Baseball players are often rusty and out of shape at the beginning of the season, having not played or practiced for several months. As a coach, your primary objective early in the season is to prepare your players' bodies to perform effectively and injury-free throughout the season. They especially need to get their arms in shape and hone the fundamentals of catching, fielding, hitting, sliding and throwing through repetitious drills. Keep this in mind as you design and conduct your early season practices.
Airplane Landing Drill
Sliding is a skill easily lost during the off-season. Use this drill to reteach your players how to slide early in the season. Have your players form a line at first base. Stand about 5 feet in front and off to the side of second base, and hold a bat horizontally over the baseline at chest height. Tell one player at a time to sprint to second base, sliding under the bat like an airplane lands. Provide constructive feedback to each player regarding his technique.
Around the Horn
It is common practice for baseball teams to throw the ball "around the horn" after their pitcher strikes out an opposing batter. One variation involves the catcher throwing the ball to the third baseman, the third baseman throwing the ball to the second baseman, the second baseman throwing the ball to the shortstop, and the shortstop throwing the ball to the first baseman. Have your players do this often during the early season to practice catching and throwing and to help get their arms in shape.
Communication Drill
Your players need to get in the habit of communicating with the players around them early in the season, especially when fly balls are hit between them and the potential for a collision arises. Have your players form two lines in the outfield with about 30 yards separating them. Hit or throw a fly ball between the lines. The first player in each line goes after the ball, communicating with the other player effectively so they don't collide or drop the ball.
Long Toss
Arm strength is an important attribute for baseball players, and developing arm strength takes time. Although lifting weights may help your players throw harder, the best drill for developing arm strength is the long toss. Make your players long toss during every practice early in the season. Have them start throwing the ball only 90 feet, and then progress to 180 feet or more over several weeks' time. Instruct them to throw the ball on a line, not high in the air.
Tee Drill
Hitting is a skill that your players may struggle with early in the season. It requires excellent mechanics and nearly perfect timing, both of which your players may have lost during the off-season unless they practiced on their own. Have your players hit off a batting tee early in the year to refine their mechanics, so when you start having pitchers throw to them, they will only need to worry about swinging at the right time, not about correcting flaws in their swing.
References
- "The Baseball Drill Book"; Bob Bennett; 2004
- "The Baseball Coaching Bible"; Jerry Kindall and John Winkin; 1999
- "Nolan Ryan's Pitcher's Bible"; Nolan Ryan and Tom House; 1991
- "Tony Gwynn's Total Baseball Player"; Tony Gwynn and Jim Rosenthal; 1992
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