DYBSA House League Clinic
DYBSA House League Clinic April 16th, 2016
Objective: Review proper mechanics and engage in various drills for hitting, bunting and base running Materials needed: Balls – softballs (according to age level), baseballs, tennis balls Nets Tees Various materials mentioned in drills HITTING
Key points: Swing has undergone some major changes within the last 6-8 years. These include: o Movements more comparable to a baseball player’s swing i.e. throwing hips forward and into pitch, pushing off back leg and pushing back knee into front knee o NO more squish the bug (let it live!) Leaves too much power and energy behind swing isn’t as powerful or efficient I encourage all players to experience A TON of front toss and practice tee work
Proper swing motion broken down into the following steps: 1. Start up Step that requires the most mental toughness Player should step into the box feeling confident and aggressive a. Player steps in and maintains neutral stance b. Weight should be equally distributed on both legs i. Player can have slightly more weight on back leg if it’s more comfortable BUT still want to maintain balance 2. Load a. Player shifts some of their body weight to their back leg and angles front shoulder slightly down i. Small body adjustment to start momentum ii. Don’t over load! – if unsure, take a measurement with your bat 1. Place your bat straight up against the outer edge of your foot 2. Player’s knee should not go past the bat
3. Attack a. Player side steps with front foot (either straight up and down or slightly more out in front) i. Want to maintain balance – player does not want to step out/in or too far forward b. Player should take every part of their body (i.e. front elbow, hips, front knee, back shoulder) forward and up the middle toward the pitcher take energy generated from load into their swing c. Player should imagine pushing the knob of the bat thru the pitcher’s head/ teeth i. Bat barrel should “be lazy” and stay back in the hitting zone ii. Bat barrel will follow the knob ***If player decides to swing…***
Trust yourself! Go for it! – good things happen when player is confident; be encouraging! Keep your eyes on the ball and track it all the way in to the contact point Keep hands high and torso balanced o Don’t collapse into your back body and get jammed Front arm should be in straight alignment with your bat Back shoulder should mirror position of bat barrel Push your body forward using your back leg (imagine crashing back knee into front knee) o Bring all the energy/ momentum generated in load forward o Imagine pulling belly button toward 3rd base o TIP: if player is squishing the bug/ keeping too much weight on their back leg, coach can place bucket behind back foot If player’s heel hits bucket bug is dead
4. Extension a. Player should aim to make contact with the bat barrel angled down better extension i. Wrists “break” and are mobile enough to go through the ball ii. Flat bat barrel weak ground ball 1. Wrists are too hard and roll over on ball b. Goal is to keep barrel/ “sweet spot” through hitting zone for as long as possible c. Player should literally push ball away from them, up the middle d. Stay level through the ball
DRILL: Cord drill Goals: o To keep “sweet spot” of the bat in the hitting zone as long as possible o To practice level hands and swing o Visualize time in hitting zone and how long player is lengthening out their swing o Muscle memory 1. Place cord/ string level at waist high 2. Player should go through normal swing in slow motion several times to feel a level swing 3. Once comfortable, place clip on cord/ string where player’s contact position is 4. Repeat swing in slow motion and place 2nd clip where bat exits the hitting zone DRILL: Front hand/ backhand Goals: o Muscle memory for keeping hands high and through the ball o Helps create shorter path to the ball o Helpful for girls with long swings or who drop their hands 1. Place ball on tee (can use baseballs or tennis balls for more advanced hitters) 2. Player begins by kneeling beside tee, mirroring their stance at the plate 3. Player holds bat in front hand ONLY and places it in normal position as if swinging with both hands 4. Player swings through ball and then switches to back hand a. If player hits tee or ball pops up player is dropping her hands 5. Progress to standing – first without legs, and then add in legs (load and attack) once player becomes more comfortable DRILL: Hand ball (NO bat; use tennis or wiffle balls) Goals: o Helps player focus on keep their hands inside the ball by creating space to extend o Gets player used to firing hands o Keeps player’s path to ball short and sweet 1. 2. 3. 4.
Coach stands opposite player Coach tosses player ball at chest level/ in strike zone Player punches ball back up the middle (upper body ONLY) Progress to add in legs (load and attack)
Player should only punch the ball back up the middle NO follow through o Players get in a bad habit of pulling front shoulder out Creates imbalance in body posture Player loses visual of ball
DRILL: High tee Goals: o Helps player understand keeping hands high o Muscle memory 1. Set tee on top of bucket (might need 2 depending on height of player) 2. Explain this is an unrealistic pitch for them to actually hit 3. Player strives to make good contact with ball DRILL: Weight forward with Bosu ball Goals: o Get player used to keeping their weight forward through their swing 1. 2. 3. 4.
Place ball on tee (can use baseballs or tennis balls for more advanced hitters) Place Bosu ball where player’s back foot would set up Player must balance on front leg while keeping back foot on Bosu ball Player strives to make good contact with ball while staying balanced in forward position
Can use stacked weights or foam block in lieu of Bosu ball I prefer to use something squishy to emphasize balance component
DRILL: Weight forward (for advanced hitters) Goals: o Experience exaggerated weight transfer from back to front leg 1. Place ball on tee (can use baseballs or tennis balls for more advanced hitters) 2. Player starts balanced on back leg ONLY 3. As player swings, drive power forward from back to front leg by making a small jump 4. Finish swing all the way through and focus on making good contact through ball DRILL: Heavy and light bat Goals: o Heavy bat – increase arm and upper body strength o Light bat – increase bat and hand speed through ball
1. 2.
Place ball on tee (can use baseballs or tennis balls for more advanced hitters) Player makes contact Make sure mechanics are correct and players stay disciplined Really easy to tweak mechanics when weight is added or removed
DRILL: Long tee Goals: o Player challenges herself to hit as many line drives as possible by making sure she extends through her swing o Feel good drill 1. Place ball on tee (can use baseballs or tennis balls for more advanced hitters) 2. Set up target ~60 ft. away 3. Player tries to hit target as many times as possible with line drives DRILL: Tea pot Goals: o To practice proper body posture o Help girls who struggle with how to position their stance 1. Player stands with feet together, holding bat in both hands and resting in on their shoulder, elbows rest comfortably at each side 2. Player tilts front shoulder forward NOT head! 3. Simultaneously – player takes side step forward with front foot (like attack position) and lifts hands straight up a. Hands should not move forward or backward 4. Player steps forward with back leg and repeats 5. Progress (when comfortable) – when player reaches full stance, they jump once up and down DRILL: Finding contact point with hands only Goals: To get hands out IN FRONT To give player visual of where contact point is, what it looks like and what position their body is in 1. 2. 3. 4.
Coach stands opposite player at fairly close range Player stands in their normal batting stance Coach tosses ball to strike zone Player loads and attacks as if swinging actual bat BUT catches ball with bare hand out in front at contact point 5. Player starts with front hand/ back hand only, switches and then progresses to both hands
DRILL: Box net Goals: o Creating shorter path to the ball o Helps player stay inside the ball and work on extension 1. Player stands between 2 nets (or wall and net) with tee set up a. One net should be placed right behind player, and the 2nd should be placed a little further away from the tee to create a “box” around player 2. Player goes through full swinging motion WITHOUT follow through and tries to hit ball off tee without hitting either net BUNTING
Key points: Timing is key! Player needs to turn early enough to have time to get into the proper position, but not too early letting the defense know what she’s doing
1. Body position: a. Player should rotate body to fully face pitcher b. Eyes should track ball all the way to contact point c. Top hand slides up to ~mid-bat and bottom hand remains in place i. Top hand should form a fist with bottom 4 fingers, leaving the thumb free to hold the top part of the bat d. Hands need to be good distance away from each other to create leverage on the bat e. Elbows should be slightly bent – strong arms, lose wrists greatest control of bat movement f. Both knees should be bent at ~90° and kept soft i. Players should visualize having “elevator knees” ii. Players should adjust the bend in their knees to move to a pitch, NOT their bat position 2. Bat position: a. Held at an upward angle of ~45° i. Flat bat = pop up! b. Bat should be positioned at “mustache level”
Objective: Review proper mechanics and engage in various drills for hitting, bunting and base running Materials needed: Balls – softballs (according to age level), baseballs, tennis balls Nets Tees Various materials mentioned in drills HITTING
Key points: Swing has undergone some major changes within the last 6-8 years. These include: o Movements more comparable to a baseball player’s swing i.e. throwing hips forward and into pitch, pushing off back leg and pushing back knee into front knee o NO more squish the bug (let it live!) Leaves too much power and energy behind swing isn’t as powerful or efficient I encourage all players to experience A TON of front toss and practice tee work
Proper swing motion broken down into the following steps: 1. Start up Step that requires the most mental toughness Player should step into the box feeling confident and aggressive a. Player steps in and maintains neutral stance b. Weight should be equally distributed on both legs i. Player can have slightly more weight on back leg if it’s more comfortable BUT still want to maintain balance 2. Load a. Player shifts some of their body weight to their back leg and angles front shoulder slightly down i. Small body adjustment to start momentum ii. Don’t over load! – if unsure, take a measurement with your bat 1. Place your bat straight up against the outer edge of your foot 2. Player’s knee should not go past the bat
3. Attack a. Player side steps with front foot (either straight up and down or slightly more out in front) i. Want to maintain balance – player does not want to step out/in or too far forward b. Player should take every part of their body (i.e. front elbow, hips, front knee, back shoulder) forward and up the middle toward the pitcher take energy generated from load into their swing c. Player should imagine pushing the knob of the bat thru the pitcher’s head/ teeth i. Bat barrel should “be lazy” and stay back in the hitting zone ii. Bat barrel will follow the knob ***If player decides to swing…***
Trust yourself! Go for it! – good things happen when player is confident; be encouraging! Keep your eyes on the ball and track it all the way in to the contact point Keep hands high and torso balanced o Don’t collapse into your back body and get jammed Front arm should be in straight alignment with your bat Back shoulder should mirror position of bat barrel Push your body forward using your back leg (imagine crashing back knee into front knee) o Bring all the energy/ momentum generated in load forward o Imagine pulling belly button toward 3rd base o TIP: if player is squishing the bug/ keeping too much weight on their back leg, coach can place bucket behind back foot If player’s heel hits bucket bug is dead
4. Extension a. Player should aim to make contact with the bat barrel angled down better extension i. Wrists “break” and are mobile enough to go through the ball ii. Flat bat barrel weak ground ball 1. Wrists are too hard and roll over on ball b. Goal is to keep barrel/ “sweet spot” through hitting zone for as long as possible c. Player should literally push ball away from them, up the middle d. Stay level through the ball
DRILL: Cord drill Goals: o To keep “sweet spot” of the bat in the hitting zone as long as possible o To practice level hands and swing o Visualize time in hitting zone and how long player is lengthening out their swing o Muscle memory 1. Place cord/ string level at waist high 2. Player should go through normal swing in slow motion several times to feel a level swing 3. Once comfortable, place clip on cord/ string where player’s contact position is 4. Repeat swing in slow motion and place 2nd clip where bat exits the hitting zone DRILL: Front hand/ backhand Goals: o Muscle memory for keeping hands high and through the ball o Helps create shorter path to the ball o Helpful for girls with long swings or who drop their hands 1. Place ball on tee (can use baseballs or tennis balls for more advanced hitters) 2. Player begins by kneeling beside tee, mirroring their stance at the plate 3. Player holds bat in front hand ONLY and places it in normal position as if swinging with both hands 4. Player swings through ball and then switches to back hand a. If player hits tee or ball pops up player is dropping her hands 5. Progress to standing – first without legs, and then add in legs (load and attack) once player becomes more comfortable DRILL: Hand ball (NO bat; use tennis or wiffle balls) Goals: o Helps player focus on keep their hands inside the ball by creating space to extend o Gets player used to firing hands o Keeps player’s path to ball short and sweet 1. 2. 3. 4.
Coach stands opposite player Coach tosses player ball at chest level/ in strike zone Player punches ball back up the middle (upper body ONLY) Progress to add in legs (load and attack)
Player should only punch the ball back up the middle NO follow through o Players get in a bad habit of pulling front shoulder out Creates imbalance in body posture Player loses visual of ball
DRILL: High tee Goals: o Helps player understand keeping hands high o Muscle memory 1. Set tee on top of bucket (might need 2 depending on height of player) 2. Explain this is an unrealistic pitch for them to actually hit 3. Player strives to make good contact with ball DRILL: Weight forward with Bosu ball Goals: o Get player used to keeping their weight forward through their swing 1. 2. 3. 4.
Place ball on tee (can use baseballs or tennis balls for more advanced hitters) Place Bosu ball where player’s back foot would set up Player must balance on front leg while keeping back foot on Bosu ball Player strives to make good contact with ball while staying balanced in forward position
Can use stacked weights or foam block in lieu of Bosu ball I prefer to use something squishy to emphasize balance component
DRILL: Weight forward (for advanced hitters) Goals: o Experience exaggerated weight transfer from back to front leg 1. Place ball on tee (can use baseballs or tennis balls for more advanced hitters) 2. Player starts balanced on back leg ONLY 3. As player swings, drive power forward from back to front leg by making a small jump 4. Finish swing all the way through and focus on making good contact through ball DRILL: Heavy and light bat Goals: o Heavy bat – increase arm and upper body strength o Light bat – increase bat and hand speed through ball
1. 2.
Place ball on tee (can use baseballs or tennis balls for more advanced hitters) Player makes contact Make sure mechanics are correct and players stay disciplined Really easy to tweak mechanics when weight is added or removed
DRILL: Long tee Goals: o Player challenges herself to hit as many line drives as possible by making sure she extends through her swing o Feel good drill 1. Place ball on tee (can use baseballs or tennis balls for more advanced hitters) 2. Set up target ~60 ft. away 3. Player tries to hit target as many times as possible with line drives DRILL: Tea pot Goals: o To practice proper body posture o Help girls who struggle with how to position their stance 1. Player stands with feet together, holding bat in both hands and resting in on their shoulder, elbows rest comfortably at each side 2. Player tilts front shoulder forward NOT head! 3. Simultaneously – player takes side step forward with front foot (like attack position) and lifts hands straight up a. Hands should not move forward or backward 4. Player steps forward with back leg and repeats 5. Progress (when comfortable) – when player reaches full stance, they jump once up and down DRILL: Finding contact point with hands only Goals: To get hands out IN FRONT To give player visual of where contact point is, what it looks like and what position their body is in 1. 2. 3. 4.
Coach stands opposite player at fairly close range Player stands in their normal batting stance Coach tosses ball to strike zone Player loads and attacks as if swinging actual bat BUT catches ball with bare hand out in front at contact point 5. Player starts with front hand/ back hand only, switches and then progresses to both hands
DRILL: Box net Goals: o Creating shorter path to the ball o Helps player stay inside the ball and work on extension 1. Player stands between 2 nets (or wall and net) with tee set up a. One net should be placed right behind player, and the 2nd should be placed a little further away from the tee to create a “box” around player 2. Player goes through full swinging motion WITHOUT follow through and tries to hit ball off tee without hitting either net BUNTING
Key points: Timing is key! Player needs to turn early enough to have time to get into the proper position, but not too early letting the defense know what she’s doing
1. Body position: a. Player should rotate body to fully face pitcher b. Eyes should track ball all the way to contact point c. Top hand slides up to ~mid-bat and bottom hand remains in place i. Top hand should form a fist with bottom 4 fingers, leaving the thumb free to hold the top part of the bat d. Hands need to be good distance away from each other to create leverage on the bat e. Elbows should be slightly bent – strong arms, lose wrists greatest control of bat movement f. Both knees should be bent at ~90° and kept soft i. Players should visualize having “elevator knees” ii. Players should adjust the bend in their knees to move to a pitch, NOT their bat position 2. Bat position: a. Held at an upward angle of ~45° i. Flat bat = pop up! b. Bat should be positioned at “mustache level”
