Feb 15
Once you have had a couple of practices and have had infield and outfield practice you can venture to the next step working on game situations. You set your 9 players in their positions. Have your spare players as base runners. Have them stand behind home plate and you hit ball. This is so important it enables you to practice your pitchers and position players real situations. You will have to have patience. At first they will throw the ball around and be out of positions. Below are two drills that are very important in teach the fundamentals of defense.
Situations
Backing up 3rd base and home plate.
With nobody on base and ball is hit into gap pitcher should line up in between third base and home plate.
With base runners on first base and ball hit into gap they should do the same and watch and see where the play may be and make their decision which base they should back up.
With men in scoring positions and ball hit into the gap they should back up home. You have to make sure the pitchers have good distance from the foul line so they are not to close and have a good angle to go between third and home. The Pitcher must have depth behind the base so they get overthrown ball.
The mistake they all make is getting to close to base. Explain, they are backing up to get the overthrow. If they are to close they can’t make adjustments. This defeats the purpose of them backing up the base.
Covering Home Plate on Pass BallThis drill is very important because you will have passed balls at this level. Providing the backstop is not to far back it is an excellent way to get what I call a cheap out.
You can have signals for the pitchers to call out to the catchers. Most of the time the catchers will not be able to pick up which directions the ball has traveled.
You can use one, two and three. One being right, once he has turned to retrieve the ball. Two would be middle of backstop. Three would to the left.
Organizing your practice set up your schedule and rotate your days you do the drills. You will find that some of the drills they will pick up quicker than others. The biggest thing is you cannot have marathon practices. By keeping the practices short and crisp you will keep players motivated. I found if you have a practice schedule and post it will show the players approximately how long each drill will be and what to expect.
Practice makes perfect.
By: John R. Di Nicola
Thank you for taking the time to read my article. If you would like further information on this topic or other information you can E-Mail me at:
jdinicola@easypitching.com
Nov 16
You should check drills every some short period when you are feeling fresh, once a week is better, this is to make sure you will be more concentrate on the sport you are doing.
At the first, do not be hurry, just two repeats in one drill is enough, and this can be developed to 4 times at one time. To make it better, it is enjoy yourself and do not be too nervous. To be too nervous or not relax will waste much more energy and do hard to body. Good effects will be brought to you gradually.
Warming Up and Stretching
You should not start the running drills with no enough and properly warm up activities. The warm up time do not need so much, about 20 minutes is enough, this can make you performance better and arrive the final goal of healthy sport exercise.
Make sure your calves and hamstrings are adequate stimulated. In the condition that you have some original injury or do not feel so good, you would better take the exercise when the injury parts are all ok. Practice when you are totally healthy and move freely.
Better performance will get if do the drills on soft surface, such as plastic track, the natural grass may be the best.
DRILL 1 – High Knee Running
Drills are finally make you stride longer and improve knee lift when you pick up the pace.
First jogging at slow speed, when you feel more comfortable and freer, make the speed faster to get most steps in a short time, the distance may need only 20m. Or only high knee action is enough. The principle of high knee running is to put your lets in front of you and make sure that is done in upright posture. Speed is not so important than the steps you make. All this step is to help you feel freer for the drill.
DRILL 2 – Bum Kick
The purpose of drill is to increase stride frequency and improve knee lift when you are going for the pace. Bum Kicks is similar to the high knee running, but its better for hamstrings.
Start it somehow like the high knee running, and slowly make the jogging faster. Let the heel literally hit bum. Do like this for nearly 20m.
DRILL 3 – Pull Throughs
By this drill, you may get your leg in right position to make your stride more powerful, to strength the stride length.
Start it by walking in upright position, it is somehow like a hurdler, bring your leg down and touch the ground heavily. This can be done by putting gravity center. Drive up toes when foot arrive the ground surface, do the same posture with another leg for at least 12 times.
DRILL 4 – Bounding
Bounding can help you develop legs and make it stronger, in this way make stride length longer.
Start it with slow jog – lift legs up and ahead bounding. Do the same with alternative leg. But with doing that, you would have to keep good form, keep head up and drive with arms, this can combine whole body together.
To read more about running drills, or you are interested in running, you may come to Nike Free Plus store where many Nike Free Run available.
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