Prevent Unnecessary Injuries …carry the bat like the pros

As a parent, what is your greatest fear for your child when they are playing baseball or softball?  Getting hit by a thrown ball?  A line drive hitting them while pitching?   Taking a ball in the teeth from a bad hop? 

Each of these scenarios can potentially result in a serious injury but are ‘part of the game’ and are not entirely avoidable. Getting hit by a bat swung by another player can be avoided by training our kids to always carry the bat by the barrel.

Severe Injuries Can Happen in a Split Second 

The video below shows an incident that happened during a major league game a few years ago.  Ryan Braun is swinging his bat, not in the on-deck circle, but near his teammates in the dugout.  This is a grown man who has spent his life at ballfields interacting with teammates.  Even with this experience it is possible to get into your own world as a player and forget for a moment what is going on around you. 

If this type of mind fart can happen to a grown man, a pro, it certainly can (and does on a daily basis) happen to youth ballplayers.  Any of us who have spent much time around kids baseball and softball have seen a player swinging a bat randomly somewhere on the field, clearly not being mindful that another player or coach might be walking by within range of their follow through.

Injuries Can Be Avoided

Every year large numbers of kids around the country are struck by bats being swung by other players. Some incur brutal injuries. In some cases, the aftermath of those injuries stick with them for life.  

There is a simple habit we can instill in our players that can virtually eliminate these unnecessary incidents. Teach our kids to always carry the bat by the barrel. The only time a bat should be held by the handle is when a player is positioned in the batter’s box, in their stance at a practice Tee, or during a coach supervised station set up for live swinging.

My hope is that every person reading this will forward it to anyone they know that is involved with youth baseball or softball: coaches, parents, and those in leadership positions in the leagues their kids play in.  Let’s get this information posted on league websites, be part of the pre-season info leagues distribute to their coaches and be included in the annual league Safety Meeting.

We can save kids from suffering severe injuries …and possibly save a child’s life.

Simple Rules for Coaches and Leagues

Below are simple rules to have implemented by your team and league:

• Hold the bat by the barrel when moving from place to place

• When a bat is pulled from a bat rack, equipment bag, etc. the player immediately grabs the bat by the barrel

• When a bat is picked up off the ground, it is picked up by the barrel

Also:

When multiple batters are swinging a bat at one time in close proximity to each other i.e., a batting station during practice  (whiffle ball batting, tee work, soft toss etc.), no batter is allowed to move from their designated swinging spot until all participants have set their bats down.  All players move in and out of the batting station together.  If balls need to be picked up; all batters stop their swings and pick up balls together

No player is allowed to toss a ball up in order to swing at it i.e., ‘pitch to themselves’, play ‘golf’ with a ball that is on the ground, or any other such bat swinging activity not clearly defined by a coach/adult.

Train Kids to Develop Greater Awareness

In addition to training plyers in possession of a bat to practice safe habits, it is equally important to continually educate players who are walking around a ballfield without a bat.   They need to always be conscious of players around them who have a bat in their hands. 

Avoid walking near areas a player might be swinging a bat.  Be aware of all players who are nearby, even if they think nobody is in possession of a bat.  

Making this subject part of on-going conversation between adults and players gives our kids confidence to speak up in a case where they need to walk near a player holding a bat.  Tell them to boldly alert that player that they are approaching.

When Is a Player Allowed to Swing a Bat?

There are only two instances players can hold the bat by the handle (making it possible to swing):   

1. When standing at a spot that is designated by a coach/adult for working on the swing i.e. whiffle ball batting, batting tee, soft toss, etc. 

2. When standing at home plate during batting practice, a scrimmage, or a game 

When they are walking to and from home plate, a practice area, and any other time they are in possession of a bat, they are required to carry the bat by the barrel.

Simply laying these rules out does not guarantee the kids’ safety.  Coaches and adults involved with a baseball or softball activity must take a hawkish approach to enforcing these rules all day, every day, all season.  We should only see kids holding a bat by the handle when they are getting ready to hit a pitched/tossed ball or when standing at a tee.  Any other time we see our kids around the ball field they either do not have a bat in their hands or a carrying the bat by the barrel.

How Does This Happen?

The incident (shown in the video) involving of Ryan Braun and Jean Segura never should have happened.  There is an on-deck circle for a reason; it is a designated safe place to take warm up swings.  Players and coaches know to be careful when walking near the on-deck circle and to walk wide of the that area when passing. 

In this instance Braun was the third batter scheduled to hit and Segura was batting second.  Braun wanted to start getting loose early.  Like any advanced hitter will do, he stopped to watch the pitcher take his warm-up pitches.  (At higher levels of play batters do this to identify which pitches they are going to see and to identify if a pitcher is having difficulty locating a certain pitch.)

It is likely he fell deep into thought regarding his upcoming at-bat and lost sight of the fact that he was standing close to many of his teammates and coaches.  While this does not excuse him from responsibility, it is understandable that it can happen.  The inexcusable mistake he made was standing in a high traffic area with a bat in his hands.  He should have been out in the on-deck batting circle.  He is allowed to be there if the actual on-deck batter has not shown up.

Video of College Softball and MLB Batters

Watch how the batters hold the bat after striking out and as they head back to the dugout.  Examples of of how the pros, and college softball players, carry their bat when they are not batting.  The proper way to hold a bat, when not batting, is by the barrel.

FSU Pitcher Jessica Burroughs Strikes out 13 - Watch:     0:03     0:28     1:22     1:53

Matt Cain perfect game - Watch:     0:55     1:38     2:14     2:20

Four good examples in each video are noted by the time stamps.  Those of you who are fans of great pitching may enjoy watching an entire video. Jessica and Matt dominate!

Getting Buy-in from The Kids

Turning back to our kids; for these rules to be followed and for them to stick we must put ourselves in the minds and shoes of the kids. 

• First, young children still see the world almost exclusively through their own eyes.  They are the center of the universe and their immediate wants and desires can override common sense and rules.  

• Second, kids see the handle as being the only option for holding a bat (and holding can quickly turn into swinging). 

• Finally, children (and most adults) do not immediately change their habits the first time they are told. 

We must be diligent in helping them establish the habit of holding the bat by the barrel whenever they are away from a designated swinging area and carrying their bat. (We adults must also establish this same habit when we have a bat in our hands; kids take their cues from us.)

How do we motivate our kids to establish the safe habit of always holding the bat by the barrel when carrying it from place to place?  Let them know that is how the pros do it (and point this out to them); the pros are cool  : )

Many kids want to emulate the pros and most want to look cool.  When implementing this rule, we do so from an adult’s perspective to maintain a safe environment for the kids.  When we present it to the kids, while we make it clear it is for the sake of safety, we also point out that carrying the bat by the barrel is cool …it is what the Pros do.

Starting today, let us teach our kids how to be cool …and keep everyone safe.

Herding Cats …can the tee-ball experience be improved?

Baseball?   Hmmmmmm.....yes, there are bases, and the players are hitting the ball with a bat, but really, Tee-Ball is a bunch of kids in the park playing a different version of tag.

Sports, especially baseball, are very different when played by 4-6 year olds.  The soccer folks have figured this out; baseball has been slow to figure this out.   When was the last time we saw a youth soccer game comprised of 4-6 year olds that had two sides of eleven playing against each other?  No, they are playing 4 against four on an itty-bitty field.  Many youth baseball organizations continue to have teams of 12-14 kids, with all of them playing in the field together.

How much action are those six outfielders having?  What is the experience like for this young of a human when asked to sit still for 5-10 minutes waiting for a dozen teammates take their turn to bat?  We are fighting human nature to ask a 4-6 year old to sit and watch other kids play, but not be allowed to join in.

What is the logic in mimicking the game played by mature teens and adults and having teams of a dozen or more players and stashing half the team in the outfield where few balls are hit (at least early in the season)? 

Let’s give the idea of making Tee-Ball a game of 6 v 6 a chance; played with kids at the four infield positions, pitcher and catcher. l.

These over-sized rosters create additional problems on the offensive side of the game.  When we watch the game played at higher levels the players sit patiently on the bench waiting for their turn to bat.  We take the game to the Tee-Ball level with delusional thoughts that our little tykes can do the same.  Rosters of ten, twelve or more makes the players endure what is an agonizingly long wait, for a very young child, to get a chance to bat. 

Let’s re-evaluate our antiquated approach to how Tee-Ball is structured.  Could it be that the current structure has resulted in a significant number of players leaving the game, out of boredom, long before they had an opportunity to learn what baseball is all about?  Have we been losing the opportunity to fill more rosters at the higher levels within our leagues as a result of how the Tee-Ball level is currently operated?  

Cut Back the Number of Kids on a Team

Tee-Ball with six kids on a side makes a lot of sense.  Teams can be organized with seven on a roster, figuring that on many days we will lose one player to the sniffles, etc.  On days where all seven show up, the extra player can be placed in center field (which is about 10 feet behind second base).  The extra player, in this scenario, would only get stuck in the outfield one time per game, assuming we rotate defensive positions each inning.  

Almost all the game action is in the infield.  When a ball does make it to the outfield, our little infielders are more than eager to run after it.  These little bundles of energy are dying to run around.  Chasing the ball into the outfield is a major bonus for them.  

With fewer kids on the field, each player has a legitimate opportunity to participate in each play.   It also makes it easier for each to learn and gain a basic understanding of the game when each is playing an actual position, rather than standing among a mass of bodies.   Having a bunch of kids spread out in ultra-shallow outfield depth waiting to accost the infielders each time the ball is put into play is not an environment for learning.

More Reps and Limited ‘Dugout’ Chaos

When we make the change to six against six Tee-Ball, the kids learn more, have more fun and a higher percentage will return to play again next year.  The league administrators I have talked to over the years name increased retention as a top priority, if not the #1 goal, for their league.  Let’s look at a few ideas that can improve the Tee-Ball experience for the players (and the adults too).

1  -  Start each inning with runners on first and second base.  Why not?  This is not pro baseball; it’s not high school baseball; in fact it doesn’t closely resemble the game our 11-12 year olds play.   With two kids on base and a third player batting we are  left with only three little monsters to manage in the ‘dugout’.   In addition to limiting the number of kids in the dugout, by starting each inning with two players on base we are getting more kids involved in the game.  Those on the bases are gaining valuable game experience.

2  -  Kids love to hit the ball and run.  By cutting in half the number of kids on a team, we double the number of times each player gets to bat each game.  More chances to bat means more fun, excitement and anticipation on the part of the players.  Double batting opportunities increase skill development.  Greater skill development improves the experience and increases the desire to return and play baseball the following year.

3  -  Fewer kids on defense allows each player to handle the ball more often.  Confusion is decreased by eliminated unneeded bodies running around creating chaos.  In this new environment the opportunity for the kids to gain a better understanding of the game increases exponentially.

The Batter

A common scenario at the Tee-Ball level is the game being played by three kids: The batter, the pitcher and the first baseman.  This is a result of many players’ inability to hit the ball past the pitcher.  Below are a few simple strategies to improve batting.  When our batters put the ball in play on the first swing or two and most of the balls are hit beyond the pitcher, the game moves faster, more players are involved in each play and everyone has fun and learns the game.

Swing the bat with the legs  -  The power in a batting swing comes almost entirely from the legs.  Most children only use their arms to swing the bat.  his is the most important skill to teach in Tee-Ball.  This article explains teaching kids to use their legs to power their batting swing.  The article is for kids a few years older than Tee-Ballers.  Utilize the technical and teaching points; leave out references to a 'batting workout', 'checkpoints' etc.  That stuff is over the heads, attention span and interest of Tee-Ball age players.

Distance the Batter Stands from the Ball on the Tee  We want the batter to stand one bat length away from the tee stem.  Extend a bat from the tee stem to the batter’s hip (while they stand straight and tall).  .

Batter’s Box Design***  Make a perpendicular line on the ground across the batter’s boxes.  Use grass paint, line chalk, or anything you can come up with to make this line.  Set the batting tee so the stem is lined up directly over the top of the line.  Each batter places their front foot on the line when getting into their stance.  This creates the ideal relationship between their body and the ball at contact.  Note the relationship between the ball and the front foot in the pictures.  Cntact is generally made when the ball is even with the front foot, give or take a few inches.  (Also not that each is turning their legs to swing the bat.)

Incorporate (I will suggest mandate) the practice of utilizing this line across the batter’s box in all practices and games across your Tee-Ball program.This simple practice will make a greater impact on the quality of PLAY in your at the Tee-Ball level than any other single factor.

Positioning and Alignment of the Feet  The batter’s feet, at this stage of development, should be parallel with home plate.  Help the batter position their feet properly.  Point out to them that we want to be able to draw a straight line from the toes of their back foot to the toes of their front foot and have that line go straight out to the pitcher.  The feet need to be slightly outside than the width of the shoulders (not just ‘shoulder width apart’). 

Tell your Tee-Ball players to stand with their feet ‘wider than your knees’.  When they look down at their knees they should not see their feet directly below their knees.  Note: you will notice that most every child will prefer to stand with their feet close together.  This is because, at this stage of physical development, the legs don’t have the strength to comfortably stand with the feet wider apart.  The kids can develop a level of comfort standing this way, but it will require you to remind them (literally) over and over every day throughout the season.  It is important to stick to this constant instruction.  When the feet are wider apart, a batter is more balanced and is better able to utilize their leg strength, which is a critical factor in an effective swing.

These final points, along with standing the appropriate distance from the tee stem (#1) and correct positioning of the front foot (#2), will give our little sluggers the best possible chance for success.  Increased success on the part of the batter equates to more activity and participation for the kids on defense.

Hand Position and Grip  Hands should be held even with, or slightly above, shoulder level.  Both elbows need to be bent to some degree.  We want the top hand/wrist and bat to create a 90 degree angle.  This will put the barrel of the bat over the back shoulder producing the ‘classic’ bat position in the stance.  The bend in the elbows and wrist set the batter up to maximize their strength and whipping action when swinging. Note: kids who do not maintain the bend in the elbows and wrist as described are usually dealing with a strength issue and likely need a shorter bat.

Grip: Right handed batters have their right hand on top when holding the bat; left handed batters have left hand on top.  The hands need to be together; no gap between the hands.  As long as kids are relatively close to the prescribed grip and hand position, just let them work with hand position they come up with.I will address batting and the swing in a lot of detail as we move through the fall and winter.

But We Can’t Find Enough Coaches

Who coaches Tee-Ball?  Answer: regular parents from our neighborhood.  It is understood that not every parent can run a team because of conflicts with work and other prior commitments.   It is understood that there are some parents who have little interest in being involved beyond dropping their kids off and picking them up.  It is understood that some parents have multiple siblings and are juggling schedules.  However, there are parents who do have the time available to run a team.  And it should be clearly communicated to the other six sets of parents that they are invited, wanted and needed to participate in as many practices and games as possible. 

It is important to work towards the creation of a mindset and culture at the Tee-Ball level that we are all coaches.  Ideally, each player has a parent participating in each practice resulting in a 1:1 adult to player ratio.  (Before Tee-ball practices begin in 2014, the Baseball Positive Website will provide just the right amount of information to help any parent be an effective coach or helper parent for their child’s Tee-Ball team.)  We can establish rosters of seven per team and find a coach for each; the soccer folks have shown us it can be done.

Tee-Ball players are the future of every league.  Putting in the time and energy to create a Tee-Ball program where every player has a great experience is an investment that will strengthen every league, and the game as a whole, in years to come.  The path to the greatest success for Tee-Ball is playing the game with six players to a side.

Assign An Experienced Board Member as Tee-Ball Director

Tee-Ball has the largest number of participants in most leagues.  These players are the future of the organization and their parents will be the coaches at the league's higher levels in the coming years.  We want the Tee-Ball program to be well organized and head-ed up by a person with experience as an administrator for the league  It can be argued that the Tee-Ball Director holds the most important position in a youth baseball and softball organization.  

Recap of Key Points

1. Create teams of seven players

2. Eliminate the outfield positions on defense

3. Structure the batting environment for optimal success

4. Make the Tee-Ball program a top priority of each league

5. Every Tee-Ball parent is a coach

The Swing Zone …a mental approach for greater hitting success

This is the second of a 3-part series on helping kids with the metal side of hitting…

1. The Pitcher Is Your Servant

2. The Swing Zone

3. Batting Is Not Fair

Note: Part 2 assumes the kid(s) you are working with have a rudimentary understanding of their swing and/or demonstrated the ability to contact good pitches a high percentage of the time.  If the kid(s) you are working with do not possess these traits, you can still benefit from this article.  Keep in mind that some of the content beyond the section, ‘The Swing Zone’, may be too much to convey to player(s) early in the year.

……Part 1 and Part 3 of this series are applicable to all batters right from Day 1 of workouts/practices.

There are two parts to the information below…

The first section, ‘The Swing Zone’ is the point of this writing.  Second, the rest of the article addresses how kids go about swinging the bat during practice.

In most youth baseball and softball practice settings kids are developing poor habits by swinging at pitches outside the strike zone.  For the concept of The Swing Zone to be effective, kids need some discipline of where they are swinging and a belief their swing can strike the ball solidly a good amount of the time. 

There is a lot of information here for coaches.  The balancing act of a youth coach is giving kids enough information to help them (‘The Swing Zone’ section), while not overloading them with too much information (the rest of the article) …or loading them up with too much information at one time.  We start by giving them basic info, then in the ensuing days/weeks sprinkle in additional thoughts bit by bit.

The Swing Zone                                                          

We want to establish these three points with our young baseball and softball hitters:

1. The space to which a batter must swing is not big.  The pitcher is required to throw the ball through the strike zone, which is a small space (the strike zone for a kid, in their batting stance, is about the size of a 5-gallon bucket).

2. Contact is made with the ball when it is pretty much even with the front foot (contact point is described in the ‘Contact Zone’ section below).

3. We want them to only make swings to the contact area of the strike zone during practice. (see ‘Establish Good Swing Habits…’ below)

Focus on What You Can Control

Points #1 and #2 eliminate the mystery of where the batter will swing.  This alone relieves a huge mental burden.  Next, we talk to our players about which aspects of hitting against live pitching they have control over and which aspects they do not.

Athletes in all sports, at all levels, battle against thoughts of things they cannot control while in the competitive arena.  Younger athletes, with less playing experience, struggle with this even more.  We want to talk to our batters about the following two points, and communicate these points often during batting drills, batting practice, and games:

1. The batter does not have control of what type of pitch the pitcher will throw or where the ball will go.  We explain this to our players and teach them to not think about what might happen with the ball before it gets to where it can be struck by the bat - ‘The Contact Zone’.  (At the youth level, while some pitchers throw different types of pitches, few locate consistently in the strike zone.)  Regardless of what type of pitch is thrown, it has to be a strike before it is of any concern to the batter.  Thinking of what the ball might do, or where it might go disrupts the batter’s focus on executing a good swing.

2. A psychological burden kids place on themselves when batting is wondering if they will get on base.  We ask them if they have any control of what happens after they hit the ball.  The answer of course, is No.  We do not want a batter to think about what the result of an at-bat might be when standing in the batter’s box.

The only thing a young batter should be ‘thinking’ about is swinging to contact point. [Note: The verbal instruction we give our kids, for timing purposes, when they are working against live pitches, is “Let the ball get to your feet” (this ties in with Part 1 of this series: The Pitcher is Your Servant.  A batter makes the pitcher bring the ball to them; the batter makes the pitcher serve them the ball).  A large percentage of the time when kids swing and miss Good Pitches to Hit, is because they swing too early …to a large extent this is because of the anxiety and worry associated with thinking about results.]

Illustrating Our Point - When talking to our kids about what happens with the ball before and after contact, we get in a hitting stance holding a bat.  Then we take the barrel of bat to contact point, even with our front foot and hold it there.

This is where we want to hold the bat when talking to our kids.

A batter’s thoughts should be limited to the space between where the bat is held, and contact point …this is The Swing Zone.  Any thoughts outside The Swing Zone will more than likely get in the way of a batter making a good swing ……when a good pitch arrives.

Mental Approach to Batting:

1. Identify a hittable pitch (this is developed by following the points made in ‘Establishing Good Swing Habits…’ below)

2. Execute a good swing

3. Run as fast as possible to first base …or to second, or maybe even third 😊

A batter who consistently hits the ball hard, giving them the best possible chance to get on base, is one who keeps their thoughts in The Swing Zone.

Crazy, Wild Swings in Practice

It is a constant at most every park, parents and coaches throwing not such good pitches to kids for batting practice. The result is kids swinging wildly at balls that are unhittable or outside the strike zone.  How might these experiences, these habits being formed, impact kids’ ability to develop a good swing? …and negatively impact their approach to hitting in a game?

We want to eliminate the practice of kids swinging at bad pitches.  The process begins with understanding where the bat contacts the ball (when a pitch is a strike) - The Contact Zone.  Then we establish an environment where our players develop the habit of only making swings through The Contact Zone during their workouts/practices.

The Contact Zone

The contact zone is the space within the strike zone where a batter contacts a pitch.

As a rule of thumb, and for the sake of simplicity, we teach kids that the ball is contacted when it is even with the front foot. When referencing contact with the ball, on its path from the pitcher to the catcher, we talk about the ball in relationship to the batter in their stance.  This is ‘Phase 1’ of teaching contact point…   this is all that most novice youth hitters need early in the process of teaching the swing …and in the early years of their play.

===> From here, please skip to the next section, ‘Establish Good Swing Habits…’  If interested, come back and go through the rest of this section after finishing the article.

The info below is extra and more advanced…. It is not needed (initially) for the purposes of this writing.  Those of you who have coached a number of years and/or have played above the Youth Level (12u), might enjoy jumping into this info right away …but be sure to save teaching it until your kid(s) are ready 😊

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The point of contact in relationship to home plate (Phase 2 of teaching contact point) is the relationship of the ball across the width of the plate:

• Inside third

• Middle third

• Outside third

Pitches in the middle part of the plate are contacted when the ball is even with the front foot, give or take an inch or so.  When the ball is crossing the inside part of the plate it is contacted approximately 4”-6” before it reaches the front foot.  A pitch crossing the outside part of the plate is contacted approximately 4-6” after the ball passes the front foot (the point of contact on outside pitches can vary a bit more, player to player).

Note: The second year of the player pitch level is about the time kids are ready for this information.  It varies from kid to kid.  If a player Is consistently making solid contact with pitched balls, we can introduce them to this next phase of information earlier.  When working with younger kids (~7-9), this info is best introduced to the individual who is ready, not to the whole team. (see diagrams)

If this info is needed early on (you see kids getting jammed on inside pitches and or swinging too soon and missing outside pitches), we can reference this variation in contact point, but in simpler terms.  Instead of referencing distance (4”-6”), as mentioned below, we just say, “a bit” before or “a bit” past, the front foot.

[Note 2: When working with more experienced batters who have a solid grasp of The Contact Zone, we can present them with the concept of ‘Contact Point is Stationary’.  Looking at the diagrams and pictures, we see that the ball is pretty much contacted at the same spot, depending on its location across home plate. 

The batter is swinging at a stationary point in space, in relationship to their stance.  When a player develops discipline in swinging the bat (not changing their good swing to swing wildly at poor pitches) and can grasp the concept of ‘Contact Point is Stationary’, we relieve a lot of the complexity and pressure of hitting a moving pitch.]

[Note 3: Phase 3 of teaching contact point is the height of the pitch.  High pitches are closer to the batter’s hands, so are contacted sooner (same as an Inside pitch is closer to a batter’s hands).  Low pitches are further from the batter’s hands, so are contacted later (same as an outside pitch is further from a batter’s hands). 

This third phase of teaching contact point is better left for the teen years.  …fact is, many kids playing at the high school level and above have not been taught that contact point changes with the height of a pitch. 

The important thing to keep in mind, we want to be careful about how much, and how soon, we feed information to our kids.  It is better to give them a bit less information (and allow experience and instinct to fill the gaps) than to give them too much information …risking ‘paralysis by analysis’.

Establish Good Swing Habits

When addressing the mental approach to the swing itself, to be most effective, we first eliminate the circumstance of players swinging wildly at pitches all over the place during practice.  How can we expect players who ‘swing at everything’ to suddenly change that bad habit in a game?  Consider a kid who has never made their bed… then asking them one morning to turn around and do it now?  Is the lack of a habit and knowledge going to suddenly disappear and be replaced by the discipline and skill to make their bed correctly?

We illustrate to our hitters where the strike zone is (5-galong bucket), demonstrate where the ball is contacted (‘Contact Zone’), and instruct them to only swing to the contact zone in practice, even if it means they will swing and miss some pitches while practicing……

We explain that we coaches/parents, when throwing to them, will throw a fair number of poor pitches***.  When our players see poor pitches out of the strike zone, we do not want them trying to hit those pitches.  We still do want them to swing.  We educate that when a batter makes good swings through The Contact Zone, they will miss those bad pitches.  This is a good thing!! ……for two reasons:

1. Practicing a good swing every time (rather than letting bad pitches go by and doing nothing) leads to improving swing skills more quickly.  It also establishes the habit of making consistently good swings for the rest of their playing days.  (watch the video ‘…MLB ESPN’ in the final section of this article)

2. They learn what unhittable pitches look like.  The more they [make a good swing through The Contact Zone and] miss poor pitches in practice, the better they get at recognizing which pitches they cannot hit and not swing at in a game.

When a player makes a swing trying to hit poor pitch, they are teaching their muscles incorrect swing actions.  (In order to reach a poorly located pitch, a batter is forced to use poor swing mechanics.)  They are also perpetuating a bad habit that will invariably carry over to games.

Making good swings, resulting in missing poor pitches, is a perspective and philosophy that you likely have not heard.  It does not have to be adopted; it can be modified.   However, give it some time to digest, and process it a bit in your thoughts. 

Mechanics for Delivering the Ball in Kids’ Batting Practice

Pitching a Baseball: watch the first video, 2:55-3:25. The second video, 0:45-1:05. shows pitching to kids using wiffle balls. The technique is the same. It gives another angle to watch the throwing action. Also shows the set-up for wiffle ball batting.

Pitching a Softball: watch the second video, 1:20-2:05.

(The technique shown can be used for delivering a baseball underhand for batting Ppactice (Front Toss). The underhand toss technique provides more accuracy on a consistent basis. …consider the fact that MLB players often use an underhand toss in games; part of the reason is greater accuracy.

Regardless of experience, every batting practice pitcher throws their share of poor pitches.  The third video shows a dad pitching to his son during his league’s annual Home Run Derby.  The ball is difficult to see. Instead, watch where the batter swings. 

The first two pitches are good (and are hit well).  The third one is too far inside; then they just get worse.  But the Dad is trying; and I am confident this is a dad who has thrown batting practice more than a few times in the past.  Pitching strikes consistently is not an easy thing to do.

***With some practice we can develop good pitching skills.  While we are practicing, and improving, we are playing with our kids, so its Win-Win. 

More Strikes for Our Kids During Practice

The section above suggests that we need to give our kids better pitches to hit in practice.  Below are examples of how this is accomplished.  Step one is establishing in our minds what the objective is in Batting Practice.  I will suggest that we want our kids to make as many good swings as possible. There are other ways that hitters work on their swings than against live pitching.  The fact is, for players learning how to swing the bat well (most kids), live batting practice is a small part of their swing practice; maybe only 10%-20%.

Other approaches to batting practice (swing practice), which provide players a higher percentage of good pitches to hit:

• Tee Work (100% strikes/great pitches to hit 😊)

• Soft Toss

• Short Front Toss

• Wiffle Ball Batting Practice (pitches delivered from 15’-18’)

• Short Distance Live Pitching (same as pro players before games)

All of these techniques are covered in the Batting Practice link in the previous paragraph.

Batter’s Mindset for Every Pitch

Successful batters stand in the batter’s box expecting to swing - YES!

They anticipate that each pitch will be right down the middle, belt high; a great pitch for them to crush.  Their mindset, as the pitcher starts their delivery, is: “YES! I am going to swing”.  

The expectation of a perfect pitch to hit remains heightened with the ball approaching the plate as they load up and get physically prepared to execute a swing, “YES, YES, YES…” Only at the very last moment, if they see the pitch is not going to be a good one to hit, does their thinking change to ‘no’, don’t swing.

Working with young hitters, our objective is to ingrain their habit of thought, and physical preparation for every pitch, to be: “YES! YES! YES! …..no”. 

This is the mindset and approach we want them to have on every ball pitched to them, be it in batting practice, a game, or wiffle ball in the backyard…

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Short Front Toss Video - MLB ESPN

(This video features Billy Ripken, Jim Thome and Sean Casey)

Look at how they have the protective screen set up in the video.  If there is a screen at your park (most don’t have one available) my recommendation is to turn the screen around and toss from the ‘tall side’ from only 10-12 feet away.  If you can toss level and firm underhand, you will likely find your accuracy is better.  ===> if your park doesn’t have a screen, use a garbage can (see below), or something similar in size

Set the screen/protective barrier so it’s edge is 12” outside of home plate.  This puts the arm, when delivering pitches, pretty much in front of home plate.  Also, by having the screen (or garbage can) a bit off to the side of home plate, it allows more balls hit to the center of the field to get through.  Kids like to see where the ball goes, and it provides more balls for kids in the field, working on their defensive skills, to make plays on.

SHORT FRONT TOSS

Watch 4:15-4:40 This is a common approach to Batting Practice at the highest levels (the exception is right before games).  The reason is, from a shorter distance, pitches are more accurate.  Batters need accurate pitches to get good work on their swings.

Note: at 4:18-4:19 the batter pops up the pitch up/fouls it off.  The comment is made “that was up and away”.  This is a major league All-Star who doesn’t hit this pitch very well.  It is a pitch that we might view as not being bad.  It illustrates the point made in the ‘Crazy Wild Swings In Practice’ section of this article, these guys constantly practice swinging to the good spots within The Contact Zone.  When a pitch is not in The Contact Zone …they don’t always hit the ball well.

Watch 8:00-8:35 …the ball is being crushed.  Yes, this is a former MLB All-Star, but notice that the pitches are good ones to hit.

Note: at 8:29-8:32 …he doesn’t hit the ball well.  Listen to their comments “…Nasty…” (meaning a tough pitch location to hit the ball well).  But to you and I that pitch looked like it was pretty darn good (relative to what our kids get from us throwing full distance in the park 😉).   Again, the point is that he has trained his swing to good spots in The Contact Zone.  Then the next pitch, at 8:35, which is a good pitch, gets hit well.

Garbage Can as a Screen

If we don’t have a screen, we can use a garbage can instead (I use garbage cans all the time when working at a local park; most parks do not have screens), or similar size barrier.

Notice in the video that the BP Pitcher is sitting down (or you can get on a knee… …getting lower to the ground is important at our level of play because the kids are short and need the ball to come to them at a realistic angle).  When we are sitting or kneeling behind a garbage can our head is still a bit above the point where we are protected.

After we deliver the ball, we duck our head down.  We aren’t able to watch the swing, or the ball being hit, but more importantly we are delivering better and more accurate pitches for the kids to hit.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Check and make sure the top of the can is firmly secured to the body of the can.  We do not want it to easily fall off if we bump it by mistake, or if a batter hits the ball hard against the top part.  Always prepare in advance to provide a Safe environment for adults too.

Saviors Of The Game .….parent helpers

Most Practices Are Slow And Boring For The Players

How do we make youth baseball and softball practices more productive and fun?  The first question is: ‘Why are practices not productive and fun? Many would agree that a major reason is logistics; the time required to set up each drill, to transition between drills and breakdowns in the flow the current drill we are running.  Planning can be partially attributed to these concerns.  But a real factor is we are dealing with kids.  Yes, it is true, young people do not always follow directions perfectly, and they can legitimately misunderstand instructions.  In the drills themselves, kids make physical mistakes that slow and delay the drill activities. 

The good news is we can overcome these factors that make practices less productive.  We can create practice environments that are more action packed.  Practices that have our kids more active are more fun.

Parent Helpers Are The Solution

We want to find a way to get our drills set up and started quicker, to run more smoothly and for the transition between drills and other practice activities to be more efficient.  Holding practices that minimize standing around and maximize playing is paramount to the future health of the game. Getting more adults involved in practices is a simple solution to the epidemic of non-productive and boring practices. We have an incredible, but mostly untapped, resource that can make practices more active, productive and fun for the kids. That resource is the parents of our players.

Initially this concept may meet with some resistance from both sides of the equation. Coaches want to be sure their teaching message remains consistent and clear, while many parents feel they don’t know enough to be helpful.

Activities for Parent Helpers

Traffic Cop. This is the simplest and most valuable role for a parent helper. Have a couple of parents hanging out behind the kids when we are giving instructions for the next activity. During drills we have a parent standing with the kids who are not involved in the current drill repetition. These parents have one job - Kid Logistics.

Major time wasters in practice, related to drill work, are coaches……

• having to get kids organized and paying attention before a drill can begin

• getting kids into position to run the next drill rep (“stand at the cone, not kinda by the cone”)

• having to stop and address kids who are not involved in the current drill rep …when those kids are getting in the way of, and distracting, the kids trying to do the drill

• hollering at kids to get in and out of the drill quickly; so the activity can maintain a good pace and flow

• having to re-explain things to kids who, when not involved in the drill rep, were not paying attention to instruction

Think of your past experience during practices. If the players would pay attention and follow directions (regarding logistics) we would get so much more done. The kids would develop their skills quicker and better (by getting more reps), and would have more fun (more action, being the definition of fun).

Over the past dozen years I have run on-field training programs for leagues and helped teams run more productive practices. Prior to each activity, I communicate to the league, coaches and parents that I ‘would really love it if the parents would attend, hang out and watch what is being taught’.

Prior to getting started with a clinic I’ give the coaches and kids a brief overview of what we’ll be doing. This is done just inside the perimeter fence of the field. But before starting, I holler for the parents to come over and listen in, so they also know what will be going on. Then, just before we break out to get to work, I state to the parents……

“Hey I could really use your help. We want the kids to get the most out of this clinic; we want them to learn as much as possible. Please come on the field; we could use 5 or 6 of you. We need for you to play traffic cop for us coaches. We’ll have you standing behind the drills. You will keep the kids who are not involved in a drill rep, far enough back so to not distract the other kids. After a drill rep is over, you send the next kids in and holler at the others to quickly get out of the way. You listen to the instructions I give to the kids, of where they need to be to start a drill and where we need them to go when transitioning to a new drill. The instructions will be very clear and simple; they are presented so the kids can understand them. With you are out here helping manage the kids, it allows me and the other coaches to spend more time coaching ……teaching your kids ……helping your kids get better!”

This resonates with the parents; they get it. Most have watched enough youth sports practices and activities to understand the truth of what I have just talked about. Coaches often spend a big chunk of practice time organizing the kids, and not a lot of time coaching them. I have never had a problem, after making this brief presentation to the parents, in getting plenty of volunteers out on the field to help out.

For the record, I have found that its usually the moms that do the best job ……yes! its the women who have balls enough, and applicable skills, to keep the kids in line and following directions. Sorry dads, facts are facts. ;)

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Getting Parents Involved IN the Drills ……No Way!? ……Yes Way! :)

Let’s start by establishing an honest perspective of the activity we are involved in; 12u is not high level baseball and softball (as much as we might want to believe it is ;) ). Intricate and detailed teaching is not required for our kids to develop skills and learn the concepts needed for them to succeed. Parent Assistants do not need much softball or baseball knowledge to be helpful on the practice field. The only requirement is a willingness to jump in and participate.

Many will do so when they receive a sincere and enthusiastic invitation from the head coach. Many of us resist asking parents in to help in fear that we will be ‘found out’ – we don’t want to them to learn that we don’t know everything. For those of us with limited experience, our credibility is not in danger if we tell the other parents up front, I not a grizzled coaching veteran, I’ve volunteered and made a time commitment to run the team.

Credibility can be a greater concern for those of us who do have a fair level of baseball or softball knowledge. We tend to put too much pressure on ourselves to prove we are good coaches. Keep in mind that most parents are just regular folks with limited experience in the game. The parents that do choose to participate will be appreciative that we made the commitment to invest so much time in their kids.

Having parents on the field helping with drills does not degrade our authority or our position as the leader. Parent helpers are assigned to ‘basic commodity’ activities. The more complex teaching areas such as rundowns, relays, batting, pitching etc. remain under our direction. The key is to utilize parents to help run activities where mass repetition is the primary need. Also, there are many non-teaching activities to which they can be assigned (some examples mentioned above) that help a practice run more efficiently.

If you are a coach who is not comfortable with the idea of a parent getting involved directly in drills or you have a good staff of assistants in place, I respect that; I’ve have worked with hundreds of coaching staffs made up of great instructors, and which were large enough that they did not need additional bodies to keep all the kids busy. However, it doesn’t mean that having a couple of parent helpers on the field could not be beneficial. Some examples of how they can help your practices be more productive……

Backing-up Throws During Playing Catch Practice (warm-up) and During Drills. We want to maximize each minute in practice by having kids constantly active and working on skill development. Time spent chasing after poor or misplayed throws cost kids many precious skill-building reps every practice. Kids age twelve and under, and especially those age 10 and under, miss a lot of throws every practice. Incorporate a couple of parent helpers whose primary (or only) job is to position themselves behind any area of a drill where a ball getting past a player will take away from the flow of the activity. Those helpers carry 3-4 balls with them. When a ball gets past a player, the parent helper immediately gets a new ball in the player’s hands. The activity keeps moving with minimal delay. Those helpers retrieve the balls; the kids keep working and improving.

Catching Throws. There are many activities that run much more efficiently when there is an extra person available to catch throws. This can be at a base or assisting next to a coach who is running a drill. Having an extra adult available to catch throws relieves a coach from focusing on ball management, freeing them up the coach the kids! This also keeps the drill moving more efficiently. Important Note: parent helpers will miss some of the throws. The same rule applies to them, in this situation, as applies to the kids - they are not allowed to chase overthrows! We have a bucket full of balls; we have plenty. You (parent helper) can collect the overthrown balls ;) after the drill is over and the coach is talking to the kids (including your kid) about getting better.

Shagging Balls During Batting Practice. One of the biggest time wasters in youth baseball and softball (and a circumstance that greatly retards skill development in young players) is shagging balls Batting Practice. We want our kids working at a position and playing balls off the bat like they are in a game. When a ball is hit to an area of the field that the kids playing a defensive position can’t get to, we have them ignore those balls and get back to working on their skills. Those balls at are collected by a parent helper. There will be a few strays; those the kids grab as they rotate between the three ‘stations’ we have for Batting Practice (click the Batting Practice link to learn the three stations).

The idea that position players shag balls during batting practice is a misnomer. At the college and pro levels, position players do not shag. They spend their time playing balls off the bat and and having coaches hit ground balls and fly balls to them. It is the pitching staff that does the lion’s share of shagging. ……If you are fortunate to live where you can attend a Major League Game (or go out to watch your local college team), get to the park early to watch batting practice. The players shagging are the pitchers. At our level of play we don’t have team rosters of 25+ players with a group that only pitches, so we need our parent helpers to fill that role.

Throwing Ground Balls and Fly Balls During Batting Practice   Yes, you read that correctly: throwing ground balls and fly balls.  When throwing a ground ball or fly ball, accuracy is significantly higher than when using a bat.  There are no fouls, shanks or swings and misses when tossing the ball. Between batters and during any lulls in live balls being hit by the batter, a parent helper throws ground balls to infielders.  Another helper stands behind second base and tosses fly balls to an outfielder during stoppages (stay alert of the live batter!). 

Ground balls from a distance of more than 40’-50 can be thrown overhand; fly balls are mostly delivered underhand (see, in the link above, the video of Dodgers players in Spring Training). Underhand is often more accurate and easier on older muscles and joints. Fly ball tosses only need to travel about 30-40 feet and don’t need to be (shouldn’t be) higher than about 15 feet.

The objective when delivering ground balls and fly balls is to give players a high percentage of accurate, catchable balls (not so high and not so fast!!). Rarely will you find, at the college and pro levels, coaches ‘challenging’ players in fielding drills (the challenging balls are the ones coming live off the bat of the hitter in batting practice). The objective of fielding practice is for players to develop rhythm, timing, footwork and to get a lot of quality reps. We want them repeating the same actions over and over to develop muscle memory in their fielding actions.

Video of a highly efficient fielding workout

All balls are thrown by the coaches: watch for 10 seconds at each of the following time points: 2:25, 2:40, 5:00, 5:30, 6:45

More Productive Batting Practice

We must do everything we can to structure batting practice, so that all twelve kids are constantly participating in skill building activities.

Keeping Kids Focused on Their Skill Work During BP.  A well-structured batting practice is a “12 Player Drill”. Players in the Offense Group who are not hitting live at home plate are involved in the following activities: hitting balls off a tee while on deck or practicing base running skills by reacting to balls off the bat. Kids in the Defense Group are playing balls off the bat. The third group of players work at the Skills Station in the right corner. Here they are hitting wiffle balls pitched to them (off a knee from 15’) by a coach/parent. Other kids in this group work on pitching and/or catcher skills.

These activities do not take place simply by telling the kids to do them; it requires supervision and constant re-direction to keep them focused on their assigned activity. A few strategically positioned parents with simple, but specific instructions can greatly increase skill building productivity during batting practice.

……and I want to be clear, this ‘Drill’ doesn’t magically run smoothly the first day (or the 2nd, 3rd or 4th). It takes going through it a few times for kids to grasp the concept that ‘batting practice’ is a time where all the players are working on their skills. Then it takes a few more days for everyone to get a feel for the flow. If we stick too it, and recognize it will take 5-6 practices for things to fall into place, we can create a beautiful scene of 12 kids who are active, learning and getting better during ‘batting practice’.

Parents Help Run Simple Drills

There are many basic dill activities where the primary objective is repetition moreso than in-depth instruction. These are drills that have the players working on skills for which they have already received coaching …and will receive more coaching in these skills later in that practice or in a subsequent practice.

When working with kids in these basic skill activities it is important for parents (and coaches) to understand they want to perform only the basic task assigned to them. They will be surprised to learn that most practice activities are not complicated. Explain that the kids will make mistakes, but to not be concerned; keep the drill moving. Repetition is the goal in when doing these activities. it is important to be clear that, when running these drills, the parent helpers should not do or say more than what you ask. Usually there is a single focus point for a given drill in this circumstance. The only communication with the players is regarding this single point.

Don’t be overly concerned if parents don’t do things exactly right. Keep giving them pointers throughout the year based on your observations. They will learn, improve and become more valuable over time. Keep in mind that the kids will not be scarred for life if an activity doesn’t run perfectly on occasion.

Return on Investment

Getting parents involved and prepped will take some extra time and effort during the first few weeks of practices. Investing the time and effort early, will pay dividends in skill development and the level of fun had by the kids over the course of the season.

Mental Approach To Hitting - The Pitcher Is Your Servant …establishing a positive mindset when stepping into the batter’s box

This is the first in a 3-part series on establishing confidence in young hitters through a positive mental approach:  

• Part 1:   The Pitcher Is Your Servant …establishing a positive mindset when stepping into the batter’s box

• Part 2:   The Swing Zone …mental approach for greater hitting success

• Part 3:   Batting Is Not Fair …a positive perspective on hitting results

What Are They Thinking?

What goes through the head of a kid when they are standing in the batter’s box?  Common thoughts: “I hope I get on base”, “I don’t want to get hit by the ball”, “I hope I don’t strike out”. 

Their view of the pitcher’s role in the game is also part of their thinking.  Most kids perceive the pitcher as their opponent, ‘a person who is trying to get them out’.  Is this perspective correct?  Where does this thought originate?

When describing the most fundamental aspect of the game: pitcher delivering the ball and batter trying to hit it, most folks describe this as a Pitcher vs. Batter Competition (myself included).  However, at the youth level of play (and to some extent, at higher levels) it can be argued that this is not a good description of the situation. 

Let’s give this some deeper consideration.  I will suggest that we do not want our young batters to have this ill-conceived notion of what it means to face a pitcher in a game.

Pressure Is On The Pitcher

We want to help our kids to be as confident as possible when going up to bat in a game.  We accomplish this by giving our young hitters a dose of the facts about the game.  In the pre-season when working with our own child, or when talking to our team during the first practices of the year, we educate them on the challenge the pitcher faces in a game. 

The points below clarify the circumstances, establish a new perspective in our batters’ minds, and will raise their confidence when stepping in against live pitching: 

1. The strike zone is a small space relative to all the other places the ball could go.  The average kid in their batting stance, presents a strike zone that is about the size of a 5-gallon bucket.  We explain this fact to our kids and illustrate it by holding a bucket up for them to see. “This is the size of the strike zone; it is not big.  When pitching to you in a game and trying to hit this …the pressure is on the pitcher”.

2. The batter knows where they are going to swing before each pitch is thrown.  The physical aspect of batting is enough of a challenge as it is; why have a batter carry an unnecessary mental burden into the batter’s box?  Using the 5-gallon bucket again, remind the kids the size of the strike zone.  Point out the fact that the rules say, for them to be required to swing, the ball must come through that little space.  Before the pitch is thrown, they already know where they are going to swing …How cool is that?!!

3. The pitcher is required to throw the ball through the strike zone.  This sounds overly simplistic and obvious (to us).  …But is it?  We are educating our kids that they have the advantage when facing live pitching in a game.  Fact is, the rules of the game state that the pitcher must bring the ball to a spot where the batter can really smack it! If the pitcher misses this small space four times, the fact is they allow the batter to advance one-fourth of the way to scoring a run …the pressure is on the pitcher.

We educate our batters that they know, before each pitch is thrown, where they will be swinging the bat. We constantly remind them that the pitcher must serve the ball up to them.  And we train our batters to aggressively attack every pitch located in the small space where the rules require the pitcher to throw the ball.

A major factor in achieving this final point is to present our batters with a high percentage of good balls to hit during practices …and not ask them to swing at bad pitches …and preach to them, to only swing at good (or close) pitches in practice.  We accomplish this by rethinking what ‘batting practice’ means. 

There are many ways to ‘pitch’ batting practice other than us coaches throwing a bunch of cruddy pitches from full distance (college and pro teams don’t; why do we?).  Below are examples of other ways our kids work on hitting during practice. These are points are detailed in Batting Practice: A 12-Player Drill.

• Live batting practice with the coach pitching from a short distance, off a knee (more accurate)

• Live wiffle ball batting (from a short distance with the coach pitching off a knee)

• Short front toss

• Soft toss

• Tee Work (balls on a tee are strikes/good pitches to hit 100% of the time)

[NOTE 1: Yes, some pitches on the edges of the strike zone are not easy to hit well.  However, a good percentage of strikes travel through the meat of the strike zone.  This is true even with pro pitchers; it is especially true with kid pitchers.

NOTE 2: It is understood that umpires of kids’ games call a fair number poor pitches, strikes.  We acknowledge this in our discussions.  We also point out that a fair number of good pitches are called balls; umpires make mistakes both ways.  With that, we have eliminated any need to dwell on negatives.  We will choose to focus on the positives covered above, which we as parents and coaches will continually drill into our batter’s heads.  Beginning in pre-season, and throughout the season, we reiterate the facts above every time we work with our kids on hitting.]

The Pitcher Is Your Servant

We wrap up our educational and factual talk by pointing out, “The pitcher has to throw a strike; the pitcher has to bring the ball to you… …The Pitcher is Your Servant!!”.  “Kids, our mindset is, ‘Hey Pitcher! bring that ball to me.  You need to throw it right here (move your hand on a circular motion in front of you, illustrating the five-gallon bucket sized space that makes up the strike zone).  And if you do not bring that ball to me, I do not have to swing.  If you don’t bring that ball to me; I go to first base for Free…. so c’mon, Serve it up!’ ”.

The pitcher’s role is to throw the ball through that small space the rules require of them.  The role of the pitcher is to Serve the Ball to the Batter.  The pitcher-batter aspect of the game is ‘All About the Batter’. 

We want to preach this to our kids over and over until they recognize its truth, embrace this reality, and hunger for each opportunity.

Note: This article is about building up our batters’ confidence, possibly at the expense of their mindset when we work with the same group of kids on their mental approach for when they are pitching.  This concern is addressed in Batting Mental, Part 3 of 3: ‘Batting Is Not Fair’.

Verbalizing These Facts Solidifies Them

When giving this information our kids, because we know these facts can empower them as hitters, we present each point with conviction.  We use an enthusiastic tone of voice.  We delay our speech between each point to allow each beautiful reality sink in.

The key piece for engraining this positive mindset in our players, is for the kids themselves to verbalize the facts we have shared with them.  Often coach-player communication is the adult lecturing the kids. The exercise of them just listening, while obediently nodding their heads, has limited effectiveness.  Players need to speak the words and hear themselves saying them.

After these moments of enlightenment, we ask the kids to tell us the three facts we have just shared with them.  The first day it may take some prodding to get them to speak up.  Stay on them.  Soon they will become comfortable speaking these facts with confidence. 

Repeat this exercise the first few days of your batting work; then periodically throughout the winter training period, pre-season, and regular season. 

Batter’s Mindset for Every Pitch

Successful batters stand in the batter’s box expecting to swing - YES!

They anticipate that each pitch will be right down the middle, belt high; a great pitch for them to crush.  Their mindset, as the pitcher starts their delivery, is: “YES! I am going to swing”.  

The expectation of a perfect pitch to hit remains heightened with the ball approaching the plate as they load up and get physically prepared to execute a swing, “YES, YES, YES…” Only at the very last moment, if they see the pitch is not going to be a good one to hit, does their thinking change to ‘no’, don’t swing.

Working with young hitters, our objective is to ingrain their habit of thought, and physical preparation for every pitch, to be: “YES! YES! YES! …..no”. 

This is the mindset and approach we want them to have on every ball pitched to them, be it in batting practice, a game, or wiffle ball in the backyard…

Online Batting Classes …begin tuesday february 2

Baseball Positive has run indoor group batting classes^ each winter for the past decade.  These are now available online. The program consists of four, 1-hour lessons; cost is $107. Click the ‘Online Lessons’ tab above for complete details. 

Highlights of how this online batting program is a great value and produces better and faster results than other online options:

• Program Notes: preview and follow-up info for each lesson: key points for mastery; pictures & video to support all instruction

• Individual Feedback each week, including areas of focus for improvement

• Drills and Workout Plan for days between lessons

• Comprehensive Instruction Guide provided at the conclusion of the class^.

^This program is called a “Class” because of its academic type structure: Kids attend ‘class’ for their weekly lesson and are ‘tested’. ‘Homework’ is assigned between lessons. Kids then ‘study’ the visual materials provided and practice to develop their skills by following the drill and swing workout assignments.

Wild Pitch / Passed Ball With A Runner On Third …this quick and easy drill saves runs

Common in youth baseball and softball is a pitched ball getting past the catcher.  This is especially a concern with a runner on third base. At the youth level of play we see quite a few runs scored as a result of wild pitches and passed balls. Three common reasons for allowing the runner to score, which we can fix through teaching and practice, are:

1. Pitcher doesn’t cover home plate

2. Catcher can’t find the ball

3. Pitcher and Catcher do not execute Throw & Catch

The Wild Pitch / Passed Ball Communication Drill trains your players to successfully execute in this situation.

Incorporate This Situation Into Practices

Kid pitchers often fail to cover home plate when the ball gets away from the catcher.  The reason why is simple; they haven’t been drilled to make it a habit.  At the bottom of the page is a drill diagram and description of a simple drill to train our kids how to respond.  The good news is the drill only takes five minutes; it can easily be incorporated into our practices.  Once the kids have gone through the drill 2-3 days, and it is familiar to them, it can be plugged into our daily Skill Building Warm-up aspect of practice.

The primary issue with many less common circumstances at the youth level of play is that kids don’t respond.  Not because they don’t have the capability, but because they were never exposed to the situation and put through the needed repetitions to gain an understanding of the situation. 

In many cases, like with a wild pitch or passed ball, investing 5-10 minutes during a few practices is all that is needed for them to be prepared.  And we can still get our kids the fielding, batting, pitching and base running practice they need to be sharp and ready to perform in games.

The Baseball Positive website exists for the purpose of helping coaches Plan Practices, train kids on their Defensive Responsibilities, and which Drills are most effective for skill development. There is also information and drills for preparing players to respond to game common game situations, so to limit our opponents advancing on the base paths and their run totals.

Practice Planning Beyond Core Fundamentals

Commonly, youth practice time is dominated by, or exclusively dedicated to, Playing Catch, Batting Practice, Fielding Drills, and Pitching Practice.  Base Running, and other Team Drill Work find their way into practices from time to time.  Often left out of a given practice or, with many teams, not addressed at all over a season is teaching and drill work addressing ‘How to Play the Game’, Defensive Responsibilities, and situations such as Wild Pitch/Passed Ball Communication.      

As coaches, we can overcome the tendency of leaving out these other aspects of the game, by creating a simple Practice Planning Template, that designates time for teaching and drilling beyond the core fundamentals in the Team Drills segment..

Teaching the Game

Possibly the number one reason a runner on third base scores on a wild pitch or passed ball is home plate being left uncovered.  This is the responsibility of the pitcher.  Get into the head of most youth baseball and softball pitchers to find out what they think of as their role on the field, many have a list with one thing on it …Pitch.

At the top of each page on the Baseball Positive website is the phrase, “Baseball is a Game of Movement”.  The message is, we want to educate our kids that each game situation requires each player to move to another spot on the field.  There are three responsibilities that might be required of a player in any given situation: 1) Move to go get the Ball, 2) Move to Cover a Base, 3) Move to Back-up a Base.

In the situation we are addressing, since the pitcher is not getting the ball, their responsibility becomes Cover the Base.  Establishing in the pitcher’s mind that they have this responsibility starts with teaching the game to the Team as a whole.  This begins during the first few days of Team practices.  Incorporating Ball, Base, Back-up into the process of teaching the game is covered on BP’s Defensive Responsibilities page.

Repetition Breeds Confidence

We recognize that youth baseball and softball players are in the early stages of developing their skills, which involves misplays.  We want to remain aware that pressure situations impact their performance as well.  Players at all levels, in all sports, experience pressure situations leading to mistakes.

Coaches are constantly working to develop their athlete’s ability to perform under pressure and to build confidence in their ability to perform.  Many interject motivational talks into their teaching.  These can have positive effects.  However, the most impactful way to build confidence, and to improve performance in pressure situations, is to drill our players.  Practicing and seeing themselves execute in drills involving these situations is the best way to build confidence.  Repetition, and experiencing success in drills representing a given situation, is almost always the best way for developing player confidence.

Come game time, when a pitcher and catcher find themselves in a situation with a runner on third base, and having practiced their response to a wild pitch or passed ball, each can approach their work in getting the batter our with less concern about the potential of the ball getting past the catcher.

Wild Pitch/Passed Ball Communication Drill

Below is the diagram for running the drill on a ball that gets away from the catcher on the first and third base sides.  Diagrams for balls behind the catcher and at the catcher’s feet are found on found Here. Included with the full set of drill diagrams is the following information:

• Time Required (for the deill) 

• Number of Players Involved 

• Objectives

• Set-up

• Running the Drill

• Teaching Points

• What Will Go Wrong

Improve Your Team’s Pitching And Defensive Performance …teach your catchers proper positioning in relationship to the batter

Would we like to increase the number of strikes our pitchers throw? …improve our pitchers’ confidence; reduce the number of past balls and wild pitches in a game; improve the quality and effectiveness of our Team Defense.

We can accomplish all these objectives by teaching our catchers to position themselves better in relationship to the batter’s stance.  Most youth catchers set up two, three, even four-plus feet behind the batter.  A catcher who is positioned properly, has their glove even with the back of the batter’s rear foot when presenting a target.

The picture to the right and in the first picture below, the proper relationship of the catcher to the batter is illustrated.  The other two pictures illustrate the distance commonly seen between a youth catcher and a batter.  …perhaps these look familiar?

Training a Catcher to Position Themselves Correctly

It is understandable that kids set up so far from the batter - they don’t want to get smacked by the bat.   Before we start working with a young catcher, we must see the situation from their perspective.  They are kids, relatively unfamiliar with the path of a swinging bat.  Most are in no hurry to experience unnecessary pain or injury; self-preservation is a pretty standard approach to life. 😊

Ideally you have two catchers to work with; one works at the catcher position while the other stands in as the batter.  If working with one catcher, you stand in as the batter.  (A helmet and mask are needed when taking kids through this training routine.)

One catcher gets in their stance a couple feet behind home plate.  Have them fully extend their glove arm. Make a perpendicular line across the batter’s box, even with the front of their glove, or make a mark on the ground where a batter will stand.  We want the catcher’s glove, when the arm is fully extended, even with the back edge of the batter’s rear foot.   

After establishing where we want the batter to stand, allow the catcher to stand up and rest for a moment.

Have the other player stand in as a batter (no bat). The catcher squats back down and confirms their relationship to the batter’s stance is correct.  Then they can rest their arms on their knees.  For 20-30 seconds, have the catcher take in this environment; looking up at the batter, looking at the batter’s stance and their feet. 

This is an exercise for catcher to gain a sense of how ‘close’ they set-up in relationship to the batter.

Next, ask the batter and catcher step back out of their stances.  The batter gets back into the box, but in a slightly different location, forward or back.  The catcher, who now has a sense of where to position themself in relationship with the batter, gets back in their stance.  Again, have them fully extend their glove arm to confirm they are the correct distance from the batter’s rear foot. 

Then have the catcher stand up and back away a couple steps.  The batter changes their position in the box, forward or back a few inches.  The catcher steps forward and gets back in their stance.  Repeat this a few times.  The catcher is learning to adjust the position of their stance based on where each new batter stands in the box. 

Switch up the players and repeat the routine.  Explaining to the kids, the catcher’s relationship to the batter, and running them both through this exercise can be accomplished in less than ten minutes.  

A Kid Catcher Needs to Feel Safe

Once your catcher(s) are familiar with setting up in the correct spot, it is time to demonstrate they are safe sitting that close to the batter. 

One of the kids puts on their helmet and mask standing 4-5 feet back from home plate.  You stand in the batter’s box holding the bat in a batter’s stance; the catcher walks-up, gets in their stance and confirms they are the proper distance from your rear foot.

Have them look up at you (and the bat) while you make a very slow swing.  Then make a another.  Before making these swings remind the catcher they have protection on and reassure them they are safe. 

On the second swing, stop when the barrel of the bat is a bit past the catcher’s head.  At this point we reach the critical moment in the training process… ask them to describe the relationship (distance) between the bat and their head.  Then ask them which direction the barrel of the bat will travel from that spot (“forward”, of course, will be their answer; forward away from their head).

The key to them gaining a clear understanding they are safe; is they verbalize this fact.  In effect they are explaining to their self, convincing themself, that they are safe when positioned in the correct relationship to the batter.

Positive Results of Correct Catcher Positioning

Increased Strike Calls

At all levels of play, the closer the catcher can receive a pitch in relationship to the batter, and the strike zone, the better chance those pitches are called strikes.

Note: The Strike Zone is defined as the space over home plate, which is between the batter’s armpits and the top of the knees.  The strike zone, in relation to home plate, remains the same regardless of where in the batter’s box the batter stands.

We want the umpire as close to the strike zone as possible.  Quality pitches caught closer to the strike zone have an increased chance of being called strikes.

Pitchers with Greater Confidence

When the catcher sets up too deep, the pitcher is forced to throw each pitch further than necessary.   A catcher positioned 2’-4’ closer to the pitcher makes a huge difference from the pitcher’s perspective, visually.  The closer the catcher is to the pitcher, the more confident the pitcher is going to feel on each pitch.

Older pitchers can deliver off-speed pitches (which travel on more of a downward plane) with less concern of the ball bouncing in front of the catcher (giving base runners the opportunity to advance). A significant factor in executing an off-speed pitch is throwing it with maximum confidence.

Additionally, when the catcher is too far behind the batter, a pitcher is forced to throw off-speed pitches on a higher plane, so the ball reaches the catcher.  Pitches that are higher in the zone, especially off-speed pitches, are easier for the batter to hit …and hit further.  

Fewer Past Balls and Wild Pitches

All pitches travel on a downward angle to the catcher.  The shorter the distance between the pitcher and catcher, the fewer balls in the dirt; we reduce the number of past balls and wild pitches. 

Reduced Arm Stress

The shorter distance a pitcher is required to throw the ball, the less stress on the arm.  A few extra feet per pitch, on a 50-60+ pitch outing, adds up to considerable unnecessary stress on a pitcher’s arm.  The same goes for the catcher throwing the ball back to the pitcher(s) over the course of a full game.

Improved Team Defense

The role of the catcher extends far beyond receiving pitches.   The catcher is an integral part of the team defensive unit; required to make throws to bases on bunted balls and balls tapped in front of home plate; when runners attempt to advance via a steal and on blocked pitches in the dirt.

The closer the catcher is to the field of play the quicker they can field balls, and they are closer to the bases when making throws.  Shorter throws are more accurate; getting to the ball quicker and throwing a shorter distance can make the difference between an out or safe call on bang-bang plays.

The catcher is the leader of the defense.  When not receiving pitches, we want the catcher in their ‘defensive position’, which is in front of home plate. It is from this point they communicate with the defense and run the game.  Developing the habit in our catchers of getting to their ‘defensive position’ the moment the ball is put into play usually requires a lot of reminding from a coach.  The closer the catcher sits to home plate, the quicker they will develop this important habit. 

In addition to leading the team, it is critical for the catcher to be in their ‘defensive position’ when making plays on runners attempting to score.

Make Catcher Instruction a Priority

At all levels of play, given the unique nature of this position, the catcher often gets lost in the shuffle of the many aspects of the game needed to be taught during practices.  Yes, I saw it at the highest levels of NCAA Division-I and as a professional player. 

We want to make a conscious commitment to ourselves, prior to the start of pre-season practices, to work with our catchers each day.  It begins with the simple step of adding “Catcher’s Work” to our Practice Planning.

Softball/Baseball: The Unique Culture Of The Game …down time on the bench brings out special personalities

Each coach has their own beliefs, value system and expectations of how they want their team to conduct themselves when at the park.  In my experience working under various coaches playing football and baseball in high school and college along with a brief stint in the minor leagues, I learned there is not a ‘type’ of approach to coaching that is the secret to success.  Those experiences taught me that successful coaches are those who are true to themselves and don’t try to copy others who have a different personality or approach.

John Wooden, the great coach of UCLA basketball in the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s was mild mannered and reserved.  Lou Piniella, arguably one of the best managers in modern baseball, was a fiery guy.  He screamed and yelled at umpires, threw bases and kicked dirt on home plate.  John Gruden, current head coach of the Raiders, who lead Tampa Bay to a Super Bowl victory in 2003, is known as a master of the X’s and O’s, for coming up with creative schemes to disrupt opponents, and being a bit eccentric.

Each had a different approach, but all had their successes.  Each lead their teams by embracing their own individuality. Our players quickly catch onto our being real or not.  Regardless of our abilities, they respect a coach who is true their nature.

While I am encouraging each coach who reads this to not deviate from their belief system and personality, I am suggesting that we recognize the structure of the game of softball and baseball is different that our county’s other popular sports: football, basketball and soccer (I’ll toss hockey in there too …I’m a huge fan 😊), which are battles over territory and are more or less non-stop.  Softball/Baseball is a different world.  When batting, most of the players are in the dugout, hanging out.  During this down time, players will socialize, and in this environment the unique personalities of our players are sure to come out.

In my experience coaching on the college level for eight years, my couple of decades as a player and as an observer of the sport, I believe that regardless of how we choose to run our teams, it is important to allow some amount of leash for personalities to come out. The video included in this post illustrates a coach permitting one of his players to be herself.  I have little doubt this gal’s quirky disposition contributes to the success of her team.  In a game that involves a lot of ‘failure’ and that can produce a high level of anxiety at times, having a player(s) on the club who keeps humor and a bit of lightheartedness in the team environment can play a positive role in helping all of their teammates to relax a bit and perform better.

I have fond memories of the joksters on teams I was a member of, and coached.  This gal is great, as is her coach’s response to her antics.  Enjoy watching! 😊

Runner Tagging From Third …who is the cut?

The Little League World Series.  When was that last played?  Seems like forever after having most of 2020 cancelled.  Thinking back to previous years’ broadcasts, they included profiles about individual kids and teams telling of their journeys to Williamsport.  There were the highlights of spectacular plays, stellar pitching performances and huge home run blasts.  These were fun to watch; to see life-long memories in the making for those kids.

Big moments aside, looking at the tournament as a whole, the games are still played by kids.  Each year has plenty of mistakes, miscues, and plays not executed correctly.  These are reminders that these talented kids are still learning a game that is difficult to master.  

(see the two drills further down in the article)

‘Lose’ Fewer Games

Each team in Williamsport overcame struggles along the road to the Little League World Series.  To progress far in any tournament, adversities are faced, and some luck is involved.  All teams benefit from mistakes made by their opponents along the way.  Consider this thought: in youth baseball and softball, more games are ‘lost’ then are ‘won’.  Teams at all levels of all sports advance to the end of a playoff or tournament with a combination of talent, skillful play, a bit of luck …and by limiting mistakes.

A Life Changing Play

In 2014 I was on hand to witness a play that possibly changed the lives of the kids and families of two hugely talented All-Star teams from the state of Washington.  One team went home at the end of the day, the other ended up in Williamsport.

It was the Washington State Championship Tournament. Pacific Little League from Edmonds, a suburb north of Seattle, against the Federal Way All-Stars, a team from a neighborhood south of Seattle.  Pacific made it to the championship game through the losers bracket, requiring them to beat Federal Way twice in order to advance to regional play.

Going into the fifth inning of the first game the teams were tied 1-1. The action featured great pitching and solid defense.  In the top of the frame Pacific had worked a runner to third base with one out.  The next batter lifted a fly ball to right field; deep enough for the runner to tag up.  Seeing a strong throw towards the plate the runner, who had taken off for home, stopped determining it was not worth the risk.

The throw tailed a few feet up the third base line.  The catcher did a nice job moving off the plate to get in front of the ball.   It took a tricky hop, bounced off the catcher’s chest and kicked away towards the third base dugout.  The base runner, remaining alert, dashed home with the go-ahead run.

Pacific held on to win the first contest 2-1.  In the second game, a demoralized Federal Way team struggled.  Pacific handily won 12-2; the game ending early because of the mercy rule.  Pacific won the regional and advanced to the Little League World Series with the honor of representing the Northwest Region.   

Can a Coach Be Too Smart?

The missing link on that play was no player in position to cut off the throw from the outfield.  Cut that throw off on the fly, the play ends; two out and the score still tied.   That would give the Federal Way Ace the chance to retire the final batter and get out of the inning unscathed.

The Federal Way team may have scratched out a run, won the State Championship, won the Regional (in Pacific’s place), and THOSE kids, coaches and parents may have enjoyed the once in a lifetime opportunity to travel to Williamsport and play in the Little League World Series.

But they will never know.

It can be argued, the Federal Way team was a ‘victim’ of having a coach who was ‘too knowledgeable’.  Watching their manager during the afternoon, it was clear this was a man with extensive baseball experience and knowledge.  Not just at the youth level, but at higher levels of play as well.  That expertise was the source of the defensive mistake made by the Federal Way kids.

The 60’ Game is Played Differently

The Federal Way team ran their cut-relay plays they way they are done on a 90’ diamond.  The 60’ game is played and coached differently than the game on the big diamond. In 90’ baseball the third baseman is the cut relay to home on balls hit to left field; the first baseman is the cut-relay on balls hit to center and right field.  It’s an either-or situation that the defensive players need to recognize, at game speed, and determine who is responsible to be the cut-relay player.  The pitcher’s responsibility on throws to home from the outfield, when playing on the big diamond, is to back-up home plate.

On the 60’ (& 70’) diamond the pitcher is always the cut-relay player to home regardless of which outfield position the ball is hit to.  This eliminates decision making, “Am I the cut or is it the other guy?”. The first and third basemen are always responsible for covering a base.  There is no decision making, no chance to forget one’s responsibility.

Why are the responsibilities different in 60’ baseball?  First and foremost is simplicity.  Regardless of where the ball is hit, each player’s responsibility remains the same.  In the game played on the larger diamond, most players have settled into one position.  Teams at that level tend to practice more, so players get more reps to master the responsibilities of their position.  Additionally, at higher levels, fewer players pitch and play other positions.

Kids playing on the smaller diamond are still moving around the field playing at quite a few spots.  The top 3-4 athletes usually play a prime defensive position when not pitching: shortstop, first base and/or catcher.  In most cases these teams do not get the practice time that allows the kids the reps needed to master the nuances of each position they play.

The next reason for having the pitcher as the cut, the kid pitching is usually one of the team’s best athletes.   In a critical situation involving the opponent potentially scoring, plus the need to manage the other runners, it is advantageous to have the ball in the hands of a top player.

Finally, in most cases, especially in urban settings, the distance between home plate and the backstop is as little as 15’-20’.  There is not enough room for a pitcher to get far enough beyond the plate to effectively back-up a poor throw.

What Went Wrong on The Throw to Home?

The losing team had been trained to have the pitcher move behind the plate to back-up throws to home as is done on the big field.  There was not much space between home plate and the backstop.  As the ball was sailing home, the pitcher was standing with his back against the fence, a bit to the first base side of home plate.  There was no room for him to get behind home.  He ended up being a spectator on the play.

The first baseman was supposed to be the cut off but failed to get into position.  Can’t blame the kid; with pretty much absolute certainty, I’ll state that he did not play first base all the time.  (Most Little League All-Star teams include the shortstops from all the regular season teams.  A major challenge All-Stars coaches face, is training all those shortstops to play positions they may not have played before.)  That kid likely got only a few reps at first base during one or two practices when the team was working on relays to home during their All-Star preparations.  He simply did not have the opportunity to make reacting to the situation instinctual and habit.

Bottom line, the right fielder had 130’ of open space between him and the catcher.  He Did make a great throw; it was a 125’ laser but was slightly off-line and the hop tied up the catcher.

If a player had been in position to cut the throw, it would have been a 70’ laser, caught on the fly and held by the cut man.  The runner would have stayed at third, the cut man would have flipped the ball to the pitcher.  Play over; bring the next batter to the plate.

How Do We Teach This Play?

We begin the teaching process by drilling on a Mini Diamond (see diagram).  When we compact a drill space the activity is more productive, and players learn faster.  The closer kids are to the coach, the less likely they are to get distracted; they hear and understand the ‘first time’.  Communication is improved and, most importantly, players get a lot of reps in a short period of time.  

Eliminate Unnecessary Factors that Impede Learning

What is the objective when practicing this play?  Answer: players learn positioning, communication, and adjusting to changing circumstances - do we have a realistic chance to get the runner at home?  Do we cut the throw to make a play at another base?  Do we cut the ball and hold it? (no runners attempting to advance). Teaching, learning, and practicing these aspects do not require using a full field and making full distance throws. 

Coaches, think of how many times drills break down because kids fail to play catch.  When training team play, the playing catch aspect is the final step in the process.  In the early stages of learning, by using a mini diamond, players are close enough to each other that all throws can be made using an underhand toss (technique with a high success rate).  Rarely does the failure to play catch rear its ugly head and disrupt the flow of the drill.

We Practice Playing Catch Every Day

The only element that is added, when we get on the full field, is full-distance throws.  During our daily, structured and disciplined, Playing Catch Practice segment, kids work on the same 55’-65’ throw (depending on age) that is required to execute a relay.  These two elements, positional responsibilities and playing catch, are meshed when we advance to training this play on a full field.

The Drill Progresses to a Full Field

The next diagram illustrates the cut-relay play to home with the responsibilities of all nine players included.  As we get closer to, and into, the season our kids ‘know the drill’.  We can run a productive cut-relay session as a 15-minute segment of a practice using the full field.  At that point, our ‘coaching’ is more ‘reminding’ than ‘teaching’.  Given the kids’ familiarity with the play, we can make the activity more dynamic and fun by including base runners.

Make It Into a Conditioning & Competition Drill

The additional defensive players involved: (1) get reps reacting to the ball ‘off the bat’, then (2) cover a Base or Back-up.  This requires them to sprint to the point where their defensive responsibilities for the play are fulfilled.  A base runner at second base is included, who is attempting to score.  We add a base runner (batter) at home who sprints to second base during each repetition of the drill.

The two outfielders who do not handle the ball, are sprinting 60’-80’ (remind them, baseball/softball is a sprinting game).  We have two base runners that are sprinting the distance between two bases.  This group is one-third of our team.  Have them do four reps (base runners each get to score twice …all the kids will want to compete to beat the throw to the plate; want to give each the same number of opportunities), then rotate them into defense and rotate four defensive players to outfield/base running ‘station’.

(Note: use a throw down base as a ‘home plate’ for the base runners.  Set it next the actual home plate (same set up as a ‘safety base’ that is used at first.  There is no need to risk contact between the catcher and base runner.  The catcher puts down a tag after catching the ball.  A coach plays umpire, making an out-safe determination. …while we coaches are concerned with execution of the relay, the kids are concerned about the out-safe call.  It is a big deal to them!!)

(Note 2:  In the early stages [first couple of days] of practicing the play on a mini-diamond, explain to the kids that the quicker they demonstrate they understand and can execute their positioning and communication responsibilities, the sooner we can move up to doing the drill on a full field with base-runners competing against the defense.  This is the carrot to motivate them to focus and learn quicker.)

Rotate the entire team through defense and the ‘conditioning’ station twice.  The second round at the Conditioning station switch the kids between outfield and base running.  Two times through the entire rotation each player sprints four times as an outfielder and four times as a base runner.  Not only are all players getting conditioned, they are developing base running skills and habits for what to do when the ball is not hit to you.

Assuming a team has 12 players, the entire drill involves 24 reps (possibly a couple extra …disasters do happen in practice where we need to re-run a drill rep).  Including time for breaking the kids into three groups and giving an overview, we can complete the drill in 15 minutes.

Run the Drill as Part of Pre-Game Practice

After advancing to the full field we do not abandon the mini-diamond format.  We can plug this drill into the 10-minute ‘Team’ segment of Pre-game Practice.

Head Games ...the key to successful athletic performance

How do we give our child or the players on our team an edge in developing their skills?  What is the latest technique, gadget or drill that can help them improve their performance? 

When searching out resources for improving youth baseball and softball skills we find oodles of drills on YouTube, tons of devices that surely will make the difference.  However, often it is the most basic tweak that has the most significant impact on improving performance.

So Smooth! The Common Characteristic of Successful Athletes

What would you guess to be the single constant in all successful athletic actions?  I am suggesting that control of the head, while likely not the first thing that comes to mind, is an absolute must.

Watch elite athletes and you will see they limit unnecessary head movement.  Their bodies are gyrating and moving all over the place doing unbelievable feats, and all the while their still head remains the calm in the center of the storm.  

You may have watched an elite athlete move and commented to yourself, “I don’t know what it is, but I can ‘just tell’ that person is a good athlete”.  A common characteristic in elite athletes is they move differently that other people.  They have exceptional body control; they are ‘smooth’ in their movements.  A calm head (in physical terms) plays a significant factor in body movements being smooth and under control.

In order to be smooth and precise in an athletic movement, and precision is a must when attempting to throw a pitch across a 17” plate or squarely hit a round ball with a round bat, a calm head is a factor that must be part of the equation.

Faulty Tendencies

Start with a recognition of ‘wherever the head goes, the body will follow’.  A slight movement of the head can throw off the rest of the body’s actions.

When swinging a bat, or swinging in any sport (tennis, hockey, etc.), the youth athlete is often thinking of what the result will be following contact.  The eagerness to ‘see the result’ takes them away from a focus on the required action needed to get the desired result, making good contact.  They pull their head up a moment before contact, their body ‘follows’ just a bit and the chance for good contact is all but lost.

When throwing the ball, or making a throwing action in other sports (javelin, football, etc.), the tendency of the youth athlete is to ‘pull’ with their shoulders and head in an effort to generate power, rather than ‘drive’ with their legs.  (Most youth athletes are unaware that most energy and effort in their throwing action comes from their legs.) A slight downward pull of the head throws off trajectory, a slight tug to the side takes the body off-line with the intended target.

Simple fact: when the head moves, the body follows. When the head stays in place, when an athlete has control of their head, keeping their face directed towards the intended target, their body actions and energy stay on the path needed to produce the desired result.

Keeping the ‘Head In Place’ and ‘Facing the Ball at Contact’ increases the chances of the body movements taking the bat to the ball.  Keeping the Head Straight and Still, before, during and after a pitch or throw, significantly increases the chances of the ball hitting its target.

Head Control Reduces Injuries

A common flaw in the throwing or pitching motion is pulling the head to the side opposite the throwing arm.   This creates a loss of the forward energy produced by the body, which helps move the arm forward; the arm ‘drags’.  The immediate result is reduced power and accuracy.

This arm drag also puts excessive and unnecessary stress on the rotator cuff in the shoulder.  As the throwing motion continues, out of synch, stresses can transfer to the elbow as the arm accelerates to and through the release of the throw.  This undue stress placed on the shoulder and/or elbow leads to a loss of stamina and strength, while the likelihood of soreness and possibly injury, increases

Learning = Awareness + Feel

There is a lot of good instruction information out there, good drills and even some devices that can play a productive role in helping a youth athlete succeed.  However, much of these helpful resources are limited in their capacity if our kids have fundamental flaws in their movements.   Too much head movement is one of the most common flaws in young athletes.

Correcting this issue starts with awareness. We want to explain to our kids that successful athletes are masters of head control.  Then, when we see their head moving excessively, we let them know so they can increase their focus on keeping their head still and focused on their target or the ball.  This is true in actions beyond hitting and throwing.  Running is another area where excessive head movement impedes an athlete from maximizing their abilities.

The other important factor in developing physical skills is feel.  When a player correctly executes an action, we want to give feedback by saying, “Feel That”.  Over time, an athlete comes to recognize the difference in the feel of a proper movement versus that of an incorrect movement.  When the head is kept still throughout a throw or swing, or while running, it is quite a different feel from when the head is moving.

Positive Reinforcement

There are pure technical benefits of positive reinforcement.  A player learns to associate feel with the execution of a proper action.  Acknowledging a player’s successes is an important component in the teaching process. When a player is recognized for executing a new skill correctly, they are motivated to make the effort to repeat that action.  Additionally, they are human.  Humans enjoy a little praise every now and then …especially a kid.

If You Aren’t Coaching, You Are Allowing

Coaching kids is challenging; that is undeniable.  They are in the early stages of getting to know how their bodies work and learning techniques to make their bodies work more effectively.  Being young and full of energy, they can be easily distracted and may not recognize the importance of repeating good actions when practicing.  While we cannot police every movement they make, we can prioritize a few key points that we Do Not let ‘slide’. 

My suggestions of actions that are absolute; those we cannot let slide:

1. Footwork in throwing, catching, and fielding

2. Maximizing the use of the Legs while batting and pitching

3. Head control in all actions 

These points are critical for success in baseball and softball.  Kids will repeatedly fall short in executing these absolutes.  It takes a lot of focus and energy on our part to stay on top of these absolutes. It is so easy to just let ‘the little things go’.  But if we are truly coaching, we will stay after our kids on these important points.  And in doing so, we’ll find that we verbally reference each of these points dozens of times each practice and hundreds time each season.

I’m not one who is big into ‘sayings’, however, one has always stuck with me.  I feel this defines the difference between successful coaches and those that struggle.  When it comes to reinforcing the core fundamentals of an action or activity:

‘If you aren’t coaching, you are allowing’

As coaches and observers of sports, it is not uncommon for the question to come up, “Why are some teams/coaches consistently succeeding, while others are so up and down?”  I believe, if we observed their practices, we would see the successful coaches ‘coaching’, and the struggling coaches ’allowing’.

A major misconception of coaching is that those with superior knowledge of the ‘X’s and O’s’ and the brilliant tacticians are the best coaches. 

Look around town, watch college and pro games, listen to the analysts on TV.  After a while it will become clear that more than knowledge and skill, it is the coaches that demand discipline in their players in drill work (executing correctly every time …or at least giving it their best effort) that achieve the greatest success on game day. 

Discipline does not mean yelling and screaming.  It is a process of clearly defining, prior to an activity, the one or two key points that are absolute musts on the part of the players.  The discipline burden then, mostly falls on the shoulder of the coaches.  When it comes to those key points, we make sure they are done correctly every time …and as much as possible let the kids know we saw when they did them right.

Change Does Not Happen Overnight

Finally, in our roles as mentors to children we are helping to improve physical skills, we must not forget that developing body control and mastering physical movements doesn’t happen instantly.  It is a process that requires days, weeks and sometimes months. 

Keep in mind that many of the actions in baseball and softball require tremendous overall body strength to perform in a technically sound manner.  Most little kids (including many 12-year-olds) simply do not yet have great body strength.  Let’s remain patient and provide our athletes with plenty of encouragement while they are developing the skills used in playing this great game!

Is The Stride In The Batting Swing Extinct? …these two videos provide insight on the answer

It can be argued that Baseball, more than any other sport, resists letting go of long-held traditions.  Throughout its history, dating back to the mid 1800’s, coaches taught batters to stride in preparation for their swing.  However, over the past couple of decades, we see fewer and fewer batters who stride.  Are we living in a time that has the stride teetering on extinction?

Observe today’s elite batters. Notice that the majority Do Not stride.

Timing

Striding is primarily a timing mechanism.  An athlete’s use of timing in their actions is unique to the individual.  It is strongly encouraged to not instruct a youth baseball or softball player to stride.  There are kids who instinctively incorporate a stride into their swing preparation.  Keep in mind that each individual is unique, we don’t necessarily want to stop a player from striding, especially a player we recognize as being very talented. 

Highly Skilled Athletes

Some highly skilled athletes have something internal that guides them to incorporate components into their actions that, while may not be exactly ‘by the book’, work for them.  One unfortunate coaching mistake that is made with highly-talented kids in all sports is a coach not giving them some leash in how they approach their actions.  It is not uncommon for a coach to put restriction on this small percentage of athletes that retards their development and ability to maximize their athleticism.  Please note, this is a reference to a small percentage of kids that are highly athletic.

It is OK to allow a kid to stride if we recognize it is a natural action for a particular batter.  As best we can, we want to determine if a player who strides is doing so naturally, versus them copying a pro or having been told by a well-meaning coach, parent, or family member. 

The easiest way to do figure this out is to ask them, “Hey Mary-Sue, where did you learn to do that thing (stride) with your foot/leg?”  If the player looks at you weird with a ‘what do you mean?’ expression, they are likely doing it naturally.  In most cases however, their response will be, “I watched a pro/college player doing it” or “My uncle told me to.”

Rare Exceptions

Occasionally we will have a player who is striding (or using a leg kick) and it does not negatively impact their swing.  Most batters who successfully use a stride in their swing are elite, strong, full-grown pro/college players.  Using a stride to prepare the swing, for most kids, results in them getting off balance, not utilizing their legs, throwing off their timing, or simply contributing to a cruddy swing. 

The simplest way to help a player eliminate a stride that is detrimental to their swing, is to spread their feet a few inches wider apart in their stance and instruct them to use a ‘Turn Back’ action to load their legs to power their swing. 

It is important to understand that the wider apart the feet, the greater leg strength required to feel comfortable.  Be prepared for push back initially.  If we stay on a kid for a week or two, while educating them on the fact their body will adjust And they will be more balanced and stronger, they will become eventually get comfortable with this new foot position in their stance.

I encourage young batters to work without a stride.  Striding is an extra movement that a batter must learn to control and master; the more movement, the more chance of having flaws in the swing.

Generating Power

A misconception about the stride is that it adds power to the swing.  The stride is a precursor to the swing.  Professional hitters and coaches will tell you that the role of the stride is timing; not power generation.  Incorporating a stride or a leg kick into the swing, as a timing mechanism, can benefit some athletes.  For a few, this action enhances the rhythm in their actions for maximizing power generation. 

Young kids, however, are still learning to establish the fundamental aspects of the swing.  When kids hit puberty and develop greater overall body strength, a coach or private instructor with a deep understanding of the swing might have a player toy with a stride or leg kick in their swing in an effort to improve their overall timing an power generation.  The number of kids age 12 or younger where such tinkering could provide a significant benefit are few and far between.

Video is a Great Teacher

Canada v Italy   -   1 min 57 sec

These two videos are highlights of games played during the 2017 World Baseball Classic involving Major League and elite international players. 

Watch each batter’s front foot. While there is some movement, but it is inconsequential other than for timing, None make an aggressive or long forward action with their front foot (stride) in their swing preparation.

A few pick up their front foot and set it back down; an action called a ‘Step’ or ‘Toe Tap’ (timing mechanisms like a stride, but with less movement). 

USA v Puerto Rico   -   Watch:  0:05  |  0:50  |  1:12  |  1:40  |  1:55  |  2:45  |  3:18  |  3:48   

When we see a full-grown, elite batter use any action involving the lifting of the front foot off the ground in their swing preparation, it is critical that we recognize we are not looking at a 100lb kid.  These actions require quite a bit of leg strength, which players gain in their teen years.  Younger kids are fine by simply 'Turning Back', an action also used by a majority of Major League and elite batters.

These videos are not only good for gaining a better understanding that most successful batters do not stride; they are also fun to watch.  The Canada v Italy video is about two minutes long; the USA v Puerto Rico video has time markers in the caption, which help you get right to the swings.  The time required to go through that video is also approximately two minutes.

Who Was The Best Two Sport Athlete Ever? ….bo jackson? deion sanders? someone else?

A couple of highlight reels to help with the debate …and to enjoy athleticism at its finest. Full Bios, stats, playing career and stats below.

Deion Sanders Bio (credit Encyclopedia Britannica)

Deion Sanders, in full Deion Luwynn Sanders, bynames Prime Time and Neon Deion, (born August 9, 1967, Fort Myers, Florida, U.S.), American gridiron football player and baseball player who is the only person to have played in both a Super Bowl and a World Series. Known for his flashy personality and outspokenness, Sanders was a middling professional baseball player but is widely considered the best man-to-man cover cornerback in National Football League (NFL) history.

Deion (2:28)

Sanders was a multisport star in high school and earned a scholarship to Florida State University, where he was a member of the school’s football, baseball, and track teams. He first brought his brash attitude to national attention as a two-time All-American in football. Sanders quickly became a sports media favorite, and his tremendous on-field achievements were sometimes overshadowed by his braggadocio, his penchant for gaudy jewelry, and his self-promotion, which included his tuxedo-attired arrival in a white stretch limousine at a 1988 game against the rival University of Florida. NFL teams were not put off by his cocky persona, however, and Sanders was selected by the Atlanta Falcons with the fifth selection of the 1989 NFL draft.

Sanders played primarily in the New York Yankees’ minor league system in 1989 but was called up for 14 games in the majors that summer. After posting a .158 batting average in 57 games with the Yankees in 1990, he was released and then signed by the Atlanta Braves. The speedy outfielder had the best season of his baseball career in 1992, batting .304 with a league-leading 14 triples as he helped the Braves reach the World Series (a six-game loss to the Toronto Blue Jays). He was traded to the Cincinnati Reds during the 1994 season and then to the San Francisco Giants during the 1995 season.

After not playing in 1996, Sanders had one-year stints with the Reds in 1997 and 2001 before retiring from baseball.

In his much more successful professional football career, Sanders made an immediate impact: he intercepted five passes in his rookie season, was a full-time starter in his second, and was named to his first of eight Pro Bowls in his third. He signed a one-year contract with the San Francisco 49ers for the 1994 season, during which he was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year after making six interceptions (returning three for touchdowns) and helped the team to a decisive victory in Super Bowl XXIX. In 1995–96 he won another Super Bowl title in his first season with the Dallas Cowboys, with whom he played for four more seasons before moving to the Washington Redskins for the 2000 season. Sanders then retired for three years only to return for a two-season stint with the Baltimore Ravens before permanently leaving the sport in 2006.

That his interception totals were lower than those of most other elite cornerbacks is attributable to the fact that opposing teams often simply avoided throwing the ball in his vicinity. On the other hand, noting that Sanders’s tackling and run-stopping abilities were often lacking, some have said that he was not a complete cornerback. Sanders’s speed and elusiveness made him one of the best kickoff and punt returners of all time, as well as an effective occasional receiving option on offense, with 60 career receptions (three for touchdowns) to his credit. The 19 non-offensive touchdowns (combining kickoff, punt, interception, and fumble returns) he scored over the course of his career were an NFL record at the time of his retirement. (His record was broken in 2014 by kick returner Devin Hester.)

After his playing days ended, Sanders spent time as a television football analyst and starred in a short-lived reality television series. His eventual alienation from his freewheeling lifestyle was documented in Power, Money & Sex: How Success Almost Ruined My Life (1998; co-written with Jim Nelson Black). He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011.

Deion Sanders (football)

Deion Luwynn Sanders  (Prime Time, Neon Deion or Leon Sandcastle)

Position: DB-WR

6-1, 195lb (185cm, 88kg)

Born: August 9, 1967 (Age: 53-073d) in Fort Myers, FL

College: Florida St.  

High School: North Fort Myers (FL)

Draft: Atlanta Falcons in the 1st round (5th overall) of the 1989 NFL Draft.

Hall of Fame: Inducted as Player in 2011 (Full List)

Deion Sanders (baseball)

Position: Centerfielder

Bats: Left  •  Throws: Left

6-1, 195lb (185cm, 88kg)

Born: August 9, 1967 (Age: 53-073d) in Fort Myers, FL us

Draft: Drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the 6th round of the 1985 MLB June Amateur Draft from North Fort Myers HS  New York Yankees in the 30th round of the 1988 MLB June Amateur Draft from Florida State University

High School: North Fort Myers HS (North Fort Myers, FL)

School: Florida State University (Tallahassee, FL)

Debut: May 31, 1989 (Age 21-295d, 13,229th in MLB history)
   vs. SEA 4 AB, 1 H, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 0 SB

Last Game: June 14, 2001 (Age 33-309d)
   vs. CHW 2 AB, 0 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB

Note: His not being drafted higher (likely a 1st round talent) was a result of him also being an NFL caliber talent.  Often folks will point to how late an MLB Superstar/Hall-of-Famer was ‘drafted low’, but became a star.  In most cases that player was also a elite star in another sport.  Having other options makes a player ‘less signable’.  MLB teams often skip over such players in early rounds, not wanting to waste a pick on a player they may not be able to sign.  An example is Ryne Sandberg, who wasn’t drafted until the 20th Round because he had a football scholarship to play quarterback at Washington State University.

Bo Jackson Bio (credit Encyclopedia Britannica)

Bo Jackson stiff arms Deion Sanders in Auburn's win over Florida State in 1985. Auburn vs. Florida State 1985

Bo Jackson, byname of Vincent Edward Jackson, (born November 30, 1962, Bessemer, Alabama, U.S.), American athlete who starred for the Kansas City Royals of Major League Baseball and the Los Angeles Raiders of the National Football League (NFL) during his short but storied professional career and who is widely considered one of the greatest all-around athletes in history.

Jackson’s outstanding athletic ability manifested itself early in life. At McAdory High School in McCalla, Alabama, he excelled in athletics (track and field), baseball, and football, winning two state decathlon titles, throwing multiple no-hitters for the baseball team, and playing nearly every snap on offense and defense for the football team, in addition to handling all kicking duties. He was drafted by the New York Yankees out of high school, but he instead decided to attend Auburn University. Jackson lettered in all three sports at Auburn, but he made his biggest impact on the football field, where he was twice named a consensus All-American running back (1983 and 1985) and won the 1985 Heisman Trophy after rushing for 1,786 yards and 17 touchdowns.

Despite stating publicly that he did not want to play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Jackson was selected by the franchise with the first overall pick of the 1986 NFL draft. True to his word, he spurned the Bucs and signed with the Royals after that team selected him in the fourth round of the 1986 major-league draft. Jackson played in just 53 games in the minor leagues before making his debut with the Royals in 1986. Eligible again for the NFL draft in 1987, he was selected in the seventh round by the Raiders, whose owner, Al Davis, agreed to pay Jackson a full-time salary while allowing him to miss early-season games to complete his yearly baseball obligations.

Bo Jackson (3:08)

It was during his time as a Royal and a Raider that Jackson made a massive impact on American sporting culture. He quickly gained national attention via his seemingly preternatural exploits, such as nearly scaling a 7-foot (2.1-metre) outfield wall to slow himself after making a running catch, rushing for a then team-record 221 yards in just his fifth career NFL game while playing to a national audience on Monday Night Football, and routinely throwing runners out at home plate from the outfield on the fly. Even in failure Jackson showed amazing athleticism and strength, as he did on those occasions when he broke his bat in two over his thigh after striking out. Jackson’s celebrity was augmented by a popular series of television commercials he filmed for the Nike shoe company that showed him demonstrating a wide range of athletic prowess while famous athletes declared that “Bo Knows” the sport in question.

In 1989 Jackson was named to the American League All-Star team during a season in which he established career highs with 32 home runs and 105 runs batted in. The following year he rushed for 698 yards and five touchdowns over 10 games to earn Pro Bowl honors, thus becoming the first athlete to make all-star teams in two major North American sports. In January 1991 Jackson injured his hip during a Raiders play-off game, and the resulting deterioration of the joint led to his never playing in the NFL again. He was subsequently released by the Royals and played three partial seasons for the Chicago White Sox (1991, 1993) and the California Angels (1994) with mixed results before retiring in 1995. Although his hip injury prevented him from fully realizing his athletic potential on the professional level, Jackson was nevertheless a cultural sensation who made a significant impact on the history of American sports.

Bo Jackson (baseball)

Position: Leftfielder

Bats: Right  •  Throws: Right

6-1, 220lb (185cm, 99kg)

Born: November 30, 1962 (Age: 57-326d) in Bessemer, AL us

Draft: Drafted by the New York Yankees in the 2nd round of the 1982 MLB June Amateur Draft from McAdory HS

California Angels in the 20th round of the 1985 MLB June Amateur Draft from Auburn University

Kansas City Royals in the 4th round of the 1986 MLB June Amateur Draft from Auburn University

High School: McAdory HS (Bessemer, AL)

School: Auburn University (Auburn, AL)

Debut: September 2, 1986 (Age 23-276d, 12,840th in MLB history)
   vs. CHW 3 AB, 1 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB

Last Game: August 10, 1994 (Age 31-253d)
   vs. KCR 4 AB, 2 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 1 SB

Note: Like Sanders above, Jackson likely would have been a 1st Round pick, if he were not also an elite football talent.

Bo Jackson (football)

Vincent Edward Jackson

Position: RB

6-1, 227lb (185cm, 102kg)

Born: November 30, 1962 (Age: 57-326d) in Bessemer, AL

College: Auburn  

High School: McAdory (AL)

Draft: Los Angeles Raiders in the 7th round (183rd overall) of the 1987 NFL Draft

Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 1st round (1st overall) of the 1986 NFL Draft

Note: Drafted by Raiders in the 7th Round for the same reasons mentioned above in the note below Deion Sanders’ Baseball info.  By 1987 he had established himself as a MLB baseball player and had refused to sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers following the 1986 NFL draft.

Make Practices More Productive And Fun …this simple adjustment does the trick

Creating an optimum practice environment: keeping kids active, having fun and being productive.  It can be argued, this is priority number one for a youth baseball or softball coach.  The mission of Baseball Positive, in a nutshell, is to help make youth baseball and softball an activity all kids ‘want to come back to next year’.

Surveys of why kids quit baseball can be found everywhere.  There are a variety of reasons.  The one reason for quitting, consistently at the top of these lists is, ‘It wasn’t any fun’ or ‘it was no longer fun’.

How can we make practices (and games) more fun?

Watch 0:30-1:10 (in the background) outfielders training drop step and going back

Making Games and Practices More Active and Fun

Two places to improve the fun in games is getting more strikes thrown by pitchers (so the ball is put into play more frequently) and training all nine players that they have defensive responsibilities on each play.  When all the kids are moving and involved, games are more fun.

There is a single modification coaches can make in practices that profoundly changes the experience for their players.  This simple adjustment keeps the kids moving, active and learning throughout practice.  And increases the single most important factor in skill development - massive repetitions.

What is this easy adjustment in how we run a practice? ...We chuck the bat and deliver balls in drills by rolling, throwing, and tossing.

Watch 3:50-4:15; 4:55-5:10 Footwork For Playing the Outfield. Minnesota Twins' Miguel Sano in learning the Outfield 101 being coached by Joe Lepel and Oswaldo Arcia in right field.

College and Pro Coaches Run Drills Without Using A Bat

Stop!  Don’t click away.  Give me a moment to explain.  During my first spring training as a member of the Cubs organization, our outfield instructor, former major league player Jimmy Piersall, ran drills extensively without using a bat.  When I first arrived on the Wichita State campus as an assistant coach in the early 90’s, many drills were run with coaches rolling, throwing and tossing the ball.  In the years that followed, as I observed other college and pro programs, there was one constant: coaches running many drills without using a bat.

The videos to the right show multiple of examples of coaches running drills without using a bat.

Yankee Minor Leaguers. Using a machine (same concept: Accurate delivery, Quick pace, Massive Reps) - Watch 0:15-0:35. A Yankees infield coach instructs three prospects how to turn a double play as a second baseman: Jorge Mateo, Tyler Wade and Gleyber Torres...

A key to skill development is repeating the same good actions over and over and over.  For this to happen we need to consistently deliver the ball to the same spot.  What percentage of the time can we, using a bat, hit a ball ten feet to the second baseman’s right while standing at home plate?  What percentage of the time when rolling the ball from 20’ away?

When using a bat, we shank the ball, pop it up, line it past the player or hit it too wide.  Gosh, sometimes we even swing and miss [:o  These inevitable errors by the coach slow the activity, learning and fun for the kids.

College and pro coaches run fielding drills every day without a bat, why don’t we do the same in youth baseball and softball?  My theory is youth coaches, when attending a college or pro game and see the coach standing at home plate hitting balls around the field in pre-game warm up.  The misunderstanding is we are watching a warm-up activity.  These college and pro coaches run drills much differently during practice.

Productive Drill Structure

Fielding Clinic -- TOTAL TIME: 1 min, 15 seconds -- Watch: 2:25-2:40 (15 sec) | 3:50-4:10 (20 sec) | 4:55-5:05 (10 sec) | 5:25-5:40 (15 sec) | 7:10-7:25 (15 sec)

An effective drill session has 3-4 groups of players on different parts of the field.  The groups are in compact spaces with coaches delivering balls to the players by hand.  This environment is fast moving and, most importantly, gives the players massive repetitions, repeating fundamentally sound actions.

When I was coaching in college, driving to high school games to scout players, I went past hundreds of youth practices.  In most every instance the same thing was going on:  a coach at home plate, with a bat in their hands, with the entire team spread out around the field.  Most of the players were standing around waiting while one ball was being hit by the coach.

This irony was these moments occurred just after finishing a college practice where our coaches had been rolling and tossing balls to our players in many of our Drills.  Just the other day I drove past my local high school where the girls’ softball team was practicing.  And there it was again!  Fifteen or 16 girls standing around the field, waiting, while the coach stood at home plate hitting a single ball.  While doing this, there were two buckets full of balls sitting next to the coach ...not being used.

How Fast Should Balls Be Delivered in Drills?

A misconception about ground ball drills is the ball needs to be delivered fast.  Developing fielding skills is more about footwork, timing, and angles. The act of catching the ball is a result of applying these developed skills to the catching aspect.  Youth coaches are notorious for hitting rocket ground balls to their kids.  Many of these kids (yes, even the 11’s and 12’s) are still trying to master fundamentals …and working to overcome an understandable fear of the ball. 

Another common mistake is delivering balls straight at players.  In almost every case, we want to make our players move to get the ball.  This develops timing, agility and makes the activity more fun.  When making plays in a more dynamic way our players also build greater confidence.

We want to deliver balls in such a way, so the players have time to work on their approach to the ball, get their feet and bodies in a good position.  Set them up to have a good chance of cleanly fielding the ball, so to then work on transitioning to make a throw.  When the primary thing on their mind is getting their teeth knocked out, executing good fielding fundamentals does not make it up the priority list.

The Best Shortstop on the Planet  

A few years back I watched a TV interview with Brendan Ryan, who was the Seattle Mariners’ shortstop, and at the time regarded by many as the best defensive shortstop in the game. This was during spring training.  He was still recovering from an arm injury.  The sportscaster asked him, “Brendan, how do you get any work done when you can’t throw?” 

Having played shortstop and instructing fielding for years, I wanted to jump through the TV screen and hug Brendan when I heard his response.  He said, “Paul (Silvi), I can do everything.  All fielding and throwing skills are based on footwork.  I do all the drills; I just don’t finish with a throw”.  He went on to say, without being prompted, “You know, Paul, I see youth coaches spending way too much time teaching hands, when they need to teach kids how to use their feet.  Paul, my feet make my hands work”

Running Drills

Watch: 0:00-0:20 —— Cardinals outfielders participate in fielding drills during a morning workout at their spring training facility at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, Fla.

When running most ground ball and fly ball drills, have the coach positioned 20’-40’ from the player, depending on the drill, and roll, throw or toss the ball.  Tell the players in advance what actions they are working on and where the ball will be delivered.  Repeat the drill, with the ball going to that same spot 5-6 times for each player.   Complete that set of reps, then alert the players that you will be delivering the ball to a new spot.

Some coaches say, “But in a game, the ball comes off the bat, comes at them fast and they don’t know where the ball is going to be hit”.  Correct! But games come later …and, over the past century or so, kids have always missed a lot of balls in the games.  Good reason to try something new :)  On a serious note, we want to recognize that we are not going to turn any kid into Brendan Ryan in a few practices.  Skill development is a process.  We want to create a process that provides them the best chance of improving and building confidence. 

Repetitions Develop Skills and Build Confidence

In practice our objective is to help kids develop skills, while keeping them active and having fun. Consistency in pace and ball location is so important. Most importantly, again, is repetitions.  Skills are learned best when the same action is repeated over and over.  We want to make the most of our limited practice time, so when game time comes our players are confident in their ability to perform.

Let’s run our youth baseball and softball practices like college and pro coaches.  Ditch the bat and roll, throw, and toss balls in many of our drills.  We will get more accomplished, the kids will keep moving, have fun, get better, and grow their love for the game!

COACHES, please comment below with ways you keep your kids more active and engaged during practices.

If You Had Made The Major Leagues …what would you drive to the park?

Millionaires playing a kid’s game; driving fancy cars, the great clothes and lifestyle, living in a fantasy bubble.  We hear stories that they are still regular people, but how often do we see it?

Major Leaguer Ben Zobrist took ‘just a regular guy playing baseball’ back to its roots …riding his bike to the park in full uniform

In 2016, as a member of the Cubs, Zobrist lived a mile from Wrigley Field.  The proximity to work made it possible for him, like many folks, to ride his bike to the office.  In mid-September, after the Cubs clinched the division title, he thought it was time to do make the biking routine complete.  Following a Friday night game, he took his uniform home. 

The next morning Zobrist got ready for his game the same as millions of kids have done for decades. Pulled on his uniform, ate breakfast while thoughts danced in his head that maybe today, he would be the star of the game.  Strapped his glove onto the handlebars and peddled to the game.

Most of us have similar memories from our youth.  Saturday morning riding to the park, head filled with dreams of someday being a pro. Zobrist reenacted that moment.  In his case the dream was real.   A ballplayer heading to the neighborhood park on his bike, wearing an authentic pro uniform.  He had a Major League game to play.

Your Kid Can’t Hit ...because their bat is too long!

Here’s the pitch; a swing and a miss. OK, buddy you’ll get the next one …pop-up foul; alright, good, we made contact on that one.  Pitch number three: weak ground ball to the first baseman …out again.

What is responsible for looping swings, pop-ups and hit weak ground balls to the opposite side of the infield?  There are mechanical reasons, but a major factor for many, is they use a bat that is too long.

Why Length Is an Important Consideration

When the discussion of bat size comes up, the common question is weight; length is not given much thought.  Regardless of weight, the longer the lever (bat), the more difficult it is to control.  And it is understood that a longer lever puts more stress (the feeling of weight) on the muscles in the wrists and arms. A longer bat feels heavier.

Why do kids want to swing a longer bat? Two reasons I hear from parents and players:

1. Older kids, who the younger kids look up to, use a longer bat and little kids naturally want to be like the bigger kids (or older brother/sister).

2. They think they need a longer bat to reach the outside part of the plate***.  Instead of a bat that is 1-2 inches longer, they can stand 1-2 inches closer to the plate.  Hold your fingers two inches apart.  A batter is not going to notice a difference that small in the relationship of their stance to the plat

The first step to improving kids’ success at the plate is to get a shorter bat in their hands.  In my experience working exclusively with the 12u age group over the past dozen years, I estimate that a majority of kids swing a bat that is two inches longer that what would work best for them; some are swinging bats that are three inches too long.

***Sweet Spot

To help in further understanding point #2 above: ‘kids thinking they need a longer bat to cover the entire plate’. The thought process is more than likely, ‘Can the end of my bat reach the outside edge of the plate?’ We must understand that covering the plate with the end of the bat is not nearly enough. This is because the sweet spot of the bat is 2-3 ball widths down from the end of the bat.

This is a picture of Brandon Lowe making contact with a ball he hit for a Home Run in the 1st inning against the Dodgers in Game 2 of the 2020 World Series . You can see that he is contacting the ball close to 3 ball widths from the end of the bat. A logical thought, based on this picture, is a bat needs to be long enough to reach 6” beyond the outer edge of the plate, but that is not the case.

A deeper discussion would address where the ball is contacted in relationship to a batter’s stance. This varies depending on location of a pitch; inner part of the plate, outer part, or middle, and how low or high in the strike zone. This is not a rabbit hole we want to go down in this article..

The point of presenting this picture is to illustrate that being consumed by the idea of having a bat that is long enough to reach the outer edge of the plate is misguided. (and I apologize if this comes across as a critical statement towards the reader, parents or kids…..that is not the intent). As we go further into the discussion of bat length, we will talk about adjusting length my maybe 2”-3”. This is can be easily accounted for by the distance a batter stands from home plate.

The important issue, the point of this article, is that a shorter bat is easier to handle, and especially for a youth baseball or softball player. Swinging a bat that is a bit shorter can significantly improve their ability to make better swings, improve their contact rate and the quality of their contact.

What Bat Length Is Best for Your Child?

Ignore those bat size charts you see in the sporting goods store.  I would not be surprised if those were put together by a college summer intern who last played baseball when they were ten years old.  Based on my observations of thousands of kids swinging the bat, this is a solid bat size chart:

Bat Length          Age

28”-29”                11-12^

27”                         9-10

26”                         8-9

24”-25”                 5-7

^ a kid that is 5’10” or taller; maybe a 30” bat

These numbers are a general guide.  Of course, kids vary a great deal in size and strength at all ages.

Proper Use of the Legs Eliminates Bat Weight as a Factor

Regarding the issue of weight, most (if not all) bats on the market are too light.  If a youth batter is using their legs properly, you will be hard pressed to find a new bat that is too heavy. Bats on the market today are produced to serve the lowest common denominator: kids who do not utilize the strength of their legs.  Most kids are not aware that the legs play an important role in the batting swing.  Not to fault bat manufacturers for producing such light bats.  When competing for their share of sales, they need to supply a product that best serves the broadest aspect of the market.   

Which Bat is Best?

The most important factor in determining which bat is best for your child is to find one the feels good to them.  This means taking them to the store and having them hold and swing as many bats as possible until they find one that feels right. (A store reasonable manager should understand that a player needs to try out a few bats before making a purchase.)  

The length of the barrel, width of the handle and distribution of weight along the length of a bat varies from model to model. Each bat model has unique feel.  Most kids do not have the experience of a college star or a pro to fully understand the right feel, however they will get to the point of, “I like this one best”.

Where to Find a Heavier Bat

If finding a heavier bat is of interest, the place to shop is a second-hand store or a sporting goods store that specializes in used equipment.  The benefit of those bats with a little extra heft, is the batter has a better ‘feel’ for the barrel/sweet spot of the bat.

The kid of a good friend, who I followed throughout his playing career, age 8-18, was about 5’ 6”, 110lbs, at age 12.  He swung an old 28”, 22 oz bat that I bought for $5 from Goodwill and gave to him.  My guess the thing was 20 years old.  Had had a great year; most coaches credited him with having the best swing in the league …using a shorter, heavier bat.

I am not suggesting you head to Goodwill tomorrow looking for a bat.  This is an illustration that a player doesn’t need a fancy bat to be successful.  Using a bat that was a few ounces heavier gave him a better ‘feel’ for the barrel.  Using a shorter bat increased his bat control.  The combination of those two factors, I believe, contributed a great deal to his success.  

Note: those old bats were manufactured long before the bat rating system was enacted.   In many cases, especially at the 11-12 year old level and All-Stars play, they probably would not be allowed for use, though they more than likely provide lesser ‘performance’ than today’s bats. 

Consider the Bat Length Used by the All-Time Greats

So here I am suggesting you ditch your kid’s bat and get them a shorter one.  First, let’s consider that the most common bat length used in the Major Leagues in 34” (32oz). Most players swing a bat that is between 34” and 34 ½”.  

Consider the size, weight and strength of these elite athletes who are grown men (the average size of a MLB player is bit over 6’1” and just over 200lbs).  Consider the size of your child relative to these players, then the length of their bat relative to these players. 

I have seen a lot of 30” and 31” bats in the hands of older youth players; 28” and 29” bats in the hands of a lot of 8 and 9-year-olds. 

Let’s extend the conversation to a three of the most accomplished hitters in Major League History…

Tony Gwynn, one of the greatest batters in MLB history and a grown man who weighed well over 200lbs, used a 32 ½ inch bat the majority of his career.  (“…first 12 years of his career, he used a 32½-inch bat…”)

Barry Bonds used a 34” bat most of his career.  There are reports that early in his career, he used a 33 ½” bat.  More significantly he always choked up an inch to an inch and a half, putting the length of his bat, based on his grip position, around 33”. See the video of him talking about choking up.

Babe Ruth Preferred a Shorter Bat “…I should have known all along, that I could do better with a shorter bat. ...going to the shorter bat was one of my best moves, and I have wondered many times since why any player would bother with swinging a stick an inch or two longer than was absolutely necessary ,,,If you can swing a bat weighing, say, 38 ounces as fast as one weighing 35 ounces, you're bound to get a longer hit.” (third, fourth,fifth paragraphs that are in bold, near the top of the article)

How Much to Spend on a Bat?

Unless you are sure you have a child that is going to be a core member of the 11 or 12-year-old All-Star team, I see no reason to spend more than $70 on a bat. There are many quality, name brand bats on the market for $50. There are plenty of bats available that are well into the three-digit range. While these may have the technology for better performance, a batter must square up the ball to take advantage of any high-tech attributes.  Possibly a bat that is an inch or two shorter will improve the Return on Investment?  

However, when you get right down to it, the player swinging the bat contributes the lion’s share to success in batting.  Perhaps a shorter bat could help increase a batter’s chances of squaring up the ball more often?

COACHES and PARENTS, please comment sharing your perspective on the length of bats kids are using, and your thoughts regarding the length of the bat impacting the quality of a youth player’s swing.

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The Legs Swing The Bat …awareness is the first step in learning the swing

This is a follow-up to an earlier post which addressed how much the legs are used in the batting swing. Watch this video with your child.

The video is of the longest home runs of the 2020 Major League Baseball Season. Fun to watch …and informative. The first minute shows plenty of swings, but you might enjoy watching more :)

Try This: pause the video before each swing and scroll the screen up so the batters are only shown from the belt down, then play the swing.  This gets the bat and arms out of the picture, so we can focus entirely on the action of the legs. 

This experience will help you and your child gain an acute awareness of how much the Legs contribute to the swing.  For most kids, the concept that the Legs contribute (significantly) to the swing is foreign.  Establishing an awareness of the Legs now, will help them as they move forward in their work to develop their batting skills.

Do You Know This Basic Baseball Skill? …how to catch a throw at first base

Possibly the most common mistake and biggest misunderstanding in youth baseball and softball is the process of taking a throw at first base.  Kids think the first baseman prepares to receive a throw by standing in a stretch position (they don’t). This problem carries over to throws in a variety of playing situations including the basic task of warming-up. 

Well Known, But Often Misunderstood

Not only is this action misunderstood by kids, most adults don’t know how a first baseman takes a throw.  When working with their players, coaches either don’t teach the skill at all, or teach it incorrectly.  If you are one of those coaches, don’t sweat it, you are in the majority.

This very important skill is discussed below and illustrated in the video.  Joey Gallo of the Texas Rangers is hitting into the massive shift used by the Houston Astros on May 11  For our purposes, watch 0:22-0:26 of the video that shows a first baseman using proper technique in his approach to, and set up at, the bag; and the footwork involved in taking a throw.  Don’t watch the ball, watch Astros First Baseman Yuli Gurriel.  The key point to note Is that Gurriel does not set up in a ‘Stretch Position’ when preparing for the throw.  He waits until the ball is on its way.

Cover the Base with Your Eyes

A first baseman doesn’t watch the ball when it is hit to another player.  They take their eyes off the ball and direct them towards the base.  Just like an Olympic sprinter looks straight at the finish line while running, the first baseman looks straight at first base while running to cover it. Their focus is the base, and the base only, until they get there.  Getting there as quickly as possible is important, so they have time to prepare for the throw. 

Set Up at the Base

After arriving at the base, the first baseman puts the heel of their throwing-side-foot against the edge of the center part of the base and sets-up in a ‘Ready Position’ (feet wide and square to the player who will be making the throw).  This prepares them to react to the direction of the thrown ball, and to move laterally in case the ball is off line and they have to leave the bag to stop the ball   -   poor throws actually do occur at the youth level from time to time  ; )

‘See the Ball Before Committing Your Feet’

When taking a throw, the rule for a first baseman is: ‘See the ball before committing your feet’.  A first baseman does not get into a ‘Stretch Position’ when setting up for a throw.  This takes place after the throw leaves the fielding player’s hand and the first baseman identifies where the throw is going.  If the throw is within reach, the first baseman steps towards the line of the throw. 

However, if the throw is not going to be within reach, they leave the base and make their best effort to stop the ball from going past them.  A ready position enables a player to move in a quick and agile manner to go after a poor throw.  It is difficult to move from a stretch position.

(Note: The action of repositioning the feet from a ready position to a stretch position can be difficult for kids age 8-9 and younger because of a lack of body strength and coordination.  In their case, we teach them to remain in the ready position throughout the play.  If they can reach, with their glove, to catch the ball; great!  …if they can’t, we instruct them to leave the base to catch the ball.  We establish their mindset using the teaching phrase: ‘Ball First, Base Second’.  Occasionally they will be able to move to get the ball, then come back to the base ahead of the runner.  In most cases the runner is safe…..but our first baseman has stopped the ball and prevented the runner (and runners on other bases) from advancing any further.)

The Experience of the Passive Observer

It is understandable why Kids (and many adults/coaches) stand in a stretch position in preparation to take a throw at first base. When watching a game as a fan, we follow the ball and don’t often notice what the other players on the field (first baseman) are doing.  We only see the first baseman catching the ball…in a stretch position. After constantly seeing the first baseman catching the ball with their feet positioned this way, kids think that is how the first baseman was standing the whole time.  

A Dose of Reality

As coaches, we want to teach that a Ready Position is used when preparing for a throw.  Anytime we see our players standing in a stretch position we need to correct them immediately.   Given the number of inaccurate throws made at the youth level, we want our kids to always be in an athletic position that enables them to easily move to stop offline throws.

The reality is, our kids won’t want to change this habit (right away) because the image of the first baseman set in the stretch position is branded into their brain.  Thank goodness for technology!  We can pull out our phone and show them this VIDEO. The segment, 0:22-0:26, is where we can see the first baseman’s footwork.

Improving the Quality of Play

Teaching our players the proper actions related to receiving a throw at first base will result in more throws being caught and fewer balls getting past the bag.  Also, let’s make it a priority to eliminate the practice of kids setting up in a stretch position when preparing for throws in general.

The foundation of the game of baseball (and softball) is playing catch.  Teaching our kids to be in a Ready Position prior to each throw prepares them to move to catch (or at least stop) throws that are off line.  An increased number of throws caught, and a reduction in the number of balls that get past the receiving player, makes baseball and softball more fun to play and more enjoyable to watch.

Help Your Child Get Out Of A Slump …you don’t need to know a thing about swinging a bat

Expectations and Confidence

First, we want to recognize that pre-teen and early teenage hitters can't really get into a slump.

Why?

While there is the challenge of managing one’s emotions and mental perspective at all ages, and these factors can effect confidence and focus while in the box, until a batter has a solid understanding of their swing and has gained consistency in their swing, they don't really have the foundation to be 'eligible' for a slump.

Batters who aren't accomplished in the understanding of their swing and don't yet have a 'feel' for their swing are just up there giving it their best shot - again this describes most every 12U player and many players in their early teens.

‘Slump’ Can Become an Accepted Excuse

The use of the word 'slump' at the youth level of play opens the door for negative thoughts and can make a kid a candidate for a loss of confidence  ...this word can also become a crutch or identity, which a young player could latch onto and use as an accepted excuse.  - If it were up to me, the word ‘slump’ would be banned from being uttered within earshot of any youth baseball or softball player.

For middle and older teens, and beyond, the way to get out of a slump is to go back to the one thing the batter can control - their swing. They had it before, their muscles have the memory of that good swing in them, but they likely are letting their thoughts go beyond their swing.

The Pitcher is Your Servant              

Point out to your child that "The Pitcher is Your Servant".  The rules say the pitcher has to throw the ball through the strike zone.  The fact is the rules say the pitcher must 'bring the ball to you'.  Just allow the pitcher to do as the rules mandate and then apply the good swing you have spent years developing do the rest - and don’t worry about what happens when the ball leaves the bat ...it’s out of your control.

The Swing Zone

Next, we want to help the batter get their thoughts and focus into the small space in which they are doing their work - the swing zone. That space is about two feet long ...from the launching point of their hands (near their back shoulder) to contact (near their front foot) and extension through the ball. Thoughts of what the ball might do prior to contact are, more often than not, going to interfere with the quality of their swing. Thoughts of what the ball might do after the ball leaves their bat will, more often than not, interfere with the quality of their swing.              

Batting Isn’t Fair

Finally, we need to remind players that batting is the most unfair thing in all of sports ...Its 1 against 9.  We can get a perfect pitch every time, make a perfect swing every time and hit the ball on the screws and hit a line drive every time and be 0 for 4 at the end of the day. The stats say it was a bad day, but it may have been the best day of hitting the ball of the player's life*.

Yes, Yes, Yes …No

The most important thing we can tell your young batter is to believe, before every pitch, that the ball is going to come right down the middle.  They have no doubt in their mind they are going to swing the bat at every pitch.   Only at the last moment, IF they see the pitch is bad, do they halt their plan to swing. 

We want our kids, when they are batting, to think, “Yes, Yes, Yes…” prior to and during each pitch.  When they see that it’s a bad pitch, the thought process becomes, “Yes, Yes, Yes …No”.  When they see that the pitch IS good, the thought process is, “Yes, Yes, Yes …Yes!”

 At the youth levels of baseball and softball want to help the kids develop a proper mindset when standing in the batter’s box.  We want them thinking YES, YES, YES, I am going to swing the bat at this pitch …and every pitch …unless, at the last moment I see that it’s a bad pitch.

A Successful Hitter

*I need to vent on one of my pet peeves.  The statement: “A hitter can fail 7 out of 10 times and still be considered great”.  Great hitters do not fail 7 out of 10 times.  They succeed 7 out of 10 times and four of those seven still result in outs.  I believe this type of talk leads to batters not being as focused as they can each time at the plate.  “Coach says I can fail 7 out of 10 times, so it doesn’t matter if I don't do good this time up” (resulting in a less-than fully focused batter). 

Let’s drop this phrase from the vernacular of the game – please.  When working with younger kids let’s share with them the above thoughts: “Yes, Yes, Yes …”, “Batting is 1 against 9…”, “Keep the focus on the one thing you have control over – The Swing”.  A young player can accomplish these three mental and physical points every time up - and by doing so they can ‘succeed’ every time up.

The 3 Rules to a Less Complicated Life …wisdom from legendary coach lou holtz

In the 90’s I was fortunate to work under legendary NCAA Baseball Coach, Gene Stephenson.  Of the many things I learned from Coach Stephenson, the most significant was ‘keep things simple’.  Coach Pete Carroll, who I have been able to watch closely here in Seattle believes the same and has achieved great success.  In this video, Coach Holtz shares a similar message, life doesn’t need to be complicated.

Retired football coach, active sportscaster, author and speaker, Lou Holtz has compiled a career record of 249-123-7 throughout his years of coaching. He is the only college football coach to lead six different programs to bowl games and the only coach to have four different programs in the final top 20 rankings.

He started his coaching career in 1960 as a graduate assistant at Iowa. After coaching for William & Mary, Connecticut, South Carolina, Ohio State and North Carolina Lou coached the New York Jets in 1976. After a season in the NFL, he returned to college football to coach at Arkansas before making his move to University of Minnesota and finally Notre Dame.

After coaching for 27 years, Lou Holtz retired and began working for CBS Sports as a college football analyst. He decided he wasn’t done with coaching so he returned to coaching for six more seasons at South Carolina. Since 2004, he has worked for ESPN as a football analyst. He also appears on College Football Scoreboard, College Football Final, College Football Live, and SportsCenter. On May 1, 2008 Lou was elected into the College Football Hall of Fame. Most recently in April 2015, Lou announced his retirement from ESPN. Lou Holtz is available for speaking engagements, personal appearances and golf outings.

--- the info above was is from the Lou Holtz page on the Celebrity Speakers Bureau website