Baseball Pitching Guide for Youths

Baseball Pitching Guide for Youths
By guest author: Jake Wyatt

In order to be a good baseball pitcher, you must practice pitching baseballs regularly, even during off-season. You can't expect to take four or more months off then get on a team in the spring and start pitching well. The greatest baseball pitchers practice over and over, perfecting their techniques. Your coach can tell you the best way to pitch baseballs and guide you through it, but it is up to you as a player to put in the extra time so that you can improve.

The most important step to successfully improving your baseball pitching is to be prepared mentally. This part of the sport does not get a lot of media attention because it can't be "seen." Young players may not realize that pitching greats spend a lot of time getting their mind ready. Pitching baseball can be frustrating at times. Mental toughness will get you through a string of bad innings AND will keep you from getting too excited when things are going well. Self discipline is extremely important; you must be able to make the choice between playing video games on TV or working on your game.

Mastering different techniques through practicing before and after games is what it takes to get ahead of your competition. Find out what styles best suit you and perfect them. No one can throw all types of pitches effectively. Focus on your own style, where your personal strengths lie. Make sure your footing is right, that your body rotation is controlled, and that your arm is in the correct position when pitching.

A benefit of regular practice will be more controlled pitches. You won't have to rely on your "power pitch" all the time. A good player will be able to switch to different pitches, from fastballs to curves, throwing inside or outside. Keeping the batter guessing will increase the chances of a strike. You must practice throwing all types of pitches so that you can choose the proper pitch for the situation and throw it with confidence. Another benefit of regular practice will be safety - with more control, there is less chance you will hit the batter.

You must be in good shape to accurately pitch baseballs. Be sure to have a basic workout for your arms, legs and core. If you are strong and fit, you will reduce the chance of injury to yourself as well as increase your accuracy and stamina.

In order to be the best baseball player you can be, training should happen year-round and be a joint effort between the coach, the player and the parents. Get more free tips to improve baseball performance, reviews of e-products related to baseball, and links to training resources at http://youth-baseball-training.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jake_Wyatt

============================
Thanks to our sponsors:

Baseball2u.com/CoachesBest.com is the ultimate online baseball training and coaching store. With over 1400 products organized into categories Baseball2u.com makes finding that baseball training product easy and simple. Order securely online or by phone. Baseball2u.com is a fully licensed company and has a full time staff available from 8:00 to 5:00 CST. Their toll free customer service number is 1-877-431-4487.

The Categories they have are: BatAction Hitting Machines, Hurricane Hitting Machines, Batting Cages, Pitching Machines, Jugs Equipment, Game and Practice Baseballs, Protective Practice Screens and Nets, Portable Pitching Mounds, Baseball DVDs & Books, Clearance Items on Sales, NEDCO Bataction Replacement Parts, Baseball Training Equipment, Youth Baseball Training Equipment, Training Bats, Pitching & Throwing Trainers, Defensive Trainers, SKLZ Hurricane Replacement Parts and Much Much More! Visit Baseball2U.com today!

Top 3 Baseball Catcher Drills

Top 3 Baseball Catcher Drills
By guest author: Dustin Peek

Being a catcher in the game of baseball is one of the toughest jobs you can have on the baseball field. You need to have quick hands, quick feet, a strong arm, and good leadership skills to be successful. Many drills have been developed over the years to help develop these essential catcher skills. Continue reading to discover the top 3 catchers' drills for baseball.

1. Blocking Drill
One of the most important skills that a catcher must master is blocking the baseball. Pitchers are not always going to be able to control their pitches, and a catcher must prevent the baseball from traveling to the backstop. The purpose of this drill is to improve a catcher's blocking skills to ensure that the baseball always stays in front of him.

To perform this drill, a coach should take a knee about 50 feet in front of the catcher with a bucket of baseballs. The catcher should take his normal catching position behind the plate. The coach should then begin firmly throwing baseballs to the catcher that bounce in front of him. Some of the balls should be to the left, some to the right, and some in the middle. The balls should also be thrown so that some have short-hops and some have longer more difficult hops. The catcher should practice dropping to his knees to block the ball, and he should also practice his horizontal movement to ensure his body is always in front of the baseball.

The coach should throw the baseballs in a fairly rapid succession until 20 baseballs have been thrown. The coach should count the number of balls blocked versus the number of balls that got past the catcher and record this number. This drill should be repeated throughout the season, and the catcher should always try to improve upon his best number.

2. Throwing Out a Runner Drill
Throwing out base runners is a very important job for a catcher. He alone often has the responsibility of ensuring that runners do not advance freely on the bases. The purpose of this drill is to improve the ability of a catcher to throw out stealing runners on the base paths.

To perform this drill, the catcher takes his normal position behind the plate, a coach or pitcher lines up about 50 feet in front of the catcher, and a middle infielder takes his receiving position at second base. The coach should throw the ball to the catcher, and the catcher should receive the baseball and use good footwork and handwork to quickly throw the ball accurately to second base. A second coach should use a stopwatch to record the amount of time that it takes for the ball to travel from the catcher's glove to the infielder's glove at second base. The quicker this time, the more likely that the catcher could throw out a baserunner. The catcher should repeat this drill and try to improve on his best time by improving release time and throwing velocity.

3. Framing Drill
Framing pitches is somewhat of an art, but it can be very beneficial for your pitcher if done correctly. Catchers must learn to frame close pitches, avoid framing balls well off the plate, and avoid over-framing. The purpose of this drill is to improve a catcher's ability to frame a close pitch.

For this drill, a coach should line up about 50 feet in front of the catcher. The catcher should take his normal catching position behind the plate. The coach should then proceed to throw balls near the corners of the plate. The catcher should work on properly framing close pitches. The catcher should also work on avoiding framing pitches well off the plate or framing for too long.

The coach should throw 20 baseballs and score the catcher +1 for every properly framed ball, -1 for every ball framed that was too far off the plate, and -1 if he over-frames. This drill should be repeated throughout the season, and the catcher should work to improve his score. The above three drills cover some of the most important skills that a catcher must master. If learned, practiced, and measured, a catcher can have a significant advantage over his competitors.

Dustin Peek is a former player that enjoys helping players of all ages improve their baseball skills. Do you want to learn more about the absolute best catchers' drills? If so, visit the following website:
www.baseballskillscenter.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dustin_Peek

======================
Thanks to our sponsors:

QuickSwingTrainer.com
QuickSwingMachine.com



Joe Mauer Quick Swing Trainer
QuickSwingTrainer.com
How Does the Quick Swing Batting Trainer Work?
Joe Mauer Quick Swing Links
Video Demo of the Joe Mauer Quick Swing Baseball Batting Trainer

Youth Baseball Drills - Developing Catchers' Skills

Youth Baseball Drills - Developing Catchers' Skills
By guest author: Kenny Buford

Catching is one of the most important positions in baseball defense. However, it is often the least coached. Because there is more to being a catcher than being able to catch the ball, these youth baseball drills were designed to help catchers develop the skills they need to succeed.

Crouching Drill

Catchers need to maintain a crouch position for at least nine innings, so it is important for their legs to be in shape. This drill will help catchers both stay in the crouch and move out of the crouch quickly.

Players should start by playing catch in while crouching. Next, have them walk around in the crouch position. Finally, have catchers work on their quickness and spring by jumping over home plate in the crouch position.

Framing Drill

This catchers' drill helps players work on framing the pitch and developing their glove work. Framing is essential in the catching position because it can determine whether or not a pitch is called a strike.

Start the drill using tennis or safety balls so that the catcher can work without a glove. Pitch the balls all over the strike zone and have the catcher practice catching using a bent elbow, holding the ball so the umpire can see where it was caught. The catcher should follow the ball from the pitcher's hand, catching it so that his thumb is pointed toward the pitcher. Eventually have the catcher run the drill with his glove, using a regular baseball.

Blocking Drill

This drill is designed to help catchers block pitches using their chest protectors. The Blocking Drill is great for young players who need to work on not being afraid of the ball and getting used to what their equipment can do.

Start the drill by bouncing balls off the catcher, having him keep his hands behind his back to get comfortable using the chest protector. Next, have the catcher work on blocking pitches in the dirt by using his glove positioned down between his legs. The catcher should practice performing the block, quickly getting to his feet, and scooping up the ball.

Pop-Up Drill

For this youth baseball drill, catchers will work on proper technique for catching pop-ups while wearing their full gear.

Hit pop-ups for the player to catch using a fungo bat. The catcher should follow these steps when catching a pop-up:


Quickly get up from the crouch
Locate the ball in the air and determine where it will land, keeping in mind that it will probably drift toward the infield
Throw the mask away, making sure it won't be underfoot
Move toward the ball and make the catch

And if you'd like to see more free baseball drills and coaching tips, go here to watch a free video:

http://www.baseball-tutorials.com/vid/
Kenny Buford is a youth baseball coach, and the owner and publisher of Baseball-Tutorials.com, the web's #1 resource for baseball drills, tips, and practice ideas for youth and high school coaches.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kenny_Buford

=================
Thanks to our sponsors:


www.BatAction.com



---BatAction Machine at CoachesBest.com
---BatActionMachine on Ebay.com
---BatAction Machine Video Clips
---BatAction Trainer - 15 Reasons Why You Must Own This Machine
---Message to Parents From Coach Nick
---If you are looking for BatAction Replacement Balls or Power Bands Click Here