Youth Baseball Coaching Clinic Official Blog

Welcome to the official blog of the Youth Baseball Coaching Clinic. Our blog features free youth baseball articles and daily posts on every aspect of coaching youth baseball including youth baseball practice organization, youth baseball practice drills for youth baseball, youth baseball coaching tips and baseball strategy for coaching kids. Make sure to save this site to your favorites. You will want to visit our site regularly because we update daily. Good Luck to You and Your Team!



Showing posts with label baseball. Show all posts
Showing posts with label baseball. Show all posts

Monday, November 7, 2011

Youth Baseball Bats - How Do I Choose the Right One?

Youth Baseball Bats - How Do I Choose the Right One?
By guest author: Jeff Heitz

When purchasing a youth baseball bat, there are a number of important things that need to be taken into consideration. The bat's weight, length and barrel width are very important and must be selected based on your league requirements. Some leagues will only allow a 2 ¼" barrel and this will change how you choose the proper bat verses leagues that allow 2 ¾" barrels. Wood bats are still available and make an excellent choice for all of your cage work as it helps to develop a proper swing and gain an understanding of the sweet spots on wood verses aluminum or alloy bats.

The most popular choice for youth baseball bats are aluminum or alloy. The technological advancements in these bats have come a long way and they keep improving from year to year. A basic rule for selecting the right bat is to choose the lightest bat for its length in order to fully maximize your swing power. In a lot of cases, lighter youth baseball bats are just as costly as some of the heavier ones, but with so many quality suppliers, you are sure to find one that will satisfy your budget.

When choosing a longer bat, you are insuring more plate coverage; but it might cause the bat to be too heavy and slow down or alter the mechanics of the proper swing. Not a good idea! Shorter, lighter bats will cause the player to crowd the plate a little more but will definitely create more bat speed. Bat speed is essential and choosing the right bat is very important. It would be best to have a bat that is a little too light than to choose one that is too heavy.

Barrel size has become the talk of the dugout. A larger barrel will produce more power and have a bigger sweet spot allowing the hitter to drive balls that would otherwise be harmless outs. Choosing the proper youth baseball bat is an imperfect science. If you are playing in a league that will allow 2 ¾" barrels, I would always recommend choosing bat speed over any other factor. Players come in all shapes and sizes and all have different strength levels...this complicates the process when choosing. Before purchasing, you might talk to your coach or a youth baseball bat representative and get information based on your players age and size and what the general trend is.

The rules for Little League Baseball differ from most all other youth organizations on their bat requirements. A 2 ¼" barrel and a maximum length of 33 inches is all that is allowed. Little League bats are required to have a taped handle up to 10 inches. Youth bats are measured in inches for the length and ounces for the weight. Negative or minus numbers are used to determine the bats weight. For example if a bat is 29" long and has a -10 rating the bat will weigh 19 ounces. The bat would be referred as a minus ten negative ten or a drop ten bat. The higher the negative number the lighter the bat is for its length.

For more detailed information on choosing the right baseball or softball bat visit http://youthbaseballbats.ws

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jeff_Heitz

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Thursday, October 27, 2011

3 Drills to Improve Your Ability to Catch Fly Balls

3 Drills to Improve Your Ability to Catch Fly Balls
By guest author: Jim Bain

Just like any other position in baseball, playing the outfield is not nearly as easy as it appears, and just like any other position, there are drills which are intended to teach players how to properly execute their responsibilities. We'll briefly look at three drills which will increase your skills to catch a fly ball.

When someone says "The outfielder caught the fly ball," we normally visualize a player standing in one place, moving slightly to the flight of the ball, and easily catching the ball above their head with two hands. This type of play happens 1000s of times a day through out the youth ball parks of America, however just as many 1000s of times a day the player has to go get the ball, and those are the situations we'll review.

*** Whether a fly ball will be caught for an out or not is often determined in the initial reaction of the outfielder, his determination of what he must do before he even begins to move from his position, and should he determine wrong, well... he'd better hope he's extremely fleet a foot.

The Which Way to Turn Drill at first glance may appear rather odd, but the disciplines taught by this drill are extremely serious. Ever see a player going back on a fly ball only to realize the ball is on the wrong side of his body in order for him to catch it, then attempt to turn, tangling his feet and falling. That mistake was created by turning the wrong way when he initially began giving chase to the ball.

For this drill the coach will hit fungos, (fly balls) to the outfielders, but with a twist to the normal fielding exercise. The outfielder will be instructed to look down at the ground instead of at the coach or flight of the ball, until the coach yells "Now!" At that instant the player is to locate the ball, determine which way to turn, then attempt to field the fly ball.

The intent of this drill is two fold, forcing the fielder into instantly deciding on the proper way to turn and quickly reacting to give chase, which is a real plus when the ball is lost in the sun or lights, then relocated.

*** TheFootball Drill is a takeoff from the "Turn Drill" as the fielder will be running after the ball, as if choosing the correct direction to turn, and will catch the ball over his shoulder similar to a football receiver.

In order to correctly utilize this drill, unless the coach is very accurate with his hitting of fly balls where intended, it's better to loft the balls by hand. The intent is to familiarize the player with catching the fly ball while running sideways looking back, not to chase balls hit well beyond his reach.

*** The third drill is Turn and Go Drill. This drill is intended to teach players to anticipate the flight of the ball, run to an anticipated spot, then relocate the ball and catch it.

Let's assume the player is stationed in left field, the coach will indicate to the fielder he's going to hit the ball to left center field. Once the coach hits the ball, the player is to quickly analyze where he thinks the ball will land, run to that spot, then turn, locate, readjust and catch the ball.

These are extremely difficult drills intended for higher skilled players, but just another stepping stone in the long baseball education.

Jim Bain - Former Minor league baseball player, who since retiring has dedicated his life to teaching baseball to youth. Visit his exciting info packed website: http://www.Learn-Youth-Baseball-Coaching.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jim_Bain

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Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Correct Batting Practice Methods For Little League Baseball Teams

Correct Batting Practice Methods For Little League Baseball Teams
By guest author: Marty Schupak

In my eighteen years of coaching youth baseball, I am always looking for the most efficient practice methods for every aspect of baseball. It took me only a few years to realize that most youth baseball coaches and myself were running batting practice, not incorrectly, but not efficiently. From what I have seen with the typical batting practice, a coach will pitch a predetermined number of balls for each batter with the fielders fielding the hit balls and throwing them to first base. Usually the coach will yell something like "run the last one out", and the batter does just that. If the ball is an infield hit, they try to throw him out at first. If it is hit into the outfield, he usually runs until he is thrown out. This is all well and good intentioned, but it is wasting valuable time when a coach wants to run an efficient practice.

Here is the most efficient way of running a batting practice that I've come up with. First of all, let me say this. Batting practice is just what it is, batting practice. Batting practice is not fielding practice or base running practice. So all youth coaches and parents should really define what a youth batting practice is and what they want to get out of it.

Most of my youth practices do not run more than one hour. Every minute of wasted time will affect all other aspects and time of any other drills or techniques I want to accomplish. The first thing a coach needs to have is an over abundance of baseballs. The league will provide baseballs but I always make sure I purchase a few dozen extras. I try to work with three-dozen and keep an extra dozen in my trunk. And don't think I'm not frugal accounting for every baseball at the end of practice. I try to make sure we find each one, and after practice, we comb the field to make sure we got them all. Usually we find extras and end up with more than what we started with.

Now, here is the actual logistics and set up that I do about 95% of the time I run batting practice. I'm a big proponent of bunting. I set up two cones on the third base line, about six feet apart, approximately where the bunt is suppose to go. I set up two empty buckets, one about three feet behind second base and the other one at the far base of the mound toward second. I have another bucket with the baseballs on the mound easily accessible to me. Now, this is a key. As a youth coach who wants a well-run practice and a lot of repetitions for the kids, I move up almost to the front base of the mound to pitch. I do this mainly so I can throw strikes consistently. For safety purposes, an "L" screen would be required from a shorter distance for safety. If your league doesn't have any, make them get them.

I have the first person up at bat with the 2nd and 3rd player ready to go. I have the 3rd hitter (or double on deck hitter) on the outside of the screen hitting balls on a batting tee using pickle balls (plastic) or wiffle balls with another parent feeding the balls on the tee. I always have the number 2, or on deck hitter, ready to hit.

The batter bunts the first to pitches. For each successful bunt, the player receives an extra swing. I usually give a player five swings besides his two bunts. So if a player lays one bunt between the cones, he get six regular swings. If he lays both bunts between the cones, he gets seven swings (the maximum per hitter). Now, there are certain things that have to happen to make this work. Remember there are two buckets strategically located. After the bunts, when the hitter swings away, wherever the ball is hit, the fielder tosses it into the bucket closet to him. If it is hit to the outfield, he will throw the ball as close to the bucket behind second base. If he hits it to the infield, the fielder will toss it to the bucket behind the pitcher's mound. Reinforce to the players that they must toss to the bucket on one or two bounces or they will tend to play basketball with the baseball and bucket.

Now the point here is that the fielders do not make a play to first and the hitter does not run the last one out. We get more repetitions in a short period of time. The players are always facing the hitter. One might ask, isn't this boring for most of the players in the field? Well, not really. Because of the amount of balls hit in a short period of time, the ball is usually hit all over the place. And the coach throwing batting practice will keep one or two extra balls in his glove and is ready to pitch the next ball right away. When out of baseballs, have the players in the infield hustle to gather up the balls, combine buckets, and we're ready to go again. This works great!

Batting practice is a favorite of any baseball player at almost every level. Do not deny batting practice at any practice. And always look for the most efficient, safest procedure to help enhance your whole practice.

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" and author of the popular book, "Youth Baseball Drills". He is a principle for 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.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marty_Schupak

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Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Why Youth Baseball Players Should Get Hitting Instruction

Why Youth Baseball Players Should Get Hitting Instruction
By guest author: Chip Lemin

Happy Spring training to all coaches!

I never gave professional hitting instruction for youth baseball players much thought until my child started playing travel baseball. I then noticed that many teams did indeed use paid instructors to help players learn proper fundamentals. After I attended my first lesson, I realized what I thought I knew didn't amount to much in the big picture.I was giving instruction such as, keep your elbow up,and keep your eye on the ball.I don't think too many kids go up to the plate with their eyes closed. I was completely underwhelmed by my knowledge of hitting instruction.

I remember the instructor talked about the grip first. I didn't know about lining up the middle knuckles on each hand when the bat is gripped. He showed us(me included) how these knuckles will end up in this position as the player swings anyway.It was explained that the bat doesn't have to be held in a death grip.The bat should be held as loosely as the batter can tolerate.This helps keep the hands flexible during the swing. He also showed us how to choose the right length and weight of bat for each player. He discussed what a "long swing" was,and how it hurt the player's bat speed.

The instructor took the players through a couple fun drills to show us what he meant. The players have not even taken a swing at a pitch yet,and I had learned a lot. Some players will not like a different approach to hitting. They are comfortable with their current swing. A good instructor will not blow up a kid's swing in the first lesson. They will a take a small part of the swing,and modify it. Then at the next lesson, something else is introduced to help the hitter.Many players are doing a lot right in their swings to begin with. A smart instructor will take care not to overload, or completely change a player's swing right away. A good instructor should give fun "homework" in the form of drills to help the players develop their swings. This gives you the "coach" something concrete to work with. Be sure to take notes so you can use this great information at practice. This will help you to provide variety at practice. Bored players are much harder to motivate.

So don't hesitate to get professional instruction for your players. Most qualified hitting instructors will charge anywhere from 30-75 dollars per hour. It is worth the money when the players and the coaches use the information during practice.It also takes more than one lesson the make a difference. Plan on a series of lessons with no more than one week in between sessions. The less time off the better to enhance muscle memory. So ask around, or get out the phone book, and get some quotes. Then actually go watch some lessons in person. Don't be afraid to interview the instructor to see if you like their style.Do some homework like any other investment to get the best return on your team's hard earned money. Your coaching ability will grow as you learn more about hitting. You don't have to "know it all" ahead of time. Go soak up all the knowledge you can with professional hitting instruction for youth baseball players.

Thanks

Coach Chip

Chip Lemin has been a promoter of youth baseball since they started using aluminum bats. That's a long time. I have witnessed many good people get into coaching without solid coaching skills and it is not fun for them or the kids.Today's newer coaches are also being shortchanged on sportsmanship, like there is none. Visit my site to sign up for a insightful, informational, free coaching e-course at http://www.baseballecourse.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chip_Lemin

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Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Common Sense Coaching, Teaching Hitting To Little League Baseball Players

Common Sense Coaching, Teaching Hitting To Little League Baseball Players
By guest author: Marty Schupak

One thing I learned in my 21 years coaching youth baseball is that there is no perfect way to coach hitters. I never considered myself an expert at teaching young 7-12 year old ballplayers the most refined hitting techniques. The most success I've had with improving hitters' techniques is when I didn't over coach them. I've attended my share of baseball conventions and hitting clinics.

Sometimes I come away more confused than when I went in. The hitting coaches I enjoy the most are the ones that simplify not just the hitting technique itself, but the explanation so young players will understand it. Most of the speakers at these clinics have incredible knowledge about hitting but I believe many should work on targeting their lessons to younger players. With that said, I would like to share the five biggest mistakes I see young players make year in and year out and what I do to correct them.

Mistake #1 is a batter stepping towards third base with his front foot. For lefty hitters it would be stepping towards first. For young players, this might be the most common hitting mistake I see. Instead of stepping toward the pitcher or even just lifting the front foot and putting it down, many players step toward third.

This can also throw off the whole rhythm of the player's swing and also reduce the amount of power the player can put into the swing. If the batter does make contact and hits the ball fair, the ball usually is a grounder to the right side of the infield. This hitting flaw is easy to recognize. To correct it can take time. What I do is take two pieces of 2X4 wood each about 36" long. Putting them on each side of the player's feet during batting practice will force his front foot from stepping to the side. Very rarely do players actually step into the wood while batting. Coaches should have the batter practice stepping first without even swinging for a few pitches. One session alone will usually not solve the problem but over a period of time this can work more times than not with most young players. You can also use two bats but I prefer wood because the bats can roll.

Mistake #2 is when the batter takes too big a step forward toward the pitcher. Many hitting coaches teach that batters need to limit excessive movement of the head. When a player takes an extra big step, his head can drop a good 4-6" or more. Plus, stepping too far forward can limit the batter's hip rotation and power. To help curb this, I will take a flat piece of wood like a piece of " plywood 4"X36" long. This would have to be cut to size. I put it about 6-8" in front of the player's front foot. He has to avoid stepping on it. Again, the coach or parent must give the player numerous repetitions to reinforce the muscle memory of the act.

Mistake #3 is when players lift their head too soon. Everyone who ever hit a baseball or a softball wants to see the result of their effort. At the youth level, batters will sometimes move their heads prematurely, losing site of the pitched ball. This is almost equivalent to a batter closing his eyes and trying to hit the ball. Young players tend to do the same thing when hitting off a batting tee. First, I have the player hit off the batting tee and he must yell "hit" upon contact. In giving them the extra challenge, this is forcing them to focus more and they will tend to keep their head and eye on the ball. The second technique is to color code a few balls.

I usually use blue painter's tape on some and yellow duct tape on others and keep some unmarked. So we have blue, yellow and white. Coaches and parents, if you do this do not over mark the balls with the tape. One small slice about two inches on each side is sufficient. Then a coach will throw the balls and the batter must track or follow the baseball into the catcher's glove. He will then call out the color once he recognizes it. The next step in this drill is to have the batter bat and yell out the color after swinging and making contact. I've had pretty good results with these two drills.

Mistake #4 is when a player stops his swing. I can't tell you how many young players I've seen who have a tendency to not swing through the baseball. This happens when a player makes contact with the ball. His swing all of a sudden slows down. We all know the importance of the follow through. Again, the batting tee has given me the best results. I stand next to the hitter and just tell him to swing through the ball. This is a process that can take a while. Also having him take numerous practice swings is a good idea.

Mistake #5 is the upper cut. To help solve this, I use the "Chair Drill." I set up a batting tee with a chair just behind it with the set up such that the bat must go past the highest part of the chair first. When swinging and trying to hit the ball off the tee, the batter must avoid hitting the back of the chair. I like to use the term swinging "high to low." The player understands this and knows what he has to do in this drill. I will also take a young batter and pitch batting practice and he has to try and hit only grounders without chopping down on the baseball. This also helps solve the upper cut issue.

For these remedies to work, repetition is the key. With young people, keep it simple. My own "Hitting 101" lesson is the soft toss drill 6-10 feet from a fence or a wall with rag ball (which are rags wrapped in masking tape). I then tell the hitter he must try and hit the ball so it lands at eye level or lower. I have no scientific proof but when the hitter does hit the ball at eye level or lower, it seems the batter is doing more things correct than not.

Hitting instructors are incredibly knowledgeable. They must convey their theories so both the hitter and the layman coach like myself can understand the common nuances of this great skill. And we all have to keep it simple and supplement all instruction with relevant hitting drills.

http://www.YouthSportsClub.com

Marty Schupak, President of the Youth Sports Club, has coached youth sports for 21 years and has run more than 1,500 youth sports practices. He is the creator of 22 sports instructional videos including the best selling video "The 59 Minute Baseball Practice." He is also author of the popular book, "Youth Baseball Drills." For samples of his videos, go to http://www.VideosForCoaches.com. Contact him at YouthSportsClub@aol.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marty_Schupak

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Friday, September 16, 2011

Are You a Good Youth Baseball Coach?

Are You a Good Youth Baseball Coach?
By guest author: Chip Lemin

Hello Coaches,

Are you ready for another season of watching your youth baseball team make tons of errors? Well, if your not,check out a few drills you can use winter work outs or spring training. These drills are fun for youth baseball players, along with helping them learn fielding fundamentals lacking many of today's youth baseball players.So print them up for for better results fielding the ball this year.

Outfield Bucket Drill

Place a large garbage can (clean one please) on its side, on home plate so that the opening faces second base

Players make 2 lines in right and left field. Coach is at 2nd base with bucket of balls. * Have the first two players in each line break away from their groups and assume a normal ready fielding position

Throw a soft pop fly into the air for the fielders to catch. * After the catch, they crow hop and throw the ball at cutoff-height to home plate. Instruct them to throw the ball into the bucket with the ball bouncing once or twice prior to home plate. Players rotate after each throw, and then
Change lines after 2 throws. Add grounders to the mix, showing them how to field balls along
With making proper strong throws home.

Throwing skills include aggressively squaring the body to the target, the crow hop; correct arm extension with fingers atop the ball and pointed straight back; grip the ball across the seams; hip roll and follow through.

Emphasize proper fielding techniques. The players should be catching the ball with there
Momentum taking them towards home plate or the base they are throwing to. Show them
How to run to the spot, step back some, and then come in on the ball. Receive the ball above the bill of their hat, slightly toward the throwing shoulder; glove fingers are pointed to the sky (not turned SIDEWAYS.

To improve focus of the players in this drill, make it a contest between 2 or 3 evenly matched groups. Make up scoring rules, and watch the focus improve. This always adds fun to a work
Out as long as the teams are even. Our Advanced course goes into drop steps, crossover steps, fielding grounders on the run, and much more.

Call out the Number Drill

Take 12 to 24 balls and put the number 1 or 2 on each ball, evenly divided as possible. Have players line up at shortstop, 2nd base, 1st base, and home plate with their gloves. Divide them evenly as possible; you can have whole team in on this drill if you want.

The thrower at home plate picks a ball out of the bucket, and rolls a pretty hard grounder to player at short. The player fielding the ball at short will call out the number on the ball, and throws it to 1st or 2nd base.

After ball is thrown to 1st base, that player will then throw ball to second base, where that player will run ball back to a bucket by shortstop. Each time a throw is made, the player must tag that base before the next throw is made. Errant throws must be retrieved and that base tagged before next throw is made. Any of the 3 players can go get the poor throw, but the throw must go back to the right base before the next throw is made.

The players rotate while ball is being put in the bucket (fielder goes to first, first baseman goes to second, and second baseman goes to end of line), or they can go to home plate and be a thrower. Thrower then would go to short to become a fielder.

The drill can be turned into a competition by splitting up into teams and simultaneously conducting the drill (other team starts in between home and first and throw to third for #1 and home for #2) or timing each team on how long it takes them to complete 12-24 balls. Emphasis should be put on setting the feet to throw to the proper base, along with a quick release with out taking an extra step, and that making good throws will avoid lost time chasing after wild throws. As players advance, make sure proper footwork for tagging a base and throwing to the next base is taught. Players should be taught to stay in low crouching position while making quick throws to 2nd base from shortstop

Circle the Bucket Drill

Helps player to use proper footwork (shuffling and rounding of ball) by circling the bucket before fielding ball. This will help them to use footwork that will square them to target, and provide momentum for their throws.

Need bucket of balls along with extra bucket.

Players line up at shortstop with a bucket 5 feet in front of them. The coach sets up at pitcher's mound with bucket of balls.

As the coach rolls slower speed grounders at the bucket, the player circles the bucket from the 3rd base side and fields the ball, keeping his footwork right, and momentum moving toward 1st base.

The speed of the grounders will increase, as players get better at this drill. This drill is about proper form, not how fast we do it. Increase speed only as players do drill correctly. To add more difficulty have players circle ball from first base side.

Have each player do this 5-6 times. You can have players be the rollers also, and then rotate back to fielding line.

I hope you find these drills helpful.The key to a good practice is that the kids have fun while they learn.You really don't have yell and shout if the team doesn't do it just right.Just look first for the effort.

Thanks Coach Chip

Hello My name is Chip Lemin. I'm a long time youth baseball coach who loves to promote this great game of youth baseball. Promoting sportsmanship in this game of youth baseball is something that really needs I feel. I have a free e-course that will give you some solid coaching information along with great help on the inter-personal relationships we must have to be good youth baseball coaches. Things such as parents, travel baseball, getting parents to help out, how to communicate better to parents and players, just to touch on a few. This course will help to organize practices like an elite coach. How to motivate players and other coaches with your positive attitude. It really is not very hard to be a great coach when you know what to do.Best of all you will learn how to have fun with these great kids that you have the privilege of coaching. Do yourself a favor and check it out, it's free,you will get 1 part every couple of days in your e-mail. Coaching can be fun and rewarding if you have a plan in place first, and you have an idea what you are doing.

http://www.baseballecourse.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chip_Lemin

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Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Youth Baseball Coaching Challenge - Get Your Players to Think

Youth Baseball Coaching Challenge - Get Your Players to Think
By guest author: Larry Miljas

One critical key to a successful baseball player is knowing what to do before the time for action arises.

As a youth baseball coach you need to teach your players to think: Focus on teaching them baseball rules and strategies.

I question if these goals would appear on many coach's radars. During my seasons of coaching, a lot of coaches do not make this a priority. However, if asked, most coaches will agree that this is one of the most important goals. When a youth ballplayer realizes the proper play at any given time, they will not need to be reminded in the future each and every time the given play occurs. Therefore, the player will get a greater enjoyment out of the game, due to their increased knowledge.

The following are common circumstances that I recommend working on with your youth ball players, especially players that have very little or no exposure to the game of baseball.

Running the Bases:

When to take off immediately for the next base -- This can be a confusing time for a base runner. Sometimes the coach is telling you to go on contact, other times, they are instructed to tag up, and still others, they are supposed to wait until a play is made ahead of them before advancing. If you wait until game time and hope that your base coaches will be able to instruct your base runners, you are asking for a headache. It is far better to spend ten minutes a practice to drill these situations into your player's head. The scoreboard will reflect the fruits of working on this.

Outfielders:

Throwing to the correct base -- Every outfielder must know the process of figuring out what base to throw to before they get the receive the baseball. Not only should the outfielders be thinking about where to throw, but the infielders should be helping them out. The initial base to throw to is based upon the base runners, if the ball was caught or fielded off the ground and where the fielder is when they get the ball.

Backing up plays -- One highly overlooked, yet very important responsibility of the outfield is to back up the plays. A team that realizes that every player has a responsibility on every play, regardless of if the ball is hit to them or not, will have golden opportunities to make outs that would otherwise not be there. Proper movement based on the location the ball was hit and where the play is being made is very good to teach your players.

Infielders:
Where the play is at -- Teach your infielder to know where the play is before they get the ball. Too many times a player is trying to decide where to make the play while they are in the middle of it. This causes everything from fumbled ground balls to late or erratic throws.

Covering Bases -- There is not much more frustrating then a sure out turning into an extra base, because your shortstop didn't move to cover 2nd on a ground ball that the 2nd baseman threw past first. The base runner takes off for second on the throwing error and the first baseman has the ball in plenty of time only to eat it, because no one is covering 2nd. Tons of variations on this can be seen in every little league game.

I have no doubt that there are hundreds of other of situations that can be thought of for your players. I tried to cover some of the main issues that can be easily fixed with proper instruction and dedicated practice time. Youth baseball coaching can be fun and rewarding. Try these suggestions and you will see games go a lot smoother and you may find some of those precious outs that would have otherwise not been recorded.

Larry Miljas believes that coaching youth is very important as it gives us a chance to influence tomorrow's leaders. He is a martial arts instructor and little league baseball coach that wants to provide baseball tips, drills, and information on techniques for hitting, pitching, coaching, and training through his website at http://www.TheYouthBaseballCoach.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Larry_Miljas

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