Developing Speed #1 by Roger White

Now that it is the off-season and time to focus on building core strength, agility and conditioning, here is the first in a series of brief guest articles by Roger White on developing speed and acceleration for youth athletes.
Powerful Speed & Acceleration Exercise #1: Resisted Sprints
One of my favorite exercises for improving speed in athletes of [...]

Read Full Post »

MVP Resistance Bands for Baseball

April 9, 2009
Little League International is proud to announce a multi-year license agreement with the MVP Band – a resistance training device that strengthens a players arm. The unique neoprene wristband of the MVP Band sets it apart from all other resistance bands. The design forces the user to focus on building the muscles that [...]

Read Full Post »

The Batter’s Box #2: The Hit Chart

Here is a Hit Chart which is a gauge of probable results based on thousands of at-bats in similar situations. To be a successful batter you need to know your hitting zones: Your hot zone and your cold zone.
When a hitter is ahead in the count with less than two strikes, it leads to high batting averages. [...]

Read Full Post »

Base Running

Good base running is NOT just for fast runners. You don’t need to have great speed to be a good base runner. Good base running falls under the category of paying attention to the details and keeping your head in the game, which is why Running is one of the Five Tools of the Game. [...]

Read Full Post »

The Batter’s Box #1: Pitch Counts

THE PITCH COUNT
The pitch count should have a direct impact on each swing you take at the plate. Certain pitch counts favor the hitter and certain ones favor the pitcher. Just as the smart pitcher takes advantage of the times he is “ahead in the count,” the smart hitter understands when he has the advantage. [...]

Read Full Post »

Off-Season Training

Here is a basic core strength program I am using with my son at home…

Read Full Post »

Bullpen Session #1: Accuracy Drill

Here is the first installment of Bullpen Sessions, offering easy pitching drills, tips & techniques designed to help coaches and Baseball Dads assist in the development of youth baseball pitchers. 

ACCURACY DRILL
Youth pitchers first need to develop accuracy and location more than velocity.  One mental barrier young pitchers often need to overcome concerns a fear of hitting the batter. This fear [...]

Read Full Post »

Make the Call #2

Here’s the next installment of Make the Call, where you can test your baseball knowledge and decide how game situations should be handled. Answers to installment #1 are found at the bottom of this post.
1. There are runners on first and third, with one out. A line drive is hit to left and the left fielder makes [...]

Read Full Post »

Make the Call #1

Are you ready to be an Umpire? Make the Call is a regular opportunity to test your baseball knowlege based on real game situations. During breaks in practice I will throw one of these type questions out to the kids to exercise their minds and keep their heads in the game. Let’s take the field and play [...]

Read Full Post »

The Mental Aspect: Commitment

The Mental Aspect is key to being successful at baseball/softball and is all about FOCUS and COMMITMENT to The Game, yourself and your team.
Concentration helps avoid mental mistakes, which in turn prevents actual errors in play. Knowing how to be in the right spot at the right time is essential for anyone who hopes to [...]

Read Full Post »