Baseball practices can either be long and boring, or short and fun. And guess what, both of those practices last the same amount of time.
They just seem longer when they are not fun. Do you want motivated players? Then your baseball practice drills are going to have to not only be informative, but also fun to do.
I can remember baseball practices as a kid and the only thing we did was batting practice. A coach would pitch, one player batted, and the rest of us goofed off and retrieved balls.
- Wrap a piece of colorful tape around your drill bit to mark the depth you want to drill into a piece of material. Maintain Your Drill Bit Properly. If any type of problem occurs while drilling, chances are good it’ll involve the drill bit. So, you want to make sure all of your drill bits are properly maintained.
- All You Can Drill. Looking for similar items What is similar to All You Can Drill? $11.98 The tags customers have most frequently applied to All You Can Drill have.
- Center pilot hole drills are mostly for wood, metal, etc. Regular height Drilax tools can drill 1 inch to 1 1/8 inch depth. We also have the taller version sets with a 30% increased depth of cut. Shank sizes vary but the largest shank is 3/8″ – standard electric or cordless drills can be used.
Since most of our practices after the season started consisted of only that, baseball drills was not my favorite thing to do.
The drill doctor can sharpen any high-speed steel, cobalt, carbide, and tin-coated masonry bits. A drill doctor can help you save money. This is because you don’t have to buy new drill bits all the time. You can use it to sharpen your bits and reuse them whenever you need to.
Baseball Practice Drills - Make Practices Fun and Competitive
So as a baseball coach, I strove to offer my teams practice drills that were not only good learning drills, but also fun and competitive to do.
Yes, being competitive is all pure fun to boys.
Of course no one is keeping score, but there is an outcome for each play.
This makes it competitive, but also keeps their minds on the fundamentals of the drill.
And the closer the practice baseball drills are to game like conditions the better. The amount of baseball knowledge your players know will vary big time from player to player.
So the mechanics of baseball practice drills should be demonstrated in slow motion.
Do it enough times that everyone understands all the different roles of each position.
Then, do the drill in half-time speed. Once everyone involved has a good understanding of what is going to happen, take the drill live.
Our Drills Are Helpful and Free
On this website I offer free practice drills. Some sites charge for drills, while other just bombard you with lots of bad drills and a few good ones. Here I only offer baseball practice drills that I know are helpful and fun to do. And most of the drills offered can be adjusted to help any age group.
The following is my favorite infield drill, and one of my players’ favorite baseball practice drills. I probably ran this infield drill more at all my practices than any other.
There are different variations you can do with this drill, and once you have tried them all, you will be in a position to pick which suits your team the best.
There have been times when a certain way was just not working at one of our practices, so we adjusted during the drill to whatever works. No need to wait until the next practice. Learn to adjust on the fly.
Baseball Tip – Infielders Drill
Put fielders at every base and shortstop. One of the variations to this drill is without a third baseball, or even with all fielders at shortstop. There just has to be at least one fielder and a first baseman.
You, or another coach, stand near home plate and hit ground balls to the infielders.
Here is where the competitive nature comes into play. Your remaining players are runners that start at home plate. I usually had the runners start about two steps down from home plate. They tend to start running too soon and a little farther distance makes the drill more practical. And runners should wear helmets.
This is just basic baseball. You hit a ground ball to an infielder, and he throws to first. Runner is safe or not. It doesn’t hurt to put a coach or parent at first to umpire. That helps to keep things moving and less arguing about safe or out.
It looks like one of the simpler baseball practice drills. But you as the coach control how hard this drill is. You can make it tough or easy on your fielders.
And that is what so great about this drill. It can be done by nine year olds, or eighteen year olds. If the runner is safe at first, let him continue to run.
This sets up double play practice. If he is safe again at second, let him keep running. Just be sure to tell the infielders what they should do if the ball is hit to them.
Teach the drill as you have fun with it. Time will fly by on a drill like this.
You can even split up into two teams and switch after five or six outs. Kids love keeping track of the number of runners that reach second. In our practices that was a run.
Give this drill a chance and your team will love it, and all of a sudden your infield starts fielding better.
Practice hard and good luck.
Here is a listing of the drills under the Team Drills Section:
Team Drills:
- The Doubles Game
Infield Drills:
Outfield Drills:
Coaching Tips and Misc Drills
- Coaching Little League Baseball
- Baseball Coaching Tips - Intimidating Coach
Return From Baseball Practice Drills to Helpful Baseball Drills
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Whether you’re tackling a simple home repair or a large commercial project, a drill is an invaluable tool.
The type of drill you choose is important – but so is how you use it. Successfully drilling a hole depends just as much on technique as tool quality.
Improper technique will lead to splintered wood, scratched metal and other damaged material. But poor-quality construction isn’t just an aesthetic issue. Improperly drilled material can easily fall apart and cause injury.
Here are five drilling tips to help you complete your next project easier, safer and quicker:
1. Use a Sacrifice Board to Prevent Blow Outs
A blow out is a common problem when using a drill. It’s when the drill basically bursts through a piece of wood, creating a splintered hole on one side.
These blow outs can wreck the piece of wood you’re attempting to drill. They create splinters, chips and just generally ruin the look of the wood.
Plus, blow outs affect construction. If a side of the wood has blown out, you can’t then place that wood flush against a surface.
Finally, blow outs can be dangerous. When the drill bit shoots through the wood, the entire drill can shake and wobble, causing you to lose control!
Preventing blow out is actually fairly simple. First, you need a piece of wood called a sacrifice board.
The look of the sacrifice board doesn’t matter at all because, as the name implies, you’re purposefully “sacrificing” this board.
The sacrifice board is placed underneath the board you want to drill. Now the drill bit will go into the sacrifice board, which effectively blocks a blow out from happening. The hole on the back of the main board will be clean and free from splinters.
A sacrifice board is almost always a good idea no matter what type of drill you’re using (hand or press).
Bottom Line:
A sacrifice board underneath a piece of wood helps prevent dangerous and unsightly blow outs.
2. Start with a Small Bit and Work Up
Generally, the larger the drill bit, the less clean the hole will be. In order to get a clean circle, you want to use the smallest drill bit possible.
Start with a small bit. Then increase the bit size gradually until you find the appropriate diameter.
Switching drill bits can be time-consuming, especially with wood. But the end result is a hole which isn’t splintered or jagged.
This same technique can be used when drilling into metal. Starting with a small bit and then increasing the size is actually the fastest way to drill through metal. Be sure and only use a bit specifically made for metal drilling.
When drilling through metal, always use a slow drilling speed. This helps avoid accidental loss of control, which is dangerous and can result in damage to the metal or yourself.
Also, use plenty of oil when drilling. The oil lubricates the drill while also regulating the temperature of both the bit and the metal.
Special cutting oils exist for drilling metals. But pretty much any household oil will work in a pinch. Just make sure the oil has a decent viscosity.
Bottom Line:
Start with a small drill bit and increase the size gradually. This helps you drill the cleanest hole possible.
3. Use Tape to Control Drill Depth
You don’t always want to drill clean through a piece of wood or metal. Sometimes you only want to make a partial hole in a piece of material. Here’s how to accurately and easily measure the depth.
First, you need to measure the intended depth. Usually, an effective way to do this is to simply place the drill bit next to the piece of material.
Next, you need to mark the depth. All you need here is a simple piece of tape. Simply wrap the tape around your drill bit right at the point where you want to stop drilling.
Any non-clear piece of tape will work just fine. Many professionals prefer colorful gaff tape for increased visibility.
When drilling, simply stop when the edge of the tape is flush with the material. This low-tech method is surprisingly accurate!
Bottom Line:
Wrap a piece of colorful tape around your drill bit to mark the depth you want to drill into a piece of material.
4. Maintain Your Drill Bit Properly
If any type of problem occurs while drilling, chances are good it’ll involve the drill bit. So, you want to make sure all of your drill bits are properly maintained.
A drill sharpener is often worth the cost, because keeping bits sharp will dramatically extend their lifespan. Never use a dull drill bit, even to drill a small hole. A dull bit can damage the material and also cause the drill to slip out of your control.
Also watch the bit carefully when drilling. Only use a bit designed for the material you’re drilling through.
If the bit ever starts to smoke while drilling, stop immediately. The hardness and tempering of the bit can become dulled when it gets too hot. Let the bit cool down before continuing to use it.
Bottom Line:
Proper care of each drill bit extends their life and improves their function.
5. Allow the Drill to do the Work
You don’t need to use much force to operate a drill. Avoid pushing or pressing the drill into the material.
All You Can Drill Bit
Instead, allow the drill to do the work. This allows the bit to operate at maximum efficiency.
If you put too much force on the drill while it’s running, the bit has an increased risk of breaking. Plus, you’re also more likely to cause a blow out (another reason to always use a sacrifice board).
Stop drilling if the drill stalls or makes a high-pitched noise. Make sure you’re not trying to drill through a harder substance, such as concrete behind a wall.
If you find that the drill isn’t going through material as you were expecting, make sure you’re using the right type of bit. Generally, brad-points are best for wood while twist points are best for metal.
Bottom Line:
Drill Bits For Stone
Don’t force the drill too hard or damage can occur. Instead, allow the drill to move at its own pace.
Conclusion
Drilling is an important part of completing tons of projects big and small. Just a few simple techniques can increase the speed and effectiveness of drilling through wood, metal or any other material.
A few common accessories like a sacrifice board and colorful tape increase drilling safety by giving you precise control over the bit placement.
Speaking of bits, be sure and only use drill bits designed for the type of material you’re drilling through. Also make sure each drill bit is kept sharp.
What Can You Drill Glass With
The drilling tips listed above make drilling faster, easier and safer.