All About Fastpitch Softball Blog

I just read a very interesting blog post about putting emphasis on basic throwing and catching in your practices.  Now, I have to admit, while I have posts from this blog automatically e-mailed to me, I haven’t had much time to read them.  This one however, struck a chord with me.

I, too, am often baffled by how poor some players basic skills are even when they reach the high school age level.  These player have been in this game for 4-5 years (at least) and still make fundamental mistakes when it comes to throwing and catching.  Not only does this increase their chance for error, it’s often times slowing down their execution of a play (which means a lower chance of actually get the out even when no error is made).

As Ken Krause stated (the guy who wrote this blog post I read),  one of the BEST times to work on basic throwing and catching skills is during warm-up. Every team I know of includes throwing as part of their warm-up on a daily basis.  This actually makes emphasizing proper technique during this portion of practice critical!  Why?  Because it’s something your players are doing day in and day out.  Every single practice they spend time throwing and catching during their warm-up.  If EVERY single day they are practicing poor throwing/catching habits and mechanics during warm-up, obviously, that is going to affect their ability to execute it correctly when it really counts.  It’s almost crazy to allow your team to practice incorrectly every day at the start of practice then demand perfection later.

Some of the most common mistakes I see during throwing/catching warm-up usually include:

• basic footwork – toes of both feet always point toward target, lead foot not even stepping in the direction of target, no move to the ball when receiving a throw
• body alignment – lead shoulder and hip are not pointed in direction of throw
• glove position – making catches with fingers of the glove pointed to the right (or left if lefty) instead of up for balls received above the waist
• stuck feet – no step to the ball with glove foot including no movement of the feet to help catch a ball that is thrown of center/target
• dumping/tossing – players dumping or tossing the ball from their glove to their throwing hand in transition

All of these issues are bad habits that are only being re-emphasized when you allow it to happen day in and day out during warm-up. Start your throwing and catching practice right there at the beginning of every softball day. Get that cleaned up and it will:

• allow you to get solid fundamental practice in without having to add time to your practice sessions or take away time from another skill
• increase the likelihood that your players will do it right during practice and game time
• decrease your chance for error
• increase your odds of getting outs
• be easier to remind your team of the proper mechanics during other situations (in practice drills or in games)

Warm-up is an often overlooked time for working on basic skills.  Making this one change in your practice can benefit tremendously on the performance front.  If you’d also like to check out Ken’s blog post on emphasizing basic throwing and catching technique, click HERE.

Technorati Tags: catching, fundamentals, practice tips, throwing

When it rains it pours right?  There have been so many great specials available recently that I’m beginning to lose track.  I can’t choose just ONE to share with you because they all address different issues.  Soooooo…chose the ONE that best addresses an issue you are dealing with or need help with right NOW.

Here they are in no particular order – all the specials that are ending soon

1.  Fastpitch Assistant at 41% off: get 6 months of weekly practice tips and ideas to make planning practice easier on you!  CLICK HERE to save big before the special ends tomorrow.

2.  Free Mental Game Help: Dr. Tom Hanson is GIVING you a number of awesome resources sharing success secrets of the best in the game of baseball.  Plus he’s answering some of the most pressing questions real players, parent, and coaches have about the mental game.  Learn more HERE.

3.  Workouts for Baseball/Softball: Brand new workout DVD from Coach Dan of BaseballStrength.com and you get it for “Shipping Only.” No additional costs for the workout DVD that will help you easily incorporate an effective fitness/training component to your practices or training routine.  Limited number of DVDs available, so get yours today.

4.  New Workout Video for Softball Pitchers: learn from the pros and use the exact exercises they are using to get same day results.  Barry Lovelace (the King of Core) got together some of the softball players he trains and he is going to show you the exercises they use to increase strength and pitching speed…all for just $9.  Obviously that’s a great deal that won’t last long.  Get your pitching workout HERE.

5.  Coming Soon: I think I heard Marc Dagenais mention that he’s going to be doing this personalized programs again.  I don’t have the details yet, but will let you know if and when that is available.

Whew!  That’s a lot of stuff, but it’s likely that there’s only ONE that you “really” need right now (and will put to use immediately if you get it).  Don’t go all crazy just because you can’t resist a good deal.  Just get the one program or resource that is going to help you the most right now. IF there is more than one that will help you immediately, then go for it, but I don’t want to see you spending money on something you’ll never use.  If you want the most for your dollar and you KNOW you will need/use it – then by all means, take advantage of these deals before they’re gone.

Hope you had a lovely weekend!

Technorati Tags: Coaching Softball, practice tips, Softball Performance, Softball Training, strength training

There are a number of reasons why you want to add pressure to your practice sessions and drills. Pressure forces players to focus on the task at hand and concentrate on executing the play well. You’re likely to see an increased effort as you add more challenge to your drills and practices. Not only that, it’s a great way to work on the mental game while getting higher quality skill reps from your team. Improved focus, higher quality reps, more effort, and improved mental game are sure to get you better results quicker than ever before. So how do you do this? Here are 5 simple things you can do to add pressure in practice.

1. Use Runners: Add runners to your defensive practice so that your fielders have “competition.” They have something to “beat.” Additionally you can give your runners an advantage to really put the pressure on your D. Runner will go on the hit, but let them start 5 feet closer to 1st base or let them start off the bag with a larger than normal lead. As a coach, you can decide how much of a jump to give your runners so that your defense really has to focus, attack the ball, and make clean plays.

2. Race the Clock: Stop watches come in really handy for adding pressure to practice. They can be used for defensive practice in place of baserunners. They can also be used during baserunning drills so that players again have something to “beat.” You’d be surprised how much more effort and focus you get just because they players know the clock is on. It no longer, just a drill they go through the motions in. It’s a drill where their performance is also being measured. Knowing that adds pressure to the situation. Whether the players feel the “pressure” or not depends on their mental toughness.

3. Add Consequences or Rewards: A combination of both throughout practice days and drills are probably best. Consequences can be set (before the drill) for failure to achieve a certain goal. Or, on the other hand, you can set rewards for desired performances. Consequences can be as simple as additional reps, push-ups, sit-ups, running, dragging the field, etc. Rewards can be as simple as not having to put away equipment, getting a water break, getting out of the drill faster, getting to hit first when batting practice comes around, etc, etc, etc.

4. Keep Score: I find that keeping score works well in many different drills, bunting, hitting, and fielding. Set up some kind of scoring system for your drill. Give points for desired actions/results and subtract or give 0 points for failure to perform the task. Give each player as set number of reps and keep track of what their score is after their turn. This helps give the players that feeling that every play and every swing matters (just like in the game).

5. Set Goals – Raise the Bar: Instead of just hitting balls to your defense or pitching balls to your batters, tell them what you want them to accomplish during their turn. Tell your infield how many plays in a row you want the, to make without an error for example. If your hitters are young, tell them they are only allowed to swing and miss once in their at bat. If your players are older challenge them to hit a certain number of balls on the ground or on a line during their at bat. The idea is to give them a clear goal to reach so that there’s more of a focus during the drill.

These ideas are so simple and easy to incorporate that you can begin using them immediately! Just choose one or two of these to add pressure to your next practice session and help you get the results you want on the field.

Technorati Tags: practice tips, Softball Performance