Baseball IQ Test

Apologies for unsolicited advice, but:  Don't do it.  It will get your players THINKING about the deficiencies of their thinking.  Also, the players will suspect that your playing "gotcha."

 

 

Sorry freddy, going to have to disagree.  I am a firm believer that you can't improve yourself unless you are fully aware of your deficiencies.  You can't fix those deficiencies by not thinking about them.  ignoring them is not going to help.  I think this type of test could be very beneficial to both the coach and the player. I remember taking one when I was in high school.  The HC gave all the players one at the first team meeting of the year.  As long as the coach is being straight forward with the kids on the purpose for such a test I don't see it being a big deal.  We all that it was fun. 

 

Just start with "Who's on First?" 

I'm with Freddy on this.  You know by watching who knows how to play and who doesn't.  I don't think Coach Sampson is dealing with advanced subtleties in an elite program (no offense, just an impression from your posts).  I think pointing out issues when they occur and using examples will be more effective than a paper test. 

You're correct Smitty... But what I'm trying to do is change the thinking of the players.  Apparently 5 weeks of talking to them about what to think about pre-pitch both offensively and defensively isn't working so I thought that maybe a visual method might work.

You might be surprised at what a 15-16 year old kid doesn't know. Just because he was in a uniform every summer the last 10 years doesn't mean he fully understands a hit-run, a safety-squeeze or what base to back up on a for sure double. I have brought in some strong players from good teams, to only find out that they had been winning games on kids raw talent and not learning anything between the ears. I think finding out early what they don't know and teaching it to them in practice is good, besides the other boy's might need a refresher.

As Bum has said many times, a little time on the end of the bench does wonders for this type of thing.

Coach, I am not in your practices and so perhaps you are already doing this but nothing can replace situational hitting and defense.  So, when I threw BP to my teams, hitting off of me was "special" and so, I did not lay it in there for them.  I really pitched and gave game situations.  Sometimes with runners on base and sometimes without.  When we did defense, we always incorporated a part of practice with runners and a "hitter" standing in the left hand box and running out balls I hit.  That is how you teach the game.

 

Show me and I see.  Tell me and I hear.  Let me do and I remember. 

 

And it takes a lot of time and repetition.  Given that they are HS kids, you probably need to double the time you think it should take.  Good luck.   

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports..../02/16/hus-on-first/

Why do you need the answer key?

That's funny right there!

CoachB... we mostly do situational defense with base runners... and bunt defense and 1st and 3rd situations.

Why do you need the answer key? LOL!!

 

But this is the thinking man's game - so personally, I like making players think.

 

Off the field.

 

You seem annoyed.

You're taking over a  team that  finished dead last in 2013.

That means your feeder program is deficient.

A cram course can't fix that.

In my experience, baseball IQ accumulates over a period of years.

 

If the best coach in college baseball took over a dead last team, and wasn't allowed to improve recruiting, how many more games would he win than his predecessor?

 

 

I have generally used 3 things with my son in the past. 

 

1.  Game time examples from other  games

 

2.  Game time examples from his game.

 

3.  Make up other examples/situations using 1 & 2

 

-also my son watches more ESPN gameday than any other person I know.  

This helped out tremendously...

 

Ive generally tell my players to think of the 4-5 most likely outcomes of the play involving THEM!   I find this makes it easier to limit the thinking each player must do.

 

ie:   2nd baseman with runner on first.

  

soft hit grounder to the left or right of player

hard hit grounder  to the left or right of player

ball hit to left side of infield

bunt to first

ball hit to left field

ball hit to right field

 

and then he MUST have already thought out what he must do in each situation before the ball is hit.  This way he will not pause to think about what he must do.  This does 2 things, help him make a decision quickly and increase his confidence for the next play.

 

 it is very difficult to write down every example, for every player, in every situation.

 

i generally spent 15-20 minutes during practice breaking down the positions,  each side of the infield, then pitcher and catcher,  then outfield...

 

 

Coach,

  I do not find anything wrong with what you are doing, I just think the timing is off.  You are in the middle of the and IMO, you will give them this test, they be made to feel as if you don't think they know anything, and from what I can tell when you get their answers you will be peeved because they will prove they do not know a whole lot. 

 

  My players take a baseball IQ test in August every year when they come back to school.  I use it to gauge where I think the fall might go and what we need to work on.  I will try to get you a copy.

I think it would be great to find one.....and post it here for all of us "experts" to take....and post our score.....lol

I will try to find one I gave to my coaching staff many moons ago.  I did not win friends with it.  In fact, one coach quit before he even finished the test.  LOL!  (It isn't hard at all.) 

http://thewinningmindinbasebal...e-baseball-iq-tests/'m using the one from the book Intangibles.

I was going to recommend Intangibles, thought that the multiple guess questions might be good for HS.

That thing is like the SAT. Way too cumbersome to me for kids who don't have basic knowledge.

 

What's your email? I send you the baseball final we give kids if you want it. 20 questions, multiple choice. It's specific to how we coach things, but may be a good starting point for you to create your own.

 

And I don't see why a written test would ever be a bad thing. We use it as a way to gauge what we need to re-teach or maybe teach differently. Not to make the kids feel dumb. Kids learn in different environments. On a rainy day in the classroom I like IQ tests. Just one more way to teach.

Can I get one of those baseball IQ tests for high school players with answer key?

 

Sure. Give me an email address.

 

And I don't have an answer key made, but most shouldn't be hard. If you have any questions about them just let me know.

 

d835rod@aol.com

yes I am happy to find the site and plan to research more