by Cannonball » Mon Dec 31, 2007 6:29 pm
Here is a little 3 station drill we like to do in our indoor practices. First, we have a lot of equipment and so if you don't, you might have to improvise.
Equipment:
3-4 dozen Incrediballs.
1 screen with a Jugs "strike-zone" on it.
1 lite flite machine with Jugs Lite-Flite baseballs. (A couple of dozen of these baseballs.)
1 bat or 1x2 5 ft long or...
cone
Stations:
1. The first station is a throwing station. A ball is set on the ground about 2 feet in front of a bat or the 1x2. The fielder is pretending to have fielded a ball. The step forward in the ready position with a ball in their glove, pause as if waiting for the pitcher to release the pitch, and then aggressively step forward act like they are catching the ball that is on the ground while at the same time stepping over the bat or 1x2 with the proper footwork and throwing into the Jugs "Strike-zone." A player is standing safely to the side of the screen with the strike zone and they retrieve the thrown ball. Then, they toss that ball to then next fielder coming into this line from station #3. The fielder that threw the ball now sprints up to the "safe position" next to the screen. The person that retrieved the ball and tossed to the fielder coming from Station #3 now sprints to catch the ball being tossed back to the coach hitting fungos at station #2.
2. This is a fielding station where the players field a hit ball. The coach is somewhat closer and so, this is a reaction drill. The caught ball is flipped or tossed back to the fielder coming from station 1 and the fielder (#2 station) sprints for station #3. After catching the ball tossed back and handing it to the coach, the incoming fielder assumes a position at the end of the fielding line.
3. Station #3 is a fly ball station. Players start from a position near a cone. They step forward as in a game and the feeder (Player with a ball by the machine) feeds the ball. Once a fielder catches a ball in this station, they first run to put the ball they've caught into the machine so that the next fielder can catch the ball. Then, the player that fed the machine sprints for fielding station #1 and catches a ball tossed to them by the ball retriever leaving the "safe position" at station #1.
I hope all of this makes sense. It's a good way to keep practice moving and the players love the drill. One coach can watch stations #1 and #3 while one coach can hit fungos. If you have more coaches, then more can actively take part.
Granny said sonny stick to your guns if you believe in something no matter what because it's better to be hated for who you are than to be loved for who you're not.
CoachB25 on other boards.