My Favorite Practice

[teacherman]

16 player team example.

Need three coaches: C1 C2 C3
Need 80 baseballs: 5 buckets of 16 ea
Need 2 hitting nets

4 groups of 4

Each player gets 48 swings....16 bp, 16 tee, 16 soft toss

Each OF gets 32 fly balls

Each INF gets 32 ground balls

No standing around.

Includes sprints.

1) Coach1 throws a bp pitch to hitter E1...gets 16 total pitches.
2) Coach2 hits fungo to OF A1 or A2....alternates them.
3) Coach 3 hits ground ball to A3 or A4....alternates them.
4) D1 hits ball off tee, D2 sets next ball on tee
5) D3 hits soft toss from D4
6) B1, B2, B3, B4 shag bp balls....sprints after them....must have all of them when E1 is done hitting.
7) E3 shags foul balls....sprints after them....must have all of them when E1 is done hitting.
8) E4 shags OF balls...sprints after them

NO THROW IN's. HOLD THE BALLS UNTIL CURRENT HITTER IS DONE.

After 16 pitches to E1.....all players sprint to the coaches with their baseballs. Take them to where they came from. Sprint back to your position.

After 16 pitches to E1....rotate to E2.

After E's have hit rotate to D's. E's shag. B's to A's. A's to D's.

TOTAL TIME LAPSE: 64 MINUTES (at a pace of one bp pitch every 15 seconds with proper fungo rotation).

Syncronize it so each bp pitch and each fungo and each tee swing and each soft toss swing are done together. Team work.
Discipline. Organization. Regiment.

Add a good solid infield practice after or before and you've had an outstanding practice in 1.5 hours.

If you have more players add a conditioning station. Foul pole to foul pole running.

Add bullpens and catching work after as needed/wanted.

This requires good hustle on everyones part at all times.

Hopefully the bp coach can throw strikes. ;D

[caseyd123]

Teach do you ever run into problems with players watching the BP ball because they don't want to be caught not looking at it while they take their fungo? I've noticed a lot of times at my school the IFs give a somewhat half-assed effort on the fungo ground ball because they are leery of the live hitter possibly hitting a shot at them. Another minor question, what would you do with E3 if you have the "turtle" cage that bascially cages in a good amount of foul balls? Just throw him out as another shagger? And sorry, one more, how would you utilize a batting cage next to your field? Would you put the D group there?

[teacherman]

Apr 26, 2009 11:20:36 GMT -8 caseyd123 said:

Teach do you ever run into problems with players watching the BP ball because they don't want to be caught not looking at it while they take their fungo? I've noticed a lot of times at my school the IFs give a somewhat half-assed effort on the fungo ground ball because they are leery of the live hitter possibly hitting a shot at them.

The coach must delay his fungo slightly to make sure the bp ball isn't going at his fielder. The two receiving fungo's alternate. There is a shagger with them to get the bp ball.

Another minor question, what would you do with E3 if you have the "turtle" cage that bascially cages in a good amount of foul balls?

If there are ANY foul balls someone has to get them so each coach keeps his supply of balls.

And sorry, one more, how would you utilize a batting cage next to your field? Would you put the D group there?

D group there. Or, if you have more players another hitting station. Whatever your field allows and your team needs.

[teacherman]

A side note:

I bet 95% of you abuse your catchers during bp.

[turnin2]

Polk Defensive Drill Series

#1 Infielders and catchers: Force/tags at home
Pitchers: ground ball footwork in LF
Outfielders: Fence Communication and going back on ball in RF

#2 Catchers and 1st basemen: C fielding bunt throwing to 1B
SS/2B: communicating groundballs around 2nd base
3B: Fly balls foul around dugouts
OF: Working on mechanics of going back on balls
Pitchers: Mechanics

#3 Pitchers and 1B: GB right side, pitcher covers 1st
C and 3B: C fielding bunts throwing to 3rd.
OF/SS/2B: Fly ball communication

#4. P/1B/2B/C: ball hit to right side. GB communication, C/P working to backup
SS/3B: balls hit on left side with force at 3rd. If only play would be to 1B, fake throw. If it would be DP ball, fake DP throw.
OF: In deep CF, possible plays at 3rd or home. Do or die balls.

#5: P/3B/SS/C: Bunt Communication: Gold, White
1B/2B: Getting balls to left/right/ If 1B comes off bag, fake flip to P.
OF: Working on balls hit in gaps. Footwork and communication

#6. SS/2B/P: Pickoff plays to 2 nd
C/1B/3B: Working on C pickoffs to 1st and 3rd
OF: In RC, working on ground balls to their left and right.

#7 P/1B: Pickoffs
OF/2B/SS: Working on throwing behind runner rounding at 2nd. Can use cutoff to 3rd or OF fake throw then throw behind.
C/3B: Work on pop ups, fair and foul, in problem areas.

#8 C/SS/2B: C picking off runner at 2B
1B/3B: Fielding bunts and throwing opposite (1st to 3rd, 3rd to 1st)
OF: In RF working on picking up stopped ball at fence and throwing to cutoff man
P: In LF, working on inside move to 2nd

#9 RF/2B/1B: Fly ball communication to RF down line in problem areas
P/SS/2B: Working mechanics/timing of inside pickoff move to 2nd
3B/C: Rundowns between 3rd and home
LF/CF: Runners at 3rd for rundown



Polk Defensive Drill Series #2
* something new we discussed

1. P/3B- Pickoffs to 3rd
*C/1B/2B/SS- Early break bunt defense (Blue) (2B covers 1, use pitch out to pick off)
OF- serve as baserunners

2. P/1B/2B/SS- Runners @ 1 & 2, Pitcher pickoff at 1st, 1B from behind runner, rundown
3B/C- C pickoffs @ 3rd, execute successful rundown
OF- serve as runners at 1st and 3rd

3. INF/P/C- rundowns at all bases
OF- serve as runners at all bases


4. 1B/C- Fly Ball Communication in problems areas
P- get into proper backup position on balls hit to OF
OF/3B,2B,SS- Communication on balls in trouble areas

5. P/C- wild pitch/passed ball communication/tag at home
1B- bad throws/dig/footwork
**OF/SS/3B- Sure doubles

6. *P/SS/2B- Daylight pickoffs
1B/C/3B- Fly ball communication
OF- Throw fly balls to each other (RF to LF)

7. ?? P/SS/2B- bases loaded pickoff @ 2nd from windup
1B/3B- Slow rollers to 3rd, throw to 1st
OF- throw groundballs to each other

8. ?? ** off gold bunt coverage
P/SS/2B/3B- Pickoff at 2nd with early break bunt defense (2B covering 2nd)
1B- Fielding foul balls near dugout/fence
C- Fielding Bunts
OF- Fungo

[callyjr]

Apr 28, 2009 8:43:12 GMT -8 teacherman said:

A side note:

I bet 95% of you abuse your catchers during bp.

how so?

[STATSSkipper]

Apr 28, 2009 8:43:12 GMT -8 teacherman said:

A side note:

I bet 95% of you abuse your catchers during bp.

Thought of it myself.