b) With a fastball grip, cock and snap your wrist to throw the ball straight upward. You may initially hold your forearm down with the other hand to ensure that only the wrist muscles are used, but eventually you must learn to do this drill by relaxing your forearm during the wrist snap, c) You may use any ball but a weighted softball, like a 1 pound cannonball which can be purchased on-line, is best. d) Work on increasing the height of the ball as it is thrown (ball speed) and work on controlling where it lands (ball control). The benefits of this drill are it helps increase ball speed with better wrist snap, improves control by practicing ball release and it corrects improper release. You should feel the ball roll off the ends of the fingers, feel the laces on the ball as it is released and you should relax your arm muscles as you flick your wrist. One knee throw Eliminates extra leg and body movement, concentrates on arm position. Proper over hand throwing technique, 4 steps. Balance Step towards target Glove out, throwing hand back with 90 degree elbow, ball away, lead foot pointing towards plate/player, weight on back leg Follow through arm across body back leg comes around lands in front of other foot. Proper Windmill pitching It is too young to practice proper windmill pitching technique. simple with no leg kick just up and around with feet on ground. Fielding Break up into stations with 3 or 4 kids per group Have 3 kids at each infield position with 4 coaches on infield, have one coach hit to each group and throw back to them. Rotate kids every ground ball and then rotate the position. Work in more challenging fielding. Hit to SS throw to 3rd. Hit to 2nd to 1st. First baseman to bag, big target. Double play ball 2nd to SS. Situational fielding (use extra kids as runners) Runner on 1st and 2nd Runner on 2nd Base loaded Cutoffs SS out for left and center field hits 2nd out for right field hits Fielding position Glove open, down on ground and alligator mouth. 2 forward towards batter on pitch Backing up, cover your base, Running Home to first Overrun the base into foul territory
b) With a fastball grip, cock and snap your wrist to throw the ball straight upward. You may initially hold your forearm down with the other hand to ensure that only the wrist muscles are used, but eventually you must learn to do this drill by relaxing your forearm during the wrist snap, c) You may use any ball but a weighted softball, like a 1 pound cannonball which can be purchased on-line, is best. d) Work on increasing the height of the ball as it is thrown (ball speed) and work on controlling where it lands (ball control). The benefits of this drill are it helps increase ball speed with better wrist snap, improves control by practicing ball release and it corrects improper release. You should feel the ball roll off the ends of the fingers, feel the laces on the ball as it is released and you should relax your arm muscles as you flick your wrist. One knee throw Eliminates extra leg and body movement, concentrates on arm position. Proper over hand throwing technique, 4 steps. Balance Step towards target Glove out, throwing hand back with 90 degree elbow, ball away, lead foot pointing towards plate/player, weight on back leg Follow through arm across body back leg comes around lands in front of other foot. Proper Windmill pitching It is too young to practice proper windmill pitching technique. simple with no leg kick just up and around with feet on ground. Fielding Break up into stations with 3 or 4 kids per group Have 3 kids at each infield position with 4 coaches on infield, have one coach hit to each group and throw back to them. Rotate kids every ground ball and then rotate the position. Work in more challenging fielding. Hit to SS throw to 3rd. Hit to 2nd to 1st. First baseman to bag, big target. Double play ball 2nd to SS. Situational fielding (use extra kids as runners) Runner on 1st and 2nd Runner on 2nd Base loaded Cutoffs SS out for left and center field hits 2nd out for right field hits Fielding position Glove open, down on ground and alligator mouth. 2 forward towards batter on pitch Backing up, cover your base, Running Home to first Overrun the base into foul territory
mrpgs_starletsguidelines.docx