NELL MINORS CURRICULM
Focus Area: Hitting
Teaching Points:
- Feet spread a little more than shoulder-width
- Slight Knee Bend
- Chest over knew/Butt Out
- Hands back and above shoulder
- Eye on the Ball – See the ball hit the bat
- Shoulder to Shoulder (Start Chin on Front Shoulder and End on Back Shoulder with eyes still in the zone)
- Butt out/Push out through your back pocket
- Stride with your hands coming back (like a punch)
- Hit Through the baseball
- Extend Bat to Pitcher through swing (don’t roll wrists too soon)
Drills
Teaching Point Simulation (No Balls)
Have players spread out and face a target (i.e. backstop fence)
Have players go through:
The steps of their stance (See Teaching Points)
The steps of the swing (See Teaching Points)
Tee
Cross Overs
Player lines up about 3 feet behind the Tee in the batter’s box with front foot crossed over in front of their back foot
Player should stride with the front foot into the ball while keeping their hands back (Walking away from your hands)
Emphasize: Sinking into your back leg/butt out to generate power and hit through the ball. Keep head still.
Video: Cross Overs
Launch Position
Line up tee about 6 inches in front of the players front foot
Have them stride and keep their hands back
Hold that position for 2 seconds, then swings
Emphasis going back to go forward with your hands to generate power
Video: Launch Position
Straight Tee
Tee should be 6 inches in front of the batter’s front foot
Player should get in stance before swinging
When done swinging the player should be looking down into the tee with chin on back shoulder
Emphasize: Going back to go forward, pushing out the back pocket and hitting through ball with your head down
Video: Tee Work
· Front Soft Toss
Coach (Tosser) should be sitting or kneeling about 5 yards away in front of the batter behind a “L” Screen
Coach under hands the ball in as a strike
Emphasize: Starting early. Pulling the hands back when the when the pitchers hands go back for the underhand flip
· Live
Live pitcher
Get batter to setup in their stance in the batter’s box
Let them look at the first pitch
Give them 12 pitches
Throw at a decent speed (don’t lob it)
Emphasize: Starting early. Pulling the hands back and striding when the pitcher starts to stride to them (“Dancing with the Pitcher”)
Helpful Videos:
Hitting Drills
Additional Hitting Drills
Focus Area: Fielding
Teaching Points:
Set position
Hands out in front
Right step/Left Step on Pitcher Release
Fielding a ground ball
Creeping up through the ball
Technique to field ground ball: chin and chest behind the ball, hands out in front, flat back, butt down
Work through the ball towards first base
· Transitioning to the throw
Right Foot/Left Foot (For Righties) Step forward with right foot, show ankle to the receiver, and turn front shoulder to the target
Drills:
· Teaching Point Simulation
Have players spread out and face a target (i.e. backstop fence).
Have players go through:
§ Getting Set (See Teaching Points)
§ The steps of fielding a ground ball (See Teaching Points)
· Soft Hands
Pair kids up and put them about 10 ft. from each other
Each player is on their knees
They roll the ball to each other
Emphasize: Flat Back, Hand out in Front, other hand ready to close, and funneling the ball up to their chest
· Work Arounds
Work Arounds
Players get in a single file line (you can do as many lines as coaches)
Setup a cone to the right of the players so that they have to go around it before they field the ball
Put a player at first
§ Coach says left/right, and player creeps into his field position
Coach then rolls the bass so that the fielder has to come up through the ball after going around the cone to their right.
Player fields the ball and makes a throw to first
Emphasize: Emphasis working toward first base and good foot work to get into position to throw
Video: Workarounds
Helpful Videos:
Infield Progression
Infield Drills
Technique
Fundamentals (Ripken)
Focus Area: Throwing
Teaching Points:
Grip
Three or Two Fingers (bigger Kids) across seams (four seam fastball)
Thumb under the ball
· Throwing Position
Look at your target
Show your inner ankle to your partner with a step
Turn your front shoulder to your partner
Break heads down
Follow elbows even with shoulder high so your body looks like a field goal post
Ball facing away from you – facing centerfield if you were pitching
Turn Glove and bring body to the glove
· Throwing Target
Chest of the receiving player
Drills:
Teaching Point Simulation (No Balls)
Have players spread out and face a target (i.e. backstop fence).
Each player shows their grip (See Teaching Points)
Then have each player go through the steps of throwing (See Teaching Points)
Drills
See Videos
Helpful Videos:
Mechanics
Throwing Progression
Focus Area: Running the Bases
Teaching Points:
Running to first
Run hard
Drop Bat
Run Straight down the line not looking at ball
Listen for coach
Three Things
Run through the base
Take a Turn
Go to second
· Running to other bases
Banana out when approaching base to go to next
Listen for coach as you approach the bag
Hold on balls in the air
Drills:
· Running to First
Line kids up in a single file line behind the plate towards third base
Have a coach at the plate and one as the first base coach
Each kid should
Pretend Swing
Run to first
Through
On the first few times around, they should run through the bag – coach should say “through” early down the line
Emphasize: Running full speed down the line and running through the base and breaking down, looking to the right for an overthrow
Make a Turn
Put a cone down about 10 feet from first base towards the plate and two feet to the right of the foul line
On the next few reps, have the coach tell them to “make a turn” when the runner is about a quarter of a way down the line
Emphasize: Banana out and go around the outside of the cone, hit the inside of the bag, go about three steps beyond the bag with your head up.
Go to Second
One the next few reps, have the coach tell them to go to second about a quarter of a way down the line
Emphasize: Banana out and go around the outside of the cone, hit the inside of the bag, and going straight to second.
Listen to the first base coach
On the last few reps, give a different option to each player early down the line
Emphasize: listening to coach but still running hard
Helpful Videos
Running Drills
Little League Base Running Progression
Focus Area: Catching
Teaching Points:
Watch Ball
Fingers Up
Two Hands
Secure the ball with throwing hand (two hands)
Don’t Stab at it
Drills:
Soft Toss with No Glove
Drill requires soft (tennis) balls
Line the Players up in a line across with No Glove
Coach should go 6 feet in front of each player and flip the ball to each one
Player should try to catch the ball with their bare hand with their fingers up
Emphasize: Watching the ball all the way into the hand
Cover your bag
Put players into three groups and put them at a base
Put them in a single file line about 7 feet above the base (use a cone)
For each player
Coach says “break”
Player runs to the bag
Player puts one foot on the bag and the other out in front ready to receive the ball from the thrower (coach)
They should have their glove out in front with fingers up
Coach throws the ball to the player on the bag
Emphasize: securing the ball with your throwing hand and keeping foot on base
Helpful Videos:
Mechanics
Catching Progression
Focus Area: Outfield
Teaching Points:
Good Angles to the Ball
First Step Back
Momentum coming forward when catching a grounder or fly ball
Throw the ball to the glove side of the cutoff man.
Drills:
See Videos
Helpful Videos:
Mechanics
Outfield Drills
Outfield Tips
Focus Area: Pitching
Teaching Points:
Set Position (Stretch)
Right Side of the Rubber
Feet: Little Less then should width and front leg slightly ahead of back
Hands Back near throwing shoulder (help with Balance)
Back Leg Slightly Bent
Eyes on Target
· Delivery
Lift front leg to belly button (slight twist): rhythm should be smooth (not too slow, not too fast) and keep the hands up
Drive/Push Off with Back Leg and lead with the front hip and butt
Break Thumbs Down
Bring arms up even with shoulders
Landing Toe pointed slightly to the right of the target (for righties)
Straight line from side of back heel to back of front heel (Stay closed)
Keep Glove Tight/Slightly Turning it over on delivery
Release the ball out in front of your nose, chest over your front knee
Drills:
· Teaching Point Simulation
Have players spread out and face a target (i.e. backstop fence).
Have players go through:
Getting Set Position (See Teaching Points)
The steps of delivery (See Teaching Points)
· Towels Snaps
Have a few towels (the size of dish towel)
Set up a bucket or a chair
Have the players lined up about 4 feet behind the bucket
Put them in the set position with the towel in their throwing hand
Have the lift their leg for a pitching delivery and snap the towel on the bucket
Have each players do it about 6 times
Emphasize: Snapping your wrist forward, and bending your back
Video: Towel Drill
· One Knee Throws
Put players into groups – number of groups should be equal to number of coaches
Spread them out about 10 ft. apart and have a coach about 20 feet in front of them
Put each player on one knee
Throwing side knee should be on the ground
Other knee up with foot on the ground out in front of the player
Player should turn into throwing position with front shoulder facing the coach/target and elbows even with shoulders
Player should then throw the ball to the coach
Emphasize bending the back and chest finishing over the front knee
Video: One Knee Drills
· Wall Bumps
Find a fence or a padded wall
Have the player facing the wall in there set position (stretch)
Have them lift their front leg for delivery and then lead/fall into fence or wall with their front hip/butt
10 Reps for each player
Emphasize: Back knee bent and leading with your front hip/butt
Video: Wall Bumps
T Drill
Put Tape Down (or cones) Perpendicular to Rubber (straight line down the landing hill toward the catcher) and Across Landing Zone to form a “T”
Have players setup (stretch) on the right side of the Rubber to the right of the tape
Have them throw pitches using their delivery
§ Front foot should always land on the right side of tape down the hill
§ Front Foot should also extend over the tape out in front
o Emphasize: bringing up the knee to the belly button (slight twist) and leading with front hip so they land on the right side of the tap down the middle of the mound
o Video: T Drill
Helpful Videos:
· One Knee Throwing Progression
· Pitching Fundamentals
· Additional Drills
Focus Area: Bunting
Teaching Points:
· Up in the box
· Pivot back foot
· Bat in front of the zone
· Hand slides up the bat and pinches it
· Bat on a slight angle
· Lower knees for lower pitch
· Catch the ball with bat
Drills:
o See Videos
Helpful Videos:
· Mechanics
· Bunting Drills
Focus Area: Catching Behind the Plate
Teaching Points:
· Up in the box
· Pivot back foot
· Bat in front of the zone
· Hand slides up the bat and pinches it
· Bat on a slight angle
· Lower knees for lower pitch
· Catch the ball with bat
Drills:
o See Videos
Helpful Videos:
· Mechanics
· Catching Drills
