A lot of players these days spend hours perfecting their swing and working on the offensive side of the baseball. It is vital never to forget the importance of defense. I can't express enough the importance, especially infielders, to take time to work on the defensive side of the ball.
A strong glove in the infield can earn a sub par hitter the ability to play at a high level. As a kid, Ozzie Smith caught ground balls with a paper bag. He is now in the Hall of Fame and one of the greatest short stops of all time. He understood the importance of baseball.
Below is a quick routine that a player can do alone by throwing a tennis ball against the wall and catching it bare handed. Or if you have a partner, have them hit ground balls to you.
25- Right at you (Routine)
25- Forehands
25- Backhands
25- Slow rollers
Remember to incorporate some throws in each section. For a middle infielders, work on throwing to second base for the double play. If you are a first baseman, make sure to turn double plays on sections 1-3, and throws to third (getting the force out at third on a crash bunt play) in section 4.
For discussion of similar topics visit: http://www.ballparkpreps.com/forum
Showing posts with label ballparkpreps. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ballparkpreps. Show all posts
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Monday, December 14, 2009
Dry Swings
Let's discuss a simple drill that can help vastly improve hitting. It is an underrated exercise that my coach(now a professional scout/crosschecker with the Padres) preached when I played college baseball. Dry Swings.
One of the most beneficial drills in hitting that is rarely used is "dry swings." When I see kids doing dry swings it is usually on deck and they are taking an entirely different swing than they take in a game. The best thing you could do for your swing, is to concentrate when taking dry swings to make them as game like as possible. Muscle memory will eventually take over and that good swing you are taking will bleed over into the game. A few checkpoints that can help.
1. relaxed athletic position
2. soft stride
3. balance at contact
4. extension after contact
Break your swing into these checkpoints. Like I said before, muscle memory will begin to take over and it will become second nature.
One of the most beneficial drills in hitting that is rarely used is "dry swings." When I see kids doing dry swings it is usually on deck and they are taking an entirely different swing than they take in a game. The best thing you could do for your swing, is to concentrate when taking dry swings to make them as game like as possible. Muscle memory will eventually take over and that good swing you are taking will bleed over into the game. A few checkpoints that can help.
1. relaxed athletic position
2. soft stride
3. balance at contact
4. extension after contact
Break your swing into these checkpoints. Like I said before, muscle memory will begin to take over and it will become second nature.
Friday, December 11, 2009
High School Baseball Div. 1 vs JUCO
High School Baseball
Both high school baseball players as well as their parents share the same mentality, thinking that reaching to play division 1 baseball (NCAA) is the main goal for any student. However the paradox is that the same players that think this end up being extremely unhappy about the choice they have made, Division 1 not being the best choice.
When Junior College might be the better choice:
1. You are not one of the top brains in high school. Most of 2.5-3.0 GPA high school students believe that to be the easiest way is to attend a junior college.
2. You might be a draft pick, not picked out of high school, wanting to get the benefits of two-year draft eligibility.
3. You’re one of the chosen players but you’re not good enough to sign a contract and still you would love to play professional baseball. Junior college way gives you the opportunity to either sign or be re-drafted when both seasons-freshman and senior seasons end.
4. You dream of conquering Arizona or Clemson State while you’re being offered from only lesser division 1 schools. If you go to a junior college and show them what your abilities are, you will get the opportunity at the college you really wanted to play at.
There is only one thing both players as well as their parents have to keep in mind: finishing 2 years in a junior college and then being transferred to a division 1 college will lead in one direction: receiving a degree that says “Clemson” or “Arizona State”, but says absolutely nothing about the junior college.
Let’s talk about money now. Almost every division 1 schools (who have 11.7 scholarships for baseball) have to share this money equally with 30-35 players, the player having left a large sum of money to pay. With lower tuition costs and more scholarships (24) many times a junior college can offer 2 free years.
You can save money this simple way: you attend a division 1 school 2 years for free and the next 2 at 50 %, which equals to four years at 75 % savings. All these lead you to a $20,000 save from that 25 % left of every year.
You can also choose a JUCO because of the additional playing opportunities, being able to play against those who are your own age.
Although Junior College sounds good for some of the young players it isn’t the right option for all of them. It’s almost impossible for a 3.5- 4.0 student, who could attend some of the best colleges as Notre Dame or Duke to even take a junior college in consideration since all these top academic schools don’t even consider JUCO transfers.
No matter what the choice is, it’s yours and has got to be the right one. Good luck!
Author: wbdoyle
Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_1113128_32.html
About the Author: Retired US Navy. Married 20+ years. Home Inchon, Korea. Work Seoul, Korea.
As much as I would really enjoy taking credit for this information I can't, however, I do have some input and additional information.
I want to bring up the idea of smaller NAIA schools as an option for high school baseball players.
There are roughly 1200 players in the major leagues and there are only 5400 players in the minor leagues. This means that about 18% of minor league players make it to the big leagues. That doesn't include college players. To make it simple, the odds are not good that any given player will play professional ball. So what can you get out of playing baseball? A free education. And if it isn't free then the school will pay for a portion of it with scholarships.
NAIA schools are often smaller schools that have strong academic programs. A lot of the schools are liberal arts based or they have a direct affiliation with a christian denomination. The great thing about these schools is that the student to teacher ratio is great. The school I attended was 6:1 student to teacher ratio. This allows the student to be able to concentrate and have a more developed relationship with the professor. The ingredients calls for a higher GPA.
The point is that few people play D1 baseball and even fewer people play in the minor and major leagues. With that said, get out of baseball what you can. Have fun and don't be rule out NAIA schools.
Both high school baseball players as well as their parents share the same mentality, thinking that reaching to play division 1 baseball (NCAA) is the main goal for any student. However the paradox is that the same players that think this end up being extremely unhappy about the choice they have made, Division 1 not being the best choice.
When Junior College might be the better choice:
1. You are not one of the top brains in high school. Most of 2.5-3.0 GPA high school students believe that to be the easiest way is to attend a junior college.
2. You might be a draft pick, not picked out of high school, wanting to get the benefits of two-year draft eligibility.
3. You’re one of the chosen players but you’re not good enough to sign a contract and still you would love to play professional baseball. Junior college way gives you the opportunity to either sign or be re-drafted when both seasons-freshman and senior seasons end.
4. You dream of conquering Arizona or Clemson State while you’re being offered from only lesser division 1 schools. If you go to a junior college and show them what your abilities are, you will get the opportunity at the college you really wanted to play at.
There is only one thing both players as well as their parents have to keep in mind: finishing 2 years in a junior college and then being transferred to a division 1 college will lead in one direction: receiving a degree that says “Clemson” or “Arizona State”, but says absolutely nothing about the junior college.
Let’s talk about money now. Almost every division 1 schools (who have 11.7 scholarships for baseball) have to share this money equally with 30-35 players, the player having left a large sum of money to pay. With lower tuition costs and more scholarships (24) many times a junior college can offer 2 free years.
You can save money this simple way: you attend a division 1 school 2 years for free and the next 2 at 50 %, which equals to four years at 75 % savings. All these lead you to a $20,000 save from that 25 % left of every year.
You can also choose a JUCO because of the additional playing opportunities, being able to play against those who are your own age.
Although Junior College sounds good for some of the young players it isn’t the right option for all of them. It’s almost impossible for a 3.5- 4.0 student, who could attend some of the best colleges as Notre Dame or Duke to even take a junior college in consideration since all these top academic schools don’t even consider JUCO transfers.
No matter what the choice is, it’s yours and has got to be the right one. Good luck!
Author: wbdoyle
Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_1113128_32.html
About the Author: Retired US Navy. Married 20+ years. Home Inchon, Korea. Work Seoul, Korea.
As much as I would really enjoy taking credit for this information I can't, however, I do have some input and additional information.
I want to bring up the idea of smaller NAIA schools as an option for high school baseball players.
There are roughly 1200 players in the major leagues and there are only 5400 players in the minor leagues. This means that about 18% of minor league players make it to the big leagues. That doesn't include college players. To make it simple, the odds are not good that any given player will play professional ball. So what can you get out of playing baseball? A free education. And if it isn't free then the school will pay for a portion of it with scholarships.
NAIA schools are often smaller schools that have strong academic programs. A lot of the schools are liberal arts based or they have a direct affiliation with a christian denomination. The great thing about these schools is that the student to teacher ratio is great. The school I attended was 6:1 student to teacher ratio. This allows the student to be able to concentrate and have a more developed relationship with the professor. The ingredients calls for a higher GPA.
The point is that few people play D1 baseball and even fewer people play in the minor and major leagues. With that said, get out of baseball what you can. Have fun and don't be rule out NAIA schools.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Easy Ways to Get Recruited to Play College Baseball
-Start Early. The sooner you start getting your name out. The longer college coaches will have to hear your name.
-Choose the showcases you go to wisely. Make sure you call and find out how many college coaches and scouts will be attending the showcases you plan to attend. Get your money's worth.
-Attend Camps and Showcases put on by our School of Interest. If the college you would like to attend puts on a showcase. Make sure you are there and make sure they know who you are and that you are interested.
-Never take for granted the ability to play hard. Coaches notice during the recruiting process. Often times, coaches will take a hard worker over a player with raw talent.
-Do your best in school. Coaches will often choose a player with a better GPA because they want to coach baseball not babysit players. Players that can receive academic scholarships are very appealing to coaches.
-Use positive body language when in front of college coaches. Coaches do not like to see players who act as if they would rather be doing anything than playing baseball.
-Choose the showcases you go to wisely. Make sure you call and find out how many college coaches and scouts will be attending the showcases you plan to attend. Get your money's worth.
-Attend Camps and Showcases put on by our School of Interest. If the college you would like to attend puts on a showcase. Make sure you are there and make sure they know who you are and that you are interested.
-Never take for granted the ability to play hard. Coaches notice during the recruiting process. Often times, coaches will take a hard worker over a player with raw talent.
-Do your best in school. Coaches will often choose a player with a better GPA because they want to coach baseball not babysit players. Players that can receive academic scholarships are very appealing to coaches.
-Use positive body language when in front of college coaches. Coaches do not like to see players who act as if they would rather be doing anything than playing baseball.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Running in the Game of Baseball
Like most sports, sprinting in baseball is unique. The game consists of sprints that cover short distances. Whether you are tracking a fly ball, running to a slow rolling ground ball, or running the bases; the game of baseball is a game of explosive short distance sprints. The longest a player can run is from home to third base and triples are not very common in baseball.
What does this tell us? It tells us that baseball players should train to effectively run short sprints.
There are a few good exercises that help explosiveness while sprinting. As a college player when I would work on speed I would often do various exercises that would concentrate on exploding from a position. This will help acceleration while sprinting. Some of the exercises include box jumps, power cleans, and sprinting with a parachute. If you do not have the resources to buy a parachute then use your imagination. I would use a weight belt and rope a tire to it. Then I would pull the tire while running sprints. I would generally do sprints that cover 30, 40, 50 and 60 yards. Do these sprints a couple times a week along with plyometrics. It is a pretty good workout and it will train yours legs to pull more weight. This will increase speed and explosiveness when you are not wearing the belt.
At showcases, the 60 yard sprint is often timed. In my opinion, a good time consists of 6.8 or better for position players. For catchers, 7.0 and under is good.
What does this tell us? It tells us that baseball players should train to effectively run short sprints.
There are a few good exercises that help explosiveness while sprinting. As a college player when I would work on speed I would often do various exercises that would concentrate on exploding from a position. This will help acceleration while sprinting. Some of the exercises include box jumps, power cleans, and sprinting with a parachute. If you do not have the resources to buy a parachute then use your imagination. I would use a weight belt and rope a tire to it. Then I would pull the tire while running sprints. I would generally do sprints that cover 30, 40, 50 and 60 yards. Do these sprints a couple times a week along with plyometrics. It is a pretty good workout and it will train yours legs to pull more weight. This will increase speed and explosiveness when you are not wearing the belt.
At showcases, the 60 yard sprint is often timed. In my opinion, a good time consists of 6.8 or better for position players. For catchers, 7.0 and under is good.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Baseball Lifting and Exercises - Hitting
Lifting weights in any sport has become vital for an athlete's success. The most important areas to work in terms of baseball is definitely the core and the legs. Most of a players power, about 60-70%, will come from these two areas. The rest comes from hand speed and the arms.
There are many exercises that a player can do for their core. Any abdominal workout is good for core, but I prefer pole twists along with any other rotating abdominal workout. Other exercises include Russian twists, wood choppers, and your typical crunch. This will allow the muscles to become more accustomed to moving in a manner similar to the hitting motion. Another positive to doing core is that it will help with balance and balance is the important aspect of hitting.
For the arms, extending exercises are best for baseball and for hitting. When you hit a baseball, you extend your arms. Curling or pulling exercises are not best for baseball however they do need to be done to keep the body proportional in strength. If the body is not proportioned well, it has a tendency to get tight in the areas of greater strength due to the contracting of the muscles. Stretching is important. Stay loose. It is not only important for the body, but also in baseball. The more loose and relaxed you are, the quicker your hands can be.
Some of my favorite exercises for baseball are compound exercises. My favorite is the clean and jerk. It provides explosion in all sports. It is easy to get hurt if you do not do the exercise properly though. You do not have to use heavy weight. Just use something moderate and do 8 - 12 reps. I did these my senior year of high school and I could tell quite a difference of power.
For more tips and discussion check out the Ballpark Preps forum: http://www.ballparkpreps.com/forum
There are many exercises that a player can do for their core. Any abdominal workout is good for core, but I prefer pole twists along with any other rotating abdominal workout. Other exercises include Russian twists, wood choppers, and your typical crunch. This will allow the muscles to become more accustomed to moving in a manner similar to the hitting motion. Another positive to doing core is that it will help with balance and balance is the important aspect of hitting.
For the arms, extending exercises are best for baseball and for hitting. When you hit a baseball, you extend your arms. Curling or pulling exercises are not best for baseball however they do need to be done to keep the body proportional in strength. If the body is not proportioned well, it has a tendency to get tight in the areas of greater strength due to the contracting of the muscles. Stretching is important. Stay loose. It is not only important for the body, but also in baseball. The more loose and relaxed you are, the quicker your hands can be.
Some of my favorite exercises for baseball are compound exercises. My favorite is the clean and jerk. It provides explosion in all sports. It is easy to get hurt if you do not do the exercise properly though. You do not have to use heavy weight. Just use something moderate and do 8 - 12 reps. I did these my senior year of high school and I could tell quite a difference of power.
For more tips and discussion check out the Ballpark Preps forum: http://www.ballparkpreps.com/forum
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