6u practice 7 | eaconsulting

PRACTICE 7 Focus: Throwing, Fielding/Footwork, Hitting

Agility Warm Up (10 Min)

Player starts at bottom left cone with glove and sprints forward
Once past the top cone, the player back pedals in the opposite direction
Player continues until through all cones

Player start at bottom right cone with their glove and shuffles feet athletically until outside bottom right cone
Player sprints forward until past top right cone and shuffles left until outside top left cone
Player then back pedals to bottom left cone

Stationary feeds to a player with no glove
Have player get into a proper fielding position and roll balls directly to them so their feet can stay stationary
Focus is on getting the player into the proper fielding position and reaching out for the ball with their glove hand palm facing the ball and throwing hand over the glove hand
Roll 3 to each and rotate

Throwing (10 Min)

Player’s throw to coaches
Start with wrist snaps on the knees
- Glove knee up, throwing hand knee down
- Throwing arm is at 90 degree
- Glove hand supports throwing elbow underneath
- With ball in hand, wrist starts forward, comes back, and forward to snap
- Arm does not move, just the wrist
Throwing from the knee
Start with glove shoulder facing target
Glove to ear, ball separation behind throwing shoulder, elbow up
On the throw, glove is tucked, wrist is snapped, throwing hand finished at opposite pocket
Attempt to get the player’s to go from shoulder to shoulder with their throws
Throwing from the feet in an athletic position
Utilize same mechanics mentioned above
Targets can be used for fun, i.e. Hula Hoops or Buckets
Start close and slowly move back.
Can add a competition for fun having the players attempt to throw through a hula hoop at various distances starting close and slowly moving back

Catching (10 Min)

Start by having the coaches toss players a tennis ball up close with no glove
- Have them start in a stationary athletic position with the legs flexed giving a target with both hands out front
- Feed them the ball and have them catch it with their glove hand with their throwing hand covering up after the catch
- Feed them balls from your knee in different areas encouraging the use of their legs working up and down (but still stationary)
- If the ball is above their knee have them catch it finger tips up using their legs, below the knees catch finger tips down
- Have 3-4 lines and feed them 3 balls each and rotate
Have the coaches toss balls just outside their glove side or and side
- Have them start in a stationary athletic position with the legs flexed giving a target with both hands out front
- Feed them the ball and have them move their feet to the ball
  - If tossed glove side, the footwork is glove foot to the ball, back foot plants, lead foot to the target
  - Have the player finish in an athletic throwing position
  - If tossed hand side, the footwork is back foot plants, and glove foot leads to the target
- Have 3-4 lines and feed them 3 balls each and rotate
Now with the glove, have the player get athletic by bending at the knees and having the feet outside the shoulders
- The coach will again feed 3 balls each from a close distance on their knee and rotate
- The players will give a target using two hands
- Focus on having them catch the ball finger tips up or finger tips down in a stationary position

Review Fielding/Footwork (20 Min) Circuit

Discuss and demonstrate the proper fielding position
- Feet a little wider than shoulders
- Weight is on the inside of the balls of the feet
- Bottom is down almost as if sitting on a chair
- Back is straight
- Glove is reaching out touching the ground with the arm still flexed not straight
- The palm is towards the ball, not the sky
- Throwing hand is over the top of the glove
- Head is up
Lateral Shuffle
- Set up two balls 7-10 feet apart
- Have the player start in the middle of the two balls in an athletic position
- The player will shuffle laterally until they get to the ball which will be in front of them
- The player will break down into the fielding position that was demonstrated earlier and get into a throwing position
- Have them shuffle twice to each side and then rotate
- Multiple stations can be setup for this footwork

Fielding Footwork
- Setting up in an athletic position with a ladder directly in front and a ball placed in front of the ladder that’s running horizontal.
- A right handed player will put their right foot in a ladder square followed by their left foot (it will be the opposite for a lefty)
- As soon as the player gets their left foot down, they will reach with their glove towards the ball in a good fielding position
- Right/Left reach for a righty, Left/Right reach for a lefty
- The two steps into the ladder should be in rhythm
- Next, move the players back so they have to take multiple steps
- Focus on short choppy steps until they get to the ladder

Fielding Footwork II
- Have the players set up in athletic fielding position
- Roll them a ball and have them field ball working through the ball the ball
- Have them utilize the proper footwork as in the drill above
- They will finish in athletic throwing position

Hitting (30 Min)

Tee
- The player sets up in an athletic stance
- Feet positioned straight or slightly inward with weight on the inside
- Feet are positioned just outside the shoulders with equal weight on each
- Have the player just get to contact for 5-7 reps
  - At this point, the back foot and belly button should be pointed to the contact point
  - The back arm should be close to a 90 degree angle
- Next, have the player get through contact and to extension for 5-7 reps
  - Have the player focus on making contact with the inside of the ball which forces the knob to the ball
  - At extension, the back shoulder should be underneath the chin which is down
  - At extension, the barrel of the bat should be facing the pitcher
- Move the tee to the middle contact point and have the player take a full swing
- Make necessary adjustments to a player’s swing

Introduce Soft Toss
- Have a coach discuss and demonstrate the proper fundamentals of soft toss
- Coach kneels to the side and slightly in front of batter
- Coach slowly tosses the ball to batters strike zone
- Batter swings through with focus points above

Player starts at bottom left cone with glove and sprints forward

Once past the top cone, the player back pedals in the opposite direction

Player continues until through all cones

Player start at bottom right cone with their glove and shuffles feet athletically until outside bottom right cone

Player sprints forward until past top right cone and shuffles left until outside top left cone

Player then back pedals to bottom left cone

Stationary feeds to a player with no glove

Have player get into a proper fielding position and roll balls directly to them so their feet can stay stationary

Focus is on getting the player into the proper fielding position and reaching out for the ball with their glove hand palm facing the ball and throwing hand over the glove hand

Roll 3 to each and rotate

Throwing (10 Min)

Player’s throw to coaches

Start with wrist snaps on the knees

Glove knee up, throwing hand knee down

Throwing arm is at 90 degree

Glove hand supports throwing elbow underneath

With ball in hand, wrist starts forward, comes back, and forward to snap

Arm does not move, just the wrist

Throwing from the knee

Start with glove shoulder facing target

Glove to ear, ball separation behind throwing shoulder, elbow up

On the throw, glove is tucked, wrist is snapped, throwing hand finished at opposite pocket

Attempt to get the player’s to go from shoulder to shoulder with their throws

Throwing from the feet in an athletic position

Utilize same mechanics mentioned above

Targets can be used for fun, i.e. Hula Hoops or Buckets

Start close and slowly move back.

Can add a competition for fun having the players attempt to throw through a hula hoop at various distances starting close and slowly moving back

Now with the glove, have the player get athletic by bending at the knees and having the feet outside the shoulders

The coach will again feed 3 balls each from a close distance on their knee and rotate

The players will give a target using two hands

Focus on having them catch the ball finger tips up or finger tips down in a stationary position

Discuss and demonstrate the proper fielding position

Feet a little wider than shoulders

Weight is on the inside of the balls of the feet

Bottom is down almost as if sitting on a chair

Back is straight

Glove is reaching out touching the ground with the arm still flexed not straight

The palm is towards the ball, not the sky

Throwing hand is over the top of the glove

Head is up

Lateral Shuffle

Set up two balls 7-10 feet apart

Have the player start in the middle of the two balls in an athletic position

The player will shuffle laterally until they get to the ball which will be in front of them

The player will break down into the fielding position that was demonstrated earlier and get into a throwing position

Have them shuffle twice to each side and then rotate

Multiple stations can be setup for this footwork

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Fielding Footwork

Setting up in an athletic position with a ladder directly in front and a ball placed in front of the ladder that’s running horizontal.

A right handed player will put their right foot in a ladder square followed by their left foot (it will be the opposite for a lefty)

As soon as the player gets their left foot down, they will reach with their glove towards the ball in a good fielding position

Right/Left reach for a righty, Left/Right reach for a lefty

The two steps into the ladder should be in rhythm

Next, move the players back so they have to take multiple steps

Focus on short choppy steps until they get to the ladder

Fielding Footwork II

Have the players set up in athletic fielding position

Roll them a ball and have them field ball working through the ball the ball

Have them utilize the proper footwork as in the drill above

They will finish in athletic throwing position

Tee

The player sets up in an athletic stance

Feet positioned straight or slightly inward with weight on the inside

Feet are positioned just outside the shoulders with equal weight on each

Have the player just get to contact for 5-7 reps

At this point, the back foot and belly button should be pointed to the contact point​

The back arm should be close to a 90 degree angle

Next, have the player get through contact and to extension for 5-7 reps

Have the player focus on making contact with the inside of the ball which forces the knob to the ball

At extension, the back shoulder should be underneath the chin which is down ​

At extension, the barrel of the bat should be facing the pitcher

Move the tee to the middle contact point and have the player take a full swing

Make necessary adjustments to a player’s swing

Introduce Soft Toss

Have a coach discuss and demonstrate the proper fundamentals of soft toss

Coach kneels to the side and slightly in front of batter

Coach slowly tosses the ball to batters strike zone

Batter swings through with focus points above

At this point, the back foot and belly button should be pointed to the contact point

At extension, the back shoulder should be underneath the chin which is down