What Works and What Doesn’t at Batting Practice
So our team has had an optional batting practice the last couple of weeks and I thought it’d be interesting to share what works and what doesn’t. It hasn’t been a rushed batting practice before our game like the photo - if you watch a big league game the players go...
Does Behavior Really Change After Introducing Mechanics?
I have had a few practices with my new team and I’ve had fantastic help from parents. I’ve had almost a 1-1 ratio of coaches to players on the field at every practice and it means I can do a LOT on 1-1 mechanics. Instead of just saying LINE UP FOR Grounders and me hitting a ground ball to the player in line — I can have 12 parents roll a ball to a player. In the same time of getting one good rep if I’m lucky as the player at the front of time would be distracted by the kids in the back of the line — I’m getting 12 reps.
Holding Back in Youth Baseball
Everyone wants the best for their child and no one wants their child to be left behind. I have heard parents say WELL so and so has extra batting lessons with this great coach — we better start them right away for our child. It...
Baseball Is Just Around the Corner
As I’m watching snow outside, I know its January and January always gets my energy level up as I know BASEBALL IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER. We have tryouts here in February so it’ll be on us in no time. I always picture the first practice and what I’ll do. I just...
Another Season in The Books
Well who's counting, but we just had the season ending party for my team. They finished under 0.500 but I thought they had a great season. The best part of the party was when I asked who was going to play again next season and everyone raised their hand (OK one or...
The Ordering of Pitchers
Nothing can keep a baseball coach up more at night than ruminating about the order of pitchers for an upcoming game. I remember reading a biography of Vince Lombardi where he is quoted as saying that football was an odd game since 90% depended on the...
The Power of Praise
Readers of this blog (thanks!) know that I’m not one of those feel-good coaches who constantly says happy things to players even when they do not perform. I tell them the truth, they like it, they work hard, they trust me, and in general they learn and the whole...
Verbal Instructions vs Learning by Doing
And so it came to pass that before our first game, I realized I hadn’t covered warmups between innings. For pre-game warmup, we had rehearsed in practice as I wanted it to look like we had a clue. But the pre-inning warmup is a thing I usually forget about and just...
Does Coaching Matter?
I always feel like it's an existential question this time of year as I get ready for a new season. I am so excited. I've coached youth baseball since 1998 and I was so happy cleaning out all my baseball stuff last week — sorting all the balls — organizing the shelves...
The Magic Pre-Game Warmup
Maybe you are searching for ideas for a pre-game warmup for 7-8-9 year olds. I got an email from a coach who had just beat my team, and he said, “It was a great game (we only lost 4-2) and you absolutely set the gold standard for best pre-game warmup” So what do I...
Rapport
And so as the season is coming to an end my fall team is 6-1 — we’ll see how we do in the playoffs, but it's been much fun. Best story of this week was when a player came over at the start of practice and said “COACH! COACH!” and I said “Yes” and he said “Coach, we...
Self Talk
Today we were working on a drill I like that's focused on backups. I have eight kids get on the bases with gloves. One on the base and one is the backup. I call a number of a base to throw to and the person with the ball throws to the base. As I guess a new number...
The WHY
I was reading some materials on personal fitness training certification (as I’m thinking about taking the test to get certified) and it talks about the WHY behind fitness. Well I think there’s aWHY behind coaching. Many coaches do it for their kids -— or their league...
Finding Ways to Increase FUN
I have been working with a small group of players this summer and it's making me think a LOT about how best to make drills FUN and have them actually impact performance. I love two-line throwing and all the steps, but I think the players just don’t enjoy it. It's more...
Insider Bat
I get a teeny sales commission on this thing. If you want to get a good training aid, think about the Insider Bat. I have an Amazon sponsored link but I don't think I'll make more than 5 cents or so if you buy one. / So what is an insider bat, you say? Well, I have...
The Tanner Tee
The Tanner Tee is an amazing batting T. They are the gold standard — if you are sick of T’s falling apart. This is the way to go. I’ve never owned one myself as I never splurged and I made do with the $20 cheap T’s, but every year I think about getting one. Feel...
Using a mirror!
It rained the other day, so I invited kids from a team I’m helping to come over and hit in my garage using my beloved SoloHitter — sadly I think SoloHitter went out of business, but it's a cool device that has a ball hang on a string with a net behind it so that...
First Practice Ideas
Many teams will be starting their first practice soon, and it's one of my favorite times of the year. After the arduous work of the draft (see the post I on preparing for the draft) and the cold of winter, its time for a new season. Hope springs eternal. You’ve sent...
Draft Preparation
And so it's that time of the year when many leagues conduct a draft. I haven’t really written much on draft preparation in previous blogs, so perhaps this might come at a good time. Many parents can’t believe an NFL-style draft is held that includes 10-year-olds. On...
Balance Point and Teaching Pitching–to Leg Lift or not Leg Lift?
During the offseason, I resume one of my eternal quests, to write a really simple book for new coaches. The one I have on the website is long and I think it's complete, but I think it can be boiled down and amplified for just new coaches of T-ball, machine pitch and...
SoloHitter for Hitting Drills
Well time for this week’s biog and I have to spend it on singing the praises of a thing called the SoloHitter. I get no commission, but my understanding is every MLB team has at least one. I have had one for over 15 years and I love it. What is the...
Fretting over Mechanics vs Letting Them Play
I love to coach mechanics. I have a series of drills that break down throwing and I think they translate quickly to pitching so once I have kids throwing I can turn them into serviceable pitchers. I’ll publish pictures and step by step for these very soon, but the...
Memories
As we continue our philosophical blogs — happens a lot when a real season isn’t going on. Our youth baseball season in Northern VA is in the state tournament now but for everyone else it's not much until the fall. I am running some practices to get some good pictures...
Reflections from Two Ballparks
This week I got to go to a Nats game with some glorious seats at Club Level and also a game at my hometown of Johnson City, TN, at what used to be Cardinals Park in the Appalachian League. I love watching the precision of the big leaguers — I will say the game...
Throwing Exercises
If you want your kid to throw farther and faster – and pitching is the thing all kids want to do we need CORE MUSCLES Shoulder muscles LEG muscles Most people think throwing is with your arms. It isn’t – if you throw right you are building all the force and momentum...
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