USSSA Pride Head Coach (National Pro Fastpitch League);
OC BatBusters Head Coach;
3x ASA National Championship Coach;
3x PGF Championship Coach;
2x USSSA World Championship Coach;
Founder of Team Mizuno and is the organization's Director of Player Development and College Recruitment;
Head Coach for Team Mizuno's 16U Travel Team
Training to field ground balls can be an uninteresting experience and create boredom amongst players. In this video Mike Stith introduces a variety of exciting drills that can be adapted to any age level from U10 to high school senior. He emphasizes repetitions of correct techniques to field various types of infield balls with numerous demonstrations by players of all ages.
Infielders must focus on proper footwork to the ball and then into the throw which varies with the type of ball that is hit. Players are given corrections on looking at the ball to the glove and how to use the glove hand to field the ball.
Dynamic Warmup and Sprint Movements
Learn a dynamic movement series (16 drills) that you can put in your warm up at the start of your practice. Transfer the form and work ethic you developed in your indoor workouts to your outdoor practice through a series of stretches, sprint start and movement drills.
For each drill, Coach Stith explains the method and purpose of the drill while showing athletes of various ages perform it from under 10 to high school seniors.
Throwing Warmup and Technique
"If you can't play catch you can't win" is the philosophy Coach Stith uses to teach young players the essentials of throwing and catching. Learn how to pay great attention to how throwing needs to be warmed up and developed as the player starts young and grows through college age. Moving the feet, catching the ball with the glove and a proper follow through are only some of the essentials presented.
Fielding Infield Balls
Get more runners out by learning the techniques to field infield balls from hard grounders to soft rollers to high bouncers. Learn the angles to field a ball deeply and field it with a forehand play. You will see fielding drills for young players 10 and under, including watching the ball all the way into the glove, to more advanced drills for college entry including angled throws to bases. Coach Stith emphasizes that every player has different strengths but all must learn the same essentials of fielding and explains this in a variety of drills for different age groups.
Coach Stith shows you how to run effective infield ground ball drills - and how to adapt them for each age group - that will take your infield to the next level.
102 minutes. 2013.