It’s difficult to underestimate the importance of pitch selection as it relates to winning games. Whether coaches choose to make these decisions or leave them to the pitcher and catcher, these basic principles should guide the pitch-selection process
When you find out that somehow a team is getting your pitch signs, there are a number of things that can be done. Which solution chosen depends on how they are getting the signs, who is giving them to the batter, and/or what level of baseball this…
Why do most right-handed pitchers have a difficult time holding runners at first base? The problem is twofold. First, they don’t work on their deliveries to the plate with runners on first base, and second, they don’t work properly on setting up …
Going into his fifth start of this 2011 season, Cincinnati Reds pitcher Edinson Volquez had a 1st inning ERA of 29.25. Prior to his latest start, the announcers talked quite a bit about what causes pitchers to have so much difficulty in the first…
Baseball coaches will all admit that the physical proficiency in hitting is keyed on meeting the ball squarely with good bat speed. They would further admit that this is a very difficult skill to master, and this is the reason why all coaches are…
Shortstop – Across the Bag Drill:
A common mistake for shortstops is unnecessarily catching a double play ball directly over the bag. To target this, a batting tee can come in handy. Place the tee with a ball on it about 1 – 3 feet on the second…
The Step-Back Hitting Drill is a favorite of mine, because it addresses so many aspects of the swing. Incorporate it into your training to reinforce your weight shift, keep your shoulders level, control your stride length and shore up overall timing.
Locating and driving a 90-mph fastball is one of the most impressive feats of hand-eye coordination in all of sports. It’s the one skill where if you succeed only 30 percent of the time, you are considered elite.
The actual hitting part of live BP ranks a distant 3rd in terms of importance to us at Mississippi State. That sounds a little crazy, but that’s our opinion. In terms of offense, many coaches believe that it starts and ends with live BP. It’s our…
The key as to whether or not a pick-off play should be attempted from the catcher to an infielder depends on the type of secondary lead that a runner is taking at a base. The secondary lead is the lead a runner has when the catcher receives the…
If a team possesses a catcher with a quick release time along with a strong accurate arm there should be very little for the defense to worry about on this play. However, if a club does not have a catcher with this type of arm and their shortstop…
One of the keys to successful team defense is the proper execution of the fundamentals of bunt defense. Many times in baseball the winner of a close game is the team that can handle this play properly, due to the fact that the sacrifice bunt play…
Every baseball coach wants to establish various rules for his infielders and pitchers in regard to force play situations on ground balls. Even if general rules are discussed, the coach will still have to rely on the baseball instinct of the player…
Before the head coach allows a player or assistant coach to assume the responsibilities of being the first base coach, he needs to spend ample time with him detailing guidelines that he needs to follow in that capacity. The following are…
The goal of outfielders is to cleanly field the ball and efficiently get it back to the infield. I have selected seven sins that outfielders do that prevent them from achieving that goal. And if you can get your outfielders to correct these…
Amazing catches from outfielders are really fun to watch. Highlights on evening sports shows are filled with outfielders and their spectacular plays. Most times the grabs made by outfielders defy logic. People say, “How did he make that catch?”
Mirror Drill
The catcher faces a mirror and reviews signals to himself while perfecting the stance in a home environment.
Partner Drill
The catcher faces a partner standing about 10 feet away. The catcher is critiqued for any mistakes in…
Once the pitch leaves the pitcher’s hand, the pitcher can no longer consider himself a pitcher. He is now a fielder until the ball is cleanly caught by the catcher. Many pitchers leave the distinct impression that they feel their job is completed…
What are the ingredients that transform tomatoes into a great sauce? Ask any good cook that question, and they’ll all provide you with a different answer. Ask a coach, a teacher, an auto mechanic or any successful business man what makes him or…
Players can communicate with physical gestures or signals or with verbal signals, tones, and inflections. Through either verbal or physical messages, the range of success in getting important details transmitted runs from dismal failure to amazing…
The relationship between baseball coaches and umpires, much like a successful marriage, is built upon the ability to forgive, forget and move on to the next confrontation. It is truly one of the strangest relationships in all of sports.
Coaches can acquire a wealth of baseball knowledge in a number of ways, beginning with their own personal playing experiences. They can also gain knowledge by attending coaching clinics, studying the strategies of respected managers, observing…
Here is a sobering thought…In the entire history of high school and collegiate baseball, the most important individual and team championship skill is often the skill that is practiced the least…namely the ability to perform extremely well…
To be a well-rounded baseball player, you must develop and practice your base running skills. As my Guide To Base Running Strategy states, because rounding the bags happens almost every play, it is critical to allot time each practice to base…
I mentioned in Part 1 that I believe the suicide squeeze to be a great weapon for an offense because it is almost impossible to defend against once the play is in motion. The biggest reason for this is the timing involved. If both the runner and…
At the college and professional levels, you don’t see many squeeze plays. However, I have noticed more of them on MLB highlight shows so maybe it’s returning to fashion. Tampa Bay Rays manager Joe Madden recently put on two squeeze plays on…
Aggressive base running is a valuable weapon for any offense. Putting runners in motion in all its forms puts a lot of pressure on a defense because they are forced to deal with multiple things at the same time – throwing, covering bases, chasing…
Baseball players need to be explosive to repeatedly throw and hit over the course of a season. To do this, you need to train during the season to maintain and even improve your strength, speed and conditioning. (Check out this off-season baseball…
As a baseball athlete, you need to consider two important aspects of your training: total body strength and explosive power. But first, consider the muscle imbalances caused naturally by the sport. For example, you swing the bat from one side. You…
Traditional pitching workouts typically involve dumbbell and/or resistance band exercises focused on specific parts of the throwing motion—e.g., Dumbbell Rows or Resistance Band Scarecrows targeting the back and shoulder. This type of training is…
