BASEBALL DRILL – Pick up Coach

SKILL LEVEL: All Levels

DRILL TYPE:  Baserunning 

PURPOSE: This drill is designed to teach the players to pick up the direction of the 1^st and 3^rd base coach. 

EQUIPMENT:  None

PLAYERS:  Any number of players

TIME: 10 minutes

SETUP PROCEDURE:

1. Set half you players behind a cone just outside 2^nd base.  Set the other players up behind a cone just to the left of home plate.
2. The first player in each line takes a position at either 2^nd base or in the batters box as they would during live play.
3. On a coaches command both players sprint to the next base and follows the direction of the coach.
4. The coach should randomly choose to either send the runner on to the next base or tell them to stop.
5. The coach can also tell the player going to 3^rd base if a slide is needed by telling them to get down or communicating “down, down, down”.

KEY COACHING POINTS:

• The theme with all our base running drills is to be aggressive.
• Make sure the player’s watch for your signal and doesn’t hesitate when either going to the next base or staying at the base they are running to.
• It’s a good idea to get the player in the habit of sliding into 3^rd base when they stop there.
• As a coach change things up so the player doesn’t know what is coming next.
• Coaches need to make sure they are loud and direct with what they are asking the player to do.
• Don’t let your players running to 3^rd base carry too much momentum into the base and cause them to be pulled off the base.  It’s much better to have the slide into 3^rd base unless you are sending them home.