When it's rainy or the conditions are less than perfect, it doesn't mean that you have to cancel baseball practice. As long as you have a large indoor area, like a school gym, to work with, you can continue practice inside by working on baseball drills that don't require a full diamond.
Back-to-Back Fly
Practicing indoors is an ideal time for your players to practice catching pop flies. Pair up teammates and have them stand back to back, each with his own glove and a ball to share between them. One player acts as the thrower and tosses the ball straight up in the air, suggests the Baseball Tutorials website. The thrower yells, "Now!" when the ball begins its downward travel, and the fielder can then look for the ball and position himself underneath for the catch. Have the players take turns being the thrower and the fielder.
Square Points
Your players' accuracy in throwing the ball can make or break a game. When you're inside, you can still practice your team's accuracy by taping squares of paper in various sizes onto the wall. In the middle of each paper, write a points value, rating the smaller targets higher in points. Players then receive five balls to throw in order to achieve the highest number of points possible. Keep a running tally, because the player who achieves the most accumulated points is the winner.
Stay Low
When fielding the ball, players should keep their center of gravity low. In a school gym, you can use the basketball markings to set up an effective fielding drill. Place a ball in each corner of the free-throw line. Put players, without gloves, into two lines from the base line and blow the whistle. The first player in line runs to the ball and, staying low, tosses it to the next player in line, explains FootballTiger.com. You can make this drill a competition between the two groups.
Practice Swing
If you have access to a few batting tees, you can use them inside to help your players focus on improving their swings. Place a soft ball, like a Wiffle ball or a beanbag, on the tee, and have your players hit the ball from a stationary position. Because they aren't worried about where the ball is coming from, it's the ideal way to watch your players' technique and form when swinging the bat. The softer ball won't go far, so you can practice in smaller indoor areas.
Member Comments