Baseball coaches and managers prepare their team for the season and key games with drills. Many drills work well for young ballplayers who are just learning the game as well as experienced veterans who want to sharpen their game. While hitting drills are important, they should not be done at the expense of fielding or base-running drills. Players need to concentrate on all aspects of the game.
All-Field Hitting
Hitting a baseball is one of the hardest jobs in sports. Hitting a round ball with a round bat squarely is a challenge, especially when the ball is moving at speeds up to 100 mph. The best hitters don't try to hit every pitch for a home run. They try to hit the ball where it's pitched. In the all-field hitting drill, the batter will try to pull inside pitches, hit the pitches over the center part of the plate up the middle and drive outside pitches to the opposite field. The batting practice pitcher should throw five pitches over each part of the plate to each batter. Give the batter two points for line drives or ground balls hit to the correct area of the field, one point for fly balls and no points when they hit the ball to the wrong part of the field.
Infield Awareness Drill
In this drill, hit each fielder three ground balls. On the first ground ball, the infielder throws to first base. On the second ground ball, the infielder throws to second as if to start a double play. On the third ground ball, the infielder throws home to get the runner at home plate.
Base-running Drill
Base running is often one of the most overlooked aspects of baseball. However, when runners get thrown out on the base paths, managers tend to remember these plays for a long time. The key to base running is being able to judge how the fielder will react to the ball, what kind of arm strength the fielder has and hitting the inside corner of the base when you run at full speed. In this drill, every runner gets a chance to go from first to third on a single to right field. Take a lead off first and the manager or coach hits a ground single through the right side of the infield. The runner must sprint for second, hit the inside corner of the bag and then head straight for third at full speed. The runner must slide into third, to the opposite side of the bag from where the third baseman is standing. Have each base runner do this drill twice.
Bucket Drill for Pitchers
This is a pitching drill that will work on your balance and form. If you are right-handed, your right knee should be on the ground and your left knee should be up. The opposite is the case for a left-handed pitcher. Put a 10-gallon bucket behind your right foot and turn it upside down and put your foot on top of it. Now rotate your shoulder toward your catcher and bring your arm around in a circular motion. Throw the ball to your catcher as you get into a standing position and make sure to finish with your elbow over your opposite knee.
Benefits
The point of doing drills at the start of the season and before games is to get players used to the situations they will see in games. Coaches don't want their players surprised by anything they are asked to do or anything they see in games. As a result, coaches try to give their players drills that allow players to be at their best in games.
Member Comments