When players take up the game of baseball, they often do it because they see older athletes play the game or watch major leaguers on television. As players advance, they realize there is a lot to learn at every level of the game. Some of the best teaching drills can work with both youngsters and more experienced players who want to learn more.
Pitching Drill
In this drill, the pitcher gets on the mound and the catcher sets up a target behind home plate. To teach pitchers how to throw accurately, the catcher will set up a target behind the inside, outside or middle portion of the plate. The catcher will also serve as the umpire. He draws an imaginary ring around his glove, so it's not enough for the pitcher to throw the ball over the plate --- the pitcher must hit the proper area. This drill will teach a pitcher to concentrate more on the mound and help him throw with more accuracy.
Hitting to All Fields
Many baseball players are drawn to the game when they see the majesty of the home run. They want to become a power hitter who can drive the ball over the fence. Most hitters, however, are not going to hit home runs with much consistency. Instead, the best hitters learn how to hit the ball to all fields. In this drill, the batting-practice pitcher will give each batter 15 pitches. He will attempt to throw five pitches over the inside portion of the plate, five over the middle and five over the outer half of the plate. The hitter's goal is to pull the inside pitches, hit the pitches over the middle to center field and hit the outside pitches to the opposite field. Give each hitter one point for hitting the ball to the correct field. The hitter with the most points wins the drill.
Defensive Situational Drill
One of the most important things a coach can do to get his players to know the game and thus play correctly is to make sure all his players understand what to do in game situations. Instead of taking for granted that all players know what to do when, for example, they are playing second base and get a grounder with a runner on second, write out all likely scenarios so players can study them. Then go over all situations in practice, hitting ground balls, fly balls and line drives to the fielders after letting them know what the scenario is. For example, stand at home plate and say, "There's one out and a runner on second base," then hit a ground ball to the shortstop. In this case, the shortstop should make sure the runner is not going to third base, then throw to first to get the batter. If the runner takes off for third, the shortstop should throw to the third baseman for what should be an easy out. Understanding all baseball scenarios teaches players how to handle any situation that arise during a game.
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