TBR tips: Helping the High School player

With the vast wealth of knowledge that our members have lets see how many tips we can give the players in order for them to be a better player this year. Can we reach 100 tips?

1) Get and stay in the best shape you have ever been
2) Hustle more than anyone else all the time
3) Do not miss a sign show your intelligence

The above is just to get us started and since all the tips are going to be important they will be in no particular order.

If any player would like more information on any tip please post that question and the orginal tipster can then expand on his tip.

Please keep your tips in numerical order. Who is next with a few more tips?

 

4. Become a student of the game.
5. You should move every time the ball moves no matter what position you play. (Back up!)
6. Constetly pay attention.

 

More tips

#7- Dont wait for the season to start to start getting ready for the season.
#8- Play the game one step ahead of the game. In other words run all the possible scenarios over in your head before the ball is pitched. If its hit to me in the hole Im going to third base. If its hit right at me Im turning two. If its a slow roller Im going one and the leadoff guy is up so I got to go. Etc etc. Know the situation and stay in the game.
#9- Learn while your in the dug out. What is the pitcher starting guys out with? If he throws a deuce for a strike does he always come back with a deuce? If he throws a deuce for a ball does he ever come back with a deuce? Does he change his arm slot on his off speed pitches? You can learn so much from watching other guys hit. Learn from every ab including your own. You dont learn anything by not paying attention.

 

Don't Cheat Yourself

Players: The reason I started this thread was because today I witnessed something at Wesleyan College that I hope won't ever happen to you.

In the 4th inning with the score 3-1 in favor of Piedmont College, a senior starter and one of the best hitters in Wesleyan history hit a groundball to the 1st baseman and he did not hustle down the line. He was then immediately benched by the coach. This not only looked bad for him BUT maybe more importanly Wesleyan went on to win the game 10-3 so my thought was; hey Wesleyan can win without this star player. Not a good situation to put yourself in!!!!!

 

#10 - Repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition

 

Dont let your emotions

control your control your emotions. Alot of times a player will hit a weak ground ball or a pop up and they are thinking "Dad gummit" and they forget to realize the play is not over it has just begun. Instead of still trying to make something happen and hustle and maybe they create a positive out of a negative they dont hustle and they create even more of a negative situation. Players have to control their emotions and just play the game hard. There is nothing I love to see more than a kid hit a pop up , bust out of the box and when it falls in they are standing on second base. This is alot better than seeing the guy jog down the line and then realizing it has fallen in they are standing on first.

Its kind of like the kid that gets a bad call on him at the plate and he shrugs his shoulders and steps out of the box with a look of disgust on his face. Show no emotion. Just get back in there and hit the baseball. Play the game hard and show it the repect it deserves. There is never a reason not to hustle. Never.

 

Pitching Success Factors

A pitcher must believe when he steps on the mound that he is better than the hitter he faces...

A pitcher should strut like a peacock in order to feel more confident. Tony Robbins says your physiology -- how you walk and present yourself can influence how you feel about yourself.

A pitcher needs to be like the old time gunslinger. When these guys came into town, nobody messed with them. They had that LOOK about them.

When a pitcher walks onto the mound, he needs to walk LIKE he has a reputation. He should keep his head up, his shoulders back.
When he gets to the mound - OWN it! Pick up the ball, manicure the mound like its yours, you own it and know exactly how you want it. Kick some dirt around - look the part.

Looking confident is all part of it because with practice, the pitcher will feel and BE confident too.

 

11... GRADES, GRADES, GRADES! unless you're a sure 'nuff 1st rounder, then you better be in position to qualify for college academically.

12. Workout, and play, at a higher level. Don't work and play to be good enough, work and play to be the best! I have heard it said that the best players see and play the game at a "slower speed" then players that may be struggling at that level of play.

13. Work on your weaknesses, not just your strengths.

14. Keep it fun! The umpire says "Play ball!", not "Work ball!" Don't take yourself too seriously!

15. Pass it down. Whether it's with younger guys on your HS team, or local little leaguers, share with them what you have learned... don't force it though, Show by example how the game should be played. Be a good teammate.

 

team

Always put team before self. The rest will take care of itself.

 

# 16 - When on base know how many outs there are, base running can make or break a game for your team.