Day 7 - Practice Plan

We address the critical Team Skill of taking care of the ball, while getting it back in to the Pitcher, after the Base Runners have stopped trying to advance (End of the Play).

Base Running, through First Base, is taught and trained.

Executing a Rundown is taught and trained.

0:00-0:20       

Skill Building Warm-up

(Base Running Instruction: Through First Base)

  1. Relay to Home

  2. 21 Gb Weave

  3. Base Running - Through First

[Catcher(s): Position specific work on the side]

 

 

0:20-0:40

Playing Catch Practice

Instruction

  • Batting - Coordinating Both Hands Together

  • Pitching & Throwing - Fast-Faster (Acceleration)

No Bat Drills / No Ball Drills

PCP Routine

  1.   Pitching Practice

  2.   Position Player Throwing (‘Feet & Wrist’)

  3.   Skills: Catch, Tag, Power Position

 

0:40-1:05

Team Drills

Teach: ‘Eat it! Run it In!’ |  RULE: No Overhand Throws (demo)

Teach: Rundown (Ambush)

Group 1

  • Relay to Home Full Field (ball to LF; SS going out)

  • Catcher mixes in ‘Eat it! Run it In!’

Group 2

  • Rundowns - ‘Ambush’ (between First & Second bases)

 

1:05-1:10        <Break>

 

 

1:10-1:40

Batting Practice - 12-Player Drill                                

  I. Live Batting (Full Field) 

     Tee Work

 

 II. Defense

     Play balls off the bat at a position

III. Skills Station

  • Pitching

  • Batting: Live Wiffle

 

1:40-2:00

Scrimmage/Sliding (Pick a day the grass is wet; skip Scrimmage)

    

Defensive Responsibility & Movement (BBB): 

  • Teach a bit each day.

  • Reinforce/Acknowledge during Scrimmage. Good Coaching goes beyond teaching and correcting. Good coaching includes acknowledgement of when players do things correctly

 —————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-

BATTING

Instruction

We are adding a focus point to the Skip-a-Rock action

  • The Palm of the Hand remains facing-up as the Wrist snaps forward in the Skip-a-Rock action.

  • At the conclusion of the Wrist snaping all the way forward, the Thumb ends up above the fingers. (The bottom knuckle on top of the bat, when swinging a bat.)

  • As the arm begins to extend, the focus switches from the Wrist Snap to the bottom knuckle of the Thumb.  The batter Points that Knuckle straight out towards the field.

  • The ‘Point Knuckle’ focus helps the batter maintain the energy of the Skip-a-Rock action (and the ‘swing’) in a straight line.

 

No Bat Drills

  1. Bottom Hand      x2 whole group;  x8 individually

  2. Switch Heels       x5 (Heel-Knee)

  3. Skip-a-Rock         x8 (Point Knuckle focus)  

             

Tee Work

  1. Switch Heels (Anchor: Drive off Pad of Back Big Toe)   x5

  2. Skip-a-Rock (Point Knuckle)   ...until time to rotate

 

PITCHING & THROWING

Pitching Instruction

  • Fast-Faster (Acceleration)

  • The Pitching Delivery is rhythmical. The glove Elbow pulls FAST (moving the throwing-arm Elbow forward, Fast). Once the throwing-arm elbow passes the Head, the throwing arm snaps straight down, FASTER.

  • The down action of the arm follows the snapping of the Wrist.

  • The snapping down action of the Wrist is initiated by the Fingers.

No Ball Drills

Throwing

  • Turn & Pull    x5

  • Drive & Pull   x5

  • Wrist Action   6-7 seconds

 

Pitching

  • Snap Down   x5  (Fingers initiate snap down action)

  • Stride             x5  (Slower and Controlled)

Playing Catch Practice  

  • Stride & Fast-Faster (35’); executed consecutively

 

Skills Station

  • Stride & Fast-Faster; executed consecutively (Acceleration)

 

Skill Building Warm-up

BACK TO TOP