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This sincerely is some really good stuff. I'm gonna be using some of it on our first practice of the year tomorrow.

I believe baseball is a game of repetition, but it doesn't have to be a game of monotony.

I'd like to challenge everyone to keep this going all season. If you use some of the ideas comment on how they worked. If you tweak them some way and you thought it was an improvement let us know also. And God knows if you find something new that you like throw that out as well.

A sincere thanks to everyone who's thrown something out already. I know it's making me a better practice planner and a better coach.
Last edited by ironhorse
The following is one of my favorite ways to wrap up practice. I present this drill along with several others at coaching clinics I speak at. You'll have to use your imagination since the followig is cut and pasted off of a handout that has a diagram. I've shared a lot of stuff with people here on the site and so, if you want a copy, let me know.

PM me if you want my email

This drill is called "Air Raid."

Air Raid is a great way to end practice with something that is fun while also challenging and conducive to winning. Naturally, as with any drill, competition makes the drill that much more fun. Each of my assistants as well as myself takes great pride in our abilities to hit “the perfect fungo ball!” We compete with each other during this drill. C1 starts the fun. Then the rotation moves from C1 to C2 and then finally, to C3. A bucket of balls is off to the side and a feeder (Yellow Circle), who is aware at all times that a ball could be hit in their area, keeps all of the coaches supplied with balls. The balls are returned to the other yellow areas, which typically are pitchers or anyone not participating in Air Raid. The Red Areas are the areas of danger. As a coach, you should be very aware when another coach has hit a ball into these areas to ensure that you allow the kids to make a play. So, the drill goes like this, C1 hits a ball to the left field side. While the ball is in the air, C2 hits a ball to the right field side. C3 then assess the situation. C3 can hit a ball to any area where it is safe. If the balls from C1 or C2 are on the infield, C3 can hit a popup to the catcher or a foul ball to 1st or 3rd. If C1 or C2 has hit an outfield ball, then C3 can hit to whichever infield side didn’t get a popup or hit a popup to the catcher. C3 is the pivotal Coach. He has to be able to keep it going but keep it safe. Should C3 hit a ball to shortstop, then, C1 now hits the balls to the right field side and C2 now hits to the left field side until you switch again due to a ball hit by C3. This is really confusing isn’t it? We want 2 balls in the air at all times! You should be able to do this. Please keep in mind. You want good fungo hitters doing this. If you have a kid hitting these fungos, they will top the ball and hit a line drive right between some kids eyes. Air Raid can also be done with 2 coaches. You simply alternate making sure that you keep the catchers supplied with some fungos. This will keep it safe.
Last edited by CoachB25
To all of you who have requested the 4 man game and to all who have emailed me I think you for your positive comments. I see you love the practice segment as.much as the kids in my program do. Try to use it in off season class next fall. Rotate the groups every seven minutes and you will be surprised how much work you will get in. Best of luck this season. I'll post some more practice ideas later.
quote:
Originally posted by kdog:
To all of you who have requested the 4 man game and to all who have emailed me I think you for your positive comments. I see you love the practice segment as.much as the kids in my program do. Try to use it in off season class next fall. Rotate the groups every seven minutes and you will be surprised how much work you will get in. Best of luck this season. I'll post some more practice ideas later.


Could you send me the ppt also, please? bklm99athotmaildotcom
Offensively we play a game we call short game. There are two teams and it is best if you balance the amount of OF on each team, and pitchers, because you will need a full infield, a catcher, an a pitcher. We have a coach throwing BP from 45 ft. The object here is to score runs via bunts. It will go something like this.

Lead off guy drags/pushes
If he gets aboard next guy will SAC him over.
If defense does there job then there is a runner on 2nd with 1 out and the 3rd guy will have to drag push.
If he gets on you would have runners at 1st & 3rd 1 out. The next guy must squeeze, push, or drag.

Only Hard rules we have are as follows.
1. Can not sac with 1 out
2. Cones are set up at the corner spots and the mound to keep those people from vacating early. Coaches keep an eye on them.

Defensively run a drill called pull down. OF go to right and center field and infielders go to 1B. We fungo balls to the OF's with the infielders running to 3rd base. We call it pull down because we try to get them to understand that they need to pull down on the ball and in order to get it there or long hop the 3rd baseman. We also do this with OF running and ground balls to the infielders. We do not do it off the T but we have 2 coaches fungoing back and forth with OF running.
keep em coming fellas, good stuff.

Brave23: I am guilty of not getting enough PFP in so thanks for that.

Do most of you guys use your game field for PFP? I am thinking of setting up an area (I have a practice football field right nearby) adjacent to my field... I think i can get more done if I use another area. Of course the gym on a rainy day, but let's face it, that ain't the same.
Last edited by trojan-skipper
We run a 4 station pick program

Station 1: Pitcher on the grass in front of the mound working on Pitch Out....5 to a righty and 5 to a lefty

Station 2: Pitcher to the 1B side of the mound working on Picks to the 1st baseman

Station 3: Pitcher on Rubber woking inside move and timing pick with MIF

Station 4: Pitcher to the 3B side of the mound working on Pick to the 3rd baseman and 53 moves. Obviously can't throw 53 move

Everything is based off the guy at station 1. When he is done the pitchers rotate to the next station.
Last edited by IEBSBL
20 Minute Infield (need two fungo hitters)

Round 1: Pitcher pitches to catcher and catcher throws to 2nd on a steal, After pitcher pitches fungo1 hits ground ball to 1st baseman and the pitcher covers first and at same time 3B back to other fungo hitter.

2: 3-6-1 DP and 5 - 2 play at plate

3: 4-6-3 and 3B bunts (we use 2 1st basemans here and have the one on the DP cut the distance down between 2nd and 1st base)

4: 5/6-4-3 DP and 1-2-3 DP (again we use the 2 1st basemans here)

5: 1-6/4-3 DP and 5-2-3 DP
Last edited by wander
We have an execution game that we as coaches love. We set up 6-12 executions we want to work on and force the kids to roll dice to choose the execution. If you execute you go to the end of the line where your teammates are. If you do not execute the player goes and sits in the dugout and watches his teammates do ten team sit-ups. No one wants to be that guy that forces his team to do more. After everyone is done the guys left in the dugout come back out and try again until they execute.
Here's a drill that always moving and will highlight the players that are in shape vs. those who have work to do, while at the same time exercising critical baseball skills. I've used it for all ages and a ten minute round of this is good to interject from time to time.

Player at plate (P3) (no catcher gear), player at 2B bag (P2), player at 2B deep playing position (P1), rest of players lined up behind 1B. Coach (C1) with Fungo on right side of infield, coach (C2) (or mature players) at first.

C1 fungoes ground ball to P1 at 2nd base playing position. P1 makes play to C2 at first, then runs toward C2 to within about 10 feet and makes button hook out to RF position to receive an over the shoulder throw of the same ball from C2.

C2 should keep an extra ball in back pocket (or nearby if players are executing the C2 toss) for wayward throws to keep it moving.

Sprinting to RF, P1 receives catch over his shoulder from C2, or shags it if missed, sets himself and throws to P2 at second.

P1 then sprints to second to become P2.

Once C2 has made over the shoulder throw to P1, new player sprints out to take 2B position and becomes the new P1. C1 maintains the flow of the drill by fungoing once the previous P1 has made his throw to P2.

P2 (at second) makes tag on throw from P1 OF, sets himself, and throws to P3 (home) then sprints to home to become P3.

(if you want to provide a little extra time between sprints you could have more than one player start at P2 and P3, and form a mini line at those spots as well.)

P3 makes tag, and brings ball to C1 bucket while sprinting to end of line of players waiting behind first.

Throwing and sprinting are going on simultaneously with hits from C1 to P1.

The entire team experiences wind sprints, ground ballwork, over the shoulder pop fly work, OF to IF throwing, IF to Home throwing, and tag work all in one drill.

Run it as long as it takes to get them winded or make it a competition until they execute X number of perfect reps.

(while in line these players are basically catching their breath before their place in the rotation begins again. That line presents opportunities for added drill work, perhaps with a third coach (or mature players) throwing Bunt work)
Bunt Competition
Got a chance to watch Mizzou practice last year and stole this idea.
Two (or three) teams will bunt through every player in the lineup one time and both teams will try to earn as many points as possible. The team with the most points at the end wins and the other team does a one-minute "payback" upon the conclusion of each round/inning (crunches, fence sits., etc.).
A hitter stands in ready to bunt and a member of the offensive team is running bases and another is on-deck to run. A full infield plays defense including a pitcher and catcher. The pitcher will come set, and make an "air" delivery while a coach, who is set up short of the mound, makes the real pitch. The ball is bunted and the action takes place.
Where you place the runners is up to you as a coach.

Here are examples of innings/rounds we play:
R1, Sac bunt
R2, Push/Drag bunt
R3, Safety/Suicide squeeze

Scoring is as follows:
The offense scores a point for advancing the runner(s) and (unless sac bunting) for the hitter/bunter being safe.
The defense scores 1 point for an out, 2 points for an out on the lead runner, and 3 points for a double play. Scores are totaled after each inning/round, payback happens, and the next round begins.

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