Table of Contents
1 coaches meeting notes:
- bring a chair next time. no workout clothes needed?
- bring questions. its a question answer format. no agenda
- next time is pitching/catching. this one was offense.
1.1 Question 1: lightning drill
- talked about rotational vs fixed(was that the name?) vs mixed/hybrid swings.
- ichiro was fixed, plant front foot, etc
- most players fall into a mixed/hybrid.
- need to identify what type of hitter, so tees can be set correctly.
- 5 reps, high inside to start
- front foot on the 135 degree corner
- don't let kids move around against the plate with the drill
- have a bat behind their feet
- really important because moving out for inside is not something that can happen.
- same for moving in on outside.
- painters tape as an option, bats, something to keep them aware of not changing body location so swing can be developed.
- bat knob placement. 2nd, pitcher, short.
- other kid placing ball
- one of the reasons it is lightning is that the ball can be placed quickly
- reps should be fast! ball placed and player gets set, clockwork fast.
- the other reason is the pattern it makes in the process of moving the tee
- High and inside, all inside, goes to third base direction
- tee should be well out in front
- as ball is lower, tee comes in a ball length.
- low and inside is off front corner of the plate
- 5 reps of each high inside, middle inside, low inside. all going toward third base for right handed hitter
- next is high middle, then middle middle, low middle, 5 reps each. going straight up the middle.
- then high and out, middle out, low out. going to first base on right handed hitter
- simplified for younger kids:
- inside goes to third
- middle goes to center
- outside goes to 1st
- if its anything else, your bat path is out of whack.
1.2 Tangent, other talk of drills
- kids should not hit soft toss, underhand, overhand, machine, etc etc unless they have already hit off a tee.
- no point in coming at them with soft toss. focus on progression, ending with soft toss, overhand, machine etc.
- Double tee drill, or alternatively 2 tire hitting drill.
- bat path through the zone for middle middle should be really flat, line drive middle on the barrel.
- 2 balls on tees. first should be missed to barrel the second one.
- one tee center middle plate, other tee out front of the plate middle middle, same height
- variation on this drill is a tee in normal position, and a tee WAY out front, both with balls
- think like a pool game. back ball hits front ball square, if player is not swinging flat, the front ball goes off wild somewhere.
- Think of a pool game. ball should go straight from back ball hitting it. if the player comes around, it goes wonky. used to diagnose.
- variation on this drill is a tee in normal position, and a tee WAY out front, both with balls
- triple t drill? etc. can be done inside or outside as well. difficult inside.
- this seemed more.. unlikely to be useful initially.
- dusty baker wide open front drill, helps keep hands back? i think
- kneeling drill? not much time on this one.
- fixes bat path problems, golfing, etc.
- helps keep hands in
- hidden bat, keep hands back, etc.
1.3 Question 2: bunting
- highschool kids do 50 bunts as part of their hitting drills each practice! usually using pitching machine
- squared bunt is a dinosaur. batting stance or surfboard.
- sac bunt, show early. use as a tool to see what the defence does.
- bunting, one technique is "surfboard balance" feet inline near the plate to get the outside pitch
- kids with bad balance should open toward the baseline closest their front foot, right to 3rd, etc.
- head level with the bat! eyes right above, level with the barrel almost.
- bat flat to slightly tilted up. not aggressive angles.
- hand mid grip, and a pinch with a gap.
- think of it CO hand is C, O is bat
- the ball hitting the bat puts the bat into the pinch of the gap, deadining the hit.
- arms are NOT pulling in, that changes the barrel angle/location.
- push bunt, work on footwork to leave as fast as possible.
- work on directing ball to baseman who does not react to the sac bunt, or up the lines depending on runners, etc.
- bunting scenarios to mess with feilder placement, etc.
- only bunt strikes, let the balls be balls.
- don't bunt to the pitcher
- drag bunt, sac bunt, squeeze bunt, push bunt etc.
- wheel failure, 1st third move way up and short second abandoned to 3rd, 1st, then hit it up the middle
- small ball game outside with another thunder team is a good idea, especially for teams of only 10-11 players.
- find another team to do it with, so that fielders get the feel. put the pitcher behind a fence and give them a ball, so if it hits anywhere near he throws to first.
- work on covering, backup, etc.
- this has to be drilled so we are ready. but thats another topic for another meeting in the future.
- in highschool, first team to 7 wins 89% of the time…
- annecdote about future pro player going 4/4 with a bad shoulder in HS playoffs. good story.
1.4 Tangent: quality at bat vs. productive at bat
- burning down pitch count, but striking out looking?
- 0-0 swinging? being smart about it.
- knowing your ability. weakness low and inside? high and outside? etc. look for what you can hit.
- signs, and not missing them. a starting indicator and a closing indicator.
- signs should read like a book? in order, logically, etc.
- slash and run is not allowed in either rmjbl or CABA
- conversation about stealing and stress on the pitcher, catchers ability, basemen's coverage.
- players communication about their at-bat. ump calling the river or tight zone, etc. get our own catchers observations if home team.
- faking a steal, to pressurize pitcher/catcher/fielders.