Are you searching for a great new drill to try with your
baseball team? Young players often get bored doing the same old drills, so it’s
wise to liven things up with something different every now and then. Plus, the
drill we’re about to teach you gives your players the chance to learn an
important skill- how to determine where a ball is likely to go once it has
bounced in the dirt!
To do this drill, you’ll need to situate a base runner at
every base. Your job, as coach, is to stand on the mound and pitch all
different kinds of pitches. Try to pitch easy balls, hard to hit balls,
strikes, and bouncing pitches. The goal is to teach your players what to do in
every situation and with every type of ball.
Instruct all your players to be on the lookout for “bouncy
balls,” meaning balls that are likely to bounce in the dirt. You may need to do
a little pre-drill educating to help your young players identify these balls.
Tell your players that, when they see these balls, they should yell out,
“Bouncy Ball!” all together. Young players will love having an important job to
do and the game-like feel that the shouting causes.
When the “Bouncy Ball!” cue is yelled, that is the first
base runner’s cue to run! If they hesitate or look back at the catcher, they’re
“out” and should be replaced by a new base runner.
The second base runner has a little more time. This
particular base runner is allowed to take a moment to determine if it’s safe to
run. Also, unlike the runner on first, this base runner should pay attention to
what the catcher is doing. If he blocks, the runner must not run, but if he
loses the ball, the runner should take off. Not choosing the right action means
that runner’s turn is up! The same basic rules apply to the third base runner.
Make sure each player on your team gets to try different
base positions. You may want to take them in groups of three, having each base
player move forward when he’s “out” and adding in new players as needed.
This great drill is not only fun, but it teaches individual skills while at the same time promoting teamwork. It’s basically the perfect drill; give it a try!
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