INTRODUCTION to T-BALL

The “T-Ball'' Years will be your first experience with organized baseball.  Relax and enjoy your child’s progress.  Your job at this point may seem to BE the best CheerLeader that you can be!  Encourage and support their effort to throw and catch and to do “the hardest thing in all of sports – to hit a baseball”.  Smile!  Have fun! And Smile some more!  (Let your child have a good time. Relax and enjoy yourself!)

 

[PARENTS NOTES:  This may sound funny, but at this time, the best thing you can do for your child is to just sit in the bleachers, quietly, and let them play!  Don’t yell.  Smile and enjoy yourself.  Be patient.  Let your child SEE that you are there.  Encourage them initially, but don’t yell.  Does this make any sense?  Try not to put ANY pressure on your child while they are playing.  Let your CHILD focus on PLAYING – listening to their coach and focusing on what you have taught them.  If you teach them well, they will know what to do.  When you get back in the “Backyard” for another coaching session, you can correct any problems with throwing, catching or hitting.  Remember that your child’s success playing baseball is a “work in progress”.]

 

HITTING OFF THE “T”

Why “T-BALL”?  Hitting a baseball happens to be “the most difficult skill” to perform in all of sports!  So to begin the progression of developing the skill of hitting the baseball; we place the ball on a stationary “T” so that the beginning players have an opportunity to hit the ball.  You will be amazed at how difficult it can be sometimes to “find that proper swing” to be able to hit the ball off the “T”.   The “T” is used at all levels -- little league, high school, college, and professional, to help hitters “find that proper swing”!

 

[PARENT NOTES:  To prepare your son or daughter for T-Ball, you might want to go out and buy a HITTING T.  Go to any sporting goods store or check out the website: www.coachelway.org ) You should also buy a rubber ‘home plate & three bases’.)  Go out in the backyard (or into the garage if you live up North).  Before you put the ball on the “T", show your ballplayer the GRIP of the BAT.

[This information is repeated from Chapter 2.] In Chapter 6, you’ll learn the Fundamentals of Hitting.

 

THE “HITTING T”

Most Hitting T’s have a home plate attached to the bottom of the “T”.  Have your child square their feet to the home plate (both left and right toes about three inches from the front and back corners of the plate). Show your batter the proper “hitting stance” (See Sketch 2-3: “Hitting Stance”).  Then let your child “take a couple of swings”.  Then STOP.

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[“Hitting off a Batting Tee”.]

THE HITTING STANCE

The “Hitting Stance” [See Sketch 2-8: “The Hitting Stance”]:  A. The BODY is in the “athletic position” (feet shoulder width apart, the back is straight like sitting in a chair, bent at the hips with a little forward lean); B. The FEET are square to the rubber plate; C. The KNEES are bent; D. The HIPS and shoulders are “square” to the plate; E. The HANDS are properly gripping the bat, which are 3-4 inches in front of the back shoulder; F. The BAT is flat (horizontal) or at 45 or 90 degree angles.

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[“Hitting Stance”.]

THE SWING

THE SWING can be divided into seven steps:  A.) Your ballplayer is standing in a good HITTING STANCE; weight balanced over both feet.  Knees bent and weight on balls of feet.  You start your swing by beginning the “load” phase:  moving your weight slightly backward onto the right foot as you turn your hips slightly backward and to the right and rear.  B.) Then you want to create a reverse movement of your weight forward onto the left foot, as you turn slightly to the left and forward.  C.) You step onto or place your weight on the front foot and; D.) You “throw your hands at the ball” with your top hand (right hand) palm up, and the bottom hand is palm down (left hand).  You don’t start your swing until your right foot is on the ground; E.) As you continue your swing, you begin to turn your hips and shoulders, staying closed until you hit the ball; F.) Then as you swing, you “torque” your hips, hands, shoulders against your front foot.  (The front foot is stiff and SET into the ground, which allows you to TORQUE the hips, hands and shoulders); and G.) FOLLOW THRU with the bat, as your ballplayer opens their hips and the bat comes through and around.  Both hands stay on the bat as you “roll” your wrists; or you can let the top hand release as you “whip” the bat in your follow thru action. 

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      [“The Swing”.] 

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