Last week we highlighted one of the most effective agility ladder drills for developing quick and coordinated footwork; the ickey shuffle. Once the athlete becomes adept at moving forward as well as backward utilizing the ickey shuffle, the next step is to expand the number of steps utilized which can be useful for developing greater…
TPFP is a great defensive drill and essential when it comes to teaching pitchers how to hop off the mound and throw a baserunner out. The problem I see with the way it is done by some coaches is that a lot of times they have a huge line of guys behind the mound and…
This week I have decided to share with you a great drill that will help your infielders. It’s called Four Corners and it focuses on getting rid of the ball quickly, making quick decisions and accurate throws. Last summer when I was working at a baseball camp in Cooperstown, NY one of our coaches, Todd…
One of the tools we like to use at Cactus Camps to help develop foot speed, dynamic balance and total-body coordination is the agility ladder. There are numerous ladder drills which can be employed using this fundamental tool but we have found a few we consider to be our “staple movements”; one of which is…
Everyone is always looking for that “5 tool” player. I’ve even had parents tell me how their child has all 5 tools and that they are the best in the state for their age group. Talent is great, and no matter what line of work you are in, it will help you become more successful.…
One of the controversies in the sports world is the proper age children should begin using resistance training devices such as barbells, dumbells and machines. Extensive research and experimentation has been done by several countries to show that children as young as eight years of age can benefit from resistance training. The primary problem which…
Even with a hat and sunglasses it can be difficult to catch a fly ball when your line of sight is smack dab in front of that big ball of fire in the sky. Sure it looks funny on blooper reels, but it’s not so hilarious when you or one of your players wears it…
Last week we introduced a basic foundational exercise that taught proper lateral movement with an emphasis on balance; the stutter step and stick drill. This week we will progress to using quicker lateral movements as well as cutting and changing direction while running. The first drill this week is the same stutter step drill as…
Agility training is all about change of direction as quickly as possible while maintaining one’s balance and one of the best foundational drills for challenging lateral agility is the stutter step and stick drill performed with speed hoops. This drill focuses on lateral (sideways) movement with a balance component followed by a change of direction…
In my fifteen years of coaching experience I have seen quite a few things and run across many different players. Some guys have a lot of talent and equal amounts of baggage to go with it. Others may not be as gifted athletically, but they set themselves apart with their work ethic and leadership. Of…