A primer for coaching junior-high players (13-14 years old)

[retrojint]

I'm getting back into this.  If any of you guys are working a Babe Ruth team this summer, some of these concepts might help you.

Batting:

1. Start inside.  This means that we begin our swing with the knob of the bat inside the pitched ball.  We don't want "casting,"  This causes a long swing.  We will be late to the hitting zone with the sweet part of the bat when we cast.  We want a short, compact swing.  We want to reach the hitting zone quickly.

2. Stay short.  As above.  Short stroke.  Fast to the hitting zone.

3. Use the whole park.  In other words, hit the ball where it is pitched.  Remember that the idea is to contact the ball slightly out in front of your body.  It has to be earlier than that to drive the inside strike.  You can be a bit later on the outside strike, to about even with your front hip.

4. Keep your front side in.  Don't pull off the ball.  Point your front shoulder toward the pitched ball.  Laser paint the ball with it.  Same with your lower body.  Don't pull out.  Don't pull off the ball.

HITTING POINTERS:

1. Remember to make an inward turn with your front knee and shoulder as the pitcher is about to release the ball.

2. Hands then go from the load to launch position.  Make up your mind to swing.  When you do, it's time to launch.  Short stride.  Stride on "thin" ice.  Do not take a long stride.  You lose balance that way, andy our head will remain still.  Think A to B on your swing.  Complete the arc.  Finish out over your front shoulder with the bat.  Do not be content to make soft contact with the ball.  You can't play baseball if you're afraid of swinging and missing. 

3. Head stays straight on the ball throught the swing.  No head bob.  No looking up to see where the ball is going.  Keep your head down on the ball.

4. We swing down on the ball.  Not up on the ball.  Remember the Jeter on-deck drill.  Think, "This is what my lead arm does."  Take your back hand off the bat.  Practice the correct lead arm action.  The bat will feel heavy so it's OK to move up on the handle with your front hand.  Swing down.  Don't worry about your back shoulder.  The back shoulder is symptom not cause.  The back shoulder will follow the instructions of the lead arm.  If you're chicken-winging with the lead arm, in other words, coming up underneath the ball, you'll have a bad upper-cut that way.  We don't want that.

5. Squish the bug with your back foot.  This means pivot on your toes of the back foot so your hips release as you bring the bat through on your swing.  Be careful of back-foot, lock-out disease where your back foot stays straight down throughout the swing.

6. Guys are starting to throw hard now.  You have to look for the ball early.  If the pitcher is good, he has some camouflage to his delivery which hides the ball on you.  Once he releases, you must be able to identify pitch type.  If the ball is spinning backwards towards you, that is a fastball.  If the ball seems to rise up after he releases it, or if you see a small "button" on the ball, that is a breaking pitch.  We hammer the nail when swinging at a fast ball.  We connect the dots when hitting a curve.  To properly hit a breaking ball you have to "track" it as it breaks.  You will intersect it with your bat at the hitting zone.  If it is a good breaking ball it will break down as well as across.  A good change up is difficult to identify.  Many accomplished pitchers "grunt" when they're throwing their change up in an effort to deceive you.  Don't be fooled.  Concentrate and stay disciplined as a hitter.

PITCHING:

We want to use a compact, efficient, wind-up that allows us to throw as fast as we can with the greatest accuracy possible.  We know that true confidence on the mound is reached when we feel we can throw our fastball in the zone to any hitter, and get the hitter out.  The four-seam grip will give us the most speed on our ball.  But whether we use the four-seam grip, the two-seamer or a sinker grip, the key is to be able to control the ball so we can pound the strike zone .  The plate is 17.5 inches across.  The hitter's strike zone is from the hollow of his knee to the lower lettering on his chest.  We visualize this as a pretty large peach basket that were are throwing into. 

COMPONENTS TO THE DELIVERY:

1. Start from the power position.

2. Short "jab" or "rocker" step.  Both words mean the same thing.  If you're right-handed, your jab step is with your left foot.  If you're a lefty, you jab with your right.  It is permissable to jab either straight back or to the side.  We recommend straight back.

3. As we begin to jab, head stays straight on the target, all the way throughout the delivery.  Then we begin to spin on your contact foot.  If you're a righty, this is your right foot.  If a lefty, your left foot.  Slow and deliberate, while never coming to a complete stop, we then raise up on  our front leg until we reach the balance point.

4. At this point, we execute hand break.  The pitching hand leaves the glove. We remember the orchestra conductor at this point.  The glove hand goes up in one direction, the ball hand in the other.  This movement is synchronized.

5. Next comes the pitching component known as the "loop."  We are very careful here because most problems with the delivery, and many arm injuries, stem from a long and circuitous loop.  Think "Get the ball out.  Get the ball up."  You now have the ball at the "throw" position.

6. At this point, we now bring everything forward at what is known as the "plus" part of the delivery.  That is, what happens in front of the rubber.  We stride with our lead foot.  We allow our glove-hand arm to lead our body as we drive down. We achieve maximum pop on our pitch by getting the proper torso action which comes by "rolling over" on the contact ankle--right ankle for a righty, left ankle for a lefty.  By getting maximum trunk rotation into our delivery we recruit our body's core muscle groups to help take the pressure off our our arm and shoulder. 

7. We're careful to not overstride.  If we do, we'll leave the ball up in the zone because we won't finish our delivery with our body weight out over our front leg.  Pitches left up in the zone are almost always caused by overstriding.

8.  We release the contact foot from the rubber as we bring the whole body through. 

9. We check to make sure that after landing with the stride foot, our two feet are pretty much in a straight line.  We don't want to be too far off in either direction.  Landing inside the line with the lead foot will cause us to throw across our body.  We will ruin our shoulder that way.  If we stride outside the line, we'll tend to hang onto the ball for too long.  Our pitches will lose velocity.  We'll also tend to have them take off to the left if we're right-handed or to the right if we're a lefty.

10. If we stay with it, as we get older, and control the ball better, and add off-speed pitches like a good change and curve ball (which we will begin throwing this season), we will remember that we get up on him with the fastball, and put him away with the off speed pitch.  We throw inside strikes early in the count and work away later in the count.  Obviously, circumstances change relative to game situations and the ability of the hitter, but that is the basic pitching pattern.  If we're up in the count 0-2 on the hitter, locating the next pitch underneath his lead elbow is a good place to keep him honest.  Then go down and away.  But 10 we will shelve for now until we are ready to expand our game plan.  What we want  this season is a solid, compact throwing motion that allows us to be as fast and accurate with the ball as possible. 

DEFENSIVE CONCEPTS:

1. Start in the "ready" position.  Think before every pitch that "this one is coming to me."  Don't let the ball surprise you.  The ready position does not mean hands on your knees.  That is a picture pose for Momma.  We are not posing during games.

2. If we need to get going in a hurry, the correct foot movement is the cross-over step.  Not a shuttle. 

3. Make sure we break down on a ground ball at the knees as well as the waist.  Do not lock your knees as you're waiting to field a ball.

4. You play the ball.  Don't allow the ball to play you.  If you do so, with your weight back, you're laible to play the ball into a bad hop.  Go boldly and confidently for the ball.  If you bobble or boot it, don't panic or become frustrated.  Remain cool and calm.  Pounce on your mistake and recover the ball.  Don't turn an error into two or three.  Everybody makes errors.  Relax.

5. When tracking a fly ball, remember to run with your weight slightly forward.  If you  run with your weight back on your heels, the ball will appear to bob crazily in the sky.  This is because your head is bobbing as you run.  As with all parts of the game, the head bob is ruinous.  Weight slighly forward as you track the ball.  Try and beat the ball to the spot.  Don't run alongside the ball.  Be waiting for it.

6. For catchers:  On the ball in the dirt, get on your pads and drop to stop.  Don't concentrate so much on catching the ball in the dirt. Instead try and block the ball.  Keep it in front of you.  Locate it.  Roll your glove over.  Don't play panny-cake, baker's man.  The glove goes between the legs to protect the 5 hole.  Your chin is down to protect your Adam's Apple.  To get moving quickly to your right as a catcher, your first move is to push hard off your left shin guard.  Reverse is also true.  To move quickly  to your left, your first movement is to push hard off your right guard.  This has been called the Doctrine of Paradoxical Intent.  Don't let that blow your mind.  Just practice it.  With tennis balls. 

7.  On relays:  Remember to FOLLOW YOUR GLOVE.  Position your body properly to accept the relay throw.  Save precious fractions of seconds in transaction time by FOLLOWING YOUR GLOVE.  Avoid the 360 degree whirling dervish. 

BASERUNNING:

1.  With two outs, run on contact.  Locate the third-base coach.  There's no need to stop and watch the batted ball.  You can't be doubled off a base with two outs.

2. Tag up when these three requirements are met:  1. Less than two outs. 2. You believe the defender is going to make the catch.  3.  The ball is hit deep enough so that you can advance a base after the catch .  In all other instances on balls hit to the outfield, go half-way.  If the ball is caught and you have to return to your previous base, don't feel bad.  You played it properly. 

3. Sliding becomes inevitable if you run the bases aggressively.  You also have to slide on force plays at second base when running from first base.  Accelerate into the slide.  Players get hurt when they "think" about what they're doing as they get ready to slide.  And when they slide too late into a bag, especially a bag that is pegged into the ground in the old-style manner.  You can break an ankle or rip up a knee that way.  The dirt marks on your pants when you're sliding properly should be on the inside area of your ankle and knee, and on the side of the thigh.  Not on your rear end or the top of your kneecap.  We strongly discourrage head-first sliding.  Ane we absolutely dread sliding head-first at home plate.  The catcher is wearing a coat of armor.  Save your face.  Go legs first.

4. The lead off of first base should be 2 and one-half strides.  To get back to first on a pick-off throw, the correct movement is cross-over step and dive.  There is no really good reason to not get a good jump on a right-handed pitcher.  We concentrate on his contact foot, which has to come up if he is going to throw to first.  And he has to step toward us as well.  Against a left-hander, it's more difficult.  We have to read his swing foot past his back knee.  At this point he must throw to the plate or he has balked.  However lefties are tricky in tucking in their swing foot.  Umpires have difficulty reading their move.  We believe that most left-handed pitchers make up their mind ahead of time if they're going to throw to first base.  Therefore, when we call for steals against lefties, we'll usually tell you to go on first movement. If he does come to first, do not stop in between the bases.  Force their defense to make two quick, accurate throws.  If you have some speed, you have a good chance of beating the ball to second.

[dasher]

Steve,
Just excellent stuff. Thanks for imparting your unparalled baseball knowledge and love for the game.
I have a question for little league hitting basics. My 7 year old grandson is in his first year and the league uses s pitching machine. It's too fast for most of the kids. My question is this- how do you tell a beginner to hit?
I told him hand and eye coordination is most important, to stand a little deep in the box and choke up a bit with elbows high and to watch the pitch carefully and try to meet it and not swing too hard.
The coach has other ideas- he has the kids closer to the plate and in front of of the box with elbows close to the bodyand tells them to swing hard.
About 1/3 of the kids even hit the ball. Most strike out with maybe a foul ball if lucky and I think they are given 5 strikes.
I need your good advice since I'm going to be pitching to Julian a few nites this week (assuming this old body can do it). Would tennis balls in lieu of baseballs work. That way I can try to pitch inside on occasion without worrying too much if I hit him.
Thanks,
Grandpa Dale

[LennG]

I dare not compete with 'the coach' as his knowledge far exceeds mine when it comes to coaching kids.

I would like to add a couple of things that, while maybe, not in the perfect form, can dramatically increase the players chances of success.

On pitching
As Retro said, and I know nothing of form and delivery. But what I do know are balls and strikes and some other things. Retro gives you technical stuff, I'll give you something else.
Too many kids watch too much TV on pitching. All pitchers should try and get into a rhythm. Playing with the dirt after every pitch, standing on the hill, just looking like you are going thru about 10 different signs does nothing but put everyone to sleep, including your own teammates. As an umpire, looking to call strikes, there is nothing worse than a pitcher who takes all day to deliever a pitch. We love guys that get the ball, take a sign and pitch. And when the umpire likes the way a pitcher is pitching, it may well show in his strike zone.
Second, and this may be hard for younger pitchers, but if the umpire isn't calling that pitch at the knees, try not to keep throwing it there. See where the umpire IS calling those close strikes and try and use that to your benefit.
If a pitcher throws say 4 balls, one up, one down, one inside and one outside, he will not get anything, but if a pitcher uses the zone, and even if he is off the plate, if he continues to use a certain area, inside, outside, up or down, the umpire WILL call some of them strikes.
One other thing. In todays's game, more and more hitters just will not swing at that first pitch. If you are a pitcher, I'm sure you have heard it so many times, PITCH AHEAD of the batter. No need to 'groove' that first strike, but that is the pitch most batters take, so it's easier and easier to get ahead. Try and get that first pitch over. Speed on pitches is great, but if you throw hard and cannot get the ball consistently over the plate, speed means nothing. Learn to take something off that fast ball and strive to get ahead of batters. Believe me, it makes the game very easy when you can throw strikes or at least pitch ahead of batters.
But my biggest thing to all pitchers is to try and get into a rhythm on the mound.

On the other thing I know is catchers. A good catcher can steal around 5-8 strikes a game. In a 7 inning game that amounts to one an inning.
For an umpire , the best thing any catcher can do is get as close to home plate as possible. Just way too many young catchers stay too far back. As soon as that glove turns over, especially on a curve, it's a ball. By getting up close you can 'steal' that pitch that may be low, by catching it before it is really low. If you are back too far, then you are reaching for the pitch, INSTANT BALL.
Second, framing the pitch is the second most important thing. Framing doesn't mean taking every pitch and bringing it to the center of the plate. I have seen so much of that, it makes me sick. Who ever taught catchers to take EVERY pitch and try and fool the umpire by bringing it into the strike zone. Come on now. That hasn't worked in 50 years. By framing a pitch, you just let the umpire see where you are catching it, and give him an especially good look at the close ones. Umpires love those 'good looks' and will reward a catcher for that.
Another thing is NEVER stay in one spot behind home plate. If you want a pitch on the outside corner, shift your body there. Now, if the pitch is a few inches outside, but your glove hardly moves, you have stolen another strike. Umpires have a hard time calling a pitch, where the catcher never even moved his mitt, a ball. Slide inside and outside, it makes the umpire, wop wants to 'enlarge the zone' a bit, makes his job that much easier.
A couple of other small points. I don't know where this new thing has come from, but now, on 0-2 counts, catchers want a high pitch so they basically stand in front of the umpire. Now if the pitcher delivers it right down the middle, the umpire is screened and will never call it a strike. You want a high pitch, signal with your glove, but NEVER stand up before a pitch arrives.
OH, one last thing, and VERY IMPORTANT, protect he umpire at all costs. 
I can only speak for myself, but I tell the catcher, as long as I feel protected, I'll hang in there also and will feel more secure to call some of those close pitches strikes. Catchers who fail to block those balls in the dirt, and makes the umpire jump around, will regret it later in the game.

[retrojint]

Guys:  I am sorry that I forgot about this thread.  I never even realized I had comments. 

Dale:  With the youngster, usually the bat that they are using is too heavy.  To find out, have him hold the bat straight out parallel to the ground with his power hand.  If his forearm flexors start quivering before 10 seconds have elapsed, then the bat is too heavy.  The little guys frequently need to choke up.  As far as getting around late, I'd check the grip that he's using. Some kids find it easier to use a modified or "caveman" grip where the lower knuckles on the power hand are aligned with the the high knuckles on the weak hand.  A conventional grip, which will give him his fastest bat speed is for the lower knuckles on each hand to be aligned. 

Next, try and have the kid hold that bat at a 45 degree angle before the pitcher releases the ball.  When he does decide to swing, the bat will have to be at the 45 degree angle, anyway.  Sometimes kids hold it straight up (perpendicular) to the ground because the bat feels lightest this way.  However, they will have to drop to 45 degrees after the release.   It is better to start at that position.  Don't let him wrap it around his head and hold it up high like Julio Franco did, the left-handed version of Reggie Smith's swing, or Yaz. 

Baseball to a rather prominent degree is about getting your hips through on both your swing and your throw.  Watch for that "squishing the bug" with the rear foot.  Same as a golf swing.  You have to spin on the toes of your back foot to get your hips through.  Lastly, remind him to drop the barell head down on the ball.  "Slap hands down" is a good mental imagery.  I really can't get specific about your grandkid unless you can give me a clip of his swing.  But I hope he loves baseball.  Just be patient.  Of all the games it is the hardest to learn and play.  The difference between abject failure and euphoric success can be a matter of a couple of inches. 

Lenn:  Share you appreciation of the good catcher.  I agree 100 percent that he can get 8-10 edge strikes called a game.  I hate a 'noisy" catcher who is bouncing all around back there.  I tell my guys to be still as they're receiving the ball.  And I think these guys who set-up inside or outside on the pre-pitch give away both pitch type and location.  Hitters can see that type of movement with their peripheral vision. 

Question:  It's very tough to get a high percentage of breaking balls called for strikes, even at the MLB level.  Would you agree that a 40 percent ratio is excellent?  Thanks for the input. 

[NYSPORTS]

Retro,

Hitting:  What are your thoughts on the batter hips when in the load position.  Are the "hips" what you consider the " launch" position?

Hit/Pitcher:  How do you get your batters to recognize the circle change?  The rotation isn't a quick as the fastball yet it's difficult to pickup being the delivery is the same.  I have kids (try) to remain in the load position and go with the pitch.  Same with the knuckle curve yet they still "lunge" at the ball.


Good stuff.

[retrojint]

NYSPORTS:  Your first question:  The hips move away from the pitcher initially in the "inward turn" that Baker always speaks and writes about.  When the pitcher shows you his hip pocket, you show him your hip pocket.  Pitcher and batter go hip pocket to hip pocket.  So the hip (and front shoulder turn) are the precursors to the launch position.

The circle change is tough to recognize and even tougher to throw.  The kids at the high school level can't control the ball as well as rthey can with a conventional box change.  The circle is more flexible a weapon, when thrown properly, because it can be thrown to both lefties and righties regardless if you are a left-handed or right-handed pitcher.  I tell my pitchers to "grunt" a little when they're throwing their change-up.  You want the hitter to swing at the motion and not the ball.  

From the batter's side, if the change-up is a good one, it will be tough provided that the pitcher has any kind of fastball at all.  The speed split doesn't have to great--7 or 8 mph.  Be ready for the fastball.  Adjust to the off-speed.  Scouting:  Does he double up on it?  What percentage of strikes does he have with it?  Is it better to just take the pitch because he has a low frequency of called strikes?  Does he use the pitch to finish hitters or does he use it early in the count as well?  

Lunging for off-speed at the plate is largely cured if you get the hitter spread out in the box in the classic Joe D manner.  In upstate NY, everybody swings like that now.  By controlling stride length, you almost automatically prevent being off-balance with the ensuing lunging.  If you get them young, they'll hate the feet-spread-wide stance because they're still going to have to swing a -3 bat and it's tough on them when they're in seventh and eighth grade.  But it will pay dividends later.