
Rocklin Coaching Program
PRACTICE 1 Focus: Understanding the Game, Agility, Catching, Throwing, Base Running
Game Introduction (10 Min)
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The dugout and it’s purpose
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The bases, their purpose, and direction to run the bases
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The positions on the field, where they stand, and the difference between infield and outfield
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In game basics: What’s an inning, 3 outs per half inning, What’s an out, How is a runner safe, What’s a strike, What’s a ball
Agility Warm Up (10 Min)
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One foot in each moving forward
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Two feet in each moving forward
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Two feet in each moving laterally
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Player starts at bottom left cone with glove and sprints forward
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Once past the top cone, the player back pedals in the opposite direction
-
Player continues until through all cones
Catching (20 Min)
-
Take the fear out of catching by using tennis balls or Jugs Light Flight Balls!
-
Get athletic by bending at the knees and having the feet outside the shoulders
-
Give a target using two hands
-
Catching the ball finger tips up or finger tips down
-
Attempt to catch the ball center to the body moving the feet
-
Forehands/Backhands
-
Coaches start close and lightly underhand toss balls to the various 9 catching zones
-
Player’s start with no glove and in an athletic position
-
In a stationary position, player’s move their catching hand to the ball finger tips up/finger tips down
-
The focus isn’t on catching the ball, but to get to the ball the correct way
-
Slowly move back as the players get comfortable with getting to the ball
-
Base Running (15 Min)
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Running with proper mechanics
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Running on the balls of the feet
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Elbows in, arms pumping
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Head up looking at the base ahead
-
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Running through the first base bag, touching the front of the bag
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Break down after touching the base by taking short choppy steps and getting the bottom closer to the ground
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Rounding first base touching the inside of the bag
-
Focus on taking proper angles when rounding
-
Time players running from home to first and home to second
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Log the times and time them throughout the season to see their progress
Throwing (15 Min)
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Player’s throw to coaches
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Start with wrist snaps on the knees
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Glove knee up, throwing hand knee down
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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 feet in an athletic position
-
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
-
Using towels are effective to start
-
Targets can be used for fun, i.e. Hulu Hoops or Buckets
-
Start close and slowly move back.
PRACTICE 2 Focus: Understanding the Game, Agility, Catching, Throwing, Fielding/Footwork
Game Introduction Review (5 Min)
Agility Warm Up (10 Min)
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One foot in each moving forward
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Two feet in each moving forward
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Two feet in each moving laterally
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Running with their glove tucked in and out of cones
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Every other time, have the player drop step around the cone
Throwing (15 Min)
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Player’s throw to coaches
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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 feet in an athletic position
-
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
-
Using towels are effective to start
-
Targets can be used for fun, i.e. Hula Hoops or Buckets
-
Start close and slowly move back.
Fielding/Footwork (20 Min)
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Discuss and demonstrate the proper fielding position
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Feet a little wider than shoulders
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Weight is on the inside of the balls of the feet
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Bottom is down almost as if sitting on a chair
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Back is straight
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Glove is reaching out touching the ground with the arm still flexed not straight
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The palm is towards the ball, not the sky
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Throwing hand is over the top of the glove
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Head is up
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Lateral Shuffle
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Set up two balls 7-10 yards apart
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Have the player start in the middle of the two balls in an athletic position
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The player will shuffle laterally until they get to the ball which will be in front of them
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The player will break down into the fielding position that was demonstrated earlier
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Have them shuffle twice to each side and then rotate
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Multiple stations can be setup for this footwork
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Fielding Footwork
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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.
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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)
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As soon as the player gets their left foot down, they will reach with their glove towards the ball in a good fielding position
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Right/Left reach for a righty, Left/Right reach for a lefty
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The two steps into the ladder should be in rhythm
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Next, move the players back so they have to take multiple steps
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Focus on short choppy steps until they get to the ladder
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Fielding Footwork II
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Set up three cones as shown below
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Have the players start outside the far right cone
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They will run forward with their glove tucked past the cone in front
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Once past they will back pedal to the far left cone
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Once past they will approach the ladder, break down entering the ladder and reach for the ball
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Catching (15 Min)
-
Take the fear out of catching by using tennis balls or Jugs Light Flight Balls!
-
Get athletic, give a target, use two hands
-
Catching the ball finger tips up or finger tips down
-
Attempt to catch the ball center to the body moving the feet
-
Forehands/Backhands
-
Coaches start close and lightly underhand toss balls to the various 9 catching zones
-
Player’s start with no glove and in an athletic position
-
In a stationary position, player’s move their catching hand to the ball finger tips up/finger tips down
-
The focus isn’t on catching the ball, but to get to the ball the correct way
-
Slowly move back as the players get comfortable with getting to the ball
-
Base Running (10 Min)
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Running with proper mechanics
-
Running on the balls of the feet
-
Elbows in, arms pumping
-
Head up looking at the base ahead
-
-
Running through the first base bag, touching the front of the bag
-
Break down after touching the base by taking short choppy steps and getting the bottom closer to the ground
-
Rounding first base touching the inside of the bag
-
Focus on taking proper angles when rounding
-
Proper leads and footwork, step, step, shuffle, shuffle, go
PRACTICE 3 Focus: Agility, Pitching/Catching, 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
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Player sprints forward until past top right cone and shuffles left until outside top left cone
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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 (15 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 feet in an athletic position
-
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
-
Using towels are effective to start
-
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
Agility Competition (15 Min)
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Player starts at front left cone with their glove and shuffles laterally to the right in an athletic position
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Once past the front right cone, the player sprints forward until past the cone ahead
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Once past, the player shuffles to the left
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When the player reaches the front of the ladder, they move forward with quick feet stepping one foot in each
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When player exits the ladder they use the proper footwork to enter the second ladder breaking down into a fielding position and extending the glove to the ball
Hitting (30 Min)
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Discuss and break down the swing
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Athletic stance with no stride approach
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Feet positioned straight or slightly inward with weight on the inside
-
Feet are positioned just outside the shoulders with equal weight on each
-
With no bat, hip rotation with bottom hand focusing on elbow then hand and knob to the ball
-
With a bat utilizing a tee, have the player get to contact and through to extension starting slow then progressively getting faster maintaining proper form
-
Focus on staying athletic through to extension with chin staying down
-
Add the finish to the swing finishing high at the shoulder
Pitching (20 Min)
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Wrist snaps restraining pitching arm shoulders stay isolated
-
L Drill
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Glove pointed to target
-
Body is open with glove shoulder facing target
-
Pitching arm is straight up with ball
-
Feet are positioned at a 45 degree angle towards target
-
Back heel starts raised
-
Player takes a small step with the front foot
-
Then the back leg drives towards the target
-
Back knee finished close to front knee
-
Glove arm and pitching arm drive down together
-
Wrist snap to target
-
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Knee Arm Circle (Right Handed Pitcher)
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Right knee is on the ground at a 45 degree angle to the target
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Left leg/foot are extended at a 45 degree to target
-
Glove and front shoulder are facing target
-
Pitching arm is straight down
-
Player starts rotates arm 360 degrees snapping wrist and ball to target
-
Shoulders do not rotate
-
Catching
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Setup/Positioning
-
Feet are shoulder width apart
-
Knees fully bent
-
Back is straight
-
Glove arm is at 90 degree with glove opened towards pitcher
-
Throwing hand is behind back
-
-
Framing/Receiving
-
Glove arm stays flexed and out in front
-
For an inside pitch, upon catching the ball the catchers thumb is up
-
For an outside pitch, upon catching the ball the catchers thumb is down
-
For a high pitch, upon catching the ball the catchers palm is down
-
For a low pitch, the catcher receives the ball finger tips up
-
-
Blocking
-
Feet are kicked out behind catcher
-
Body/Chest is over the ball
-
Shoulders are square to the plate
-
Glove is positioned on the ground between legs
-
Throwing hand is placed behind the glove to protect it
-
Chin is to the chest
-
Goal is to have the ball hit the chest and drop straight down towards the plate
-
-
Throwing
-
Upon catching the ball, the catcher pops up staying in an athletic position
-
Feet touch down on the balls simultaneously
-
Glove shoulder is facing target
-
Glove is pulled towards ear and ball is transferred to throwing hand
-
The ball is separated from the glove in back of throwing shoulder
-
PRACTICE 4 Focus: Agility, Pitching/Catching, Throwing, Base Running, Hitting
Agility Warm Up (10 Min
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This agility warm up is performed with their glove tucked
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Player starts at the top and shuffles to their left or right
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Once outside the cone, player back pedals to the second cone
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Once past, player drop steps and sprints to the centered cone
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They immediately go to the ladder as described below
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Repeat and alternate shuffle directions
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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
Catching (15 Min)
-
Take the fear out of catching by using tennis balls or Jugs Light Flight Balls!
-
Get athletic, give a target, use two hands
-
Catching the ball finger tips up or finger tips down
-
Attempt to catch the ball center to the body moving the feet
-
Forehands/Backhands
-
Coaches start close and lightly underhand toss balls to the various 9 catching zones
-
Player’s start with no glove and in an athletic position
-
In a stationary position, player’s move their catching hand to the ball finger tips up/finger tips down
-
The focus isn’t on catching the ball, but to get to the ball the correct way
-
Start tossing the ball to make the player move their feet laterally one step in each direction
-
Slowly move back as the players get comfortable with getting to the ball
-
Add the glove to the last part of this session
-
Base Running (15 Min)
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Running with proper mechanics
-
Running on the balls of the feet
-
Elbows in, arms pumping
-
Head up looking at the base ahead
-
-
Running through the first base bag, touching the front of the bag and breaking down
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Rounding first base touching the inside of the bag
-
Lead offs emphasizing a step, step, shuffle, shuffle
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After a proper lead off have the player work on getting back to the base and going to the next base
Throwing (15 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 feet in an athletic position
-
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
-
Using towels are effective to start
-
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
Hitting (15 Min)
-
Athletic stance with no stride approach
-
Feet positioned straight or slightly inward with weight on the inside
-
Feet are positioned just outside the shoulders with equal weight on each
-
With no bat, hip rotation with bottom hand focusing on elbow then hand and knob to the ball
-
With a bat utilizing a tee, to contact and through to extension starting slow then progressively getting faster maintaining proper form
-
Focus on staying athletic through to extension with chin staying down
-
Add the finish to the swing finishing high at the shoulder
Pitching (20 Min)
-
Wrist snaps restraining pitching arm shoulders stay isolated
-
L Drill
-
Glove pointed to target
-
Body is open with glove shoulder facing target
-
Pitching arm is straight up with ball
-
Feet are positioned at a 45 degree angle towards target
-
Back heel starts raised
-
Player takes a small step with the front foot
-
Then the back leg drives towards the target
-
Back knee finished close to front knee
-
Glove arm and pitching arm drive down together
-
Wrist snap to target
-
-
Knee Arm Circle (Right Handed Pitcher)
-
Right knee is on the ground at a 45 degree angle to the target
-
Left leg/foot are extended at a 45 degree to target
-
Glove and front shoulder are facing target
-
Pitching arm is straight down
-
Player starts rotates arm 360 degrees snapping wrist and ball to target
-
Shoulders do not rotate
-
Catching
-
Setup/Positioning
-
Feet are shoulder width apart
-
Knees fully bent
-
Back is straight
-
Glove arm is at 90 degree with glove opened towards pitcher
-
Throwing hand is behind back
-
-
Framing/Receiving
-
Glove arm stays flexed and out in front
-
For an inside pitch, upon catching the ball the catchers thumb is up
-
For an outside pitch, upon catching the ball the catchers thumb is down
-
For a high pitch, upon catching the ball the catchers palm is down
-
For a low pitch, the catcher receives the ball finger tips up
-
-
Blocking
-
Feet are kicked out behind catcher
-
Body/Chest is over the ball
-
Shoulders are square to the plate
-
Glove is positioned on the ground between legs
-
Throwing hand is placed behind the glove to protect it
-
Chin is to the chest
-
Goal is to have the ball hit the chest and drop straight down towards the plate
-
-
Throwing
-
Upon catching the ball, the catcher pops up staying in an athletic position
-
Feet touch down on the balls simultaneously
-
Glove shoulder is facing target
-
Glove is pulled towards ear and ball is transferred to throwing hand
-
The ball is separated from the glove in back of throwing shoulder
-
PRACTICE 5 Focus: Agility, Catching, Fielding/Footwork, Base Running, Hitting
Agility Warm Up (10 Min)
-
With a glove, player shuffles left and when in front of the ball, breaks down into the proper fielding position and then shuffles to the ball opposite and repeats
-
Encourage staying athletic
-
Do this 3 times to each side
-
With a glove, player starts at bottom right cone and sprints forward to the cone ahead, back pedals to bottom left cone and approaches the ladder and ball breaking down into a proper fielding position
-
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
Hitting (20 Min)
-
Tee
-
Athletic stance with no stride approach
-
Feet positioned straight or slightly inward with weight on the inside
-
Feet are positioned just outside the shoulders with equal weight on each
-
With a bat utilizing a tee, to contact and through to extension starting slow then progressively getting faster maintaining proper form
-
Focus on staying athletic through to extension with chin staying down
-
Finish the swing finishing high at the shoulder
-
Move the tee to inside and outside contact points
-
Make necessary adjustments to a player’s swing
-
-
Soft Toss
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Coach kneels to the side and slightly in front of batter
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Coach slowly tosses the ball to batters strike zone
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Batter swings through with focus points above
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Front Toss
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Coach pitches from 12-15 feet away
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Keep focus on proper mechanics
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Make necessary adjustments
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Catching/Throwing/Fielding (20 Min)
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Players start throwing to each other
-
Knee wrist snaps with glove
-
Regular throws starting close and slowly move back.
-
Add a competition for fun having the players attempt to throw into a bucket from 10-12 feet
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The focus is on elevating the ball with a proper release point and wrist snap
-
Stay athletic when receiving moving the feet to the ball
-
Attempt to catch every ball in the center of the body
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Lateral Shuffle
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Set up two cones about 10-12 feet apart
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Have the player start in the middle of the two cones in an athletic position
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The coach will roll a ball inside one of the cones
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The player will cross over and then shuffle laterally and field the ball
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After fielding the ball the player will pop to a throwing position and throw the ball back to the coach
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The player will shuffle back to the middle, cross over and shuffle to the ball that the coach rolls inside the opposite cone
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Have them field 3 on each side for a total of 6
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Agility/Footwork/Base Running (20 Min)
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Proper leads and footwork, step, step, shuffle, shuffle, go
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Quick feet through the ladder, one foot in each, then two feet in each
-
Work on rounding the base getting to the inside
-
Shuffling once through the base facing towards the infield, then towards the outfield
Pitching (20 Min)
-
Wrist snaps restraining pitching arm shoulders stay isolated
-
L Drill
-
Glove pointed to target
-
Body is open with glove shoulder facing target
-
Pitching arm is straight up with ball
-
Feet are positioned at a 45 degree angle towards target
-
Back heel starts raised
-
Player takes a small step with the front foot
-
Then the back leg drives towards the target
-
Back knee finished close to front knee
-
Glove arm and pitching arm drive down together
-
Wrist snap to target
-
-
Knee Arm Circle (Right Handed Pitcher)
-
Right knee is on the ground at a 45 degree angle to the target
-
Left leg/foot are extended at a 45 degree to target
-
Glove and front shoulder are facing target
-
Pitching arm is straight down
-
Player starts rotates arm 360 degrees snapping wrist and ball to target
-
Shoulders do not rotate
-
Catching
-
Setup/Positioning
-
Feet are shoulder width apart
-
Knees fully bent
-
Back is straight
-
Glove arm is at 90 degree with glove opened towards pitcher
-
Throwing hand is behind back
-
-
Framing/Receiving
-
Glove arm stays flexed and out in front
-
For an inside pitch, upon catching the ball the catchers thumb is up
-
For an outside pitch, upon catching the ball the catchers thumb is down
-
For a high pitch, upon catching the ball the catchers palm is down
-
For a low pitch, the catcher receives the ball finger tips up
-
-
Blocking
-
Feet are kicked out behind catcher
-
Body/Chest is over the ball
-
Shoulders are square to the plate
-
Glove is positioned on the ground between legs
-
Throwing hand is placed behind the glove to protect it
-
Chin is to the chest
-
Goal is to have the ball hit the chest and drop straight down towards the plate
-
-
Throwing
-
Upon catching the ball, the catcher pops up staying in an athletic position
-
Feet touch down on the balls simultaneously
-
Glove shoulder is facing target
-
Glove is pulled towards ear and ball is transferred to throwing hand
-
The ball is separated from the glove in back of throwing shoulder
-
PRACTICE 6 Focus: Competition Day! Catching, Throwing, Footwork, Hitting
Agility Warm Up (10 Min)
-
Player starts in the middle facing the coach with feet moving in place
-
The coach points to a cone and the player sprints and touches the cones and returns to the middle with feet still moving
-
The cones can be picked randomly and in no particular order
-
Do this for 5-6 touches
-
Player shuffles laterally right and left around the outside of the cone with glove tucked
-
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
Catching Competition (15 Min)
-
Warm up by balls to players in various locations
-
After a good warm up, toss each player from a comfortable distance 10 balls
-
Award a player 1 point for a ball that touches their glove and 2 points for a catch
-
Reward players with a prize (i.e. a small piece of candy)
Agility Competition (10 Min)
-
Player starts at front left cone with their glove and shuffles laterally to the right in an athletic position
-
Once past the front right cone, the player sprints forward until past the cone ahead
-
Once past, the player shuffles to the left
-
When the player reaches the front of the ladder, they move forward with quick feet stepping one foot in each
-
When player exits the ladder they use the proper footwork to enter the second ladder breaking down into a fielding position and extending the glove to the ball
Hitting Competition (20 Min)
-
Athletic stance with no stride approach
-
Feet positioned straight or slightly inward with weight on the inside
-
Feet are positioned just outside the shoulders with equal weight on each
-
With no bat, hip rotation with bottom hand focusing on elbow then hand to ball
-
With a bat utilizing a tee, to contact and through to extension starting slow then progressively getting faster maintaining proper form
-
Focus on staying athletic through to extension with chin staying down
-
Finish the swing finishing high at the shoulder
-
Make necessary adjustments to a player’s swing
-
After a good warm up…
-
COMPETITION.. Set up a tee at home plate and draw an arch 12-15 feet away in the dirt (or a reasonable distance)
-
Have the players take 5-10 swings off a tee and count how many times they cleared the arch
Throwing (15 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 feet in an athletic position
-
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
-
Targets can be used for fun, i.e. Hula Hoops or Buckets
-
Start close and slowly move back.
-
COMPETITION.. Put a bucket 10-12 feet away from the players
-
Have them throw 10 balls at the bucket and for every hit they get a point
-
Reward players with a prize
Pitching (20 Min)
-
Wrist snaps restraining pitching arm shoulders stay isolated
-
L Drill
-
Glove pointed to target
-
Body is open with glove shoulder facing target
-
Pitching arm is straight up with ball
-
Feet are positioned at a 45 degree angle towards target
-
Back heel starts raised
-
Player takes a small step with the front foot
-
Then the back leg drives towards the target
-
Back knee finished close to front knee
-
Glove arm and pitching arm drive down together
-
Wrist snap to target
-
-
Knee Arm Circle (Right Handed Pitcher)
-
Right knee is on the ground at a 45 degree angle to the target
-
Left leg/foot are extended at a 45 degree to target
-
Glove and front shoulder are facing target
-
Pitching arm is straight down
-
Player starts rotates arm 360 degrees snapping wrist and ball to target
-
Shoulders do not rotate
-
Catching
-
Setup/Positioning
-
Feet are shoulder width apart
-
Knees fully bent
-
Back is straight
-
Glove arm is at 90 degree with glove opened towards pitcher
-
Throwing hand is behind back
-
-
Framing/Receiving
-
Glove arm stays flexed and out in front
-
For an inside pitch, upon catching the ball the catchers thumb is up
-
For an outside pitch, upon catching the ball the catchers thumb is down
-
For a high pitch, upon catching the ball the catchers palm is down
-
For a low pitch, the catcher receives the ball finger tips up
-
-
Blocking
-
Feet are kicked out behind catcher
-
Body/Chest is over the ball
-
Shoulders are square to the plate
-
Glove is positioned on the ground between legs
-
Throwing hand is placed behind the glove to protect it
-
Chin is to the chest
-
Goal is to have the ball hit the chest and drop straight down towards the plate
-
-
Throwing
-
Upon catching the ball, the catcher pops up staying in an athletic position
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Feet touch down on the balls simultaneously
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Glove shoulder is facing target
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Glove is pulled towards ear and ball is transferred to throwing hand
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The ball is separated from the glove in back of throwing shoulder
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PRACTICE 7 Focus: Throwing, Fielding/Footwork, Hitting
Agility Warm Up (10 Min)
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Player starts at bottom left cone with glove and sprints forward
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Once past the top cone, the player back pedals in the opposite direction
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Player continues until through all cones
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Player start at bottom right cone with their glove and shuffles feet athletically until outside bottom right cone
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Player sprints forward until past top right cone and shuffles left until outside top left cone
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Player then back pedals to bottom left cone
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Stationary feeds to a player with no glove
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Have player get into a proper fielding position and roll balls directly to them so their feet can stay stationary
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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
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Roll 3 to each and rotate
Catching/Throwing (15 Min)
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Players start throwing to each other
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Knee wrist snaps with glove
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Regular throws starting close and slowly move back.
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Add a competition for fun having the players attempt to throw into a bucket from 10-12 feet
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The focus is on elevating the ball with a proper release point and wrist snap
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Stay athletic when receiving moving the feet to the ball
Fielding/Footwork (15 Min)
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Players line up in a single file line facing a coach
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The coach rolls the player a ball directly to them
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The player fields the ball moving forward with proper mechanics
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After fielding, the player quickly pops to a throwing motion
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Player then jogs the ball to the bucket in front of her and gets in the next line
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Players rotate through each line and repeat
Hitting (30 Min)
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Tee
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Athletic stance with no stride approach
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Feet positioned straight or slightly inward with weight on the inside
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Feet are positioned just outside the shoulders with equal weight on each
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With a bat utilizing a tee, to contact and through to extension starting slow then progressively getting faster maintaining proper form
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Focus on staying athletic through to extension with chin staying down
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Finish the swing finishing high at the shoulder
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Move the tee to inside and outside contact points
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Make necessary adjustments to a player’s swing
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Soft Toss
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Coach kneels to the side and slightly in front of batter
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Coach slowly tosses the ball to batters strike zone
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Batter swings through with focus points above
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Front Toss
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Coach pitches from 12-15 feet away
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Keep focus on proper mechanics
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Make necessary adjustments
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Pitching (20 Min)
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Wrist snaps restraining pitching arm shoulders stay isolated
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L Drill
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Glove pointed to target
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Body is open with glove shoulder facing target
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Pitching arm is straight up with ball
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Feet are positioned at a 45 degree angle towards target
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Back heel starts raised
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Player takes a small step with the front foot
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Then the back leg drives towards the target
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Back knee finished close to front knee
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Glove arm and pitching arm drive down together
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Wrist snap to target
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Knee Arm Circle (Right Handed Pitcher)
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Right knee is on the ground at a 45 degree angle to the target
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Left leg/foot are extended at a 45 degree to target
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Glove and front shoulder are facing target
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Pitching arm is straight down
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Player starts rotates arm 360 degrees snapping wrist and ball to target
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Shoulders do not rotate
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Catching
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Setup/Positioning
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Feet are shoulder width apart
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Knees fully bent
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Back is straight
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Glove arm is at 90 degree with glove opened towards pitcher
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Throwing hand is behind back
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Framing/Receiving
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Glove arm stays flexed and out in front
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For an inside pitch, upon catching the ball the catchers thumb is up
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For an outside pitch, upon catching the ball the catchers thumb is down
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For a high pitch, upon catching the ball the catchers palm is down
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For a low pitch, the catcher receives the ball finger tips up
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Blocking
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Feet are kicked out behind catcher
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Body/Chest is over the ball
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Shoulders are square to the plate
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Glove is positioned on the ground between legs
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Throwing hand is placed behind the glove to protect it
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Chin is to the chest
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Goal is to have the ball hit the chest and drop straight down towards the plate
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Throwing
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Upon catching the ball, the catcher pops up staying in an athletic position
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Feet touch down on the balls simultaneously
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Glove shoulder is facing target
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Glove is pulled towards ear and ball is transferred to throwing hand
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The ball is separated from the glove in back of throwing shoulder
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