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FiveToolEvals
31 Posts |
 Posted - 12/06/2015 : 23:22:28
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Be prepared for the unexpected during a tryout...
Parents, it's our job to have our young players ready to put their best foot forward at a tryout. This means that we've done enough prepping as we lead up to the moment and when the tryout begins, we (parents) exit stage right.
Don't let the first impression be one of a potential "management intensive parent." It's hard, but let the coaches take care of everything. Your son will reach out to you if he needs you.
Now that that's out of the way, let's talk about prepping the player.
First off, he should look the part (most of the players that I've encountered definitely look like ballplayers). Secondly, they should maintain eye contact with the coaches as they are giving instructions (this is more for the younger participants). The next step is to show that your motor runs properly; that means hustle at all times.
It will be hard for the coaches to "truly" assess every player at once. There will be times when a young man slips through the cracks. One thing that will help you avoid slipping through the cracks is having "visible" signs of baseball actions (ex. solid fundamentals and the ability to perform your basic baseball
tasks). Now if these actions are performed at game speed, you will definitely stand out.
****Ok, enough of the small talk. Hitters, you don't have to step into the cage and pull every ball that you see! I see this at many of the tryouts that I conduct with older prospects. The special hitters have a plan and they work through their progressions.
As a scout, when I watch hitters during BP; the ones who stand out are the ones who have bat control and show the ability to follow a plan. First round, up the middle/opposite field (with balance). ***There is a sense of urgency to show your POWER, I know I know I know! Well, show them that you know how to handle the bat and that you have some rhythm at the plate (this catches my attention during the early rounds; and I pay closer attention as you rotate through).
***Now if you are brutally strong and a dead pull HR circus act type - then by all means, turn and burn from the moment your feet touch the dirt - but there are only a handful of those around & they can be pitched to (holes on the outer 1/3).
Parents of hitters - prepare them to face a BP pitcher who throws slower than what they are used to hitting off of. It never fails; a young man is having trouble timing the BP pitcher's soft loopy pitching style. You have to be able to adjust. The idea is to not be overlooked. Once you make the adjustment, work your routine (even if you have to shorten the program; take a pitch or bunt one; opp field or up the middle; up the middle; turn it loose). You have to come up with a game plan with your parents or preferably your hitting instructor. If hitting lessons aren't in the budget, send me a private message and we can try and figure out a game plan; but hopefully you can lean on your coaching staff.
Parents of pitchers - know the distance that you will be throwing from and make sure that you are capable of taking your bullpen session mindset to the tryout mound with you. We have to return to the "just playing a game of catch" thought process. Arm strength is a precious commodity, but the ability to command the strike zone trumps pure arm strength at all levels. Now, if arm strength is your calling card, then by all means, show it (arm strength is definitely a separator). Now remember, they can hit 100 mph fastballs in the TV League (it's tough, but possible) - I also see many of the big boys swing and miss on a well placed change-up.
**Now 100 mph is special, don't get me wrong!** Play to your strengths - but remember that strikes are important.
***1st pitch strikes - is actually a stat line***
Enough of this rambling. Just be prepared. It's tough to have a crash course right before tryouts. It's often counter-productive, especially if the coaches have never seen you before.
Best of luck!
www.FiveToolEvals.com
Facebook: www.Facebook/FiveToolEvals |
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BamaDad
188 Posts |
Posted - 12/07/2015 : 11:50:26
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| Solid points and advice. Do you have any additional advice for the younger players, 11-13, who are trying out for top level teams that may enhance their chances of getting extra looks? TIA |
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FiveToolEvals
31 Posts |
Posted - 12/07/2015 : 22:47:31
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quote:
Originally posted by BamaDad
Solid points and advice. Do you have any additional advice for the younger players, 11-13, who are trying out for top level teams that may enhance their chances of getting extra looks? TIA
@BamaDad - I am a strong proponent of countless "quality" reps. Comfort level leads to confidence. Every hitter should find comfort in the batter's box, especially when they have confidence in their swing & approach. The comfort level that I'm referring to is in the box and on the mound.
Have them take round after structured round of live BP (preferably 3-5 days out of the week). Tee work, soft toss, and front toss are all great - but live BP is the key component (especially as you move closer to the tryout). You want to have your son used to seeing the ball coming from the release point that he will be facing.
Have his early work routine in place like a pro. Probably the basic things that you guys work on: clean tee work; soft toss; able to work the ball to multiple spots in the cage during front toss.
Cage work can be boring to some; most young players want to see the results of their swings; but have them focus on the quality of their swings & look to impact the ball consistently.
***Make sure that they are using a bat that they are comfortable with. I often see young guys trying to swing a log, but it's actually swinging them. When in doubt, test out a shorter bat (bat control over power; especially at this age).
***I run into the "100% dead pull" dilemma when I work out younger players. The early work is the perfect time to get tuned up for the live rounds. Go to the opp field and work up the box for a few rounds. Get comfortable with this approach.
Pitchers: should be able to repeat their delivery in a smooth and rhythmic manner - in most cases this leads to strikes. Temper the urge to overthrow by having them focus on repeating their process.
Pitchers are a touchy subject and must truly be handled with care. A pitching instructor will be able to provide you with the proper framework for a throwing program. Balance and body control carry a great deal of weight when taking the bump.
I hope that I've at least touched on what you were asking.
Best regards -
www.Facebook.com/FiveToolEvals
www.FiveToolEvals.com |
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BamaDad
188 Posts |
Posted - 12/07/2015 : 23:08:39
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| This is awesome, FiveTool! It's exactly the roadmap that I was looking for. Thanks for the time you took to list these steps. |
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bfriendly
376 Posts |
Posted - 12/13/2015 : 11:10:39
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quote:
Originally posted by FiveToolEvals
quote:
Originally posted by BamaDad
Solid points and advice. Do you have any additional advice for the younger players, 11-13, who are trying out for top level teams that may enhance their chances of getting extra looks? TIA
@BamaDad - I am a strong proponent of countless "quality" reps. Comfort level leads to confidence. Every hitter should find comfort in the batter's box, especially when they have confidence in their swing & approach. The comfort level that I'm referring to is in the box and on the mound.
Have them take round after structured round of live BP (preferably 3-5 days out of the week). Tee work, soft toss, and front toss are all great - but live BP is the key component (especially as you move closer to the tryout). You want to have your son used to seeing the ball coming from the release point that he will be facing.
Have his early work routine in place like a pro. Probably the basic things that you guys work on: clean tee work; soft toss; able to work the ball to multiple spots in the cage during front toss.
Cage work can be boring to some; most young players want to see the results of their swings; but have them focus on the quality of their swings & look to impact the ball consistently.
***Make sure that they are using a bat that they are comfortable with. I often see young guys trying to swing a log, but it's actually swinging them. When in doubt, test out a shorter bat (bat control over power; especially at this age).
***I run into the "100% dead pull" dilemma when I work out younger players. The early work is the perfect time to get tuned up for the live rounds. Go to the opp field and work up the box for a few rounds. Get comfortable with this approach.
Pitchers: should be able to repeat their delivery in a smooth and rhythmic manner - in most cases this leads to strikes. Temper the urge to overthrow by having them focus on repeating their process.
Pitchers are a touchy subject and must truly be handled with care. A pitching instructor will be able to provide you with the proper framework for a throwing program. Balance and body control carry a great deal of weight when taking the bump.
I hope that I've at least touched on what you were asking.
Best regards -
www.Facebook.com/FiveToolEvals
www.FiveToolEvals.com
THIS^^^^I seldom take my kid to the batting cages. But, I pitch to him on a baseball field with a short fence (180 to Straight away center) quite a bit. He LOVES seeing his results and hitting one out to the opposite field is our favorite thing to watch!
A big thing about live pitching from a Dad is that the batter has NO IDEA where the ball is gonna go. I dont know how many times I have hit him and him hit me with a come backer I couldn't get out of the way of( I am almost ready to start using an L). A big moment for both of us was when he fouled off a pitch that was right in his face! I almost had a heart attack! I went and hugged him and loved on him for a minute.......
I was almost ready to leave at that moment as I was not throwing very good and I didn't want to push my luck and hurt him. It was a test for both of us and we went back to work........He stepped right in and so did I.
I managed to give him 3 Good Pitches in a Row and he bombed all three well over the fence. The third one hit the Scoreboard almost dead center on a line drive! He took off and ran the bases after that one........it was a very productive day for us both!
I would bet he gets more live pitching than most kids I see at the AA/AAA level.......it is Obvious how much confidence he has in the box just by his stance, routine and stats. Reps, and live Reps is why IMHO |
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FiveToolEvals
31 Posts |
Posted - 12/13/2015 : 18:21:41
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| Great story Bfriendly! I can imagine the feeling of going oppo on the smaller field. I also know that feeling of throwing shaky beeps lol! |
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CaCO3Girl
1989 Posts |
Posted - 12/14/2015 : 08:44:03
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quote:
Originally posted by BamaDad
Solid points and advice. Do you have any additional advice for the younger players, 11-13, who are trying out for top level teams that may enhance their chances of getting extra looks? TIA
In order to find the right bat you should take a trip over to better baseball and use the hittrax machine. It can tell you which bats suit your sons swing the best.
As for who stands out 11-13...well the first thing that comes to mind is speed. If you are fast as lightning you get a second look. However, not every kid is born with speed (mine sure isn't!). The next thing they tend to look for is hitting power, specifically line drive power. While going oppo is great, hitting a ball so dang hard that the fielder can't possibly stop it is also looked at twice. Also the ability to hit a ball at or slightly below the knees is a HUGE advantage at 11-13.
Most 11-13 year old pitchers are told not to throw curves, don't do anything to stress your arm, aim for the LOW strike. Why are they told that? Because the average 11-13 year old hitter can't get a solid hit from a ball thrown there, at best they foul it off, at worst they swing for thin air. If your kid can hit that low ball in fair territory and for power he will be looked at more than twice. The best way to do that drill that we have found is sitting to the side of the batter, soft toss a wiffle ball pretty much right at his knee and see if he can turn it enough to get it to go straight. Another helpful batting drill is the kid tosses up his own wiffle ball and tries to hit it, this improves the hand eye coordination needed to see the ball as it's coming in. |
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hshuler
1074 Posts |
Posted - 12/14/2015 : 11:17:55
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My former coach would always say "all the money is on the other said of the diamond." It is much harder to teach a kid to go oppo versus teaching them to pull the ball. Most great hitters use the entire diamond. Guys who can drive the ball in the gap oppo are always tough outs.
As you get older, it's not just about low strikes. In fact, I would say that a low inside pitch is one of the easier pitches to hit. It becomes more about finding the holes in the swing and that may be up in the zone...which is about being ableto locate. There is an art to pitching and calling pitches and it's about keeping a hitter from squaring it up.
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Edited by - hshuler on 12/14/2015 11:19:38 |
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prestont
197 Posts |
Posted - 12/14/2015 : 13:37:18
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A couple years ago I asked one of the better coaches at one of the academies in my sons age group... With 100+ kids trying out, how can you really evaluate them?
His reply... I eliminate ~50% of them during warm-ups so I know the kids I should seriously look at during the tryout. Are they athletic, do they throw/run with good form, have a strong arm, are they serious about how they approach the game (but also having fun), do they hustle (or lag in the back) were some of his comments.
I'm sure there are many approaches by coaches, but thought he had an interesting response that was applicable here.
Good luck to all! |
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Be prepared at tryouts...
