Baseball is a sport loved by young and old alike. It’s America’s pastime after all, and good times can be had across the generations. So what are some tips for this great sport? How can you get the most out of it? Start with these top tips that’ll have you playing like a pro.
If you are the coach and you struggle with keeping the team’s attention when practicing, you must mix things up some. The repetitive drills can get boring if done the same way each day. Therefore, mix things up during practices.
If you’re trying out for a new team, make sure you’re on time! Always strive to be at least fifteen minutes early for each tryout, as well as any practices and games. Nothing will hurt you more than showing up late to a tryout. And if you show up early, it can only help you.
If you are trying out, always keep yourself professional and remember to show respect. Always be polite to your teammates and coaches, whether you are playing professionally or in little league. Dealing with the other players courteously is a sign of maturity, and it really has no down side.
Whenever you hit the ball in fair territory, run at full steam. Even if it appears like an easy out, you’ve got to give it your all. It may be that the opposing team misplays the ball, or it may take a tricky bounce giving you just enough time to reach base.
Practice your defense. Sure pitching and batting get all of the glory, but being a great defensive player is worth just as much to your team. The ability to save a run is just as valuable as the ability to create a run. Both are needed to win ball games.
Make sure you use the proper grip when hitting a baseball. You should go with a “standard” grip. The middle knuckles of your hands should be on the bat. Make sure the bat is across the callus line of your fingers instead of the back of your palms. This grip betters quickness and bat speed.
For kids in baseball, make sure they their hands are placed properly for hitting. The top hand on the bat needs to be sitting near the same height as their rear shoulder, about 3 to 6 inches from that rear shoulder. Their rear elbow needs to be around 45-degrees. The front elbow needs to be lower and about even with the back elbow.
Before stepping in to face a new pitcher, take a couple of practice swings while he’s facing another batter. Use the time to measure the pitcher’s timing. This will give you a better opportunity to have a quality at bat against the pitcher. Otherwise, you may be outclassed pretty quickly.
You should know where other players are on the field around you. This will help you avoid collisions. When the players collide, they can get injured. The most effective way to avoid the dangerous collisions is by making players aware of your intent to go after the ball.
Keep your head up, your eyes level and focus on the ball when batting. You should be looking over your front arm. If you shift your eyes or move your head, your rear shoulder will shift in reaction. Remaining focused on the ball and keeping your head immobile will give you better timing and more consistency.
If you are a baseball coach, you need a great practice schedule. Having one means players can be prepared for what is to come. The right type of practice should have 10 minutes of warmup time and 20 minutes of hitting drills. Then five minutes or running the bases followed by 10 minutes situational drills along with defense. Another 10 minutes of defense and some cool off time will complete the session. Meet as a team and go home feeling great.
If you are a third base coach, there are certain things you have to attend to. For example, you have to decide whether to send runners home or hold them at third base. You must let runners know if they should slide into third or come in standing. You need to assist the runners by informing them when to run and remind them of how many outs there are.
When catching a fly ball, use both hands on the glove. It may be tempting just to use your glove hand, but that may lead to an unforeseen error if you’re careless. Your better bet is to position yourself under the ball, and trap the ball in your glove with your free hand once it hits the glove.
When you are coaching a kids’ baseball team, you must realize that you are very important to the team members. You are teaching them about baseball and about life. Be sure to give plenty of positive encouragement along with any correction. Remember that your players will make mistakes and that encouragement will get a lot better performance out of them than criticism. Make the goals for your team members realistic. Always present a positive and upbeat demeanor.
With these great baseball tips, you are now ready to go play ball like a champ. Teach them to your kids. In fact pass around your knowledge to the neighborhood. Your friends and family alike will definitely benefit from all that you’ve learned here. It’s a ton of fun, and passing on the knowledge is all part of what makes this sport so great.
