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Some hints to get the most out of this section:
• Do not take everything you read as gospel. There are certain baseball fundamentals that most players try to do exactly the same. There are other skills that vary depending on the player. Don't be afraid to try things out; if it works for you, use it. If it doesn't work for you, discard it and try something else.
• Practice, practice, practice. There is no substitute for playing. Nobody available to hit you ground balls? Find a wall and practice fielding off the wall. Nobody to throw you batting practice? A hitting tee and a rolled up pair of socks can help you work on every part of your swing and can be done anywhere. Put on your headphones and enjoy working on your swing.
• If available, try and have someone videotape you during a game or at batting practice. Videotape doesn't lie. You may feel like you are performing a skill a particular way. A videotape of you will either confirm what you thought or show you something you didn't realize.
• Become a student of the game. There is always more to learn.
• Have fun. Baseball is a game. There is no reason you can't improve while having fun.
Coaching Baseball
As a coach you want to provide the best baseball instruction you possibly can. Baseball fundamentals are essential to a successful team and your ability to teach those baseball skills is going to be a major factor on how fast your players learn. Make sure your baseball instruction and expectations are age appropriate. If you are new to coaching you will often find that many players on your team will not be at a skill level you expected when you have that first practice. Adjust your baseball instruction to get them caught up. Don't stress out that your team is not where it should be. Instead focus on the basics. Youth baseball games are won with sound baseball fundamentals.
Baseball instruction shouldn't end at practice. You will find that many players will only touch a baseball at practice and games. Try to come up with games that players can do at home. I would use the word homework, but I hate work and baseball being used in the same sentence. For example, you may have your kids throw the ball against a wall and count how many groundballs they can field in a row. Have them bring that number to practice the next week. For kids that live in apartments, see if the parents will roll a soft ball to them inside if there is no place for them to throw against a wall. It can be time consuming coming up with home activities for your players, but you will see results. Keep it fun and they will enjoy playing at home. You will also show the parents that you are serious about your responsibility of providing quality baseball instruction to their child.
Provide baseball tips that you can hand out at the end of practice for players to take home. Have the tip cover something they learned that day and include an at home practice routine for them to do. Maybe it's an image of a pitcher getting into a balanced position at the top of the windup. Have player s go home and get into the balanced position 20 times before simulating a pitch.
Base running
Every Player Can Be Good At Running The Bases
Good teams are often judged on their ability to manufacture runs. What this means is they didn't string together enough hits (or any hits for that matter) to score a run. An example would be a hitter reaching on a walk, stealing second base, going to third on a ground out hit to second, and scoring on a fly ball. In this case a run was scored without the aid of a base hit. Other skills are important in a teams ability to manufacture runs, but one thing for sure, poor base running will inhibit a teams ability to manufacture runs on a regular basis. Worse than that, poor base running will take your team out of scoring opportunities. There may be no worse feeling in baseball than being picked off a base or making a mental base running mistake. There is no where to hide when this happens and it can be a long walk back to the dugout.
You may consider yourself a base stealing threat every time you get on base, or maybe you look for certain situations to take an extra base. Whatever your running ability, your value as a baserunner is important to your team.
Know The Value Of Your Run
As a base runner you always need to be aware of the value of your run. This is dependent on the game situation and your ability. Your strategy on the bases will be different depending on the inning and the score. Have you seen a player being picked off first base when their team is down by 4 or 5 runs? It can be the nail in the coffin for the team. It's a mental error and should never happen, but it does, even at the major league level. This next section will cover many of the fundamentals necessary to be a good base runner.
Catching
Catching may be the most demanding position in baseball, both physically and mentally. To be a quality catcher, you need to know more than how to catch the ball and how to throw the ball to second; you need to know the game of baseball. When we talk about knowing baseball, we mean knowing it as a coach tries to know it. As the catcher, you're the onfield coach. You have the entire field in front of you. Your team depends on you to make split second decisions that can determine runs vs. outs, wins vs. losses.
To illustrate this point we will set up a game situation:
• Late in the game
• Your team is up by one run
• Runner on second
• 1 out
• Number 3 hitter is up
What goes through the mind of the catcher before calling a pitch? Here are some possibilities:
• What has this hitter done in his previous at bats?
• What has the 4th hitter done? Maybe the 3rd hitter has hit the cover off the ball and the 4th hitter has struggled.
• Is the hitter a dead pull hitter or does he spray the ball?
• What does your pitcher have left in the tank? How is his control?
• Is the runner on second a threat to steal?
• Based on all that information, what pitch are you going to call and what location?
• After the pitch, the possibilities in just one play are numerous and the catcher must prepare to handle each of them.
• A catcher likes being in the middle of the action, likes to think on his feet, and is not afraid of making split second decisions. Physical skills are also important, but a catcher who can handle the mental part of the position rises above the catcher with stronger physical skills.
• Just take a look at the Major Leagues. Many catchers that start do not have greatest physical tools. You find better athletes sitting in the minor leagues. But these catchers have developed their physical tools to the point where they can make it at that level and have developed their mental skills to the point where they play over other players with better physical skills.
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 Leadership
• Prepare yourself to take charge. As the catcher you must be a strong leader. Catchers must know how to calm a pitcher who is upset about a certain call, an error made in the field, or his performance. In short, you have to handle the pitcher. You make sure he stays focused on the situation and the pitch he is about to throw. You must keep him focused and in the game. Even though pitchers are unique and you handle them differently, always show them that you have confidence in their ability to get the job done.
• We hope this section will give you some of the information necessary to improve your ability to play this difficult position.
Catching - Approach
One of the first requirements as a catcher is learning as much about your pitching staff as possible. You need to know each pitcher's strengths and weaknesses. You must also learn how to call a game. Many times a coach may be calling the pitches from the bench, but you still must be in tune with the flow of the game and it's up to you to make sure the pitcher hits different locations by giving a good target. Learn as much information as you can about pitching. You need to be on the same page as the pitcher.
Skill
Catcher is one of most difficult positions to play. It takes practice and determination to become a quality catcher. Hopefully this section will provide you with some information to help you on your way.
Conditioning
Take your stretching and conditioning seriously. Often pregame or practice stretching and conditioning is done half-heartedly by many position players. As a catcher you are in a position that is physically more demanding than any position on the field. Your ability to avoid injury and play the position for many years requires that you are well conditioned.
Pregame
Talk to the starting pitcher after he has completed his warm-up. How does he feel? How is his control? What pitches is he having trouble with? What pitches are working well? Compare that with your impression from his warm-up. Use the information above to come up with an approach for the first time through the lineup. After a couple of innings you may notice that things that weren't working during the warm-up are working now.
Warm-Up
A pitcher with arm trouble won't be a pitcher for long. The same holds true for a catcher. Make sure you warm-up properly for each practice and game. Throw as much as you can to build arm strength and make sure you always warm-up slowly.
Catching - Throwing
Your ability to throw out a runner is influenced not only by the speed of the baserunner, but also by the ability of the pitcher to hold the runner close and deliver the ball quickly to the plate. While it's important to work with the pitcher to make sure this is done, once he has started his delivery, it's out of your control.
To have a chance to throw out runners on a consistent basis, work on delivering the ball quickly and accurately to the base. This requires good fundamentals on transferring the ball from your glove to your throwing hand, footwork, and throwing mechanics. Sound fundamentals can make up for a lack of arm strength.
Adjustments will need to be made depending on the location of the pitch, but for now assume the pitch is a fastball down the middle of the plate.
Prior To Catching The Ball
As the ball approaches, start setting yourself up for the throw by pointing your right knee toward the first base dugout. This causes your hips to rotate to the right and gets you closer to having your hips closed when you throw the ball.
Grip
As with all positions, try to grip the ball across all four seems. Throw the ball with a 12 - 6 rotation. Why is this essential? When throwing the ball, any tail pulls the fielder off the base and into the line of the runner. This is not only a dangerous situation for the fielder but the ball often ends up in the outfield.
Three Methods
There are three primary methods for throwing the ball from the catchers position.
Shuffle And Throw
As you catch the ball, pop up and forward to throw the ball. As you do this, shift your feet from parallel to the mound to perpendicular to the mound. Land your right foot first and complete your throwing stride toward the base with your left foot.
Pivot And Throw
This method takes a very strong arm and because of this, shouldn't be used by younger players. Simply pivot on your right foot, step with your left and throw. While it is faster than the Shift method, it's more difficult because to achieve that quickness, your weight can't be transferred fully to your front leg. You end up using your arm primarily to throw the ball without getting your body behind it.
Step And Throw
Younger players tend to use this method due to lack of arm strength as required for the Shift method. With this method, take a small step with your right foot towards the target as you transfer the ball. This gets your momentum moving in that direction. Once you have planted your right foot, point your left shoulder toward the target step with your left foot and throw. This method is slower but helps younger player make a stronger and more accurate throw.
Source info: www.qcbaseball.com
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