Tips From the Dugout of Coach John Peter
 Coaching
Share with your players the importance of character, integrity, and class.
Whitey Herzog once said that he liked fast players because speed was the only thing in baseball that could be used both on offense and defense.
(Source: The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract)
Hitting
If you don't have a plan before each at-bat you will not have the success your talent deserves!
Pitchers are taught to get ahead in the count. Most do it with fastballs.
Prepare to rip this first pitch if it is in your happy zone!
Pitching
Assume that most everything you have heard about potential arm damage from young players throwing curveballs is true!
Then read the following article at Baseball Tips by the American Sports Medicine Institute:
How Many Pitches Should I Allow My Child To Throw?
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Baseball Bytes
Basic Hitting Fundamentals & Swing Mechanics
David Altopp, Lee University (TN)
Excerpts from the video Hitting Skills & Drills for Youth Baseball Players
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Where to Grip the Bat on the Handle
Think of the bat as being a lever. The shorter the lever, the greater the bat control, but the less power. When a hitter holds his bat on the end, he gets more power but less bat control. Obviously with a young hitter you want him to have more control. We are not interested in a young player worrying about his power, so have him choke up on the bat.
Position of the Bat
This is the one thing where you have a little bit of freedom, in terms of position of the bat. You can have a little slant back or up, whatever feels comfortable to the hitter. The one positioning of the bat you want to avoid is behind your head, because when he starts his swing notice how far away from the contact zone the bat has moved and you want the bat to get into the contact zone as quick as possible. And if he's taking the bat further away, then obviously it's a lot further to come into the hitting zone.
Hands Atop the Strike Zone
Where do you want to hold the bat? This is an important thing. I like to recommend that the hands are at the top of the strike zone. The reason for this is that a pitch above a batter's hands is going to be a ball and he should not swing at it. Obviously the pitch below his hands and above his knees is in the strike zone and he is going to want to swing at it. So his hands should be about even or at the top of the strike zone.
Keep Your Head Still
The head is an important part in hitting because you see with your eyes. You want to keep the head as still as possible because you have a projectile (the ball) coming at you and it's moving. If your head is moving and your eyes are moving it presents a problem. So it is very important that the hitter try to keep his head as still as possible and his eyes focused on the incoming ball.
The Trigger
The first move of the swing is called the trigger, which is a slight movement of the hands backwards. The way to think about this is you have to go back to go forward. You don't start the swing from a dead stop. In other words, the hitter is going to want to have some hand movement back to get the swing going. Again, to repeat, you have to go back to go forward, with quickness. The trigger is going to quicken the swing. Now a lot of different hitters have different triggers. Some have gone down and up; there are all kinds. What I personally recommend for young hitters is to take the trigger and basically go straight back with his hands.
The Stride
You don't want the weight to go forward during the stride. In fact, you don't want the stride to be very long. You stride, then hit. You don't have to stride to hit, but you stride and hit. It's sort of a timing mechanism, but you want to keep your weight back with very little movement of your head.
Hitting Skills & Drills for Youth Baseball Players by David Altopp
Basic hitting fundamentals, swing mechanics, bunting, and drills are packed into a comprehensive overview aimed at teaching youth baseball players the mechanics of sound hitting and bunting. Recommended for coaching players aged 7-14.
40 minutes, includes numerous drills for coaches
"David Altopp is a past president of the American Baseball Coaches Association. His double video collection, the Youth Video Coaching Combo, should be considered as a set to maximize their effectiveness. You'll use them year after year!"
- Coach JP |
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Featured Article
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Hitting With A Fungo Bat
Coach John Peter
The idea of a fungo bat is really quite simple. Coaches hit hundreds and indeed thousands of infield & outfield ground balls and fly balls. What sense would it make to hit with a heavier bat than you need?
A 30 ounce or perhaps a 31 ounce game bat has got to be more tiring, more difficult and less accurate than repeatedly hitting with a much lighter and quicker fungo bat! Hitting with a young kid's aluminum bat with one or two hands looks silly and is just plain wrong!
I designed our Coaches War Club to a more practical size and length than even the best Big Brand (and more expensive) fungo bat on the market. And frankly, I have not seen any fungo bat for less money that I would buy for any use other than firewood!
Our Coaches War Club is 33" long but weighs only 19 oz!
Additionally, it is so whippy that you can slice the air, cut the ball and do about any trick you would like to.it is that well balanced! But more importantly, you can ACCURATELY hit hundreds of balls in a practice and not be totally exhausted.
And what a pleasure it is to hit with wood.it's extremely easy to learn and hit, plus it should last you for many seasons!
If you coach infielders, you will want to check out our money saving combo offer that includes our fielder's pancake glove. This glove has a completely flat surface yet you wear it like any traditional glove. Players are forced to use two hands. It is an easy way to emphasize how important it is for players to move their feet to get to and behind hit or thrown balls!
Remember what I call infielders with slow hands and feet.OUTFIELDERS!
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Coach's Club Wood Fungo Bat - Baseball Tips exclusive
The #1 tool that every youth coach needs but doesn't have!
Our 33" 19 oz. fungo bat is specifically designed to hit a tossed ball for infield and outfield practice plus pre-game drills. It is light enough that coaches can hit hundreds of balls very accurately without getting tired!
Only $39.95
* Also available in Coaching Packages with our Pancake Glove and/or the Ultimate Infield DVD.
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Featured Products at Baseball Tips.com
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Order online in our secure shopping cart or call us toll free at 1-800-487-7432 (9-6 EST).
Dave Altopp Youth Video Coaching Combo - Save $9.95
Hitting, Pitching, & Fielding Drills and Fundamentals
 David Altopp provides a visual overview on how to teach and coach youth players ages 7-14.
Hitting Drills and Skills for Youth Players covers the mechanics of sound hitting and bunting, while Pitching Drills and Fielding Skills for Youth Players focuses exclusively on drills and demonstrations for pitchers, catchers, infielders, and outfielders.
Coach JP: You'll find yourself using this double video collection year after year!
Sports Net Catch Net - Only $109
Sets Up In Less Than 5 Minutes
Perfect for any age and can be used indoors or outside. It features a huge "semi-circle" hitting area, pitching target and ball catch with a heavy-duty nylon bottom that won't scratch floors.
Teams and players love it because it sets up and breaks down quickly, like one of those dome tents, and stores in its own nylon carry bag.
Hitters can hit into the Sports Net from their batting tee or use it as a soft toss station. Pitchers love it because it has a strike zone in the center of the net. Additionally, it is large enough so you won't have to worry about most bad throws.
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Baseball Quotes, Wit & Wisdom
This issue features quotes from the legendary Satchel Paige, who was the dominant pitcher of the Negro Leagues with the Pittsburgh Crawfords and Kansas City Monarchs. He started his career in 1924 in Mobile, AL and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown in 1971. In between, Paige became the oldest rookie in Major League history (and the American League's first African-American pitcher) when he took the mound for the Cleveland Indians in 1948 at the age of 42. Satchel even managed to pitch a game for Kansas City in 1965 at the age of 59, tossing three scoreless innings against the Red Sox.
There's no doubt that Satchel Paige was one of the most entertaining pitchers in baseball history. Here are a handful of his most memorable sayings:
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Age is a question of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter.
I ain't ever had a job, I just always played baseball.
If a man can beat you, walk him.
There never was a man on earth who pitched as much as me. But the more I pitched, the stronger my arm would get.
Ain't no man can avoid being born average, but there ain't no man got to be common.
Don't look back. Something might be gaining on you.
Work like you don't need the money. Love like you've never been hurt. Dance like nobody's watching.
Throw strikes. Home plate don't move.
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Baseball Tips Clearance Sales
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Model:
AZR95 |
Position:
IF, OF |
Price:
$69 |
Youth Glove - Perfect for ages 7 & 8
11" T-web, open back, deep pocket.
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Call 1-800-487-7432 to order
Quantity Available: 6
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Never used 2004 model, includes auto feeder.
$50 Savings
Call 1-800-487-7432 to order
Quantity Available: 1
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