Drills-Drills-Drills!

Drills, Drills, Drills. In my opinion, doing drills is one of the most critical components of making the complete ball player. However, drills must be creative, fun, and stressed to the athlete of how important they are. The reason for this is because it is very easy for a player to lose focus, concentration, and interest in the drill as it is often seen as mundane and boring. Many athletes have a high level of intensity so when they're forced to do a drill that breaks down their flaws and mechanics, they get frustrated or bored and would just rather go 100% full speed. You can tell they're just going through the motions to make you happy as the coach or instructor.

But you see, doing drills is important because it isolates the problem areas. Do you think the athletes you see on TV don't do drills or are "too good" to do them now? NO chance! Recognizing what a player needs to work on is a large part of the battle, but then knowing which drills to consistently do to cure the problem is the other half. The key word is consistent! Drills specific to a particular mechanical flaw must be executed on a routine basis and done PROPERLY. It takes another set of eyes to ensure the athlete is doing the drill the right way, otherwise, he or she could "think" they're doing it the right way when in reality they're simply practicing more wrong fundamentals and developing even worse habits. These must be done in front of a coach or professional who knows what to look for.

There are many drills out there for even the smallest corrections in baseball/softball mechanics. I encourage to mix the drills up and keep them fun and entertaining because that will only make the athlete want to do them more AND do them correctly with complete dedication. I am always looking for new drills because there will always be a certain drill that works for one - but doesn't work for another. And in those instances, you must have a few back up drills that accomplish the same task.

With that in mind, if you or your son/daughter have specific mechanical flaws - I urge you to come check out The Player's Edge to participate in suggested drills!