Marty Schupak's Blog (118)

#BaseballCoaching #Little League

Contrary to the way MLB is evolving I am a big proponent of bunting especially in youth baseball or softball (ages 8-12). Think about it. A nicely placed bunt toward 3rd base that slows or “dies” near the foul line is a tough play for experienced players. On the youth level it is especially tough for the 3rd baseman, pitcher or even the…

 When a batter swings and misses on the first pitch, how many of us have seen all the batting coaches in the dugout and even the bleachers yelling out instructions? You’ll hear shouts of “elbow up,” or “elbow down.” Or you might hear “Billy, get closer to the plate” or “Billy, step back from the plate.” We all hear this one, usually with two strikes: “Billy, choke up on the bat.” How about a coach or parent having the batter call time out after two strikes so…

Most baseball coaches run batting practice wrong.

Some Tips for an efficient batting practice that is guaranteed to increase repetitions.

1. Always have plenty of baseballs.

2. Batting practice is not fielding practice or base running practice. No running last one out.

3. Balls hit to fielders…

This is a drill from T-Ball America and Marty Schupak's newest t-ball book due out in 2019.

This t-ball drill is a sneak preview of Marty Schupak and T-Ball America's new book, 

Youth Baseball Drills: T-Ball, Ages 4-7 Years Old

due out in 2019.…

I maintain Little League and Tee Ball experiment with their players not using gloves. Before you decide to commit me and throw away the key, take a deep breath, relax and I’ll explain why using playing baseball without gloves for say the first two or three games of the season may lead to better ballplayers in the long run. I’m not looking to put Rawlings or Wilson out of business. In fact if my theory holds true then the…

  My lifelong love affair with baseball statistics goes way back to the early 1960’s when my father would be attacked by me when he came home from work with the old defunct newspaper the New York World-Telegram. I would almost tackle his right arm as he walked through our front door to get the sports section to look at yesterday’s box score. It was a love most baseball fans have had ever since they could remember. I would…

  I've seen it happen in almost all sports even at the professional level. In hockey I've seen players holding the puck too long when they should either shoot at the net or pass the puck to another teammate. This happens a lot on power plays especially if the team has that rare two-man advantage. In basketball we see some point guards holding the ball too long when they should be trying to either penetrate the key or pass it off. Of course…

Cinder-Block Drill

Usually I save this drill for kids older than t-ball. But this drill is a great backyard drill if you have the space. Take a 4" cinder block and lay it flat on the ground. Give your player one of those thick red plastic bats. Take a tennis ball and after you set up your player in a batter's stance, bounce the ball off the cinder block and move away quickly so you don't get hit with the…

  I have been fortunate to have known a lot of coaches in all sports. I was attending a high school playoff basketball game that was going down to the wire. The coach I knew team was down by one point at the end of the game. With a few seconds left, one of the guards got some space and drove all the way down the left side of the basket and put in a lay-up with his right hand just out of the reach of two defenders. The team won the game.…

  I have followed sports my whole life. I have been fortunate to witness in person or on television some of the most historical games played in the last fifty years. I have always thought it almost amazing when a hit, basketball shot, or long pass in football occurs that the officials or umpires are able to watch the game away from where the ball, hit or action is occurring. In youth sports…

  The short story I’m about to tell really has nothing to do with interference but it has something to do with not knowing the rules. A number of years ago my team was in the playoffs. We were involved in a real close one run game. Very late in the game, we had a runner on third and one out. My batter attempted to bunt on the first two pitches and missed so he was down 0-2. I decided to take…

                                                                Backyard Creativity

                                                                              By Marty Schupak

  You can be creative in your own backyard. Years ago when all my peers in our Little League were buying equipment for their kids, I stood on the sidelines and watched.…