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Developing Championship Catchers

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0

with Stacy Iveson,
University of Arizona Assistant Coach/Pitching Coach;
former Head Coach at Pima Community College and Yavapai College - winning four NJCAA National titles (two at each school);
2004 NJCAA Coach of the Year;
coached some of Arizona's most decorated pitchers and catchers, including: Becky Lemke, Jennie Finch, Nancy Evans, Carrie Dolan, Leah Braatz and Lindsey Collins

Your catcher is the most important person on the field. Avoiding a passed ball, catching a runner stealing a base, or framing a good pitch for a strike are all skills that require drilling catcher technique. Stacy Iveson explains the University of Arizona's philosophy to catching and then takes you inside a UA practice to demonstrate more than 15 drills focusing on leg strength, throwing, framing, and blocking used throughout the season.

There are three major phases of this video. The early part of the video focuses on ways to get warmed up and to improve foot speed and leg strength. The bulk of the video centers on the multitude of drills that can be used to help catchers become more natural and athletic within the game of softball. These 19 drills are sure to improve the strength, speed and consistency of all catchers. Finally, Iveson breaks down many of the situational activities that all catchers need to understand, including retrieving wild pitches or passed balls, tag plays at the plate, and more.

Attributes of a Great Catcher

In addition to the physical tools necessary to be a successful catcher, they must be a leader on the field and demonstrate great mental toughness. Iveson explains the mental and physical skills that all great catchers share. Not only must catchers frame pitches, but they may be called on to block pitches in the dirt, receive throws at the plate, field bunts, retrieve balls at the backstop, and throw out potential base stealers.

Drills

Learn many of the drills and skill development techniques used by the Arizona coaches to make catchers perform at a world-class level. Catchers are often overlooked in practices because of the specialized activities of the position. At Arizona, position-specific activities from other positions are incorporated into the catcher development plan:

  • Daily throwing with the outfielders to develop arm strength in a gradual way
  • Taking ground balls like infielders would to improve their ability to receive throws from the outfield.

Iveson offers 22 drills, plus a 5-step throwing progression, to help build the physical skills required to be a top-notch catcher. You'll see drills for:

  • Building leg strength and quickness needed to execute defensive throws and block errant pitches.
  • Working on arm speed, release time and arm strength - all critical to improving defense and giving the catcher a better chance to throw out runners.
  • Reinforcing position body and hands to properly "frame" a pitch to get more called strikes.
  • Improving throwing from one knee after a passed ball to make a good throw to home plate to get runner out and keep the pitcher in a safe position.
  • Blocking technique and practical training sets for passed balls that can be used on a daily basis.
  • Fielding short hops with both the backhand and forehand to practice receiving a less-than-perfect throw at the plate, which reduces passed balls and improves defense on plays at home plate.
  • And much more!

In the Mirror Drill, catchers must mimic each other's movements while blocking, working on reaction and quickness. Conditioning has never been as fun as when two catchers try to out-do the other while working their legs and core muscles. In less than 2 minutes, your catchers will have finished a grueling blocking series and have had fun competing with their partner.

Coach Iveson explains what it takes to be a great catcher, and gives you the drills to take your catchers to the next level!

43 minutes. 2017.


Developing Championship Pitchers

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0

with Stacy Iveson,
University of Arizona Assistant Coach/Pitching Coach;
former Head Coach at Pima Community College and Yavapai College - winning four NJCAA National titles (two at each school);
2004 NJCAA Coach of the Year;
coached some of Arizona's most decorated pitchers and catchers, including: Becky Lemke, Jennie Finch, Nancy Evans, Carrie Dolan, Leah Braatz and Lindsey Collins

Looking for a complete pitching program from one of the top programs in the nation? Stacy Iveson has developed several of the most dominant pitchers in college softball at the University of Arizona. In this video, she shows how to maximize the development and success of your pitching staff year-round. Discover concepts and practice plans that allow you to divide your pitching program into phases. You'll learn how to train to maximize your pitchers' development individually, and as part of a staff.

Seasonal Plans

Depending on whether you're in the off-season, preseason, or in-season, you'll want to prepare your pitchers differently. Iveson explains when and how you should work to improve your pitchers' strength, stamina and speed, and how to maintain those attributes throughout the season. Each skill required is covered in drill routines that can be incorporated into daily or 2-3 practices per week to work the pitching staff through the nine month cycle of off-season through in-season training.

Coach Iveson shares the Wildcat blueprint for the three-stage training of pitchers. Her coaching plan covers:

  • Off-season workouts focusing on building a base of physical and mental skills. Pitchers will build a rapport and communication with the catchers and rest of the defense. Pitchers are developed physically through strength training to build stamina and velocity.
  • Pre-season workouts to shift the focus to live situations. Pitchers are challenged with pre-determined counts and batters standing in to work on specific outcomes. You'll also see how scrimmages are used as an opportunity to practice in-game adjustments.
  • In-season training that centers on the involvement of the pitchers in the overall team defense. Pitching staffs are integrated into the fielding drills and are prepared for their roles in the weekly game plan.

Bullpens

See how to run a live bullpen session with Coach Iveson and several of Arizona's pitchers. Iveson opens the doors to two of her bullpen workouts, where each pitcher has a specific focus and works on a different drill. This session highlights drills for developing accuracy and improving velocity and stamina. PFP (Pitcher Fielding Practice) is showcased as the cornerstone for integrating your pitchers into the overall defense. Iveson also offers ideas about how to transfer the success attained in the bullpen onto the field during games.

Coach Iveson also explores philosophies behind managing the physical and mental aspects of pitchers. Pitching comes with a tremendous amount of physical and mental stress, so being able to help the pitcher and the team manage it is critical to the team's success.

Help prepare your pitchers to peak when it matters most by altering workouts based on what phase of the season you're in. Learn the approach and drills that have led to consistent success on the pitcher's mound at Arizona!

66 minutes. 2017.

Developing Championship Infielders

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0

featuring Mike Candrea,
University of Arizona Head Coach;
8x NCAA Champions, winningest coach in NCAA Division I Softball history (1500+ wins);
4x National Coach of the Year; named the Pac-12 Coach of the Century;
Distinguished member of the National Fastpitch Coaches Hall of Fame (1996);
2x US Olympic Softball Coach (Gold in '04, Silver in '08)

While all infielders must share certain fielding skills, each position requires a different skill set and mentality. Coach Candrea provides you with the essential background knowledge to make your infielders more efficient and more powerful.

Candrea dives into the intricacies of each position on the infield, while also addressing the basic fielding mechanics that all great infielders must master. You'll learn footwork, throwing techniques, base-covering tips, and other infield responsibilities to give your players the ultimate advantage.

Principles by Position

Most errors that occur in the game of softball happen in the infield. Coach Candrea provides an in-depth look for each infield position, by breaking down the necessary skills for third base, shortstop, second base, and first base. He provides specific tips to help each position player reach her full potential, covering:

  • Throwing - Warm up and types of throws.
  • Mentality - Fearless, athletic, creative.
  • Mechanics - Glove work and basic infield footwork.
  • Pop fly responsibilities.
  • Cut-off responsibilities.
  • Base coverage and tagging techniques.
  • Double play footwork.
  • Fielding bunts.
  • Pre-pitch preparation.

Throwing Techniques

Teaching throwing mechanics is step one to having elite players. Coach Candrea describes how athletes at each infield position should throw the ball to maximize their power, strength, and decision-making. He demonstrates the "thumb flick" to describe the action used by the hands to get into a strong throwing position.

Footwork and Fielding

Candrea discusses how to field the ball at each base, utilizing "rake throughs," "get arounds" and "short hops" to get the ball in your players' gloves effectively and efficiently. These techniques lead to a higher fielding percentage and result in fewer errors and more outs.

A fielding drill Candrea shares will teach your infielders to choose the good hop by having them count the number of hops as the ground ball is being hit to them. The drill helps your players:

  • Pick the short hop, not the long hop.
  • Open up on the long hop.
  • Make sure the glove is on the ground when the ball takes its last hop.
  • Field the ball out in front of their nose.

Candrea provides philosophy on what type of athlete should play each position, as well as how they should line up. Also included is the strategy on when to play up or back, as well as multiple ways to cover a bag when receiving throws from both the infield and outfield. These points are often overlooked by young or inexperienced coaches and they can be the difference between a win and a loss.

If you want to know the ins and outs of infield play that oftentimes get overlooked and under-coached, you need this video from Coach Candrea!

55 minutes. 2017.

Developing Championship Outfielders

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0

with Caitlin Lowe,
University of Arizona Assistant Coach;
member of the 2008 US Olympic Team (Silver Medal); 4x All-American (and only one of two players in Arizona history to be named 1st team All-America 4x at Arizona);
part of 2 NCAA Championship teams, winner of the adidas Golden Shoe Award (for the nation's best base-stealer);
Arizona's all time leader in stolen bases, 2nd all time in career batting average (.446), 4th in hits and triples and 7th in runs scored;
played for the USSSA Pride for 6 seasons, 3 National Pro Fastpitch titles, 2012 Player of The Year & USSSA Hall of Fame (2106)

Outfielders are often an overlooked aspect of the game, and this video allows you to see how a commitment to these players can help develop world-class technique and solid and repeatable performance of your athletes.

Caitlin Lowe takes you through the full slate of outfield training activities used at the University of Arizona. She offers 10 drills, plus a 4-step rolling progression and a 9-step throwing progression, to build an outfielder's physical skills. She also addresses the mentality and anticipation that separate good outfielders from great ones.

Characteristics and Philosophy

Learn the mentality every outfielder needs, as well as the pre-pitch preparation needed to be in the right position. Lowe explains five characteristics of a good outfielder, and also explains her philosophy on outfield play. Outfielders must have certain physical tools to be successful, but they also must embody several mental characteristics, like fearlessness. Learn to instill the fearlessness necessary for your outfielders to aggressively and intelligently make the routine and big plays.

Throwing Progression

One physical tool great outfielders must possess is a strong and accurate arm. The outfielders at Arizona demonstrate a 9-step throwing progression to help improve throwing mechanics, arm strength, and simulate some of the throws they may make during a game. Learn how to get rid of the ball quickly to get a force out, or run through a do-or-die and crow hop for more strength on a longer throw.

Drills

Coach Lowe begins with the outfielders gloveless and catching tennis balls, then incorporates a 4-step roll progression before hitting balls to the outfielders. She also introduces a drill series to practice robbing home runs over the fence. In one particular Fly Ball Ladder Work drill, the outfielders must use quick feet to step through an agility ladder, then sprint out and gather themselves as they round a cone and catch a fly ball. This helps teach outfielders to get behind the ball, which will help them avoid drifting and allow them to make a stronger and more accurate throw.

Great outfielders make the game look easy because of their pre-pitch preparation and anticipation skills - they always seem to be in the right spot at the right time.

From throwing out a runner rounding third and heading home to robbing a home run over the fence, Coach Lowe shows you the skills and drills that help great outfielders make difficult tasks look easy!

71 minutes. 2017

Developing Championship Hitting

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0

featuring Mike Candrea,
University of Arizona Head Coach;
8x NCAA Champions, winningest coach in NCAA Division I Softball history (1500+ wins);
4x National Coach of the Year; named the Pac-12 Coach of the Century;
Distinguished member of the National Fastpitch Coaches Hall of Fame (1996);
2x US Olympic Softball Coach (Gold in '04, Silver in '08)

If you want to be the best, study the best! Mike Candrea has been a successful hitting coach for more than three decades, and he shows you how he's done it in this video! Candrea opens up about his hitting philosophies, the mechanics of the swing and all of the required elements for hitters to develop, nine of his favorite drills that will help any hitter achieve a consistent and successful swing, and how his teachings have changed over the years.

Three Measures of the Swing

How do you know if a swing is successful? Coach Candrea begins by identifying three measures of the swing: force, the hitting zone, and efficiency.

  • Force has three factors and he explains how your "gears," bat speed, and square contact put together create the force needed to hit the ball well.
  • He demonstrates how a short hitting zone can occur and why it's important to get the bat to the correct position to have it in the hitting zone for the longest amount of time.
  • There's little time to swing the bat, so being efficient in your swing is critical. Candrea demonstrates a common error of "bat rap" and how to correct it.

Simplifying the swing by focusing on the major categories instead of the minute details increases confidence, which will increase consistency.

Candrea acknowledges that players have many different stances. He identifies three things to look for: an athletic stance, plate coverage, and a rhythm. He explains each of these areas and also shares what to look for in the front knee and how it should move back and in toward the pitch. He demonstrates what this looks like, and, what happens when it isn't done correctly.

Lower Body Mechanics

Candrea offers three drills to put the lower body in the correct position to drive the ball and how to get into the front side longer to hit off-speed pitches more effectively.

Upper Body Mechanics and Connection

Candrea offers three drills to help any batter release the bat head to and through contact. In one drill, he shows how to use a rubber mallet to train the correct hand path. The key to an effortless swing is connection, adding the forces from the lower body and upper body together at the right time. Candrea shares his favorite connection drill, as well as an independent hands drill.

The video concludes with Coach Candrea's 9 Absolutes of Hitting and 10 Characteristics of Successful Hitters; these represent decades of experience working with and developing some of softball's greatest hitters. These will help you to recognize natural talent, develop missing elements, and produce better hitters for your team!

This video is essential for anyone who is coaching softball at any level. Coach Candrea uses common terms while demonstrating what to look for as a coach and what to do as a player to be a successful hitter. Mike Candrea offers something for everyone!

60 minutes. 2017.

Mike Candrea's Championship Softball 6-Pack

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0
SD-05294A:

featuring Mike Candrea,
University of Arizona Head Coach;
8x NCAA Champions, winningest coach in NCAA Division I Softball history (1500+ wins);
4x National Coach of the Year; named the Pac-12 Coach of the Century;
Distinguished member of the National Fastpitch Coaches Hall of Fame (1996);
2x US Olympic Softball Coach (Gold in '04, Silver in '08)

If you want to be the best, study the best! Mike Candrea has been a successful hitting coach for more than three decades, and he shows you how he's done it in this video! Candrea opens up about his hitting philosophies, the mechanics of the swing and all of the required elements for hitters to develop, nine of his favorite drills that will help any hitter achieve a consistent and successful swing, and how his teachings have changed over the years.

Three Measures of the Swing

How do you know if a swing is successful? Coach Candrea begins by identifying three measures of the swing: force, the hitting zone, and efficiency.

  • Force has three factors and he explains how your "gears," bat speed, and square contact put together create the force needed to hit the ball well.
  • He demonstrates how a short hitting zone can occur and why it's important to get the bat to the correct position to have it in the hitting zone for the longest amount of time.
  • There's little time to swing the bat, so being efficient in your swing is critical. Candrea demonstrates a common error of "bat rap" and how to correct it.

Simplifying the swing by focusing on the major categories instead of the minute details increases confidence, which will increase consistency.

Candrea acknowledges that players have many different stances. He identifies three things to look for: an athletic stance, plate coverage, and a rhythm. He explains each of these areas and also shares what to look for in the front knee and how it should move back and in toward the pitch. He demonstrates what this looks like, and, what happens when it isn't done correctly.

Lower Body Mechanics

Candrea offers three drills to put the lower body in the correct position to drive the ball and how to get into the front side longer to hit off-speed pitches more effectively.

Upper Body Mechanics and Connection

Candrea offers three drills to help any batter release the bat head to and through contact. In one drill, he shows how to use a rubber mallet to train the correct hand path. The key to an effortless swing is connection, adding the forces from the lower body and upper body together at the right time. Candrea shares his favorite connection drill, as well as an independent hands drill.

The video concludes with Coach Candrea's 9 Absolutes of Hitting and 10 Characteristics of Successful Hitters; these represent decades of experience working with and developing some of softball's greatest hitters. These will help you to recognize natural talent, develop missing elements, and produce better hitters for your team!

This video is essential for anyone who is coaching softball at any level. Coach Candrea uses common terms while demonstrating what to look for as a coach and what to do as a player to be a successful hitter. Mike Candrea offers something for everyone!

60 minutes. 2017.



SD-05294B:

featuring Mike Candrea,
University of Arizona Head Coach;
8x NCAA Champions, winningest coach in NCAA Division I Softball history (1500+ wins);
4x National Coach of the Year; named the Pac-12 Coach of the Century;
Distinguished member of the National Fastpitch Coaches Hall of Fame (1996);
2x US Olympic Softball Coach (Gold in '04, Silver in '08)

While all infielders must share certain fielding skills, each position requires a different skill set and mentality. Coach Candrea provides you with the essential background knowledge to make your infielders more efficient and more powerful.

Candrea dives into the intricacies of each position on the infield, while also addressing the basic fielding mechanics that all great infielders must master. You'll learn footwork, throwing techniques, base-covering tips, and other infield responsibilities to give your players the ultimate advantage.

Principles by Position

Most errors that occur in the game of softball happen in the infield. Coach Candrea provides an in-depth look for each infield position, by breaking down the necessary skills for third base, shortstop, second base, and first base. He provides specific tips to help each position player reach her full potential, covering:

  • Throwing - Warm up and types of throws.
  • Mentality - Fearless, athletic, creative.
  • Mechanics - Glove work and basic infield footwork.
  • Pop fly responsibilities.
  • Cut-off responsibilities.
  • Base coverage and tagging techniques.
  • Double play footwork.
  • Fielding bunts.
  • Pre-pitch preparation.

Throwing Techniques

Teaching throwing mechanics is step one to having elite players. Coach Candrea describes how athletes at each infield position should throw the ball to maximize their power, strength, and decision-making. He demonstrates the "thumb flick" to describe the action used by the hands to get into a strong throwing position.

Footwork and Fielding

Candrea discusses how to field the ball at each base, utilizing "rake throughs," "get arounds" and "short hops" to get the ball in your players' gloves effectively and efficiently. These techniques lead to a higher fielding percentage and result in fewer errors and more outs.

A fielding drill Candrea shares will teach your infielders to choose the good hop by having them count the number of hops as the ground ball is being hit to them. The drill helps your players:

  • Pick the short hop, not the long hop.
  • Open up on the long hop.
  • Make sure the glove is on the ground when the ball takes its last hop.
  • Field the ball out in front of their nose.

Candrea provides philosophy on what type of athlete should play each position, as well as how they should line up. Also included is the strategy on when to play up or back, as well as multiple ways to cover a bag when receiving throws from both the infield and outfield. These points are often overlooked by young or inexperienced coaches and they can be the difference between a win and a loss.

If you want to know the ins and outs of infield play that oftentimes get overlooked and under-coached, you need this video from Coach Candrea!

55 minutes. 2017.



SD-05294C:

with Stacy Iveson,
University of Arizona Assistant Coach/Pitching Coach;
former Head Coach at Pima Community College and Yavapai College - winning four NJCAA National titles (two at each school);
2004 NJCAA Coach of the Year;
coached some of Arizona's most decorated pitchers and catchers, including: Becky Lemke, Jennie Finch, Nancy Evans, Carrie Dolan, Leah Braatz and Lindsey Collins

Looking for a complete pitching program from one of the top programs in the nation? Stacy Iveson has developed several of the most dominant pitchers in college softball at the University of Arizona. In this video, she shows how to maximize the development and success of your pitching staff year-round. Discover concepts and practice plans that allow you to divide your pitching program into phases. You'll learn how to train to maximize your pitchers' development individually, and as part of a staff.

Seasonal Plans

Depending on whether you're in the off-season, preseason, or in-season, you'll want to prepare your pitchers differently. Iveson explains when and how you should work to improve your pitchers' strength, stamina and speed, and how to maintain those attributes throughout the season. Each skill required is covered in drill routines that can be incorporated into daily or 2-3 practices per week to work the pitching staff through the nine month cycle of off-season through in-season training.

Coach Iveson shares the Wildcat blueprint for the three-stage training of pitchers. Her coaching plan covers:

  • Off-season workouts focusing on building a base of physical and mental skills. Pitchers will build a rapport and communication with the catchers and rest of the defense. Pitchers are developed physically through strength training to build stamina and velocity.
  • Pre-season workouts to shift the focus to live situations. Pitchers are challenged with pre-determined counts and batters standing in to work on specific outcomes. You'll also see how scrimmages are used as an opportunity to practice in-game adjustments.
  • In-season training that centers on the involvement of the pitchers in the overall team defense. Pitching staffs are integrated into the fielding drills and are prepared for their roles in the weekly game plan.

Bullpens

See how to run a live bullpen session with Coach Iveson and several of Arizona's pitchers. Iveson opens the doors to two of her bullpen workouts, where each pitcher has a specific focus and works on a different drill. This session highlights drills for developing accuracy and improving velocity and stamina. PFP (Pitcher Fielding Practice) is showcased as the cornerstone for integrating your pitchers into the overall defense. Iveson also offers ideas about how to transfer the success attained in the bullpen onto the field during games.

Coach Iveson also explores philosophies behind managing the physical and mental aspects of pitchers. Pitching comes with a tremendous amount of physical and mental stress, so being able to help the pitcher and the team manage it is critical to the team's success.

Help prepare your pitchers to peak when it matters most by altering workouts based on what phase of the season you're in. Learn the approach and drills that have led to consistent success on the pitcher's mound at Arizona!

66 minutes. 2017.



SD-05294D:

with Stacy Iveson,
University of Arizona Assistant Coach/Pitching Coach;
former Head Coach at Pima Community College and Yavapai College - winning four NJCAA National titles (two at each school);
2004 NJCAA Coach of the Year;
coached some of Arizona's most decorated pitchers and catchers, including: Becky Lemke, Jennie Finch, Nancy Evans, Carrie Dolan, Leah Braatz and Lindsey Collins

Your catcher is the most important person on the field. Avoiding a passed ball, catching a runner stealing a base, or framing a good pitch for a strike are all skills that require drilling catcher technique. Stacy Iveson explains the University of Arizona's philosophy to catching and then takes you inside a UA practice to demonstrate more than 15 drills focusing on leg strength, throwing, framing, and blocking used throughout the season.

There are three major phases of this video. The early part of the video focuses on ways to get warmed up and to improve foot speed and leg strength. The bulk of the video centers on the multitude of drills that can be used to help catchers become more natural and athletic within the game of softball. These 19 drills are sure to improve the strength, speed and consistency of all catchers. Finally, Iveson breaks down many of the situational activities that all catchers need to understand, including retrieving wild pitches or passed balls, tag plays at the plate, and more.

Attributes of a Great Catcher

In addition to the physical tools necessary to be a successful catcher, they must be a leader on the field and demonstrate great mental toughness. Iveson explains the mental and physical skills that all great catchers share. Not only must catchers frame pitches, but they may be called on to block pitches in the dirt, receive throws at the plate, field bunts, retrieve balls at the backstop, and throw out potential base stealers.

Drills

Learn many of the drills and skill development techniques used by the Arizona coaches to make catchers perform at a world-class level. Catchers are often overlooked in practices because of the specialized activities of the position. At Arizona, position-specific activities from other positions are incorporated into the catcher development plan:

  • Daily throwing with the outfielders to develop arm strength in a gradual way
  • Taking ground balls like infielders would to improve their ability to receive throws from the outfield.

Iveson offers 22 drills, plus a 5-step throwing progression, to help build the physical skills required to be a top-notch catcher. You'll see drills for:

  • Building leg strength and quickness needed to execute defensive throws and block errant pitches.
  • Working on arm speed, release time and arm strength - all critical to improving defense and giving the catcher a better chance to throw out runners.
  • Reinforcing position body and hands to properly "frame" a pitch to get more called strikes.
  • Improving throwing from one knee after a passed ball to make a good throw to home plate to get runner out and keep the pitcher in a safe position.
  • Blocking technique and practical training sets for passed balls that can be used on a daily basis.
  • Fielding short hops with both the backhand and forehand to practice receiving a less-than-perfect throw at the plate, which reduces passed balls and improves defense on plays at home plate.
  • And much more!

In the Mirror Drill, catchers must mimic each other's movements while blocking, working on reaction and quickness. Conditioning has never been as fun as when two catchers try to out-do the other while working their legs and core muscles. In less than 2 minutes, your catchers will have finished a grueling blocking series and have had fun competing with their partner.

Coach Iveson explains what it takes to be a great catcher, and gives you the drills to take your catchers to the next level!

43 minutes. 2017.



SD-05294E:

with Caitlin Lowe,
University of Arizona Assistant Coach;
member of the 2008 US Olympic Team (Silver Medal); 4x All-American (and only one of two players in Arizona history to be named 1st team All-America 4x at Arizona);
part of 2 NCAA Championship teams, winner of the adidas Golden Shoe Award (for the nation's best base-stealer);
Arizona's all time leader in stolen bases, 2nd all time in career batting average (.446), 4th in hits and triples and 7th in runs scored;
played for the USSSA Pride for 6 seasons, 3 National Pro Fastpitch titles, 2012 Player of The Year & USSSA Hall of Fame (2106)

Outfielders are often an overlooked aspect of the game, and this video allows you to see how a commitment to these players can help develop world-class technique and solid and repeatable performance of your athletes.

Caitlin Lowe takes you through the full slate of outfield training activities used at the University of Arizona. She offers 10 drills, plus a 4-step rolling progression and a 9-step throwing progression, to build an outfielder's physical skills. She also addresses the mentality and anticipation that separate good outfielders from great ones.

Characteristics and Philosophy

Learn the mentality every outfielder needs, as well as the pre-pitch preparation needed to be in the right position. Lowe explains five characteristics of a good outfielder, and also explains her philosophy on outfield play. Outfielders must have certain physical tools to be successful, but they also must embody several mental characteristics, like fearlessness. Learn to instill the fearlessness necessary for your outfielders to aggressively and intelligently make the routine and big plays.

Throwing Progression

One physical tool great outfielders must possess is a strong and accurate arm. The outfielders at Arizona demonstrate a 9-step throwing progression to help improve throwing mechanics, arm strength, and simulate some of the throws they may make during a game. Learn how to get rid of the ball quickly to get a force out, or run through a do-or-die and crow hop for more strength on a longer throw.

Drills

Coach Lowe begins with the outfielders gloveless and catching tennis balls, then incorporates a 4-step roll progression before hitting balls to the outfielders. She also introduces a drill series to practice robbing home runs over the fence. In one particular Fly Ball Ladder Work drill, the outfielders must use quick feet to step through an agility ladder, then sprint out and gather themselves as they round a cone and catch a fly ball. This helps teach outfielders to get behind the ball, which will help them avoid drifting and allow them to make a stronger and more accurate throw.

Great outfielders make the game look easy because of their pre-pitch preparation and anticipation skills - they always seem to be in the right spot at the right time.

From throwing out a runner rounding third and heading home to robbing a home run over the fence, Coach Lowe shows you the skills and drills that help great outfielders make difficult tasks look easy!

71 minutes. 2017



SD-05294F:

with Caitlin Lowe,
University of Arizona Assistant Coach;
member of the 2008 US Olympic Team (Silver Medal); 4x All-American (and only one of two players in Arizona history to be named 1st team All-America 4x at Arizona);
part of 2 NCAA Championship teams, winner of the adidas Golden Shoe Award (for the nation's best base-stealer);
Arizona's all time leader in stolen bases, 2nd all time in career batting average (.446), 4th in hits and triples and 7th in runs scored;
played for the USSSA Pride for 6 seasons, 3 National Pro Fastpitch titles, 2012 Player of The Year & USSSA Hall of Fame (2106)

Over the years, one thing the University of Arizona has been known for its speed. Former Wildcat great-turned-coach, Caitlin Lowe, shows us the mentality and skills that helped make her one of the best ever.

Lowe shows you what to look for at each base for base running, and then dives into slapping mechanics, types, and strategy.

Slapping Mechanics

Knowing where to stand in the box and having good footwork is important to minimize time to first base after hitting the ball. Coach Lowe shows you the footwork that will keep you on-line, but allow you to move quickly out of the batter's box. Learn the bat path and contact point that will keep your bat in the zone as long as possible to increase the chance of making contact with the pitch. Lowe also offers advice for how to get to first base faster - every slapper's ultimate goal!

Types of Slaps

Give your slappers the tools they need to make the defense wrong and improve your chances of getting on base. Lowe discusses and demonstrates the different "weapons" a slapper can utilize during an at-bat. The drag bunt, soft slap, chop slap and hard slap are all discussed, demonstrated and taught.

Lowe also shares what to look for in the defense to know when to use each type of slap. She also covers situational slapping and how you can use each type of slap strategically depending on where runners are on base

Base Running

Proper base running techniques are often overlooked and under-practiced. Smart, aggressive base runners are a commodity, and win you more games. Lowe shows how you can incorporate base running practice into your batting practice to get more done in a shorter amount of time

Base by base, Lowe shows you how to anticipate and react to the situation. As demonstrated by the Wildcat players, runners start at first base and react to the batted balls. Learn when to be aggressive and when to be a little more conservative at second base, and how to be aggressive with a down angle at third base, as well as the philosophy behind what type of leads to take at each base.

Use Coach Lowe's tactics to turn your offense into a nightmare on the base paths for the opposing team!

44 minutes. 2017



Putting Pressure on the Defense: Slap Hitting & Base Running

0
0

with Caitlin Lowe,
University of Arizona Assistant Coach;
member of the 2008 US Olympic Team (Silver Medal); 4x All-American (and only one of two players in Arizona history to be named 1st team All-America 4x at Arizona);
part of 2 NCAA Championship teams, winner of the adidas Golden Shoe Award (for the nation's best base-stealer);
Arizona's all time leader in stolen bases, 2nd all time in career batting average (.446), 4th in hits and triples and 7th in runs scored;
played for the USSSA Pride for 6 seasons, 3 National Pro Fastpitch titles, 2012 Player of The Year & USSSA Hall of Fame (2106)

Over the years, one thing the University of Arizona has been known for its speed. Former Wildcat great-turned-coach, Caitlin Lowe, shows us the mentality and skills that helped make her one of the best ever.

Lowe shows you what to look for at each base for base running, and then dives into slapping mechanics, types, and strategy.

Slapping Mechanics

Knowing where to stand in the box and having good footwork is important to minimize time to first base after hitting the ball. Coach Lowe shows you the footwork that will keep you on-line, but allow you to move quickly out of the batter's box. Learn the bat path and contact point that will keep your bat in the zone as long as possible to increase the chance of making contact with the pitch. Lowe also offers advice for how to get to first base faster - every slapper's ultimate goal!

Types of Slaps

Give your slappers the tools they need to make the defense wrong and improve your chances of getting on base. Lowe discusses and demonstrates the different "weapons" a slapper can utilize during an at-bat. The drag bunt, soft slap, chop slap and hard slap are all discussed, demonstrated and taught.

Lowe also shares what to look for in the defense to know when to use each type of slap. She also covers situational slapping and how you can use each type of slap strategically depending on where runners are on base

Base Running

Proper base running techniques are often overlooked and under-practiced. Smart, aggressive base runners are a commodity, and win you more games. Lowe shows how you can incorporate base running practice into your batting practice to get more done in a shorter amount of time

Base by base, Lowe shows you how to anticipate and react to the situation. As demonstrated by the Wildcat players, runners start at first base and react to the batted balls. Learn when to be aggressive and when to be a little more conservative at second base, and how to be aggressive with a down angle at third base, as well as the philosophy behind what type of leads to take at each base.

Use Coach Lowe's tactics to turn your offense into a nightmare on the base paths for the opposing team!

44 minutes. 2017

Fundamentals and Techniques for Record Breaking Middle & Corner Infield Play

0
0

with Megan Smith,
University of Kansas Head Coach;
six straight seasons of 30+ wins (2011-16);
Over 300 wins all time; former LSU Assistant Coach

The skills required to play the various infield positions are unique to each position. In order to be an effective infield coach, one must understand the diverse needs for each position.

Megan Smith offers 27 drills to build fundamentally sound infielders, position-by-position, by breaking down their technique and building correct mechanics using proven drills.

Her instruction covers:

  • Ready position
  • Fielding position
  • Throwing position
  • Drop step and angles to balls hit to the forehand and backhand
  • Bunt fielding and throwing
  • Double play feeds and footwork for middle infielders

Coach Smith even has a short segment on how to throw on the run. This is a fully comprehensive video on the basic fundamentals for infield play!

Drop Steps

The drop step is used on both forehands and backhands, so a good drop step is very important to help fielders increase their range. Smith explains the technique of a drop step and offers four drills to practice it. Get your players' feet moving faster and more efficiently and you will find them getting to more ground balls deep in the hole or up the middle!

Corner Fielding

Corner infielders have diverse job descriptions, as they must field ground balls like other infielders and also have bunt responsibilities. First basemen must also be able to pick a ball thrown in the dirt. Smith covers the techniques involved for each position and offers nine drills for these skills. In one drill called Hot Dog, players practice staying low and having their feet beat their hands by fielding a rolled ball behind their backs and between their legs.

Double Plays

Making two outs off of one batted ball can bail a defense, and your pitcher, out of a jam. Smith goes over feeds and footwork for both middle infield positions to help decrease the amount of time it takes to make the play and increase the chance of getting two outs. She then teaches the art of multiple "feeds" and the different footwork needed to turn a double play at second base. These tips save time and create more outs. In all, you'll get 12 drills Smith uses with her middles to practice initiating and turning the double play.

Let Coach Smith help you develop fundamentally sound infielders that will shatter records with their consistency!

63 minutes. 2018.


Throwing and Catching: An Everyday Throwing Program that Works

0
0

with Megan Smith,
University of Kansas Head Coach;
six straight seasons of 30+ wins (2011-16);
Over 300 wins all time; former LSU Assistant Coach

Throwing and catching are fundamental building blocks in the game of softball. Unfortunately, they are also some of the most overlooked and under-taught skills in the game. Megan Smith gives you a comprehensive look at throwing and receiving techniques, sequencing, and progressions that can easily be integrated into the practice setting. This will allow your players to understand efficient movement patterns from a variety of receiving positions and also learn transitions that can be easily repeated to help create accurate throw and get outs.

Throwing Mechanics and Drills

Coach Smith takes you step-by-step through a throwing progression that will not only allow your players to loosen up their arms, but will help create a fundamentally sound throwing pattern. Using Smith's towel whips training, players use a towel to create and improve whip, resulting in more wrist snap and better throws. She also explains a throwing progression for use during warm-ups. Start by isolating the upper body, and then progressively add in the legs and work to achieve proper throwing footwork. Coach Smith helps you build your throwers from the ground up.

Receiving Mechanics and Drills

Smith first breaks down receiving and transfer techniques. Receiving is incorporated with throwing just as it occurs during a game, making it extremely transferable. These techniques are then synced up with footwork to help the viewer understand sequencing of footwork and glove work to throw the ball accurately. Players also learn how to deal with bad throws, which is when most errors occur and games are lost.

Coach Smith introduces seven kinds of footwork that receivers must use during the throwing progression, and explains when the receiver should use each. These receiving footwork drills will allow your receivers to practice every kind of reception they could possibly need to make during a game.

Special Throws and Drills

In addition to regular throwing, Smith teaches how to transition from fielding a ball to throwing using her ball-in-glove series of drills. She provides drills for infielders and outfielders to work on the movements necessary to take a ball from the fielding position to throwing position. She also covers different types of throws, like relays and off-balance throws, which may pop up at a critical moment in the game and force your throwers to make a highlight-reel worthy play.

Additionally, Smith shows how your throwers can safely strengthen their arms using long toss and weighted balls.

The most valuable part of this video is that all these concepts can be incorporated into the throwing routine that you are already doing. Coach Smith explains how to make throwing more than just a part of warm-ups and how to make it a component of practice in and of itself!

54 minutes. 2018.

Record-Breaking Infield Defense

0
0

with Megan Smith,
University of Kansas Head Coach;
six straight seasons of 30+ wins (2011-16);
Over 300 wins all time; former LSU Assistant Coach

In this video, Megan Smith brings you drills that she has used over the years to improve her team's fielding. Smith will help keep your practices engaging with 17 innovative drills designed to improve footwork, turns, throws, and fielding position.

Footwork Drills

A player must move her feet to get into position. Learn how to help your infielders get into great fielding position with four footwork drills. Smith instructs how to practice quick feet and rhythm, which will help your infielders on routine ground balls and balls that they have to range to the sides to field.

Glovework Drills

Get your players' hands faster and more efficient with five drills. These drills are designed so that every player involved is working on some part of the game. For example, the Triangle Drill uses three players fielding, turning, and throwing to help improve on infield throws. In one fun drill, Light-Flight Pepper (a spin-off of the classic Pepper drill), the infielders play Pepper using light flight balls. This allows the hitter to pepper the ball harder without fear of injuring a fielder, and allows the infielders to work at a closer distance to improve their glove reaction.

Fungo Drills

Put it all together with eight fungo drills that will keep your infielders challenged. Smith offers several drills to improve fielding fundamentals, and drills that will challenge your fielders to make web-gem plays.

Let Coach Smith show you how to develop fundamentally sound, record-breaking infielders without sacrificing fun!

42 minutes. 2018.

Open Practice: Blueprint for Up-Tempo Team Practices

0
0

with Megan Smith,
University of Kansas Head Coach;
six straight seasons of 30+ wins (2011-16);
Over 300 wins all time; former LSU Assistant Coach

Running an effective team practice with a large roster can be complicated. It is often difficult to find engaging and efficient team drills that will challenge each player.

In this practice, you will witness exactly how Megan Smith works her team through various situations and gets all players prepared for upcoming games. Instead of players standing around and getting little out of the time, Smith does a terrific job of keeping things fast-paced and up-tempo.

On display are eight full team drills and a batting practice rotation that will help make your practices more engaging and efficient.

Team Defense

Get your whole team involved with full field long toss. Practice important throwing and receiving skills with your full team in a fast-paced, challenging environment. The expectation of proper technique for throwing, catching and making tags is on full display and is crisply executed.

Smith shares a pregame defensive sequence where you can get your outfielders and infielders several reps in only five minutes, which is ideal for pregame, where you are often limited on time. You will see the fundamentals that all coaches emphasize and hear the specific coaching points that Smith shares to make all players perform at their best.

Coach Smith also introduces communication drills that will help assure that no fly ball goes uncaught because of poor communication.

Defending the Running Game

Shutting down an opponent's running game can be a critical component of team success. Make sure your catchers and infielders get practice reps working on pick-off plays and steals to ensure a well-rounded defensive practice. Smith will also help you simplify first and third defensive plays, which are commonly chaotic situations that cause the team on defense to make mistakes.

Batting Practice

Smith shows you how to run an efficient batting practice where all players are involved and productive. Her three-group batting practice rotation allows your hitters to get live reps off a pitcher, your base runners to get live reads off of batted balls, and your defense to get game-like reps. Get more accomplished in less time!

Coach Smith shows you how to get more out of your players by getting more out of practice in this fantastic video!

58 minutes. 2018.

Practice Planning Series

0
0
SD-05316A:

with Megan Smith,
University of Kansas Head Coach;
six straight seasons of 30+ wins (2011-16);
Over 300 wins all time; former LSU Assistant Coach

In this video, Megan Smith brings you drills that she has used over the years to improve her team's fielding. Smith will help keep your practices engaging with 17 innovative drills designed to improve footwork, turns, throws, and fielding position.

Footwork Drills

A player must move her feet to get into position. Learn how to help your infielders get into great fielding position with four footwork drills. Smith instructs how to practice quick feet and rhythm, which will help your infielders on routine ground balls and balls that they have to range to the sides to field.

Glovework Drills

Get your players' hands faster and more efficient with five drills. These drills are designed so that every player involved is working on some part of the game. For example, the Triangle Drill uses three players fielding, turning, and throwing to help improve on infield throws. In one fun drill, Light-Flight Pepper (a spin-off of the classic Pepper drill), the infielders play Pepper using light flight balls. This allows the hitter to pepper the ball harder without fear of injuring a fielder, and allows the infielders to work at a closer distance to improve their glove reaction.

Fungo Drills

Put it all together with eight fungo drills that will keep your infielders challenged. Smith offers several drills to improve fielding fundamentals, and drills that will challenge your fielders to make web-gem plays.

Let Coach Smith show you how to develop fundamentally sound, record-breaking infielders without sacrificing fun!

42 minutes. 2018.



SD-05316B:

with Megan Smith,
University of Kansas Head Coach;
six straight seasons of 30+ wins (2011-16);
Over 300 wins all time; former LSU Assistant Coach

The skills required to play the various infield positions are unique to each position. In order to be an effective infield coach, one must understand the diverse needs for each position.

Megan Smith offers 27 drills to build fundamentally sound infielders, position-by-position, by breaking down their technique and building correct mechanics using proven drills.

Her instruction covers:

  • Ready position
  • Fielding position
  • Throwing position
  • Drop step and angles to balls hit to the forehand and backhand
  • Bunt fielding and throwing
  • Double play feeds and footwork for middle infielders

Coach Smith even has a short segment on how to throw on the run. This is a fully comprehensive video on the basic fundamentals for infield play!

Drop Steps

The drop step is used on both forehands and backhands, so a good drop step is very important to help fielders increase their range. Smith explains the technique of a drop step and offers four drills to practice it. Get your players' feet moving faster and more efficiently and you will find them getting to more ground balls deep in the hole or up the middle!

Corner Fielding

Corner infielders have diverse job descriptions, as they must field ground balls like other infielders and also have bunt responsibilities. First basemen must also be able to pick a ball thrown in the dirt. Smith covers the techniques involved for each position and offers nine drills for these skills. In one drill called Hot Dog, players practice staying low and having their feet beat their hands by fielding a rolled ball behind their backs and between their legs.

Double Plays

Making two outs off of one batted ball can bail a defense, and your pitcher, out of a jam. Smith goes over feeds and footwork for both middle infield positions to help decrease the amount of time it takes to make the play and increase the chance of getting two outs. She then teaches the art of multiple "feeds" and the different footwork needed to turn a double play at second base. These tips save time and create more outs. In all, you'll get 12 drills Smith uses with her middles to practice initiating and turning the double play.

Let Coach Smith help you develop fundamentally sound infielders that will shatter records with their consistency!

63 minutes. 2018.



SD-05316C:

with Megan Smith,
University of Kansas Head Coach;
six straight seasons of 30+ wins (2011-16);
Over 300 wins all time; former LSU Assistant Coach

Throwing and catching are fundamental building blocks in the game of softball. Unfortunately, they are also some of the most overlooked and under-taught skills in the game. Megan Smith gives you a comprehensive look at throwing and receiving techniques, sequencing, and progressions that can easily be integrated into the practice setting. This will allow your players to understand efficient movement patterns from a variety of receiving positions and also learn transitions that can be easily repeated to help create accurate throw and get outs.

Throwing Mechanics and Drills

Coach Smith takes you step-by-step through a throwing progression that will not only allow your players to loosen up their arms, but will help create a fundamentally sound throwing pattern. Using Smith's towel whips training, players use a towel to create and improve whip, resulting in more wrist snap and better throws. She also explains a throwing progression for use during warm-ups. Start by isolating the upper body, and then progressively add in the legs and work to achieve proper throwing footwork. Coach Smith helps you build your throwers from the ground up.

Receiving Mechanics and Drills

Smith first breaks down receiving and transfer techniques. Receiving is incorporated with throwing just as it occurs during a game, making it extremely transferable. These techniques are then synced up with footwork to help the viewer understand sequencing of footwork and glove work to throw the ball accurately. Players also learn how to deal with bad throws, which is when most errors occur and games are lost.

Coach Smith introduces seven kinds of footwork that receivers must use during the throwing progression, and explains when the receiver should use each. These receiving footwork drills will allow your receivers to practice every kind of reception they could possibly need to make during a game.

Special Throws and Drills

In addition to regular throwing, Smith teaches how to transition from fielding a ball to throwing using her ball-in-glove series of drills. She provides drills for infielders and outfielders to work on the movements necessary to take a ball from the fielding position to throwing position. She also covers different types of throws, like relays and off-balance throws, which may pop up at a critical moment in the game and force your throwers to make a highlight-reel worthy play.

Additionally, Smith shows how your throwers can safely strengthen their arms using long toss and weighted balls.

The most valuable part of this video is that all these concepts can be incorporated into the throwing routine that you are already doing. Coach Smith explains how to make throwing more than just a part of warm-ups and how to make it a component of practice in and of itself!

54 minutes. 2018.



SD-05316D:

with Megan Smith,
University of Kansas Head Coach;
six straight seasons of 30+ wins (2011-16);
Over 300 wins all time; former LSU Assistant Coach

Running an effective team practice with a large roster can be complicated. It is often difficult to find engaging and efficient team drills that will challenge each player.

In this practice, you will witness exactly how Megan Smith works her team through various situations and gets all players prepared for upcoming games. Instead of players standing around and getting little out of the time, Smith does a terrific job of keeping things fast-paced and up-tempo.

On display are eight full team drills and a batting practice rotation that will help make your practices more engaging and efficient.

Team Defense

Get your whole team involved with full field long toss. Practice important throwing and receiving skills with your full team in a fast-paced, challenging environment. The expectation of proper technique for throwing, catching and making tags is on full display and is crisply executed.

Smith shares a pregame defensive sequence where you can get your outfielders and infielders several reps in only five minutes, which is ideal for pregame, where you are often limited on time. You will see the fundamentals that all coaches emphasize and hear the specific coaching points that Smith shares to make all players perform at their best.

Coach Smith also introduces communication drills that will help assure that no fly ball goes uncaught because of poor communication.

Defending the Running Game

Shutting down an opponent's running game can be a critical component of team success. Make sure your catchers and infielders get practice reps working on pick-off plays and steals to ensure a well-rounded defensive practice. Smith will also help you simplify first and third defensive plays, which are commonly chaotic situations that cause the team on defense to make mistakes.

Batting Practice

Smith shows you how to run an efficient batting practice where all players are involved and productive. Her three-group batting practice rotation allows your hitters to get live reps off a pitcher, your base runners to get live reads off of batted balls, and your defense to get game-like reps. Get more accomplished in less time!

Coach Smith shows you how to get more out of your players by getting more out of practice in this fantastic video!

58 minutes. 2018.



Frozen Ropes: Weapons of Mental Dominance - Mastering the Inside Game

0
0

with Tony Abbatine,
Founder, Frozen Ropes;
2018 USA Softball National Team Coaching Staff - overseeing the mental and visual skills;
Has worked with the New York Mets, New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Colorado Rockies, and the Los Angeles Dodgers as a player development department consultant;
Adjunct College Professor, Sports Psychology, St. Thomas Aquinas College;
author of numerous articles on player development featured in: Sports Illustrated, ESPN, USA Today, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Baseball America and various television media.

At the higher levels of baseball and softball, physical skills don't separate the good from the great players; it's the player's mental skills that are usually the greatest differentiator. Most coaches don't spend enough time on mental skills, often because they don't understand the mental game or how to teach mental game.

Tony Abbatine, who is also a professor of sport psychology, guides you through the understanding of mental dominance. He provides proven techniques for reducing stress and anxiety and also shares what Hall of Fame-level players do mentally to create the best chance to perform.

Weapons of Mental Dominance

Coach Abbatine introduces you to the nine "Weapons of Mental Dominance" that help players identify their personal readiness for success. These techniques are the building blocks of a routine that allows players to perform at their best, even in the most pressure-packed situations. He provides specific approaches to improve players in the areas of controlled breathing, mental imagery, positive self-talk, and goal setting. These are all techniques that coaches know are important, and this video provides easy cues and teaching points that will benefits players and coaches of all experience levels.

Abbatine also gives details regarding the negative thoughts that can prevent players from achieving their full level of success. He gives tips for time-tested techniques that rid the mind of those harmful thoughts, as well as approaches for replacing them with mental skills that increase the opportunity to dominate.

Additionally, you'll get vehicles for goal setting, performance analysis, and techniques for self-coaching that will allow players to feel fully prepared and sufficiently confident to let the body perform at the highest level. There is a clear relationship of how a strong mind and controlled emotions can produce the best physical performance!

Dealing with Pressure

Where does pressure come from? Coach Abbatine answers that question, and many others, as he explains how to re-frame pressure. When you understand that humans create the 'three evil sisters' you will start to understand how we can get rid of them too.

Team Physics

Team physics is a phrase to describe team chemistry. Coach Abbatine turns the idea of physics around on the coaches, saying that they must model what they want out of their athletes. Learn the attributes of successful coaches, and how you can better lead your athletes.

Baseball and softball are often defined as being 80-90% mental; taking advantage of these proven performance techniques from Coach Abbatine is an absolute must!

69 minutes. 2018.

Frozen Ropes: Hitting Drills for Next Level Performance

0
0

with Tony Abbatine,
Founder, Frozen Ropes;
2018 USA Softball National Team Coaching Staff - overseeing the mental and visual skills;
Has worked with the New York Mets, New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Colorado Rockies, and the Los Angeles Dodgers as a player development department consultant;
Adjunct College Professor, Sports Psychology, St. Thomas Aquinas College;
author of numerous articles on player development featured in: Sports Illustrated, ESPN, USA Today, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Baseball America and various television media.

Build an elite level swing by keeping things simple! Efficient swings have few holes for opposing pitchers to exploit. Tony Abbatine offers a clear progression of hitting drills to develop top-tier baseball or softball hitters.

Coach Abbatine provides several drills important to developing consistency while minimizing over-coaching and over-complicating hitting. This drill series does a great job of isolating various swing flaws, helping players understand the best fixes available while maintaining a commitment to the full process of hitting.

Utilizing Drills

While drills can be an important part of practice and development, coaches have to understand how to use them effectively to truly help the player develop to their maximum ability. Coach Abbatine presents a quick overview of his hitting style, and then goes in-depth about how he uses drills to teach these principles. Each drill that Abbatine shares has purpose, and every one builds on the drill before to give players the greatest chance at development.

In addition to offering a proven teaching style, Abbatine also shares details of how to best evaluate hitters. These techniques are critical for evaluation in the recruitment process and in player development.

Barrel Control Drills

The core of Coach Abbatine's hitting philosophy is getting the barrel to the ball. He introduces a three-drill progression he uses to help teach barrel control - an essential element of hitting. The Punch, Rifle, and Sword drills each take the swing one step further until the hitter is taking almost a full swing, focusing on controlling the barrel.

Hitting Drills

Coach Abbatine opens his library of hitting drills to the viewer. While his drills address all aspects of the swing, most of them help the hitter to keep things simple. Using this resource, learn how to develop a complete hitter that is dangerous even against the most effective pitching. You'll see:

  • Selfie drills that allow hitters to work individually, warm up, and develop coordination.
  • Body Control drills to help hitters develop consistency in their mechanics from stride, to launch point, to finish.
  • Hand position drills that help hitters develop an appropriate launching point and barrel control.

Abbatine provides an informative resource for developing hitters that is simple and educational. This video is great for both novice and professional coaches, as well as any player seeking improvement in their hitting!

56 minutes. 2018.

Frozen Ropes: Scope and Rope - Visual Hitting Drills

0
0

with Tony Abbatine,
Founder, Frozen Ropes;
2018 USA Softball National Team Coaching Staff - overseeing the mental and visual skills;
Has worked with the New York Mets, New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Colorado Rockies, and the Los Angeles Dodgers as a player development department consultant;
Adjunct College Professor, Sports Psychology, St. Thomas Aquinas College;
author of numerous articles on player development featured in: Sports Illustrated, ESPN, USA Today, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Baseball America and various television media.

The first and possibly the most important part of hitting success is the visual ability of the batter. The visual component of hitting involves so much more than 'see the ball, hit the ball.'

Tony Abbatine explains the mechanics and strategies to put your players' eyes in a better position to see the ball. Through 10 drills, he shows you how to improve athletes' ability to see pitches, pitch rotations, and pitch locations to become the best performer possible in the batter's box.

Visual Mechanics and Strategies

Learn the mechanics and strategies that will allow your players to see the ball earlier, longer and clearer. For example, you will learn how to relax the eyes to pick up on more visual cues that the opponent's pitcher gives out. Coach Abbatine suggests a few physical mechanics that may be making it more difficult to see, and gives easy-to-remember cues to put your eyes in the best position to see.

Visual Drill Work

Limited space and resources? Coach Abbatine teaches three easy-to-use visual drills that can be done anywhere. Learn to catch without moving the head, and allow the eyes to do the work with No Look drills that force hand-eye coordination to advance. J-line drills force hitters to recognize and actively train the eyes and brain to react quickly to pitches.

Visual Cage Work

Combine vision work and hitting for the ultimate visual benefit. Coach Abbatine introduces seven drills that incorporate the skill of hitting while the focus stays on the eyes and seeing the ball better. Make a foundational drill that you already do, like hitting off the tee, more realistic and effective! Abbatine also shows some variations of flips and tosses that will give them more of a visual component.

A perfect mechanical swing is almost worthless if you don't have good visual skills. Coach Abbatine gives you the visual strategies and drills to help players see better without having to visit the optometrist!

70 minutes. 2018.


Frozen Ropes Hitting Skills and Drill Series

0
0
SD-05327A:

with Tony Abbatine,
Founder, Frozen Ropes;
2018 USA Softball National Team Coaching Staff - overseeing the mental and visual skills;
Has worked with the New York Mets, New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Colorado Rockies, and the Los Angeles Dodgers as a player development department consultant;
Adjunct College Professor, Sports Psychology, St. Thomas Aquinas College;
author of numerous articles on player development featured in: Sports Illustrated, ESPN, USA Today, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Baseball America and various television media.

Build an elite level swing by keeping things simple! Efficient swings have few holes for opposing pitchers to exploit. Tony Abbatine offers a clear progression of hitting drills to develop top-tier baseball or softball hitters.

Coach Abbatine provides several drills important to developing consistency while minimizing over-coaching and over-complicating hitting. This drill series does a great job of isolating various swing flaws, helping players understand the best fixes available while maintaining a commitment to the full process of hitting.

Utilizing Drills

While drills can be an important part of practice and development, coaches have to understand how to use them effectively to truly help the player develop to their maximum ability. Coach Abbatine presents a quick overview of his hitting style, and then goes in-depth about how he uses drills to teach these principles. Each drill that Abbatine shares has purpose, and every one builds on the drill before to give players the greatest chance at development.

In addition to offering a proven teaching style, Abbatine also shares details of how to best evaluate hitters. These techniques are critical for evaluation in the recruitment process and in player development.

Barrel Control Drills

The core of Coach Abbatine's hitting philosophy is getting the barrel to the ball. He introduces a three-drill progression he uses to help teach barrel control - an essential element of hitting. The Punch, Rifle, and Sword drills each take the swing one step further until the hitter is taking almost a full swing, focusing on controlling the barrel.

Hitting Drills

Coach Abbatine opens his library of hitting drills to the viewer. While his drills address all aspects of the swing, most of them help the hitter to keep things simple. Using this resource, learn how to develop a complete hitter that is dangerous even against the most effective pitching. You'll see:

  • Selfie drills that allow hitters to work individually, warm up, and develop coordination.
  • Body Control drills to help hitters develop consistency in their mechanics from stride, to launch point, to finish.
  • Hand position drills that help hitters develop an appropriate launching point and barrel control.

Abbatine provides an informative resource for developing hitters that is simple and educational. This video is great for both novice and professional coaches, as well as any player seeking improvement in their hitting!

56 minutes. 2018.



SD-05327B:

with Tony Abbatine,
Founder, Frozen Ropes;
2018 USA Softball National Team Coaching Staff - overseeing the mental and visual skills;
Has worked with the New York Mets, New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Colorado Rockies, and the Los Angeles Dodgers as a player development department consultant;
Adjunct College Professor, Sports Psychology, St. Thomas Aquinas College;
author of numerous articles on player development featured in: Sports Illustrated, ESPN, USA Today, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Baseball America and various television media.

The first and possibly the most important part of hitting success is the visual ability of the batter. The visual component of hitting involves so much more than 'see the ball, hit the ball.'

Tony Abbatine explains the mechanics and strategies to put your players' eyes in a better position to see the ball. Through 10 drills, he shows you how to improve athletes' ability to see pitches, pitch rotations, and pitch locations to become the best performer possible in the batter's box.

Visual Mechanics and Strategies

Learn the mechanics and strategies that will allow your players to see the ball earlier, longer and clearer. For example, you will learn how to relax the eyes to pick up on more visual cues that the opponent's pitcher gives out. Coach Abbatine suggests a few physical mechanics that may be making it more difficult to see, and gives easy-to-remember cues to put your eyes in the best position to see.

Visual Drill Work

Limited space and resources? Coach Abbatine teaches three easy-to-use visual drills that can be done anywhere. Learn to catch without moving the head, and allow the eyes to do the work with No Look drills that force hand-eye coordination to advance. J-line drills force hitters to recognize and actively train the eyes and brain to react quickly to pitches.

Visual Cage Work

Combine vision work and hitting for the ultimate visual benefit. Coach Abbatine introduces seven drills that incorporate the skill of hitting while the focus stays on the eyes and seeing the ball better. Make a foundational drill that you already do, like hitting off the tee, more realistic and effective! Abbatine also shows some variations of flips and tosses that will give them more of a visual component.

A perfect mechanical swing is almost worthless if you don't have good visual skills. Coach Abbatine gives you the visual strategies and drills to help players see better without having to visit the optometrist!

70 minutes. 2018.



SD-05327C:

with Tony Abbatine,
Founder, Frozen Ropes;
2018 USA Softball National Team Coaching Staff - overseeing the mental and visual skills;
Has worked with the New York Mets, New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Colorado Rockies, and the Los Angeles Dodgers as a player development department consultant;
Adjunct College Professor, Sports Psychology, St. Thomas Aquinas College;
author of numerous articles on player development featured in: Sports Illustrated, ESPN, USA Today, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Baseball America and various television media.

At the higher levels of baseball and softball, physical skills don't separate the good from the great players; it's the player's mental skills that are usually the greatest differentiator. Most coaches don't spend enough time on mental skills, often because they don't understand the mental game or how to teach mental game.

Tony Abbatine, who is also a professor of sport psychology, guides you through the understanding of mental dominance. He provides proven techniques for reducing stress and anxiety and also shares what Hall of Fame-level players do mentally to create the best chance to perform.

Weapons of Mental Dominance

Coach Abbatine introduces you to the nine "Weapons of Mental Dominance" that help players identify their personal readiness for success. These techniques are the building blocks of a routine that allows players to perform at their best, even in the most pressure-packed situations. He provides specific approaches to improve players in the areas of controlled breathing, mental imagery, positive self-talk, and goal setting. These are all techniques that coaches know are important, and this video provides easy cues and teaching points that will benefits players and coaches of all experience levels.

Abbatine also gives details regarding the negative thoughts that can prevent players from achieving their full level of success. He gives tips for time-tested techniques that rid the mind of those harmful thoughts, as well as approaches for replacing them with mental skills that increase the opportunity to dominate.

Additionally, you'll get vehicles for goal setting, performance analysis, and techniques for self-coaching that will allow players to feel fully prepared and sufficiently confident to let the body perform at the highest level. There is a clear relationship of how a strong mind and controlled emotions can produce the best physical performance!

Dealing with Pressure

Where does pressure come from? Coach Abbatine answers that question, and many others, as he explains how to re-frame pressure. When you understand that humans create the 'three evil sisters' you will start to understand how we can get rid of them too.

Team Physics

Team physics is a phrase to describe team chemistry. Coach Abbatine turns the idea of physics around on the coaches, saying that they must model what they want out of their athletes. Learn the attributes of successful coaches, and how you can better lead your athletes.

Baseball and softball are often defined as being 80-90% mental; taking advantage of these proven performance techniques from Coach Abbatine is an absolute must!

69 minutes. 2018.



Randy Schneider 2-Pack

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SD-05317A:

with Randy Schneider,
Ankeny Centennial (IA) High School Head Coach;
former Iowa State University Assistant Coach;
former University of Wisconsin Associate Head Coach (2013 Big Ten Tournament Champions);
Former head coach at Valparaiso University, where he left as the programs all-time wins leader;
2008 Horizon League Co-Coach of the Year

and Joe Yegge,
Kirkwood Community College Head Coach;
8x ICCAC regular season championships,
5x Region Championships, 5x District Championships, 2x NFCA Midwest Coaching Staff of the Year

Developing power hitters takes time and know-how. Randy Schneider and Joe Yegge team up to take your power hitting to the next level in this jam-packed video!

You'll learn how the body powerfully works through the swing process, followed by the techniques that help to improve repetitions without just mindlessly taking swings. The coaches conclude with an extensive laundry list of 30 tee and front toss drills to help solve your power hitting struggles. Every team can utilize these drills to win more games.

Mechanics

Before a player can become a great hitter, they must first develop a fundamentally strong swing. This video incorporates great technique for developing that swing, including:

  • Medicine ball work to develop swing strength and bat speed.
  • Band work to improve hand path and "feeling connected" in the upper half and lower half.
  • Tennis racket work to feel bat lag and improve explosiveness through the ball.
  • Frisbee throwing to enhance extension and finish.

From there, Schneider and Yegge show you how to develop sound fundamentals to improve success at the plate. They explain proper loading to gather strength and energy, attacking the front heel for optimal rotational/linear effort, and staying on plane to dramatically increase the ability to put the bat on the ball.

Learn about the speed/accuracy tradeoff and differential learning, and how incorporating both concepts into your practices will improve your hitters' performance.

30 Drills to Develop a Repeatable Swing

Power is the result of a repeatable and efficient swing that is built on body sequencing, and this video provides dozens of drills to provide exactly that. Drills are systematically broken down into segments:

  • Lower half drive to take advantage of the biggest and most powerful muscles.
  • Bat and hand path to increase the amount of time that the bat is working through the pitch plane and thus bettering the ability to put the ball in play.
  • Extension and finish drills to become more powerful and maximize what the body has to offer.

Tee Drills

Coach Yegge shows you twelve tee drills that can prepare your power hitters to maximize their pop at the plate. These drills get players swinging faster and harder while also increasing percentage of powerful contact, resulting in more extra base hits. These drills will help your hitters with:

  • Rhythm and feel
  • Torque
  • Bat control
  • Bat speed

Overall, these drills will help your hitters harness the power from the ground and transfer that energy into their swings.

Front Toss Drills

Coach Schneider shows you how to tie it all together with front toss drills to help train the batter's eyes and body to make more solid contact. These front toss drills, like the slow load drill, will help your hitters work on their rhythm and timing. In the Slow Load drill, the hitter controls their load and loads gradually and slowly, before exploding to contact. This particular drill is helpful when facing a slower pitcher.

Discover the "Why" of Successful Swings

Coach Schneider provides lots of physics and biomechanics explanations to help you understand how to get the most out of any body type. Coach Schneider is clearly a "student of the game" and his ability to share what he's learned is terrific. You'll see what it takes to improve consistency and explosiveness through a better understanding of the biomechanics of the physical body.

Schneider and Yegge offer many drills to build your power game. This video will show you how to teach your hitters to be aggressive at the plate and do damage on offense!

49 minutes. 2018.



SD-05317B:

with Randy Schneider,
Ankeny Centennial (IA) High School Head Coach;
former Iowa State University Assistant Coach;
former University of Wisconsin Associate Head Coach (2013 Big Ten Tournament Champions);
Former head coach at Valparaiso University, where he left as the programs all-time wins leader;
2008 Horizon League Co-Coach of the Year

When people talk about offense, much of the talk and focus is on home runs. However, an aggressive running game can help take the pressure off big hitters and help generate runs when your power game has an off day.

In this video, Randy Schneider explains the baserunning drills, leads, and rundowns to strategically apply pressure to opposing defenses and force them to make mistakes.

Baserunning Drills

Get out of the box quicker and more efficiently! Coach Schneider introduces several drills that will help your runners get to and round first base faster. You'll benefit from a structured, easily implemented routine that breaks home to first base-running down into all of the important pieces, which include:

  • Starts - Explosively getting out of the box.
  • Open Window - Proper timing of looking up to see if the ball made it through the infield.
  • Hitting the Bag - Whether hitting the front of the bag on a close play or hitting the inside corner of the bag when rounding, foot placement can be the difference that puts maximum pressure on the defense.
  • Breakdown - After hitting the bag at full speed, knowing how to properly stop is important for avoiding injury and for forcing the defense into making mistakes.

Use the Starts drill to get out of the batter's box more efficiently. This is a skill that can benefit hitters on almost every at-bat. Players practice getting to the end of the swing, staying balanced, and driving out while keeping the head low and running through a cone a few feet away.

Leads

Once on first base, learn how to take an aggressive lead that will draw the defense's attention. Coach Schneider explains how to drill different leads for second and third base. Learn how to take a lead off of an aggressive catcher who likes to pick off frequently, while taking a more aggressive lead against a less skilled or lazy catcher.

Rundowns and Situations

One side benefit of being an aggressive baserunning team is that your defense will practice against your base runners, better preparing them for defending against a team that runs aggressively. Coach Schneider does a terrific job of incorporating offensive and defensive work into the same drills to optimize the use of practice time with a small ball scrimmage that keeps the focus on short game skills and aggressive baserunning. He shares techniques for developing an aggressive baserunning program into the typical batting practice that helps players become comfortable between bases. Multiple baserunner scenarios are incorporated to help players understand the dynamic of not being alone on the base paths.

Coach Schneider shows you 12 drills to help you keep pressure on the defense. The more pressure your baserunning game can apply to the defense, the more errors they will make and runs you will score. Let Coach Schneider show you how to help your baserunners apply the pressure!

48 minutes. 2018.



Drills for Developing a Power Hitter

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0

with Randy Schneider,
Ankeny Centennial (IA) High School Head Coach;
former Iowa State University Assistant Coach;
former University of Wisconsin Associate Head Coach (2013 Big Ten Tournament Champions);
Former head coach at Valparaiso University, where he left as the programs all-time wins leader;
2008 Horizon League Co-Coach of the Year

and Joe Yegge,
Kirkwood Community College Head Coach;
8x ICCAC regular season championships,
5x Region Championships, 5x District Championships, 2x NFCA Midwest Coaching Staff of the Year

Developing power hitters takes time and know-how. Randy Schneider and Joe Yegge team up to take your power hitting to the next level in this jam-packed video!

You'll learn how the body powerfully works through the swing process, followed by the techniques that help to improve repetitions without just mindlessly taking swings. The coaches conclude with an extensive laundry list of 30 tee and front toss drills to help solve your power hitting struggles. Every team can utilize these drills to win more games.

Mechanics

Before a player can become a great hitter, they must first develop a fundamentally strong swing. This video incorporates great technique for developing that swing, including:

  • Medicine ball work to develop swing strength and bat speed.
  • Band work to improve hand path and "feeling connected" in the upper half and lower half.
  • Tennis racket work to feel bat lag and improve explosiveness through the ball.
  • Frisbee throwing to enhance extension and finish.

From there, Schneider and Yegge show you how to develop sound fundamentals to improve success at the plate. They explain proper loading to gather strength and energy, attacking the front heel for optimal rotational/linear effort, and staying on plane to dramatically increase the ability to put the bat on the ball.

Learn about the speed/accuracy tradeoff and differential learning, and how incorporating both concepts into your practices will improve your hitters' performance.

30 Drills to Develop a Repeatable Swing

Power is the result of a repeatable and efficient swing that is built on body sequencing, and this video provides dozens of drills to provide exactly that. Drills are systematically broken down into segments:

  • Lower half drive to take advantage of the biggest and most powerful muscles.
  • Bat and hand path to increase the amount of time that the bat is working through the pitch plane and thus bettering the ability to put the ball in play.
  • Extension and finish drills to become more powerful and maximize what the body has to offer.

Tee Drills

Coach Yegge shows you twelve tee drills that can prepare your power hitters to maximize their pop at the plate. These drills get players swinging faster and harder while also increasing percentage of powerful contact, resulting in more extra base hits. These drills will help your hitters with:

  • Rhythm and feel
  • Torque
  • Bat control
  • Bat speed

Overall, these drills will help your hitters harness the power from the ground and transfer that energy into their swings.

Front Toss Drills

Coach Schneider shows you how to tie it all together with front toss drills to help train the batter's eyes and body to make more solid contact. These front toss drills, like the slow load drill, will help your hitters work on their rhythm and timing. In the Slow Load drill, the hitter controls their load and loads gradually and slowly, before exploding to contact. This particular drill is helpful when facing a slower pitcher.

Discover the "Why" of Successful Swings

Coach Schneider provides lots of physics and biomechanics explanations to help you understand how to get the most out of any body type. Coach Schneider is clearly a "student of the game" and his ability to share what he's learned is terrific. You'll see what it takes to improve consistency and explosiveness through a better understanding of the biomechanics of the physical body.

Schneider and Yegge offer many drills to build your power game. This video will show you how to teach your hitters to be aggressive at the plate and do damage on offense!

49 minutes. 2018.

Pressure Baserunning

0
0

with Randy Schneider,
Ankeny Centennial (IA) High School Head Coach;
former Iowa State University Assistant Coach;
former University of Wisconsin Associate Head Coach (2013 Big Ten Tournament Champions);
Former head coach at Valparaiso University, where he left as the programs all-time wins leader;
2008 Horizon League Co-Coach of the Year

When people talk about offense, much of the talk and focus is on home runs. However, an aggressive running game can help take the pressure off big hitters and help generate runs when your power game has an off day.

In this video, Randy Schneider explains the baserunning drills, leads, and rundowns to strategically apply pressure to opposing defenses and force them to make mistakes.

Baserunning Drills

Get out of the box quicker and more efficiently! Coach Schneider introduces several drills that will help your runners get to and round first base faster. You'll benefit from a structured, easily implemented routine that breaks home to first base-running down into all of the important pieces, which include:

  • Starts - Explosively getting out of the box.
  • Open Window - Proper timing of looking up to see if the ball made it through the infield.
  • Hitting the Bag - Whether hitting the front of the bag on a close play or hitting the inside corner of the bag when rounding, foot placement can be the difference that puts maximum pressure on the defense.
  • Breakdown - After hitting the bag at full speed, knowing how to properly stop is important for avoiding injury and for forcing the defense into making mistakes.

Use the Starts drill to get out of the batter's box more efficiently. This is a skill that can benefit hitters on almost every at-bat. Players practice getting to the end of the swing, staying balanced, and driving out while keeping the head low and running through a cone a few feet away.

Leads

Once on first base, learn how to take an aggressive lead that will draw the defense's attention. Coach Schneider explains how to drill different leads for second and third base. Learn how to take a lead off of an aggressive catcher who likes to pick off frequently, while taking a more aggressive lead against a less skilled or lazy catcher.

Rundowns and Situations

One side benefit of being an aggressive baserunning team is that your defense will practice against your base runners, better preparing them for defending against a team that runs aggressively. Coach Schneider does a terrific job of incorporating offensive and defensive work into the same drills to optimize the use of practice time with a small ball scrimmage that keeps the focus on short game skills and aggressive baserunning. He shares techniques for developing an aggressive baserunning program into the typical batting practice that helps players become comfortable between bases. Multiple baserunner scenarios are incorporated to help players understand the dynamic of not being alone on the base paths.

Coach Schneider shows you 12 drills to help you keep pressure on the defense. The more pressure your baserunning game can apply to the defense, the more errors they will make and runs you will score. Let Coach Schneider show you how to help your baserunners apply the pressure!

48 minutes. 2018.

Hitting from A to Z: Drills For Average and Power

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0

with Chase Turner,
San Jose State University Assistant Coach;
member of the Men's USA Softball National Team

Chase Turner has done a great job of taking his own fast-pitch softball playing experience with ASA `A' National Championship teams and USA Softball teams and sharing it with the hitters of SJSU. In the eight seasons (through 2017) that Turner has been an assistant at SJSU, batters have set program records in team batting average, slugging percentage, on base percentage, runs, hits, doubles, home runs, RBIs, walks, and total bases.

Few coaches train their players using proven scientific principles. This is only one of the attributes that sets Chase Turner apart from the rest. Learn the biomechanical principles of ground reaction force, torque, and inertia and how utilizing these three concepts will help you turn your athletes into power hitters.

Hitting Mechanics

Learn how to make your swing as mechanically efficient and powerful as possible. Turner explains several scientific and biomechanical principles and applies them to the softball swing. See how a batter can use the Magnus effect to hit the ball in the correct location to put the desired spin on a batted ball, which will make it fly farther.

Ground Reaction Force

Draw power from the ground with Turner's four ground reaction force drills. In the Bucket drill, Turner shows you how to drive the back knee down and in toward the ground, into a bucket placed in front of the back knee. This will helps your hitters swing with more power because the force the hitter puts into the ground will be transferred into the swing.

Torque

Turner shows how to use drive your back side into your front side to create torque, which will power your swing. He also shares four drills to help get more torque and power out of your players' swings.

Inertia

Learn how to use the inertia your hitters create to hit the ball harder and further. Turner presents nine drills to train your hitters to start the swing tight to their bodies to maximize inertia, then let go of that inertia at contact and release to transfer force into the softball.

From A to Z, Coach Turner covers all the aspects behind power hitting. You'll see how to get the most out of your softball swing, and your body when hitting, with science on your side!

62 minutes. 2018.

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