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Pearls from the SYAC Player Skills Clinics

Clinical Offerings Extended SYAC Board Member Roger Mummert conducted a well-attended pitcher's clinic on Saturday, April 28, 2007. "I was very pleased to get 25 girls over the two-hour session," said Roger. "And, again, we had lots of parents and coaches down helping out, which definitely made it more successful. Future plans for this clinic will break it into two one-hour sessions. After a fifteen-minute water break--provided moms and dads come down with their daughters--we'll apply the skills taught in the first hour with a couple of innings of kids vs. parents, with the girls rotating through the pitching chores and getting more instruction as they work.
Good grip, good footwork, good snap and finish...at the SYAC Pitching Clinic at Hap Harris Fields.

In April 2006, SYAC held three teaching clinics for coaches with Batting Plus instructor Angel Mangual. In addition, we held our annual SYAC skills clinic for softball players, with instruction from former New York Yankee player Rusty “The Defensive Specialist” Torres (pictured below with some of the Syosset High School Lady Braves Varsity Softball Team who came to help out. Below, mixed in with the outlines of the skills that were covered, are some “pearls” from these clinics. Coaches, please use these tips in your team practices to build skills! Players, please try practicing these simple approaches to being a better softball player!

Player's Skills Clinic

This year's clinic was held on Saturday, April 16, 2005
Syosset HS Softball Fields

THREE SKILLS STATIONS

#1) DEFENSIVE SKILLS
Instructor:  Rusty Torres, assisted by coaches
(Field E, overflow into Field D and Field C, if needed)

RUSTY SAYS DEVELOP BALANCE: “Work to develop balance, speed and strength. When you are ‘down and ready,’ your body is low, your feet are balanced, and your butt is sticking out!”
RUSTY SAYS BE LOOSE: “Breathe in and out to relax your body. Bounce on your feet to be limber...and take off for the ball in a heartbeat!”
RUSTY SAYS BE LIKE AN ALLIGATOR: “Be like an alligator, and snap up ground balls with two hands. Then make a bow and arrow, pointing your glove where you want to throw and draw back your throwing arm, with the ball pointed down. Then step and throw!”
RUSTY SAYS KEEP YOUR GLOVE READY: “Your glove is not flat on the ground but tilted so you can move it easily in any direction. Field the ball out in front, use your body, and let no ball get through.”
RUSTY SAYS GET YOUR KNEES UP! “When you run, run like you mean it: with your knees high!”

OBJECTIVE: Define how to field, basics of catching, fielding, throwing...PLaying the defensive positions...game situation simulations, baserunning, thinking ahead in the game.

DRILLS: To be determined by Rusty

#2) HITTING SKILLS
Instructor: Roger Mummert, Coaches, SHS Lady Braves (Session 3)
(Closest to South Woods)

THE LADY BRAVES SAY...LIGHT ON YOUR FRONT FOOT >>> “Keep most of your weight on your back foot when you swing. Stay light on your front foot.”
THE LADY BRAVES SAY...HIT SOFT TOSSES >>> “Do soft tosses with wiffles from the side. Get the batter used to making contact out in front of the plate.”
ANGEL'S ONE-HAND DRILL Kneel on one knee before a tee. Isolate the motion of one hand, then the other. Elbows lead, hands follow, into the hitting zone—followed by the barrel of the bat.
RUSTY SAYS... “Good hitting comes down to three elements: balance, timing and bat speed.”

OBJECTIVE: Present the Angel/Baseball Plus method of hitting. Teach a short, compact swing that drives the ball, uses the hips for power and finishes high.

SKILLS:
1) Gripping the bat “Play the flute”
2) Positioning at the plate “One foot off the plate...light on front foot, more weight on back foot...minimize the stride
3) Inverted V: Keeping the hands high, elbows lower
4) Pulling the bat through the strike zone: Straight to the ball
--one-hand small bat drills: elbows, butt of bat, barrel of bat
5) Extending the bat in front of the plate
--Knock five glasses of water off the table
6) Turning the hips
--Bat behind the back twists
7) Finishing swing high

DRILLS:
--Hitting off the T into the net (wiffles)
--Hitting soft tosses
--Hitting top (or bottom) ball
--Hitting next to a fence (to keep arms in)
--Trigger the swing
--Hitting the hitting stick (contact out in front of the plate)
--Hitting “inside the ball”
--Hitting “situationally” three pitches, three fields

#3) THROWING AND CATCHING
Instructor: Matt Orens, Coaches, SHS Lady Braves (Session 3
(In between South Woods and Field E)

RUSTY SAYS: “Hold the softball with your top fingers on the seams and your thumb on the bottom. As you release, spin the ball on the seam to get a backward spin. This combats gravity and helps you throw straight and hard. Your throw ends with the palm flat to the ground.”
RUSTY SAYS...FEEL FOR THE SEAM: “As soon as you field the ball, feel for the seam so your grip is solid when you throw the ball.”
RUSTY SAYS...GO IN A HEARTBEAT: “Move in a heartbeat to step and throw to your destination.”
RUSTY SAYS... “Relax your body...be in balance, and ready to explode!.” He then advises players to move to the ball in an instant.
RUSTY SAYS... “When fielding, keep in balance, on the balls of the feet. Stick your butt out!"

SKILLS:
--Gripping the “C” on the ball
--Extending the throwing arm, hands pointed down, “wave”
--Loose and flexible on the arms
--Point with the glove...then pull in the glove on the throw
--Getting momentum on the throw
--Maintaining a center body posture

DRILLS:
--Soft tosses with no glove(on knees) and no-glove two-handed catching...using the wrist and forearm
--Medium tosses with gloves
--Positioning to field out in front of the body, entire body down
--Positioning to throw (Eagle arms...or “archer” formation)
--Catch to throw (over throwing shoulder on pop flies)
--Momentum throws to hit the cutoff
--Cutoff positioning and catching to throw to base/home/pitcher
--Slap the hand with the towel
--Catch on the run: Late throw, keep glove down till needed
--Running drills with glove extended (to show how silly)
--Rotating bases drill (catch, soft toss and move)

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Here are some pictures from the 2004 Player's Clinic: