help

[MPDad]

I have a 10 year old and we will be playing our second year of travel ball. This year I'll be helping to coach (mostly pitching) and we start two days of practice after the first of the year. I have my reservations about this much practice but it appears it is the price of participation these days.

With that said I am trying to find drills, activities, etc. to work on proper fundamentals but are also fun (tall order I know). I have scoured the internet and there is much out there but before I order a bunch of material I wanted to ask for opinions as to what has worked for others.

Thank you

[Jake Patterson]

I have a 10 year old and we will be playing our second year of travel ball. This year I'll be helping to coach (mostly pitching) and we start two days of practice after the first of the year. I have my reservations about this much practice but it appears it is the price of participation these days.

With that said I am trying to find drills, activities, etc. to work on proper fundamentals but are also fun (tall order I know). I have scoured the internet and there is much out there but before I order a bunch of material I wanted to ask for opinions as to what has worked for others.

Thank you
MP, Do a search and re-read some of the travel threads. TB at this age brings little to the eventual baseball table if done too much.

[MPDad]

MP, Do a search and re-read some of the travel threads. TB at this age brings little to the eventual baseball table if done too much.

Noted... but with that said is there one more than the others you would recommend?

[1chapterahead]

Noted... but with that said is there one more than the others you would recommend?Dad, check you PM.

[Jake Patterson]

Noted... but with that said is there one more than the others you would recommend?
There are several good ones... Try this... http://www.baseball-fever.com/showthread.php?t=73902&highlight=Travel+Ball

[korp]

2 a days @ 10? what.

[PhilliesPhan22]

2 a days @ 10? what.

I think he meant two days of pratice per week.

[MPDad]

I think he meant two days of pratice per week.

Correct... two days per week.

[shake-n-bake]

If you're working with the pitchers, here's a fun and efficient drill for PFP:

Set up four bases in a diamond. Have a kid at each base and one as the pitcher in the middle. Pitcher throws a pitch (from the stretch) to one of the bases (kid at that base crouches to take the pitch). The catcher rolls the ball to what would be the 3B side. Pitcher fields and goes to 1B. Next pitch goes to the kid who was 1B on previous pitch. Continue until pitcher has pitched to, and fielded from, all 4 catchers.

Do another cycle where catchers roll ball back to pitcher (come backer). Pitcher turns and goes to 2B.

Do a third cycle where it's catcher's choice (come backer or up 3B line).

PFP is a good time to talk all sorts of pitching fundamentals.

[tip184]

-When teaching pitching, break the steps of the motion into checkpoints (set position, balance point, separation, stride, release, follow through). Have the players do repetitions of one checkpoint, without actually throwing the ball (ie rotating torso hard with arms folded across chest to build muscle memory for using the torso when releasing the ball)
-Make sure your practice is structured and follows a schedule. If you are doing a series of practices, plan them out in advance so that your players can build on their skills at each practice.
-Grab grass drill: Have pitchers do their delivery without a ball. Have them pull up some grass (or another object) with their throwing hand on their follow through motion. This will help emphasize the importance of finishing with the throwing hand down low (around the glove-side knee).
-Avoid the tee drill: Have player go to one knee. Place a tee beside his throwing arm, at shoulder height. Have the player throw. If his arm hits the tee, it means he is throwing with his elbow below shoulder height, something he doesn't want to do.
-Good PFP drill: Involves players. 4 players go to a base, one player stands in the middle. Person with the ball rolls it to the player in the middle. The person who rolled the ball then says "first" "second" "third" or "home" and the pitcher throws it to the corresponding base. The person he throws it to then becomes the catcher, and the bases change accordingly.