Coaching Tee Ball: the Perfect Baseball-Batting Grip

Coaching Tee Ball: The perfect baseball-batting grip.

Using the proper grip allows the batter to achieve as much hand quickness and bat speed as possible. The key to a good grip is positioning the bat in the fingers and not the palms. The bat should be held firmly but not tight that the batter's hand speed is slowed. The batter can assure a great grip every time by lining up the "door knocking knuckles" as shown.

Coaching Tee Ball: The Proper Batting Stance

Have a "Super Stance"

The batter should always be taught to use a balanced parallel stance with both feet about shoulder width apart with his toes even and slightly facing inward. He should assume his stance about 8-10 inches from the plate. The batter should slightly bend his knees with his weight on the balls of his feet. The batter's front shoulder, hip and knee should be slightly turned forward. A proper stance will allow the batter to react to the pitch with speed, quickness and power. Teaching a Child Baseball Batting Techniques

Hitting a baseball is considered to be one of the most difficult tasks in all of sports. Those who play the game at the highest level are considered extremely successful if they succeed in they get three hits in every 10 times at bat. As a result, teaching youngsters to hit can be a daunting task. However, it can be done quite successfully. Picking out a bat

o The young hitter must use a bat he can handle. There's a simple test to know if the bat is too heavy or not. Ask the child to hold the bat in his dominant hand (right hand for righties; left hand for lefties), and hold it straight out for five seconds. If the bat wobbles or drops, it is too heavy for him. If it can be held easily, it is the right weight. The batting stance

o Have a right-handed hitter stand in the batter's box closest to third base. The back foot should be parallel to the back point of home plate. The front foot should be about 18 inches in front of the back foot. The batter's shoulder should be directed at the pitcher and the bat should be extended over his right shoulder. The knees should be slightly bent in an athletic position. The swing

o As the pitcher prepares to throw the ball, the batter should be concentrating on the pitcher's throwing hand so he can get a view of the ball for as long as possible. The batter starts off with his weight on his back leg. As the pitcher lets go of the ball, the batter needs to transfer his weight from his back leg to his front side in a smooth and seamless manner. This triggers the swing. He does this by stepping forward slightly with his front foot while keep the back foot in place. The bat should come forward and hit the ball when it is 10 to 12 inches in front of home plate. A good way to get the child to transfer the weight is to use the expression "squish the bug" when stepping forward with his front foot. By squishing the bug with his front foot, the child is transferring his weight from his back leg to the front side and then the arms and bat will follow into the hitting zone and the batter will make contact. How to Teach Kids to Throw a Baseball If a child wants to play on a baseball team, he needs to have good throwing accuracy. Many children learn to play catch at a young age, often in a manner that is incorrect or oversimplified. Good throwing requires the use of the entire body, not just the arm. Whether a child is learning to play a position on a little league team or just wants play catch in the backyard, good throwing mechanics will allow him greater speed and accuracy.

1. Show the child how to grip the baseball. The best grip is along the narrow portion of the seams. The seams should be running horizontally, with the pointer and index finger over the top of the seams. It takes a lot of practice to get the alignment right for each throw and may not be as important for younger players to learn right away.

2. Teach the child to use his wrist. Many children throw with a stiff wrist, but in reality, the wrist must be cocked back during the throwing motion. A good way to practice this is by telling the child to hold his throwing arm just above the wrist with his opposite hand. The throwing arm should be bent at the elbow with the forearm vertical. Keeping the arm is this position, have him practice throwing the ball with just his wrist and fingers. This is an important skill to work on right away, as it improves throwing accuracy.

3. Teach the child to throw in a circular motion. Depending on the distance he needs to throw, the arm must make either a larger or smaller circular motion. The circular motion should begin as soon as the ball is in his hand. The arm should start by the knee, pass below the hip, behind the ear, over the head and become fully extended before release. To make sure the child is throwing in a circular motion, have him freeze at certain points during the throw. If he brings his arm straight up and back, he is not using a good circular motion.

4. Tell him to use his front shoulder to point the ball in the right direction. The arm opposite the throwing arm should be facing the direction he wants to throw. The body should be turned sideways in the direction of the throw. 5. Make sure his lower body is aligned with his upper body. Just like the shoulder, the lower body also faces the target. Their back foot should be perpendicular to the target. The child must step toward the target with his lead foot, push off his back leg, and throw the ball using his entire body. How to Teach Little Leaguers to Catch and Throw

To play baseball, a little leaguer must first be able to catch a ball and throw it. Some children appear to be able to do this at a relatively young age. Others struggle and may never learn these basic skills, but still continue playing Little League ball for a number of years, hating every moment of the experience. A good coach-or an understanding father or mother-will do everything possible to help the less talented kids at least learn to catch and throw. Instructions

1. Accept as a fact that there are kids who are deathly afraid of a baseball. No amount of pleading, humiliation or bribery will erase that fear. Let these kids begin the process of learning how to catch and throw using a tennis ball-and don't ostracize them for their fear.

2. Begin with an "on one-knee exercise." Separate two players by roughly seven paces. Have them both on one knee. For right-handed throwers, the right knee is on the ground; for left- handers, the left. Instruct the players to throw by reaching behind them and touching the ball to the ground, then raising their arms and completing the throwing motion, tossing the ball to their partners. Being on one knee and touching the ground emphasizes the most basic parts of throwing - the back foot is planted, the arm is extended and the ball is thrown. Easily half of all Little Leaguers never integrate these elemental features into their throwing motions.

3. Use a drills. These drills should emphasize keeping thumbs together above the waist, little fingers together below the waist, at the waist, best you can. This places the hands in the correct position to field a ball, avoiding those awkward moments when a child tries to catch balls thrown at his head with the heels of his glove because he has his little fingers together (and hopefully avoids the bloody noses as well). The drill can be done by having the player move his hands to various positions while in the appropriate configuration. Then start playing soft toss with him, varying where the ball is thrown.

4. Begin every practice with every player repeating these drills. After a time, it will be apparent which players are ready to move up to actually playing catch, which players are ready to play catch with a tennis ball, and which players need to spend a lot more time on the basic drills.

5. Have fun with it. Understand that the child who starts Little League with an unspoken belief that he or she will never learn how to throw a baseball and learns to do so benefits as much if not more than the "natural" who can shag flies with the best of them. In the end, learning new skills, with catching and throwing the most basic, having a good time, and gaining a new degree of self-confidence are really the goals of Little League.

How to Teach Kids to Catch a Baseball

Baseball is a fun way for kids to exercise and socialize, but it might take time to learn how to catch a baseball. Baseball --- America's pastime. A game of catch between a child and parent is an unrivaled bonding experience. Little League baseball can be a great way for children to socialize, exercise and have fun. While some kids are gifted athletes and can pick up a sport with relative ease, others require more in-depth coaching. It is important to always remember, however, that team sports for kids are meant to be fun. Exercise patience and playfulness when teaching children to catch a baseball.

1. A glove should fit firmly over the non-throwing hand. A right-handed child will throw with the right hand and catch with the left while a left-handed child will throw with the left hand and catch with the right. Some children might be more comfortable throwing with their opposite hand. To test this, have your child throw with each hand to see which feels more natural.

2. Teach the correct stance. Instruct your child to stand in the "ready position" with their feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent. Your child's glove should be in a relaxed, open position to receive the baseball.

3. Instruct your child to shuffle left or right while remaining square with the ball for an off-target throw. Be sure that your child watches the ball from the moment it leaves your hand until it is caught.

4. Teach your child to aim to catch the ball in the pocket of the glove, above the palm. A ball caught in the ball of the glove is more likely to bounce out, and might sting. Once the ball hits the leather of the glove, the child should close the glove and trap the ball with his or her throwing hand. This "two-handed" catching method is the most effective method for any baseball player to use.

5. Instruct your child to attempt to catch the ball in front of his or her body around chest-level or waist-level instead of to the side with an extended arm. The glove should be tilted toward the body to receive a throw. Some children might be scared of catching the ball in front their body, so be sure to begin throwing softly.

6. Increase the distance and strength of your throws gradually, and correct any mistakes as you play. Be sure to keep a good attitude if your child has trouble at first.

7. Have your child field line drives, ground-balls and fly-balls off of a bat once they are comfortable with catching throws.

How to Teach Little League Baseball to 4-5-6Year Olds

Baseball stars all start somewhere. They all had to be taught at a young age the basics of the game. Six-year-olds starting Little League Baseball will need to be taught the basic fundamentals of playing baseball. Patience is the most important trait a coach and parent can have when teaching 6-year- olds. Lots of mistakes will happen because they are young. Constant encouragement is a must to keep them interested and focused.

1. Instruct the players on the proper way to throw a baseball. Teach them to grip the ball with their fingers instead of having the ball rest in their palm. A baseball thrown with a palm grip won't have the accuracy or power as one gripped with fingers. There's a difference between fingers and fingertips, so make sure they're gripping with their fingers. Have the players step forward with the foot opposite of the hand they throw with. Right-handed players should step with their left foot and vice versa for left-handed throwers.

2. Show the players how to properly stand when swinging a baseball bat. Feet should be around shoulder-width apart and pointed toward home plate. Legs should be slightly bent to achieve an athletic stance. Right-handed swingers should grip bat with the left hand on the bottom of the bat's barrel, with the right hand abutting the left. Left-handed swingers should grip the bat with the right hand on the bottom of the barrel and the left hand on top. Teach the players to step forward with the foot closest to the pitcher and swing on a level plane. 3. Instruct the players on the proper stance for fielding a ground ball. Feet should be shoulder- width apart. Have them bend their legs and keep their rear ends low enough so they can place their glove on the ground between their legs. They should field the ball with their glove hand reaching out. They should trap the ball with their throwing hand once the ball enters the glove. Teach them to move side to side by shuffling their feet to get in a good stance for fielding the ball.

4. Teach the players how to catch a fly ball with caution. Don't throw the ball too high in the air because it might hit some in the face. Teach them to hold their glove hand in the air and in front of their face without covering their eyes. Teach them to squeeze their mitt once the ball enters and trap the ball with their throwing hand.

Little League Baseball Practice Tipsbaseball image by Byron Moore from Fotolia.com

Little league baseball is a great way for young kids to learn the basic fundamentals of the game. Little league coaches can help improve the kids' baseball abilities by providing them with a handful of practice tips, or drills, to repeat on a daily basis. If they continue to put forth the effort, children can improve their skills and prepare themselves for competition at the next level. Ground Balls Drill

o Line up your players in the positions they would play in an actual game and hit ground balls to them at various speeds. This drill will help players learn the various hops and adjust to how they should position their bodies while defending ground balls. Make sure to have the players finish the play by throwing to the appropriate base so they can practice the glove-to-hand transition. Pop-Up Drill

o Again, line up your players in the positions they would play in an actual game and hit pop-ups to each player. This will help players adjust to how to track pop-ups and teach them how to call off their teammates when they are in a position to make the catch. Make sure to continually point out the need to communicate with their teammates. Garbage Can Drill

o Place a circular garbage can on the ground at home plate, facing the outfield, to simulate the catcher's mitt. Arrange the players in the outfield at various points. Hit them either pop-ups or ground balls, and have players field the balls and throw them toward the garbage can. This will help them work on the accuracy of their throws. Move the garbage so players can practice throws to various bases. Quick Toss Drill

o Practice batting skills by lining the players up either across from a hitting net or across from a fence. Grab a bucket of balls and gently toss them in front of the batter. Batters should hit the balls into the fence or net. Give players the chance to hit a large number of balls. This will help improve hand-eye coordination while help players work on their arm strength. Running Bases Drill

o Split your team in half, and send half to one base and half to another. Choose one player to be the runner an explain that his job is to reach the base safely. Meanwhile, defenders will try to tag the runner out before he reaches the base. This will help improve the defensive ability of the defenders by placing them in a game situation, while improving the runner's base-running ability. First to Third Drill

o Having players run from first base to third base, making sure they step on the inner corner of second base and round the base at the correct angle. This will not only help improve base-running skills, but also improve the overall stamina of the players.

Little League Baseball Drill Games

Little League Baseball provides a great opportunity for young athletes to learn about the game of baseball and have fun competing with players of similar age. Practice drills should be fun and informative for players of Little League age; keeping drills fun keeps them paying attention. Drills and games should be simple; teach the basics since these players are just starting their careers. Throwing Drills o Accurate throwing is an essential skills for any baseball player; this can be achieved by simple drills and games. Break the players up into four groups and have them stand by each base, including home plate. Position of players doesn't matter; the idea is to have the players spread out. Start by giving the ball to the catcher and have him throw to first base, first base to second base, second base to third base, and finally third base to home plate. To make the game competitive, count how many throws can be achieved in a row without the ball hitting the ground. Hitting Drills

o Locating the baseball out of the pitcher's hand quickly is a big key in hitting. By training the players to quickly locate the ball with their eyes, they have a much better chance of solid contact. Have the batter stand like he normally would but turn his head so he is looking at the catcher. Have the pitcher throw the ball slowly and yell "ball" when he releases it; this is the indicator for the batter to turn his head and quickly locate the ball before swinging. Use whiffle or rubber balls to avoid the risk of anyone getting hit. The idea for this drill is for the batter to locate the ball quickly and make solid contact. Fielding Drills

o Outfielders and infielders need to be working together so simple base hits don't turn into doubles and triples. Have three players participate in the drill at a time, with one outfielder and two infielders. Have the infielders stand on opposite sides of second base and the outfielder playing in center field. A coach will stand at home plate and hit toward the players. When hitting ground balls, make sure the infielders communicate as to who has the ball when hit up the middle and that the outfielder is charging toward the ball in case it gets through the infield. When hitting fly balls, make sure the infielders know who is the cutoff man and who should stand at second base. Make sure the outfielder hits the cutoff man when fielding a ball; this allows for a more accurate transition from outfield to infield. Very rarely should an outfielder in Little League throw a ball straight from the outfield to a base.