff” about coaching behind the homeruns and no-hitters. These relationships often grow through the off-season and many times a long-standing friendship develops.

Making a commitment to a team, coaches spend a lot of time together in preparation, practice, and while competing in games. If it is done correctly, a strong bond should grow between the coaching staff. It is only natural. After awhile, coaches count on each other to offer guidance in making important decisions about strategy, discipline, and techniques. The solutions to these issues are always better when different perspectives are provided.

What happens when a coach has to drudge through the season alone? Who does he look to for answers? How does he organize practice? Will players still be able to develop? In 2009, I got a chance to coach a junior varsity team by myself for almost the entire spring season. In this article, I will share the lessons I learned from the experience. Also, I will offer some insight in making the most of the situation.

1. Making Decisions

When you are alone, making decisions can be tough. On a coaching staff, there are different perspectives and thoughts. These different viewpoints help to shape any of the team’s decisions. When you do not have these voices in the decision process it is hard to know if you made the right choice.

Everyone needs a sounding board, someone to talk to during the rough times. Without an assistant coach last year, I used my wife as a voice of reason. Her perspective became invaluable to helping me dealing with issues. She applied a lot of common sense that people too close to an issue cannot see.

After hearing her opinions, it dawned on me that using people outside of the baseball “bubble” is a good thing. Being teachers, coaches have an endless supply of colleagues to seek out for advice. These people bring a wealth of knowledge to the table to regards to dealing with kids.

2. Organizing Practice

Without an assistant coach, having an organized, productive practice is not easy. I struggled with it a lot during last season. Many times, kids are in areas that are not totally supervised. Therefore, a lot of responsibility falls into the hands of the players. Coaches have to make sure these players know the proper effort, concentration, and conduct required during each practice station.

Staying focused on the littlest detail is one lesson coaching alone taught me. Practice had to be set-up just right before activities started. If not, practice could get extremely off-course. Once they get out of rhythm, players had a hard time getting back in the groove. By being alone, I had to account for the time before practice to adjust materials and areas so they could be supervised from a central location.

Another good thing about practice, when coaching by alone, is the incorporation of live game situations. Without several coaches, it is hard to work on traditional position work like massive amounts of groundballs and flyballs. Instead, coaches must use multiple positions at once to run a drill. Otherwise, there is a lot of standing around by the non-used players. Therefore, each batted ball requires several positions to execute catches, tags, and throws.

3. Promoting Development

How could coaches promote development when the player to coach ratio is 15 to 1? With these circumstances it would seem like players should worsen with a lack of supervision. How could a player possibly improve in this kind of environment?

One particular instance that came to light was not having a first base coach. At first, players were very uncomfortable without a coach in the box telling them exactly what to do. Some even got pickoff on a good move by the pitcher or catching throwing from behind. Over time, players were forced to be more aware of the game’s details. Did they really need a coach to yell,” Back!” when the pitcher picked off? Or was the coach just a crutch for them not to think for themselves?

4. Discipline

With only one coach to administer discipline there is no “Good Cop, Bad Cop” roles to be played. Often a coaching staff might balance themselves out; having a few coaches on staff that kids may feel more comfortable around. With just one guy coaching the team; it isn’t like that.

It is easy to react rashly when you are by yourself, especially when a player has done something to anger you. There is no one else there to calm the situation and offer differing opinions. Coaches must be careful not to overreact to a situation without first taking a step back.

To combat acting irrational, coaches should not make any decisions for 24 hours. Giving a situation a little time helps both parties experience a period of “cool down”. After that, coaches should be able to make decisions based on merit not anger. Believe me; it is hard to resist reacting immediately to a player’s bad decisions. But, taking time to think things through is always the best practice when it comes to the team.

5. Staying Sane

This is probably most difficult of all the categories. Being around kids without any adult interaction is mentally draining. There is no one to joke with, talk to, or bounce ideas off. You can feel isolated and alone. To combat these negative feelings, coaches must open up and create some mature relationships with their players.

For some coaches, including me, this can be very scary. Over the years, it has been difficult for me to open up to players about things. During this experience, I was forced to show a different side of myself. I had to drop some of my defenses and let the kids participate with their own successes.

For one, I started to let the kids throw their own batting practice. That was a big step for me. Also, I let the players lead their own warm-ups and stretch time. In the past, I was always in the outfield keeping things moving along. With all the pre-game duties to complete, I could not be two places at once. I had to let these small things go. It was rough at first, but soon things ran smoothly. The kids, after a rocky start, got on board and did a nice job. Though the experience was always on the verge on teetering out-of-control, it definitely made me a better coach!

Using the Bare-Hand...

2010-02-08T12:53:00.000-08:00

Being a father of a seven year old, I have found catching the baseball is the most difficult skill for players to become proficient. For some, it is down-right scary. Hitting and throwing are the easiest part of the game. That actually surprised me; I would have predicted hitting to be the hardest for a kid to master.

When you think about catching there are so many kinds of plays it may make your head spin. There is the basket-catch, palm-up catch, line drive catch, or the backhand catch. Hikes! At least hitting is straight forward: see the ball, hit the ball. It seems profoundly easy to a youngster compared to the variables of catching.

No matter how old they are or how they catch, every player needs to have hand strength. Younger kids, especially, need to have the power to get their glove closed at the point of contact. Older kids might choose to lift weights, squeeze tennis balls, or develop their forearms. All of these activities provide to a player’s strength to closing their hand.

Younger kids have a more difficult task. Weights are too heavy; they need a realistic approach to improving hand and finger strength. Having kids catch the ball with their bare “glove” hand is a good way to help develop the hand power needed to catch the ball.

Recently, I have started to experiment with this method. My son, who is very small for his age, uses a Decker Sports Training Glove. The glove is significantly smaller than a regular glove so he must squeeze his hand to make a catch. If not, the ball bounces out of the glove onto the ground. He has learned to use two hands on the catch, but some balls simply take him out of position to use both hands.

We use a cushioned ball when we play bare-handed catch. Since we started, he seems to have more control of his glove when we switch back. Obviously, bare-handed catch not only works strength but hand/eye coordination as well. Try it out for a few weeks and let me know if it makes a difference.

Why Every Baseball Player Should Play 1 Year of Football

2010-02-05T08:25:00.001-08:00

1. Toughness
Ask anyone; nothing is tougher than football two-a-days. Set in the middle of August, players are asked to dedicate almost eight hours of their day to practice. Armed with ten pounds of gear, players sweat and strain twice during the day running and tackling each other at top speed. The energy a young person must extend is very taxing.

If a baseball player has prepared like this; the start of spring or summer practice should be a piece of cake. There is nothing that can compare to the start of football. Not only that, but the competitive edge over teammates without that experience should be huge!

Competing in a challenging environment that puts great physical demands on players should improve their toughness over time. Displayed in a player’s make-up, this inner-toughness should help players overcome situations that require extreme concentration and focus.

2. Pressure
One simple question,” When is the last time 9,000 people showed up for a high school baseball game? The answer might be never. Getting baseball players out for football mean they perform in front of large crowds. It almost every case, the audience will be 100 times larger than their baseball games draw. Don’t get defensive baseball coaches, it’s a good thing!

If a baseball player is used to a playing in front of a large crowd, a baseball game should be no sweat. Being comfortable in front of the crowd, is a great asset to have as a performer. Many times, crowds make people nervous especially players without a lot of experience. Being able to feel a sense of calm should help elevate a player’s performance in crunch time.

3. Weather
Football starts in August and runs through October. For the lucky teams, their season is extended through November. These months present very different types of weather. August is hot, while October can be very cold. In between these months, Mother Nature may throw some curveballs. This year, the Midwest received snow in early October before Halloween.

Rain and wind is also a problem. There are no “rain outs” in football unlike baseball. The show must go on whether there is a constant downpours or a light mist. Players must learn to handle a wet ball, planting on a slick surface, or adjusting to a ball moved by the wind.

Competing in these types of conditions may be hard but learning how to handle them has long-term benefits. When properly conditioned, players should be able to look past a little cold or rain sprinkles to get the job done. So many times, kids without different athletic experiences get so distracted by little things like weather.

Baseball players are spoiled not being forced to play in the rain or freezing weather. Their playing conditions are much better than football; it would do them good to get a taste of “football weather” experience. It also would provide some perspective on what kind of weather is considered bad.

This may seem like a small thing; but games can be won or lost if players get unnerved by less than optimal conditions. Having a football background should help baseball players adjust to these types of obstacles.

4. Playing Through an Injury
With the physical demands football places on players it is only natural for there to be injury. Like other sports, football gets its share of serious injuries like concussions and broken bones. More often though, players simply get bumped and bruised more than any other sport. Likely these are the results of numerous falls, tackles, and collusions. Players in football really do take a beating.

Being able to play through pain is vital in football, along with other sports. In baseball, it is important as well. Just because baseball lacks the consistent contact football enjoys does not mean it is less taxing. Ask any Major League after the regular season. It its own way, baseball is just as demanding physically.

For instance, some amateur players play 4-5 games a weekend. Playing a schedule of consecutive games naturally causes the body to break down. If a baseball player has been through the rigors of football; they should be able to handle this type of muscle soreness and fatigue. Not only physically, but the mental-side as well not letting the body’s nicks and scratches interfere with their will to win.

5. Intensity
Because of its physical nature, football is a game that is played with fire and attitude. If you don’t believe it, watch a kickoff team’s huddle before the game’s first play. Players have to be pumped up to bang heads for two hours. If not, they are going to get run over by the competition.

Baseball, with its slower pace, is not so externally intense. The game has a more internal focus. Instead of breaking up a pass or sacking the quarterback, players must be ready to hit a curve ball or track down a long flyball. Both of these baseball actions take the same amount of intensity as the above football plays.

Having a football background allows players to understand how intensity works in regards to output. Taking that kind of attitude into baseball should help generate a player who performs harder and is not afraid to get dirty. These kinds of attributes are hard to find in a player who hasn’t played a down of football.

6. Practice
I stand by the fact, that if done correctly, football practice is more difficult than baseball. It should be; there is no tackling in baseball. Going through a season of football should give baseball players perspective on what effort, endurance, and intensity really looks like.

Sometimes, baseball players take their sport for granted with the cushy conditions and leisurely pace. Also, starting the athletic calendar off with football, baseball players should be in a good place once baseball starts. They should be able to fall right back into the practice/game routine without any transitioning problem.

7. Game Planning
Baseball is a game played in bunches totaling as many as 40-50 games. The high school football regular season is much shorter usually lasting a total of 9 weeks. In baseball games are played in consecutive nights; unlike football where games are played once a week.

For baseball coaches, game planning is difficult. Many times, coaches may not do anything different from game to game. Simply put, the coach does general activities to get their team ready, but does not specifically go through an opponents pitching or hitting tendencies.

That is the opposite of football. Players and coaches spend hours dissecting an opponent’s tendencies and weaknesses. They review all week on the opponent. Prepared teams may be able to identify team’s plays simply by their formations.

Having this background, baseball players benefit greatly. Even without their coach, players can study opponent’s pitchers, hitters, and defense looking for weaknesses. Also, baseball players should be more observant to certain tendencies that happen in the game with a football experience.

8. Handling Emotion
Football is a game played with great emotion. There are screams, pumped-fists, and even tears. It is drive by adrenaline where one player tries to take down another. Often, players struggle at keeping their emotions in check letting their actions spill past the whistle. Teams are effected by out-of-control emotions; getting penalized during important moments of the game.

Baseball is not played like football. Tense in football, players must be relaxed in baseball. Playing with tense emotion hinders a player’s ability to move fluidly while swinging, throwing, or fielding. It is a fine line because players cannot be emotionally dead, but they cannot be hopped-up either.

With a football experience, baseball players should be able to play relaxed but with the passion coaches love. They should be able to channel their emotions in a positive way giving them the extra energy to snag a deep flyball or perform a hook slide to avoid a tag. Their emotions should provide an enhanced awareness of the game and its details.

9. Teamwork
Football is called a “brotherhood” where players are challenged to protect each other. It is a game that bonds players together for a lifetime. These ties allow players to look past individual accomplishments and focus on the larger team goals. In football, the play is only going to be successful if all 11 men do their job.

Baseball is different. There are many individual performances during the game. Offensively, almost every play is a one-on-one opportunity where the pitcher battles the hitter. It is not 11 vs. 11 like football. With so much individual play, it is easy to lose track of the team concept especially if the game is not in question.

Participating in football, which highlights team play, is a great tool for players. First, it illustrates to them that teamwork is important. Also, it provides coping skills for players to use when their teammates struggle. They need to know how to pick people up rather than letting them toil in the dumps. Remember, teams are only as good as their weakest link.

10. Confrontation
With all the other details being equal, meeting confrontation head on is the most important skill football provides baseball players. In baseball, you have to be fearless. Think about it; standing in the batter’s box trying to hit a ball thrown sometimes close to 90 MPH at your head. That is crazy.

How do you get that courage? Are you born with it? Many people believe you are; but I think it can be developed. Here is a courage developing football situation, try looking up to catch a punt with three guys running full speed right at you. That definitely takes courage, especially since you know that those guys are going to nail you.

Performed on a regular bias, players should develop a “no-nonsense” attitude. There are other football examples. What about colliding 50-60 times a game against an offensive lineman weighing close to 300 pounds? That takes some courage. These football situations could go on and on.

The bottom line is football should help put a little “chip” on a baseball player’s shoulder. These are the players that are not afraid to call a ball, collide with a fence, or flinch at a nasty curveball.

Velocity: How Low Can You Go?

2010-02-03T10:27:00.000-08:00

The upstairs pitch may be the hardest for the hitter to lay off, but it is the softest on the radar gun. Last night during my Velocity Training course at Omaha's Strikezone Baseball Academy (Omaha, NE), the class was getting their "Mid-Term" exam meaning the radar gun measured each player's throwing speed.

Sitting behind a protective net, I clocked pitch after pitch. Every pitch upstairs was slower than the pitches down. In my unscientific observation, I bet the difference was 3-4 MPH. I had the pitchers aim lower and their scores improved. One pitcher went from 79-83 MPH.

After the drill, I recounted a Roger Clemens book I read where he retold the story of the time he hit 100 MPH on the gun. I believe this took place in 85' or 86' well before any claims were made about steriods. He explained how his hardest pitch thrown had been a ball that skipped to the catcher.

It does make sense; after you dissect the action. If the ball is down, the pitcher did a few things correctly when talking about force production. First they delayed release letting the nature timing of the lower body happen. Next, they used all their available momentmum. Finally, they delivered the ball as close to home as possible. All three of these aspects help improve radar gun scores.

So when Leo Mazzone says the best pitch in baseball is the low and away strike; it might also be the fastest.

An Effective Game

2010-01-28T07:13:00.000-08:00

A quick example of a game that really helped my son to concentrate playing catch (I think). Like the game of H-O-R-S-E in basketball; we swtiched it to C-A-T-C-H in baseball. Throwing the ball back and forth any dropped balls resulted in a earned letter.

Once he mastered catching (getting the glove turned over took a while) the game got more competitive, using pop-ups and short hops. You could bobble the ball, but it couldn't touch the ground. I never used it with a group but one-on-one it helped make things exctiting.

Try it out. Tell me what you think............

2009: The Year I Stopped Throwing BP

2010-01-22T12:46:00.000-08:00

In late May of 2000, I was on a flight to Newark, New Jersey for my cousin’s wedding. At the time, I was 23 years old and just situated into my first coaching job. We had just completed our high school spring season with a 3-9 record. The summer season was due to start in June and judging from our record we had some work to do.

On the flight, I sat next to a baseball coach from South Carolina. He was a nice man who loved to talk about the game. During our conversation, he mentioned that his team just completed their best season in recent memory. I asked him the details around their success, back then my “toolbox” was empty. His first sentence stunned me,” I stopped throwing batting practice!”

As a first year coach, I was floored. How could someone let their players throwing batting practice? I couldn’t trust our players to pick up the bases after practice, let alone, prepare each other’s swing for competition. Didn’t this guy know that coaches had to make sure strikes were thrown, time was not wasted, and players got a certain number of swings? I began to think this guy was nuts.

He continued with his story. “Instead of the batting cage, we used the field; the kids threw off the mound to each other.” I just about fainted. My pitchers couldn’t throw strikes in a game; batting practice would take forever if they were in charge of it. How could you not use the batting cage? Isn’t that where hitters are made? I shut this guy out completely. He must have a bunch of all-stars on his team; no one else could just the kids throw and be good.

The plane eventually landed and we both went separate directions. Being a know-in-all young guy, I brushed off what the coach had said knowing it couldn’t possibly work for me. That season, under intense coaching supervision and detailed scheduling, my team experienced great success. My methodology was reinforced; I knew how to do things!!
In 2009, nine years later, I was in a different situation. For my entire coaching career, I detailed how my teams would get swing repetitions in practice. There would be soft toss, tee drills, and cage work. Players would see coach thrown batting practice everyday, either by me or an assistant. It was organized, orderly, and controlled. Nothing like an actual game; where things are free-flowing and independent.

Last year, though, things had to different. With only one coach for my entire team, I could not be the only one to throw batting practice. Plus, my arm had not been the best. It could not handle a season of 200-250 throws per practice. That’s when I thought of the old coach, who I sat next to on that flight in 2000. The light bulb went on, instantly.

So our batting practice changed. Having an available portable mound, we moved it into the batting cage. Along with the cage mound, our team used the practice field mound. Outdoors, with two mounds, our players took batting practice off live pitching every practice. When the weather turned bad, the mound was moved indoors and live pitching was thrown in the gym. Being in Nebraska, the weather was quite cold early in the season.

Hitters would be given about 5-10 minutes with each pitcher often seeing 50-60 pitches per practice. The pitcher would throw from the wind-up and set positions, mixing in change-ups and breaking balls. Depending on their location, hitters would take 35-45 actual swings. A far cry from the previous practice of players getting 80-100 swings in drills and short cage work.

The results……………. Well let’s just say at 32, I was a much better listener than 22. Age definitely makes you smarter. Of course, the ole’ coach’s advice worked as our team produced 35 extra base hits in only 16 games. Also, our walk to strike out ratio was 2:1. An unbelievable statistic if you would have saw batting practice our first day. More importantly our record was 9-7. Not too exciting, but compared to a 0-16 mark these players had a freshman a truly great improvement.

So coaches, learn from my mistakes. Take a deep breath and loosen the reins. Let the kids throw. Make sure they stay on task, but make every practice a head to head battle. Not only did our offense produce but our pitchers performed so much better as the year progressed. It was awesome to watch. Moreover, the kids had fun doing it. They loved throwing against each other; it helped make practice enjoyable. Begrudgingly, I admit now that watching five REAL pitches (not even swinging) in the batter’s box is better than 50 meaningless cage swings. If you don’t believe me; ask that guy from South Carolina……………………..

Topics for 2010

2010-01-20T07:40:00.000-08:00

The following are some topics I am going to explore in 2010. If there is any other specific topic you want covered; feel free to contact me. The only way a coach gets better is to share and hear fresh, creative ideas. Keep them coming and I will post'em!

1. 2009: The Year I Finally Let Players Throw BP

2. When the Going Gets Tough; the Tough Get Going: Why do so Many Players
Quit?

3. Why Every Baseball Players Should Play One Year of Football!!!!!

4. Lonely Days: Managing a Season with Just One Coach

5. Coaching Confidental: Balancing a Family with Sports

Extra Innings in Sioux City, Iowa

2010-01-20T07:34:00.000-08:00

For any Iowan or Nebraskan out there; I wanted to let you know about a new indoor baseball academy that opened last month in Sioux City, Iowa. The name of the place is Extra Innings. It is run by the former head baseball coach at Spalding University in Louisville, Kentucky. He has moved to Sioux City where is wife gained new employment. He is one of the best coaches in the Midwest and Sioux City is lucky to have him. Check out the website at www.extrainningssc.com

Rory Jackson - Owner/Instructor
Phone - 712.226.2255
Email - rjackson@extrainningssc.com

GO CHECK IT OUT!!

A Long Absence

2010-01-19T07:38:00.000-08:00

I am sorry for the long absence away from the blog. I have been working on two projects:

1. A book for Coaches Choice, Inc entitled A Coaches Guide to Developing Baseball Players. When I first started I never knew it would be such a project. Right now, I am in the process of re-shooting three chapters worth of pictures. In my book proposal, I thought it would be around 200 pages. Turns out, 320 pages, over 200 pictures, and 100 diagrams (before offical editing). With no ghost writer, a full and part-time job, and three children it has been a long process. It will be done soon.

2. Also, I have been working on a DVD entitled Achieving the Dream: A Quest for 90 MPH. I have been working on this, since 2004, with a highly linked paper floating around on the internet. The paper, which has changed a lot since its publication in Collegiate Baseball Newspaper, has grown into a throwing program which I have used for the last 5 years. The DVD should be finished in the next month. Email me if you are interested in purchasing the material. I have no price yet, but it should be reasonable.

I should be a regular poster from now on. It feels good it be back. I have missed writing on this blog and hearing from others on their approach to coaching baseball.

Controlling Team Behavior: A Coach's Never Ending Challenge

2008-11-20T07:36:00.000-08:00

Planning practices, game preparation, player motivation, and parent communication consume much of a coach’s schedule throughout the year. Feeling the pressure to win; coaches emphasize strategy and motivation because they are looked at as key ingredients to being successful.

Upon further examination, many find team behavior and attitude just as important as game prep and practice planning. Some argue that behavior and attitude may be the central factors in helping a team achieve their potential.

Detrimental player behaviors fall into two separate groups: aggressive and passive -aggressive. Aggressive players try to gain assertiveness by outwardly disagreeing with teammates or coaches. When these players do not agree with a new concept introduced, they verbally and visually express their frustration. These players use words and actions to get their way. By disagreeing openly, these players try to display their power over teammates and coaches. Many times, these players use profanity and physical confrontations to handle conflict situations.

Passive aggressive refers to the second group of negative behaviors. These types of players try to gain assertiveness through ignoring or undermining teammates and coaches. These players fail to confront others over disagreements and instead work behind the scenes to harm other’s ideas, reputations, and plans. Passive aggressive behaviors are difficult to identify because most take place in private.
Both types of behaviors are prevalent in players of all ages. If not dealt with appropriately, these behaviors can be extremely distracting to teams trying to reach the next level of achievement and performance.

One bad apple can ruin the whole bunch…….

A famous artist once said,” A masterpiece is created not by what someone chooses to put into a picture; instead it is created by what one chooses to leave out.” This quote is as relevant to sports as it is to art. Coaches must choose their teams carefully. Teams must have good talent to win games, but coaches must examine the big picture when evaluating who is going to make their final roster.

In education, there is the teacher created 10-80-10 Rule on classroom achievement. The rule states that 10% of your class will follow expectations given at the beginning of the year. Another 10% will not follow any direction given the entire year. The largest group, totaling 80%, will fall somewhere in the middle.

Even though these rules are not scientific, they generally turn out to be true. Coaches should consider this formula has they select a roster or starting line-up. If there are too many of one subgroup, the team will drastically be affected. Imagine increasing the roster’s worst attitudes from 10% to 20%. How would that affect the team? Remember as the middle group decreases, the more influence the top or bottom tier players gain. An entire team can be pulled down if coaches do not balance positive and negative forces inside their ball club.

While considering these options, coaches must knowledge the fact that talent impacts winning. That is why coaches cannot disregard all their talented players, even if they exhibit negative behaviors. By balancing a team’s attitude, not only do peers serve as examples for negative players, coaches can work more closely with high-risk players. By giving them individual attention, coaches have time to build relationships with these players

Does it have an affect game performance?

A coach is judged on whether their team wins or loses. Sadly, that is the bottom line in today’s athletic environment. Based on my perspective, I definitely stand behind the fact that a player’s mentality determines the majority of contest outcomes. For me, one personal example I could share occurred three years ago:

“While coaching a 16 and under American Legion baseball team I encountered a player who displayed both aggressive and passive aggressive behavior. He was the team’s most talented player. After striking out, he would throw his bat and helmet. He would use profanity after failure and try to draw attention to himself through visible displays of frustration. Also, he struggled to accept coaching in proper pitching and hitting mechanics. He would not outwardly deny using suggested mechanics, but visually you could tell provided coaching suggestions were not taken seriously.

He, along with the rest of his team, struggled to execute consistently often making silly mistakes to lose close games. In a late season game, our team found itself beating one of the city’s finest programs. This was an exciting feeling since our squad operated 10-12 games under .500. As the home team, we batted in the bottom of the 7th inning with the game tied 7-7.

With a runner on third base and no outs, the above player approached the plate. I let him take a strike before I called for the squeeze play. The player took the sign and acknowledged it by tipping his helmet bill. His action meant he “received” the sign. As the pitch came, the third base runner broke to the plate. The hitter, instead of bunting swung away, fouling the pitch straight back.

I was completely stunned. Being a young coach, I thought it was an innocent mistake by the player. Nervously, I flashed the “squeeze” sign again. Our runner broke and the hitter swung through the pitch for the second time. Our runner was tagged out at home. The inning ended with our team scoring no runs and another opportunity lost to win an important game.”

How could a player be so selfish? How could they place their individual pride above the team’s success? Having only a few years of experience, I remember flying off the handle, yelling meaningless words that communicated none of situation’s real facts. Instead, my emotion got the best of me.

In retrospect, it should have never gotten that far. It was clear that this player’s definition of teamwork was completely opposite of what our coaching staff was trying to teach even at the season’s end. It was obvious that my anger was misdirected; I had only myself to blame for not having safe guards in place to gauge if players were taking on a more team-centered approach. It was a hard lesson to learn.

What’s going to happen in the “real world”……………

At some point during their lives, players must take responsibility for their actions. If young players do not learn to accept responsibility, it will adversely affect their life outside of sports. Too often the media glamorizes athletes who fail in the workplace, marriage, or family life.

Frequently, players who cannot follow the rules tend to develop the same problems off the field. These patterns don’t happen overnight. They are created by coaches who accommodated certain players due to their talent level. By not holding these players to the same rules as others, a dangerous cycle is created.

Finally, players find themselves more prepared to handle “real world” obstacles when they have experienced accountability throughout their athletic careers. Not only does this produce productive citizens, but former players may be able to mentor young athletes who need the same guidance as they did years before.

Preparing for the “BIG” Game: A Look Practice Preparation and Implementation

2008-11-13T09:58:00.000-08:00

Every athletic team faces a game they must win. It is the game people have looked forward to since the beginning of the year. Some of these games might be traditional rivalries like college football’s famous Red River Shootout Oklahoma vs. Texas. While other games may decide if a team’s season continues like a game in the NCAA Basketball Tournament.

Winning these games excites fans and leaves them with a sense of accomplishment at the season’s end. These games are not just played in front of a large national audience, but throughout the country on high school and youth sporting fields in every city from Los Angles to New York. On every level, these games mean so much to everyone involved.

Keeping this is mind, coaches have an impossible job. Fans expect their team to win, but that doesn’t always happen. In the end, one team has to lose. What can coaches do to ensure that their team comes out on top? Obviously, there is no exact formula but what if a team’s season is on the line? The following is my perspective on how coaches can tackle these games head-on and help players perform better when the lights go on……

Practice, Practice, Practice……………………………
The first step in game preparation is to making practice situations more challenging than game situations. This concept requires much thought and examination by the coach trying to get their team ready to play. Many times, coaches think by making their practices longer they are giving players more time to prepare. While generally an accepted statement, often this can be fundamentally wrong.

It was been proved that young players only concentrate one minute per their year of age. That means at age twenty a person’s concentration rate should be at the 20 minute level. After eclipsing the time rate, people’s mind tends to focus on something different. Coaches must consider this principle as they create their practice schedule. If batting practice last 1 hour, what are players going to get out of it? How is it going to make them a better hitter? Coaches should contemplate these questions as the construct their plan.

Also, coaches must devise a practice with a mental component as well. Players, no matter what level they are playing on, face many psychological challenges during an athletic contest. Crowd noise, poor referring, or player confrontation are all adverse situations athletes face during competition. Failing to overcome these challenges directly effect how players perform during competition. Coaches need to develop player’s mental strength by putting pressure on them during practice.

Coaches can set up specific individual evaluation in a whole group setting, putting players on the spot and creating tremendous performance pressure. For instance, a coach can put their starting pitcher on the mound with three baseballs. Each baseball represents a mile run for the team. The pitcher is asked to throw three strikes. With each strike thrown a mile is deducted for the conditioning exercise. As the entire team watches, the pitcher will deliver three pitches.

Coaches receive valuable feedback from this drill. What pitcher has positive body language? Does anyone give up? What pitchers can perform under these conditions? Who fails? Pitchers that execute strikes during this practice drill can draw from that experience during the game. Pitching is not the only area where these principles can be used. Hitting, fielding, and baserunning are other areas that can be manipulated to force players to perform under pressure.

It Takes a Village……………..
Teamwork and togetherness are undervalued commodities in sports. They are invisible ingredients that are definitely part of a winning formula. Coaches know how important a sense of “team” can be to a program. To win tough games every squad must work to strengthen their internal attitudes and feelings.

Practice is a time where a team concept can be cultivated by coaches. There is a sense of bonding that a group experiences when they go through tough times together. A team bond leads to trust amongst coaches and players, knowing each have sacrificed a lot for one another.

These feelings don’t just stop at practice; they carry over onto the playing field. In a competitive situation, it is only normal for players to want to start on the field. But, coaches can only use nine players at once. Naturally, reserve players may wish a sense of failure on their competition, thus increasing their playing time.

Though natural, individualistic feelings kill a team centered environment. Forming bonds and trust with teammates allow players to look pass a feeling of “self”. Players start to create roles for themselves helping the team excel using their strengths rather than dwelling on individual wants. Playing in a supportive environment makes a difference when teams are playing opponents with comparable talent and an extra advantage is needed to put a team over the top.

Scouting the Competition……………………………..
Knowing how to attack an opponent is vital in helping coaches prepare their team. Does the opposition bunt a lot? Do they have a left-handed pitcher? How strong are their outfielder’s arms? These are central questions when coaches are evaluating an opponent. By gauging an opponent’s tendency, coaches can set up their practice to target certain skills that help to combat their advantage.

It is important for coaches to have ample knowledge of the opponent, however too much information might be detrimental to preparation. Although it is helpful to know opponent weaknesses, a coach cannot completely change the way their team plays to adapt with an opponent. Coaches must let their team showcase their strengths even if it is risky against a rival program. There is an old coaching saying,” You have to dance with the one that brought you here.”

Scouting can also help shape the role of pitch selection for both hitters and pitchers. Both of these aspects, though relatively small to outsiders, have a direct impact of the game’s final results. Coaches cannot measure the importance of knowing that an opposing pitcher struggles to throw breaking balls for strikes or their clean up hitter takes pitches on the outside corner. These situations can be duplicated in practice and repeatedly worked on before the competition.

Mixing it all Together……………………………………To win an important competition, teams must have a sprinkling of all these areas in their game plan. Of course, there are times when teams “luck” into wins or simply have more talent than their rival competition. Mostly, coaches look to maximize equivalent talent incorporating both a physical and mental approach to gain an advantage on their rivals or “big game” opponents.

2008-2009 Baseball Coaching Topics

2008-11-12T09:06:00.000-08:00

The following is a list of topics that will be covered this off-season:

1. Preparing for the "BIG" Game
2. Team Behavior: A Direct Effect on Player Performance
3. Clutch Situations, Clutch Players
4. Multi-Sport Athletes: A Look at Today's Baseball Player

I apologize for the delay in articles. I hope the upcoming information will provide some coaching insight to anyone that is looking for off-season ideas and concepts to incorporate with their team for the 2009 season.

Correct Batting Practice Methods For Little League Baseball Teams

2008-03-31T17:52:00.000-07:00

Marty Schupak has coached youth baseball for 20 years and is the video creator of "The 59 Minute Baseball Practice", "Backyard Baseball Drills", "Winning Baseball Strategies", "Hitting Drills & Techniques" and author of the popular book, "Youth Baseball Drills". He is a principle for Videos For Coaches and is also President of the Youth Sports Club, a group dedicated to making sports practices and games more enjoyable for kids.

http://www.YouthSportsClub.com
http://www.VideosForCoaches.com

In my twenty years of coaching youth baseball, I am always looking for the most efficient practice methods for every aspect of baseball. It took me only a few years to realize that most youth baseball coaches and myself were running batting practice, not incorrectly, but not efficiently. From what I have seen with the typical batting practice, a coach will pitch a predetermined number of balls for each batter with the fielders fielding the hit balls and throwing them to first base. Usually the coach will yell something like “run the last one out”, and the batter does just that. If the ball is an infield hit, they try to throw him out at first. If it is hit into the outfield, he usually runs until he is thrown out. This is all well and good intentioned, but it is wasting valuable time when a coach wants to run an efficient practice.

Here is the most efficient way of running a batting practice that I've come up with. First of all, let me say this. Batting practice is just what it is, batting practice. Batting practice is not fielding practice or base running practice. So all youth coaches and parents should really define what a youth batting practice is and what they want to get out of it.

Most of my youth practices do not run more than one hour. Every minute of wasted time will affect all other aspects and time of any other drills or techniques I want to accomplish. The first thing a coach needs to have is an over abundance of baseballs. The league will provide baseballs but I always make sure I purchase a few dozen extras. I try to work with three-dozen and keep an extra dozen in my trunk. And don't think I'm not frugal accounting for every baseball at the end of practice. I try to make sure we find each one, and after practice, we comb the field to make sure we got them all. Usually we find extras and end up with more than what we started with.

Now, here is the actual logistics and set up that I do about 95% of the time I run batting practice. I'm a big proponent of bunting. I set up two cones on the third base line, about six feet apart, approximately where the bunt is suppose to go. I set up two empty buckets, one about three feet behind second base and the other one at the far base of the mound toward second. I have another bucket with the baseballs on the mound easily accessible to me. Now, this is a key. As a youth coach who wants a well-run practice and a lot of repetitions for the kids, I move up almost to the front base of the mound to pitch. I do this mainly so I can throw strikes consistently. For safety purposes, an “L” screen would be required from a shorter distance for safety. If your league doesn't have any, make them get them.

I have the first person up at bat with the 2nd and 3rd player ready to go. I have the 3rd hitter (or double on deck hitter) on the outside of the screen hitting balls on a batting tee using pickle balls (plastic) or wiffle balls with another parent feeding the balls on the tee. I always have the number 2, or on deck hitter, ready to hit.

The batter bunts the first two pitches. For each successful bunt, the player receives an extra swing. I usually give a player five swings besides his two bunts. So if a player lays one bunt between the cones, he get six regular swings. If he lays both bunts between the cones, he gets seven swings (the maximum per hitter). Now, there are certain things that have to happen to make this work. Remember there are two buckets strategically located. After the bunts, when the hitter swings away, wherever the ball is hit, the fielder tosses it toward the bucket closet to him. If it is hit to the outfield, he will throw the ball as close to the bucket behind second base. If he hits it to the infield, the fielder will toss it to the bucket behind the pitcher's mound. Reinforce to the players that they must toss to the bucket on one or two bounces or they will tend to play basketball with the baseball and bucket.

Now the point here is that the fielders do not make a play to first and the hitter does not run the last one out. We get more repetitions in a short period of time. The players are always facing the hitter. One might ask, isn't this boring for most of the players in the field? Well, not really. Because of the amount of balls hit in a short period of time, the ball is usually hit all over the place. And the coach throwing batting practice will keep one or two extra balls in his glove and is ready to pitch the next ball right away. When out of baseballs, have the players in the infield hustle to gather up the balls, combine buckets, and we're ready to go again. This works great!

Batting practice is a favorite of any baseball player at almost every level. Do not deny batting practice at any practice. And always look for the most efficient, safest procedure to help enhance your whole practice.

Another Guest Article!!!!

2008-03-06T20:38:00.000-08:00

Youth Baseball Practices Don't Have To Be Long To Be Good
Marty Schupak has coached youth sports for 20 years. He is the producer of the best selling baseball video “The 59 Minute Baseball Practice”, as well as “Backyard Baseball Drills”, “Winning Baseball Strategies” , “Pitching Drills & Techniques” plus four more. He is also author of the popular book, "Youth Baseball Drills". He is President of Videos For Coaches and the Youth Sports Club and can be reached at: www.VideosForCoaches.com

Back in the late 70's an old college professor of mine was fond of saying, "Don't confuse activity with accomplishment." Jump forward about eight years and imagine me observing a coach running practice for his Little League team. At the start of practice most of the 10, 11, and 12 year olds are very enthusiastic. As the practice progresses I notice only two forms of activity taking place. One has the head coach throwing batting practice, with each hitter getting 10 to 15 swings while each pitcher takes a turn throwing to the assistant coach as the others stand and watch. I, too, stand and watch and I don't know who is more bored-the players or me.

When I saw a member of the board of directors, I commented on how poorly I thought the practice had been run. The board member responded, "If you think you can do a better job, then volunteer to coach." (Me and my big mouth!) But I did just that. And my first practice, though planned differently, ended up being two tedious hours of batting practice and pitchers throwing on the sidelines. Exactly what I had been so critical of myself! After that first practice I told my wife that there must be a better way. Even though I had a master's degree in Phys. Ed from Arizona State University, baseball was the major sport I was least knowledgeable about.

So, I decided to research alternative practice methods. I observed a variety of teams during practice ranging from seven year olds to college level players. I noticed that the best practices were not necessarily the longest and that the most organized coaches wasted little time. On most of the drills every player was involved. It was amazing the way some coaches integrated fun and learning and how creative some of the drills and games were. I began to use some of these techniques with my team. After a little trial and error I was actually able to run a more effective practice in half the time.

To run a practice like this does take preparation, mostly at the beginning of the season. But coaches need not look at this as a chore. It can be as much fun for you as it is for the players.

The youth baseball coach, whether it's Babe Ruth League, Little League, or local Park and Recreation Dept., should make a list of drills at the beginning of the year that they are interested in trying. The idea is to be creative. When my oldest son was eight, I began a practice with a simple relay race, consisting of two lines of six players each. To put a baseball theme into the race, I had each player wear their glove and hold two baseballs in it. The learning benefit of this relay race was to teach kids the importance of squeezing the glove. Another year I was teaching players how to bunt. When the team took batting practice, I put one cone 10 feet directly in front of home plate and another cone 10 feet to the left of the plate. Each player gets two bunts before his regular swings. For each bunt that goes between the cones, the player earns two extra swings. This motivated the players to focus when they bunted. And, it worked!

If a coach plans five to seven drills of ten to twelve minutes in length for each practice, the players will be more attentive and less bored. Don't worry about players not liking certain drills. About a third through the season they will let you know which ones to weed out.

The youth baseball season is unlike any other season. Fathers sneak out of work early, families rarely eat dinner before 8:30 at night and the laundry room is active day and night. As parents and coaches, we should make practices more interesting and fun because during a typical youth baseball season, players spend as much or more time practicing than in actual games.
Be creative and have a great baseball season!

Website to review

2008-02-28T20:41:00.000-08:00

A great resource if you are looking for items to help young players. The baseball equipment is almost free (Shipping not included) and it is clearly displayed on the site. Check it out if you are scanning the internet!

www.personalpitchertv.com

Guest Author #4

2008-02-20T18:16:00.000-08:00

Rich Burk is the television and radio play-by-play announcer for the Portland Beavers of the Pacific Coast League. His work has been endorsed by broadcasters, executives, writers and players at the highest levels of the industry:
“His descriptions are colorful and accurate,” said Hall of Fame broadcaster Ernie Harwell
“His knowledge and love of the game, and dedication to his profession, are impressive,” said NBC Sports’ Bob Costas
“He has the capacity to make the game come alive,” according to Curt Smith, author of the acclaimed book, Voices of the Game
“I’m amazed at his knowledge and passion for the game,” said Kevin Towers, general manager of the San Diego Padres “He is quite possibly the hardest-working broadcaster in the business. I’m amazed at the details he digs up and saves for exactly the right moment, and at his encyclopedic knowledge of interesting stories,” said ESPN.com Senior Writer Rob Neyer.
“Rich is an excellent interviewer. I’ll take any time of my day to go on the air with him,” said Xavier Nady, outfielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

A Scorebook for All to Follow the Game
All of Rich Burk’s baseball scorebooks are suitable for both seasoned veterans and scorekeeping rookies—each includes beginning and advanced instructions and a detailed, easy-to-read baseball glossary.

The top Broadcaster & Media Scorebook: Burk’s most popular scorebook, the BP16, is the cleanup hitter in his line of products. The BP16 features a unique two-page-per-team layout that provides a pitch-tracking system, clean-looking defensive charts, extra space in the lineup section and scoring boxes, and plenty of blank space for making notes. The BP16 does all this without limiting innings—scorers have the peace of mind of knowing their scoresheet includes 16 innings.

Other Broadcaster & Media Scorebooks: Two other Broadcaster & Media layouts are available with the more traditional one-page-per-team format. The BN12 features 12 innings per scoresheet, while the BN15 includes 15 innings per scoresheet. Like the BP16, these two versions include a defense chart and a clean layout with extra space for writing notes.

Fan & Media Scorebooks: These scorebooks feature a smaller 9” x 7” format (the other scorebooks are 8.5” x 11”). This is the perfect size to fit on a lap at the game or in a press box with limited table space.

Amateur League Baseball & Softball Scorebooks: These scorebooks feature 16 batting positions for those leagues where everyone bats in the lineup. The AP10 layout features Burk’s pitch-tracking system, an excellent addition for those leagues where a premium is placed on the number of pitches thrown.

Further information found at:
http://www.richburk.com/index/Scorebooks]www.RichBurk.com/index/Scorebooks, including samples of the scoresheets, a table comparing the features of Burk’s scorebooks, and tools to help people choose the right book for them.

Guest Author #3

2008-02-17T20:38:00.000-08:00

Todd Williams, of Baseballsbestdrills.com, has provided the following:

I've been associated with the game of baseball since my childhood days playing Little League baseball in the small rural community of Farmington, Utah. It was there that my life-long love of the game was ingrained into my being. My dad coached us boys back then, and we had a pretty good team. I don't remember where we were in the standings, somewhere near the top, I suppose; but we sure had a lot of fun. And the part I remember most, was riding in the back of my friend Ricky's Grandpa's truck over to the ice cream shop for an ice cream cone after the game. Yes, those were the good old days.

More recently, as a father of four, I have spent my time coaching my son's baseball teams in the suburbs of Houston, Texas. When I started coaching, I really didn't have a clue how to effectively work with kids. But I watched what others were doing, read as many books as I could find on the subject, tried various things to improve the skills of my players (some of which worked, and some of which didn't), tried to keep it fun for the kids, and all-in-all I did allright. My oldest son, now 17, is playing ball for Klein High School.

I learned that you shouldn't focus on winning. If you focus on winning, winning becomes almost elusive. Instead, I learned that if you practice hard on the right things, winning is the by-product, the natural consequence of the toil on the practice field. A wise man once said that those things that we persist at doing become easier, not because the nature of the thing has changed, but because our ability to do it has increased. I firmly believe that.

I put this collection of drills, tips and strategies together to help people like me have success coaching mostly younger players. If you consistently implement just a few of these drills, tips and strategies; your team can't help but improve. It's a natural consequence. And following improvement comes winning, again as a natural consequence. Anything else would defy the laws of nature.

Enjoy the book! Any suggestions you have for improving it's content should be sent via email to todd@baseballsbestdrills.com.

A Coaching Reminder

Your main responsibilities as a baseball coach are to teach the
skills and strategies of baseball. Pure and simple. However,
your coaching responsibilities go beyond the playing field, and
into an area where you can really impact a young person's life.

One of the most important lessons you can offer is your value
system, including a strong work ethic and a zero-tolerance for
alcohol, tobacco and drug abuse. Your expectations regarding
these values should be loud and clear from beginning to end.

The use of alcohol, tobacco or drugs counteract nearly all of the
physical benefits of athletic competition. And it seems that
every year, drugs are abused by an ever younger generation of
kids. It's a shame, but it's also a problem with which society
must deal, as well as you and I as part of our communities.

You should state these expectations in your first pre-season
meeting with the players and their parents. You should have clear
rules regarding any penalties for violation of those rules. Let
your players know that if you catch them, you'll report them to
their parents. You may even go so far as to have your players and
their parents sign an disclosure agreement regarding your rules.
Let there be no misunderstanding!

Your players deserve a positive role model who believes in
responsible behavior with it's intrinsic rewards (and who
believes in the intrinsic consequences for irresponsible
behavior). They need a mature, adult role model; rather than a
middle-aged buddy.

As a trusted steward with significant influence for good, please
do your part by being the kind of person your players can emulate
and follow (as opposed to someone they can hang with or of whom
they can take advantage).

Your example in your personal practices can also be a very
powerful teaching tool. Together with your player's other role
models, we can make a difference!

Guest Author #2

2008-02-14T18:14:00.000-08:00

Marty Schupak has coached youth sports for 20 years. He is the producer of the best selling baseball video “The 59 Minute Baseball Practice”, “Backyard Baseball Drills”, “Winning Baseball Strategies” , “Pitching Drills & Techniques” plus four more. He is also author of the popular book, "Youth Baseball Drills". He is President of Videos For Coaches and the Youth Sports Club and can be reached at: www.VideosForCoaches.com

The Parents Meeting: A Must for The Youth Baseball Coach

Each year I organize a parents meeting approximately two to four weeks before the start of the season. I prepare a handout of approximately three or four pages. Included is a list of the team with phone numbers and certain philosophies and organizational items.People might say, “Well this is only youth baseball, it's not high school.” This is true, but I have learned over the years that a parents meeting will make for a better run season for the kids, the parents and the coach. The meeting should not go more than ten or fifteen minutes. I leave a fair amount of time for a question and answer period.

I make this meeting a requirement for all parents. I try to lay out my goals and express to the parents about how I run my practices. Also, I tell them that players have to arrive at games 30 minutes before they start and if they cannot make a game, they must call me. It is very important that I let the parents understand I know their busy schedules and that as a coach you go through the same thing with ballet, karate, soccer, car pools, school work, etc.

Probably the most important point I go over is that because of my own busy schedule, I cannot run a taxi service for any players. Parents must be at practice five minutes before it ends. When I first began to coach, I never addressed this and after each practice I had a car full of players to drop off. As coaches, this cannot be part of our jobs for more reasons than one.

I also address any complaints parents may have during the season. I developed a standard policy of not taking any complaints for at least five games. This cuts down on a lot of phone calls and most of the times a complaint by a parent about playing time is taken care of by the sixth game.

Since I began doing this, I have had only a handful of complaints for a whole season in about the last eight years. When I first started coaching, I would go home after the game and there would be two or three messages on my answering machine.

As a coach, there are a lot of responsibilities and I try to cut down on the phone calls as much as possible. One system a lot of people use is the phone chain. This is effective only some of the time. Another system I use which is similar is the buddy system.

At the beginning of each year I ask for a couple of parent volunteers to help with the phone calls. Then I assign each player a buddy. So if there are twelve kids on the team, there are six pairs of buddies. The first thing I tell them is that if there is any question on practice time or location, call their buddy before they call me. And if their buddy isn't home, call someone else on the team list. If it is raining, I call my two phone volunteers and divide the calls in half. Remember, each player has a buddy so they should never make more than three calls and maybe a call back to me. Any system you try isn't full proof and during the course of the season you can expect your share of calls.

There can be a whole lot of things to address at this meeting. Each coach might have their own pet peeve to discuss. The most important thing is to make sure you have each of the points you want to bring up in writing. This way, you are sure to touch on the points most important to you. Remember, you are volunteering your time and you have a right to make the season run as smooth as possible for yourself, and that's the way you want it to be for your team as well.

Part Two: Boudurant-Farrar Hitting Philosophy

2008-02-13T23:07:00.000-08:00

Coach Hamilton has provided another article for coaches to review. He has shared his program's offensive approach to batting. This is a wonderful resource for coaches to analyze before the season approaches. I wanted to thank Coach Hamilton for sharing his ideas with the rest of us and wish him a return trip to the Iowa High State Baseball Tournament in 2008.

Hitting is perhaps the most difficult skill in any sport to master. The physical/mechanical aspect of the sing is important, but there is also a mental component as well. In addition there are many variables beyond the control of the hitter including, but not limited to; speed, type, and location of pitch, varying strike zone, and weather conditions. In addition, you only have approximately .4 of a second to react to all of these factors, get off a good swing, and hit a round ball with a round bat. You need to start thinking about becoming a pitcher. It is this very difficulty that makes the act great. Hitting a ball on the sweet spot is perhaps the most gratifying moment in life. Hitting is not only fun, it can be done with proper preparation. Remember if it were easy, we wouldn’t have other sports.

BONDURANT-FARRAR HITTING PHILOSOPHY
We want to have an offense that puts the pressure on our opponents:

1. get on base
2. use the bunting game
3. be aggressive baserunning
4. get a quality at-bat

HITTING APPROACH

1. Get in a position to hit every pitch
a. Load early, load soft, keep your head still. Your hands must be between your back shoulder an back foot. Hold your position and track the ball until it hits glove, hits you, or your hit it. Do not turn away or down until the ball is past you. Work on your timing and tracking on every pitch.

2. Get your best swing off every at bat
a. You must be on time, on balance, and see the ball in order to get your best swing off. If you are ahead in the count and you are not on time and on balance don’t swing. No check swings with less that two strikes! If you start – get a rip! Don’t get yourself out with a poor swing. If is better to get a good swing at a bad pitch, than a bad swing at a good pitch. Swing it!

3. Be aggressive
a. Think hit, hit, hit, take ---- or ---- yes, yes, yes, no. Never the other way around. Be confident and cut it loose!!!!

4. Don’t get beat out in front
a. Let the ball get deep before you make decisions. Track it longer and always think middle or away, not pull. This will not only prevent you from taking off balance swings, it will havel you identify pitches better. Remember if you miss late it is usually a foul ball. If you miss early it is usually a weak ground ball or a pop-up. The longer you wait the harder you can swing, the longer you wait the better you see it.

See it better + Swing harder = Success.

5. Battle with two strikes.
a. Be confident that the pitcher can’t throw a pitch by you. Spread your stance, choke up, crowd the plate, eliminate the stride, use your hands take a late quick stroke, and hit every pitch below your hands and off the floor. Make him beat your deep, not out front. Refuse to give away an at bat. Put it in play and make the defense catch it and throw it. Never strike out looking. Be extra aggressive.

GETTING READY TO HIT:

BP is over its game time. You must get ready to hit long before you get in the box. The following responsibilities are to serve as a guide during games.

AT THE PLATE – have a plan, based on the game situation, the pitcher, the umpire, the count, and your strengths as a hitter. With 0 strikes – look for fastballs. Know your sweet spot. With 1 strike this is a see it, hit it count. Look for fastballs in your zone or curve balls that stay up. Remember be aggressive if you are on time and on balance. Also remember that curves must start up to stay up. All pitches go down, curves that start below the belt are usually balls. With 2-strikes hit everything near the zone below your hands and off the floor on the backside.

Remember to:
1. breathe – take deep breaths- this helps you relax and get oxygen to your muscles
2. develop a consistent pre pitch routine.
3. use positive self-talk to help maintain focus. Give yourself 1 or 2 positive instructions each time you enter the box. For example, stay back, trust your hands, see the ball, let it travel. Slow feet, quick hands….ect….

On Deck – Relax, track pitches, time pitches, game speed swings.

In the hole – Work on timing/tracking, and loading. Most umpires only allow one player out of the dugout. This can be done in the dugout no swings?

Fourth – work on tracking , and boxing the pitchers release point.

Fifth – study the pitcher, watch his mechanics. Is he tipping his pitches? Does he have any patterns?

Sixth – ninth – relax and watch the game.

Most important aspect of hitting is the eyes. You can’t hit it if you don’t see it. In order to see the ball the head must stay still, in order to keep the head still all stride and loading activity must be slow, soft, and early. You have to keep your camera still if you want to take a good picture.

Guest Writer #1

2008-02-11T19:00:00.000-08:00

Brad Hamilton is the head baseball coach at Bondurant-Farrar High School, located in the central part of Iowa. In 2007, Coach Hamilton won his 200th game taking his team to the Iowa High School State Tournament in Des Moines. As the the tournament's eighth seed, Coach Hamilton's team came within a whisper of defeating the eventual Class 2A state champions. Coach Hamilton is a 2002 graduate of Midland Lutheran College, located in Fremont, Nebraska.

The following is a two part article. The first section deals with indoor hitting drills and their function in the swing process. Many Midwestern coaches will love to look at these tips because indoor space is so limited that time must be used efficiently. If you have any questions, Coach Hamilton can be reached at: brad_hamilton@bondurant.k12.ia.us

"Indoors Hitting"

Station work is nothing new to coaches; what we have tried to do is give quality swings with a purpose to our players, We set up 11 different stations that emphasize different skills that we teach. These stations fit our needs and allow us to break down the swing. Use any combination that you want most of all adapt these to fit your facility. We have each player paired up and allow 2-5 minutes at each station. The following is a description of stations and the purpose behind each.

STATION #1 Lead Arm Drill
DESCRIPTION: Hitter should use a shorter bat and place top hand ½ way up bat, other hand should be under in front and off to the side tosses balls to different parts of the zone and hitter swings with one arm working on making good contact.
PURPOSE: Emphasize the downward

STATION #2 Back Arm Drill
DESCRIPTION: Same as above – but switch arms using the back arm
PURPOSE: Emphasize the downward

STATION #3 Wall Drill #1
DESCRIPTION: Hitter stands parallel to wall and 1 bat length away from the wall- take normal stance and swing normal a long swing will hit the wall
PURPOSE: Short quick swing

STATION #4 Wall Drill #2
DESCRIPTION: Hitter stands perpendicular to wall with back foot about 4 inches away from wall – take a normal swing if hitter drops the back shoulder the bat will
hit the wall
PURPOSE: Keeping shoulders level

STATION #5 Birdie Drill
DESCRIPTION: Hitter faces a feeder who is the pitcher – feeder throws shuttle cocks as if he is pitching to the
hitter – hitter must stay back and drive birdie back towards the feeder
PURPOSE: Staying balanced

STATION #6 Hip Turn Drill
DESCRIPTION: Hitter will place bat behind back and takes regular stance – takes a stride and thrusts back hip to wall
back foot must squish the bug
PURPOSE: Movement of back leg

STATION #7 Tee #1
DESCRIPTION: We use this as a outside fastball – hitter must practice on going the other way leading with
hands and driving ball the other way
PURPOSE: Opposite field hitting

STATION #8 Tee #2
DESCRIPTION: This is used as a ball on the inside of the plate must turn on ball and hit it hard
PURPOSE: Turning on the ball

STATION #9 Golf Ball Wiffle
DESCRIPTION: Use of golf wiffle balls and broomstick handle feeder will feed balls to different areas of the
strike zone – hitter must hit ball into net
PURPOSE: Eye and hand coordination

STATION #10 Soft-Toss
DESCRIPTION: Use of this as a warm up to live feeder feeds ball to hitter in different areas of the zone hitter hits
ball where thrown.
PURPOSE: Overall swing

STATION #11 Live
DESCRIPTION: Pitching machine will allow more swings – use of live pitching is a must during the season. To emphasize a short quick swing, move the hitter within 40 feet of machine
PURPOSE: Develop a short quick swing and hit ball where it is thrown.

Getting Back on Track

2008-02-10T20:00:00.001-08:00

I apologize for the lack of instructional material during the last few months. It has been a year of learning instead of sharing. I have a feeling there will be many more in the future. Coaching is a profession that if you stop learning, you stop developing. There are so many valuable resources out there that once you get started researching topics, it is hard to stop.

Over the next few weeks, I have invited some guest writers to post some of their “trade” secrets. I am sure you will find these coaches insightful and helpful as the 2008 season quickly approaches. A variety of coaches will share tips on hitting, pitching, defense, and program development.

2007-10-26T16:03:00.000-07:00

Uptempo T-Ball:
“Speeding up the game to keep players involved”
By: Jerry Kreber, Omaha Benson Little League

For years I have coached high school baseball, but this summer I got the chance to coach my son’s tee ball team at the neighborhood little league. Previously, I heard people recount their horror stories on coaching young players. After hearing these stories, I compared my high school experience with their complaints and chalked it up to their inability to deal with youngsters. From my first day coaching, I could tell my attitudes were totally wrong. The team, consisting of nine players from the ages of three and four years old, played games twice a week from April to June. Each game lasted approximately 35 minutes, letting each player hit every inning.

One idea that struck me was these players were going to experience baseball for the first time. Sure, many played whiffle ball in their yard or thrown the ball around with a brother or sister, but this experience would shape how they looked at baseball in the future. In high school baseball, pressure comes from different angles. Parents, fans, and expectations for victories supply enough pressure for an entire season. But, these expectations come with the territory of coaching at that level. Nevertheless, the anxiety I felt from knowing this experience would have a lasting impact on these players weighed heavily on my shoulders.

The question became” How can I make this game fun, while still teaching the basic fundamentals of play?”   To coach effectively, the game must move at a fast pace. Kids have to constantly move or their attention will be diverted. Transitioning between innings is a major time drain for tee ball. Players trying to find their equipment and run to their defensive spots can take forever if not done in an organized manner. This alone can add 30 minutes to each game. To eliminate this problem, I had the players place their hats and gloves in a pile outside the dugout. Therefore, players could move to a central location and equip themselves quickly and get back onto the field.

When players come into bat is another time drain. To speed things up, players were lined with close proximity to home plate. Before the game, helmets were placed on the ground so players could quickly grab. We had six helmets; so only three players did not have them on. When a player scored they would immediately pass their helmet off to the three unprotected players. By getting players organized, I was able to be a more productive coach in the batter’s box and help players run the bases.

Communication is another obstacle. Coaches must be absolutely clear on what they want to convey. Voice tone is an area where coaches must be careful. On one hand players must receive the message over the excitement of players and fans. On the other hand, if players view their coach as yelling they are likely to get scared and shut down.

Speeding the game up and clear communication are imperative to coaching tee ball effectively. Both of these themes contribute to the players overall enjoyment of the game. But coaches must to learn ways to make the game fun. If they do not, players will not be excited to attend games. Since we did not practice, players arrived 15-20 minutes early for games. That way, players worked on their individual skills before the contest. These skills were practiced in a manner which occupied each player’s attention.

Baserunning is one area which players loved. In each pre-game session, our team ran out a single, double, triple, and home run. The players loved to practice sliding. To incorporate this tactic, players were allowed to slide into second and third base. All nine players were engaged in this activity. It seemed to add enthusiasm to their demeanor before the game’s start. Catching and throwing were other skills our team addressed. To efficiently practice, players need proper repetition and instruction in a fast paced setting to eliminate boredom. I tried to accomplish this task by having two balls going at once during a catching drill. Players moved into a line and received an underhand tossed ball. As they threw the ball back, I had another ball ready. I caught the ball thrown and flipped the other to the next player. Each player received numerous repetitions with little time to become distracted.

Hitting was the last element our team addressed. About halfway through the season, our hitters switched from the tee to coach pitch. This continued to help peak interest in the game. During the pitching format, one mistake I witnessed coaches make occurred during the actual pitch. Many times, coaches lobbed the ball to the plate producing a large arch. This method proved difficult for players to hit because they had to follow the ball on different vertical planes. To give an inexperienced hitter a chance to be successful, coaches should keep the ball on the same plane as the batter’s hands. Also, the ball should be thrown will some velocity to fight gravity’s pull downward. The slower a coach throws, the more the ball will drop on its way to the plate creating a difficult hitting situation. Furthermore, when a young player swings and misses too many times a chain reaction occurs throughout the game. First, the batter’s confidence, interest, and enthusiasm in the sport diminish. Also, the game is slowed down and the defensive players start to lose focus. That is why coaches must do everything possible to set players up for success.

Finally, coaching tee ball was definitely a learning experience for me. Many of the lessons I learned centered on making the sport fun for the players involved. Too often as players move up the ladder this concept vanishes as winning becomes the major priority. As I look back on this summer and compare my high school experience it easy to see that both of these concepts walk hand in hand.

2007-09-21T08:51:00.000-07:00

Improving Numbers: How can high school coaches recruit new players to their baseball program?
Written By: Jerry Kreber, Omaha Central HS 2001-2006
Contributing Ideas: Scott Hodges and Andrew Wane
Coaching Staff, Omaha Central HS 2000-2006

The landscape of American sports has changed completely in the last twenty years. With the rise of football and basketball in the mainstream culture, many coaches have watched baseball slip into the background. Once called "America's National Pastime", baseball has been passed by football and basketball in popularity with today's athletes. Television ratings affirm the theory of baseball's decline with the American public. Examining T.V ratings between the NFL's Super bowl versus the MLB's World Series, there is an obvious disparity between the two sports.

There have been many theories about baseball's decline in popularity. First, many have complained about the game's speed. In today's environment, the public wants to watch constant action and motion. Baseball is a methodical game that moves gradually, requiring patience with situational strategies. Secondly, some baseball enthusiasts blame Major League Baseball for not marketing the game better in the United States, especially to minorities and urban youth. In contract, the NBA has done a tremendous job of capturing the attention of urban athletes by creating an excitement about playing basketball.

Cost is another factor for baseball's slow decline. It can run over $300.00 to fully equip a player to compete on the baseball field, not to mention league fees or travel expenses. A young player can buy a basketball or football at the store for under $20.00. From a financial perspective, it is easy to see why athletes have looked for other options. With that being said, some of today's baseball coaches face the looming question of "How can I attract new players into my program?" From 2000-2006, I coached at Nebraska's largest urban school, Omaha Central High. As an assistant, I worked along side Andrew Wane, another long-time coach. Both of us worked under the direction of Scott Hodges, the school's former head baseball coach. From that experience, I got a firsthand view on the lack of depth some programs face, even with a large student body. During my six years at Central HS, our program overcame challenges that helped launch our baseball team to new heights. Below, I have described eight areas that helped our program become a popular sport in Nebraska's largest urban high school, competing against successful football and basketball programs. In my opinion, by focusing on these areas, high school coaches can create a great atmosphere to draw new players into their baseball program and develop advanced skills.

1. Increase Playing Availability

In the high school setting, many players choose not to play because they lack prior experience. If a coach is going to be successful, there must be an ample chance for players to gain experience in the off-season. Coaches must set up before/after school training sessions where players can immerse themselves in baseball, regardless of their skill or experience level.

Many times, successful athletes do not like to put themselves in situations where they might be embarrassed due to the lack of skills. Creating a supportive training environment will encouraged the school's best athletes to attend, not just the school's best baseball players. Usually, at large urban school's like Omaha Central the school's best baseball players are not always the best athletes. If that program intends to compete with top competition, they have to recruit the school's top performers. During my coaching experience at Central, we instituted an off-season program that incorporated small skill building groups. According to Nebraska High School Athletic guidelines, a coach can work with no more four athletes at a time in the off-season. To stay in accordance with the rules, each day two separate groups of four players would come in and work on skill development. Since these groups met during winter sports season, the workouts took place in the morning because of conflicts with after-school basketball practice. Some training activities these groups completed were resistance throwing, bat speed exercise, and strength /conditioning drills. With smaller numbers, we started to physically chart each player's progress with drills and provide them with visual evidence of their progress. These illustrations provided excellent feedback to players and served as motivation to continue improving. Furthermore, the process also served as healthy competition between teammates producing players who strived to outperform one another.

2. Energize the Game

Young people want an entertaining game that moves at a fast pace. In Season on the Brink by John Feinstein, Bobby Knight's basketball practices switch drills every five minutes. Feinstein describes Knight's methods as holding players attention every minute of practice, not running drills for longer lengths of time. For years, baseball coaches have been guilty of having long, drawn out practices. High school coaches need to find ways to practice important skills, by inventing different drills that reinforce quality play and created an up-tempo style. By doing this, players start having fun at the game, especially if they are struggling at one certain area of practice. With constant transition, players do not have time to "go through the motions." Players will maintain a positive attitude about baseball if they are around coaches who keep things moving in practice. Furthermore, constant movement and engagement allows players to gain available repetitions at underdeveloped or new baseball skills.

At Central, one way we tried to energize the game was running our Purple, Silver, and Black Workout Series. This practice sequence engaged every member of our squad, rotating through various offensive and defensive activities. To set up the progression, our team split into one of the three colored groups. Since our varsity and junior varsity practiced together, it supplied a perfect number of players to complete three separate teams. Each team had a starting line up, with one player working primarily as a pitcher. Using one practice field, the teams would separate into different drills. For instance, the Purple team would assume their defensive positions, working on the tandem relay to third base or home plate. While the Purple worked on that specific defensive situation, the Silver team served as their base runners. Since there were only 9-10 players on each team, members receive an abundance of repetitions. In the hitting tunnels, the Black team worked on honing their offensive skills through batting practice or other static offensive drills. Usually, the duration of each station lasted 6-8 minutes, but it varied from day to day depending what skills our team needed to reinforce. By keeping these stations moving, players become more focused and energized throughout the practice. Furthermore, coaches were able to provide better instruction because group activity was less hectic due to smaller numbers.

3. Provide Positive Experiences

In my experience coaching high school baseball, consistently being positive with players is one of the biggest hurdles coaches must clear to form lasting relationships. Today, our society has become so cynical and sarcastic; players have difficulty distinguishing these themes from genuine honesty. Often, the majority of urban players have not experienced a lot of athletic success. Unorganized youth teams, poor coaching, and inadequate resources have hindered the chances of these youth to compete on a level playing field with their middle and upper class counterparts.

Many times, players come into high school with low confidence levels and a general resentment for a coach's authority. To break this cycle of negativity, coaches must use positive encouragement and reinforcement to motivate players. At first, incorporating positive encouragement and reinforcement may be challenging, especially if players are not receptive to feedback. Persistence is the key to building a bridge of trust from coach to player.

Often, since our incoming students did not play in highly structured environments, with many coached by people who were not able to control their emotions. Not being able to predict a coach's behavior can cause players to experience anxiety and distrust. At Central, to improve trust from coach to player we tried to practice predictable even-tempered behavior. The baseball season in Nebraska, including off-season training, runs approximately 9-10 months. With a season this long in duration, there are going to be many highs and lows. Practicing positive encouragement and calm demeanor, not only will coaches help overhaul a player's confidence, but recruit new players wanting good athletic experiences as well.

To provide positive experiences, coaches must communicate clearly and honestly with players. At Central, we ended our season with a written player/coach evaluation. In this document, players received an in-depth description of their strengths and weaknesses. Along with the summary, players received a comprehensive plan, detailing how improvements could be made before the following season. Even though these documents were totally honest, I did make an effort to expand on each player's strengths. By focusing on the positive, I wanted players to start their off-season with a positive taste in their mouths, no matter how heartbreaking the previous season ended. That way, returning players would continue in the program and display a positive attitude for younger players to emulate.

4. Increase Skill Production

Throughout my entire coaching career, I have never met one player who wanted to struggle. If a player is unsuccessful at a skill and rarely experiences any improvement, they are likely to lose motivation to practice that movement. Players need coaches that teach systems that work. In today's world, people want instant gratification. Young athletes are no different than the rest of society. If they are going to practice something, that skill better improve or players start to lose interest. To enhance a player's skills, high school coaches must be unafraid to break out of the traditional training methods other coaches use on their team. Even though some teams may be inexperienced, they generally have above average athletes. Keeping this in mind, coaches must construct ways to channel those talents into effective baseball movements. Using weighted balls, incorporating the V-cut defensive system, and practicing proper linear hitting techniques are all baseball movements that athletic players can understand and successful apply during a contest.

In my last season at Central High, during the winter our players started to use the under/over weight training for bat speed development. Groups of four players performed swings with heavy and light bats, applying maximum force to each swing. At the end of each training session, players received 10 soft toss flips. Standing approximately 30-40 feet away from the gym wall, players tried to redirect the ball in a line drive. Players recorded how many line drives they produced each time and the results were plotted on a line graph. By seeing the line chart results, players received immediate visual feedback. This instant response served as an important motivator for players wanting to improve their baseball performance. Not only did players compete against the graph, but the Line Drive Drill promoted competition between teammates as well. Having healthy competition inside the hitting groups only intensified the workouts and helped players reach a new level of success.

5. Create a Family Atmosphere

High school students are continually looking for nurturing situations that help provide opportunities to increase their self-esteem. If students are surrounded by constant negative or critical remarks by coaches or peers, there will be little enjoyment in participation. Since baseball is a game of constant failure, players need to know their coaches and teammates are going to provide an element of support, not ridicule.

To establish trust within our team, each season our players attend a dinner at one of the coach's houses. At the dinner, the team might play basketball, ping pong, or watch a movie. During the night, each player would stand and give a brief speech about the team. Often, players would talk about how they felt the team could reach great achievements throughout the year. Sometimes, there would be a speaking theme. In the summer of 2006, our players spoke about why our team would make the Nebraska State Tournament for the first time. Looking back, I believe these verbalizations helped our team accomplish their goal. Coaches spoke at the dinner as well, expressing their ideas about the team's strengths and what needed to be addressed in order to reach a high level of success.

6. Network Across Athletic Programs

A high school baseball coach's best friend should be the school's football coach. Being exposed to large numbers, a football coach can be a great asset with recruiting players to try baseball. In Nebraska, track and baseball compete during the same season. Even though football players tend to participate in track, there are some that are just not interested. Baseball would be a nice alternative for these players, especially if they are top-notch athletes. Examining Omaha high school sports, the schools with strong football program tend to lead the baseball scene as well. In fact, analyzing the Omaha World Herald's 2006 final poll three teams out of the top five were identical in the football and baseball rankings. These overlapping teams should come as no surprise to coaches. If a baseball program has an increase in athletes playing football, their chance for success will likely increase. Moreover, if circumstances allow, baseball coaches should try and help out with the football program in some way. Being on the football coaching staff, regardless of the level, helps the baseball coach promote their program by establishing positive relationships with athletes during the fall sport season. Then, when spring arrives players will be more inclined to give baseball a chance.

7. Make it Popular

High school students tend to pay attention to what their peers are doing. If baseball is perceived to be fashionable, many students will want to participate. The sport of basketball has done a great job of promoting their sport through sporty clothing and apparel. High school students love wearing attire that separates them from the group. Showing off attractive apparel gives athletes a sense of belonging and allows them to have positive self-esteem.

At Central, we tried to provide athletes with many different clothing items to display their involvement in our program. Every student that participated in our off-season program received some "gear", not just the players that made the team. Prospective players might receive a tee shirt, sweatshirt, or athletic shorts. This way, students could display our program's logo even if they did not participate in the competitive contests. For players that made the squad, they collected additional items such as a coat, pullover, or warm up suit that could be worn around school or in the dugout.

8. Winning

The last area coaches can improve to promote their program and increase player interest is establishing a winning product. As most coaches know, this is easier said than done. Players do not want to be involved in an athletic program that struggles every year. If they do, participants often receive criticism from their peers. Coaches can take precautions to creating a winning program by organizing effective practices and off-season training programs. One way coaches can maximize development is arranging extra workouts during the season.

During the American Legion season, our summer team practiced Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday even on game day. Usually, the practice lasted approximately 50-55 minutes. Scheduled early in the day, players had enough time to get proper rest for the later contest. These practice sessions allow players to sharpen their skills and apply them directly in the game.

These practices not only improved individual skills, but team concepts as well. During these sessions, our team perfected defensive specialties like pick offs, tandem relays, and bunt defenses. These areas usually get neglected during the season. By routinely practicing specific defensive situations, coaches prevent their team from losing games due to poor execution.

In conclusion, today's baseball coaches must be proactive when it comes to player recruitment. With all of the current distractions athletes face, coaches cannot assume players are going to select baseball as their sport of choice. If coaches are going to attract fresh faces to their program, they must reach out and try to identify with a new student population. At Central High School, each year our program tried to evaluate how it could continually recruit the best possible student/athlete to compete on the playing field. By assessing the program annually, our team used a variety of strategies to improve roster depth and playing performance.

2007-09-21T08:40:00.000-07:00

Urban Baseball: Methods to Boost Player Performance

"I haven't had a problem filling out a roster, but I have had a problem filling out a roster with quality players. We're always going to get two or three players that can play with anybody, but getting a solid nine is hard for us," said Coach Jim Holified, West End High School in Decatur, Alabama. (Decatur Daily Newspaper, July 9, 2005.)

Not every baseball player comes to high school fully prepared to compete at a high level. Today's urban baseball coaches are aware of an alarming trend amongst players coming into their program with little or no experience. In fact, many of these coaches have a hard time even filling up their roster. Today, inner-city athletes have gotten away from playing baseball at all, electing to participate in football or basketball. This has slowly led to a decline in large cities' urban baseball programs. In 2004, former Montreal Expos manager Frank Robinson, told Sports Illustrated that "Baseball is now third, maybe fourth in the household." This message is nothing new to Major League Baseball. Since 1988, the MLB has funded a program called Reviving Inner-city Baseball (RBI). The program allocates funds to urban baseball programs looking to upgrade facilities, in hopes of attracting more players. Many inner-city programs have benefited from the funds including Harlem, New York. In this section of New York, MLB's RBI program helped build a "Field of Dreams" for community little leaguers. To check out Harlem's baseball field, go to www.harlemrbi.org/field.html. You will find a beautiful facility, where baseball can be played at a high level. Major League Baseball is not the only one contributing to the community. Individual clubs are getting into the act as well.

The Atlanta Braves, like other MLB clubs, even offer their own youth baseball league. Their program serves players from the ages of 10-18 years old. For more information, check out www.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/atl/community/atl_junior.jsp. Another team that has tried to rejuvenate inner city baseball is the Minnesota Twins. This year, the Twins provided over $200,000.00 toward furthering urban baseball development.

Some pro players are jumping on board as well. Tori Hunter, the Minnesota Twins starting centerfielder, sponsors his own youth baseball project. Hunter's project motto is "It starts at the bottom." Currently, Hunter's project has made some strives toward helping urban players. His program, coupled with Little League Baseball and the RBI program, has created two new events promoting urban baseball. The first event, piggybacking of the LL World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, allows 4 urban youth African American teams to compete in a two day exhibition during the widely know games. The second event entitled Little League Urban Initiative Jamboree is scheduled for June of 2007. This tournament is in conjunction with Little League's Urban Initiative program. In 2000, LLB started this program and the number of participants has increased to 268,000 players. Again, Williamsport, PA will serve as the event's host. To donate funds to the Hunter Project, check out www.toriihunter48.com.

As a coach, who has worked in an urban setting for many years, the challenge to develop high achieving players can be very cumbersome. Over the years, there have been a few key components that have helped inexperienced players mature into effective competitors on the playing field. Below, three developmental ideas are listed and explained. All of them have been tested and proven effective within an urban baseball program.
Working from the Ground Up
This idea applies to player's lower body movements. In baseball, all of the important movements made by the body originate from the ground and work up. Pitching, fielding, and hitting all operate on the same theory of the player's lower body working correctly. Teaching players to make proper lower body movements puts them in a great position to be successful. In pitching, players that are able to maintain balance and accelerate toward the plate certainly increase a team's chance of success. To teach the lower body proper timing and rhythm in the delivery, we have incorporated the "Clap Drill" for inexperienced players to get used to their pitching motion. The drill has the coach clap the steps in the pitching delivery. At first coaches can go slow, but over time they can increase the tempo and force pitchers to really speed up their lower body. The "Clap Drill" provides pitchers the opportunity to be guided slowly through the process and then advance with experience. Also, the drill breaks apart a complex movement and creates a tempo players can actually take to the mound. Tom House, founder of the National Pitching Association (NPA), has a couple lower body drills that our team incorporates. These drills break the complex idea of pitching down and isolate lower body movements. First, his "Cross Arm Drill" takes the upper body completely away from the pitcher and forces them to use their legs only. Pitchers, with their arms across their chest, work through their delivery focusing on balance, while separating hip rotation from shoulder rotation. Pitchers take a rocker step, pivot to balance, stride toward the plate, achieve foot plant, and turn their shoulders toward the target. This can be done either on flat ground or from the pitching mound. After completing the "Cross Arm Drill" pitchers will add a movement to the exercise that works the groin. Going through the same movement as the "Cross Arm Drill" presents, after achieving foot plant, players push off the glove leg and pull their throwing leg forward. The action should resemble a lunging type motion, helping players contract the groin and build lower body strength. Fielding is another area, which the lower body dictates whether players are going to execute properly. When fielding a groundball, inexperienced players have a tendency to attack the ball incorrectly. To help players achieve defensive success, coaches must incorporate V-cut footwork. The V-cut system gives players a better opportunity to react to balls hit on the ground. Getting a better "read" on the ball helps improve a player's chance of fielding balls that take bad hops. When looking at an object from straight on, the speed and bounce pattern is very difficult to evaluate. Getting an angle on the ball, fielders have a better sight line to judge the velocity and spin. Also, V-cutting to the ball puts infielders in a straight line with 1st base. Achieving a straight line to the target allows players an opportunity to execute a more accurate throw. Another benefit of the V-cut system is the reduction of arm stress. The V-cut defensive systems help players create maximum momentum toward their target, thus decreasing the throwing arms workload.

The lower body has a great impact of hitting success as well. If a player does not incorporate effective lower body movements, obtaining hits could be quite challenging for players. For our hitters, the best trigger to gauge lower body usage is the lead leg, especially the knee. If a hitter, starting in a balanced stance, takes the lead knee back there is a complete load placed on the back leg. When this action occurs, the rear leg can drive forward with great force because momentum is transferred back and can spring forward with increased strength. That is the first function of the lower body. The second lower body purpose begins after the lead leg is taken forward and placed on the ground. When this occurs, the hitter must have transferred their rear weight to the front side or lead leg. The hitter should extend their weight dominated lead leg and their back leg should be lifted off the ground. The front side extension ought to be performed with an explosive movement.

Practice Makes Perfect
        Repetition is the ultimate tool for making a movement or skill permanent. Most inexperienced players have incorrect habits they must work out of their muscle memory. The more these players can perform actions correctly, the faster their muscle systems will learn effective actions. Coaches must incorporate a practice plan that allows these players to reinforce proper movements every day. Time is a valuable asset during a practice session, but coaches must allot time for players to work on all their developing skills. In fact, even if we only have 5-10 minutes left in practice, our players will always get a daily reinforcement on glove work, emphasizing defensive skills. Also, players reinforce proper hitting fundamentals by going through the "Load, Stretch, and Fire" mode. This drill takes the hitter through the proper hitting phases, while training each muscle to move in the proper order generating an effective swing. Hitters, with a bat, will take their stance. With oral cues, the coach will say," Load." The hitter will take their lead knee back. Instantly, the coach will say," Stretch!" The hitter will push their weight on a flexed front leg and leave their hands back, aligned with the rear foot. By leaving their hands back, hitters create a stretch in their lead arm. This stretch generates upper body power, so hitters can burst through arm extension.   As soon as the coach witnesses the hitter's front foot toe touch, he will say," Fire!" The player will snap their lead leg closed, lifting the back foot and finish their swing. Both of these drills serve as constant reinforcement of the proper techniques needed to be successful in the field or batter's box. With a persistent approach to practice, coaches can inspire inexperienced players to improve their proficiency every day.
Maximizing Body Weight
        To really get results in either throwing or hitting, players must be able to produce force with their entire body. When total body force is applied to movements, players see better results. By demonstrating improved skills, players increase self-esteem and they are more apt to continue playing.
        When using the whole body in the throwing motion, players reduce the stress on their throwing arms. Helping player's relive throwing arm pressure allows them to throw more frequently and with maximum velocity. As most coaches know, the throwing motion begins with the legs. Already in this article, some drills were described on how to isolate the lower body and train the quadriceps, gluts, and groin muscles to move with explosion. Another way players can use their body during a throw is gaining momentum toward their target. Improved momentum toward a target allows the thrower to generate better ball speed. One way to help players incorporate the entire body during the throw is to encourage a lower body movement called the "Step Behind." Practicing this movement players gain momentum and distance toward the target. So, how does a player achieve a "Step Behind?" Opposite of a crow hop, this movement occurs when a player receives the ball, by either catching or fielding, stepping behind the glove arm before delivering the throw to a target. When done quickly, the movement resembles a skipping motion. Not only will this movement increase velocity, but accuracy as well. Ball velocity should improve by the hips counter rotating during the throwing motion. With a forward movement of the throwing leg, a player's hips should coil back creating extra core torque before release. By creating additional torque, players should achieve faster arm speed. Another improvement players should observe with the "Step Behind" is better throwing accuracy. Since their front side stays closed, the player should deliver a straight line throw to the target. An inexperienced hitter can vastly improve their skills by using their entire body during the swing. To achieve a swing that uses all available weight, a hitter must work on loading their rear leg and driving forcefully toward the pitcher during the stride. By attacking the pitch, hitters are not wasting any weight by leaving it on the rear leg. If inexperienced players do not use maximum body weight, often they struggle to drive the ball. If they can focus on driving with their rear leg, inexperienced hitters can see positive results. Finally, urban baseball is in need of assistance all across America. Football and basketball have taken over as the top tier sports in today's society. As these sports grow and prosper, baseball participation continues to decline in the inner city. In recent years, there has been some people and organizations coming forward to help the problem. High school baseball coaches need to join in the process. By being positive ambassadors, coaches can promote the game to youth that may have limited knowledge of the sport's benefits. Furthermore, with valid teaching techniques coaches can implement ways of showing players success; helping baseball once again be a viable option for urban youth.

A Recent Baseball Clinic: A Linear Hitting Reminder

2007-05-10T10:25:00.001-07:00

Omaha Hillside Little League Baseball Clinic
Jerry Kreber, Assistant Coach, Council Bluffs (IA) Abraham Lincoln HS

Objective:
To produce a quality linear swing that helps players use their maximum body weight to generate force during the swing.

Keys to the Linear Swing
I.      Straight Line Stride                 II.    Weight Transfer (Back to Front)
III.    Lead Arm Extension            IV.    Lead Leg Extension
V.      Kick Stand and Follow Through

Drills to Produce a Linear Swing:
Rear Toss (Key I, Key II):
The hitter is standing on both feet, which should be shoulder width apart. The coach, positioned behind the hitter, will flip soft toss to the hitter from back to front. The hitter will try and continue the ball on its straight-line path. The hitter should forcefully push of the back foot to try and catch up will the flip from the rear. This seems to be the most challenging drill of the series for the hitters.

Lead Arm Tee Work (Key III):
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, their center of gravity is in a vertical line with chin and belly button. After a comfortable stance position has been created the hitter should take a 5-7 stride with the front foot, picking it up and moving it forward toward the pitcher. The weight shift forward, should cause the hitter’s lead arm to become extended because their hands stay back. 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 before swinging.

Back Foot Float (Key II, Key IV, Key V):
The hitter is standing on both feet, which should be shoulder width apart. The coach will say,” Float!” and the hitter will stride forward transferring their weight from the back foot to the front foot. While the hitter’s weight strides forward, their hands stay back, creating lead arm extension. Once this position is established, the coach, stationed in proper soft toss position, will flip the ball to the batter. During the flip, the coach will say,” Fire!” and the hitter’s torso and shoulders should rotate snapping the hands through. Only the back toe should be in contact with the ground when finished and the hitter should practice a top hand release.

Two Knee Hitting (Key III, Key V):
The hitter is down on both knees taking soft toss from a diagonal angle so the ball can be delivered out in front. The hitters partner should say,” Reach” and the hitter should reach by as far as possible with the lead arm. Then, the hitter’s partner should say,” Release” as the ball is toss for the batter to strike.

Cement Drill (Key III, Key V):
The hitter is standing on both feet, which should be shoulder width apart. During the drill, the hitter should take no stride. Instead, the batter should reach back with the lead arm. The hitter will be taking soft toss from a diagonal angle so the ball can be delivered out in front of the hitter. The hitter will swing, but not turnover the back foot. The hitter’s heels should never leave the ground; only the torso and shoulders should rotate snapping the hands through. The hitter should finish by practicing a top hand release.

Kick Stand Finish (Key I-Key V):
The hitter is standing on both feet, which should be shoulder width apart. During the drill, the hitter should take a stride and transfer their weight through the ball. The hitter will be taking soft toss from a diagonal angle so the ball can be delivered out in front of the hitter. The hitter will swing and turnover the back foot. The hitter’s torso and shoulders should rotate snapping the hands through and only the back toe should be in contact with the ground. Also, the hitter should finish by practicing a top hand release.

Down Hill Hitting (Key II, Key IV, Key V):
The hitter is standing on both feet, which should be shoulder width apart. Next, the batter will take their lead leg back and cross their rear foot. Once positioned, the coach will command the hitter to “fall”. The hitter will uncross their feet and fall forward. As the hitter falls forward, the coach, stationed in proper soft toss position, will flip the ball out front of the hitter and say “Fire!” The hitter will swing and turnover the back foot. Sometimes, the hitter’s back foot will come completely off the ground. The hitter’s torso and shoulders should rotate snapping the hands through and only the back toe should be in contact with the ground. Also, the hitter should finish by practicing a top hand release.

2007-05-10T10:14:00.001-07:00

Coaching Today's Players: How can coaches create lasting relationships?
Jerry Kreber, Assistant Coach, Council Bluffs (IA) Abraham Lincoln HS

The player/coach relationship has changed dramatically over the years. With existing societal problems, players enter athletic programs with new attitudes that did not exist previously. These feelings have challenged coaches to create inventive ideas on how to reach players and form lasting relationships.

When analyzing how these relationships form between the player and coach, many different methods can be used to create stable connections. Over the years, I have identified four areas coaches can apply to help improve relationships with players. In my experience, these methods have been instrumental in helping players accept feedback, value team concepts, and form lasting relationships with teammates and coaches.

1. Salesmanship
Like it or not, today’s players often question the validity of specific movements in practice and games. This attitude was not present in past athletic climates, but is an existing hurdle coaches must jump to be an effective teacher. This skepticism is not only present in sports, but throughout our educational landscape.

To combat this dilemma, coaches must be up to date on the latest research. By researching ways to improve, coaches can inform players on why their methods are important to apply in competitive contests. Even though this questioning attitude has led to confrontations between players and coaches, it can serve as a great learning tool for the entire program.

2. Parents
Parents play an important role in the player/coach relationship. With unlimited access, parents shape the coach's image in their child’s eyes. If parents use a lot of negative comments, the player may perceive their coach as inadequate. These types of interactions do not help create healthy relationships.

Communication is key to building these relationships. There are several ways coaches can communicate with parents, while keeping a professional distance. Coaches can mail written quarterly player evaluations to parents. These reports allow parents to view areas, which their child needs to improve to gain playing time. Also, behavior concerns about a player can be noted. By informing parents, coaches are including them in the player development process.

4. Peer Relationships
Players crave the acceptance of their teammates. That is why young people are guided heavily by peer pressure. If players do not find acceptance, they will never feel comfortable or supported. Experiencing feelings of rejection will enhance the chances of players quitting the team.

Coaches must immerse players in a supportive environment.   By creating an atmosphere of support, coaches challenge players to do the right thing all of the time. That way, positive actions are valued and not looked at as "kissing up" to the coach. With constructive relationships players not only succeed in athletics, but in the classroom as well.

5. Outside Influences
Today, players face difficult choices that could sway their futures. Gang violence, drug use, and alcohol assumption are a few harmful activities players can get involved in. In fact, according to a 2004 study by the University of Michigan found that 70% of all high school seniors polled used alcohol in the last year. Also, 34% of the seniors polled used marijuana in the last 12 months. These statistics offer proof that today's players must engage in activities that promote good health and encouraging outcomes.

Finally, coaches have unique chances of influencing the lives of young athletes. This influence can only be transferred if a connection is made between the player and coach. The positive lessons players learn through athletic competition and training can help develop other practical problem solving techniques, which players can apply during their entire life.

Fastball Fitness

2007-04-02T09:06:00.000-07:00

Attention Pitching Coaches:

If you have a chance, please pick up Tom House's new book Fastball Fitness. The book covers many topics that will help players add velocity to their pitch.

Also, I have been honored to contribute a 2004 Weighted Ball Study to his 2007 publication. The research is located in Chapter 12 entitled "Omaha Central Weighted Ball Study"

The "Extra" Addition

2007-02-18T22:11:00.000-08:00

The Ulnar Nerve Follow-Up

For the last month, I have really tried to start understanding the Ulnar Nerve’s appearance and function. Last week, I posted an article outlining a hypothesis that may help the functional strength and durability in the elbow. The article also offered facts and details labeling the elbow’s physical features.

Just a little follow up to the recent article I posted. This weekend, I got a chance to spend some time with medical students from the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Our conversations centered on the function of the Ulnar Nerve in a player’s throwing arm. One student indicated that the Ulnar Nerve was only stimulated when the arm conducted activities at 90 degrees. He then offered the suggestion,” It is pretty easy to help a pitcher that does not want to get hurt. Don’t throw the ball with the arm at 90 degrees.”

His response did not surprise me because I found that data in my research. He stated almost the exact same statistic I found during my informational journey. Actually, the article I found that information in was an employment guide for carpenters doing overhead construction work. But, I did have to correlate this information with data Chris O’Leary collected about pitchers who have suffered serious arm injuries. He has researched many pitchers through pictures and motion video. He has a fantastic website at www.chrisoleary.com.

O’Leary has concluded that pitchers should not raise their pitching arm elbow above the shoulder. When they do, he claims, pitchers are more susceptible to injuries. At first glance, many would argue this pitching claim. Analyzing the data, it is clear to see he may be on to something. When a pitcher throws at 90 degrees in an overhand motion, their arm is elevated above the shoulder. Medically speaking, this position causes the Ulnar Nerve in the throwing arm to activate and pitchers stretch and stress the nerve to its maximum capacity.

To practice a safe angular arm position, pitchers might try to bring the ball by the ear as they rotate toward their target. If the ball splits the ear, their elbow stays in a position less than 90 degrees. According to the research and the medical people I have talked with, this may lead to less Ulnar Nerve stress during the throwing motion. When practicing this cue it is important that players make an effort to pull their glove back into the body. When the arm is at a decreased angle, it makes it easier for players to really supinate the arm across their body. By focusing on the front side, pitchers can protect the arm while trying to stay in a straight line path with the target.

Looking at the Ulnar

2007-02-12T20:58:00.000-08:00

The Ulnar Nerve: An Important Connection

The ulnar nerve is a central component of the arm when it is required to use a motion positioning the elbow at a 90 degree angle. In order to throw a baseball, players must move their elbow through the 90-degree position with violent force and velocity. Since the Ulnar Nerve is activated during elbow flexion it is easy to see how players put constant strain on this particular connective tissue.

The Ulnar Nerve has many different functions that help produce proper feelings and sensations in the arm. First, the tissue is responsible for the feelings on the pinky side of palm, joining with the ring finger as well. Many times, people will say they hit their “funny bone” when an elbow is bumped against a hard object, shooting a tingling sensation to the palm’s pinky side. Also, the nerve assists some of the muscles in the front of the forearm. These muscles are instrumental in helping the hand grip objects with strength applying force back into the palm. Finally, the Ulnar Nerve serves as a connective tissue, along with bone, between the Humerus and Ulna Bone.

For baseball players, the Ulnar Nerve is an important piece to delivering a strong accurate throw. Since the tissue bridges the two bones together during the throw, it is imperative that players keep these ligaments healthy. If not, players will have difficulty using the overhand motion effectively without physical pain. Most recently, in today’s baseball landscape the Ulnar Nerve is one of the most injured areas of current player’s anatomy. In fact, the surgery used to repair the ligament is labeled after a former MLB pitcher named Tommy John. In 2003, it was reported that 75 out of 700 Major League pitchers had the surgery performed on their throwing arms. The Ulnar Nerve becomes stressed during the pitching motion when the ligament is stretched during the acceleration phase. After being repetitively stretched, the Ulnar Nerve becomes strained or compressed if there are significant mechanical flaws in the player’s throwing motion. Also, according to one report, the nerve may experience microscopic tears during the throwing motion that could lead to a partial or complete tear of the ligament.

How to players prevent the Ulnar Nerve from being injured during training or game competition? This is question is a major problem in today’s coaching circles, with pitchers often being injured throughout the year. Often, to solve problems like this, coaches have to look at other areas where the elbow is used in a similar way. Since the overhand throwing motion is so unique, it is difficult to find ways to simulate the movement.

One sport that put athletes into a similar position as the throwing motion is archery. When bow users pull back the tension cord, their elbow has moved through full extension to almost maximum flexion. The arm flexion reaches its maximum point when the bow users forearm touches the bicep at the elbow joint. Upon reaching this position, bow users are ready to fire their bow and arrow at a specific target. Pitchers get to this position in a different way. By breaking the ball from their glove, pitchers usually swing their arm from a low position moving through a flexion positioned by the ear. This is the position closely resembled to bow users.

The tension of the objects held by the athletes is the biggest difference between each sport. The standard baseball weighs approximately 5 ounces, while the tension cord of a bow and arrow can be between 50-100 pounds. The use of each motion varies with pitchers throwing 100-120 pitches every 4th day, as bow users might perform 50-75 tensions pullbacks every day.

Applying this information to the training principle of sport specificity, pulling a bow’s tension cord back could be seen as a valuable training tool for pitchers wanting to maintain a healthy and strong elbow. With the elbow forced to perform pullbacks with constant tension, the muscles and ligaments will gain strength and power. This movement is unique to baseball arm training because it is performed while the athlete is standing. Many times elbow exercises have players either seated on lying in a flat position. Also, due to balance issues, athletes cannot effectively duplicate these movements with dumbbells or free weights while achieving appropriate gains in tension.

For more information, check out the following resources:

http://www.bowfit.com

http://www.bowfit.com/use-bowfit.html

http://www.scorpyontechnologies.com/rotaflex.html

The Opposite End of the Spectrum

2007-01-29T15:45:00.000-08:00

Describing the Process of Player Development

In the last few years, Michael Lewis's book Moneyball has received a lot of attention because of the Oakland Athletics successful run through the competition with a medium sized payroll. Oakland's scouting techniques have been hailed as an effective way of evaluating talent throughout the amateur ranks. Many business professionals have looked at Moneyball as a guide to set up productive company employee models.

One book, published in 2005, has been overlooked in the wake of Moneyball. Authored by Bill Shanks, Scout's Honor, is a rebuttal to the opinions and techniques expressed in Moneyball. Mr. Shanks takes readers through the Atlanta Braves Player Scouting and Development System. He describes how the Braves draft players and provides insights to what the organization concentrates on when looking to select an amateur player. The book actually takes the reader through a few case studies that follow players all the way through to the Major Leagues.

As a coach, both books are an awesome resource for building a program. I look at both of these books as an approach to strategizing the game. Moneyball is an offensive approach, while Scout's Honor is a pitching/defense approach. When put together, it can be a dangerous combination. High school coaches have an opportunity to play both sides of this debate. By incorporating a offensive philosophy that produces walks and high on-base percentages fulfills that Moneyball criteria. This approach led to an abundance of opportunity to scoring runs.

On the defensive side, if you practice the development of pitchers, like the Braves model, games could be won or lost on the mound. Atlanta’s developmental philosophies hinged on getting young players innings, no matter what projection they labeled the player as starter, reliever, or closer. Furthermore, Atlanta’s pitchers trained under Leo Mazone’s belief in throwing during the off-season for an extended period. He believes that the more a player throws the baseball the better pitcher they will become.

In conclusion, both books give coaches an avenue to improve their team on a yearly basis. I think by reading Scout's Honor I have expanded my knowledge on player development in the amateur setting by giving players the innings needed to improve. Also, looking a players from a "make up" aspect instead of a "production" aspect. One outcome of reading this book might be that a player's make up leads to their production. Whatever the differences between each selection, both are worth the time to consume the information.

Where has it all Gone?

2007-01-18T18:44:00.000-08:00

Is Sportsmanship Dead?

Like our society, sportsmanship has really changed over the last 20 years. Today, high school athletes have many different factors that affect the way they look at treating opponents, officials, and team members. These new variables have led athletes down a dangerous path toward negativity and unconstructiveness. Not only does this develop a sense of pessimism toward athletics, but overall bad feelings about today’s younger athletes.

Advanced technology was helped shaped the way athletes treat each other. The Internet has played a large role in how students communicate. Now, chat rooms and websites offer high school students a chance to interact with one another. When used appropriately, these can be very productive in helping students develop relationships. Often, this is not a popular approach in using updated technology. Instead, many high school athletes tend to visit websites that allow negative information to be posted by members of the site. Usually, these sites do not require members to use their real names. So, athletes have a free rein to banter back and forth with absolutely no accountability for their words. Frequently, this practice has resulted in verbal or physical altercations on and off the playing field.

Parenting attitudes and actions have helped instigate increased bad behavior of high school athletes. Being a poor role model is one way parents have assisted in the influx of negative sportsmanship. For example, during a 2004 high school basketball game in Pennsylvania where a parent body slammed a referee for ejecting his wife from the game for using obscenities. These kinds of incidents have helped high school athletes view violence as an acceptable reaction to unfavorable outcomes. Behavior like this has been highly publicized in the media, causing many organizations to become advocates for better parent behavior. In fact, the International Institute of Sports for the last 16 years has promoted a National Sportsmanship Day. Many famous athletes have jumped on board like Lance Armstrong, Chris Spielman, and Jennie Finch.

Practicing a team concept is another element of sportsmanship that has deteriorated in high school athletics. Today’s players seem to have a very selfish outlook on athletic involvement. This type of attitude has trickled down from professional players through the college ranks. Now, today’s best players often find themselves on the worst teams because their attitude is not conducive with creating a winning environment. This trend provides evidence that often players put their individual wants against vital team needs. In previous athletic environments this type of attitude was not accepted in sports.

In conclusion, today’s athletes must fight off many distractions to practice proper sportsmanship. Athletes may even face peer pressure from teammates not to be a good sport during and after competition. To help remediate this increasing problem, coaches must provide proper instruction on the importance of good sportsmanship. Also, they must send a clear message that bad sportsmanship will not be tolerated within their athletic problem. By using this deterrent, coaches can hedge off embarrassing behavior of athletes in practice and game situations.

Trying to Change Pitching

2007-01-05T23:33:00.000-08:00

http://www.sptimes.com/2006/07/13/Sports/Ex_pitcher_has_yet_to.shtml

The above address is an article that outlines the teachings of Dr. Mike Marshall. It is a interesting read about pitching and mechanical flaws that the "traditional" pitching motion produces. Marshall has a training camp in Flordia for pitchers that want a chance to pitch pain free, improving pitch velocity and breaking ball command. Enjoy!!!!!!!!!!

Getting the "BIG" Out

2006-11-27T19:11:00.000-08:00

Defending the Squeeze

The hardest play to defend in baseball is the suicide squeeze play. It fact, if the squeeze bunt is executed perfectly it is almost impossible to record an out at the plate. Over the years, our team has tried a number of techniques to guard against squeeze. Even though many worked in theory, none of them worked in the game.

Last year, an old friend provided a bunt defense his team ran to prevent the suicide squeeze bunt in tight situations. Michael Gomez, the head coach at Central Catholic in San Antonio, Texas, explained how his team would bring in their slowest outfielder to stand ahead of the pitcher. He would push the other outfielders to the gaps, narrowing the distance left by the absent outfielder. The rest of the infield plays on the grass, guarding against the slow roller generated by the hitter.

As the pitcher goes to the plate, the outfielder who is guarding against the squeeze prepares to field a bunt. If the pitch is bunted, the outfielder will field the ball and check the runner at third base. If the runner stays at third base, the outfielder will record the out at first. If the runner tries to score, the outfielder will defend home plate. If the hitter picks up two strikes during their at-bat, the outfielder will move behind the mound and guard against a ground ball up the middle.

The biggest question about this play is "Does it Work?" The answer is "YES!!!" We recorded outs using this defense in key spots throughout the summer season. Not only does the defense prevent the bunt, but the outfielders movement literally distracts the hitter into fouling off or completely missing pitches.

New Information of the Gyroball

2006-11-18T20:49:00.000-08:00

Check out the following websites for 2006 information on the gyroball. As you know, the pitch is coming to the US when Daisuke Matsuzaka finally makes his MLB debut. Last year, I researched ways to throw the pitch and hit a dead end at every turn. It seems, Will Carroll, is the only teacher in the United States that can instruct the pitch. Hopefully, with the arrival of Matsuzaka, the pitch will gain popularity.

http://www.npl.uiuc.edu/~a-nathan/pob/

http://www.popularmechanics.com/blogs/science_news/4201430.html

A Big Surprise

2006-11-18T18:25:00.000-08:00

A Website to Review

If you have a minute, check out the following website if you are into statistical information of the game of baseball:

http://baseball1.com/bb-data/bbd-bj1.html

The website provides conclusions Bill James, the famous baseball researcher, as founded over the years. One interesting deatil is James's defensive chain:

[ - 1B - LF - RF - 3B - CF - 2B - SS - C - ]

The importance of the defensive position is based from right to left. This has been a source of debate between myself and a assistant coach over the years. Our debate centered on the importance of having a sure handed third baseman and how important the position really was compared to the other defensive spots. I would have thought that the first baseman was MORE important than the third baseman. According to James, my theory is incorrect. Take a look at the other facts on the website and explore the material.

Shooting For the Stars

2006-11-14T14:16:00.000-08:00

Goal Setting: Helping Players Achieve at a Higher Level

Every year, coaches spend their off-season setting goals. Each goal is based on the expectation that players should improve their skills from one year to the next. How is this achieved? Formulating goals for the season, coaches must be specific on what they want their team to achieve. For instance, if a coach wants to improve their win total, a goal should not be,"Our team will win 22 games this season." Why is this not appropriate? This goal is too general and does not address the specific areas that will contribute to victories. Another problem coaches have with setting goals is that there is no documented plans to achieve yearly goals. If a coach sets a goal, there must be a documented plan of implementation. If no plan is created, there is little chance any of the yearly goals being achieved. Below, I have listed our offensive goals for the upcoming season. Usually, our team has 3-4 objectives for each area of the game including pitching, defense, and offense. In the goals provided, I have also listed a baserunning goal for the season. I have included this goal because it falls under the offensive catoreory. Each goal includes an action plan of how the objective will be mastered. Any coach's input is welcome on how each goal process can be changed to help players meet the objective.

2006-2007 Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln Baseball

2007 Offensive Team Objectives

Objective #1 To record 90 team walks during the summer.

1. Improved Plate Coverage
- Firm Front Side Finish
- Own the Batter's Box Mentality
- Pitch Attack

2. Disciplined Approach to Hitting Breaking Balls
- No Swing Until 2 Strikes
- Shorten Bat
- Daily Exposure to Breaking Balls

3. Shoulder-to-Shoulder Tracking Model
- Movement of Chin
- Daily Usage of Model on Tee Work and Batting Practice

Objective #2 To record less than 80 team strikeouts during the summer.

1. Shorten Hitting Approach
- Practicing Proper Bat Shortening
- Total Body Momentum
- Lead Arm Extension

2. Disciplined Approach to Hitting Breaking Balls
- No Offering Until 2 Strikes
- Practice Proper Bat Shortening
- Daily Exposure to Breaking Balls

3. Shoulder-to-Shoulder Tracking Model
- Movement of Chin
- Daily Usage of Model on Tee Work and Batting Practice

Objective #3 To record 80 team extra base hits during the summer.

1. Over/Under Weight Swing Training
- Daily Usage of Weighted Bats
- Forearm Resistance Exercises
- Daily Medicine Ball Explosive Drills

2. Lead Arm Resistance Training
- Off-Season Use of Dumbbell vs. Gravity Exercises
- Off-Season and Seasonal Tricep Development

3. Linear Hitting Model
- Off-Season Teaching of the Linear Hitting Model
- Daily Use of the Load, Stretch, and Fire Method
- Daily Use of Linear Progression Reinforcers

Objective #4 To record 350 team hits during the summer.

1. Use of Wood Bats in Training
- Off-Season Use of Wood Bats
- Season Training with Wood During All Practice and Pre-Game Hitting

2. Daily Lead Arm Batting Practice
- At Least One Round Of Lead Arm BP Per Practice/Pre Game
- At Least One Drill Isolating Lead Arm Per Practice/Pre Game

3. Emphasis on Hitting the Ball to All Fields
- Incorporating Linear Hitting Model
- Improve Plate Coverage
- Daily Emphasis on Hitting Ball Middle or Away

Objective #5 To record 60 team steals during the summer.

1. Daily Baserunning Stations
- Situational Running in Practice
- Emphasis on Pitcher’s Cues and Moves
- Improvement of Times From 1st to 2nd
- Improvement of Times From 2nd to Home

2. Improve Acceleration From Start
- Lower Body Resistance Training
- Daily Emphasis on Groin Flexibility
- Daily Emphasis on Core Strength

Speeding Up Practice

2006-11-13T20:00:00.000-08:00

Playing Continuous Defense in Threes

Objective:

To promote an up-tempo practice, incorporating all elements of defense and baserunning.

Procedure:

Stage I.
During the first defensive cycle, all outfielders will be stationed in right field. All infield positions will be played by defenders. Three different baserunning groups will be stationed at each base. The coach, standing at home plate, will begin the drill by hitting a ball to right field. The baserunner, stationed at second base, will try and score. The right fielder will throw to the plate, using the first baseman as the relay. The baserunner will try and avoid the tag, while the catcher tries to record the out. As the play finishes, the coach will roll a bunt to the next catcher, who should jump out right after the previous play. During the roll, the baserunner at first base will try and reach second base. The catcher and first baseman will converge to field the bunt. When the ball is fielded, the catcher or first baseman will try and record the out at first or second base. Immediately after that play finishes, the coach will hit an infield pop up. All infield players will communicate and record the out.

Stage II.
During the second defensive cycle, all outfielders will be stationed in centerfield. All infield positions will be played by defenders. Three different baserunning groups will be stationed at each base. The coach, standing at home plate, will begin the drill by hitting a ball to centerfield. The baserunner, stationed at first base, will try and advance to third base. The centerfielder will throw to third base, using the shortstop as the relay. The baserunner will try and avoid the tag, while the third baseman tries to record the out. As the play finishes, the coach will roll a bunt to the catcher, who should jump out right after the previous play. During the roll, the baserunner at second base will try and reach third base. The catcher and first baseman will converge to field the bunt. When the ball is fielded, the catcher or first baseman will try and record the out at first or third base. Moving on the play, the second baseman will cover first in case a throw is made to the base. Immediately after that play finishes, the coach will strike a shallow pop up to the centerfielder. Using the first baseman as the relay, the centerfield will fire home, trying to record the out.

Stage III.
During the third defensive cycle, all outfielders will be stationed in left fielder. All infield positions will be played by defenders. Three different baserunning groups will be stationed at each base. The coach, standing at home plate, will begin the drill by hitting a ball down the left field line. The baserunner, stationed at first base, will try and score. The left fielder, working with a tandem relay of shortstop and second base, will throw to the shortstop. The shortstop will try and keep the runner from scoring. As the play finishes, the coach will hit a groundball to the third baseman, who throw the ball to first base. After the out, the coach will hit a final ball to the second baseman will turn a double play with the shortstop and first baseman.

Summary:
Today, many players find baseball's playing tempo very slow. To hold their attention, coaches must look for ways to enhance practice tempo. Incorporating drills with more than one ball, challenge players to stay involved with a play and not lose concentration. Also, it helps to make practice fun and exciting. If players get some enjoyment out of practice, they will continue to find joy in the sport.

Catcher: The Most Underpracticed Position

2006-11-08T15:33:00.000-08:00

Catching: Baseball's Lost Art

In a three man coaching staff, catchers are often forgotten about as the attention focuses on infield, outfield, and pitching performances. Catchers are left in the dark, catching bullpens and flipping balls to their coach during groundball sessions. This year, one of our coaching goals was to improve the play of our catchers. By doing this, we wanted to be able to play two catchers on a regular rotation. With this method, one catcher would always be fresh and ready to go. That way, each catcher could play another position, thus becoming more versatile and less one dimensional. To be fair, our pitchers had to be comfortable throwing to each backstop. Also, each catcher had to have the ability to control the opponents running game as well as be a field general. To help enhance our catchers performance we operated a drill progression that help improve lower body durability, side to side movement, and stance explosion.

Point Drill: A few years ago, I saw LSU run this drill during a CWS workout. Our catchers start in a regular crouched stance. A coach, standing out front, points a direction. The catcher reaches out and frames an imaginary pitch. With the glove arm extended, the catcher waits for the coach to point a different direction. The coach can point left, right, up, or down and the catcher will proceed to frame different pitch locations. The catcher should remember to causally move their upper body to the center of each pitch, making the ball look as good as possible. Coaches should start out conservative with the time for this drill, but gradually extend each period. This is an excellent drill to promote strength and durability to the lower body.

Half Circle Drill: Catchers start in a regular crouched stance behind home plate. The coach should draw a half circle in the dirt, right in front of the catcher. The half circle should look like it is swallowing the plate. Standing in front of home plate, coaches should short hop balls for the catchers to block. The catcher should try and move their torso so the blocked ball drops in the half circle drawn by the coach. Players must be able to move laterally, keeping the ball in front of them.

Four Corner Drill: With four cones evenly spaced forming a square, a catchers will crouch behind them. Each cone will act as a home plate. With a coach's signal, the catcher will explode out of stance. Catchers should use a jump turn, using quick feet rotating the shoulders powerfully toward second base. After footwork completion, catchers will rotate to the next cone. Coaches can use this drill to condition catchers and prepare them for the season's long duration.

Two Knee Throwing: Catchers start in a regular crouched stance behind home plate, with a player standing on the mound. If the entire infield is available, a player could stance at second base. A coach standing 5-10 in front of home plate, throws balls to the catcher. Upon reception, catchers should drop to two knees and fire toward second base. The drill works faster if the throw goes to the mound, but throwing all the way through really challenges the catcher to gain momentum during extension toward the ball. If the catcher is just throwing to a mound target, the still need to put second base force on the ball. Coaches can really evalute arm strength when performing this drill. Also, players can improve arm strength by this drill's arm isolation.

Catch and Release: Catchers start in a regular crouched stance behind home plate, with a player standing on the mound. If the entire infield is available, a player could stance at second base. Coaches, standing in front of the plate, will throw balls to the catcher. Upon reception, catchers will step and throw toward second base. Quickness in the glove transfer should be the main focus of this drill. Catchers should not concentrate on anything but catching and throwing as fast as possible. If the catcher is just throwing to a mound target, the still need to put second base force on the ball.

Jump Turn and Throw: Catchers start in a regular crouched stance behind home plate, with a player standing on the mound. If the entire infield is available, a player could stance at second base. Coaches, standing in front of the plate, will throw balls to the catcher. Upon reception, catchers will concentrate on turning glove shoulder toward second base and throwing in a straight line. Turning and pivoting the body as fast as possible should be the catchers focal point during this period. If the catcher is just throwing to a mound target, the still need to put second base force on the ball.

Finishing Strong

2006-09-19T20:18:00.000-07:00

Mid-Season Medicine Ball Routine

During the first half of the season, our team’s pitching staff was very successful. Not only did they pick up many victories, but also they were able to throw deep into games. Often, our starting pitchers were able to throw complete games. When our team reached the season’s midpoint, our pitchers seemed to fatigue easier and not have the same “stuff”. From the dugout, it seemed our pitchers were actually throwing with less velocity.

At the end of June, our team took a week vacation from baseball. The players returned with three weeks remaining in the season’s schedule. Our pitchers, who previously trained through running and throwing, started a new, mid-season workout. This workout lasted approximately 10-12 minutes per day. After incorporating this workout into our routine, we ended our second half pitching at the highest level of the year. To complete all the exercises, our pitchers used an 8-pound medicine ball, a stretch cord, and four orange marking disks.

1. Fence Touches: Standing with their back to the fence and holding the medicine ball in front of their chest, players will rotate their torso 180 degrees and touch the medicine ball against the fence. Players cannot rotate their hips during this drill; they must keep their lower body stationary while twisting back and forth. Players will perform this drill for 1 minute trying to maximize repetitions. Pitchers should target 60 touches during the 1-minute session.

2. Overhead Throw Downs: With a medicine ball over their head, pitchers will take a shuffle step and pull down on the ball. Pitchers should try and bounce the ball with maximum force on the ground. Players will perform this drill for 1 minute trying to maximize repetitions. Pitchers should target 35 bounces per 1-minute session.

3. Hip Toss: Holding a medicine ball at their hip, pitchers will take a shuffle step toward their target. With momentum from the shuffle, pitchers will throw the medicine ball as high as possible. Pitchers should focus on the dramatic turn of their shoulders and hips. Pitchers should target 15 throws per 1-minute session.

4. Sit Up Throws: Lying on their back, pitchers will start with their arms overhead. Holding the medicine ball, pitchers will extend their torso up bring the medicine ball off the ground. The movement resembles a sit up. Before reaching the top, pitchers will throw the medicine ball to their partner, who should be facing them. After receiving the ball, the pitcher’s partner will hand it back, allowing the pitcher to contract their abdominal muscle during the negative downward movement. A special note, the pitcher’s partner may have to stand on their feet while they move torso up during the sit up. Pitchers should target 20 throws per 1-minute session.

5. Over Shoulder Throws: Standing backwards to their target, pitchers will start with the medicine ball at chest level. Pitchers, with maximum force, will toss the ball over their shoulder. Players should focus on getting extreme contraction in the upper and lower abdominals during the throw. Pitchers should target 20 throws per 1-minute session.

6. External Scapular Pulls: With a stretch cord tied to the fence, pitchers will stand parallel to the fence. With adequate tension, pitchers will pull the cord across their body to full extension. When starting the exercise, pitchers should feel the scapular bone move and the muscle stretch. When pulling the tight cord across the body, pitchers should feel the scapular bone pull closer to the spine. Pitchers should target 35 pulls per 1-minute session.

7. Bicep Pull Downs: With a stretch cord tied to the fence, pitchers will face forward. With adequate tension, pitchers will pull the stretch cord straight back, with an underhanded swing. When this movement is completed, players should feel a stretch in the bottom of their bicep. This is an area that pitchers experience a lot of soreness in after pitching. Using these pull downs allow players to build up the strength in that area of the upper bicep. Pitchers should target 35 pulls per 1-minute session.

8. Square Running: With four orange markers, players will set up a 4ft by 4ft square. Pitchers will start out with sprints around the markers, trying to use tight cuts while changing directions. Then, pitchers will mix in different exercises every 4 feet. For instance, a sequence of square running may include lunges, standing jumps, shuffles, sprints, and high knees.

9. Pro Agility: With three orange markers spaced 6-8 feet apart in a straight line, pitchers will start at the middle marker. Pitchers will run left, touching the outer marker. Then changing directions, pitchers will sprint to the farthest marker, change directions again, and stop in the middle, where they began the drill.

10. Fastballs/Curveballs/Change Ups: Pitchers get on the mound and throw 2 different sequences of pitches. First, at 45 feet, pitchers throw 3 fastballs out, 3 fastballs in, 3 curveballs, and three change ups. Then, at 60 ft, pitchers will throw the same pitch sequence. Pitchers should take their medicine ball “explosion” to the mound. Again, pitchers should focus on abdominal contraction, shoulder turn, and hip rotation.

Rundowns

2006-09-11T11:19:00.000-07:00

Perfecting the Rundown
How many times have you seen a rundown cost your team in a key situation? I asked myself this question a lot last off-season. In the past, our players failed to execute in rundowns and this inefficiency cost us some victories. With this in mind, I wanted our team to improve in this area; so potential defensive outs could be recorded. One of our biggest problems in rundowns was the athleticism of our infielder verses the baserunner. It seemed the opponent’s baserunner could outmaneuver our infielder into making a throwing or glove transfer mistake. Secondly, it seemed that our infielders would get very nervous in rundown situations. This nervousness was illustrated through tense body language. Players looked stiff and uncomfortable when a baserunner was caught up in between the bases. Furthermore, our player’s confidence seemed low in rundown spots, which led to poor oral communication between players calling for the ball.
From our weaknesses, I had to come up with a plan that allowed players to use their intelligence to overcome some physical limitations in rundown situations. Last winter, our varsity coach attended the 2006 ABCA convention in Chicago, Illinois. He came back armed with a DVD that illustrated a new rundown plan. On the DVD, Larry Giangrosso, Head Coach University of Alabama-Birmingham, showed his team’s rundown system and how it could be implemented into your daily practice routine. In his rundown plan, no one ever followed their own throw. Instead, players without the ball charged the runner until they were within tagging distance. As they entered close proximity with the runner, the ball was delivered to them and a tag occurred. This not only extinguished a lot of defensive movement, but helped the defender improve accuracy with their throws. This improvement occurred when defenders remained stopped whiling delivering the ball, instead of chasing the baserunner. After reviewing the DVD, our team tried to carry out Coach Giangrosso’s system.
At first, our team really struggled at implementing the charging aspect of the rundown play. When our team started, many players remained stationed after their throw, not reacting correctly. They had problems getting past the fact that only two players were involved in the rundown. Before, an infielder would make just one throw and follow behind the receiver, having another player take their place in the rundown. With this new system, only two people were responsible in the rundown and our infielders could not “pass” their responsibilities off with an early throw. In the early stages, players were uncomfortable and resistant to the system. But as execution began to improve, players started to get better at the system.
One problem our players had to overcome was overrunning the baserunner. Often, the baserunner would be stopped staring at the receiver with the ball. The charger would sprint and receive the ball too late as the runner returned to the base. Our defenders had a hard time judging the baserunner’s distance and speed. To help players adapt, we decided that defenders would call for the ball when they entered the “tag zone”. The “tag zone” was the area 7-8 feet from the runner. When the defenders entered that zone, they screamed “ball, ball!!” Since the defender is at a full sprint, they are able to cover 7-8 feet very quickly. Before, players were calling for the ball 2-3 feet from the runner. By the time the ball was received, the baserunner had retreated safely back to the base. This small adjustment, getting our defenders the ball on the run against a stopped opponent, helped our defense perfect Coach Giangrosso’s rundown system.
When the technical side of the teaching was completed, our team had to start incorporating rundowns into our daily routine. Our team started running a pregame drill, stolen from Coach Giangrosso’s video, where outfielders split into two groups. One group would start at 3rd base, while the other group started at 1st base. With the infield playing in, a groundball would be hit. The runner from 3rd base would immediately try to score. Upon fielding the grounder, the infielder would fire home. If the throw was early, our baserunners are instructed to stop and participate in a rundown. The runner at 1st, who goes to 2nd on the grounder, tries to move up to 3rd base. The infielders are trying to record 2 outs on the play. Our players had a lot of fun with this drill, which was performed daily for 3-5 minutes.
It not only physically improved our rundown defense, but mentality it helped our players become comfortable with the situation. Since our outfielders practiced as baserunners so much, they really improved their level of play when they found themselves in a rundown on offense. Even with our team’s limited athleticism, our players managed to work themselves out of numerous baserunning spots. Since our team prepared for rundowns daily, their comfort level rose dramatically. You could tell in their improved body language and vocal communication. Not only did our rundown defense improve, but also opponent runner’s were beaten with just one throw. In fact, the final out of an important victory was recorded with a one-throw rundown out.
From this experience, I drew two conclusions. First, that Coach Giangrosso’s system is a great way to improve your rundown defense. It eliminates throws and movement from added defenders in the play. Also, by incorporating rundowns so often players naturally get better at the play and more comfortable with the situation. This elevated comfort level increases player’s chances for success.

The Final Stage

2006-09-04T06:21:00.000-07:00

Stage Eight:
Elbow Extension

As the pitcher breaks through “The Wall of Resistance”, release is about to occur. In order to throw a strike, the pitcher must extend their elbow and place their forearm in a straight line toward home plate. Often, pitchers may have to slightly tilt their head to the glove side. This small tilt creates space for the pitcher’s arm to stay in a straight line with the target. By allowing the elbow to extend in a straight line, the pitcher applies force to the back of the baseball toward home plate. In fact, if the pitcher has proper elbow flexion in their mechanics, they will be able to apply force longer toward the target. The extended force application time increases a pitcher’s throwing velocity.

In the picture above, the pitcher has just released his pitch toward home plate. His elbow has become completely extended during release and his head is slightly tilted toward the glove side. In the picture, the ball has just been released from the pitcher’s fingers. Notice how far out in front the pitcher is able to release the ball. Just by practicing proper elbow flexion, pitchers can slash the distance to the plate by 10% or greater. This distance reduction not only produces faster pitches, but helps pitchers maintain healthy arms.

2006-08-29T05:55:00.000-07:00

Pitching Stage Seven

Wall of Resistance

Actually, Dr. Tom House is credited for illustrating this stage with his National Pitching Association (NPA) research. The Wall of Resistance is an imaginary line drawn through the pitcher’s foot upon touch, after the leg kick. This straight line passes through the plant foot and extends to the sky. At foot plant, the pitcher’s head should be behind the line. During release, the pitcher’s head must pass through the line and ahead of the plant foot. If the pitcher is able to execute this action, proper directional force has been applied. Also, forced apply toward second base allows the pitcher to release his pitch closer to home plate. Furthermore, maintaining forward momentum with the lower body greatly reduces upper arm stress and chance of injury. If the pitcher is not able to generate an opposite lower body push, their arm will have to generate much of the force behind the ball. Pitchers that isolate their arm to produce force may experience problems with extreme arm soreness, injury, and fatigue. Above, left handed pitcher David Wells has just reached foot plant. His head is clearly behind his glove leg on foot strike. Like all Major League pitchers, Wells will explode through the “Wall of Resistance” during release.

One oral cue that our team uses for pitchers to create lead leg push is “Get some air under your heel.” This has helped our pitcher visualize transferring their weight forward and freeing their rear leg. Also, the oral cue “Finishing on your toe” has helped our pitchers visualize proper weight transfer during their delivery. As a coach, the best way to measure if players are breaking through the Wall of Resistance is that watch the pitcher’s back leg. If their leg achieves full extension through release, the pitcher has activated and used the appropriate force production mechanics. If not, coaches need to incorporate drills that promote lead leg push and opposite directional pushes.

Stage IV

2006-08-24T09:01:00.000-07:00

Pitching Stage Six: Elbow Flexion

As pressure is applied toward the hip by the glove arm, after maximum front side tilt, the humerous bone turns over and the forearm begins moving toward the plate. As the ball enters the straight-line path to the plate, the pitcher’s elbow needs to have less than 90-degree flexion. If a pitcher has more than 90 degree flexion, chances are, they are going to experience extreme soreness in their pitching elbow. The elbow, isolated due to decreased flexion, causes this soreness. If prematurely extended, the elbow receives no support from the bicep and forearm. With the violent forward force and weight from the ball, pitchers force their elbow to carry most of workload. Dr. Mike Marshall calls this practice “Reserve Forearm Bounce”. There are many pictures that illustrate this mechanical flaw. A pitcher, who has premature extension or “Reserve Forearm Bounce”, often at foot plant display a large lag in the forearm. The pitcher’s lagging forearm bounces, once the body continues forward to deliver the pitch. Since the elbow is such a small joint, it cannot tolerate the stress of being isolated and starts to distribute force to the delicate surrounding ligaments and tissue. At this step, pitchers are likely to be seriously injured.

By having proper flexion, like the illustrations above, pitchers are able to rely on the bicep and forearm to apply force to the ball. Also, the elbow is supported, as the pitcher delivers to the plate. Furthermore, by practicing good elbow flexion, pitchers can release the ball closer to home plate. Releasing closer to home plate creates a competitive advantage for the pitcher, increasing velocity and cutting the hitters reaction time to the pitch. Finally, practicing adequate elbow flexion will help pitchers throw a legitimate vertical breaking ball, instead of a horizontal spinning slider or slurve.

A New Off-Season

2006-08-23T08:18:00.000-07:00

2006-2007 Baseball Blog Preview

The 2006 Summer American Legion Baseball Season is finally completed. Again, it is time to begin posting articles for this off-season. The following is a list of topics; I will cover throughout the winter:

1.      Post Soft Toss/Batting Average Correlation
2.      Finish Pitching Phases
3.      Mid-Season Medicine Ball Workout
4.      Use of Wood Bats during the Season
5.      Pitcher's Pickoff Circuit
6.      Practice Warm Up with the Shot Put
7.      Lead Arm Resistance Experiment
8.      Explaining “Bat Lag”
9.      Perfecting the Rundown
10.     Catching Drills

If there are any other topics you would like to cover, please let me know at Gerald.kreberg@ops.org

Switching Gears

2006-04-19T10:53:00.000-07:00

Switching Gears: Converting Position Players to Pitchers
By: Jerry Kreber, Assistant Coach Omaha Central HS

How many times in the past have you looked at your shortstop or right fielder’s arm during infield and said,” I got to get this guy on the mound!” Then you put him there and what does he do? His velocity drops, control decreases, and self-confidence suffer. Then, you ask yourself,” What was I thinking?” Having experienced this situation many times, I have found this to be very frustrating. In my current coaching situation, we are always in need of quality pitchers with strong arms. So, in our program, it is very important that the players with the strongest arms pitch. After a few failed attempts at the conversion, like the situation above, I asked myself,” What am I doing wrong?”

After contemplating the problem of converting players, I formulated a few obstacles that make it hard for high school players to overcome the fear of pitching. First, position players have a hard time getting used to throwing from a stationary position. In the field, players get to gained ground toward the target by shuffling their feet after the catch. This allows them to throw with more velocity. On the mound, the pitcher must generate their own momentum by bending their rear leg and pushing off the rubber. Secondly, position players seemed to struggle with throwing downhill off the mound. On flat ground, position players are able to tilt the front up and pull down to generate a line drive throw. On the mound, the player must duplicate these mechanics, but learn to release later because of the significant drop in height. Many times, control is a major issue with any pitcher; let alone someone who is trying it for the first time. Position players must learn to let their weight get out in front of them, so the lower body can generate forward movement allowing the arm to gain speed. Lastly, the position player must get over throwing while a hitter is standing in the box. In my experience, this is probably the hardest hurdle for the player to get over. Throwing inaccurate balls in the field does not have the same consequences as throwing off the mound. Often, players get scared of throwing pass balls or hitting the batter to really reach back and throw at their maximum level. Not throwing with the highest level of intensity usually creates poor results by lowering pitch velocity, maintaining consistent control, and executing breaking pitches.

Consequently, what can a coach do to successfully convert a position player into an effective pitcher? The following are themes coaches can use to help create a smooth transition for position players becoming pitchers:

1. Patience

Patience is the hardest and most important theme a coach can provide to a transitioning player. When a coach changes a player’s position it usually means the team is in need of something different. Even though these needs are important, coaches must remember that players will struggle when they are inexperienced at a task. The more confidence a coach can show a converted player, the better the player will feel about pitching.

2. Persistence

The coach must challenge the player in make pitching improvements every day. There must be a detailed plan that a converting player can follow to help improve their skills. The coach must instill the player with the belief that improvements will not be generated overnight. By doing daily work, pitchers should see results in their delivery improve gradually, not all at once. By promoting persistence, the coach tries to prevent building frustration of players who do not see immediate results in velocity, command, or control.

3. Repetition

Players, who are converting to pitching, must follow a detailed plan to help with their skills development. Therefore, a coach must have mechanical drills, throwing sessions, and conditioning exercises schedule for players on a daily basis. A coach cannot expect a player, who is new to pitching, to be effective if a daily plan is not provided. Once the plan is presented to the player, they must commit to performing all the drills and throwing routines set by the coach. Backward chaining is a possible method of teaching a player to pitch from release to the start of the delivery. It has been proven to improve pitchers performance on the mound. Batting practice is an activity that an inexperience pitcher can use to master throwing off a mound and to a batter. Dry mechanical drills and towel drills are another way to reinforce good mechanics once the pitcher has established them. The most important reason for getting extensive repetition is duplicating efficient mechanics constantly so the body is learning and mastering the proper motor skills throwing a baseball off the pitching mound.

4. Increased Pressure

Once good baseline mechanics and throwing progressions have been established, coaches need to turn up the pressure on these converting pitchers. Pitching is a high stress position, since they control the entire outcome of the game. In practice, these converted pitchers must be placed in scrimmages, where there is pressure on them to successfully execute pitches. Again, this allows players to slowly get used to the idea of pitching in a game. In the bullpen, there is little pressure put on pitchers to execute because the activity lacks game-type feel, like holding actual runners or fear of throwing wild pitches. A scrimmage situation, especially with runners on base, will give converted pitchers a chance to experience a game-like sensation.

5. Challenges

As the converted pitchers development increases, they must continue to set goals to improve. The coach must help pitchers evaluate what is a realistic goal to set. Once a goal is achieved, the coach must continue helping pitchers make new goals so they are always working toward a key objective. A converted pitcher’s goal may include velocity increases, accuracy enhancement, or improved game statistics.

The Next Stage

2006-03-15T11:35:00.000-08:00

Stage Five:
Front-Side Tilt

Almost in unison with the Stage Four, effective pitchers will have front side shoulder tilt. The tilt, in the front side, is a direct result of a full upper arm circle by the pitcher. As the pitcher extends their arm out of the glove, their glove side will naturally rise. Their glove side will provide leverage toward the plate. Increased leverage will not only provide directional support, but higher pitch velocities

As the pitcher circles their upper pitching arm, the pitchers glove side elevates higher than the pitching arm. The pitcher’s glove arm should be extended, pointing directly at the target. The pitcher’s glove arm should stay in a straight line with the target. Keeping the line straight, allows the pitcher to apply all available force forward. Furthermore, keeping in a straight line with the target, forces the pitcher not to bring the ball behind their body. Once the ball is behind the pitcher’s body, they must pull their glove side to side to release the pitch for a strike. Using lateral directional force puts a tremendous amount of strain on the elbow.

Higher velocity is another benefit of the front side shoulder tilt. First, pitchers get to couple the force to the plate by using the glove arm. If the glove arm is extended and raised, pitchers are allowed to pull them forcefully toward second base. This action should increase the momentum and speed of the throwing arm. Secondly, when a pitcher’s forearm is not turned over, force is not being applied to the back of the ball. The humerus bone, when external rotated, turns the forearm over. The earlier the humerus bone is externally rotated the more time the pitcher can apply force to the ball.

As you can see, in each picture posted, every athlete is demonstrating a front side shoulder tilt. Not only is the tilt practiced in baseball, but football as well. Look at Tommy Maddox, he is showing how the tilt is used to create force while throwing a football. The tilt is created by flexion in the rear leg which happens during Stage III.

Stage IV

2006-03-06T09:30:00.000-08:00

Stage Four:
Upper Arm Circle

The next two stages happen almost in unison. But, if you break the delivery down it can be deduced that one is the direct effect of the other. During the leg bend, pitchers must break their hands correctly to efficiently deliver their pitch to the target. Many experts have weighed in on when the pitcher should break their hands. Some say the earlier the better, while other contest pitchers should wait until later as they head toward.

Not only when the pitcher breaks their hands is a point of contention, but how they do it is also questionable. Some say that a pitcher should lift their arm up, while others say the pitcher should swing their pitching arm back. While looking at video, pictures, and research I have concluded that the arm swing is the best approach for pitchers wanting to reach maximum velocity, stay healthy, and maintain durability.

The arm swing of the pitcher begins after the ball is taken out of the glove. The ball should be taken out of the glove low, giving the arm an adequate distance to gain momentum. After hand break, the pitcher must point their glove hand at the target. Thus, ensuring the glove shoulder points directly at the target at all times. The elbow should initially travel back towards 1^st base. When the ball, held in the pitcher’s hand, achieves a straight-line starting with home plate, pitcher’s throwing hip, and second base the pitcher will forcefully turn their hips and shoulders toward the target.

Posted on this page are three different pictures of pitchers that practice a true upper arm circle. First, notice the picture of Tom Glavine after the hand break. His elbow’s first movement is back and then up. The ball never reverse rotates behind his body, instead it stops it a straight line with home plate, his body, and second base.

Observe the picture of Nolan Ryan. He is in a position similar to Glavine, staying in a straight line with the target. In the picture, Ryan takes the ball out low, out of the hand break. His elbow swings back and then up creating speed toward the target. Since Ryan takes the ball out low he has more distance to gain arm speed, thus releasing a pitch with more velocity and maintaining a healthy arm.

Finally, posted on this page is a picture of Roger Clemens. In the picture, Clemens has just finished the hand break. Again, notice how low he takes the ball out. If his arms were on a clock dial, Clemens would break his hands at a 6 o’clock position and move his arm through the 7, 8, 9, and 10 positions before the release.

Pitching Stage III

2006-02-23T12:05:00.000-08:00

Stage Three:
Leg Bend

After the pelvic loading stage has been completed, the pitcher should maintain flexion in their rear leg. Flexion in the rear leg is vital for two reasons. First, the flexion of the rear leg allows pitchers to activate their quadricep, glutes, and the hamstring of the pitching leg. This flexion allows pitchers to apply directional force toward the plate. Just as a swimmer pushes off the wall to start their competition, rear leg drive allows pitchers the same opportunity to start their delivery toward the plate. Secondly, rear leg bend helps pitchers create front side leverage. Pitchers achieve a leverage position by tilting their shoulders. The next pitching phase deals strictly with front-side shoulder tilt.

Rear leg bend is a topic of much discussion. Some coaches have disputed the fact that to achieve maximum straight-line momentum, pitchers do not push off the pitching rubber. Rather they pull their front hip toward the catcher. Examining the pictures above, it seems relatively clear that the pitcher’s rear leg indicates, due to flexion, that force will be applied toward second base trying to accelerate the body forward. If a pitcher moves toward the plate with an extended rear leg, it would seem they are not using all their available muscles to create force toward the plate.

Analyzing pictures are not the only evidence that indicates pitchers use rear leg bend to push toward home. In 1998, Bruce MacWillams conducted a study that examined ground reaction forces during the pitching motion. The study’s results indicated that leg drive is a significant factor in pitcher’s throwing velocity. With the study’s data and evidence with pictures, substantial facts back up the claim that leg bend is needed for a effective delivery.

MacWilliams, B, Choi, T., Perezous, M, Chao, E, McFarland, E. Characteristic Ground Reaction Forces in Baseball Pitching. The American Journal of Sports Medicine, 26(1): 66-71, 1998.

Pitching Series: Part II

2006-02-21T04:58:00.000-08:00

Stage Two:

Pelvic Loading

Once the leg lift occurs, the pitcher not only loads their rear leg, but hips as well. Loading the hips is a difficult movement because it involves controlling the pelvis to move, but in a way that does not throw the pitcher off line toward the target. As the pitcher reaches the top of the leg lift, to load their hips they must turn the pelvis away from the hitter. When a pitcher turns the pelvis away from the hitter, they show the batter their glove side back pocket. From a side view, the pitcher looks as if they place their glove foot parallel to their pitching foot.
There are two reasons why pelvic loading can help generate force off the mound. First by turning the pelvis away, the pitcher, can apply more force over time with the lower body going into foot plant. By increasing momentum with the lower body, pitchers will take stress off the arm by allowing it to “go along for the ride” so to speak. Secondly, muscles can only work when they are properly loaded. If no load occurs, the muscle cannot properly help perform an action. For instant, a person cannot jump on legs already extended. To achieve maximum muscle use while jumping, a person must have flexion in the legs and explode to extension. If a pitcher wants to use their hips during the pitching motion, they must be loaded back and then extended forward.

On this page, there are three pictures that illustrate pelvic loading actions. On the left, Greg Maddux is completing his leg lift. From the front, Maddux is showing the hitter his back glove-side pocket. In this position, Maddux has shown a slight turn in the pelvis. In the middle, Pedro Martinez displays the parallel position of the throwing and glove leg on the lift. By turning his glove foot to parallel, Martinez has loaded his hips to produce strong momentum toward the plate. Steve Carlton, on the far right, displays both of the pelvic loading points referred to in the above information. From this angle, it presents a clear picture of his back pocket along with the glove foot to parallel. One extremely important point to remember is that although the hips have slightly turned, the glove shoulder stays in a straight line with the target.

PITCHING FIRST PHASE

2006-02-16T20:54:00.000-08:00

Stage One:
The Leg Lift

The first stage of the pitching motion is the leg lift. The leg lift occurs when the pitcher pivots the throwing foot on the pitching rubber to perpendicular to home plate and raises the glove foot. The leg lift is important for two different reasons. First, it starts the pitcher’s momentum toward the plate. Momentum is important for the pitcher because it helps generate force behind the ball. Secondly, the leg lift allows the pitcher to load the back leg and hips. The pitching leg is loaded when the glove foot leaves the ground. When the pitching leg is loaded, there should be a slight bend at the knee. The pitcher’s eyes and head should be focused directly on the target. On the lift, the pitcher’s glove should line up with the knee and serve as a good indicator for the height of the lift. Many times, our pitcher’s gloves will be at letter height on their uniform. Also, the pitcher’s chin should line up with the knee and glove. Lining up the chin, knee, and glove indicates good posture that promotes a controlled balance.

There are many different styles of leg lifts practiced by major league pitchers. Nolan Ryan practiced a very high leg lift. He attributes some of his throwing velocity to the high lift. When analyzing a high leg lift compared to a conservative one, it seems that pitcher’s that get their legs higher have extremely good flexibility. Also, it seems that their weight thrust back to some extent toward second base. Thrusting back toward second, at least in Ryan’s case, seems to create extreme momentum toward the plate. To further illustrate my point, let me provide an example. Visualize a four-legged table. Now, imagine two legs on the same side being cut. The table would fall until the new leg height contacted with the floor. The higher the table legs are cut, the further the table will fall to the floor. By adding extra distance, the table will come down with more force due to increased momentum from gravity having more time to pull on the table’s falling mass.

But, pitchers should be aware that practicing a leg kick that is too high or out of control can severely hamper their pitch command and keeping all applied force in a straight line. The kick should allow be at a level that the pitcher can continue to maintain their balance throughout the delivery.

PITCHING ARTICLE SERIES

2006-02-15T11:34:00.000-08:00

Over the next few weeks, I will be posting a series of articles on the way I instruct our pitchers to throw. I have segmented the pitching motion into EIGHT parts:

1.      Leg Lift

2.      Pelvic Loading

3.      Leg Bend

4.      Front-Side Shoulder Tilt

5.      Upper Arm Circle

6.      Elbow Flexion

7.      Wall of Resistance

8.      Elbow Extension

In each article, the stage will be explained in clear, full detail. Along with the description, pictures will be provided to illustrate the points I want to express about the mechanics explained.

Pitchers Making the Play

2006-02-13T19:00:00.000-08:00

Pitcher’s Double Play

Objective:
To effectively train pitchers to start a double play to any base with minimal reaction time.

Players:
Pitching Staff
Infield Personnel
Outfield Personnel

Procedure:
Infielders will take their positions in the proper spot. One pitcher will be stationed on the mound, with the entire pitching staff lined up down the 1st base line in foul territory. One coach will be at the plate with a fungo bat. Another coach, will be on a knee behind the mound. The coach at the plate will trigger the drill by stepping in the box. The pitcher, who delivers from the stretch, will throw the glove across the plate. As the ball crosses the plate, the coach in the batter’s box will hit a ground ball to the pitcher. Instantly, after the ball is hit, the other coach behind the mound will yell out the base the pitcher must start the double play. The coach can yell,” Three, two, or home!” The infielders must anticipate that they we start the double play every time, so they must maintain their focus throughout the drill. After the pitcher starts the double play, he will sprint off the field and to the back of the line, along the first base side. Another pitcher will sprint on the field and start the drill all over again. Initially, the outfielders will back up the bases during the drill’s first phase. After the first round, the outfielders will race from their positions and work as baserunners.

During the second round, outfielders will work on their jumps and slides during the pitch and batted ball. The pitchers are allowed to try and pick off runners during the second round. Pitchers will work to perfect their pickoffs to third base, which may be handy someday in a game situation. The coach, behind the mound, will signal the pickoffs as well as the double play calls. Also, the catcher will be allowed to call two pitch outs during round two to throw out players at second or third.

During the final round, outfielders will not only work as baserunners, but practice bunting as well. Since this drill is serving as defensive preparation, outfielders will be asked to bunt the ball back at the pitcher. Typically, this is not a practice our bunters would incorporate, but for this drill our outfielders are working on controlling the bat and ball placement. Even in the final round, the coach behind the mound continues to call out the base, which the double play will start.

Summary
This drill challenges pitchers to improve their fielding skills, while incorporating the entire team in skill development. Each round should last 3-4 minutes and each pitcher should at least get 10 repetitions throughout the 12-minute period.

Preparation for Practice

2006-01-15T21:59:00.000-08:00

Themes of an Effective Baseball Practice

As the baseball season creeps closer and closer, it is time to evaluate the practice plan for the 2006 season. An effective practice plan is the cornerstone of a successful program. When devising a plan, coaches must consider the players that will be participating in practice. Often, when a coach has a young team, they are forced to focus on individual skills and techniques. Many players are learning these fundamentals for the first time, so the skill must be enforced on a daily basis. If a team is more experienced, focusing on individual skills may cause some players to lose interest in the skill the coach is trying to reinforce. When a coach has an older group, they must look for ways to challenge each player to perform an individual skill within a team drill. These drills must continually get harder so execution is hard to obtain. Also, when a coach has a seasoned group of players they can look to improve an individual skill by incorporating resistance training to the movement. Using resistance during the exercise gives the players an added challenge during the movement plus psychologically keeping them focused on the individual skill.

This year, our team returns many from last year’s squad. Previously last summer, the team has spent countless hours fielding groundballs, catching flyballs, and taking batting practice. These procedures produced good results, but now need to be altered to help the team progress. That is why, this year, our practice focus will spotlight taking individual skills and executing them in a team offensive and defensive drill setting. Below, I have listed our practice breakdowns using our 120 minutes allotted by the school for gym usage during preseason practice:

120 Minute Pre-Season Practice Session

Arm Strength and Accuracy 10%
12 Minutes

Individual Defensive Skills 10%
12 Minutes

Baserunning and Stealing 20%
24 Minutes

Team Defensive Skills 20%
24 Minutes

Individual Offensive Skills 20%
24 Minutes

Team Offensive Skills 10%
12 Minutes

Speed and Strength Training 10%
12 Minutes

Total 100% 120 Minutes

Arm Strength and Accuracy 10% 12 Minutes

Wrist Flicks
Two Knee Drills
Pull Down
Long Toss
Quick Throws
Weighted Balls

Individual Defensive Skills 10% 12 Minutes

Two Knee Glove Work (Forehands)
Partner V-Cut
Two Knee Glove Work (Backhands)
Standing Glove Work (Forehands)
Two Knee Glove Work (Short hops)
Standing Glove Work (Backhands)
Standing Glove Work (Slow rollers)
Standing Glove Work (Short hops)
Standing Glove Work (Tags)
Standing Glove Work (Transfer)
Throwing (Square Drill)
Throwing (Square Drill with tags)

Baserunning and Stealing 20% 24 Minutes

Lead Off Starts
Double Play Break Ups
Pitcher Reads/Starts
Tag ups
1st to 3rd
Squeeze Plays
2nd to Home
Slides
Delayed Steals
Run Downs

Team Defensive Skills 20% 24 Minutes

Double Play Drill
Control Running Game Drill
One-Half Field Drills
Bunt Drill
Hit/Run Drill
Double Cut Drill

Individual Offensive Skills 20% 24 Minutes

Batting Practice
Soft Toss
Batting Tee
Short Toss
Lead Arm Hitting
Top Hand Hitting
Over Weight Training
Under Weight Training

Team Offensive Skills 10% 12 Minutes

Lead Arm Infield
Hit/Run Drill
RBI Baseball
Breaking Ball Scrimmage
Two Strike Scrimmage
Soft Toss Gap Scrimmage

Speed and Strength Training 10% 12 Minutes

Parachute Running
Uphill/Stair Running
Jump Rope
Plyometric Drills
Weight Room Workout
Distance Running

Pitching is another element of practice that must be addressed everyday. If it is not, your baseball team has absolutely no chance to be successful. We have a totally separate practice for pitching that usually runs about 40-45 minutes. Below, I have listed the themes that these practices address:

45 Minute Pre-Season Pitching Practice

Throwing 50% 22 Minutes

Strength 15% 7 Minutes

Conditioning 35% 16 Minutes

Total 100% 45 Minutes

Throwing 50% 22 Minutes

Bullpens
Two Knee Drills
Shot Put Drill
Arm Swing
Leg Coupling Drill
Glove Elbow Throw Drill

Strength 15% 7 Minutes

Stretch Cord Workout
Dumbbell Workout
Shot Put Lifts
Push Ups
Medicine Ball
Ankle Weights

Conditioning 35% 16 Minutes

Sprints
Distance Running
Lunge Workout
Jump Rope
Abdominal Workout
Plyometric Workout

The Final Stage

2006-01-10T17:47:00.000-08:00

Linear Hitting III: “The Fire”

If the “Stretch” stage is the hardest to teach, then the “Fire” stage is the easiest. Since the hitter’s hands stay back in the “Stretch” position, their lead arm should be almost fully extended. The “Fire” stage begins when the hitter’s front leg, which should carry the hitter’s weight, becomes extended. The hitter should aggressively push down on the lead leg and snap it closed. The snapping of the lead leg generates weight transfer through the baseball.

While this movement occurs, the hitter’s back leg, which is weightless, is picked up off the ground. Many times, a hitter’s back foot may be completely lifted off the ground. Frank Thomas, a linear hitter, is a prime example. He generates so much straight-line force that upon rotation his back foot is jerked off the ground. Most hitters complete their swing in what is know as a “Kick Stand” finish. Translated, this simply means that hitters have only their back toe in contact with the ground. If a hitter finishes in this position, it is assured that they have used all their available weight.

With the lead leg extending first, the hitter’s hands are the last body part to fire. As the lead leg straightens, the other body parts turn towards the ball. The hitter should maintain lead arm extension and focus on their hands not drifting during the extension of the lead leg. When the lead arm fires toward the ball, the hitter’s hands should stay relaxed and follow. With a bat that lags around the head area, the hitter should generate excellent bat speed. Dr. Yeager really pounds this point home about lead arm extension and it is very insightful. He states the further back a hitter’s hands start the more force they can apply to the bat while swinging. This is a fact cannot be disputed because it can be proven through measurement.

After contact with the baseball has been made, the hitter will release their top hand before wrist rollover. By releasing the top hand from the bat, the hitter’s bottom hand will continue on a straight-line path. Also, by practicing a top hand release, hitters are trying to create backspin on the pitched ball. By creating backspin, hitters gain distance and velocity due to the Magnus Force principle. If the hitter does not release the top hand, usually topspin is created. Thus, the ball is slow and its distance reduced. Furthermore, hitters must try and finish as high as possible with their hands. When this occurs, it certainly illustrates the hitter gaining maximum extension.

Above, I have posted two hitters finishing the “Fire” phase of the swing. If you break it down to the simplest form, the oral cue would be to “Snap and Fire”. This tells the hitter to snap the lead leg and fire the hands. Each of the pictures, displayed above, illustrates these cues. Each hitter extends the front leg, gains lead arm extension, and practices a top-hand release. All of these hitters, practicing good linear mechanics, use momentum to create a smooth, flowing swing that produces amazing results.

What is Important in the Arm?

2006-01-09T18:11:00.000-08:00

The Catapult: Getting the Shoulder to the Correct Position

I have read a lot recently about the mechanics on Mark Prior, the great young pitcher for the Chicago Cubs. I have even seen some photos of his external rotation of the elbow. In the picture, Prior’s elbow position is unbelievable. As his body goes forward, the elbow and forearm bend at a remarkable angle. It is as if his forearm is being broken in half.

Upon looking at the picture, I decided to exam his delivery further looking to see if Prior makes a complete rotation with the humerus bone inside the shoulder socket. I am looking for that specific movement because I hypothesize that successful pitchers like Roger Clemens, Nolan Ryan, and Greg Maddox, who have pitched into their forties and not lost velocity, all made complete rotations with the upper arm.

What is the humerus bone and how does it help the shoulder? The humerus bone is located in the upper arm. The bone attaches in the shoulder socket and at the elbow. At the two connecting points, the humerus bone is attached to several very important ligaments. First, at the shoulder socket, the humerus bone connects to the rotator cuff. This ligament holds the shoulder in place and allows the arm to be lifted. At the other end, the humerus bone connects to the ulna collateral ligament in the elbow. This ligament holds the elbow and forearm together. Both of these ligaments are commonly injured by pitchers from little league all the way to professional baseball. By injuring these ligaments, pitchers must undergo surgery to repair the damaged areas.

Why is a complete rotation of the humerus necessary to maintain a healthy arm? Since the humerus bone is attached to the rotator cuff and ulna collateral ligament, the bone must be put in motion properly to keep stress on these ligaments to a minimum. Applying momentum out of the pitcher’s hand break is a central component of reducing stress to the pitching arm. For instance, Greg Maddox, pictured above, illustrates exactly what I am talking about with regards to the humerus bone. As you can see, Maddox's upper arm has made a complete rotation from his hand break. His hand starts low out of the glove, with his throwing elbow making a small movement toward first base. As his body travels forward, the arm separates and lags behind. Quickly, Maddox rotates the shoulder, like a swimmer performing the crawl stroke, and puts it in a catapult-like position. At this point, his shoulder is externally rotated but the elbow flexion resembles a shot-putter. The evidence of this rotation can be identified in his upper arm/forearm relationship and release. Maddox’s humerus bone is elevated, above his shoulder. Getting his arm into this position required Maddox to use the low hand break and swing the arm backwards. By swinging the arm on the break, Maddox reduced rotator cuff stress. Using this momentum, Maddox maintains good elbow flexion and allows the arm to extend on the release. Using proper elbow extension, Maddox does not stretch and violently snap the ulna collateral ligament in his throwing elbow. He extends the arm and allows his hand to pronate naturally.

Looking at Prior’s delivery, it is a different story. His upper arm/forearm relationship is closer to 90 degrees. At this arm angle, he can generate maximum external rotation of his elbow. The snapping affect of the forearm generates velocity in his release, but places a significant amount of stress on the arm. If you compare pictures, glance at the humerus bone position during Maddox’s delivery and then compare it to Mark Prior. Maddox gets the upper arm high and uses leverage and momentum reducing stress and tension on the rotator cuff and ulna collateral nerve. Also, by maximizing extension, it seems Maddox releases the ball closer to home plate than Prior, even though Prior is significantly taller. I have found photos of Prior practicing a lower hand break and his forearm position appears less stressful when he practices these mechanics.

In has been my experience with pitchers that many young players throw just like Mark Prior. As a coach, I find this habit very hard to help a player break. Pitchers who practice a whip-like throw usually delivery from the ¾ arm slot and have a tendency to throw across their body. Since their arm path has been established and repeated, it is very difficult to break him from the habit.

If you want to view many informative breakdowns of effective pitching deliveries, check out: www.chrisoleary.com

Mr. O’Leary was assembled a variety of pictures that illustrate not only effective, but ineffective pitching motions. If you check out his site, I guarantee you will be amazed at the information he provides to parents and coaches. It seems Mr. O’Leary is dedicated to helping pitchers stay healthy and maximize their ability.

Linear Hitting: The Stretch

2006-01-09T18:05:00.000-08:00

Linear Hitting Part II:
“The Stretch”

In the previous article, I described the first stage in our hitting philosophy called “The Load”. After the load of the back leg has been completed, the second stage in our hitting philosophy can be performed. As soon as the stride foot is placed down our hitters are in “The Stretch” stage of the swing. Dr. Chris Yeager does an excellent job of describing this stage in his DVD series.

Simply, when we explain this stage to our players, after foot plant as occurred the hitter’s weight should be forward and their hands should stay back. The hitter, going into the stride, must attack the ball. By incorporating an attack movement, the hitter must transfer their weight from the back to front on a bent front leg. If the front leg is extended, the hitter’s weight will not be forcefully transferred.

During the load, as the hitter’s weight transfers to the rear, their hands will naturally take a backward movement as well. This makes sense because the rest of their body is moving backward during “The Load” stage. To get into “The Stretch” stage of the swing, the hitter’s hands, which moved backwards, stay there as the hitter’s weight moves forward. Usually, the hitter’s hands are even with the rear foot. When this happens, the hitter’s lead arm becomes extended and the hitter can feel a stretch in their tricep.

The tricep is not the only muscle that receives a stretch. The groin is another muscle, which the hitter should feel stretched after the stride foot has landed. Since the hitter is attacking the ball in a straight line, their back leg may become extended after the stride as all the weight is transferred to their front side. With a flexed front side leg, the hitter’s rear foot may be partially off the ground. To fully understand, examine the above illustration. Notice, the hitter has transferred their weight forward, but left their hands back. The hands, which should be relaxed, are almost even with their back foot.

Relaxing the hands is important because it allows the bat barrel to follow the hands to the ball. Thus, with the relaxation, keeping the hitter in a straight line during the swing. This can be measured by the bat angle of the hitter in the “Stretch Position.” If the hitter uses loose muscles, the bat should slightly lag around the head area. If the hitter’s muscles tighten, the bat will be in a straight up/down positioning. When the bat is up/down, the hitter’s barrel usually tends to lead. If the barrel leads the swing, the hands create a circular path and all the straight-line principles are out the window.

In conclusion, we teach our hitters to relax, keeping their weight forward and hands back. In the last article of this series, I will discuss the swing’s final stage ‘The Fire” and how hitters can incorporate good extension through their swing.

A Three Part Series: Load, Stretch, and Fire

2006-01-07T09:47:00.000-08:00

Linear Hitting: Load, Stretch, and Fire

As the days pass toward the first day of practice in February, it is important to implement your program’s hitting philosophy for freshman to start incorporating. In the next three-part article, I will present our style of swinging the bat. Hopefully, this information can be useful as the season approaches.

My ideas were greatly influenced by Dr. Chris Yeager, formerly of the University of Southern Mississippi. Currently, Dr. Yeager is employed by the San Diego Padres as a member of their player development team. Dr. Yeager conducted several swing breakdowns of different minor league ballplayers. His hitting theory involves the use of momentum, lead arm extension, and a series of pushes by player’s lower body. If you are interested in learning more about his method, please visit his website at www.baseballscience.com. He has a DVD that is the best hitting instruction I have ever seen either by college or pro hitting instructors.

From Dr. Yeager I formulated my own version of his teachings to accommodate the 15-16 year old players compared to his professional athletes. The method uses three oral cues: load, stretch, and fire. The players love the easy language and the hitting style allows them to use their whole body during the swing. Below, I will describe the first stage in the hitting philosophy entitled,” The Load.”

At the top of the article, George Brett is loading the back leg. As you can see, his entire front foot comes off the ground and all of his weight is placed on the back leg. By just picking up the leg, Brett has transferred all his weight backwards. When a hitter gets total weight transfer on the back leg, they have only two places for the weight to go when the stride foot comes down. The hitter could simple put his foot back to its original position or the hitter could push their weight forward toward the pitch and attack by gaining ground from the stride foot’s original position. We teach our hitters to attack during the stride and this is an idea Dr. Yeager touches on during his hitting DVD. But, to understanding “The Load” phase of the swing, we teach our hitters to maintain balance and take their whole foot off the ground and transferring all their weight to the rear leg, just like in the illustration above. We think it is the easiest way to teach hitters to load their backside.

In the next section, I will discuss “The Stretch” phase of the swing and provide an illustration to help paint an accurate picture of what we are teaching our players to do during their swing.

A Good Read

2006-01-02T09:24:00.000-08:00

Attention Coaches!!!!!!!!!!

Looking for a good book to read? Over the holidays, my wife purchased Coach by Michael Lewis. The book was rather short, but really packed a punch. Lewis, the author of Moneyball, writes about his former high school baseball coach. The book describes to conflicting situations. The first follows former players who are raising money to build a gym in his honor. The second follows his current players and their parents who are trying to get the coach fired. Every coach who has ever encountered overbearing parents MUST READ THIS ONE!

Getting the Stride Down

2006-01-01T07:37:00.000-08:00

Solving the Question, “When Should I Stride?
The One, Two, or Three Count Hitting Method

Objective: To help hitters understand and apply proper timing mechanics to every at-bat.

Summary: As a coach, the stride is the grayest area of all when it comes to individual hitting. Teaching hitting, I was always frustrated when a pitcher with good, quick velocity was on the mound and our hitters struggled against their fastball. Often, I would remind hitters to stride early and “read” the pitch. Looking back on this advice, it is way too vague for a hitter to understand. That is why, over the off-season, I have formulated the count system for our hitters. The system, when applied, gives a hitter a concrete timing mechanism to incorporate during their at-bat. The following is a short description of the timing techniques:

One Count: The “One-Count” approach is usually incorporated with pitchers that do not have good stuff or a starting pitcher that has begun to get tired. The goal of the “One Count” approach is to get extra base hits, including homeruns. The pitcher, who does not have great velocity, generally tries to entice hitters to drag their hands through the zone. Usually, hitters, who are getting out, are hitting weak fly balls or groundballs. By using the “One Count” approach hitters are trying to use all of their straight-line momentum to drive the ball in the gaps or out of the park. To incorporate this system, hitters must load and stride before the release of the pitch. This should take place with a mental “One Count” in the hitter’s head. So to the hitter, there is only a one count from the stride completion to the actual swing.

Two Count: The “Two-Count” approach is usually incorporated with pitchers that have average velocity and breaking pitches. The goal of the “Two Count” approach is to hit balls in the gaps or solid line drives. The pitcher, who has average stuff, generally can keep players off balance with their breaking balls. Usually, hitters, who are getting out, are hitting weak fly balls the other way or slow groundballs to the off field. By using the “Two- Count” approach hitters are trying to use all of their straight-line momentum to drive through the ball. The “Two Count” approach allows the hitter more time to read the pitch. To incorporate this system, hitters must load and stride before the release of the pitch. This should take place with a mental “One, Two Count” in the hitter’s head. So to the hitter, there is only a two count from the stride completion to the actual swing.

Three Count: The “Three-Count” approach is usually incorporated with pitchers that have high velocity and good breaking pitches. The goal of the “Three Count” approach is to put the ball in play either on the ground or in the air. The pitcher, who has above average stuff, generally can keep players off balance with their breaking balls and throw their fastballs by the hitter. Usually, hitters, who are getting out, are either frozen on breaking pitches or swinging and missing fastballs. By using the “Three- Count” approach hitters are trying to use all of their straight-line momentum to drive through the ball. The “Three Count” approach allows the hitter more time to read the pitch. To incorporate this system, hitters must load and stride before the release of the pitch. This should take place with a mental “One, Two, Three Count” in the hitter’s head. So to the hitter, there is a three count from the stride completion to the actual swing.

On-Deck Routine: This is the most important element in training hitters in the counting system. The on-deck space allows the hitter to develop timing with the pitcher. The hitter should focus on the pitcher’s release and when to stride at the proper time. If the coach indicates that the pitcher is a “One Count” thrower, the on-deck circle is the place where hitters must get their stride timing down. If the hitter fails to use the on-deck circle appropriately, they will not be effective using this model.

Summary: This model places a lot of emphasis on simple physics. First, the “One Count” approach forces the hitter to generate the momentum during the swing. When the “One Count” model is being practiced, the pitcher generally does not have much velocity in their throw. The hitter must use their momentum to generate power in their swings. The “Two Count” or “Three Count” model allows the hitter to cut down their momentum and use the pitcher’s force on the ball to generate power. Also, by cutting down the force of the hitter, it allows them more time after the stride to read the pitch. As you can see, the objective of each model is clearly stated from hitting the ball in the gaps to just putting it in play. Another benefit of this model is the timing of breaking balls. Pitchers with good breaking balls should not be able to fool hitters that are practicing either the "Two Count" or "Three Count" approaches.

Searching for Answers?

2005-12-27T14:53:00.000-08:00

Updated Information on the Gyroball

The listings below are the things that I have found out so far about the Gyroball. I will continue my informational crusade about this pitch until I have learned how to throw it. If anyone, who visits this site, can add to the list, please contact me and I will submit additional information about this pitch.

Things I have learned about the Gyroball

1. The ball, when getting into position for release, should point at the pitcher’s ear. This position is similar to the quarterback throwing a football.

2. The Gyroball spins in a perfect, counter-clockwise motion.

3. The Gyroball looks exactly like a fastball, until sharply breaking right to left, when thrown by RHP.

4. The Gyroball is delivered using “Double Spin” mechanics, meaning the pitcher’s hips rotate forward followed by the elbow pronating along with the pitcher’s wrist and hand.

5. The pitcher must make sure their hips and shoulders are aligned at foot plant to throw the Gyroball perfectly.

Please contact this blog if you can add to the list.

How can the spin help?

2005-12-27T14:07:00.000-08:00

Using Magnus Force Correctly

Over the many years, college physic departments have studied the effects of the thrown and pitched baseball. One specific study, by the University of Illinois, can shed some light on how Magnus Force can affect a baseball’s outcome. The study concluded that the spin of the ball can greatly affect its distance and speed. When talking about the baseball’s spin, Magnus Force is a key component to how a ball travels through the air. To briefly explain, Magnus Force is the effect that is placed on the ball when it is either struck by a bat or released by a player’s hand. When the ball travels through the air it is constantly spinning. The ball can spin forward, backward, or on it’s side. Whatever side of the baseball is applying the spin, the ball will generally travel in that direction. For instance, when a right-handed pitcher throws a screwball, the ball should start in the middle of the plate and finish on the inside corner. The ball travels that direction because the pitcher applies spin from left to right. This is a simple example of how the Magnus Force effect works on the thrown ball. There have been many studies of the batted ball as well. It has been generally concluded that a bat ball with backside will travel between 7-10 feet further than a batted ball with topspin. Also, with equal force applied to each ball, the study by University of Illinois found that the a ball with backspin has nearly 5 times less drag than other pitches. With less drag placed on the baseball, it has a chance to accelerate to a higher speed.

Looking at the batted ball study’s conclusion, I began to wonder if this hypothesis could be applied to the thrown ball as well. If a batted ball with backspin travels further than a ball with other spins it must have more velocity. If the same principles apply to throwing, could it be concluded that if more backspin is applied to a thrown ball it will improve its velocity upon release? Though, this hypothesis would go into direct disagreement with some pitchers assessment of speed. I remember reading about the pitch that “Rocket” Roger Clemens hit 100 MPH. He mentioned in the story that the ball short hopped the catcher. He said that when a teammate in the dugout told him of the reading he was surprised. With the pitch being low, Clemens had to release the pitch late, making him closer to the plate. The Magnus Effect, with Clemens 100 MPH pitch, might be a littler harder to prove.

If pitchers are going to us the Magnus Force effectively through the application of backspin, they must have strong and properly trained wrist and fingers. The following are three easy exercises pitchers can do to enhance their wrist and finger strength.

1. Basketball Rotations: In a standing position, pitchers will raise their throwing hand with a basketball in it. The pitcher place backspin on the basketball and try and elevate it as high as possible. When trying to elevate the ball, the pitcher should try and snap the wrist straight down. The pitcher should concentrate on the speed of the spin and try to speed up each rotation.

2. Shot Put Rotations: Using 4 lbs. shot put, the pitcher should hold it with their throwing hand and raise it straight up. With the throwing arm extended, the pitcher should try to elevate the shot put just like the basketball. The pitcher’s wrist and fingers should spin the shot put as many times as possible. Using resistance on the wrist and fingers should help pitchers increase the backspin on regular baseballs, which are much, much lighter.

3. Sand Bucket Grips: The pitcher should place their pitching hand in a bucket on fine-grained sand. With the pitcher’s hand covered, they should try and make a fist. Using the sand as resistance to the fingers, the pitcher should feel tension against the index, middle, and ring finger when doing this drill.

Team Offense and Defense

2005-12-19T20:38:00.000-08:00

Handling Off-Speed Pitches

Objective:
In a game –like environment pitchers will practice throwing their best breaking balls for strikes, while hitters will practice hitting the pitcher’s off speed pitches in a straight line.

Procedure:
The coach will select 2-4 pitchers to participate in this team offensive and defensive drill. A regular infield will take the field and the coach should pre-select the order in which each position player bats. The drill should be split up into three different phases. The first phase of the drill is the “Change Up” phase. During this phase, the pitcher will throw a maximum of four pitches to the hitter. Only one of those four pitches can be a fastball. The rest of the pitches must be change ups. The catcher will be in charge of calling each at-bat and keeping the hitter honest with the fastball. The second phase of the drill is called the “Curveball” phase. Again, the hitter will receive four pitches during the at-bat. The pitcher is only granted one fastball to keep the hitter honest. The catcher will call the pitch sequence. The last phase of the drill is called “Third Pitch”. During this phase, the pitcher will throw a four-pitch at-bat to the hitter, while practicing their third off-speed pitch. The pitcher will again be granted one fastball per at-bat to keep the batter guessing when the breaking ball will be thrown. The catcher will continue to call the pitch sequence. The pitcher should be working on throwing their off-speed pitches for strikes. On the other hand, hitter should be focused on their balance and hand placement. Hitters should concentrate on keeping their hands back and not letting them drift forward even though their weight has shifted to the front half.

Summary:
This drill really helps pitchers throw their off-speed pitches in the game. Many times, a young pitcher who lacks confidence in his off-speed stuff will throw their breaking balls at a slower arm speed. When speed is taken off the pitcher’s arm, their ball does not get a lot of action. Furthermore, pitchers often have a hard time even getting the pitch over the plate. This drill allows the pitcher to let loose and practice throwing their breaking ball without worrying about making a mistake. After pitchers develop a rhythm of getting their breaking ball over the plate, they can advance to locating the breaking ball in different spots trying to get hitters out. Hitters also benefit from this drill. Usually in batting practice the off-speed pitches do not have a hard bite to their break, while this drill forces pitchers to apply a lot of force to their breaking balls giving hitters a game-like look at off-speed pitches. Hitters will not only increase their exposure to breaking balls, but work on maintaining proper balance throughout the swing. Also, the hitter should concentrate on keeping their hands back after loading and striding toward the pitcher. By practicing both of these skills, hitters should gain confidence toward hitting a change up, curveball, and any other off-speed pitch a pitcher can throw.

Linear Hitting on your Own!

2005-12-16T10:15:00.000-08:00

Self Toss: A Way to Measure Success

Objective:
To improve linear hitting, players will use their momentum while improving eye hand coordination through self toss.

Procedure:
The hitter will possess a ball in their top hand. With their lead arm, the hitter will hold the bat handle and rest the bat’s barrel against their shoulder. The hitter will take two hard shuffle steps towards the net or screen they are hitting into. On the second shuffle step, the hitter will flip the ball out in front of them with their top hand. After the flip, the hitter will grab the bat with the top hand and carry out the swing, helping the lead arm that was already on the bat. During the swing, the hitter will try to get their back leg off the ground and rotated behind their lead leg. To get these results, the hitter must try and generate strong straight line momentum with their two hard shuffle steps. The hitter should be encouraged to forcefully push with their rear leg during the shuffle. Also, on the flip, the hitter must toss the ball out in front of their body. When the ball is flipped in front of the body, the hitter can practice using momentum to fire through the pitch. If the flip is not out front, the hitter cannot use the force generated by the two shuffle steps.

Summary:
This really has been challenging for our young hitters. The drill really makes the hitter concentrate on staying focused on the ball. The hitter must stay down on the flip and accelerated through contact. The hitter should try and pull their back foot off the ground through rear leg generated momentum. Sometimes, this goes against the hitter's old teachings of keeping their weight back. In this drill, the hitter should forcefully drive their weight forward, while keeping their hands back to get lead arm extension. Furthermore, the beauty of this drill is that hitters can perform it without the use of a partner. After completing the drill, the hitter should stop on their follow through and check to see if all their weight has shifted from the back to a firm front side.

Improving Catchers Performance

2005-12-14T11:58:00.000-08:00

Controlling the Running Game

Objective:
To challenge catchers to react to base stealers that are practicing stolen base attempts during simulated at-bats to different bases.

Players in the Field:
A regular infield should take their positions with two catchers working behind the plate.

Players running the Bases:
Outfielders and pitchers should act like baserunners during this drill.

Procedure:
A regular infield should take the field with two catchers working behind the plate. Two pitchers, each possessing a ball, should take the mound as well. Outfielders and pitchers, working as baserunners, should be stationed at first and second base. One extra group will be first base also. One pitcher will be on the mound, while the second pitcher will be to the side, ready to take the mound after the other pitcher delivers to the plate. At each base, the runners will take their leads, while the pitcher comes into the set position. The runners on the pitcher will practice stealing second and third base. Furthermore, on the pitch, the extra group of baserunners at first base will practice their secondary lead, which should be three hard shuffle steps. While the players are stealing or getting their secondary leads, the coach will verbally communicate which base the catcher will throw the ball. The baserunners will practice all elements of the steal like the lead, jump, and slide. The other infielders will react to the baserunner in traditional fashion, covering the base they are responsible. After the catcher has thrown, they will quickly rotate with the next catcher behind the plate. The pitchers also will switch out with one another quickly. Pitchers always need to possess a ball during these drills, so the drill can be performed quickly.

Summary:
This drill can be adapted to fit any coach’s baserunning or defensive scheme objectives. The baserunners have a lot of variations at their bases including delayed steals or first move steals on left handed pitchers. Also, secondary leads on second base can be practiced by runners as well. Defensively, this drill can help catchers improve their reaction to pitched balls with runners on base. By waiting for the coach’s command catchers will get a game-like situation where they must respond with quickness and efficiency. Furthermore, infielders will improve their knowledge of responsibilities associated with covering the base on steal attempts. Also, they can work on tag quickness and stability. Finally, coaches can even incorporate pitch counts to the drill forcing the pitcher to throw one or two strikes before the runners attempt to steal. Even breaking ball strikes can be included to enhance the drill.

The Unknown Muscle

2005-12-10T14:15:00.000-08:00

Why is Pronation Important?

To the right, I have posted a picture on the forearm. In this picture, highlighted in red, is the pronator teres muscle. This muscle controls the pronation of the pitcher’s hand just before the ball release. As you can see, the muscle starts under the elbow and wraps around to top of the forearm connecting to the wrist. If you want to find the muscle, place your left hand where your right elbow and forearm meet. Then, extend your right wrist up and down. You should feel a muscle contract under the forearm, enxt to the elbow. This muscle is the pronator teres. For anyone who does not think they pronate before release, here is some interesting proof. In the August 2005 edition of Strength and Conditioning Journal, Jeff Jeran and Robert Chetlin state that pronation of the forearm occur 10 milliseconds before release. These two men have written a highly informational article on pitcher’s arm strengthening and stabilizing. This is not the first time information on pronate has been published. Will Carroll, in his book Saving the Pitcher, documented that pitchers pronate their forearm just before release. He even offers a picture of Mark Prior pronating his hand while releasing the baseball during practice. Their theories of pronation would only strengthen Dr. Marshall’s idea of training pitchers to strongly pronate their throwing arm to increase pitching velocity. Below, I am listed some exercises that our pitchers will incorporating this season to improve pronator strength:

1. Wrist Contractions: The pitcher, with 2-3 lbs. dumbbells, will be in a seated position. The pitcher will rest his pitching forearm on his quadriceps. The players hand should be extended past the knee so his hand can move freely up and down. Only his forearm should be supported by the quadriceps. With his throwing arm’s forearm supported and wrist in a neutral position, the pitcher will lower the dumbbell to full wrist extension. At full extension, the pitcher should feel his forearm muscle contract. The pitcher will hold for two second, and then raise the wrist back to the neutral position. The pitcher will perform three sets of 20.

2. Thumb Turns: The pitcher, with 2-3 lbs. dumbbells, will be in a seated position. The pitcher will rest his pitching forearm on his quadriceps. The players hand should be extended past the knee so his hand can move freely up and down. Only his forearm should be supported by the quadriceps. With his throwing arm’s forearm supported and wrist in a neutral position, the pitcher will turn their thumb down like twisting a door knob open, finshing with his pinky finger facing up. The pitcher should feel his forearm muscle contract. The pitcher will hold for two second, and then turn the wrist back to the neutral or handshake position. The pitcher will perform three sets of 20.

3. Weighted Ball Pronations: The pitcher, with a 7-ounce ball, will be down on their throwing arm knee. The pitcher will place his throwing elbow in this glove to support the throwing arm’s weight and target the hand movement during release. The player’s wrist should start in a neutral position and bring the ball back to a cocked position. Then, the pitcher should “flick” the ball to his throwing partner. During this phase, the pitcher will pronate the hand during the “flick” so the pinky finger is pointing up after release. The pitcher will perform three sets of 20.

4. Tennis Ball Squeezes: Seated on a bench or chair, the pitcher will let their arms dangle at their sides. In each hand, the pitcher will have a standard tennis ball. For one minute intervals, the pitcher will squeeze the tennis balls as many times as time allows. The pitcher should keep arms at their sides to increase and stimulate blood supply to the muscle. Pitchers will do three sets at one minute each.

5. Shot Put Turns: The pitcher will standard in the standard shot put position. Their elbow should be up and parallel or above the shoulder. The shot put, weighing approximately 12 lbs, will rest to against the pitcher’s trapeziums muscle located close to the neck. The pitcher, not dropping the elbow, will raise the shot put by extending the arm. While extension occurs, the pitcher will rotate their thumb in a counter clockwise position. Once extension has occurred, the pitcher will rotate thumb back to neutral and lower the shot back to the original position. The pitcher should place special emphasis on never dropping the elbow lower than shoulder level. For pitchers who are inexperienced at using the shot put, coaches should hold their elbow during the exercises. Pitchers will do three sets of 10.

Working the Lower Half

2005-12-07T16:17:00.000-08:00

Training the Groin

I have posted a picture on the left to illustrate how important the groin area is for pitchers. As you can see, Pedro Martinez’s groin is almost completely stretched to the limit as he pushes off the rubber and plants the lead leg. Now, after lead leg plant has been achieved, Pedro will have to flex the groin and push with the glove leg. This action must happen instantly and with great thrust. To complete this task the groin must be properly exercised and trained. With a strong and durable groin, pitchers can achieve greater throwing velocity by increasing the “coupling” force of the lead leg to the plate. At Omaha Central High School, our pitchers perform the following exercises to improve groin strength and durability.

Activities:

1. Splits Stretch: The pitcher will split legs as far as the groin will allow holding the stretch for approximately 10 seconds. The pitcher will perform 3-5 sets with the goal of trying to get closer to the floor every time.

2. Lunge for Length: The pitcher will place hands on head and perform a walking lunge. The pitcher will extend as far as possible, stopping for the trail knee to touch the floor. The pitcher will perform 3-5 sets of lunges for 20 yards.

3. Lunge with Weight: The pitcher, depending on his strength, will place 30-45 lbs. dumbbells in their hands. With the dumbbells at their side, the pitcher will perform a walking lunge. The pitcher will extend as far as possible, stopping for the trail knee to touch the floor. The pitcher will perform 3-5 sets of lunges for 20 yards.

4. Uphill Lunge: The pitcher will place their hands on head and face stairs. Taking 3-4 stairs at a time, the pitcher will walk slowly up the staircase. At Central, our pitchers walk up three flights. The pitcher should perform task slowly and feel the groin flex during each lunge. After the movements has been mastered, the pitcher can increased speed and move quickly up the stairs. Our pitchers perform these exercises for 10 minutes.

5. Uphill Lunge with Weight: The pitcher, holding 30-45 lbs. dumbbells at their side, should face the stairs. Taking 3-4 stairs at a time, the pitcher will walk slowly up the staircase. At Central, our pitchers walk up three flights. The pitcher should perform task slowly and feel the groin flex during each lunge. The dumbbell weight should add extra resistance to the exercise. Our pitchers perform these exercises for 10 minutes.

The "New" Pitch

2005-12-05T07:55:00.000-08:00

Looking for the Gyro!

Attention all pitching coaches, I need your help. If there is a coach out there that has any information on the gyroball, please post some details on this website. The gyroball is an exciting pitch from Japan that has stimulated my interest. I have found some information on the gyroball, but I am seeking to understand all elements on the pitch. Apparently, the pitch is quite successful in Japan.

To the left of this page, I have posted a picture of Daisuke Matsuzaka. He is a pitcher for Japan’s Seibu Lions. It is said that he has a wonderful “gyroball” that compliments his 98 MPH fastball well. The gyroball appears to have breaking ball characteristics, but breaks hard away from hitters. The pitch, when working, is not only hard to read out of a pitchers hand, but the hard break makes the pitch virtually unhittable.

If there is any coach with drills, grips, explanations, or videos of the pitch, please contact this website and share your knowledge. I believe this pitch can help high school pitchers dominate the opposition.

Checking the Straight Line

2005-12-01T08:47:00.000-08:00

Objective:

The hitter will check their bat path by redirecting the ball in a straight line flipped by the coach from directly behind or to the side of the player.

Procedure:

The coach will set up a bucket of balls behind the plate. The hitter will take their offensive stance in the batter’s box. If indoors, the coach should place the plate directly on a straight line. Then, when taking a knee behind the hitter, the coach should kneel on the line as well. The line will serve as a guide for the soft toss flip. Also, the line will show the hitter exactly where the ball should be redirected. The coach should verbally cue the hitter through the oral commands of the swing: load, stretch, and fire. After the “stretch” command, the coach should flip the ball along the line, directly in front of the hitter. After the flip, the coach should shout the command of “fire”. The hitter should redirect the ball straight ahead with a proper linear swing. If this does not occur the hitter and coach must locate the problem. If the hitter is pulling the ball, the coach may look at top hand dominance. Is the hitter releasing with the top hand? This is a question the coach may pose to his hitter. Also, if the hitter is popping the ball up the other way, the coach may look at the back elbow positioning. Is the back elbow getting the hands to the “flat” position or is the elbow too high and not getting the hands to the ball in time for solid contact to be made? Another question the coach should pose to a young hitter.

Side toss is another way a hitting coach can check the hitter’s line. Again, the coach does not set up in the traditional soft toss position. The coach should set up directly to the side of the hitter. From this angle, the coach should have a “bird’s eye view” of the hitter’s weight shift and lead arm extension. Once more, the ball will be flipped and the coach will ask the hitter to direct the ball in a straight line. If this is not achieved, the hitter must focus on producing swings that produce line drives up the middle.

Baseball Screen or Net
___________________

H *

C

H = Hitter

* = Plate

C = Coach

Getting Players on Board

2005-11-28T12:08:00.000-08:00

I have found a tremendous resource for coaches looking to hold their players accountable to their school and teammates. Steve Dixon, the head baseball coach at Sullivan North HS in Kingsport, Tennessee, has designed a player contract to encourage players to represent their program in a positive way. I strongly recommend using this sort of contract with your team for the upcoming season. If you have any questions about this document, please contact him at:

coachd_04@yahoo.com

RAIDER BASEBALL

PLAYER CONTRACT

BY BEING IN OUR BASEBALL PROGRAM THERE WILL BE HIGH EXPECTATIONS PLACED ON YOU. THERE WILL BE TIMES WHEN YOU CANNOT DO YOUR OWN THING. THE FOLLOWING ITEMS ARE IN PLACE TO MAKE YOU A BETTER PERSON AND PROMOTE THE IMAGE OF OUR PROGRAM AND SULLIVAN NORTH. IF YOU CANNOT FOLLOW THESE POLICIES THEN YOU WILL BE DISCIPLINED OR DISMISSED. IF YOU FIND THESE POLICIES UNCOOL, SILLY, OR EMBARRASSING YOUR ALTERNATIVE IS TO QUIT.

IN GENERAL : DO WHAT IS RIGHT, DO YOUR BEST, AND TREAT OTHERS AS YOU WISH TO BE TREATED.

DAILY CONDUCT:

ADDRESS AND ANSWER ALL OF YOUR COACHES, TEACHERS, AND ELDERS WITH " YES SIR, NO SIR, YES MA’AM, NO MA’AM. TREAT EVERYONE WITH RESPECT.
GRANT COMMON COURTESIES AND MANNERS WITH EVERY PERSON YOU COME INTO CONTACT WITH. ( PLEASE, THANKYOU, YOU’RE WELCOME, HOLD DOORS OPEN, ETC. )
ALWAYS BE HONEST WITH YOUR COACHES, TEAMMATES, PARENTS, TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATORS.
IF NO SEATING CHART, SIT IN THE FIRST 3 ROWS OF CLASS. DO NOT SLEEP.
CONFORM TO SAME RULES AS REST OF STUDENT BODY.
ANY PLAYER FOUND USING ALCOHOL WILL BE DEALT WITH STERNLY.
ANY PLAYER FOUND USING DRUGS WILL BE SUSPENDED AND/OR DISMISSED.
WHEN SOMEONE IS SPEAKING TO YOU OR YOUR GROUP, DO NOT YAWN IN FRONT OF THEM.
HAVE AN ATTITUDE OF EXCELLENCE.
BASEBALL CONDUCT

BE ON TIME FOR ALL BASEBALL RELATED ACTIVITIES.
PRACTICE HARD AT GAME TEMPO. WE WILL NOT COACH POOR ATTITUDE.
BE PROPERLY DRESSED AND TAPED AT ALL TIMES.
SPRINT ON AND OFF THE FIELD AT ALL TIMES.
PULL FOR YOUR TEAMMATES.
BE COACHABLE.
ACCEPT YOUR ROLE. IF YOU DON’T LIKE IT WORK HARDER TO CHANGE IT.
DO NOT TRANSFER BLAME OR MAKE EXCUSES. IT IS NOT ALLOWED.
DON’T QUESTION COACHES ON THE FIELD. MEET ONE ON ONE AFTER PRACTICE TO CLEAR UP MISUNDERSTANDINGS.
DISRESPECT FOR COACHES, FACULTY AND STAFF WILL NOT BE TOLERATED.
BE CLEAN CUT AND NEAT IN YOUR APPEARANCE.
DO NOT SPEED, BE RECKLESS, ETC. DRIVING THROUGH PARKING LOT.
DO NOT BORROW YOUR TEAMMATES EQUIPMENT WITHOUT PERMISSION.
DO NOT THROW EQUIPMENT.
NORTH BASEBALL CAPS ARE TO BE WORN FORWARD AT ALL TIMES.
TSSAA DOES NOT PERMIT TOBACCO.
ALWAYS TUCK SHIRT IN WHEN INVOLVED IN BASEBALL ACTIVITIES.
NO EARRINGS, LIP RINGS, ETC. DURING BASEBALL ACTIVITIES.
DO NOT WHINE OR COMPLAIN, JUST QUIT.
TAKE CARE OF YOUR HEALTH, YOUR RELATIONSHIPS WITH YOUR TEAMMATES, AND YOUR PERFORMANCE ON AND OFF THE FIELD.
ALL OF YOUR TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATORS HAVE BEEN GIVEN A COPY OF THESE POLICIES. IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS FEEL FREE TO DISCUSS THEM WITH COACH DIXON ON A ONE ON ONE BASIS. SIGN YOUR NAME ON THE FOLLOWING PAGE AFTER YOU HAVE READ THESE POLICIES AND AGREE TO COMPLY.

Is Dr. Mike Marshall Correct?

2005-11-27T12:07:00.000-08:00

Upcoming Experiment with the Shot

I have read and explored Dr. Mike Marshall’s website and book many times. I have found his ideas to be very enlightening. I especially found it interesting, while exploring his material, that he incorporates shot puts as a strengthening device for pitchers. At first, like most of us, I was a little leery. Although, the more I research the topic, I am convinced that Dr. Marshall clearly has the right idea. Above, I have posted a picture of a female shot-putter in the power position. This position is quite similar to a pitcher who has achieved proper elbow flexion during the pitching delivery. The resemblance in the photo further justifies Dr. Marshall’s claim that the shot put can help pitchers improve power and explosiveness. Currently, we are conducting morning small group work with the shot put. Several groups of four players are working out with the shot put and establishing an exercise routine. We will be working with them until Christmas and I will update their progress weekly. Here is their work out which will be performed three times a week:

Week #1

Three sets of 10 Shot Put Lifts
Three sets of 10 Shot Put Flips
Three sets of 10 Rotation + Shot Put Lifts

Week #2

Three sets of 10 Shot Put Lifts
Three sets of 10 Shot Put Flips
Three sets of 10 Rotation + Shot Put Lifts
One set of 10 Height Throws

Week #3

Three sets of 10 Shot Put Lifts
Three sets of 10 Shot Put Flips
Three sets of 10 Rotation + Shot Put Lifts
Two sets of 10 Height Throws

Behind the Plate

2005-11-26T19:29:00.000-08:00

Jerry,

Thought you might enjoy an article I wrote a while back about lack of training most catchers get during the season. My site is www.catchingcamp.com.

The Most Wasted 20 Minutes in a Catchers Life

It seems that many players and coaches recognize how little time is allocated during practices for catchers to work on their catching skills: Blocking, Exchange drills, Pickoff throws, Proper handling of pass balls with throw to pitcher covering plate, just to name a few.

Often times it has been said to me that there just isn't enough time to fit it in a practice. I would like to challenge that idea by pointing out the most wasted 20 minutes in a catcher’s life.

The time is called "Infield Practice". I've lost count of how many practices I have observed where a coach is hitting infield practice with the starting catcher standing beside him taking the throw from the fielders and then handing the ball back to the coach. WHAT A WASTE!!!

Now I know that some of the items covered during infield practice do require the ! catcher's involvement in a true game situation play. However, I have seen at least 20 minutes go by when all they do is catch the ball and hand it to the coach.

I suggest that at the beginning of infield practice another player fill that role, and even maybe rotate with other infielders. During that time the catchers (all of the catchers if possible) are off to the side working on blocking, throwing etc.

When it is time to do the plays that involve the catcher, you can call them back over and run them all at one time.

I saw this next quote on a web site (www.baseballcatchers.com) about how much we depend on catchers to get it right, but how little time we provide for them to practice the skills they will need to get it right in a game.

"It will take a dozen outstanding plays by the catcher to make teammates forget a single disastrous E-2 that could have been prevented by practicing catcher skills."

I know that scheduling a meaningful practice is always a challenge. But here is an easy fix that will provide at least 20 minutes every practice for your catchers to work on their skills.

Copyright@ 2003 David Weaver

An Injury Breakthrough

2005-11-22T11:42:00.000-08:00

Recovering from a Labrum Tear

By:

Jerry Kreber
Assistant Omaha Central HS Baseball
Associate Scout Cleveland Indians Organization

(This case documentation was motivated by a conversation I just had with a local therapist about one of our pitcher’s throwing weighted balls to improve his throwing velocity. He was against our pitcher throwing them because he had previous elbow and shoulder tendentious. He could offer no studies, research, or evidence to back up his opinion. After getting some time to ponder the issue, I can only hope the therapist will re-evaluate his opinion and look at conclusive evidence through documented studies that weighted balls not only improve velocity, but strength and durability as well.)

In the winter of 1997, I experienced extreme shoulder pain during preseason baseball conditioning. Upon getting my arm examined by a physician, I was diagnosed with having a torn labrum ligament in my shoulder. I had a successful operation in January of 1998. I was instructed not to throw for six weeks. Instead, I was told to focus on the strength and range of motion of my shoulder.

After being sidelined for 6 weeks, I returned to throwing. My arm was definitely not the same. I could not get my humerus rotated smoothly without the joint slipping. It would pop really loud and it really affected my mentality. I was deeply depressed about the situation, but continued my rehabilitation program religiously. Literally, I tried every kind of exercise there was to perform. I used a stretch cord, dumbbell, and free weights. I stretched, ran, and threw the baseball but nothing helped my arm to get back to its original form. Furthermore, my functional strength was at its peak. I had increased all my core lifts including the bench press, squat, and clean and jerk. With all these strength increases, my arm did not get better; it seemed to get worse. I looked like a shot-putter trying to throw a baseball. Even my teammates would comment that my throwing motion looked painful. Before the surgery I was a catcher, after the surgery I moved to first base. Even after six months of rehabilitation, I still could not throw the ball from first base to home plate. The situation was dire. I was very close to quitting.

As a college sophomore, I had undergone surgery to remove a tumor pinched in-between my throwing arm shoulder blade, so that year was lost to injury as well. The surgery was successful and I was fully recovered before the labrum surgery. So as a college junior, I had high hopes before the labrum injury occurred. After almost two years of injuries and my recovery uncertain, I began to have negative thoughts about continuing with baseball. As a last resort during the fall of my senior year of college, I was looking through a magazine and located a set of Worth Weighted Baseballs. I had never heard of them. I always assumed throwing heavy objects caused injury to your arm, but as I looked at them I understood the situation was desperate. I ordered the weighted balls at the end of the 1998 Fall Baseball season.

In early November of 1998, I started throwing the weighted balls with my roommate. Before throwing the balls, I could not throw a baseball on a line over 60 feet. As soon as we started with the 6 ounce ball, I could feel a difference. Then, in the second session, it was like a miracle happened. I started throwing in the afternoon and saw a huge difference. My arm, which prior to the balls could not throw the ball over 60 feet, was launching balls from the left field foul line to the centerfield fence. The distance measured about 250 feet. I stayed out that afternoon until it was dark. I have never been more excited in my life. My roommate and I completed 75% of the program before the snow obstructed our workouts and we had to move inside. I was amazed with the strength of my arm and so were my teammates.

During that 1999 spring season, I was able to stand at home plate and throw the ball out of the park down the left field line, which was approximately 315 feet. I threw the weighted balls every day during our practice warm ups and felt like it gave my arm extra strength and speed. I experienced no pain from the surgery and was able to throw 100% on a daily basis.

Using the NPA Model

2005-11-18T06:59:00.000-08:00

Omaha Central Baseball
Eight Daily Pitching Areas

1. Dynamic Flexibility Exercises
· Cross Arm Pitching Rotation (Monday)
· Glove Arm Positioning Drill (Tuesday)
· Equal/Opposite Check Drill (Wednesday)
· Flat Back Drill with Throwing Elbow (Thursday)
· #3 Point Check Drill (Friday)

2. Joint Stabilization Exercises
· Arm Circles (Monday)
· Arm’s Range of Motion with Bat (Tuesday)
· Arm Resistance Exercises with Bat (Wednesday)
· Shoulder Blade Pinches (Thursday)
· Backwards “L” Resistance (Friday)

3. Core Stabilization Exercises
· Crunches (variations) (Monday)
· Leg Lifts with Flutter (Tuesday)
· Medicine Ball (Wednesday)
· Prone Position (on belly) (Thursday)
· Leg Crunches (Friday)

4. Functional Weight Training Exercises
· Stretch Cords (Monday)
· Medicine Balls (Tuesday)
· 3 ½ LBS. Dumbbells (Wednesday)
· Pushups (Thursday)
· Wrist Weights (Friday)

5. Anaerobic Training Exercises
· Distance Running (Monday)
· Sprint Running (Tuesday)
· Jumping Rope (Wednesday)
· Plyometrics Drop Hat (Thursday)
· Aerobics (Hip Turns, JJ, Jumps) (Friday)

6. Mechanic Pitching Drills
· Total Body Towel Drill (Monday)
· Cross Legged Throwing Drill (Tuesday)
· Torque Towel Drill (Wednesday)
· Two Knee Throwing Bullpen (Thursday)
· Gloved Towel Drill (Friday)

7. Pickoffs
· To 1st (Monday)
· To 2nd (Tuesday)
· To 3rd (Wednesday)
· Pitchouts (Thursday)
· Pickoffs (variation) (Friday)

8. Fielding
· Fielding Fundamentals (Monday)
· GB to 1st (Tuesday)
· GB on Double Play (Wednesday)
· GB Home-1st (Thursday)
· Bunt Plays (Friday)

Each station should place (5) minutes for a total of 40 minutes

2006 Summer American Legion Baseball Tourney

2005-11-14T13:34:00.000-08:00

The Omaha Central American Legion Baseball Team will be hosting a 16-under tournament this summer. This is the 5th year of the tournament. Last year, the 20 team tournament was won by the Millard South Patriots. The 2005 tournament drew teams from Missouri, Kansas City, Chicago, and Minneapolis. Each team plays a total of 5 games. The tournament dates will be July 7-9, 2006. There is a total of 4 different tournament sites. The Champion and Runner-Up will receive awards, along with an All-Tournament Team. If you are interested, please send an email to:

gerald.kreber@ops.org

Improving on the Bases

2005-11-01T05:48:00.000-08:00

Taking the Extra Base: Practicing Aggressive Baserunning

Offensive Objective: To help baserunners develop an aggressive style in reading balls hit to the outfield and challenging the runner to take an extra base.

Defensive Objective: To help fielders develop strong verbal communication skills and properly execute throws during the relay process from the outfield.

Groupings: Players will be organized in groups of 3-5 offensive baserunners depending on size of the team.

Procedure: A standard infield will take their positions. All outfielders will form a line in left field. A coach, with a fungo and baseballs, will stand behind second base on the outfield grass. Another coach, with a whistle, will stand in the first base coach’s box to signal the offensive baserunners. A group of baserunners will be next to the coach. The size of the group will vary according to the size of the team. Individually, runners will take their lead at 1st base and wait for the coach’s cue to run. The baserunner’s goal is to reach third base on the batted ball. The coach, standing behind 2nd, will hit a fungo down the left field line for a double. The infielders will set up a double cut, while the outfielder retrieves the batted ball. On the coach’s whistle, the baserunner will try and advance to third base. The runner should not leave until the coach’s cue. The coach’s cue is to create a game-like simulation of the actual play. If there is a bad throw, baserunners should react by trying to score. All organized groups should go through once. If a runner reaches third base, their team receives one point.

During the next phase of the drill, the outfielders break into two groups. One set of outfielders should be in left field and the other group should be in center. Again, the baserunners will start at first base. The coach, located behind second base, will hit a ball to the left center gap. Each baserunning group will continue trying to score on the first base coach’s whistle. The defense should set up a relay to home, communicating clearly on each relay. Every time a player scores, their baserunning group receives a point.

In the third phase, all outfielders will line up in centerfield. The offensive baserunners will start at second base. The coach, behind second, will hit ground balls to the right or left of the centerfielder. The baserunner’s objective is to score on the ground ball hit to the outfield. The defense should properly set up the relay home and there should be a play at the plate by the defenders. Again, the runner is triggered by the coach’s whistle. Every time a player scores, their baserunning group receives a point.

In the final phase, all outfielders will line up in right field. The offensive baserunning groups will start at third base. The coach, who is positioned behind second base, will hit flyballs to right field. The flyball should be hit a regular depth or even shallow so the right fielder can have a play on the ball. The offensive baserunner will tag up at third base. On the whistle, the runner will attempt to advance home. The fielders should use proper communication to try and record the out at the plate.

Summary: This drill really challenges players to take the extra base on balls hit into the outfield. Working on game-like baserunning in practice is very challenging. It is hard to set up situations which simulate the pressure runners feel when they know a play is going to be made on them. With a coach using a whistle to cue the runner, these situations can be created every time a repetition occurs. Furthermore, this drill allows players to work on their sliding techniques. When sliding, runner should incorporate the traditional, hook, and pop-up slide depending on the base and situation. Also, this drill is flexible and allows coach’s to change the situations which will occur during the game and provide players will a lot of different baserunning situations. Finally, by having several different phases, players can receive a break from baserunning and work on rotating from defense to offensive. Hopefully, by constantly moving from fielding to running, players will be encouraged to incorporate higher intensity while performing baserunning activities. By incorporating high intensity into running, the fielders will have to execute proper defensive techniques to stop the offense from taking the extra base.

RBI Baseball

2005-10-24T08:06:00.000-07:00

Plus Two Baseball

Objective:

To package players in groups of four, according to their traditional spot in the batting order, facing a relief pitcher who is trying to stop them from scoring two runs with a runner starting on second base.

Players:

Standard defense on the field
Groups of four offensive players according to batting order position
Relief pitcher on mound

Procedure:

The coach must break his team up into groups of four according to their spot in the batting order, an example would be: the leadoff, second, third, and fourth hitters are in a group of four. The first person in the group will start at second base. The three other offensive players will try and score two runs before recording three outs. All hitters will start with a 0-1 count. The defense and relief pitcher will try and stop the offense from scoring. The coach will continue to move offensive groups through the rotation. The entire batting order should hit, along with any players that contribute through pitch hitting roles. Players starting at second will work on their leads and are eligible to steal bases at any time during the hitting rotation. Each group will start with no outs, so they drill will stimulate a leadoff double. Every time a group scores two runs they receive one point. The group of four with the most points gets to sit out of end of practice fieldwork. Once the relief pitcher has thrown 50 pitches, another relief pitcher can rotate into the game to try and record outs against the offense.

Summary:

This drill allows players to work in the proper batting order to help produce runs. Offensive players are able to work on hitting in a negative count, while a runner is at second base. Relief pitchers get to work on improving their delivery from the stretch, holding base runners, and working in a positive 0-1 count trying to throw breaking balls for strikes. The defense will practice working with a lead off run at second base and trying to record three outs before the runner is able to score. Outfielders should try and throw the runner out at the plate and execute proper relays on balls hit in the outfield gaps. This drill promotes teamwork and forces players to execute properly in order to score runs. Furthermore, this drill helps create game-like pressure through realistic situations that both offensive and defensive players will see in upcoming contests. Players that can properly execute these types of drills will have a mental edge when the situation arises in the game.

Looking at Arm Action

2005-10-19T20:39:00.000-07:00

Three Pitcher Bullpen

Objective:

To create maximum arm speed and focus on the pitcher circling the upper arm during the throwing motion.

Procedure:

The drill starts with a flipper, pitcher, and catcher. The flipper will stand parallel to the pitcher, while the catcher assumes his normal stance behind home plate. In fact, the catcher can set up at any distance from the mound, depending on the situation. The pitcher will begin his delivery on the mound without a ball in his glove. After the pitcher reaches his balance point, the flipper, who is standing parallel to the rubber, flips the pitcher a ball to throw. The flipper should be down on one knee, so the ball is tossed low to the pitcher right after the hand break. The pitcher will catch the ball with his throwing hand. After catching the ball, the pitcher will focus on moving his upper-arm in a complete circle. With the flipper tossing the ball low after hand break, it helps the pitcher complete a full circle with the upper arm. The pitcher should try to move his arm as fast as possible. Of course, at first, the pitcher will have to move slowly during the delivery in order to catch, circle, and throw. After mastery of the drill, the pitcher should concentrate on moving as fast as possible with the lower body as well as their arm. The pitchers should throw in sets of eight. Each set should start out with two outside fastballs. After eight pitches, the pitcher becomes the catcher. The catcher becomes the flipper and the flipper becomes the pitcher. The pitchers can work this rotation for 5-10 minutes, measuring arm speed by their momentum during finish after ball release. Good arm speed will almost pull the pitcher to face the 1st baseman when released. The pitcher, who is flipping, can advise the pitcher on what his arm action looks like upon release. The pitcher’s partner should pay attention to the upper arm circle, wrist action, and forward momentum. All these factors contribute to proper and healthy arm action.

Summary:

This drill focuses on the action of the arm when the pitcher is just reacting to the ball. When an infielder fields the ball, a runner is sprinting down the baseline; he must react by throwing the ball as fast and hard as possible. If the infielder stops to control his stride, arm position, and momentum he will never be able to throw the runner out at first base. This drill puts the pitcher in a similar situation. They are moving forward toward the plate. The flipped ball causes the pitcher to react like an infielder, which has just had the ball hit to him. Also, the flipped ball forces the pitcher to speed his arm up to throw a strike. If the pitcher’s arm doesn’t speed up his moving body will not allow him to throw where the target is set up. Hopefully, this drill will help pitchers establish position player throwing mechanics on the mound.