When you need to properly train your players, it’s important that you have the right drills for them to practice during every session. In order for them to reach their full potential, they need to pair your drills with the best equipment and gear available.
This gear naturally includes the typical baseball requirements, like baseballs, bats, batting helmets, and gloves/mitts. However, this also includes separate pieces of equipment specifically made for training. You can’t go into a training session without the proper materials to best assist both you and your players.
That is why we have compiled a list of the best training gear for baseball coaches so you can get to working with your player so they can reach their full potential sooner.
1. Pocket Radar Smart Coach
When working with a pitcher or an aspiring one, you need to take note of their pitches’ speeds. You can then compare speeds and know exactly how fast they are throwing instead of guessing. That’s where the Pocket Radar Smart Coach comes in. With this handy gadget, you can properly and efficiently measure how fast your player’s pitches are.
It may sound like your standard radar gun, but the Pocket Radar Smart Coach is far from just that. It can also assist you in monitoring and reviewing the player’s progress throughout every session, as it records the past 25 speeds. It also allows for hands-free usage, so you can spend more time coaching your player and less on your gadget.
Another key feature in the Pocket Radar Smart Coach is that it has an easy-to-use trigger. You don’t need to be exact when pointing and using the radar. Instead, you can press and hold the trigger down, then release it when the speed appears on the screen. It’s that easy.
This training tool measures speeds from 25 to 130 MPH, which also makes it perfect for any ball sport! This particular radar is so compelling that, at the 2014 American Baseball Coaches Association’s national convention, it won Best of Show-- and is it really any wonder why?
2. Hitting Practice Net
One of the key elements of nearly any baseball training session is hitting. There is a lot that can go wrong for a hitter’s swing: poor stance, timing, grip, bat height and weight, and so on.
Your player may not be driving their hands to the ball. They may not be swinging completely through the ball. So much can go wrong and you need to be able to find even the smallest of errors-- and work on them.
That is where a hitting practice net can come in to greatly assist you and your player. With this net, you can take a closer look at your player’s swing while not having to worry about where the ball goes. It catches it conveniently and safely. You can even use it indoors!
When using this net, you can use a tee to have your player properly practice slower swings and driving their hands to the ball. You can also toss the ball to them slowly from your knees, so they can see the ball and continue practicing their regularly-paced swing, but with a slower-moving ball. Be sure to have a plate between you two!
The possibilities are endless with a hitting net. You can even bring this with you and have your players practice hitting into it prior to a game to effectively warm themselves up.
It also can be used by pitchers to practice their pitches without constantly running after the ball. It’s easily one of the most popular and most commonly used tools in baseball training--and for a good reason!
3. Batting Tee
As mentioned previously, a great piece of equipment to pair with the hitting net is a tee. We would be remiss, then, to not give a spot on this list for it. The use of such a piece of equipment is unparalleled for assisting a players’ swing.
You can use the tee in a number of ways, but it is best when used with the batting net (for convenience’s sake). You can have your player practice hitting a regular baseball or even plush training baseballs (if you are indoors). With a tee, they can practice a host of key attributes of any successful swing:
- Head down and chin tucked to the chest
- Keeping their eye on the ball
- Swinging through the ball and not stopping
- Driving hands to the ball
- Twisting hips for power
- Not leaning forward post-swing
- Straight-armed swings
- Proper stepping with the front foot and spinning on the back
- Contacting the ball at the meatiest part of the bat
- Proper grip
This piece of equipment is not only for tee-ball players anymore, but is used by youth and professional baseball players alike now, too. However, they have gotten an upgrade, such as with this Professional Batting Tee from Atec.
4. Training Pancake Fielding Glove
Another common difficulty with many players in baseball is fielding. When there is a ground ball hit to them, they may prematurely lift their glove from the ground, causing the ball to go under it. They may have poor ball transition from glove to throwing hand. They even may be struggling to properly catch fly balls.
That’s where the pancake fielding glove from Easton comes in “handy.” It can be properly used to practice defense for any position, as it allows the player to depend less on the glove and focus more so on the ball and play themselves.
This glove is a superb piece of training gear for infielders, pitchers, catchers, and outfielders. All players can reap the benefits of this versatile piece of equipment!
When you need to practice one-on-one with your players, you need a slew of training gear. From the Pocket Radar Smart Coach to fielding gloves, your extra effort and pieces of equipment will go a long way for all of your players. Be sure to browse all of our training offerings to find the right gear for you and your athletes.
