The TeeBall Coaching Clinic provides t-ball coaches and parents with free t-ball tips, teeball drills, and tee ball articles for teaching youngsters how to play baseball. You will find simple and easy explanations on how to hit a baseball, how to throw a baseball, and how to teach baseball skills to a child. Use our search feature to type in your desired topic to find articles covering it in our archive.
T-Ball Batting Drills by Guest Author Kenny Buford
T-ball batting drills teach players how to properly swing the bat and make contact with the ball. There are many t-ball batting drills that players can practice to improve their swinging technique. Young players should practice their batting skills repeatedly in order to get the feel for swinging the bat properly, and also to improve their hand-eye coordination.
Improving a Batter's Swing:
The best way to improve a batter's swing is to practice hitting the ball from the tee into the back stop. Try to pair right-handed coaches with left-handed batters (and left-handed coaches with right-handed batters). Have the coach stand on the opposite side of the tee from the player (as if to mirror the player) in order to show proper stance and swing. This t-ball batting drill gives the batters a good visual reference and the coaches can easily make any necessary corrections.
Batting Techniques:
If necessary, use baking flour to make a batters box in the dirt. Set the tee even with the batter's belly button and have them extend their arms fully. Have the player hold this position with arms extended for a few seconds and explain how hitting the ball on the fat part of the bat makes the ball go further.
Teaching Batters to Keep their Eyes on the Ball:
Draw a large black dot on the ball. Then have the batter concentrate on trying to hit the dot and watching the dot until after their swing is complete. This helps players improve their focus on the ball, and also helps hand-eye coordination.
Blindfold the Batter:
Place a blindfold over the eyes of the batter and line them up properly in the batter's box in front of the tee, making sure that all other players are out of the immediate area. When you are safely out of the way tell the batter to swing away, with the intention of making contact with the ball. This will teach the batter how to develop a level swing and with repetition will produce a natural rhythm and a solid swinging technique.
Move the Tee Around the Batter's Box:
By placing the tee in various positions in the batter's box you will allow the player to practice hitting different types of pitches. This will enable players to be able to make contact with all types of pitches, inside and outside. This drill also allows players to practice making contact and hitting the ball into different areas of the field.
See who gets the Most Hits:
A good batting drill is to have each player try to make as many consecutive hits as possible. Foul balls should not count as hits, and every foul ball should count as an out in order to make the drill run quicker and allow more players to get their turn. The one who can make contact and get the most hits in a row wins.
Raise and Lower the Tee:
By raising and lowering the tee players are able to practice hitting balls that are not thrown at their belly button. This is one of the most effective t-ball batting drills for preparing players to move into game situations with pitchers.
Kenny Buford is a baseball and tee ball coach with over 20 years of experience. You can find more of his t-ball drills and tee ball practice plans on his website:
Pitching Drills & Techniques Posted on YouTube by LNersesian
The Youth Sports Club is a leading producer of sports instructional videos and DVDs. Coach Marty Schupak's newest release, "Pitching Drills & Techniques" explores some of the best drills that are beneficial for youth players, ages 7-12 years old, who have the desire to pitch. This video simplifies the pitching process, and includes more than 20 drills which show youth players the importance of the different body parts that make up the perfect pitching motion. This instructional video walks the player through the wind up, front leg lift, release and follow-through. Also included are important tips for the youth coach and parents on how to recognize when a youth pitcher is getting tired during a game. A pitch count chart is also included which shows the recommended number of pitches to be thrown in a game at various ages plus the proper amount of recovery time. This is a must for any youth baseball coach or parent of aspiring young pitchers. For more information on how to purchase any of these titles, visit: www.youthsportsclub.com
Teeball hitting, Contact zone for MLB Hitters Posted on YouTube by NaturalHitting
Welcome to Natural Hitting. http://www.NaturalHitting.com We bring to the world a fresh approach to hitting. Where do you make contact with the ball has a lot to do with what you use to swing the bat.. Regain your Natural Swing now.
Baseball Hitting Drills: Basic Hitting Mechanics Posted on YouTube by CoachCorral38
While the baseball swing has many complexities, these are fundamental basics that young hitters can learn and benefit from. To become a BetterBaseball player, go to TeachingBetterBaseball.com!
Youth Baseball: How to Be a Smart, Aggressive Hitter By Guest Author Jack Perconte
Since the book, "Moneyball," there is much debate whether it is best to have hitters take a lot of pitches or better to have them go up swinging early in the count. That is one of those debates that there is no definite solution for, but there is probably a middle ground that can be reached.
Of course, youth baseball is different than the game that college and professional players play. In youth baseball I believe it is best to have hitters expect, and be ready, to swing from the first pitch on. At the lower levels of baseball getting a good pitch to hit can be few and far between so hitters should be ready to swing at all times. Having the "yes (my pitch when ball leaves the pitcher's hand), yes (when the ball is half way to home), yes (swing)" or "yes, yes, no (don't swing)" is the best approach to teach kids.
Having said that, there are few approaches that I believe can help all hitters at every level to be smart and aggressive hitters. Most people think of aggressive hitters as those who go up swinging at the first pitch that looks good. That is an aggressive approach, of course, but not necessarily a smart approach. Good hitters combine the two of being aggressive and, at the same time, smart. They do this by being ready to swing at pitches that they are confident they can handle and get the sweet spot of the bat on the ball, while not swinging at just any strike or ball that looks good.
Of course, some of the points written below are for advanced players but all are strategies that coaches can begin to teach at every level of baseball.
To be smart and aggressive, hitters should:
1. Pay more attention to pitchers when in the dugout, and especially in the on- deck circle, so that hitters are "in tune" with a pitcher's speed and tendencies.
2. Know if the pitcher is considered a strike out pitcher - hitters should be more aggressive early in the count when facing a strikeout pitcher.
3. Be more aggressive with men in scoring position, especially with runner on third and less than two outs.
4. "Know thyself" - good hitters should understand which pitches they hit best and which they have trouble with. Early in the count, hitters should only swing at pitches that are in the zone that they hit best.
5. Learn to visualize - hitters who can visualize taking good swings at good pitches, hitting the ball hard and taking non-strike pitches is valuable to being smart, aggressive hitters.
6. Learn to cut down on their swing a little with two strikes and be willing to take a walk, especially when the game situation dictates that a long ball is not necessary.
7. Be observant of how the pitcher is pitching other hitters in the line-up. For example, knowing if there is there a common first pitch, strikeout pitch? Etc... is very valuable to being smart and aggressive.
8. "Be thyself" - all hitters have their own "hitting personality" where they are normally aggressive or more patient. It is important that hitters stay with their own personality most of the time. Trying to adopt a different personality can lead to extended slumps. Of course, the individual "hitters personality" should not be extreme, where it inhibits good hitting chances by allowing the pitcher to exploit the hitter's approach.
9. Practice pitches that they struggle with as much as possible - minimizing weaknesses can help immensely. Simply being able to foul off tough pitches can keep the at-bat alive and lead to hits.
10. Have short memories where they can treat each at-bat separate from the ones before, especially when in a hitting slump. Becoming very tentative when struggling is a common occurrence for hitters, which inhibits them from staying aggressive.
11. Remain hungry and never become satisfied, no matter how well they are hitting. Success often leads to complacency, which is often followed by a prolonged hitting slump.
Finally, having an aggressive approach is good for awhile, but having an aggressive and smart approach leads to prolonged success
Former major league baseball player, Jack Perconte gives baseball hitting tips and batting practice advice for ballplayers of all ages. His baseball playing lessons, books and advice can be found at http://www.baseballhittinglessons.com/baseball Jack is the author of two books, The Making of a Hitter and Raising an Athlete - his positive parenting advice and books can be found at http://positiveparentinginsports.com
We have heard it through the ages-"Get the bat off your shoulder!" It is a common phrase used by fans, coaches, parents, and players. The question is "Why is that so bad?"
Here is what happens when a player moves his bat away from his body in his hitting stance. As he does this, he separates his hands from his body, and ends up more often than not with his hands out over the plate on contact. This technique will produce only an arm swing, with no body support.
So why is that a problem? Let's look at it this way.
If you had to arm wrestle an opponent, would you want your hands away from your body? Or would you want your hands close to the body for support? If you had to throw the best punch you could, would you hold your hands away from the body? No, you would not. Your hands would be in a fist right at the back shoulder. If you had to push an automobile, would you want your hands at your side, or would you want them in front of you? Your body gives thrust to your hands. So naturally, you would want your hands in front of you.
Now, stand up like you're at home plate with your bat out over the plate like it is in contact with the ball. What's behind your hands? Nothing! When this happens, your body gives your hands no support.
You might say..."I've seen major leaguers start with their hands away from their bodies. So it must be good." Yes, they do. But major leaguers make an adjustment: before they direct the bat towards the pitch, they pull their hands back to their bodies in the shoulder area. We usually don't see this, because it happens so quickly. But research shows that is exactly what they do.
Therefore, let us be clear. You will always be in a better position to hit for good contact and distance if you keep your hands up and close to the back shoulder in your stance. Now allow your hips to rotate, keeping your hands at the shoulder until they move to contact the ball. Now your hands are in front as they enter the contact zone, not over the plate.
So if you want to learn how to hit better in baseball, remember this rule: The only time separation of the hands from the body occurs is when they move forward to hit the ball.
Hi. I'm Coach Joe Brockoff, a Division I Head Baseball Coach for Tulane University for more than 19 years, and former minor league player for the New York Yankees. Over the years, I've taught thousands of baseball players how to increase batting speed and improve their overall performance on the field. In fact, my proven training system has sent 45 baseball players to the pros.
As a coach committed to continuous improvement, I share my baseball drills, tips, and techniques here so that you will, in turn, inspire and motivate young players to improve their game. I hope you'll visit my web site, the Super 8 Baseball Hitting System at http://www.learnbaseballhitting.com to watch some of my free instructional videos.
Pick a baseball bat by swinging it to see if it feels right or by gripping the top of the bat with one hand and the bottom with the other. Choose a baseball bat with tips from a professional baseball instructor in this free video on baseball.
Expert: Mickey Hiter Bio: Mickey Hiter played baseball at Lipscomb University. Filmmaker: Dimitri LaBarge
Baseball Coaching Digest - What is the Most Important Thing in Coaching Little League Baseball? By Nick Dixon
If you ask 100 baseball coaches the question, "What is the Most Important Thing in Baseball?", you will get a wide variety of answers. Some will say winning is the most important thing. Some will say that "expecting to win" is the most important thing. Others will say that helping kids grow, mature, and develop a sincere love for the game is the most important reason for playing baseball. When I ask myself this question, I have one simple answer. This articles explains what I feel that the most important thing in baseball to me is that I see some level of improvement every day.
This "level of improvement" can be in any aspect of the game. I may leave practice knowing that our team improved their knowledge and skill in defending the bunt. I may leave a game knowing that our team, although we lost, learned how to "come back" and compete when we were down by 4 and made it a one run loss at the end.
You may see an improvement in team unity, team chemistry, or team leadership. You may see a certain player show improvement in pitching control, hitting the off-speed pitch, or reading the pitcher to get a better jump when stealing a base. See these improvements are what coaching and playing baseball is all about.
Is it better for a team to show absolutely no improvement in a season and go undefeated because they dominate their league or for a team to play.500 baseball on the season, but show incredible levels of improvement from the top of the lineup to the bottom? You see what I mean? Improvement is the "name of the game". Improvement is what coaching baseball is all about.
Coaches must keep in mind that only half of the teams that play every day, win. The other half lose. Should 50% of the coaches feel their day was a total loss ever day they play? When it comes to playoffs it is a fact that less than 1/100 of 1 percent of all baseball teams will end their season with a win each year. The other 99.999 % of the teams will find themselves ending their season with a loss or not being in the playoffs.
Now, I want you to know that I value winning as much as any coach on this planet. But what I am saying is that coaches must make winning a goal and getting better a priority. You should feel satisfaction when you see improvement on a daily basis. If you do not see improvement, chances are that you will find it difficult to win anyway. So the message here is to make it known to you team that you want to see them improve as players and as a team every day in some way. It is their job to make it happen. It is your job to give them the opportunity to do so in practices and games.
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Nick Dixon is the President and founder of Nedco Sports, a sports training company established in 1999. Dixon is also an active and full time high school baseball coach with over 25 years experience. Coach Dixon is better known as the inventor of the BatAction Hitting Machine, the SKLZ Derek Jeter Hurricane Hitting Machine, the SKLZ Target Trainer, the SKLZ Derek Jeter ZipnHit Pro, and the SKLZ Strikeback Trainer. Dixon is also a contributing writer for BaseballCoachingDigest, the Youth Baseball Digest, the Baseball Parent Guide, the Baseball 2Day Coaches Journal, and Blog4Coaches.
