I get dozens of requests for advice every month through this website, but since I am on the road and on the field teaching, I cannot possibly answer them all. I have, instead, put my basic handbook here.
The following are the most fundamental principles of baseball, as they should be and are practiced by players from youth leagues to the Major Leagues. This handbook is meant for the very young player and the first-time coach. There is much more to be learned than can possibly be included here, but knowing these things will help you get a good start.
OFF-SEASON CONDITIONING
Players up to age 12 shouldn't worry
about staying in shape, as (hopefully) their normal daily activities give
them plenty of exercise. There are exercises and drills that a player who
wants to improve coordination and skill can do, however concentrating on
physical conditioning is not necessary until about age 13. Many of today's
amateur coaches are pushing their young players to pump iron, but this
is, at the least, ILL-ADVISED, and can be DANGEROUS
for young players. Baseball players need to be lean, loose and flexible,
not muscle-bound. The greatest players of all time did NOT lift weights,
and the players whose careers last the longest are those who keep their
bodies
limber -- not bulked up. The players who
do too much weight training are the ones who suffer the most injuries.
Here, then, are a few basic exercises:
Stretching of arm and leg muscles and development of lower back muscles:
For
arms -- hang by hands from a bar for brief periods
For
legs -- stretch hamstrings; standing, bend one knee, extend other
leg back until straight, with toes on ground. Push down on bent knee
with body weight. Switch and repeat.
For
back -- sit-ups with knees bent and hands behind head, a few at a time.
Developing strong hands and wrists:
Repeated squeezing of soft rubber ball.
Wrist curls with light weights in hands.
Wringing towel or similar object.
For hand quickness -- play jacks, practice juggling two or more small balls.
PRE-SEASON CONDITIONING
As the season nears, it's important to begin
getting the body toughened up so that when actual practice begins you'll
be able to spend more time on skills and less time on conditioning. Don't
cut corners -- discipline yourself early and you'll find yourself in top
condition.
Running:
Sprints -- start at 90 feet (the distance from home to first on a
regulation field) and work up to 360 feet. Youth league players should
use distances proportionate to their fields. Each day, increase the
number of sprints.
Jogging -- a distance of approximately 300 yards is best as a warm-up
before doing sprints and as a cooling-down exercise after sprints .
Stretching:
Hamstrings -- as described above.
Achilles -- with both feet flat on the ground and legs straight, stand
about
three feet from a wall or backstop and push against it.
Back -- standing with feet spread wide apart, bend from the waist, touch
left hand to right foot and vice versa.
Arms and shoulders -- with arms straight out to the side, rotate them in
increasingly larger circles.
Throwing:
Start off with soft tosses at a short distance. Increase distance gradually
until throwing at your maximum distance. Don't flip the ball with your
wrist; use full shoulder and arm action even at short distances.
Always
try to be accurate with your throws and use your partner's glove as a
target. If you don't have someone to play catch with, use a target on a
wall or a "pitch-back." Be sure to warm up gradually, even after you
are in shape, as throwing hard before properly loosening your arm can
result in tightness or a sore arm.
PRACTICE
Much of the pre-season conditioning you do
you will also do once your practices and games begin. You should do your
stretching and warm-up throwing every day before practice and games in
order to avoid injury. Baseball requires not only determination and hard
work, but hours of practice to perfect the basics which will enable you
to become skillful, be a winner, and have fun. Here are some of these basic
practice procedures:
HITTING
There are a few basic things you must do
to become a good hitter:
Have
no fear -- in order to hit you must stay in the box at a distance
from
the plate from which
you can hit any pitch in the strike zone. If you fear the
ball you will "bail
out" or "step in the bucket," pulling your body and bat
away from the plate
and making it impossible to reach a strike.
Have
a balanced stance -- if you are not comfortable and relaxed in the box,
you will tighten
up, which will keep you from swinging quickly and smoothly.
Take a deep breath
and exhale as you get into the box to help you relax.
Keep your feet the
same distance apart as are your shoulders. The knee
closest to the catcher
should be slightly bent, and your weight shifted back
and off your heels.
Keep
your eye on the ball -- this is not just a cliche. Try to see
the ball while
it is still in the
pitcher's hand, and follow it all the way to the plate. Try to see
your bat hit the
ball. When you take a pitch, or don't swing, watch the ball all
the way into the
catcher's mitt.
Grip
the bat properly -- make sure you're not hitting "cross-handed." In other
words, if you are
a right-handed hitter (you stand on the left side of the plate)
your right hand
should be above your left. If you are a lefthanded hitter (you
stand on the right
side of the plate) your left hand should be above the right.
Grip
the bat loosely -- your fingers and hands should not tighten up on the
bat until you are
actually starting your swing. If you squeeze the bat while
awaiting the pitch,
you will tighten up your arms and shoulders and you
won't be as quick
with your swing.
Don't overswing -- if you are thinking only about hitting home runs, your
swing will be out
of control, and you will probably pull your head away and
take your eye off
the ball. The result - you'll strike out. Think only of making
sharp contact and
putting the ball into play.
Learn the strike zone -- although a few pitches which are just out of the
strike zone may
be hit for base hits, most of your safeties will come on
pitches which are
in YOUR strike zone. Every batter's strike zone is different.
LEARN YOUR STRIKE
ZONE. Be patient and swing at strikes only.
Be a good bunter -- an important skill, the bunt is very easy to execute.
Be
sure you are relaxed.
Grip the bat loosely. You may square around and face
the pitcher or leave
your feet in your batting stance. From either position, be
sure that when you
bring the bat around to the bunt position the barrel (top
end) of the bat
extends out over the front of the plate. If you have to reach
across for a pitch,
you'll know it's a ball because you have the plate
covered.
Keep your bottom
hand in the normal position, and rest the back of the
lower
part of the barrel on the bent (cupped) fingers
of your top hand.
Steady the
bat with your thumb. DO NOT curl your fingers
around the
bat, unless you'd
like a few of them smashed. Hold the bat away
from your
body and reach out
toward the pitcher. The bat should be at the
top of the
strike zone and
at a slight angle, with the handle
lower than the barrel. Sight
over the bat to
see the ball, and let the ball come
to and hit the bat. Don't
lunge at the ball,
but rather let the ball bounce off the bat.
With these few guidelines, some confidence, and a great deal of practice, anyone can improve at the plate. Carefully watch the great major league hitters and learn from them. Remember, though, that some hitters have unorthodox batting styles that don't work for most players. Don't try to do what someone else does unless it feels comfortable to you. Hit the way that enables you to do your best. You may look cool another way, but your teammates won't think it's so cool when you keep whiffing.
