Three ways to do every drill in baseball

I’ll get right to the point by saying that there are only three ways to do any drill in baseball. It doesn’t matter if you are a pitcher, fielder, base runner, or hitter, every drill known to man falls into one or more of the following ways on how to do it: When performing any […]

In-season lifting: FAQ’s and options

Note: This is an updated version of an article I posted back in 2012. Many players understand the importance of off-season weight training to prepare their bodies for the rigors of a long season.  Back when I played, the full transition of weight training into baseball was not yet complete. There was still a significant […]

Why are you doing this drill?

One of the things I love about MLB Spring Training is the interviews with players on the field during their workouts. In the batting cage or out on the field, players are frequently asked what their approach is when they are doing a hitting or fielding drill. Their responses are pure gold if you are […]

New book launch alert!

As any coach knows, getting your players to be in the right place at the right time on defense is more than half the battle. Unfortunately, too many players end up being spectators. On Monday I launch a new book from Baseball By The Yard. It’s called Defensive Positioning In Baseball. (Click the title for […]

There is no such thing as a bad drill

I am a firm believer that there is no such thing as a bad drill.  “Is this drill good or bad?” is not the best question to ask.  Better questions include: –Is this drill good for ME? or Is this good for the PLAYER in front of me? –Does this drill directly translate to the game? –Does […]

Master the first 20 minutes of practice

Every good coach looks for ideas to better manage their practices. Getting more done in a shorter period of time is something they always strive to do. This is especially true early in the season when a team has so much to cover. On top of that, if you coach in a state like Pennsylvania […]

Team practices are the minimum

It’s becoming that time of year when teams across America start up their regular in-season activities and workouts.  Energy and optimism for a new season are high and most players and coaches cannot wait to start.  That being said, it is important for players to understand the purpose and limitations of practice.   When a coach […]

Train to a standard, not a number

Player: How many swings should I take per day? Me: As many as you need to. I have had that type of conversation many times with players over the years regarding swings, pitches, ground balls, running, and weight training. My typical answer, “as many as you need to,” is usually not satisfactory to the player […]

Extra work and prescription drills

Back in October, 2016,  I wrote a post called Multivitamin vs Prescription Drills.  I talked about the difference between the two and the importance of not confusing them. Today’s post is another reminder.  If you are a player, never forget that your development is ultimately up to you.  The first priority of coaches (especially head coaches) is to oversee […]

Match the energy and focus of the next level

If you are a middle school baseball player then I hope you are finding time to watch practices being played at the high school level.  If you are at the high school level, you should be watching college practices.  Far too often kids just focus on the level at which they are playing and ignore […]

Until you can’t do it the wrong way

When you get dressed today, put the other leg in your pants first.  When you brush your teeth, use your other hand to do it.  When putting on your shoes, tie them using a different set of steps. Did you have trouble?  I bet you did. That’s because you have done those things so many […]

How to maximize your warm-ups

I’m not a fan of marathon baseball practices.  Occasionally, a two-hour practice may be needed but usually 90 minutes has been my limit for practice time from the youth levels on up to high school.  It takes a lot of pre-planning but if a coach organizes things efficiently, 90 minutes is all you need. (Note: […]

How to organize a baseball practice

I’ve had a lot of new subscribers to the site so I don’t want to assume everyone has seen all the resources within the site.  Every year I get many questions regarding how to organize practices for every age group.  Since the season is beginning for most of you, I’d thought I would list some […]

2018 North Penn Coaching Clinic – Opening address

A week or so ago, I spoke at my high school’s baseball coaching clinic for area youth coaches and parents.  The head coach of North Penn High School – Mr. Kevin Manero – started things off with his views on the state of youth baseball and some valuable tips related to organizing a well-run practice […]

Make more mistakes in practice

Practicing is a chance to push yourself to do things better and faster.  It’s also a time to learn and work on new things.  Approach practice with those goals and you can’t help but make mistakes.  It’s the inevitable process of learning and trying new things.  Nobody does everything right the first time. If players […]

How to instantly improve your infield range

When infielders start out in baseball, they mostly get instructed to charge the ball.  You’ll hear tee-ball, coach-pitch, and Little League coaches frequently say “move in on the pitch,” “move to the ball!” or “go get the ball!”  This is all good advice since young infielders who are just starting out have a tendency to […]

How to practice Web Gems

I could watch ESPN’s Web Gems all day long.  Having been an infielder for most of my playing career, I have an enormous respect for what MLB infielders are able to do on seemingly impossible plays.  However, Web Gems are not just for major leaguers.  They can happen at any level and age group.  That […]

Get better through observation

When Tiger Woods was a young child and being watched by his father, he would often be put in a high-chair so dad could practice his golf swing.  For safety reasons, Tiger’s dad didn’t want little Tiger to be walking around while dad was swinging a golf club.  The high-chair kept him safe.  It may have […]

Principled drills

There are two different types of drills that we coaches tend to run our players through during practice. The first involves picking a position-based skill that needs to be worked on and designing a drill to target the skill. An example might be underhand feeds by the shortstop on double plays with the second baseman. […]

What’s the best thing I can do for my player?

… get him something to throw into!  A rebounder, a wall, or anything else you can buy/build. The screen in the video is from Burbank Sport Nets and is the best throwing screen you can buy.  Period.  Here is the link: https://burbanksportnets.com/product_display/28  

What is your unfair advantage?

When I was 12 years old, I remember pitching in a game with the winning run on third base with the game all tied up.  There were less than two outs and if the runner scored, the other team would win in walk off fashion.  I decided to go from the wind-up thinking that if the […]

Little League Practice Templates

Over the past month or so, a good friend and I did a few coaching clinics for Little League coaches.  One of our big priorities for the clinics was to pass on the importance of organizing good practices.  To help them do this, we created practice templates for practices involving four age groups that range […]

Focusing attention on the hips

Sports have undergone a change in recent years regarding how players stretch.  In my playing days, stretching was of the “static” kind (stretching while the body is at rest) and largely involved stretches that looked like this … Today, trainers and athletes are recognizing the problems with static stretching routines and are replacing them with […]

Practicing baseball and rehearsing baseball

When people in a play are getting ready for the performance, they don’t say, “I’m going to practice.”  They say, “I’m going to rehearsal.”  Many people would use those two words interchangeably and would see any difference between the two as just purely semantics.  But they would be wrong. Practice is the step by step procedure […]

A coach’s practice is your minimum

One of the toughest things to do in a classroom or on a baseball field is to challenge every single student and player throughout the entire class or practice.  In baseball, every player has unique needs.   However, perfectly tailored instruction for each player during a team workout is virtually impossible.  That’s why it is […]

Short fungo drill (Part 2)

Way back in March I wrote a post called Short Fungo Drill.  To read that post which provides an explanation of the drill, click HERE.  I also provided a couple reasons why I felt the drill was good for infielders and coaches.  Here are those reasons: It helps the guy with the fungo if he […]

Do you always succeed in practice?

If you typically succeed most of the time in practice then you are probably not practicing correctly.  Practice is a time to challenge yourself to push beyond what you think you are capable of doing.  It can be uncomfortable but that’s how growth occurs.  An analogy would be building muscle.  If you workout using comfortable […]

Tips and drills for getting the most out of your throwing arm

I’ve done many years of instructing and in my opinion, reteaching a young player how to throw properly is by far the hardest thing to change.  Today’s video passes on some tips and drills that hopefully can result in more players learning the proper throwing motion.  Obviously, the sooner they address these throwing issues the better.  […]

Video – Agility rings for baseball

I’ve always said that if you want to become a better baseball player then you have to focus on improving your footwork.  It doesn’t matter what part of the game you are talking about – hitting, pitching, fielding, base running, etc. – if your feet are not in the right place at the right time, […]

Keep your hands strong

Up until about the 1980’s, weight training was considered to be not very productive for baseball players.  Old time players felt lifting weights tightened up their bodies too much and didn’t prepare them for the functional flexibility required for running the bases and throwing a baseball.  When you look at all of today’s arm injuries […]

Slow is smooth, smooth is fast

I’ve often told players that if they cannot perform a task (fielding, hitting, pitching, etc.) in slow motion then they will never be able to do it in regular speed.  Because of this, I’m a firm believer in players practicing (on their own) their mechanics in slow motion.  When they are performed in slow motion, […]

Level of mastery

I’ve always felt that if a player will be expected to do something in a game then it’s up to me as a coach to make sure he does it in practice.  In reality though, that’s still not enough.  On top of that, I need to make sure he masters it in practice. During times […]

Double your batting practice productivity

One major challenge in practice is how to move everyone through a batting practice session smoothly and quickly so you don’t have one guy hitting and everyone else just standing around.  There are several ways to address this and often it involves doing your BP in a batting cage off the field so that the […]

Sweet 16: Warm-up drills for fielding

When you work with infielders indoors, you run into the problems of space and time.  You rarely have all the space you’d like and you never have enough time.  Below is a listing of fielding drills that I often do in progression to keep everyone moving and get them to focused on the core fundamentals […]

Product review: The Three Piece Tee

Today’s video is a review of a device called the Three Piece Tee.  It’s a neat tool that can be used in a variety of ways. I came up with 18 drills that can be done for hitters, pitchers, and fielders.  You might think of some  others as well. Be sure to check out their […]

Training AND Practice

People often use the terms training and practice interchangeably.  They are not the same thing.   If you are involved in a training session, you are receiving new information and ideas, probably from an expert of some kind.  When you try out those new methods and/or mechanics, you are doing so under the watchful eyes […]

Free eBook: Stuck Inside – A coach’s guide to KILLER indoor practices

If you were a subscriber to the site as of about a month ago, you probably received this free eBook I wrote.  If you are not a subscriber, that is the benefit of becoming one.  When I create things like this, subscribers generally get them first. Here it is for everyone.  With the colder months […]

Like trying to push a rope

In yesterday’s post I wrote about the value of doing things at half-speed to teach your body and brain the basic fundamentals.  Related to that is a saying that I think is helpful in getting players to buy into the “half-speed” concept.  The saying is “trying to push a rope.” Of course, you cannot push […]

Training at half speed

After the winter holidays is when many players and teams start to train for the upcoming season.  Private lessons increase and indoor facilities start to pick up the pace a little with teams looking for some space. Most players and teams  want to jump right in and go at their workouts full speed.  It’s understandable […]

Navy Seals and personal instruction

Like many guys, I am a sucker for anything Special Forces.  If there is a show on about their training or actual missions then I am glued to the TV.  I recently surfed around the iTunes podcast section and came across a podcast where the host was talking about how Navy Seals train.  In short, […]

A safety tip for batting practice

I heard this batting practice idea from the current head coach at Villanova University (Joe Godri) and I think it is a great one for a number of reasons.  It involves moving the shag bucket(s) to a safer location during batting practice.  In the following picture, the red line and star indicate where most teams […]

Best Outfield Drills for Indoors

A few weeks ago I gave a seminar at a Philadelphia area coaches clinic.  The topic was “An indoor/outdoor  approach to developing outfielders.”  I basically explained that in the colder states, the weather early on in the season forces teams to do a lot of practicing indoors.  Pitchers, hitters, fielders, and even base runners can get […]

Alone time for players

With practices starting up soon in many parts of the country, coaches are well into the process of designing practice routines and schedules for their teams.  At least they should be. If you ever had the pleasure of participating in or watching spring training workouts for pro teams, you may have noticed that very often […]

Pre-Season Checklists

A reader contacted me yesterday and asked for a pre-season checklist I had produced a while back.  He could not find it on my site.  After searching for myself, I realized I had never posted them to my website.  I must have posted it on a baseball forum site and forgot to put it out […]

Paddle drills

A fielding paddle is a great piece of equipment to practice with for all ages.  Paddles are mostly used to promote good fielding mechanics like using two hands and developing soft hands as well. However, paddles don’t have to be just for fielding ground balls.  Paddle drills can also be done to help bunters, pitchers, […]

Indoor mats

One of the many challenges with winter workouts is having to do a lot of the work indoors.  To accomplish this effectively and efficiently, coaches have to be organized and a little creative.  One major problem with indoor hitting in a gym is slippery floors.  Many hitting drills, whether using soft toss, short toss, or […]

In-season lifting FAQ’s

Many players now understand the importance of off-season weight training to prepare their bodies for the rigors of a long season.  However, many struggle when it comes to in-season lifting.  Here are some FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and my answers on the subject: Note:  I’m certainly not an expert in weight training.  My knowledge on […]

Success happens on the margins

Have you ever heard of the phrase “success happens on the margins” ?  If you have, it probably was in the context of making money and/or succeeding in the business world.  It means that success happens a little bit at a time and rarely just appears out of nowhere.  Even people or companies that are said […]

Same thing that makes you laugh makes you cry

Ozzie Guillen put his foot in his mouth once again.  It will be interesting to see how/if he gets out of this one.  If you have been vacationing on another planet, Ozzie recently did an interview with Time magazine.  The opening line of the piece starts with Guillen saying “I love Fidel Castro.”  Interesting choice […]

The four second rule

Fast runners can make it down to 1st base in about 4 seconds.  Occasionally a guy who can absolutely fly can get down there a little sooner but 4 seconds is usually a good number to play with.  If you are an infielder, you must develop a “4 second internal clock” that guides most everything […]

The fox and the hedgehog

I heard a good story the other day and, of course, I saw a baseball angle.  I wrote about a similar concept in a previous post which is linked HERE. The fox and a hedgehog.  Here’s how it goes. (there are other variations as well) A fox is wandering around the forest looking for some […]

Two fungo drills you may not have done

Using a fungo bat is synonymous with coaching baseball.  With the amount of ground balls and fly balls I hit during the course of a normal season, I’d be lost without mine.  Below are two drills that you may not have thought of that involve the use of a fungo bat.Note:  Both of these drills […]

Practice vs "Deliberate" Practice

Batter #1: 100 swings off a tee (1 hour total)60 swings on a ball set up down the middle, waist high20 swings with the ball set up thigh-high inside20 swings with the ball set up thigh-high outside. Josh Hamilton and a batting tee. Batter #2: 60 swings off a tee (40 minutes total)5 free swings […]

Long-Tee Drill

Like most coaches, I’m a big fan of the batting tee.  I think it is by far the best invention known to baseball. Unfortunately, it’s probably the most underused invention as well, particularly for younger players who sometimes feel that if it’s not live pitching, it’s not worth doing.  What a shame. Access to a […]

What can we learn from a chicken?

Ok.  So I occasionally look for stupid things online.  Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on your perspective), I tend to see just about everything through the eyes of a baseball coach and usually end up asking myself “how can I apply this to baseball?”  You might say it’s a gift or, if you are my wife, […]

Interview with Coach Barksdale – Univ. of Louisville

I recently had the opportunity to talk with Coach Xan Barksdale of the University of Louisville.  Coach Barksdale is one of college baseball’s best catching instructors.  He was a Division I catcher himself at the University of Mississippi and went on to catch in the Atlanta Braves organization.  He has a terrific website and a […]

Focus on your weaknesses?

Here’s a question.If your child came home with a report card with the following grades …Math = AComputer Science = BSocial Studies = BEnglish = C Physics = FWhich grade would you focus the most attention on?  The F is usually the popular answer. The same thing goes in baseball.  A player asks the coach […]

Indoor Hitting Drills

Yesterday’s post dealt with some indoor practice tips.  Below are some drills specific for those hitting stations that allow you to maximize the time and space available.  Of course, these tips and drills are also great for individual players who are looking for ways to improve their hitting when they are stuck indoors at home.Hitting drills for […]

Indoor practice tips

With flood warnings in effect for my area over the next few days, it appears we will have to endure the wonderful “indoor workout” nightmare.  If you live in one of the warmer, drier states, I hope you appreciate it.  In Pennsylvania and certainly areas more north, we usually start the season in, shall we […]

A tip to improve footwork

Notice anything the players in these photos have in common? Albert Pujols Miguel Tejada Chase Utley Chipper Jones Jose Reyes None of the players are wearing spikes.  All are wearing sneakers or turf shoes.  Why would that matter?  On the surface, it wouldn’t matter much at all.  Players in spring training take lots of ground […]

Baseball Curriculum

Our schools have a K-12 curriculum for every subject.  Math, science, social studies, etc.  If you want to see how your student is tracking, just look at the curriculum and see if they are keeping pace with the skills needed at the next level.   Does your district / organization have a baseball curriculum?  Do […]

Learning from baseball photos

There are probably a thousand reason why this time of year is great for baseball fans, players, and coaches. One of the things I look forward to is all the great photos from spring training.  These pictures showing warm, sunny skies and terrific fields let you know that warmer days and baseball games are right […]

Baseball Instincts

Before we begin, can I trouble you with an experiment?  Watch the clip below and do the following: When the teams start to run around, count how many times the team in WHITE passes the ball.  Did you see the Bear?  I didn’t either!  Nobody does if they are focusing.  That’s the point.  So why do I share this experiment?  […]

A stopwatch will not lie

This one is for the coaches out there who are searching for ways to pick up the tempo of their games and practices.  A must for any coach A stopwatch is a great way to help players go from good to great in many areas of the game.  Players get used to performing at the […]

Rundowns – two priorities

If you are ever looking for a good indoor drill with your team, it’s rundowns.  With or without runners, rundowns are as simple as creating some lines of guys about 90 feet from each other.  First guy up has the ball and runs to the other line, tosses the ball to the first guy in […]

Off-season hitting – an overlooked drill

This time of year, hitters are gearing up for the upcoming season probably by focusing on their hitting mechanics and taking a ton of swings.  One valuable drill that tends to be overlooked is standing-in on pitchers.  “Standing-in” involves a hitter standing in the batters box and doing everything they normally would do during an at-bat except […]

Spring training – Focusing on the "little things."

I came across this article the other day in one of my files.  I gave it out to my players a couple years ago.  The article is dated March, 2006 but it certainly has relavence today for any player or coach preparing for the upcoming season.  It also goes a long way to explain the Twins’ […]

Tips for Long-tossing and/or "Long-throwing"

Disclaimer There is an on-going debate in baseball circles about the value of long-tossing. I know it’s shocking to think that anything in baseball is debated.   (Yes, that’s sarcasm if you weren’t sure.) Some love it, some hate it.  This post does not get into that argument. I’m in the “love long-tossing” camp and […]

Indoor drills for outfielders

Of all the positions on the field, the outfield positions tend to get shafted the most with regards to indoor practice.  I’m based outside of Philadelphia so we routinely have to spend many practice days indoors because of rain or snow.  Farther up north is certainly worse so don’t feel the need to shed tears for me.If […]

Covering first base correctly

 (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)Left foot = Wrong!  (Photo by J. Meric/Getty Images)Right foot = Correct! Go to any spring training practice and you are bound to see a drill in which pitchers cover first base on balls hit to their left.  It continually amazes me that this play can be screwed up with the […]

Batting tee drills … that don’t involve hitting!

The batting tee is my pick for the Worlds Greatest Baseball Training Invention Award.   …and not just for hitting!  Here are some other uses: Shortstop – Across the Bag Drill: One of the mistakes that I mentioned in the shortstop mistakes post was that many shortstops unnecessarily catch a double play feed directly over the […]

My favorite bunting drill

I mentioned in a post about hitting mistakes that many good high school and college hitters fail to set aside time to practice with the future in mind.  I noted that players that keep moving up beyond high school and college tend to hit in the 3, 4, or 5 spot in the batting order.  Because […]

Adjustments for a better change-up (Part 2)

Today is the second half of my ten adjustments for a better change-up. Try adjusting the pinky finger placement. 6. Move your pinky finger.  Many times a change-up is held with the pinky finger on the side of the ball (right photo).  Try moving the pinky finger up on top of the ball next to […]

Adjustments for a better change-up (Part 1)

In yesterday’s post I recommended that pitchers schedule time to “play around” or “tinker” with their pitches, grips, etc.  I’m a huge fan of the change-up so the next 2 posts are dedicated to adjustments specific to developing a better change-up.  Both posts will have five adjustments – ten total.  Try them all! 1. Increase arm […]

Off-season pitching tips

After the holidays is when many pitchers start to throw off the mound and work on pitches.  Here are 10 tips to get the most out of an off-season pitching program: Build velocity slowly.  Many high school (and above) pitchers have been spending time lifting and possibly long-tossing since games ended in the Summer or Fall.  […]

All you need is a ball and a wall

My elementary school playground.There is no telling how many hours I spent there practicing by myself. I was fortunate to grow up in a house right next to an elementary school.  Anytime I got bored I would walk up and throw a ball against one of the brick walls that were part of the school.  The […]

Base running tips for the indoor off-season

As winter kicks into gear, many players around the country are stuck indoors for much of their practice routine.  Hopefully this includes some base running as well.  Here are five tips to get the most out of your indoor running. A base runner’s off-season best friend. Run distance and sprints.  Using a stationary bike and/or […]