BASEBALL DRILLS & DEALS

After 10 years of coaching youth sports, particularly baseball, I wish I had known at the beginning what I know now. Isn't that true for everything?

This blog is a sharing space for the experiences gained while coaching, running drills, and teaching fundamentals in youth baseball. Kids need repetition to develop good habits, but the wrong repetitions will lead to bad habits. One of the most common mistakes in practice is having all the players doing the same thing at the same time, which for some drills mean a lot of standing around.

There are many methods for training kids the fundamental skills while making it fun. Remember, this is a game, not a job or a chore that has to be done. As the players grow in age and maturity they can learn the flow of the game, strategy, and effective choices in various game situations.

We will cover:

• Drills for soft-hands catching and fielding
• Step process for making a good throw
• Fun hitting drills
• Basic bunting
• Practice planning
• Helping other moms and dads to help you
• Great deals on equipment
• Q&A on topics of your choice

The great Yogi Berra said, "You can observe a lot by watching". Well....I'll interpret that as we can learn a lot from one another. Let's start with a simple 'soft-hands' drill. How many times have you heard a comment about a pro that has soft hands when fielding a ground ball? The idea is to bring the ball into your body while catching the ball. And of course, to use two hands. Here's what you do.

1. Pair off the kids and form two lines, with the partners facing one another.
2. Start off about 10 feet apart, or whatever seems comfortable.
3. The players must keep their gloves closed the entire time.
4. Have the partners soft-toss the ball back and forth.
5. To catch the ball, have them use the back of their closed glove and their free hand.
6. They should cradle the ball against the back of their glove with their free hand and bring it into their chest.
7. This teaches hand-eye coordination, two-hand catching, and absorbing the ball.

Before I leave for now, let me say something that is a little crazy in sports....the rising cost of equipment and training products. Year after year the supertech bats, top leather gloves, and special cleat designed shoes continue to empty the bank account. It leaves no choice but to spend time shopping for deals. But who has a lot of extra time?

That is why I want to share with my fellow baseball (and all sports) parents an incredible little tool that I thought was useless at first. I was given this thing for free and when I finally decided to use it, WOW! It has saved me time and money on all kinds of purchases. The best thing is that I shop online, save money, and a lot of the times get free shipping with no taxes.

If you are interested in the best free tool to save time and money on your purchases, check it out at www.shoppinggenie.com/spencer. No looking for coupons, going to multiple stores, or wondering if you spent too much.

Until next time....."It ain't over till it's over."

Your Drills & Deals Coach......Tim Spencer

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