Drills, worth it?

quote:

Originally posted by Nitric_Acid:
I read through some of the other threads and I guess this has been brought up before, but I'm wondering how does one translate from a drill, like hitting off a tee, to hitting a pitched ball.

When my son hits off the tee, everything is perfect, line drive up the middle after line drive. Lob the ball to him and he goes right back to pulling the front shoulder and spinning around in the batter's box, lunging, etc.

There is a drill called "hit or die" that works well. It's a form of soft toss, but use tennis balls or wiffle balls. Get directly to the side of the hitter when he is at the plate about 15 feet away and throw balls at his belt buckle. Don't lob the ball but don't fire it in there either, just a underhanded toss with no arch. This will help with lunging and pulling his shoulder. Once he gets this down, move to a 45 degree angle and toss the ball to his mid front thigh. Once he gets that down using the softer balls, move to regular balls. If you have an L screen, move to straight on and toss to plate at the same height (mid thigh). When I say "gets it down" I mean every swing. Don't move on until he gets it down!

Hitting off tees benefits older players rather than younger players. I spend about 30 minutes on a tee everyday just to keep my mechanics up to par and use it as a feel good confidence builder. It tells me that I have a solid swing and to trust it in game situations!

NA,

For all age groups, hitting off the T allows the individual to focus his work on the desired swing without the focus of watching the incoming pitch. By concentrating on what he wants to accomplish by working on the T, whether it is reinforcing his swing mechanics or correcting them, it is easily achieved by working off the T. Using the T is great warm-up as well. Hitting off a T can be done alone also.

Hitting off a T is just a tool for practicing your hitting, a very good tool.

Now how does that translate to hitting a pitched ball? Well the swing is the easy part. There is a whole lot more to knowing how to taking that swing and using it in the many different hitting situations and handling all the different pitches. That is the hard part of hitting. That is where hitting gets tough.


JimW.

BlueDog, please elaborate. I have always had success using a tee. I have never met any people who have regressed from using a tee.

quote:

Originally posted by BlueDog:
Get away from the tee........Many reasons!!

quote:

Originally posted by BlueDog:
Get away from the tee........Many reasons!!

I have my doubts about drills in general based on my experience watching my son (15 years old) getting good at drills, but having a heck of a time translating the drills into his game.

Although live pitching from 60'6" would be ideal, do you have suggestions for something that evokes similar hitter responses that requires less skill on the part of the person throwing the ball?

The purpose of these drills is to teach muscle memory. That's only one phase, of course, because focus, confidence and desire figure in too. Soft toss, T, etc are very much worth the time spent. What I question is facing machines that throw one speed in one location over and over. Seeing a change of speed, break, etc is obviously very important.

quote:

Originally posted by Nitric_Acid:
Although live pitching from 60'6" would be ideal, do you have suggestions for something that evokes similar hitter responses that requires less skill on the part of the person throwing the ball?

NA, the pitchers job is to keep the batter off balance and hit locations that the hitter will have trouble getting a hit. That is the hard part that takes the skill to different levels.

He should work on his swing daily but additional work on hitting the different pitch locations if a worthy exercise also. Try sitting on a bucket behind a screen about 15' or so in front of your son. Don't sit too close to the screen where a come backer will nail you in the shins and stay behind the screen! Now front toss to the outer edges of the strike zone so he can work the locations he sees during games but may not be working on.

There is a place for T work, soft toss, pitching machines and live pitching. Don't just rely on drills but get all kind of work in. Concentrate on his weakness.

I have a question about the use of pitching machines.....does anybody raise them off the ground on some sort of platform when using them? I ask because if you think about it, if the machine is sitting on the ground at the same level as the hitter then the ball is coming out of the machine at least 2-3 feet lower than the ball comes out of a pitchers hand. Once you factor in the height of the mound, the height of the pitcher, the fact that the pitcher is generally throwing overhand, and finally that you feed balls into the machine at roughly chest height, there is a huge difference. I have never seen them raised to more resemble the realistic release point of the pitcher unless they were being used on the mound, but that still would be at least a foot lower than normal. Thoughts?

I don't like pitching machines because the timing for hitting off the machine is different than a live arm. All you see is the ball coming, no motion back, to release point, etc. Just the ball coming at you.

quote:

Originally posted by BlueDog:
I, also, use the "Hands Back Hitter"....

And, I started using the "Infini-Tee".....

BlueDog, I too use the "Hands Back Hitter" and have seen but not used the "Infini-Tee." Help me understand (I'm sincere...I need help) how are those so different from a normal "Tee" as a hitting tool? I don't understand what is bad about the use of the "Tee."

BlueDog, For your reasons I understand where you do not see value in the Tee. Thanks for the candid response.

From my perspective it is valuable for the hitter that is trying to work on his swing without concentrating on a moving ball. Sure you can do dry swings, torque drills and such but the Tee adds a different dimension. Hitting the ball helps burn in a realistic feel vs. the dry swing.

MLB players use the Tee. It is only one of many tools but a fairly valuable tool, especially for those trying to get some work in by themselves. Just my "sincere" opinion.

Hitting off the Tee is the easiest way to repeat the same swing several times, in less time, using limited space. The best way to get closer to the perfect swing is with hundreds of repeatitions.
If a hitter use the Tee every day and place the Tee at diferent positions in the strike zone will create an automatic muscular reaction (muscle memory) that will allow to reproduce the same swing at similar pitches. Will help to wait longer for the ball before swing, also. The important part is to repeat quality swings because repeating bad swings will produce bad habits. Of course, the Tee is a complement to the batting cage and living hitting.

For god's sake - say something Doggie.

Spit something out - anything. Its been years - and it still the same cyber bubble. Nothing.

At this point - you have to put together at least 10 words of garbage in one sentence. I know its garbage - but at least make it look good. LOL

Here is some history about "drills" and the doggie. For those that havent read his anonymous garbage over the years. I have read his garbage for years.

An ever shifting mass of egotistical useless junk IMO.

Here is a sampling:

About 2 years ago - Doggie strongly - in his always abusive style - advocated a drill. Very strongly advocated this DRILL.

The DRILL was for young players to take a bat and smash it into a 300 pound bag of immovable sand.

Of course- I didnt agree.

I thought it was totally insane and dangerous to young players.
Basically - just serious injury waiting to happen. Reckless anonymous cyber nonsense. De Jour.

But the Doggie - and his other ids - insisted that it was a valid DRILL. It was the thing to do for young players. LOL

Right or wrong?
Doesnt matter.

It was a DRILL - one that Doggie advocated very strongly.

Now Doggie doesnt like DRILLS.

You young fellas out there better check your sources before you take any step on anything.

There are alot of Bluedogs out there in anonymous cyber world nowadays. You all better use your minds.

Use them - high and hard.

IMO.

bluedog

You have been asked numerous times who you instruct and where but never an answer---perhaps the answer is zilch, nada, zero


I may be old fashioned but I am in "ITS" corner---he knows and understands the game---more than you ever will---cyberspace cowboys like you are extremely dangerous---WHY !!!! simple !!!! You disagreee with everyone who does not agree with you and you say nothing instructive

BLUEDOG

The first post does not even deserve a response---make sure you know what you are talking about before you post


I am not related to Eistein---I am Italian

Bluedog,

I apologize for the diversion. I started it. I just wanted to remind you that I have a real good memory. We all do.

But its about drills.

So - back to drills. You used to advocate drills - like having a 14 year old kid smash a bat into a 300 pound bag of sand.

Now you dont advocate drills - Why?

Does this mean you no longer advocate smashing a bat into a 300 pound bag of sand?

Which is it - drills - or no drills?

quote:

Originally posted by BlueDog:
Well, TRhit showed up....Imagine that!!

How much money have you taken from players lately and given them nothing in return????

This is the type of stuff that needs to be addressed IMO.

This is unacceptable.

Some anonymous cyber entity disparaging a good man that has devoted his life to helping hundreds of kids reach their dreams.

At what point does anyone stand up to this?

At what point do we - as a community of people who care about all of the kids and all of the people that help them - say enough to this stuff?

At what point do we shut these gutless cyber entities down?

I will repeat the question - at what point do we say No to these cyber leeches?

These slimebags that hide behind a computer - and their anonymity - and disparage people who devote their entire lives to the betterment of OUR kids.

At what point do we just stop these people?

itsinthegame - Since I'm fairly new here, I guess I'm one of the newer ones that has been sucked in to BlueDog's games. I noticed he has deleted his replys to his posts.

In one of his recently deleted posts he indicated he was testing my sincerety and questioned my agenda. I sent him a PM indicating that I'm not here to stir the pot but I'm a dad that likes to coach and I'm a student of the game. I'm here to learn and give back.

BlueDog responded but deleted his response. He indicated he likes to stir the pot and he considers himself the King of one liners. He is just here to play games that humors himself.

He lost all credibility with me as he has others here. We can choose to ingnore him but he will never go away. He can and will always come back with another name. Face it, unfortuanately there are people that are inconsiderate and disrespectful of others. It's ashame.

Most of us only step in the BlueDog poop one or twice, before we figure it out................

Blue Dog has vaporized---POOF---he is gone


Sure tells you a lot about his character

quote:

Originally posted by Roll-it-up:
itsinthegame - Since I'm fairly new here, I guess I'm one of the newer ones that has been sucked in to BlueDog's games. I noticed he has deleted his replys to his posts.

In one of his recently deleted posts he indicated he was testing my sincerety and questioned my agenda. I sent him a PM indicating that I'm not here to stir the pot but I'm a dad that likes to coach and I'm a student of the game. I'm here to learn and give back.

BlueDog responded but deleted his response. He indicated he likes to stir the pot and he considers himself the King of one liners. He is just here to play games that humors himself.

He lost all credibility with me as he has others here. We can choose to ingnore him but he will never go away. He can and will always come back with another name. Face it, unfortuanately there are people that are inconsiderate and disrespectful of others. It's ashame.

As per any public forums, this community is comprised of all kinds of personalities. Some do not get along. Roll-it-up, Bluedog has a lot to offer. He doesn't feel the need to have to prove himself in this forum or anywhere else. I do consider him a friend and regulary correspond with him. I'd trust him anyday coaching my kid. Others who post here are my friends as well. I find it hard to understand why they can't all get along but such is life. That is the real shame of it all. In closing, I'll say this, I believe that Bluedog has a lot to offer and I'd pay attention to what he has to say. I know I do.

I agree - He will never go away. Thats OK

But remember - we should never allow him - or anyone else - to disparage good people. Like TRHit - or so many others over the years.

Arguing about baseball and mechanics is fun. Even heated arguments about baseball - and mechanics - is fun and informative.

Disparaging people is not fun.

IMO.

The thing that is most abundantly clear, and has been for years, is that "most all that argue, and sometimes get personal, can give it AND take it.

Except its and TR. They have nothing to give. Their cupboard is bare.

Chameleon,

You are anonymous - and this is your 10th - maybe 20th i.d.

And you dispense "cyber absolutes". LOL

That speaks volumes.

And YOUR cupboard is a "cyber cupboard".

It is just anonymous bits and bytes - on a computer screen.

You need to get real. Thats the first step.

You gotta fill that cupboard baby. LOL