Great daily drill for pitchers:
The pitchers start 50 feet apart and gradually back up to a distance just beyond what they can throw in the air. After 10 throws at the maximum distance, the pitchers work their way back. Forty to 50 throws are usually adequate to stretch the arm. However, in the off-season, when a pitcher is trying to develop arm strength, more repetitions are required-up to 100-with one third of those being at the maximum distance.
Unless they are injured, pitchers should long toss at least every other day. In-season pitchers may want to cut down the number of long tosses. Off-season, pitchers should long toss only every other day and increase the repetitions to develop arm strength. Long-tossing, more than anything else pitchers do, increases velocity. It also shortens their recovery time.
Long tossing the day after pitching a game stretches out the arm and helps with blood circulation in the arm. Number of pitches The number of pitches pitchers throw in a game, a scrimmage game, or the bull pen should be carefully monitored by the coach.
Coach's Point:
The drill helps develop arm strength and stretches the players arms out.
Showing posts with label Throwing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Throwing. Show all posts
Friday, February 26, 2010
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Outfield Relay Drill to 3B and Home
This is a modified version of the Outfield Drill where the players threw the ball into a barrel. This is great drill work on developing accuracy from the outfield and in hitting the cut-off player for a relay to either 3B or Home.
Separate the group into three groups (right field, 2B/SS and 3B). Position all outfielders in a single line in right field. Hit fly balls or grounders to the outfielder and have them throw the ball to the relay player at 2B (or SS) and they, in return, throw to 3B. Rotate the players (outfield to 2B, 2B to 3B, 3B to outfield). You can incorporate throws to Home as well.
Coaches Point:
The main objective for this drill is to work on improved throwing accuracy, direction and hitting the relay player. Arm strengthening is another goal making the players more effective and confident with their throws.
Separate the group into three groups (right field, 2B/SS and 3B). Position all outfielders in a single line in right field. Hit fly balls or grounders to the outfielder and have them throw the ball to the relay player at 2B (or SS) and they, in return, throw to 3B. Rotate the players (outfield to 2B, 2B to 3B, 3B to outfield). You can incorporate throws to Home as well.
Coaches Point:
The main objective for this drill is to work on improved throwing accuracy, direction and hitting the relay player. Arm strengthening is another goal making the players more effective and confident with their throws.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Run Around Drill
The object is to run around the bases starting at 1st before the infield can throw around the bases. There is a catcher, 1b, 2b, ss, and 3b. Runner starts on 1st. Coach hits a grounder to 2b and the runner starts running. 2b throws to 3b, 3b throws to 1b, 1b throws to ss and ss throws to c trying to get the runner. Then another runner can start again.
Rotate fielders clockwise occasionally and incorporate runners into fielding positions.
Coach's Point:
Good overall drill for throwing and baserunning.
Rotate fielders clockwise occasionally and incorporate runners into fielding positions.
Coach's Point:
Good overall drill for throwing and baserunning.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Throwing the Baseball: Skills to Master
Throw with the Entire Body
When kids are taught to throw, often the instruction is watered down into just a couple of steps. The act of throwing a baseball is not that simple. Throwing requires the entire body to work together in order to throw the ball accurately and to put something on it. All positions on the field require the ability to throw the ball accurately. Good throwing mechanics will enable you to make plays. When you warm up with the team before practice or play catch in the back yard, make sure you work on your mechanics and strive to improve your accuracy.
Gripping the Baseball
The best way to grip the ball is across the seams. The fingers are placed over the top of the seams to provide a good grip on the ball. In the first picture you'll notice that you can see 2 seams running horizontally. The back of the ball not visible will also have 2 seams running horizontally. By gripping the ball in this fashion, those 4 seams will help to keep the ball in the air longer and keep the ball traveling straighter (assuming the player can throw it with 12-6 rotation).
It takes years of practice to be able to grip the ball across the 4 seams in this fashion when playing a position other than pitcher on the field. Players can work on this by throwing the ball into their glove and as they pull the ball out shift the ball to the correct grip.
Try to keep the ball out on the fingertips not back in your hand. Gripping the ball in the palm of your hand and not out on your fingers will cost you velocity and accuracy. Younger players may need to grip the ball with three fingers instead of two, but unless their hands are very small they should still try to grip the ball out on the fingers.
Wrist Action
Many young players don't use their wrist much when throwing the ball. When the ball is brought back in the throwing motion, the wrist should be cocked back. This way the wrist can be used as part of the throwing motion.
Watch young players throw and you will see most will throw with a stiff wrist. It is very difficult to throw the ball accurately with a stiff throwing wrist. This is a skill that young players should work on from the start.
You can practice this skill by holding your throwing arm just above the wrist with your glove hand. Bend your throwing arm at the elbow with your forearm vertical. Keeping your arm in this position, practice throwing the ball with just your wrist and fingers. It may feel strange at first, but keep working on this skill. The wrist and fingers play a major role in the accuracy and strength of your throw.
Arm Motion
You can think of the motion your arm makes when throwing the ball as a circular motion. If you're throwing a short distance, the circular motion will be smaller then when you are throwing farther, but it's still a circular motion. The circular motion will aid your throw by providing more natural momentum than simply bringing your arm straight back and then forward. The circular motion should begin when you're pulling the ball from your glove. If you are playing outfield you will almost always be making a longer throw, so when you remove the ball from your glove, your arm and hand should drop down and by your back knee. This will provide you with the longest circular motion possible. If you are making a shorter throw in the infield for example, you may take the ball out of your glove and move it back and down slightly. This will give you a circular motion appropriate for the distance.
How do you determine if you're throwing with a circular motion or not? One of the best ways to check yourself is to freeze occasionally after you pull the ball out of your glove. If you are bring it up and back for anything other than a very short throw, you are not using a good circular motion in your throw.
If you have been throwing incorrectly for a long time, then it is going to feel different throwing with a good circular motion. That is to be expected. Practice throwing this way all the time and it will soon feel natural and you should see increased accuracy and velocity.
Lead with the Shoulder
When throwing you want your front shoulder to point in the direction of where you are throwing. So after fielding the ball you will be turning your body sideways and pointing your lead shoulder in the direction of the throw.
Lower Body
If you follow the logic of having your front shoulder facing the target then you might have guessed that you also want your lower body lined up in the same manner. Your back foot should be perpendicular to the target and your hips should be closed and also pointing in the direction of the target.
Once you have everything lined up, you'll want to step toward the target with your lead foot, push off your back leg, and throw the ball using your entire body.
Rotation
In order to throw the ball so it won't tail, you want to make sure you throw it across all four seems with '12-6' rotation. '12-6' rotation refers to a clock. If the ball rotates from 12, straight down to where 6 would be on the clock, this would be considered '12-6' rotation.
Unless you throw the ball straight over your head, you won't be able to get '12-6' rotation without moving your wrist. As the ball comes forward during your motion, you will want twist your wrist to keep your hand as vertical as possible. This is the key to having good '12-6' rotation on the ball.
When kids are taught to throw, often the instruction is watered down into just a couple of steps. The act of throwing a baseball is not that simple. Throwing requires the entire body to work together in order to throw the ball accurately and to put something on it. All positions on the field require the ability to throw the ball accurately. Good throwing mechanics will enable you to make plays. When you warm up with the team before practice or play catch in the back yard, make sure you work on your mechanics and strive to improve your accuracy.
Gripping the Baseball
The best way to grip the ball is across the seams. The fingers are placed over the top of the seams to provide a good grip on the ball. In the first picture you'll notice that you can see 2 seams running horizontally. The back of the ball not visible will also have 2 seams running horizontally. By gripping the ball in this fashion, those 4 seams will help to keep the ball in the air longer and keep the ball traveling straighter (assuming the player can throw it with 12-6 rotation).
It takes years of practice to be able to grip the ball across the 4 seams in this fashion when playing a position other than pitcher on the field. Players can work on this by throwing the ball into their glove and as they pull the ball out shift the ball to the correct grip.
Try to keep the ball out on the fingertips not back in your hand. Gripping the ball in the palm of your hand and not out on your fingers will cost you velocity and accuracy. Younger players may need to grip the ball with three fingers instead of two, but unless their hands are very small they should still try to grip the ball out on the fingers.
Wrist Action
Many young players don't use their wrist much when throwing the ball. When the ball is brought back in the throwing motion, the wrist should be cocked back. This way the wrist can be used as part of the throwing motion.
Watch young players throw and you will see most will throw with a stiff wrist. It is very difficult to throw the ball accurately with a stiff throwing wrist. This is a skill that young players should work on from the start.
You can practice this skill by holding your throwing arm just above the wrist with your glove hand. Bend your throwing arm at the elbow with your forearm vertical. Keeping your arm in this position, practice throwing the ball with just your wrist and fingers. It may feel strange at first, but keep working on this skill. The wrist and fingers play a major role in the accuracy and strength of your throw.
Arm Motion
You can think of the motion your arm makes when throwing the ball as a circular motion. If you're throwing a short distance, the circular motion will be smaller then when you are throwing farther, but it's still a circular motion. The circular motion will aid your throw by providing more natural momentum than simply bringing your arm straight back and then forward. The circular motion should begin when you're pulling the ball from your glove. If you are playing outfield you will almost always be making a longer throw, so when you remove the ball from your glove, your arm and hand should drop down and by your back knee. This will provide you with the longest circular motion possible. If you are making a shorter throw in the infield for example, you may take the ball out of your glove and move it back and down slightly. This will give you a circular motion appropriate for the distance.
How do you determine if you're throwing with a circular motion or not? One of the best ways to check yourself is to freeze occasionally after you pull the ball out of your glove. If you are bring it up and back for anything other than a very short throw, you are not using a good circular motion in your throw.
If you have been throwing incorrectly for a long time, then it is going to feel different throwing with a good circular motion. That is to be expected. Practice throwing this way all the time and it will soon feel natural and you should see increased accuracy and velocity.
Lead with the Shoulder
When throwing you want your front shoulder to point in the direction of where you are throwing. So after fielding the ball you will be turning your body sideways and pointing your lead shoulder in the direction of the throw.
Lower Body
If you follow the logic of having your front shoulder facing the target then you might have guessed that you also want your lower body lined up in the same manner. Your back foot should be perpendicular to the target and your hips should be closed and also pointing in the direction of the target.
Once you have everything lined up, you'll want to step toward the target with your lead foot, push off your back leg, and throw the ball using your entire body.
Rotation
In order to throw the ball so it won't tail, you want to make sure you throw it across all four seems with '12-6' rotation. '12-6' rotation refers to a clock. If the ball rotates from 12, straight down to where 6 would be on the clock, this would be considered '12-6' rotation.
Unless you throw the ball straight over your head, you won't be able to get '12-6' rotation without moving your wrist. As the ball comes forward during your motion, you will want twist your wrist to keep your hand as vertical as possible. This is the key to having good '12-6' rotation on the ball.
Fun Speed Throwing Drill for the Ballplayers
The objective is to throw as hard and fast as possible and develop good throwing skills, not simply get the best score in this drill. Concentrate on developing a good rhythm of moving to the ball to catch it and continuing on with the throwing motion. This is also a good time to watch your players and see who uses two hands and catches the ball properly.
You can run this drill in any large open area. Divide the team into as many groups or teams of two as possible. One player of each group lines up on one side of the area, the second member opposite on the other side. Space players an equal distance apart along each side of the area to allow room for safety. Each group should have a ball. On the word “GO” each team begins throwing the ball back and forth across the area. Each time a team completes one throw and catch they count one point. If the throw is bad, or the ball is not caught, that team's score goes to zero.
I like to allow thirty seconds for a round, then call “STOP.” Each team then gives its score. The team with the highest score wins and each of those two players gets one point. Then rotate to the left so that all teams are different. As soon as all teams are set and have a ball, start another round as above. Run as many rounds as the time allotted for the drill will allow. At the conclusion the player(s) with the most points win.
You can run this drill in any large open area. Divide the team into as many groups or teams of two as possible. One player of each group lines up on one side of the area, the second member opposite on the other side. Space players an equal distance apart along each side of the area to allow room for safety. Each group should have a ball. On the word “GO” each team begins throwing the ball back and forth across the area. Each time a team completes one throw and catch they count one point. If the throw is bad, or the ball is not caught, that team's score goes to zero.
I like to allow thirty seconds for a round, then call “STOP.” Each team then gives its score. The team with the highest score wins and each of those two players gets one point. Then rotate to the left so that all teams are different. As soon as all teams are set and have a ball, start another round as above. Run as many rounds as the time allotted for the drill will allow. At the conclusion the player(s) with the most points win.
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