| The Coach's Corner / Tee Work |
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The hitter should take his stance with his belt buckle in the center of the plate. The tee should be moved around to three different contact points. Contact point 1 is placed on the inside 1/3 of the plate, about 2 feet in front of the plate. This pitch should be pulled. Contact point 2 is placed down the middle and about one foot in front of the plate and hit up the middle. Contact point 3 is placed on the outside corner, back into the plate and driven to the opposite field. 1/3 of the swings should be lead hand cuts, 1/3 follow hand cuts and 1/3 two hand cuts. When swinging with the lead or follow hand the hitter should choke up for bat control and place the bat flat at the tip of his shoulder. Lead hands cuts will emphasize that the swing is powered by the rotation of the hips and body not by the arms and shoulders. I place a lot of emphasis on lead hand cuts at contact point 3 because this emphasizes letting the ball get deep, staying closed and driving the ball the other way. It is easy to learn to pull the ball but hard to learn to stay back, let the ball get deep, and drive it the other way. TEE work is BORING for younger players. I told my sons to envision a MLB pitcher in the tarp like say Randy Johnson and pretend to be their favorite hitter, Chipper Jones. Then they were to also be the radio announcer, Harry Carey and announce the game. “The Big Unit toes the rubber, kicks and throws, just a little outside, he doesn't want to challenge the Chipmeister. Johnson brings it again, Chipper swings, its deep, back, back, it's out of here!” Then THE KID would “Cadillac Trot” around the garage. It wasn't work. It was an imaginary game. I can't tell you how many times I went out to call them in to dinner to hear, “ Just a minute, Dad, we've got the Rocket on the ropes”. The Coach Archives
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Gas Lites
Today in 1991, Houston QB
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as the Cougars clobbered
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