Baseball Skills & Training

A good off-season workout routine is crucial to hone your skills and prepare you for in-season play and performance. Proper form, consistency and attention to detail will keep you in optimum shape to help you endure long inning appearances when the season finally rolls back around.

Preventing injury should always be on the mind of the pitcher and coaching staff. Pitching is stressful to the arm and the human arm is not designed to withstand long periods of such tremendous stress.

The role of the catcher may be one of the most demanding of any baseball position, both physically and mentally. A quality catcher needs to know more than how to catch and throw the ball. He needs to be able to think on his feet and make split second decisions all game long.

A major part of any baseball team’s success depends on how well they communicate on the field without actually giving away what they’re saying. Most of this silent communication comes from the catcher. As the player behind the plate, the catcher has the unique ability to see the entire field.

Stealing bases is generally a planned strategy, with a few exceptions, of course. Once a runner has committed to the strategy, timing is of the essence. Run too soon and the pitcher may throw to the base rather than pitch to the batter. Run too late and odds are that the catcher will get the ball to the baseman for the out.

Pickle (also known as a Hotbox or Rundown) is a baseball situation, and popular kid’s game, that actually has nothing to do with food. Instead, “pickle” in this instance describes the difficult situation a baserunner may find themselves in when stranded between 2 bases while one of the infielders is in possession of the ball at one of those bases.

The curveball has gone by many names over the years: “the hammer,” “the deuce,” “Uncle Charlie,” just to name a few. Perhaps the reason for this is because the curveball is an important pitch for all pitchers to master, though it can be tricky.

The main goal of sliding is to allow a runner to make it to the base before being tagged out in the event of a close play (sometimes called a “bang-bang” play). Sliding makes you a more difficult target for the defender covering the base, who has to catch the throw and then try to tag you before you touch the base.

Baseball is an extremely repetitive sport and for this reason, overuse injuries are some of the most commonly seen injuries in the sport. In this article, we have broken down the main types of injuries when it comes to pitching, hitting, base running and catching.

Fielding grounders is probably one of the most basic maneuvers in baseball and softball but is often a hard concept to grasp for beginners. We’re not going to talk about the grounders that rip past you with no time to think or react.

When playing first base, it is very important that you are able to move and react quickly around the base, sometimes having to quickly adjust your feet depending on the accuracy of the throw you are catching.

Sacrifice bunts, or “sac” bunts, are exactly what they sound like. The batter is sacrificing themselves to advance runner(s) on base. If a batter successfully advances runners on an attempted sac bunt, they have done their job.

The success of any baseball or softball hitter starts with the proper batting stance. Batting stance is just the first of three phases in hitting. From your stance, you move into your load position, and then you decide whether or not to swing the bat before following through on either decision.

The outfield is generally not the most sought after position in Little League. Most balls hit by Little Leaguers are hit in the infield and, as a result, most young players want to pitch, catch or play a base. Putting your best players in the infield is logical since that is where the action is.

The bunt is the most selfless play in baseball and, if done correctly, can help your team “manufacture” a run. Bunting involves intentionally getting yourself out in order for a runner on base to advance. Here, we’ll explore the correct way to bunt, the various types of bunts, the right situation to bunt and the rules for bunting.