Monday, July 13, 2009
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Friday, March 20, 2009
Catcher's - Blocking
Catchers Block All Breaking Pitches -
Catchers, make it a habit to block all breaking pitches in the dirt, even when there are no runners on base and even with less than 2 strikes. Keep in mind that your #1 job is to make your pitcher look good. Blocking pitches is very important and emphasizes your generalship of the game.
Here are some key points:
Make it your goal to block 100% of the balls in the dirt. This will increase your pitcher's confidence.
Your pitcher may want to throw a curve ball in the dirt to try to get a hitter to chase it and he knows you won't let it get past you.
Don’t show pain or disgust when your pitcher throws balls in the dirt.
You must practice blocking pitches often. Each pitcher's breaking pitch is a little different. Practice with every pitcher on your staff. Use your bullpen time for practicing blocking balls.
By blocking these pitches the entire game, you are ready and have confidence that you can do the job in the 9th inning with the game on the line.
Thanks to Rob McDonald for these tips. Rob is the head Coach at Murray State University
Catchers, make it a habit to block all breaking pitches in the dirt, even when there are no runners on base and even with less than 2 strikes. Keep in mind that your #1 job is to make your pitcher look good. Blocking pitches is very important and emphasizes your generalship of the game.
Here are some key points:
Make it your goal to block 100% of the balls in the dirt. This will increase your pitcher's confidence.
Your pitcher may want to throw a curve ball in the dirt to try to get a hitter to chase it and he knows you won't let it get past you.
Don’t show pain or disgust when your pitcher throws balls in the dirt.
You must practice blocking pitches often. Each pitcher's breaking pitch is a little different. Practice with every pitcher on your staff. Use your bullpen time for practicing blocking balls.
By blocking these pitches the entire game, you are ready and have confidence that you can do the job in the 9th inning with the game on the line.
Thanks to Rob McDonald for these tips. Rob is the head Coach at Murray State University
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
SPEED TRAINING FOR BASEBALL PLAYERS
The following article is from Jon Doyle's "Speed Traing For Baseball Players" web site.
Understanding Baseball Speed Training: Part 2
By Shawn Moody
Those spring days that I spoke about in Part I of this series are fast approaching. I can only assume (which you shouldn’t do) that the gloves are being oiled and that we’ve been swinging the stick in the cages and working out hard for our up-coming season.
In the last article, I had given you a starting point to speed training with various drills to assist in the development of your agility and first-step quickness.
Before diving into a sample program that I have used with athletes, let’s take a look back at a few of the points that I made last time, just to ensure we understand our goals.
First, you are not training for a track meet. If you run track that is fine, but in this case we are looking to improve our speed for the benefit of our sport. When you are waiting to steal a base or get that jump that is needed from the outfield to run and dive for that fly ball, you don’t have the luxury of getting into a perfect stance and waiting for the gun to fire.
Second, aerobic endurance work will do nothing to enhance speed. I don’t’ care how fast you run the mile, it doesn’t mean you can get from Point A to Point B fast. Take a look at the difference in body composition between a top marathon runner and a world-class sprinter.
Ok, with those two points hammered home let’s take a look at a sample workout that I have used with some of my athletes. This speed session is going to focus on the development of the 30 and 60-yard sprint work that is often incorporated into baseball camps.
Before I have my athletes or clients engage in any type of physical training I always prescribe some type of dynamic warm-up. This time is used to elevate the body’s core temperature and prepare the joints for the up-coming session.
Jon Doyle has an excellent product available on this site for this particular phase of the workout. I would highly suggest picking it up when you get the chance.
Baseball-Specific Warm-up
The Session:
This a sprinting rotational ladder that I have used with some of my athletes and I have varied the distances and the amount of the volume or total sprint work depending on their age and their current athletic level.
• Your rest periods will be 1 minute between each sprint.
• You will need 4 cones (or something just to mark off the appropriate distance)
• You will only be sprinting to either a 15, 30 or 60 yard marked distance.
Set your cones up giving yourself a starting point and then place one cone at 15 yards, one at 30 yards and the final cone at 60 yards.
• When sprinting 15 yards you will start from a push-up position lying flat on your
stomach.
• When sprinting 30 yards you will start from a lateral position (similar to stealing ‘
a base.)
• When sprinting 60 yards you will start from a normal two point athletic stance.
• You will complete all of the 15 yard sprints before moving onto the 30’s and so
on.
Bracket 1.
15 yard sprint = 5x (times)
30 yard sprint = 3x
60 yard sprint = 1x
Bracket 2.
15 yard sprint = 1x
30 yard sprint = 5x
60 yard sprint = 3x
Bracket 3.
15 yard sprint = 3x
30 yard sprint = 1x
60 yard sprint = 5x
After your final rest time, finish the workout session with a static stretch routine.
A couple of key points that I would like to make.
• First, when taking off from a push-up position make certain that you are looking
into the ground. If you are looking upward this causes the head to pull the rest
of the body up too fast during the acceleration phase of the sprint. 15 yards is
about acceleration!
• Second when running the 30-yard sprints alternate the lateral direction you are
facing.
• Third, when running the 60-yard sprint, RELAX! You won’t be fast if you are all
tensed up.
• And finally, don’t lie down between sprints. I actually prefer my athletes to walk
around or back to the starting point.
Once again this is just a sample of something that I use. It’s not the end all, but it works. Give it a shot and let me know how it works for you. I will outline a weekly program in the future. Until then remember keep having fun and work hard!
Also read: Understanding Baseball Speed Training: Part 1
and Understanding Baseball Speed Training: Part 3
About Shawn:
412.334.3810 | moody@libcom.com
Shawn is an independent performance coach. He is a certified Speed / Agility and Quickness Trainer through N.E.S.T.A. (National Endurance and Sports Trainers Association) and a Renegade Training certified coach. Shawn was a three sport athlete growing up in the Pittsburgh area. He was an all-conference defensive back in college and attended CFL/NFL tryouts. Shawn also competed as a powerlifter in the Pittsburgh's tri-state area. He brings out the best in all of his clients.
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Understanding Baseball Speed Training: Part 2
By Shawn Moody
Those spring days that I spoke about in Part I of this series are fast approaching. I can only assume (which you shouldn’t do) that the gloves are being oiled and that we’ve been swinging the stick in the cages and working out hard for our up-coming season.
In the last article, I had given you a starting point to speed training with various drills to assist in the development of your agility and first-step quickness.
Before diving into a sample program that I have used with athletes, let’s take a look back at a few of the points that I made last time, just to ensure we understand our goals.
First, you are not training for a track meet. If you run track that is fine, but in this case we are looking to improve our speed for the benefit of our sport. When you are waiting to steal a base or get that jump that is needed from the outfield to run and dive for that fly ball, you don’t have the luxury of getting into a perfect stance and waiting for the gun to fire.
Second, aerobic endurance work will do nothing to enhance speed. I don’t’ care how fast you run the mile, it doesn’t mean you can get from Point A to Point B fast. Take a look at the difference in body composition between a top marathon runner and a world-class sprinter.
Ok, with those two points hammered home let’s take a look at a sample workout that I have used with some of my athletes. This speed session is going to focus on the development of the 30 and 60-yard sprint work that is often incorporated into baseball camps.
Before I have my athletes or clients engage in any type of physical training I always prescribe some type of dynamic warm-up. This time is used to elevate the body’s core temperature and prepare the joints for the up-coming session.
Jon Doyle has an excellent product available on this site for this particular phase of the workout. I would highly suggest picking it up when you get the chance.
Baseball-Specific Warm-up
The Session:
This a sprinting rotational ladder that I have used with some of my athletes and I have varied the distances and the amount of the volume or total sprint work depending on their age and their current athletic level.
• Your rest periods will be 1 minute between each sprint.
• You will need 4 cones (or something just to mark off the appropriate distance)
• You will only be sprinting to either a 15, 30 or 60 yard marked distance.
Set your cones up giving yourself a starting point and then place one cone at 15 yards, one at 30 yards and the final cone at 60 yards.
• When sprinting 15 yards you will start from a push-up position lying flat on your
stomach.
• When sprinting 30 yards you will start from a lateral position (similar to stealing ‘
a base.)
• When sprinting 60 yards you will start from a normal two point athletic stance.
• You will complete all of the 15 yard sprints before moving onto the 30’s and so
on.
Bracket 1.
15 yard sprint = 5x (times)
30 yard sprint = 3x
60 yard sprint = 1x
Bracket 2.
15 yard sprint = 1x
30 yard sprint = 5x
60 yard sprint = 3x
Bracket 3.
15 yard sprint = 3x
30 yard sprint = 1x
60 yard sprint = 5x
After your final rest time, finish the workout session with a static stretch routine.
A couple of key points that I would like to make.
• First, when taking off from a push-up position make certain that you are looking
into the ground. If you are looking upward this causes the head to pull the rest
of the body up too fast during the acceleration phase of the sprint. 15 yards is
about acceleration!
• Second when running the 30-yard sprints alternate the lateral direction you are
facing.
• Third, when running the 60-yard sprint, RELAX! You won’t be fast if you are all
tensed up.
• And finally, don’t lie down between sprints. I actually prefer my athletes to walk
around or back to the starting point.
Once again this is just a sample of something that I use. It’s not the end all, but it works. Give it a shot and let me know how it works for you. I will outline a weekly program in the future. Until then remember keep having fun and work hard!
Also read: Understanding Baseball Speed Training: Part 1
and Understanding Baseball Speed Training: Part 3
About Shawn:
412.334.3810 | moody@libcom.com
Shawn is an independent performance coach. He is a certified Speed / Agility and Quickness Trainer through N.E.S.T.A. (National Endurance and Sports Trainers Association) and a Renegade Training certified coach. Shawn was a three sport athlete growing up in the Pittsburgh area. He was an all-conference defensive back in college and attended CFL/NFL tryouts. Shawn also competed as a powerlifter in the Pittsburgh's tri-state area. He brings out the best in all of his clients.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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