Youth baseball players need strong fundamentals to develop the skills necessary for success. Coaches should stress the basics of hitting, fielding, and throwing to provide their players with a solid, reliable foundation, allowing them to grow with the game as they get older.
Defensive Reactions
Players must react quickly in the field, reading the ball off the bat, and adjusting to tricky hops. One simple drill to hone these skills involves two players and a wall. The first player faces the wall, and takes a fielding stance five to 10 feet away. The second player stands behind the first player and throws the ball off the wall. The first player must react and field the ball. The players can switch positions after 10 attempts.
Directional Hitting
For a slightly advanced drill, place one orange cone behind the shortstop, and another orange cone behind the second baseman's normal position, to divide the field into thirds. Use tape to divide home plate into three equal sections, as well. When the coach pitches the ball, the hitter must, before he swings, call out whether the pitch is inside, outside, or down the middle of the plate. The hitter must then drive the ball to the corresponding field. Award one point for every correct hit. The drill teaches players plate discipline and directional hitting, getting them to use the entire field.
Ground Balls
Fielding ground balls should be a fixture of any practice session. Instructing young ball players to form an equilateral triangle with their feet and glove will help them remember the correct fielding position. If their feet are too close together, players won't be able to move laterally. If the glove is too close to the feet, it eliminates any opportunity to recover from an initial bobble. Players should also be reminded to use two hands when fielding grounders and to always keep the glove low and come up, not the other way around.
Pitching Follow-Through
Young pitchers will often drop their heads during their follow through, forgetting that they need to react to the ball, and field their position in case of a hit in the direction of the mound. To correct the problem, the coach can stand behind the pitcher and flash one, two, or three fingers to the catcher. After the pitcher throws the ball, the catcher holds up the same number of fingers. The pitcher must then report the number back to the coach. This drill will get pitchers in the habit of keeping their eyes on the catcher throughout their pitch, helping them stay in a proper fielding position.
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