Square up to the thrower on double plays

Today’s video tip is for younger middle infielders who are just starting to learn how to turn a double play.  Older, more experienced middle infielders will need to make the play faster.  As a result, their fundamentals necessary to make the play are a little different and more advanced. The video makes it as basic […]

The double peek

There aren’t many non-negotiables in baseball.  Always hustling is one of them.  Respecting the game is another.  There is also one for middle infielders.  Here is the non-negotiable rule whenever there is a runner on first base… One every single pitch no matter how many outs there are, what the score is, or what inning […]

Teach the wall how to play baseball

If you ever took a psychology class you probably did a unit on learning and maybe another on memory.  I cover both in my AP Psych classes.     There are many concepts within both units that could help baseball players learn the game quicker but I’ll focus on just one – use as many […]

How to hit vs How to swing

With organized baseball the way it is today – AAU, baseball academies, private instructors, showcases, etc. – there are now tons of kids who can provide a thorough explanation of how to swing a bat.  Unfortunately, knowing how to swing is not the same as knowing how to hit. Knowing how to swing basically means […]

Assume the lead runner on a bunt play

Today’s video tip is for pitchers who would like to do a better job fielding bunts.  There are a bunch of little things that go into each type of bunt situation but if pitchers do the tip described in the video they will start with the proper mindset right from the beginning. Tomorrow’s post:  How to […]

Drop your shoulder at each base

My hometown Phillies have some players who can really run.  Ben Revere, Jimmy Rollins, and Domonic Brown all have “plus speed.”  But if you ask a scout who the best base runner is on the Phillies, every single one of them will say Chase Utley.  How can this be? Chase Utley has average speed for […]

Ankle weight drill for batters

Every hitter in baseball struggles with at least one mechanical thing during their career.  For some it may be consistently keeping their hands inside the ball.  For others it may be consistently staying on top of the ball.  For me it was lunging.  Over my entire career I struggled with keeping my body back and […]

Should a catcher angle his body when receiving?

The title of this post is a question I have received a couple times concerning catchers.  Today’s video tip is my answer. Tomorrow’s post:  Ankle weight drill for batters

Letting the ball get deep vs Hitting the ball out front

A friend and former teammate of mine is doing pretty well for himself in the instructional world of baseball.  His coaching experience (including USA baseball), his hitting clients (several major leaguers), his website, and now online radio show has grown more popular and I couldn’t be happier for him.  Kevin Wilson knows hitting and high […]

Glove on the hip for safety and control

There is no one way to play the game of baseball.  Every hitter is going to be unique in some way with regards to stance, hand position, etc.  The same thing goes for pitching.  Arm angles, grips, and overall deliveries will vary a bit from pitcher to pitcher. That being said, there are some “non-negotiables” […]

Angle for third basemen on bunts

Probably the toughest thing about being a third baseman is dealing with bunt plays.  When there is a runner on first and the batter bunts, it’s pretty simple.  You and the pitcher go for the ball if it is bunted to the third base side and whoever doesn’t field it runs to cover third base. […]

Load and stride to the inside of your feet

One of the basic principles of baseball is that it is played “from the ground up.”  By that I mean that if your feet are not in the right position at the right time, your chances of success in the game are pretty slim. Many hitters think (or at least their swings indicate that) hitting […]

Grab your shirt to check your hands

When working with hitters of all ages, one of the little problems that I end up tweaking a lot is where their hands are in their stance, especially after the stride.  When hitters stride, their hands need to be fairly close to their back shoulder in order to keep the hands inside the baseball during […]

The importance of using more wrist when throwing

In yesterday’s post, I linked to a very important article containing some warnings and advice from Dr. James Andrews with regards to youth injuries. Today’s video tip expands on this idea by explaining why using your wrist more when you throw is so important for safety and performance and how to improve in this area […]

A warning from Dr. Andrews

Throughout my coaching career I have strongly encouraged my players to NOT play baseball year-round.  Playing other sports makes a player a more well-rounded athlete, often makes them more well-rounded socially as well because they are interacting with other people, and it also gives their baseball muscles (especially arms!) and chance to recover. Repetitive motion […]

What does “palm up” mean when hitting?

There are so many cliches and slogans in the game of baseball that someone new to the sport, either as a fan or a coach, can often be overwhelmed and confused at what they hear.  I’ve written before that baseball coaches, instructors, and speakers often make the mistake of assuming their audience is on their […]

Video – Another option for catchers on throws to third base

The throw to third base for catchers is not an easy one when there is a right handed batter standing in the batter’s box.  To deal with this problem, catchers should NOT … Step in front of the the batter towards the mound and then make the throw to third base. Throw over the head […]

Rethinking ice therapy

My father was a public school health/PE teacher for 42 years.  Because of that, since I was little I can remember hearing about RICE.  RICE is an acronym for Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation.  If you twist an ankle you use RICE to help get you back on the playing field faster.   Or so […]

Video – Agility rings for baseball

I’ve always said that if you want to become a better baseball player then you have to focus on improving your footwork.  It doesn’t matter what part of the game you are talking about – hitting, pitching, fielding, base running, etc. – if your feet are not in the right place at the right time, […]

Tony Gwynn’s basics of hitting

I was very sad to hear of the passing of Tony Gwynn not too long ago.  Growing up in the game, he was one of my idols.  I watched him every chance I could get and tried to read everything he wrote and said about hitting.  I must have read George Will’s chapter on him […]

The importance of framing

Anyone who says a good receiver behind the plate is overrated has probably never had a good one.  I personally have thrown to many catchers in my day and believe me, a good receiver is worth his weight in gold.  That’s why a good receiver can hit under .250 and spend many years in the […]