One of my subscribers actually suggested these [tag]baseball drills and tips[/tag] recently. I’ve included them below for you to try with your teams. Let me know how it goes for you.
From Doug…
Skill tip: FAST Runner on third (less than two outs) and a HIGH and SHALLOW fly ball is put into play. The outfielder (or shortstop/second basemen) has plenty of time to get positioned under the [tag]baseball[/tag]. With a fast runner tagging up to score, the full “back-cross-step and crow-hop” before throwing takes too much time to get a fast runner at the plate. In this situation the fielder needs only to lift their throwing-side leg (thigh parallel to the ground) as they catch the ball. Once caught, they drop that leg and throw – try it, it significantly shortens the release time. The trade off is that you can’t throw as far, so that it why it’s only advisable on shallow balls.
Bunting game: Split your squad into two teams. One team takes the field (infield only – I use a [tag]baseball coach[/tag] to pitch, but have a pitcher player standing next to him). The other team is bunting. The bunting team gets one point for safely reaching first base, a second point for reaching second base, and a third for reaching third. That team is up until three outs are recorded. The fielding team must use the proper bunt defense based on where the runners are (i.e. if there is a runner on second the third baseman needs to hold). The bunting team is pressured to make good bunt to advance runners. This [tag]baseball drill[/tag]/game has been a player favorite for the last two seasons.