Coaching - Tips & Drills


We've put together a collection of Drills, Hints and Tips from some of the best sources on Coaching.

If you have a tip, drill or a hint, send us an e-mail. You might also check out the Player's Tips.

 

 

 

Coaching: Attributes of the Upper Body in Good Hitters


  1. Hands are held in a strong position to throw the bat head (barrel).

  2. Hands are at the top of the strike zone. I like the bottom hand at the top of the strike zone.

  3. Bat is held at 45-degree angle. Stay away from extremes, like the bat positioned perpendicular, flat, or wrapped behind the head.

  4. Elbows are down.

  5. Lead arm forms an L.

  6. Both arms form an upside down V.

  7. Front side is soft.

  8. Front shoulder is slightly lower than back shoulder.

  9. Wrists are in an active or cocked position to allow a throwing motion.



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Coaching: Blocking Pitches


Strong catching skills do not come natural. They must be developed through proper teaching, training and practice. Top quality catchers not only have above average arms, they are great defensive players too! These skills are often overlooked until they decide "single-handedly" the outcome of a game. Then it becomes evident that ample time must be dedicated to this position. Every game's outcome is affected by catching skills. Aggressive baserunning teams always exploit "weak" catchers. Runs scored on passed balls are "moral killers" for the team!

Pitch location determines the techniques used to block it. On pitches wide to either side, the catcher should take a step to the pitch side and toward first or third base while dropping your backside knee down in the same direction. The catcher should tuck the shoulders forward keeping the chin and rear end low. The mitt should be on the ground to block the leg hole. The catcher should try to get outside the ball and angle it back to the plate if possible... MIDDLE BLOCKS... The catcher should drop straight down, fan the legs outward, and place the mitt between the legs. The main concern is to block the ball and keep it in front.

5 COACHING POINTS

  1. When the mitt is placed down, it should be tilted slightly forward and down to prevent the ball from being ramped upward into the catcher's chin.

  2. The outside pitch should be rounded to the inside. Tell her to get outside the ball and try to bounce it toward the middle and front of the plate.

  3. Make sure she tucks her chin down to prevent injury.

  4. Make sure the upper body is bent forward to force the ball's bounce downward.

  5. It is best that the chest protector not be strapped too tightly. This causes the ball to bounce off harder and farther. Have a bit of slack or loose fit that will deaden the ball's bounce. However, it should not be so loose to hamper throwing or fielding.


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Coaching: Making Sports Better For Kids


Winning is great. But even more important than the victories on the field are the ones coaches can have with their players. Here are some tips on how to make your young athletes feel great about themselves and the game:

  • Before beginning to coach, obtain information such as age range of players, level of play, length of the season, number of and length of practices and games, and information such as league philosophy and training opportunities.

  • Keep the sport in perspective, encouraging players to participate in a variety of sports and other activities.

  • Make the game a great experience for the whole family; players, coaches, officials and fans. Meeting with players and parents will encourage communication and help build a positive relationship.

  • Aim for active participation from every player, which contributes to mental and physical development. Help players develop confidence and self-esteem by greeting them individually when they arrive, showing confidence in their ability to learn and encouraging effort without always focusing on results.

  • Focus on the basics, including teaching the rules. As players develop their skills, their enjoyment of the sport grows.

Coach's Check List


Friendship
  • Call each child by name
  • Have the children learn each other's names as well
  • Speak to every child at every practice
  • Help children who may be shy
  • Use partner and small group activities
  • Rotate partners and members
  • Organize team events
  • Involve parents


Skill Development
  • "Talk an ounce, practice a ton"
  • Design activities to minimize waiting
  • Vary drills
  • Create challenges
  • Give children activities to practice at home


Fitness
  • Develop habits of stretching, warming up, and cooling down
  • Set a good example


Fun
  • Make sure every child experiences some feeling of achievement
  • Scale down your sport if necessary
  • Provide sufficient equipment
  • Have a rewards system
  • Ensure different children win each week
  • Cultivate your sense of humor


Success and Self-Worth
  • Have realistic expectations
  • Emphasize performance, not results
  • Measure and reward individual improvement
  • Offer specific, honest praise
  • Provide constructive "try this" feedback
  • Give personal attention to each child


Positive Values
  • Stress teamwork
  • Play by the rules on and off the "field"
  • Discourage cheating, reinforce fair play
  • Be happy but humble in victory, dignified in defeat
  • Be proud of your efforts


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Coaching: Take Aim with your Glove


Many coaches and players overlook the importance the glove hand plays in the ability to control the ball when pitching. When you watch a pitcher, a lot of times all you do is hear the slap of the glove on the thigh and think that the glove is used only as a way to make some noise, in order to perhaps distract the batter, or time the release of the ball. While it can do these things, the main job of the glove in pitching is to aim the ball.

In the normal delivery, the hands separate and the ball hand moves back and up in a rocker motion. For some pitchers, this motion is shortened and they come right out of the glove. After this motion, both hands come forward with the glove hand pointing directly at the target as the stride is taken. This motion does a couple of different things. The motion of the hands going forward as the stride is being taken helps move the body forward and helps elongate the stride, but the important job here is the aiming. If your pitcher is having problems with control, this is one area I would take a long look at. This motion happens so quickly it is tough to see sometimes, but it is always there in good pitchers. Make sure your pitcher is pointing her glove at the target with the wrist pointing up, which will in turn point the glove webbing straight up.

A lot of pitchers get lazy, overlooking this mechanic, and then wonder what happened to their control. If the wrist on the glove hand is pointing to one side, chances are very good that they will be throwing to that side of the plate. Video tape your pitcher if you cannot see this motion and run it back slowly. Watch the placement of the glove, the angle of it, and the angle of the wrist.

The majority of control problems I see are directly related to 2 areas. The release of the ball is incorrect due to the pitcher working on the riseball, (that is another discussion for another time), and the pitcher not using her glove to aim at the target. Make sure these two areas are correct and your pitcher will have much better control, and, in turn, will be more effective.

This tip was contributed by PitchingDoc.

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Coaching: Teach the Catcher - High Pop Up


Step Back Catcher

The high pop up behind the catcher is one of the hardest plays in softball to make. The catcher has to get to her feet, remove the mask, find the ball, determine where it will come down and then catch it. This is all done in about 3 - 5 seconds, so no wonder many catchers do not make the play.

Here is a tip that might at least help you have a better chance at making the play.

When a fast pitch, whether it is softball or baseball, is popped up over the catcher, the ball is always rotating in the same direction. Since the pop up occurs because the bat has hit the bottom half of the ball and forced it upward, the ball will always be rotating with the bottom moving toward the pitcher. This will almost always cause the ball to make a move back toward the pitcher when it reaches its apex.

In other words, when the ball nears it's peak, it will react like a curve ball that is spinning and it will move away from the backstop and toward the pitcher. So... when you locate the ball and it appears to be at a point close to its peak, "step back" a couple of steps toward the pitcher and wait for it to come down. In almost every case you will find that it has moved right over your head and you can them make the play. Additionally, coaches should always teach their players to turn around so that their back is facing the field. Finally, they should be taught to locate the ball first and then toss their mask off to the side so as not to trip over it.

This tip was contributed by Coach Ken O'Shields.

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Coaching: Teach the Peel Drop Ball


The straight or peel drop ball is the easiest to throw, easiest to teach and one of the most effective pitches in a pitcher's arsenal, yet it is often the most overlooked pitch due to the pure nature of the release needed to make this pitch move. I have heard many pitchers say to me, "Coach, I was told that I will never be able to throw a peel drop so lets just not waste our time." To this I say, "Balderdash!!" I feel that every pitcher should be able to throw every pitch, no if's and's or but's about it!

Here is the way I teach the peel drop. Get some objects similar in shape to a hockey puck. A roll of batter's tape, a hockey puck itself, a roll of candy that comes in a shape of a hockey puck, get the idea? Get a few things like this and a ball with a stripe down the middle of it. I also like to use a weighted ball with a stripe down the middle for short range work.

Have the pitcher stand 8-10 feet away from you, and have her stand in a position sideways to you with her stride already taken. Have her take the hockey puck shaped object and place her middle finger directly underneath the object. Now, using the slingshot method of delivery (arm straight back, then forward, and release) have her throw you a pitch VERY SLOWLY!! Check the position of the object. If the ball is released straight off the fingers, the object should fly through the air in an upright position. If not, have her move up close to you. Have her hold her middle finger directly under the object and let it roll off her fingertips and out of her hand to the ground. This is the proper release. Have her get back in her position and try it again. The proper release is straight off the fingertips and up. Try the different objects, because sometimes a pitcher learns better with one object than another. Get to the point where she can release the object and have it fly straight up and down through the air towards you.

The follow through is straight back and up. I tell my pitchers, "Pat yourself on the back for throwing such a nice pitch". Corny, I know, but make sure they are patting themselves on the pitching side, not the other side.

If she is still having problems with this release there are a couple of things going on. The first one is that she may have been trying to work on her riseball and so the ball is released off of her pointer and thumb. If this is the case, have her curl her pointer up a bit to force the ball back down into the hand more (so it is towards the little finger more). She will not throw like this in a game or anything, this just teaches her to get used to the feeling of the ball down in her hand and the release off her middle finger. Also, you can have her hold the ball in her hand in front of her. Now have her toss it up in the air letting it roll off her fingertips. Watch the line. It should be straight up and down. Tell her that this is the correct release.

After she is pretty good at this release, introduce the striped ball (I like heavy balls for this close work). Have her still do the slingshot delivery but slowly. If she can do this without any problem, have her take a regulation ball and try the same thing but using a slow windmill. If this is ok, have her take a few steps back and try it again. Have her continue to do this until she is at regulation distance. Make sure the rotation is correct. This is all you are looking for right now, the correct rotation. Have her throw 15 or 20 pitches like this to make sure she has got the rotation correct. A few of them may even drop.

Now have her come close to you again. Explain that the body weight must be forward on her stride foot for this pitch to drop. Have her try this close up throwing very slowly. Have her shorten her stride and go with the weight on her front foot. If this is not a problem, have her go back to regulation distance and throw some. I suggest that you wear shin guards for this. If the ball is not dropping, there may be a couple of things going on. Check the rotation of the ball. If it is ok, the go on to the next step. If not, correct it.

This is a great visual for teaching this pitch. Take a stand sideways to your pitcher so that she can see your weight distribution. Now stand with your stride already taken and your body weight evenly balanced between your two feet. Tell her this is a fastball. Now, shorten your stride and lean a little forward from your heels and tell her this is a drop ball. Weight on the forward foot and body going with the weight. Tell her the release is the same as a fastball, but the body is at a different angle. This is what the pitchers can understand as far as the body weight is concerned.

Some pitchers pull their hand back as they release the ball to give it more rotation. This is like the magician who slips the tablecloth off the table while the dishes are sitting on top of it. If this is helpful to you, great. A lot of other pitchers short arm this pitch. If this works, great! Each pitcher is an individual and should be treated as such. Try everything. The main thing in this ball is to have the proper rotation and the proper weight distribution. If you follow these instructions, you will be throwing great drop balls that drop straight down and are extremely hard to hit.

More tips like this one can be found at www.eteamz.com/company/instruction.

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Coaching: The STRIDE From "Developing Productive Hitters"


The stride is nothing more than a small movement that allows the hitter to achieve a strong, powerful position to initiate the swing. There are many terms used to describe this movement including stride, trigger, load, and so on. The important fact of this movement is that the hitter places her lower and upper body in a position that allows her to generate a swing on time and on the proper plane of the pitch, with maximum bat speed while managing some degree of balance.

Through my years of teaching this phase of hitting, I have found that many hitters make this move too late and create a base that inhibits their ability to use their legs properly. A hitter can never stride too early! The key to this movement is to understand the proper sequence and the foundation the hitter is trying to achieve.

As the heel lifts and the knee rolls slightly inward to initiate the stride, the hands slightly move into the position from which the batter launches the bat. Contact with the ground is made with the inside of the foot.

The stride is completed by executing a short, soft step toward the pitcher, maintaining a degree of closure with the front foot (45 to 90 degrees in relationship to the plate). Contact with the ground is made with the inside of the foot.

The lower body has maintained flexibility, the head is perfectly still, and the hands are prepared to initiate the swing.

Common flaws that exist in the stride occur when the hitter overstrides to a point that her weight must move forward, causing her head to have excess movement. When the hitter attempts to load her hands as she strides, it creates a separation of her power base (hands and weight, moving in opposite directions at the same time). Therefore, it is very important to load the hands before moving the stride foot.

The final point I would like to make regarding the stride foot is that the heel must get down to the ground to allow a firm base (front side) to hit against as the hitter begins the explosive movement of the swing. Many hitters do not actually move their stride foot forward but rather pick it up and put it down, or they just execute the loading phase and then hit. This type of hitter usually spreads her initial stance to achieve a balanced and powerful position. I have found that hitters move into a strong hitting position or start in that position.

This tip was contributed by by Mike Candrea

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Coaching: Throwing Form


In watching warm ups and in particular, throwing warm ups, the main problem I spotted in players trying to make the team was their throwing motion. Granted, some of the players had been taught the correct form for throwing the ball, but a lot had absolutely horrid form. Here are a few drills to fine tune your throwing form. The bringing back of the throwing hand is done is a graceful, arching movement. The hand swings back and up, with the ball facing backward at the top of the arch. This can be practiced by having someone standing about 5 feet directly behind you. Take a ball and from the hand in glove position (as if the ball were just fielded) separate the hands with the ball hand swinging first down, then back and up until you throwing arm bicep is parallel with the ground and you have a 90 degree angle with you forearm pointing up and the ball facing backwards. Looking at this motion from the third base side (right handed thrower) the ball hand starts at 9:00 O"clock, swings down to 6:00 o'clock then up to 12:00 o"clock. If you release the ball at about 3:00 o"clock (for the drill) and your form is correct, the ball should be easily caught by the person standing behind you. If the ball goes to the left or right of the catcher, you are not using a proper path for your arm. Practice this drill until you have the proper arm motion, then, instead of releasing the ball, go into your throwing motion, striding with your lead foot and following through. If you need additional work on this motion, try the load and go drill. Stand with your weight evenly distributed between both feet and in the position of already haven taken your stride, with hips facing towards third base(right handed thrower)Transfer your weight to the rear foot and lift the front foot off the ground. As you come forward with the ball in the throwing motion, transfer your weight back to your lead foot and make a throw. If you work on this drill, it will improve your accuracy and distance.

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Game Play: Cheers


Girl softball players love to cheer. They can remember all the words to all the cheers and when one of the group sings out a phrase, the others all know the response. Coaches can use this to help teach fundamentals.

When coaches are teaching fundamentals to young players they should couple the lesson with a simple verbal command. For instance, when you teach the ready position for fielders, always call out "READY POSITION!" and teach the players to respond by assuming the position immediately and calling back with a loud quot;growlquot; or something that matches the team's name. (ie the snakes can hisssss, or the Patriots can yell quot;Let's Rollquot;)

When you teach them to think about what they will do if the ball is hit to them in a certain situation, give the stimulus, quot;Who wants the ball?quot;. The response can be quot;I've Got It!quot; This reminds the girls to think about what they will do in this situation if the ball is hit to her.

By having linked these lessons to a cheer or verbal stimulus, you can quickly remind every girl on the field at once without having to scream out instructions over the roar of the crowd and the visual effect of all of the team doing this together makes an impression on the opposition as well as your fans.

Cheers!

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Game Play: Fielding - Bunt with Runner on 1st


Basic Bunt With Runner On 1st Base

Pitcher: After delivering the ball, charge the plate. Then cover 3rd base if the 3rd baseman has fielded the bunt.

Catcher: Field all bunts possible. Call the play; catcher has to "stay home" to cover the plate in the case of an overthrow with the runner attempting to score.

1st Base: Charge the bunt.

2nd Base: Cover 1st base.

Shortstop: Cover 2nd base.

3rd Base: Charge the bunt.

Outfield: LF- May have to cover the 3rd base area is pitcher doesn't. May also be used as a backup at 3rd base.

CF- Backs up 2nd base.

RF- Backs up 1st base.

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