Coaching Baseball Pitchers - Multi-Purpose Baseball Pitching Drills to Improve Control

Learning correct baseball pitching mechanics are the first step in the making of a pitcher. Once proper mechanics are mastered these two drills can be used to hone skill, increase concentration, build confidence, and improve control. Here are two drills that can bed used to help improve a pitchers control. The two drills are "Pitch Tracking" and the "20 X 4" Pitching Drill.

"Pitch Tracking"

Great Drill baseball Hitters, Catchers, and Pitchers!

The pitcher is throwing to a catcher as he normally would in pitching practice or bull-pen work. The pitcher is throwing at his normal pitching distance. The purpose of the drill is to increase a pitcher's level of concentration, to work a catcher, and to allow one batter or two batters learn to "track" every pitch.

Variation #1: One Batter - Right or Left handed

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Variation #2: Two Batters - One Right and One Left handed

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Variation #1 - One batter is standing in and tracking every pitch from the pitcher's hand to the catcher's mitt. The batter does not have a bat. The batter will assume his regular stance and imagine that he is holding a bat. The batter will "track" or watch the first three pitches out of the pitcher's hand until they hit the catcher's mitt, making sure to keep his head down and eyes on the ball all of the way. The batter must have a batting helmet on. The next steps to the drill are explained in the second paragraph below.

Variation #2 - Two batters are standing in the batter's box without bats. Each batter will assume his regular stance and imagine that he is holding a bat. The batters will "track" or watch the first three pitches out of the pitcher's hand until they hit the catcher's mitt, making sure to keep his head down and his eyes on the ball all of the way. The batters must have a batting helmet on. The next steps to the drill are explained in the paragraph below.

Next the batters will swing away with their "imaginary" bats. The batters will read the location of each pitch the pitcher throws and hit the ball where it is pitched. When two batters are tracking, they will do opposites. One will pull a pitch in a location that his tracking partner will hit to the opposite field.

The coach can call out a count such as 2-0, 3-1, 1-2, and baseball to allow the batters, pitchers, and catchers certain mind-sets in different situations.

Note: If your hitters are too young to perform this drill, have a coach to stand in. The coach may wish to wear a helmet and wear a glove for protection. This is a tough drill, but it is great for developing concentration. Make sure all batters wear helmets and other proper protective equipment.

Coaching Point: The hitters do not hold a bat. The batters will swing a "invisible" bat. They must attack and hit every pitch according to its location. This drill is great for teaching hitters to see spin and to teach them to see a pitchers release point.

"20 X 4" Pitching Drill

Improves Control & Concentration

This drill is a pitching drill in which the young pitcher works at a smooth, rather fast pace, but only throws 50-60% of normal speed. The pitcher should not be allowed to throw full speed. The objective of the drill is to teach concentration and develop great control. The pitcher has to throw 20 strikes before 4 balls are thrown. The pitcher should be allowed to perform the drill at a shorter distance at first. After several practices, the pitcher should be able to move to the regular pitching distance within. If 4 balls are thrown before 20 strikes, the pitcher must restart. Care should be taken to not overwork the pitcher. Keeping the distance short, emphasizing accuracy not speed, and making sure the pitcher is properly stretched and warmed-up should prevent any chance of arm injury.

With younger players you may want to make the drill a 10-3 drill. 10 strikes must be thrown before 3 balls or the drill is restarted.

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Nick Dixon is the President and founder of Nedco Sports, the "Hit2win Company". Dixon is also an active and full time high school baseball coach with over 25 years experience. Dixon is widely recognized as an expert in the area of baseball training, practice and skill development. Coach Dixon is better known as the inventor of several of baseball and softball's most popular training products such as the Original BatAction Hitting Machine, SKLZ Derek Jeter Hurricane Hitting Machine, Original Hitting Stick, Hit2win Trainer, SKLZ Target Trainer, SKLZ Derek Jeter ZipnHit Pro, and Strikeback Trainer. Dixon is also a contributing writer for BaseballCoachingDigest, the Baseball 2Day Coaches Journal, Batting Cage Builder, the American Baseball Directory and the Hit2win Baseball Coaches Monthly Newsletter. Dixon has 5 blogs related to baseball training including the BaseballCoachingDigest Blog, CoachesBest Training Blog, Hurricane Machine Training Blog, Batting Cage Buyers Blog, and the Bat Action Training Blog.

Little League Back-up Situations For Outfielders

As Little League baseball coaches, sometimes we try to teach too much in too short a period. Ive coached three youth sports and have found that youth baseball is the most over-coached and under-taught sport Ive seen on the youth level. A good example is teaching back-up situations. It is especially beneficial to teach back-up situations to your outfielders. Remember that if you try to tell a player during a game what to do instead of practicing the situation, the rate of success will diminish. Ill go over three different back-up situations that I always practice, which have come up during the game.

The first one is the right fielder backing up on a bunt. Yes a bunt. With no one on base and the batter bunts, the play is going to first base. Drill your outfielders in practice (have all take turns) that with no one on base and when the batter squares to bunt, the right fielder will sprint to the first base foul line and come up to back up the throw from whoever fields the bunt. It is important that he tries as best he can to line himself up with the fielder and first base. The goal here is to hold the base baseball at first base in case of an overthrow.

The second back up situation is with the center fielder and with a man on first trying to steal second. When the pitch is thrown and the runner at first takes off (when the pitch crosses home plate), the center fielder will sprint toward second base to back up the throw from the catcher. He is actually a second back up because either the second baseman or shortstop (whoever does not field the throw) is the first back up. A very important key here and mistake that often happens is that the center fielder comes in too far and on a really wild throw, the ball will baseball past him also. I teach my centerfielder to be about 10-15 feet behind the first back up, and if the ball gets by the first backup, the centerfielders goal is to keep the ball in front of him with his body and not to necessarily catch it.

The third situation is really a base coverage by the outfielder. If there is a man on first and the batter bunts to third, many times a smart and aggressive coach will have the base runner at first continue to third knowing the third baseman might be out of position to get back to the base after fielding the ball. So with a man on first and the batter squares to bunt, the third baseman will move in to cover the bunt, and I have the left fielder run in to cover third. We practice this with all players and make sure the left fielder runs in right when the batter squares to bunt, not on the bunt it self.

There are numerous back up situations involving both infielders and outfielders. These are just three of them, which involve the outfielders more in the game. But like everything else, you can tell the players what to do during a game, but if you practice the situation, your odds of success increase!

http://www.YouthSportsClub.com

http://www.VideosForCoaches.com

Marty Schupak has coached youth baseball for 18 years and is the video creator of "The 59 Minute Baseball Practice", "Backyard Baseball Drills", "Winning Baseball Strategies", "Hitting Drills & Techniques", Pitching Drills & Techniques, and author of the popular book, "Youth Baseball Drills". He is a principle with Videos For Coaches and is also President of the Youth Sports Club, a group dedicated to making sports practices and games more enjoyable for kids.