Offensive Team Drills for 16U and 18U

Learn the aggressive base running strategies and drills that will help any team score more runs and win more ball games. Mike Stith's teams are well known their offensive prowess. Learn why in this DVD, as he explains his offensive philosophies and strategy regarding base running. Coach Stith teaches you many of the basics of base running, introduces several of his favorite drills, and explains how he develops aggressive base runners.

Base running basics and responsibilities
Coach Stith begins by explaining his ideas on base running basics, starting with how to approach, round, and return to first base. He goes in depth into base running responsibilities, and what he expects of his runners while at each base. Particularly, he explains the proper lead for each base, and why each is such. Taking the correct lead at each base is important as it will help the runner avoid pick-offs and get as close to the next base as possible.

Fly and ground ball lead-offs
It is important that runners have a chance to practice their lead-offs at each base and react to a batted ball. Coach Stith begins with his runners on first base, taking a lead off the pitched ball, and reacting to a ball hit by a coach with a full defense in place on the field. Stith has his runners spend ample time practicing these skills, first on fly balls, and then on ground balls. He then moves his runners to second base, and then third base, with a different emphasis at each base.

Live ball lead-off drills
Finally, Coach Stith switches out the coach hitting balls in favor of a live batter. The batter will take at-bats off of front-toss so that the base runners can practice their running and decision making to the ball as it comes off the bat. According to Stith, this is the best way to practice base running and decision making, as it is very game-like.

56 minutes. 2013.