Coaches: Blog & Win an A-Bat Pro Maple Fungo Bat from Superior Bat Company

Comment by Sandy Weissent on January 14, 2010 at 5:36pm

Good stuff. Thanks for CheckSwing! Sandy

Comment by Alex on January 14, 2010 at 11:41pm

I think the best advice i could give to a coach is to make sure you have good practices, but mix it up every so often with a fun practice that may or may not have anything to do with baseball. This is mostly for little league coaches. Here is what I mean: Say you have a team and there not all making it to every practice. Mix it up, when all the kids that do arrive for practice one day just up and take em all up and treat them to ice cream. then as word spreads that coach took em all to get ice cream more kids start showing to see if it happens again. Then have another practice where you play a game of kick ball. Its still playing ball with the kids but it also makes it fun in between all the regular baseball practices. When you make it fun for the kids they tend to pay a little more attention and in the long run you have a team that plays good togther and respects there coach. AND shows up for every practice on the off chance that they will get ice cream or get to play kick ball!

Comment by Michael Thomas Weber on January 15, 2010 at 11:50am

Like Alex said good practice organization is a great motivational factor. To add to that, be sure that the kids actually understand why you are teaching them something, or even why they are playing ball. Giving the players a reason to be doing what they are doing is the best motivation that a coach can offer. Traditional educational techniques say "drill, drill, drill" but I have found it more beneficial to work backwards. Show them a picture or video of a successful player and point a particular technique that he or she uses in simple terms, explaining why that athlete does that. The explain how the drill work that they will do will help them achieve that skill. This provides an objective that will help them achieve their goals of becoming better and winning.

Comment by Don Ervin on December 23, 2010 at 10:39pm

 

 Alex mentioning to have well organized practice sessions and even game time organizational habits which keep all of the players heads in the game is of the utmost important for all players at levels of play. also as Michael mentioned it is of the utmost importance that coaches explain [why] instead of just telling them to do something which enables all players to better understand what a coach is attempting to get over to them, I always make sure that each player absorbs what I mention to them so as to eliminate their confusion if any, as much as possible, beings everyone absorbs things basically three different ways, by hearing, seeing, [DEMO.] and doing ,it may be necessary to be very patient and stay with, not run away from those who do not immediately absorb your information right away, there have been and still are many times when it is necessary for me to go the whole route of hearing, seeing and doing before I actually absorb information. To me the most important team fundamental on defense is that each and every player when on defense must  be taught, learn and to be aware that when their pitcher has the ball in their hand taking their signal from the catcher each one of them is a potential fielder and when the ball is put into play fair or foul  must be ready to do what the ball dictates to them to do until play is terminated. when the ball is put into play each one has a place to go to either field the ball, back up or be in a proper cut off position when necessary, also good loud vociferous communications are very important, sound off in as few words as necessary let everyone in the ball park hear your verbal communications. Again as Michael mentioned about visual aids , still photo's and video clips are very informative, video tape all players let them view how they are doing, I do not use video tapes strictly as training tools or to just pick out faults, ask them what good things they notice more so than things that need to be adjusted on, I have and do  use numerous visual aids etc. to show them about proper body positioning, which is the number one fundamental for good balance and timing which starts with a good solid athletic stance, feet position with one's head centered between the shoulders, hips and feet I have numerous great ones of Steve Carlton, Tug McGraw, Tim Lincecum, Mr. bard, Moriano Rivera, Matt Morris,  Mark McGuire,John Mayberry, Pete Rose, Lou Gehrig and my favorite hitting guru, Ted Williams, after I made a comment recently on a web site to acquire Teds book and study his hip rotational diagrams and his simple explanations I was recently informed that TED never brought up a single batter to be an excellent hitter," ouch" that comment appeared to me to be a jealous slur or possibly that person only values ones  teaching ability's on whether or not they have brought batters up from obscurity into being great hitters. due to the unnecessary enormous numbers of chronic sore arms and various arm surgery's. it is my opinion as I see it from viewing numerous practice sessions and games of all levels from the major leagues down through their minor league teams on down into college high school and even into our youth players as young as 12/13 yrs. old especially with pitchers who are like youth hockey goalies, they are left out in almost obscurity until game time and are not fortunate enough to have coaches who are experienced and capable enough to "TEACH" them how to even basically play their game. as far as pitchers or prospective pitchers are concerned they urgently need an experienced"PITCHING TEACHER" who is capable of "TEACHING" them how to deliver the ball from a mound or other wise to their intended target using their whole body's from the rubber, [ground up] in a sideways body movement to front foot touch down with a stride length of at least matching one's body height  which at this point the drive foot ankle area, leg and hip flexors will be extended to their fullest and is termed "TRIPLE EXTENSION," with no body rotation until front foot touch down or the split second prior to front foot touch down then with the shoulders still closed and still aimed straight down the line at the catchers glove the hips rotate leaving the body in what is termed as "HIP""SHOULDER" "SEPARATION," then immediately thereafter the shoulders rotate, actually the timing of the two is so close that to the uneducated naked eye it appears as though the hips and shoulders rotate at the same time, actually there are three pivots within the movement from the rubber to front foot touch down,

#1. Hip Pivot,

builds torque at triple extension as the front foot touches down and is the first torque building pivot, it is ultimately important to create full range of motion in this first pivot  and open it up completely to the target as one's front foot lands in order to build maximum torque , momentum from the rubber is the best way to create maximum torque.  

#2. Collar pivot,

occurs after hip and shoulder separation, when the collar bone or shoulders travel with the hips this pivot would build zero torque, which is so very important to velocity and longevity, It is very important that everyone involved especially with pitching to know and be aware of that if the collar bone and  shoulders stay back while the hips open to the target it allows the spine or core to build torque. and why this component is so effective in generating maximum velocity which allows for less torque to the last pivot, the shoulder pivot.

 #3 . The shoulder pivot,

Due to the fact that the shoulder pivot, joint is made up with a very delicate and intricate system of very soft  muscles and is the only multidirectional joint in one's body one must prevent this pivot from handling most of the torque created  in order to do so one must allow their other two pivots to do most of the work so as to allow this pivot to mainly direct the ball to the target. It is easier to understand how these three pivots, triple extension and hip shoulder separation work by visualizing them in slow motion action.

"TIM LINCECUM,  Nolan Ryan who have successfully accomplished the execution of  "TRIPLE EXTENSION," "BODY" HEIGHT STRIDE LENGTH," with "HIP SHOULDER," "SEPARATION," and the  three pivotal movements into a nice  controlled flat back follow through, letting the arm with ball in hand come on down and across to the glove side knee letting it momentarily stay there and relax while also alleviating the tremendous tension, strain and abuse created to all body parts negatively effected by the violent throwing action and also allowing those body parts to recover and become ready  to encounter their next pitching sequences.

" TUG McGraw,"according to my views and photo's is also an excellent person's visual aids to learn from.

 For those who follow my aforementioned pitching comments their potential of having chronic sore arms and various arm surgeries will be greatly null and void due to the fact that by learning the technique and fundamentals of  how to properly use one's whole body starting from the ground up instead of just the arm will alleviate the tremendous strain, tension and abuse created within the arm and other body parts negatively effected  during the throwing movement which is originated by the brain sending messages to the mind  which in turn sends messages to the body which directs the body either negatively or positively.

THE BRAIN TRAINS THE MIND,"THE  MIND TRAINS THE BODY," "TRAIN THE BRAIN TO TRAIN THE MIND TO TRAIN THE BODY,"

Enough said

Don Ervin 

Kom_Ervin@yahoo.com     

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