2-Hour Baseball Practice Plan

Time Name of activity Description Key teaching points

5 Minutes Team Meeting/Intro the schedule for the
day/Attendance
10 minutes Warm-Up Players will spend 10 minutes doing Helps to prevent injuries
dynamic and static stretches to get loose
for practice. (see “Warm-up” below)
10 minutes Throwing Program Players will partner up based on position Helps to warm up your arm
(so catchers with catchers, infielders with and get ready for practice.
infielders, etc.) and go through the
throwing program. (see “Throwing
Program” below)
5 minutes Water break Players will go take a quick water break.

10 minutes Individual Players will break up into groups by Focuses on fundamentals

Defense/by position position (Infield, outfield, catchers, and and mechanics for each
pitchers) for position specific defensive position.
drills. (See “Individual Defense Drills”
below). For pitchers look at “Pitching
Drills”.
10 minutes Team Defense This includes the following; cuts and This works on in game
relays, bunt defenses, PFPs, 1st and 3rd situations. These drills are
defenses, steal covers, pop-up done at game speed.
communication, run downs, positioning,
and situational play. (see “Team
Defense” below)
5 minutes Water break Players will go take a quick water break.
20 minutes Individual Offense There will be multiple stations with These drills focus on
different drills that focus on different different aspects of hitting
aspects of hitting. Players will rotate and can help make
through each station. (see “Hitting Drills) adjustments to your hitting
mechanics.
20 minutes Team Offense Players will get Live-at-Bats vs the Gives the players to face
pitchers while players that aren’t up or real game speed pitching.
on-deck are in the field playing defense.
5 minutes Water Break Players will go take a quick water break.

10 minutes Conditioning All players will take part in baserunning. Focuses on all aspects of
(see “Base Running) baserunning.
5 minutes Team Meeting Quickly recap practice and quickly talk
about what’s coming up.
WARM-UP
Notes: Warm up as a team. Warm-up routine should take between 5 and 10 minutes.

1) Run: Have the team run a “pole”, from the left field corner to the right field corner, and back.

2) Dynamic Stretches:

• High-knees
• Lunges
• Side lunges
• Shuffles
• Karaoke
• High Kicks
• Quad pull-backs

3) Static Stretches:

• Trunk Twists
• 90s
• Throwing arm across
• Throwing arm back
• Arm Circles forward
• Arm circles back
• Back Slaps
• Up and Down
• Forearms
THROWING PROGRAM
Notes: This is one of the most important things you will do at each practice. “If you can’t play
catch, you can’t play baseball!” Throwing program should take between 5 and 10 minutes.
THROW BY POSITION: catchers throw with catchers, pitchers with pitchers, infielders with
infielders, etc.

1) Grip, Release, Rotation.

a. Players will partner up and stand about 5-10 feet apart and play catch. Have them
throw with a 4-seem grip at all times.

2) Chest to Chest.
a. Have players stand 10-15 feet apart, chest to chest, feet spread out, knees bent.
Without having them move their lower half, have them turn their shoulder, then
throw. Teaches players to have good “hip to shoulder” separation and torque.

3) Power position.
a. Have players stand 20-25 feet apart, turned sideways, feet spread out, knees bent.
Have them check their “line” making sure their feet and shoulders are on line with
their target, and throw.
4) 5) Long toss.
a. Have players spread out starting at around 30 feet and start playing catch. Then
have them keep backing up as they throw. Have them go as far as they can.

5) Quick catch.
a. Have players start at about 30 feet apart and play catch getting rid of the ball as
quickly as they can. Then after a few throws back and forth have the players start
walking towards their partner while still throwing. Have them do this until they are
about 5 feet away from each other.
INDIVIDUAL DEFENSE DRILLS
• Infield
1) Short hops: Have players get in proper ground ball position, and throw “short
hops” to them.
▪ Start with short hops right at them, then forehands, and backhands.
• Players can throw each other short hops in pairs to get more reps.

2) 2-Ball drill: Have 2 baseballs. Roll the balls from one side to the other having
players use only their glove hand (no glove) to field the ball and shovel it back to
you. Sets of 10.
▪ Players can work in pairs as well to get more reps.

3) Knees: Have players take ground balls on their knees. Either hit or roll the ball.

4) Multiples: Hit players 5 ground balls in a row rapidly.

• Outfield
1) L patterns: Have players stand next to you and run “L patterns” like a wide
receiver and while they are running throw the ball up and they have to catch it.

2) Crow hop: Roll outfielders ground balls. Have them close ground on the ball, field
it on the run, crow hop, and make a good throw.

3) Hit the players flyballs for reps.

• Catchers
1) Bare hand receiving: Underhand the ball to catchers and have them work on
receiving the ball with their bare hands.

2) Blocking: Throw short hops to catchers and have them work on blocking the ball.

3) Receive, transfer and footwork, throw: Break throwing into 3 stages so catchers
can make sure they’re doing the right thing at each stage.

4) Fielding bunts and pop-ups.

PITCHING DRILLS
1) 1, 2, 3 Drill: Have players stop at the top of their leg kick and balance. Have players stop
at the strike point. Have players stop at their release point. Make sure pitchers are in
proper position at each of these critical points in their delivery.

2) Rhythm Drill: Have players spread their feet out wide. A pitcher’s stride should be equal
to their height. Have them rock back and forth 4 times starting forward, and throw on 4.

3) Separation Drill: Have players swing their arms in opposite directions. There should be
no tension. And have them throw on 3.

4) Towel drill: Have players go through their delivery with a towel in the in their throwing
hand instead of a ball.

5) Reverse Drill: Have players begin at their release point, or finishing point, reverse
through their wind-up, then deliver the pitch.

6) No release Dill: Have players work on throwing without releasing the ball holding either
multiple baseballs or weighted baseballs.

7) If there is time have all pitchers throw a short bullpen (10-15 pitches each).
TEAM DEFENSE

Notes: Team defense includes the following; cuts and relays, bunt defenses, PFPs, 1st and 3 rd
defenses, steal covers, pop-up communication, run downs, positioning, and situational play.

• Cuts and Relays: Work out a system for cuts and relays with your team. We will review
specifics in person. Regarding language, there are only 3 verbal signals to use. If the cut-
off man hears nothing, he lets the ball go. If he hears a base number, he cuts the ball off
and relays it to that base, if he hears “cut”, he cuts the ball off and holds it.

• PFPs: Pitchers, 1st baseman, and 2nd baseman need to work together on ground balls to
the right side and need regular reps at practice.

• Steal coverages: If a right-handed hitter is up, the 2nd baseman covers 2nd base on a
steal. If a left-handed hitter is up, the short stop covers. Middle infielders need to work
this out between themselves between hitters using the “open mouth” “closed mouth”
system. Practice catch and tags at practice.

• Pop-ups: Priority goes like this; center fielder, corner outfielders, middle infielders,
corner infielders, catcher, and pitcher. Regarding language, players need to communicate
by calling “ball, ball, ball”, or “I got it”, and need to call for the ball as it’s reaching the
peak of flight, or, if later, when they know they can catch it.

• Positioning: You need to have a system to position your players from the dugout. Hand
behind the head means move back, hand in front of face means move in, hand over left
ear means move left, hand over right ear means move right. Teach the team situational
positioning as well such as “infield in”, and “double play depth”.

• Situational play: Put all of this together with simulating game situations and at game
speed.
HITTING DRILLS

• Tee: Tee work is very important. The tee is where we don’t have to worry about timing or
selection and can understand actual swing mechanics. We will go over the different tee
drills that we will be doing, at practice.

• Soft toss: Feed players underhand tosses from a 45-degree angle and have them hit into a
net. When you feed the player the ball it is at the players’ belt buckle, or front hip.

• Front toss: Same thing as soft toss, but from in front, behind an L screen.

• One hand drills: Have players hit with one hand, bottom hand, then top hand off the tee
into a net.

• Timing drill: Have players “stride” or approach the ball three times. Throw on the third
stride and they have to time the pitch and hit the ball.

• Rhythm Drill: Have players rock back and forth four times starting forward. Throw on
four. Players have to stay in rhythm and hit the ball.

• Power Drill: Have the players hit with a big leg kick off a tee and during soft toss.

• Contact drill: Have players freeze at the point of contact, get comfortable there, then
throw the pitch. Players load back from point of contact and swing.

• Hip drill: Throw the ball behind player. Have the turn their hips and pull the ball far foul.

• Pitch selection Drill: Pitch to hitters. Have them take pitches and tell you as much info
about the pitch as they can; location, type of pitch, ball, strike, swing, don’t swing, etc.
BASE RUNNING

• Running to 1st base: Have players practice running hard out of the batter’s
box, and run “through” 1st base properly. Have players practice “turns” at 1st
base on balls hit to the outfield.

• Leads and Steals: Have players practice primary and secondary leads. Have
players practice getting good jumps on steals. This a chance for pitchers to
work on holding runners and pick-offs.
o Do this at all bases.

• Reads: Have players work on reacting to balls in the dirt, and balls put in play
(“reads”) according to situation and defensive positioning.
o Do this at all bases.
▪ Groups

• Communication: Make base running drills a game-like when possible.

o Use a 1st baseman, and use base coaches to give verbal and gestural
signals.