Best Baseball Coaching Method - Stop, Look, & Check Batting Practices

Best Baseball Coaching Method Available to Coaches

A good way to coach youth baseball players is with this stop, look, and check baseball coaching method. This may seem to be a time consuming and tedious process, and it is, initially, but the benefits far outweigh the extra time, and kids learn much faster with this baseball coaching method. So often, what players think they are doing and what they are doing are different, and the only way they know if their batting fundamentals are correct is by stopping, looking, and checking what is going on.

One thing I have noticed with coaching youth baseball and softball over the years is kids' reluctance to look at their baseball positioning, as far as baseball skill work goes. I continually tell players, "Once you get set, take a quick look, it's OK," but most young ballplayers are reluctant to do so, no matter how many times I tell them to take at least a peek. Once they get in the batter's box to hit, even if it is off the batting tee, they act as if they cannot look and see the batting position they are in. Of course, when coaches do not employ this self checking method of having players take a second to look, coaches have to continually tell players the same things, season long.

Best baseball Coaching Method

Stop, Look and Check Baseball Coaching Method

First, coaches and players should understand that at no time of the year is the concept of quality over quantity more important than at the very start of preseason workouts. Paying little attention to the important details of the baseball skills from the beginning sets players efforts back from improving and preparing for the season ahead. Allowing players to start the season doing things incorrectly without any checks and balances is not good. Coaches have many players to keep an eye on and can only do so much, so high quality baseball practices are only possible if players learn to stop, look, and be sure they are performing things correctly.

Of course, players must have an idea of what correct hitting fundamentals involve, so coaches must help players understand a few of the most basic baseball fundamentals of hitting. Once coaches feel as though players have a grasp of the correct fundamentals, their first few practices of the year should be with a stop, look, and check philosophy.

Baseball Coaching Method - Hitting Checks and Balances

Once players are in their batting stances, no matter if it is off a batting tee, with flipped balls, or in regular batting practice, coaches have players look and check their feet and hand positioning to be sure their alignment of each is correct. Players should make sure they have a square batting stance; and that their hands are back at shoulder height, with the correct bat angle. Making sure that these basics of hitting are correct, before every swing, helps youth players learn the correct way quickly, along with learning the importance of little details.

Next, upon completion of the stride, players once again, stop, look, and make sure they have arrived at the correct hitting position. This checking is easy to do with batting tee and flip work. For batting practice, coaches can occasionally fake throwing the ball to give players time to take this look at their hitting position, post stride.

Then coaches should have players hold their baseball swing-finish position to, once again, stop, look, and check their hitting finish position.

This baseball coaching method provides the checks and balances that allow hitters to learn the basics, as well as to know when they are performing them correctly. Eventually, players ingrain the correct habits and learn to make self-adjustments, both a coach's dream come true. Finally, this stop, look, and check baseball coaching method is necessary and doable for throwing, fielding and pitching skill work, as well.

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