I coach a 13U team. I wanted to get opininons on how others do batting practice, ex: kids pitch, pitching machines, coach pitching, use of L screens. Thanks
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We take amost every BP shortened up, behind an L screen with a coach throwing.
If a pitcher needs to throw to live hitters, he will throw BP off a mound but it is usually followed by a coach throwing BP to work on the hitter's swing.
Our kids rarely, if ever, throw BP.
If a pitcher needs to throw to live hitters, he will throw BP off a mound but it is usually followed by a coach throwing BP to work on the hitter's swing.
Our kids rarely, if ever, throw BP.
Emphasize defensive players playing live ball off bat; hit in groups of 3 or 4 and rotate within the group after 5 swings then 4-3-2-1. Include situational swings, get em over, get em in, bunts.
Depending on how many kids you have and how much equipment you have, you may be able to do something like this. If you don't have all the equipment, you can modify.
We divide our team into four groups of four or five. Each group starts either at the main field, playing defense (two groups) or hitting in the cage down the left field line with our hitting coach.
We set up an L-screen, a "half apple" batting cage on the main field, a screen @ first, second and one in short center field for someone working the bucket so balls don't have to come back into the coach throwing.
We do a graded BP, so each hitter has to get down 2 bunts and execute two hit and runs. For each one they fail, they lose a swing out of eight. It is entirely possible and it has happened that someone will never get past the hit and run before they run out of swings, but it puts the emphasis on these aspects.
Between pitches, we have a coach hitting fungos from behind the 2B screen to our outfielders. Mostly they are working on angles to balls down the line and in the gap or going back on balls. We also have a coach and a player in the hitting group hitting fungos to the infielders between plays. Each ball live off the bat is played either to first or as a double play.
It is critical that your fungo hitters, especially the ones hitting to the infielders stagger their ground balls with your pitches to home. It takes a bit to get the rhythm down, but we have found this to be very effective for getting swings in and working other aspects of the game.
We divide our team into four groups of four or five. Each group starts either at the main field, playing defense (two groups) or hitting in the cage down the left field line with our hitting coach.
We set up an L-screen, a "half apple" batting cage on the main field, a screen @ first, second and one in short center field for someone working the bucket so balls don't have to come back into the coach throwing.
We do a graded BP, so each hitter has to get down 2 bunts and execute two hit and runs. For each one they fail, they lose a swing out of eight. It is entirely possible and it has happened that someone will never get past the hit and run before they run out of swings, but it puts the emphasis on these aspects.
Between pitches, we have a coach hitting fungos from behind the 2B screen to our outfielders. Mostly they are working on angles to balls down the line and in the gap or going back on balls. We also have a coach and a player in the hitting group hitting fungos to the infielders between plays. Each ball live off the bat is played either to first or as a double play.
It is critical that your fungo hitters, especially the ones hitting to the infielders stagger their ground balls with your pitches to home. It takes a bit to get the rhythm down, but we have found this to be very effective for getting swings in and working other aspects of the game.
I would set up three hitting stations.
One hitting on the field, coach pitch. Coach must throw quickly, throw strikes, and at an appropriate velocity. I would throw from up shorter (obviously using an L screen).
One hitting soft toss with a coach.
Another doing various tee drills using wiffle balls.
Two players shagging.
The remaining players were in defensive drills, where they could get in far more reps than they could on the field shagging (even more than with the shagging/fungo combination). And the coach could be working with them closely on their fielding mechanics.
The groups would rotate between hitting & defensive drills.
This would occupy the first half of practice.
At appropriate times, in the second half of practice, we would have player pitching with batters running out their hits. Not every practice, and mostly before the season started.
One hitting on the field, coach pitch. Coach must throw quickly, throw strikes, and at an appropriate velocity. I would throw from up shorter (obviously using an L screen).
One hitting soft toss with a coach.
Another doing various tee drills using wiffle balls.
Two players shagging.
The remaining players were in defensive drills, where they could get in far more reps than they could on the field shagging (even more than with the shagging/fungo combination). And the coach could be working with them closely on their fielding mechanics.
The groups would rotate between hitting & defensive drills.
This would occupy the first half of practice.
At appropriate times, in the second half of practice, we would have player pitching with batters running out their hits. Not every practice, and mostly before the season started.
Thanks everyone for your input.
