Maximizing Your Time on the Practice Field

Baseball can be a long game and if you're not careful, your practices can be drawn out as well. I do not like coaches or players standing around and I organize my practices accordingly.
- Brandon Buck

Arizona 5A State Champ (2011) Brandon Buck shows you how to maximize your practice reps and instill focus and purpose into every practice.

Coach Buck structures each practice around a defensive theme that is based on the skills used most often in a game. In this video, the focus is on relays and double relays. Each drill builds on this common element of the game.

This video provides not only an effective practice structure, but throughout Coach Buck provides specific instruction on the technique and execution of each drill and skill. Everything is laid out for you to use and customize for your team.

Individual Skills:
Buck demonstrates how to efficiently run position-specific drills by splitting up your team onto separate parts of the field, simultaneously. The drills are specific to relay situations:

• Catchers - Positioning to make a play at the plate on relays from the field.
• Infielders - Positioning and footwork to receive relay throws from the outfield.
• Outfielders - Footwork technique to create a quick release and make an efficient throw.

Team Defense:
Put it all together! Buck shows his team running through an extensive, full defense workout that focuses on relays. Both outfielders and infielders work on regular and double relay situations that teaches positioning and communication needed to make the proper play at any base.

Baserunning:
The "Three Base Drill" will allow your team to drill baserunning situations at each base, at the same time. First base focuses on fly balls and line drives, second base runners work on balls hit to their left hip; third base works on reaction time while listening to the third base coach's commands. An effective way to handle baserunning work in the middle of practice while your team is still sharp and focused.

Hitting:
Hitting stations include one hand drill, soft toss, and high tee drill to reinforce specific parts of swing mechanics that Coach Buck teaches his players (front foot down early, throwing hands through the ball and coming off your backside). These lead into a live BP session, starting with bunts, followed by a hit and run swing.

This practice structure is designed to pick up the pace and speed of practice to make it more game like. Trying to simulate game speed is very difficult and using individual skills training followed by rapid reps and the use of coaches all over the field, helps to speed up the pace and increase the number of reps without sacrificing quality!

47 minutes. 2013.