Drills | Catching | Gameplay | Hitting | Infield | Outfield | Throwing

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Ages 4-9

THREE KEYS TO THROWING

1) Direction

Teach Lateral Movement First

  • Shuffle
  • Cross Behind
  • Cross in Front

JUST PLAY!
Tight Rope Race

2) Hand Separation

Front Leg and Glove Move Together

  • Punch and Kick
  • High Five and Kick
  • Shuffle to Balance

HAND SEPARATION DRILLS: Teammate High Five, Teammate High Five with Ball, Relay Telephone, Stride with High Fives Tightrope

3) Release

Finishing Release Out Front

  • Reaching Out
  • Backspin
  • Throwing Hard

RELEASE DRILLS: Glove Snap, Glove Toss, Dodgeball Wrist Flip (on Your Back), Dodgeball Wrist Flip (to a Teammate)

PITCHING

1) Balance Point

BALANCE DRILLS: Balance, Hip Hinge, Repeated Separation

2) High Five and Kick

3) Front Elbow to Side

4) Release Down


Ages 10+

4 KEYS TO PITCHING

1) Balance

Most important part of pitching. Good balance promotes consistency and arm health.

  • Shoulders still at leg lift
  • Upright posture
  • Knee at hip height
  • Maintain throughout delivery

2) Hand Separation

Consistent hand separation creates good timing and a repeatable release point.

Timing and arm path:

  • Hands follow knee downward
  • Glove and foot out at the same time
  • Glove at target, shoulder height
  • Drive elbow back (byproduct is glove to chest)

3) Leg Drive

  • Hips moving forward at top of leg lift
  • Hip and glove lead body, stay tall and move downhill at a consistent angle (Hand Rail)
  • Long stride leading with heel
  • Land with foot flat
  • Push through front leg block

4) Follow Through

  • Chest forward towards target
  • Create the WHOOSH sound
  • Throwing shoulder finishes at target
  • Flat back
  • Ready to field your position

Pitching Mechanics (Individual Drills)

If a mirror or video is available, use it to help show the athlete how they are moving. We learn through visuals.

Arm Pit Drill

Coming soon.


Backside Leg Hop Drill

Backside Leg Hop Drill
Creating explosiveness while working on balance and direction.

Backpedal Turn and Burn Drill

Backpedal Turn and Burn Drill
Throw the ball hard while working on a strong front side and forward momentum and finish.

Balance Drill

Balance Drill
Core stability and balance during leg lift.

Bucket Ball Toss Drill

Place a bucket on its side, anywhere from 30-60 feet away, and have players work on trying to throw the ball into it.

JUST PLAY!
Last Man Standing (Players get 3 throws each. Make it in, you move on.)


Dodgeball Drills

This drill series helps teach kids how to keep their fingers and hand behind the ball when throwing and finishing through the fingers. Helps with release point and first steps to establishing 4-seam and 2-seam fastballs. In addition, learning to catch.

Dodgeball Wrist Flip (on Your Back)

Dodgeball Wrist Flip on Your Back Drill

Dodgeball Wrist Flip (to a Teammate)

Dodgeball Wrist Flip to a Teammate Drill

Glove Snap Drill

Glove Snap Drill

Glove Toss Drill

Glove Toss Drill

High Five Drills

High Five Telephone Drill

High Five Telephone Drill

High Five Teammate (No Ball) Drill

High Five Your Teammate (No Ball) Drill

High Five Your Teammate (with Ball) Drill

High Five Your Teammate (with Ball) Drill

Hip Hinge Drill

Hip Hinge Drill

Kneeling Barehanded Catch Drill


Leg Up Drill

Coming soon.


Push Forward Drill

Coming soon.


Repeated Separation Drill

Repeated Separation Drill
Slowing down hand separation and leg drive to feel the correct timing and direction for the glove and hand.

Shot Caller Drill

Using a catcher (or other targets), throwers “call their shot” identifying their target/location prior to throwing.

JUST PLAY!
PIG (Compete against a teammate in a game of PIG, but throwing.)


Shoulder Rotation Drill

Shoulder Rotation Drill
Focus on upper body only. Working on hand separation and arm patch.

Shuffle Hops Drill

Shuffle Hops Drill
Gaining momentum with your legs. Putting hand separation, direction, and finish together.

Stride Relay Drill

Coming soon.


T Drill

Coming soon.


Tee Target Drill

Place a ball on a tee and attempt to knock the ball off with your throw.

JUST PLAY!
Line up two teams. Set up two tees about 20 feet away from the two players at the front of each line. Each player alternates throwing. This is not a race. Whether you knock the ball off or miss, it’s now the other player’s turn. If you hit it, you move to the end of the line. The first team to make it through their entire line wins.


Traffic Lights Drill

Set up three hula hoops colored red, yellow, and green. Use these as external targets for the player to throw through.

JUST PLAY!
Red = 1 point, Yellow = 2 points, Green = 3 points. Play to 10.


Triangle (or Square) Group Catch Drill


Weight Transfer Drill

Weight Transfer Drill
Pushing through front foot. Feeling connection between leg drive and separation.

Wall Push Away Drill

Wall Push Away Drill
Emphasizes forward momentum during hand separation.