Excerpts from Gordie Gillespie's Baseball Drill Book

Excerpts

Gordie Gillespie's Baseball Drill Book - $24.95

Pitcher Mechanics Drill # 28: Distance Running Chapter 2, pg. 29 Purpose: To take away the “pain of pitching.” Pitchers often complain of aches and stiffness the day after a tough game. Long slow distance running can help alleviate the pain. Players and Equipment Needed: Yesterday’s pitchers and any area where distance running can be accomplished. Description: Run. It should preferably be done the day after a game. Two to three miles distance is ample. For some people running is a great psychological aid, so if a pitcher feels that distance running improves his psychological state and wants to run several miles daily, I would encourage him. Set a time limit according to the distance being run. Catcher Drill # 5: Blocks – No Hands Chapter 3, pg. 55 Purpose: To teach the catcher to block wild pitches with his body. Catcher must develop lateral quickness by working on his abductor and adductor thigh muscles as he slides to his right and left, never letting the ball get past him. The key is to try and get squarely behind the ball with the body angle towards home plate. The catcher is trying to funnel all balls back to home plate. Players and Equipment Needed: Two catchers in full gear without gloves, baseballs and home plate. Description: Receiving catcher gets behind the plate, tucks his hand behind his back, gets in his receiving stance and proceeds to block balls thrown into the dirt to his right and left, funneling balls back towards home plate. The other catcher throws from a distance of 25 feet from the plate and throws fairly hard one hoppers. The catcher is being taught to block without using his hands. He e should be taught to cushion the ball as he “catches” it with his body. Check the angle of the catcher’s body (chest). If it is parallel to the pitching rubber or if it angles towards first base on throws to his right, the ball will bounce too far away from him to keep the running from advancing. This is unnatural and takes practice to learn. Once he conceives of this idea, blocks will become easier. Take 15 throws and exchange. Take a total of 45 throws. Second Baseman Drill # 19: Throwing From The Release Point Chapter 3, pg. 85 Purpose: To teach the infielders and catchers the proper release point of the throwing motion. Do not let them throw under hand or side arm. This causes throwing errors. Field the ball and bring it into the load position with the same release point on every throw. Even on a run through fielding play we insist that the players raise their bodies and throw from their ears. I guarantee if you adopt this policy you will see a significant decrease in throwing errors. Players and Equipment Needed: Infielders, baseballs. Description: No matter what drill is being practiced, insist that the players involved always throw from the same release point. They have to work the body harder to get there, but they will! Again, coaches, you must approach this fundamental with the determination that it will be done “your way.” Offensive Drill # 5: Batting Tee Work Chapter 6, pg. 123 Purpose: To work on the mechanics of hitting a baseball at various locations using a batting tee. This is an excellent drill to isolate a particular pitch location and work on the necessary swing to produce the best results. Tee work, if done properly, is an excellent breakdown drill. It teaches the hitter proper bat angle to drive the ball to the opposite field, as well as location and bat angle to pull the high, inside corner, fastball. Players and Equipment Needed: This is a self drill or a partner drill, baseballs or, preferably, tennis balls and a net. Description: It is important to hit off the batting tee properly. Young players seldom are taught the correct fundamentals of hitting off a tee. A routine should be followed. Set the ball on the tee at the location desired. Each location requires a different bat angle when swinging the bat. When hitting the ball to the opposite field, the bat angle is a 45° angle from the foul line. The ball is hit off of the back hip. To pull a high and tight pitch, the bat angle is 75° to 80°, and the ball and bat make contact well in front of home plate. After the pitch location is established, the hitter should look out to an imaginary pitcher and his release point. He then proceeds to hit the ball. He must make sure his stride foot is on the ground well before contact is made. A common fault of tee hitting is to have the stride foot in the air as contact is made. If you wish to gain the benefits of tee work, you must work on “pitch location” for every swing and attack the ball with the proper swing for that location. This takes concentration and purpose. Very few hitters can hit to the opposite field with purpose. If they work off the tee plus use other similar drills, they can learn to hit the other way and increase their batting average by 30%  Return to Gordie Gillespie's Baseball Drill Book