Tips for coaches for Coach-Pitch Baseball

As Coach-Pitch Baseball is not familiar to some coaches, the organizers of the Supercup Coach-Pitch Tournament decided to provide support for those who concern.

Coach-pitch is a technique where players bat a baseball that is safely pitched to them by their own coach. It is necessary to admit that some coaches might have problems with it. This is because….  

• Coach-pitch is HARD -- some coaches can pitch to little kids, and some can't.
• Some coaches can get the ball over the plate, but they throw too hard.
• Some coaches can get the ball over the plate slow enough, but it has too much arc.

 From way up there

 Most coach-pitch doesn’t work because the ball is coming ‘down’ to the batter as they try to take a swing. With the ball so high in the strike zone this causes kids to develop an uppercut to meet the ball coming down at them and develops other bad habits, like swinging at high pitches.
Ideally, the ball should come in like they do from pitching machines -- flat, waist-high and straight -- so that kids develop a more level swing. Getting a 6' adult to throw to a 3'8" child like, that is easier said than done.

Fixing coach-pitch

 There were more times successfully used techniques during practices. We talk of a one-knee throwing drill with the kids, when the coach keeps the glove knee up and make the regular throwing motion with the upper body. Its purpose is to train the kids in proper throwing mechanics, so why not try it for coach-pitch?

Getting down on one knee

 You, being a coach-pitcher can pitch this way: move in closer to the mound and get down on one knee. From there you could use a dart-like throw, not unlike the one a second baseman makes on a double-play. Put myself VERY SLIGHTLY off the first base side; just enough for the pitcher behind you to see the batter, but not too much so that the straightness of the pitch is affected. As a right-hander you can put yourself in a position where your right arm is pointing directly to the outside part of the plate on a right-handed batter. 

Why it works
You can have much better control of the speed, angle and accuracy of the pitches, and therefore the pitches came in flat and slow. Because you are fairly close to home plate you can throw quite slow and still not have to make a big arc to get it to the plate. You can place the pitches pretty much where you want to.
You can also adjust to the strengths and weaknesses of each batter easier this way. For the more advanced kids, ask them where they want the ball, and you can usually put it there.

Advantages

• The "pitcher" can actually play on the pitcher's plate (no mound) safely, because he has a full view of the batter
• You are out of the way of ALMOST any throws to a base
• You are close enough to the batter to talk to the batter (and the nearby coach assisting kids with their hitting ) without having to shout
• The games move MUCH faster since it takes fewer pitches for kids to hit the ball

With a little practice you can throw thigh- high flat-angle pitches that batters can actually hit, and help your kids develop proper swing mechanics without having to resort to expensive pitching machines and running electrical cords across a baseball diamond. Best of all they will feel a real sense of accomplishment as they get better and better.