3 Ideas To Run Effective Batting Practices
Running a fun, dynamic baseball practice can be hard todo! If you are not adequately prepared to keep the kids busy, you will likely look up and see kids standing around, getting bored, and not getting any better. This is especially true during practice in the batting cages. Often times, you may have only one or two lanes available to work 12 or more kids through in your time slot. That can lead to a lot of dead time for your players. Here are 3 ways to get your players more reps and keep them engaged during cage time.
Multiple tees in the same cage
If your lane is big enough, get multiple tees going at the same time. Make sure to properly distance the tees apart so that kids are not in danger of hitting other players. You can use the L screen to sub-divide the cage into two parts. When doing this, make sure your players are hitting the same direction if they are hitting into the side nets, or if hitting front to back, make sure they are hitting in opposite directions.
Set the tee up so that each player is working to hit the ball straight over the pitcher’s head up the middle. Get 15 reps and switch players. Do this so each player gets at least 2 rounds. Move quickly and keep the kids focused.
Short rounds vs long rounds
Once you start short tossing or throwing BP, limit rounds to12-15 swings per round to keep kids moving. Do you lose a little time when kids are shuffling in and out? Yes. But, the quicker rounds mean kids are hitting more often and can stay more focused. Also, kids tend to tire out as the round extends and that can lead to bad habits.
Give your players a specific goal
Batting practice is all about helping players repeat consistent movements over and over. Consider telling your players to only hit opposite field for the first five swings. Then, have them turn on balls for the next five swings. Give them something to achieve where they can get instant gratification from the results.
Create a contest
Have you ever noticed how much more your players get excited when you tell them you are keeping score? It doesn’t matter if it is ground balls, strikes thrown, or sunflower seeds eaten in the dugout. Kids love to compete! Don’t leave that out during cage work. Here are a few ideas you can use:
· Have the player step into the cage with an 0-0count and progress through an at-bat. You can then ‘judge’ whether their hits are outs, base hits, or even dingers. This also helps players learn situational hitting as opposed to just taking swings
· Divide the team into groups and count hard-hit balls for each group.
· Have players step in with a 1-2 count and tell them the winning run is on third base. Get that run in!
Whether you have 30 minutes or an hour, if you come prepared you can get your players a ton of quality reps during cage time. To stay team-focused, I like to keep individual instruction to a minimum while a player is hitting. If you can get your other coaches to pitch, use the time while that player is waiting to hit to talk to them and identify any issues. Then, let the player try to put those tips into action the next time in the cage.
Now let’s get going!
