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Player Development Guide

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Player Development Guide PonY Player Development Guide Pony 1 HittinG 1. Bat Choice 2. Grip 3. Stance a. Feet – Shoulder width, angles to pitcher b. Knees – Slight bend, comfortable c. Waist – Very slight bend, comfortable d. Shoulders – Square e. Hands – Aligned to back f. Elbows – Form triangle close to body g. Head & Eyes – Both eyes to pitcher h. Bat Position – Nub of bat toward back corner of the plate – bisecting helmet i. Balance – Good even balance j. Weight – 70/30 toward back foot 4. Swing Mechanics – More emphasis on proper mechanics to allow for off speed pitches. a. See the ball – Pick up while in pitchers hand b. Load (lower half and hands) – Hands back & up c. Stride (load with front foot and put foot down) – Short stride – stepping on thin ice d. Pivot – Squash the bug e. Bat direction – Level swing f. Weight Shift g. Hitting zone – T-Location just out in front of plate h. Contact – Sweet spot of bat – extend arms after contact i. Go with pitch (ie Inside pitch to left field) j. Follow through – Bat all the way through – Never touching body (finish high) 5. How to hit off a TEE properly 6. How to hit SOFT TOSS properly 7. FRONT SIDE drill – see Drill Section 8. Tracking Ball/Bunting Drills 9. Teach vision, release point how to see ball 10. Learn the strike zone 11. Develop a consistent stance, load, (stride), pivot and swing Pony 2 HittinG (Continued) 12. Know how to hit: a. TEE (outside, middle, inside pitch) b. High TEE c. Soft Toss d. Front Side e. Coaches Short BP f. Coaches Regular BP 13. Proper batting practice a. Opposite way (pitches must be middle/middle-away) b. Up the middle c. Hard where ball is pitched 14. Develop and Refine swing 15. 2 Strike approach to hitting 16. Mental approach to hitting a. Hitting in counts b. Looking for pitches (guesses) c. Recognize pitchers pattern d. Recognize pitchers tendencies e. Dugout 17. On Deck Circle 18. Bat control and ability to hit to all fields 19. Situational Hitting a. Execute hit and run b. Execute move runner from 2nd with no outs c. Execute get runner in from 3rd with less than 2 outs (Sac fly/Infield back ground ball) 20. One arm short bat swing drills (Top hand and bottom hand) Pony 3 Base runninG 1. Lead off bases – (footwork) Always start with left foot on base. Take (3) three side steps toward next base with body facing pitchers mound – Always watch Pitcher’s back ankle. 2. Stealing Bases – After Lead. Ball crosses batter. Left foot should crossover right foot toward next base. 3. Situations – Go over a list of base running situations with players: a. Infield Fly Rule b. Obstruction (Fielder) c. Interference (Base Runner) d. Tag Plays (Foul Balls, All Tag) e. Sliding head first, diving back to base f. Line Drives (freeze) g. Help runner score at home 4. Secondary Lead – (After Lead) Once ball is thrown home (and runner is not stealing) A secondary lead is used. Usually secondary lead is two shuffle steps sideways towards next base. Body stays facing the infield until you either crossover and go to next base or crossover and go back to original bag. Pony 4 PitchinG 1. Grip 2. Proper throwing mechanics 3. Proper long toss program 4. Wind up and delivery a. Grip b. Ready Position c. Drop step – small step back d. Wind-up with hands and arms e. Pivot f. Leg lift g. Front side alignment h. Balance Point i. Break hands (thumbs down) j. Stride direction (step to throw) k. Drive with back leg (Do not drop and drive, stay tall on back side) l. Arm action i. Hand and fingers on top of ball ii. Circle action down and up iii. Elbow above shoulder iv. Hand up to release point 5. Fast Ball Delivery a. 2 seam grip b. 4 seam grip 6. Change-up a. Reason to use pitch b. Grip c. Delivery d. Arm Action e. Release 7. No curve Balls 8. Pitcher/Catcher Signs 9. Strike Zone Awareness 10. Stretch Position with runners on base (1st and 2nd) 11. Delivery from the stretch position Pony 5 PitchinG (Continued) 12. Proper pitcher warm-ups (Bullpen routine) 13. Pickoffs at 1st and 2nd 14. Backing up bases 15. Fielding position and covering 1st 16. Fielding bunts 17. Proper breaking ball grip (if desired) 18. Proper breaking ball arm action and delivery (if desired) 19. Proper long toss and bullpen routine 20. 3rd to 1st move 21. Slide step 22. Inside move to 2nd 23. Pitchouts 24. How to use pitch sequence 25. Swing recognition 26. Game situation recognition Pony 6 InfielD 1. Glove choice/size 2. Grip – 4 seam 3. Throwing mechanics 4. Playing catch and how to warm up properly 5. Pre-pitch position and movement, set up on the pitchers delivery 6. First Step 7. Approach to a ground ball (under control) 8. Footwork – Circle the ball or angle the ball when possible, create an angle with feet in the direction you want them to throw 9. Fielding Position a. Feet b. Knees c. Waist d. Head & Eyes e. Arms (& Elbows) f. Glove positioning & Throwing hand g. Catch & Secure (Try to catch the ball in the middle of your body in front of your feet) 10. Catch and Secure the ball 11. Footwork to throw 12. Arm action and release 13. Quality infield 14. 1st Base mechanics (Throwing hand foot to the base, stretch, and catch) 15. Pop fly priority – infield/outfield communication 16. Pop flies 17. Force Outs 18. Tags at bases - Bring glove straight down. Do not reach to tag. 19. How to cover base on throw from outfield 20. Awareness – where to go when the ball is hit 21. 1st Basemen – How to hold runners 22. Proper rundown technique 23. Understanding bunt plays 24. Understanding of 1st and 3rd defenses 25. Cut-Off and relay fundamentals 26. Introduction to proper backhand 27. Field & Throw slow rollers 28. Double Play feeds and turns (all directions/all positions) 29. Proper maintenance and practice programs 30. Detailed instruction at 1st/2nd/SS/3rd Pony 7 OutfielD 1. Fly Ball Catch - Run with glove (movement drills) a. Cut Off and Relays – Ball hit to fence. Make sure outfielder throws ball to 2nd or SS (not to the bases or middle of infield) b. Wrong Turn – Fly Ball/Line Drive overhead. Ball moves to other side of body. Head must turn quickly around towards ball. **Key is the head turning quickly to get the body to the ball** c. Tag Play – Fly Ball – Outfielder should work on getting ‘feet’ behind the ball. On the catch, body movement should be going foreward towards infield. d. Sun Balls – Fly Ball in the sun. Turn your body sideways to the infield and use your hand or glove to block out the sun **Key is to turn sideways. This helps in changing the angle of the ball to you. Otherwise – the ball will stay in the sun and you won’t have a chance to catch it** e. Cut Off Relays – Make sure the outfielder throws the ball to the SS-2nd (not bases) when the ball is hit to the fence. 2. Ground Ball Catch –Continue working on footwork for following: a. No Runner on Base – Charge ball and break body down to field the ground ball just like an infielder. Once the ball is caught, come up quickly and throw it back in to the infielder. b. Backhands – Ball hit to throwing side. Thumb of glove down. On catch, stay on back foot with throw. Take a jab step to target with front foot on throw. c. Reverse Turn – Catch ball on glove side, turn back to infield, turn body around (keeping throwing shoulder towards target) and throw ball to base of cut off man. d. Ground Ball Charge – Glove and glove side foot come together on Ground Ball. Catch ball on outside of foot. Footwork after catch is: STEP, STEP, BODY, TURN, CREW HOP, THROW e. Circle Ground Ball – Same footwork as ‘charge’. Used when ball is hit to your left of right sides. Because ball slows down, you have to go get it. Don’t wait for ball to come to you. You go to the ball. Pony 8 OutfielD (continued) 3. Communication a. More Outfield/Outfield b. Go Over Infield/Outfield 4. Throwing Situations a. Throws to bases (Long Hop) b. Cut Off and Relay throws (from fence) c. Cut Off throws (to home) Pony 9 CatchinG 1. How to put the Catcher’s equipment on 2. Grip – 3 Fingers 3. Proper throwing mechanics 4. Proper receiving stance 5. Safe and correct distance from hitter 6. How to give a target 7. How to receive ball ( ½ turn with glove hand) 8. How to catch and receive ball 9. Proper signal stance 10. Blocking balls in the dirt (straight on, left, right) 11. Throwing to 2nd Base and 3rd Base: a. Footwork b. Hand to glove exchange c. Arm action and release 12. Tags at plate 13. Force outs at plate 14. Home to 1st double plays 15. Catching pop-ups 16. Fielding bunts 17. Proper stance with runners on base and 2 strikes 18. Blocking technique 19. Framing pitches 20. Receiving pitch outs 21. 1st and 3rd defense 22. Proper rundown technique 23. Calling pitches – Understanding counts and game situations 24. Pitcher/Catcher relationship 25. Passed balls with runners on 3rd 26. Understanding difference in hitters 27. Always catch the pitchers in the bullpen to learn the pitchers (this is the time you ‘practice your catching’) Pony 10.
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