Pro Speed Baseball creates some very good content for a variety of baseball levels.  Here's a fantastic "4 Part Checklist"  video for young hitters.

This is a very simple and short video from Baseball Factory about the three most important elements of pitching for Little League kids.  We spend a lot of time at the YHS level preaching the importance of the "Power Position" and getting kids to "Gather" with their body over the pitching rubber.  We want our guys "Gathering before Going" with the lift-leg at 90-degrees or higher.  

This is a good starting point for young pitchers learning to pitch at the "Farm" or YLL "Minors" (10u) level.  Coach Birkby talks about the true basics that we teach in Yarmouth: Pitch from the stretch, get to a "Gather" position with the lift-knee above 90-degrees, stride straight (with the front foot perpendicular or slightly closed) towards the target, and then tuck-and-rotate.  

Here is a summary of the four-step Throwing Progression that we use at all levels of Yarmouth Baseball.  The goal is to create momentum and "torque" so that our kids learn to never throw "all arm."  We want them to use their shoulders, midsection, core, and lower body to generate power AND to keep their arms healthy.  Distance-wise, these four steps should be done at 20 foot intervals (20 feet, 40 feet, 60 feet, 80 feet) for Little Leaguers, and they should make 10-15 throws per step.

• Throwing Progression Link

This video is designed to teach the most basic elements of pitching to our Little Leaguers.  It highlights why and how we pitch from the stretch, "set" position, balance point, hand-break, and stride.  I hope this video helps players, coaches, and parents as we develop our young pitchers in a safe, healthy, effective, and successful way. I plan to add more pitching videos (with more specific instruction) in the near future.

• • Pitching Mechanics & Fundamentals Link

"Late Launch" is a goal for all pitchers.  By striding out, bending the lower back, and releasing the ball in front of the body a pitcher utilizes his entire arm and lower body.  This movement makes it possible to throw harder and reduce stress on the arm.

Declan Hickey has an excellent delivery with a great "Power Position" balance point and perfect hand-break.  If you pause it at 0:03, 0:15, or 0:27 you can see him bend and extend his release-point into the "Superman" or "Late Launch" position.

We do need Declan to stride straight with his land-foot, which will enable him to land in a more balanced position (and not "run off the mound") but that's an easy thing to adjust.  Declan...phenomenal job!

This motion starts with a high balance point ("Power Position") with the knee above 90-degrees.  If you pause it right before the :01 or :13 marks you'll see that the first thing that moves towards the plate is his front hip (which is very important to prevent "leaning" or leading with the upper body). He then strides out far enough (80-90% of his height) and starts to move to the plate by "Tucking and Pulling" his left elbow.  Admittedly, we've got to get him to release the ball more out in front of his body, but this is pretty solid delivery in terms of mechanics. 

This is a really good video that breaks down the catch-and-throw technique for Catchers throwing to 2B.  It covers receiving, the transfer, proper footwork, and separation.  It also goes into what NOT to do with footwork (3:00 mark) with is really important for young Catchers.

Jack Flanagan is doing a very simple - but effective - receiving drill here without a glove.  We are using a soft baseball (Farm League balls or tennis balls work well) so he can focus on catching the ball with a soft glove-side hand.  Jack is also focused on a proper set-up with his feet shoulder width apart and his glove-side foot (left) slightly ahead of his right foot so he can further extend his glove.  Additionally, he's "rolled his hips" back so he can properly lean forward in an athletic catching position.  This can be a really effective daily warm-up drill too.

This is normal Wiffle Ball with base-running.  If you have only 2v2 or 3v3, you can use "Ghost Runners" once the hitter reaches base.  The most important rule to "Mound Ball" is that the Pitcher Mound = 1B.  Therefore, if a ball is fielded and thrown to the pitcher on mound before the batter reaches 1B, he is out.  Or, if there's a force play at 2B, 3B, or Home, a player who touches the mound before the hitter reaches first, the lead runner is out.  This is a great way to play Wiffle Ball and limit some of the action around 1B (but yes, outs can still be made at any base).

It may be hard to motivate your guy(s) to just go pitch in the front yard, so let's make it more competitive.  The Pitching Game simply requires that the pitchers throw strikes, keep the count, and strikeout more hitters than they walk.  You can keep track of innings and even compete with a friend in-person or through competitive social media posts.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/Ao915kXWEAw3fiYH6

A Ghost Ball field can also be a simple Wiffle Ball field.  The key is to mow lines into your grass to make foul lines and base lines for your field.  You can also mow "target lines" for Ghost Ball, which is a game I'll explain in our next video.

If you're having trouble with the video, here's the link:

• https://photos.app.goo.gl/mFQCQZHoPFd8TTUj8

This video explains how to play Ghost Ball.  It's a great game for social distancing and it's a fun and creative way to get your son a lot of swings in a fun and unique competition.  Ghost Ball can be played with 2, 4, or even 6 people.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/yz2uiZW8uXKSCaov8

The 10 Swing Game is a hitting competition that can be played by any number of kids using Wiffle Balls or real bats and balls.  This is a fun game for little guys just learning to hit and play the game.  You can use a Ghost Ball field or make your own targets for single, doubles, triples, and homeruns at an actual field. For example, a single could be a ground-ball or fly-ball that gets to the infield dirt, a double could be a ball that lands in the outfield grass, and a triple could be a ball that reaches a certain target area in the outfield.  

https://photos.app.goo.gl/kkVZYnUcJUYTnAaJ8

This game was created during the Covid Summer of 2020. The "2v2v2 Modified Batting Practice Game" is a fast paced small-group game that incorporates almost all facets of baseball.  The rules are explained in the video and listed below.  Feel free to email me if you have questions.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1S_PwrDl_UwlmuPSzdYzKLCqXW18MTP40/view?usp=sharing