Tuesday, June 25, 2013

It's All in the Hips

Whether you like to pivot on your back foot or raise upon your back toe, hip rotation is essential to driving the baseball efficiently.

If you watch the best hitters in the MLB, you will notice that they forcefully drive through their hips, transferring energy from their lower body to the bat and helping them add sizzle power to the ball.

To see how this works, try swinging with only your arms and note the difference in power.

Here are a few baseball swing drills designed in a progression to isolate hip rotation, then translate it into live hitting power gains.

Toe Point
This drill can be done with either a tee or partner.
  • Start by addressing the plate in your normal stance.
  • Pivot your back foot and point your toe toward the pitcher.
  • Keep your hands back and your shoulders square to the plate so that you can jumpstart the transfer by focusing on your lower half.
  • From this point, take your normal swing.
  • You should feel your hips rotate and transfer weight.
  • Keep your shoulders closed so your front doesn't open.

Follow The Coach's Cave on Twitter

Monday, June 24, 2013

Turning a Flawless Double Play

There is no such thing as a routine double play. Although it may appear routine to the casual fan, a lot has to go right to execute a twin killing.

Throughout the course of the season, I have noticed a lot of potential double plays wind up being a fielder's choice, or, worse yet, a bad throw that results in an error and advances the runner to second base.

The main problem is that infielders, specifically second baseman, are late getting to the bag. This can be because they were not in the proper starting position, had a false perception of their abilities, or used incorrect pivots.

Here are ways to improve your spacing to turn a flawless double play.

Double-Play Depth
The middle infielders should be in the proper double play depth before the pitch is even thrown so they can get to the bag early enough to set their feet. But what is proper double play depth? Before we answer that, let's start with positioning with no one on base. In that case, each middle infielder should be approximately six to eight steps away from the base and 14 step back. This is a good starting point from which to adjust.

From this point, when there's a runner on first with one or no outs, each middle infielder should take three steps toward home plate and two to three steps toward second base. This is standard double play depth.


Follow The Coach's Cave on Twitter

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Two-Knee Fielding

Letting a ground ball go through his legs is arguably the most embarrassing thing an infielder can do. Even the best fielders can commit errors occasionally, so there is always room for improvement. And one of the best ways to get fielders lower to the ground is to practice two-knee fielding drills.

Dropping to two knees to field a ground ball gets your eyes closer to ground level and makes it easier to read the hops and watch the ball into your glove. It also trains your body to get closer to the ground and experience a lower center of gravity. When you take your lower body out of the equation, you don't have to worry about bending at the waist instead of at the knees, and you can break down the process of fielding a ground ball into segments.

Two-Knee Drills
Two-knee fielding doesn't have to be practiced every day, but doing it a few times a week can solidify your fielding mechanics. These drills can be done independently, but they work best when done in progression. Do two sets of 10 reps each.

Roll Out
Start on your knees 10 feet directly in front of a partner or coach. Sink your butt as close to the ground as possible while keeping your back flat and your glove out. Your partner rolls a ball directly at you. Your job is to field it with your glove while keeping your eyes as close to the ball (and your glove) as possible.


Follow The Coach's Cave on Twitter

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Baseball Training Equipment

Looking for that extra edge this upcoming season? Training aids are a great way to gain a competitive advantage and avoid slumps. To be really effective and improve your performance, a training aid must be able to directly translate to the work you do on the field. From heavy bats to hitting tees, a lot of products promise results but end up being cheap plastic. Avoid wasting money with my top five picks in baseball training aids. In my opinion, all competitive baseball players need these in their arsenal to benefit their game.

The Hitting Tee
This is the most basic and essential tool for hitting. Although it comes in different shapes and sizes, a hitting tee is most effective training aid of them all. Baseball can quickly become a complicated game, so it's refreshing that such a simple training tool can help hitters get their swing on the right path. A tee can be used for countless hitting drills. I recommend using a tee whose height can be adjusted and which can easily be moved to different locations around the plate. Tanner Tees have always proven to be durable options in my opinion.

Short Bat Trainer
Used in a variety of drills, a short bat trainer is great for improving a hitter's bat speed. It works by shortening your swing path, helping you keep your hands inside the ball at contact and reinforcing proper technique. Small bats can also be used with two hands to teach young players proper technique without sacrificing form due to strength and coordination issues.


Follow The Coach's Cave on Twitter

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Training Aids for Speed and Agility

During baseball season, batting practice and fielding ground balls may take precedence during practice, but you still need to make time for speed and agility work. Therefore, you should have these five items on your wish list for agility training equipment.

Agility Ladder
There is not a coach anywhere who wouldn't want his players to improve their quickness and agility, and the agility ladder (a.k.a. the speed ladder), is a great tool for enhancing foot speed in a short amount of time and space.

Lateral Resistor/Thera-Band
The hips are one of the most neglected areas of the body to train but one of the most important for a baseball player, because baseball requires rotational movement. Placing a lateral resistor or thera-band around your ankles during drills is an effective way to strengthen your hips.


Follow The Coach's Cave on Twitter

Monday, June 10, 2013

Playing Catch

Throwing a baseball is the first skill a player learns. But it's also where the trouble starts. Surprisingly, what causes most game-time errors is not poor fieldingit's poor throwing.

Defenses are better at fielding the ball than throwing the ball. This is probably because throwing is considered such a fundamental skill that most coaches take it for granted, placing a greater emphasis on fielding and hitting. No one seems to pay attention to throwing until a game is lost due to a throwing error.

To reduce throwing errors, coaches must do more than institute a throwing program with a series of drills. Accountability and accuracy must be made priorities.


Follow The Coach's Cave on Twitter

Friday, June 7, 2013

Turning the Double Play

There is no such thing as a routine double play. Although it may appear that way to the naked eye, there is a lot that has to go right to execute a twin killing.

Throughout the course of the season, I have noticed a lot of potential double plays wind up being a fielder's choice, or, worse yet, a bad throw leads to a runner on second base.

The main problem is that infielders, specifically second baseman, are late getting to the bag. This can be because they were not in the proper starting position, had a false perception of their abilities, or used incorrect pivots.

Here are ways to improve your spacing to turn a flawless double play.

Continue Reading »

Follow The Coach's Cave on Twitter
@thecoachscave

Thursday, June 6, 2013

Developing Trust Between Pitcher and Catcher

A pitcher and catcher: two independent players, playing completely different positions with completely different job descriptions. Yet for overall team success, they must work together. Their relationship is a delicate one, and many times the two are not on the same page. Most of their problems arise when calling a game.

In most high school programs, the duty of calling pitches is left up to the catcher. However, it's not just the catcher calling the game, since the pitcher can shake off a sign. Obviously, the tandem works best when both players are in agreement.

Pitcher-Catcher Trust
Trust is the only way for this to work. For a catcher to call the right pitch in the best location in any situation, he must trust the pitcher's ability to execute. In return, the pitcher must trust the catcher's knowledge of the hitter and the opponent's lineup.


Follow The Coach's Cave on Twitter