There are all kinds of equipment, training aids, etc. that coaches can utilize to help them run more effective baseball practices. One of these items that comes in most handy can actually fit in your pocket, and that is a stopwatch. I use a stopwatch at my practices almost every day. There are so many ways a coach can utilize a stopwatch to become a better coach and help their team win baseball games.
Evaluate Your Players Skills
There are many areas of skill that a coach can use a stopwatch to evaluate their players. When coaches time players executing certain skills, they can identify areas of strength and also areas of improvement. Professional Scouts use stopwatches all the time to evaluate players skills, here are a few examples:
There are many areas of skill that a coach can use a stopwatch to evaluate their players. When coaches time players executing certain skills, they can identify areas of strength and also areas of improvement. Professional Scouts use stopwatches all the time to evaluate players skills, here are a few examples:
Once coaches have identified player's strengths and weakness they can adapt their practices plans to meet their players needs.
Use Your Stopwatch to Run an Efficient Practice
My practices are often planned to the minute. For example, sometimes I may devote 8 minutes to an activity, I don't have time for 10 minutes, so I need a stopwatch to keep me on track. Most practices I have stations. It is important to me that each players spends the appropriate amount of time at each station. When I plan my practices to the minute and monitor my progress with a stopwatch I almost always accomplish my objectives for that practice. Using a stopwatch keeps my teams on track and minimizes wasted time.
Analyze Opportunity to Steal Bases
When you use a stopwatch you can use simple math to determine if your player has a good opportunity to steal a base or not. At higher levels I time how long it takes my players to run from first to second base as if they were stealing. I actually have my players take their normal lead, then when I say go time how long it takes to slide into second. Now I know how long it takes each player on my team to steal second. Early in the game I time how long it takes the pitcher to get the ball to the catcher once they start their motion from the stretch position, and I also time how long it takes from the time the catcher catches the ball, until they get the ball down to second base (Pop Time). I can simply add up these two numbers and compare that to my runners stolen base time. This helps me evaluate if I should attempt stolen bases.
If your players are at a lower level, where leading off is not allowed, it is even easier to time your players stolen base time as you don't need to consider leading off. Sometimes you can modify what/how you time in order to compare times. For example, in some leagues players cannot steal until the ball leaves the pitchers hand or crosses the plate.
Use Your Stopwatch to Run an Efficient Practice
My practices are often planned to the minute. For example, sometimes I may devote 8 minutes to an activity, I don't have time for 10 minutes, so I need a stopwatch to keep me on track. Most practices I have stations. It is important to me that each players spends the appropriate amount of time at each station. When I plan my practices to the minute and monitor my progress with a stopwatch I almost always accomplish my objectives for that practice. Using a stopwatch keeps my teams on track and minimizes wasted time.
Analyze Opportunity to Steal Bases
When you use a stopwatch you can use simple math to determine if your player has a good opportunity to steal a base or not. At higher levels I time how long it takes my players to run from first to second base as if they were stealing. I actually have my players take their normal lead, then when I say go time how long it takes to slide into second. Now I know how long it takes each player on my team to steal second. Early in the game I time how long it takes the pitcher to get the ball to the catcher once they start their motion from the stretch position, and I also time how long it takes from the time the catcher catches the ball, until they get the ball down to second base (Pop Time). I can simply add up these two numbers and compare that to my runners stolen base time. This helps me evaluate if I should attempt stolen bases.
If your players are at a lower level, where leading off is not allowed, it is even easier to time your players stolen base time as you don't need to consider leading off. Sometimes you can modify what/how you time in order to compare times. For example, in some leagues players cannot steal until the ball leaves the pitchers hand or crosses the plate.
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Create Timed Challenges During my catch routine I almost always have my players execute timed challenges. For example I have my players do a Rapid Fire Drill. I time them for 30 seconds to see how many throws they can make during that time. I do this throughout the course of the season so they can strive to beat their own record. I also do timed challenges where players see how many hard hits they can get in an allotted time. I put pressure on kids whenever possible by timing them because I feel it helps better prepare them for game play. Not only am I a Baseball Coach, but I am also a Physical Education Teacher. I use stopwatches all the time, in baseball, and other sports. Kids love to be timed, they want to know how fast |
they can finish tasks. They want to know if they are improving. They wan to know how their times compare to others. There are so many great ways baseball coaches can utilize stopwatches in their practices in addition to ones mentioned above. I even use my stopwatch to time how long it takes the kids to put the equipment away!
Good Luck Coaches!
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Tim Thoreson
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