Chair Drills for Pitching
with J.D. Arteaga,
University of Miami Pitching Coach

In this DVD, Coach Arteaga presents pitching fundamentals and drills. The first drill illustrated is the laying down drill. This drill teaches the set up and center finish. The knee drill concentrates on the upper half of the body. The stride drill brings the player to a standing position, where the coach analyzes specific teaching points. The balance drill creates feel and body control for pitchers. The chair drill stresses an open upper and lower half of the pitcher's body. Another chair drill places the player in from of the chair and teaches a strong front side and hip to knee motion. A similar drill, chair extension, keeps the knee at a 90-degree angle. On the mound, Arteaga teaches the art of playing from the stretch. Working from the wind up is also taught. Practical, fundamental drills can teach players balance, technique and skill. All of the drills in this excellent presentation will help develop well-rounded, fundamental pitchers. 43 minutes. 2006. DVD.

Drills for Catchers
with Joe Mercadante,
University of Miami Assistant Coach (catchers)

This excellent three-part DVD highlights receiving, blocking and throwing techniques for catchers. Mercadante begins with stretching and flexibility - two big parts of developing good catchers. Drills for stretching hip flexors are catching specific that completely prepare catchers. Mercadante then presents his receiving philosophy for catchers. In receiving Mercadante covers the elements of a good foundation, balance and target. Drills for receiving, including the bare hand drill, ball-in-hand drill, quarter turn and side-to-side drills, are illustrated. To develop good blocking fundamentals, Mercadante discusses blocking the 5 hole and throwing the hip to block. To develop these fundamentals he shows the side-to side drill and the five-ball drill. The third element is throwing. When the ball is caught, players are taught to work it back to his left shoulder, which aids their footwork. Mercadante dissects the jab step - the first movement forward after the catch. Exploding out of the blocks and keeping the weight over the feet are other keys he covers. The fundamentals, skills and drills presented in this DVD lay the foundation for successful catchers. 35 minutes. 2006. DVD.

10 Drills for Championship Baseball
with Jim Morris,
University of Miami Head Coach;
over 1,000 career wins, 2x National Coach of the Year

Coach Morris brings together all elements of the game of baseball in this impressive DVD. Starting with developing a game plan, details out the essentials of the game. Morris presents a three-step plan for drills. First, drills are performed dry and slow without a ball. Next, drills should be executed with a ball and no runners. Next, they are performed live and game-like. Morris presents 10 drills for developing a winning team. These drills include the 3-minute drill, which is a ground ball and throw drill. Next, infielders turn double plays in a variety of situations in several 3- minute segments. The three-line pick drill is for pitchers to work on pick-offs. Run downs are covered with infielders and pitchers. This drill is a constantly moving drill involving all players in three lines. Pop up priorities expose players to every possible situation that may arise during a game. Cut-off and relays are covered in drills as well. Three different bunt defenses are discussed; crash, pick and regular bunt defense. Offensively, the base running drill presents multiple situations that are full speed and game-like. Every possible situation is covered, giving players the confidence needed to execute during the game. Reaction is a big part of baseball and these situation drills will test each player's ability to react properly. 25 minutes. 2006. DVD.

Hitting Drills and Technique
with Gino DiMare,
University of Miami Assistant Head Coach

Coach DiMare's system and philosophy for hitting is highlighted in this DVD. Coach DiMare teaches hitters to stand tall and finish at the plate. Sandbags are used to teach the correct stance needed. The Stride drill teaches players to load up their lower body to create power at the plate. The upper body is loaded up in drills where players position the bat with the barrel at a slight angle. DiMare describes the nine hitting zones in detail. Attention is given to each zone separately through toss drills and by using live hitters in a batting cage environment. The tracking drill helps develop the eye as it picks up the baseball as quickly as possible. Miami players use the tee to work on technique and fundamentals. This is an excellent DVD for detailed drills and hitting technique from one of college baseball's elite programs. 39 minutes. 2006. DVD.

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