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Dexter Baseball. Teaching the Proper Methods to the Young Hitter. About Me. Little League High School / Connie Mack (Saginaw, MI) University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, MI) Duluth Huskies (NWL) & Riverpoint Royals (NECBL). What will I speak about?. The Hitting Stance
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Dexter Baseball • Teaching the Proper Methods to the Young Hitter
About Me • Little League • High School / Connie Mack (Saginaw, MI) • University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, MI) • Duluth Huskies (NWL) & Riverpoint Royals (NECBL)
What will I speak about? • The Hitting Stance • The Breakdown of the Swing in 3 phases • A Kids Hitting Approach • How to teach successful Bunters • Drills
Before the Swing • The Stance • Feet to Head • Head to Feet • Checkpoints • Feet • Hips • Shoulders • Elbows • Hands • Head • The Grip
Before the Swing • The Stance • Feet to Head • Head to Feet • Checkpoints • Feet • Hips • Shoulders • Elbows • Hands • Head • The Grip
Relaxed with Hands up & Back Checkpoints Extended • Checkpoints • Shoulders • Head • Hands • Elbows 2 - If Player Does Not understand Load 1- If Player understands Load
Before the Swing Great Great • The Stance • Feet to Head • Head to Feet • Checkpoints • Feet • Hips • Shoulders • Elbows • Hands • Head • The Grip Bad
The Swing in 3 Phases 1st Phase: Pre - Launch Phase (Load) 2nd Phase: Swing Initiation to Contact 3rd Phase: Follow Through
1st Phase:Pre-Launch Phase • Teach Earlier than later • Timing - When pitcher shows Butt • RubberBand • 3 Drills • Skipping Rocks Across the pond • Front Bat Drill (off Tee) • Soft Toss at 45 Angle • Troubleshoot Relaxed & Ready Weight - 60/40 Walk Hands Back - Weight Back - 80/20 Loaded and ready to Launch
Troubleshooting Phase 1 • Keeping Hands Up and back • The Elbow down or up • Comfort
2nd PhaseSwing Initiation to Contact • Keywords to Teaching these Necessities to becoming a great hitter • Contact Point • PUNCHING “in the Gut” • Drill • Fence Drill • Troubleshoot Top Half - Contact Point - Uppercut Punch Bottom Half - Back Leg Shoe Laces to Pitcher - Firm Front Leg
Troubleshooting Phase 2 • Bat Drag/hips Flying Open • Squashing the Bug & Bat Drag
3rd PhaseFollow Through • Head movement causes eyes to move; hence making ball move up & down • Head Down • Both Hands on Bat / Release bottom hand AFTER contact • Drill • Bat Throw • Troubleshoot Back Shoulder *Note* Chin Front Shoulder *Note* Chin
Hitting Approach • Big Picture • Practice • Time to Learn Skills • Game • Time To Have fun • Mentality - “Go, Go, Go...recognize a Ball, NO” • Aggressive Swinger
Hitting Approach • Teaching Counts • Hitting Count vs. For the Team • Hitting FB Counts • 0-0, 1-0, 2-0, 3-0 • 2-1, 3-1 • For the Team • 0-2, 1-2, 2-2, 3-2 • Drill - Live Batting Pracitice / Machine • Confidence
How to teach Successful Bunters • Two ways to square around • Key Points • Move Up In Batters Box • Bat Angle Up • Use Knees to Flex Up and Down • Bat Cap point at 1st for Bunt down 3rd • Catch ball With Bat • Drill - BP w/ Tennis Balls (Use 4 markers to set aim)
Drills Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3 • 3 Drills • Skipping Rocks Across the pond • Front Shoulder Bat Drill (off Tee) • Soft Toss at 45 Angle • 1 Drill • Fence Drill • 1 Drill • Bat Throw
Mini Break OUT Sessions Soft Toss Advantages How To • Great way to learn new skills • great multi-player drill • Teach Kids the proper way, so you can teach technique to players • Teaches Load • Baseball is moving (vs Tee, Ball is not moving) • Front Toss (Flip) • Partner 4-5’ away at 45 to hitter • Present ball to hitter • As tossers arm goes back - Hitter loads • Firm Toss to Hitter • Can use any type of ball - baseball, whiffle or tennis
Troubleshooting & Other Drills Hand-Eye Coordination Balance Issue Overstriding • Items Needed -Broom Stick & Golf Ball Whiffle Balls • Drill • Throw Plastic Golf Balls to Hitter • Hitter hits Broom stick • Start with bottom hand • *Note -Broom stick handle • A player steps and swings falls off balance • Drill • Build up a 2’x4’ • Have player take practice swings • Soft toss Drill • During an aggressive swing • Drill • place a barrier 6” to 12” in front of the front foot • Continue hitting drill
Recap On the Swing • The Stance - Slightly Turned In or Open • Hips - Square • Head/Chin - On front Shoulder • Elbow relaxed/Up • Hands - Close to the Launching Position • 3 Phases • Pre-Launch (Load) - Rubberband Technique • Initiate Swing to Contact - Bottom Half / Top Half (uppercut punch) • Follow Through - Chin to back Shoulder
Resources • Web Resources • Better Ball Player • http://betterballplayer.wordpress.com/ • Quality Coaching Baseball • http://www.qcbaseball.com/ • Rob Ellis Article • http://baseballtips.com/lostsecrets.html • Book Resources • “Dare to hit .400” By Jake Boss • “The Mike Schmidt Hitting Study” By Mike Schmidt/Rob Ellis • “The Art of Hitting .300” By Charlie Lau
Final Thoughts • Coaching For the Right Reasons • Have a Plan • Be Creative But Simple • Make Drills Into A Competition/Game ie. Best out of 10 • Make It FUN • Head Down and watch the Ball • Practice Does Not Make Perfect - Perfect Practice Makes Perfect
Sites & References • Page 5 - Texas Baseball • http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://baseballanalysts.com/archives/russell_kyle_042407_400.bmp&imgrefurl=http://baseballanalysts.com/archives/2007/05/kyle_russell_co.php&usg=__TNAXx-s1cP57Sk54sqDYaE5ViPA=&h=286&w=400&sz=336&hl=en&start=15&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=zVuzcVuzPhoagM:&tbnh=89&tbnw=124&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dtexas%2Bbaseball%2Bryan%2Bruss%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26sa%3DN%26rls%3Den%26tbs%3Disch:1 • Page 6 - Texas Baseball & Ichiro & Pujols • http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://bp3.blogger.com/_Q0_PqUXv6Zw/Rs_BvKD2HtI/AAAAAAAAAGo/jTnNBVvU4y0/s400/371383_ichiro-stance-200x200.jpeg&imgrefurl=http://yuhinas.blogspot.com/2007_08_01_archive.html&usg=__ErN4X0m78KMKU773yA3K_wvcX5A=&h=280&w=280&sz=21&hl=en&start=12&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=f0NEunCL2D-STM:&tbnh=114&tbnw=114&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dichiro%2Bstance%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26sa%3DN%26rls%3Den%26tbs%3Disch:1 • Page 8 -David Eckstein & Pujols • http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://teamgauss.com/DavidEckstein.jpg&imgrefurl=http://teamgauss.com/&usg=__lKnSBi1XOZD_fvVOMqR-Aw3Qfww=&h=359&w=350&sz=37&hl=en&start=9&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=ih8R9MUzujfl7M:&tbnh=121&tbnw=118&prev=/images%3Fq%3Ddavid%2Beckstein%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26sa%3DN%26rls%3Den%26tbs%3Disch:1 • http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://z.about.com/d/baseball/1/0/R/B/-/-/followthrough2.jpg&imgrefurl=http://baseball.about.com/od/hitting/ss/basichitting_8.htm&usg=__hcE7qlYZjV_cZXJcqHyjVxieLF8=&h=276&w=400&sz=43&hl=en&start=1&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=aeAk_jaX4b6bNM:&tbnh=86&tbnw=124&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dalbert%2Bpujols%2Bfollow%2Bthrough%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26sa%3DN%26rls%3Den%26tbs%3Disch:1 • Page 9 - David Eckstein • http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://teamgauss.com/DavidEckstein.jpg&imgrefurl=http://teamgauss.com/&usg=__lKnSBi1XOZD_fvVOMqR-Aw3Qfww=&h=359&w=350&sz=37&hl=en&start=9&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=ih8R9MUzujfl7M:&tbnh=121&tbnw=118&prev=/images%3Fq%3Ddavid%2Beckstein%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26sa%3DN%26rls%3Den%26tbs%3Disch:1 • Page 10 - Ichiro • http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://teamgauss.com/DavidEckstein.jpg&imgrefurl=http://teamgauss.com/&usg=__lKnSBi1XOZD_fvVOMqR-Aw3Qfww=&h=359&w=350&sz=37&hl=en&start=9&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=ih8R9MUzujfl7M:&tbnh=121&tbnw=118&prev=/images%3Fq%3Ddavid%2Beckstein%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26sa%3DN%26rls%3Den%26tbs%3Disch:1