Baseball Drills & Coaching Tips

This is one of the baseball practice drills we often end our baseball practice with.  We call it 6 outs. The players love this game!

Divide your players into two or three teams. It is better if you do not have nine in the field. Put one team in the field, one at bat, and one waiting. Use a pitching machine or a baseball coach to pitch.

Teams decide where to play defense, and they decide batting order. Each batter begins with an 0-2 count and gets one strike to put the baseball in play in fair territory. A foul ball, missed strike, or called strike are all outs. If a batter hits the ball and is thrown out at first, or the ball is caught in the air, he is out. If he reaches first safely he continues to run the bases until he is tagged out or a fielder tags the base with the ball before he reaches. This does not count as an out.

Each base reached safely counts a point. If he reaches home without being put out, he keeps going around until the defensive team gets him out. I have had players begging the defense to get them out. If you only have 5 or 6 in the field, they have to hustle to get the ball back in.

You can bunt or do whatever you want at bat. If a coach is pitching and throws 4 balls before throwing a strike, that is a run, and the same batter continues to bat.

After 6 outs, teams change out and you start again. If my batters are slow, I start a five second count and if they are not in the batter’s box, I ring them up. If the defense is slow about getting out, and the batters are ready, I will pitch to them. This teaches your players to hustle on and off the field, swing at strikes, and talk to each other defensively.

I have had games of 1-0 and games of 30-29. One thing we did last year was to use our pitchers throwing live. This is challenging. When you do this, you need a catcher. In the other scenarios, a catcher is not needed, an infielder has to cover home. When I pitch, I play defense only in self defense!

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One of the baseball baserunning drills that I use during baseball practice helps to make EVERY runner better at cutting the corners while rounding a base.

I have them run the first turn around 3rd and note how far out the rounded 3rd coming into the base, then how far they traveled outside the foul line on the way home.  Then, I give them this tip:

When you head into the turn, think less about making a “loop” and more about leaning in with the left shoulder toward the ground as you approach 3rd base (a little like a water skiing turn to make a rooster tail), the gravity of running full speed at that angle combined with hitting the bag on the inside corner with your right foot propel you nearly right down the line toward home.

EVERY player improved his time going from 2nd to home in the FIRST try!!

This one helps to reinforce this baseball drill:
Load the bases with runners and hit the baseball to each fielder. Each time I hit the ball I yell out how many outs there are. Than I see what the runners and fielders do on their own as if we were in real game situations . We discuss after the play if they made the right decision. This drill makes them think on their own and react much quicker during a game.

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This is a hitting game I use for baseball hitting practice to increase “at bat percentage” hits under pressure.  As a baseball coach I am always trying to come up with a fun game to wrap up practice and create a good competition as well; this baseball drill works!

All players are lined up in dugout in order ready to hit.  The baseball coach is pitching.
Drill is run in rounds.

First Round
Every player at bat until they get a fair hit. (Allows every player to see pitches and get at least one hit and the coaches to see how every player is hitting.

2nd Round
Each player has 3 strikes to get a fair hit. (balls don’t count, but if a player lets a strike go by, it counts) Foul tips keep you alive
Each player who makes a hit goes to the end of the line, any player who does not get a hit grabs their glove and gets on the field.  Any player in the field who catches a fly ball is back in the line up.

3rd Round
Same as round 2, but only 2 strikes to get a fair ball hit.  Foul tips keep you alive

4th Round
Only 1 strike, but ok to foul off a pitch.  If you foul one off your still alive and stay in the box until you either miss a strike, or get a fair hit.

5th round –
1 Strike, no foul tips.  If it is a strike and you swing and miss your out, swing and foul your out, strike and watch it, your out.

Run this baseball drill until there is only one standing.  That player wins and gets some predetermined prize.

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These baseball batting drills are for your next baseball practice.  It’s a great game to keep the kids engaged so they don’t just stand around for the dreaded BP and here’s how it works.

You have regular on field BP. You get one empty bucket, behind an L screen in shallow center field. (Just like major league BP).  You pick one player to start on the bucket. (This is where all the baseballs are thrown when shagged.)

I want all the shaggers to play each batted ball like it’s a game situation.

If they make an error, or don’t hustle to the ball, they replace the guy on the bucket. (They don’t want to be on the bucket, they want to be making the baseball plays.)  If they make a web-gem, then they get to pick who’s on the bucket. Pretty soon you’ll have guys laying out for any ball hit.

When I’m pitching BP, I’m the judge of errors and web-gems. Sometimes I’ll let one of the players be the judge.  Our team has been playing the bucket game for about 2 years now and it’s been working great.

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These are a few thoughts that anyone coaching baseball (or any sport for that matter) should keep in mind for dealing with parents and players behavior. These apply to your baseball practices and games.

Communicate your expectations to the kids and parents on day 1.  For example–I lay down the law regarding talking while the coach is talking the first time I addressed my team.  If you are direct and draw the line way back the times they cross it are much less frequent.  Let’s face it, they will cross it.

I also ask that parents bring any and all issues to me immediately.  No one is to sit in the stands and criticize.  If there is an issue let’s hear about it. Stay organized. Schedule events as far in advance as possible.

Communicate with the parents by asking them for feedback on practice and ways to handle their child.  Talk about strengths and weaknesses and what we are going to do to correct.

Ask the parents to leave the coaching to the baseball coaches. It’s a long ride home getting unwanted instruction or criticism in the car.  Ask them to communicate specific ideas to the coaches for work in practice.

At the same time a parent may have expertise in an area such as pitching.  In this case the coach may have to leave the pitching instruction to that parent.  Many players have pitching coaches or hitting coaches.  If that is the case, discuss this with the parents and leave it alone.  The parents have invested, in some cases, a lot of money and you shouldn’t mess with it whether you agree or disagree with the instruction.  Expect results, which will determine playing time.

Don’t take yourself too seriously.  Remember why you are here.  Many of the youth players that we coach will never become professional players.  Teach the technique and grow the skills for the next level.  Team success will come but it doesn’t have to come at all costs.

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