When you're working with a youth baseball team, one of the best ways to improve pitching technique is to include drills that teach your pitcher to maximize power. These drills help players get into a rhythm with their delivery, increase their power and improve their stamina. Here are some popular drills that you can try with your team.
One drill that helps players understand the ball's flight path is called a teeball drill. Basically, you set up a batting tee and give your players three pitches in a row, three to the inside of the plate, three over the middle, and three to the outside. During this drill, players try to hit as many balls as possible, which helps them understand the motion of a baseball.
Another drill you can try is the triangle drill. This drill involves throwing balls between outfielders and infielders. This forces players to communicate effectively and makes them work harder. You can also practice coming through the ball by hitting a mixture of ground and fly balls. This will help them learn how to make different throws and get a better feel for how to field a ball.
Young pitchers should use a simple pitch grip while throwing. This helps improve their success rate and reduce the risk of injury. A simple grip is the best type of pitching grip for all levels of baseball. It increases the chance of a strike, which is essential for success in baseball. It's also important to make sure the pitcher is wearing proper attire to prevent heat exhaustion and cold weather.
Another drill that will help your young batters improve their hitting ability is the don't squish the bug drill. This drill helps them break bad habits and create power through the ball. For this drill, the coach rolls the ball at medium speed, and the players set up 10 feet apart.
Youth baseball coaches need to focus on teaching the proper technique to develop good players. There are many resources online and in person that can help coaches learn how to properly teach kids the game. The National Alliance for Youth Sports offers baseball training videos that focus on the fundamentals of pitching and hitting and help youth baseball coaches run more efficient practices.
In addition to throwing the ball hard, young pitchers should practice deception as well. Pitchers must be able to throw a curveball with a 0 and 2 count and make sure that the strike zone is in front of their feet when throwing it. This will help improve their accuracy and prevent errors.
The final three steps in pitching are very important. While you are working on these drills, remember that your eyes are never off the target.