Hitting their Bat Practice - Tip of the Day

Youth coaches must realize that they should not be pitching to young players standing up. From a stand up position, the ball drops a few feet. It is as if players were hitting a major league curve ball. The coach usually tries to hit players bats with the perfect lobbed ball. It's suppose to be the other way around, where the batters adjust to the ball. With a coach 6 foot tall throwing to a young player, the coach ends up trying to aim the ball just right so batters make contact. That pitching method tens to reward players with bad swings, not the ones with good, compact ones. For players under the age of ten, coaches should throw in one of three ways if they want to help players learn to hit.

1. On one knee puts them at a better height to throw the ball straight into hitters, necessary to reward good swings.
2. If standing, they should be close enough to throw balls underhanded, as in a bowling method.
3. Sitting in a chair is fine too, but that is usually best from behind a protective screen.