- Oct 22, 2009
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I purchased these two agility poles last fall with the intentions of using then during winter velocity training.
Correction, I purchased the two bases. The poles that came with them were made of plastic and broke the first time they were hit by a semi-fast all. I've replaced them with sturdier PVC.
Since using them I have come up with many many ways of using them. At first it was to produce a narrow lane for the pitchers to pitch through, to address striding, glove and lean issues.
Then I began using them for visual references to stay back, push more, etc. Being taller than my Tee they are more visual.
Then for my pitchers that were learning the place the ball outside and inside, I began to set the poles up way outside the plate and had them pitch the ball between the plate and the pole, slowly moving the pole in after each success.
It was amazing how the visual cue help the girls focus and in no time at all they were hitting their spots.
Seeing the success in this, I took the poles on my latest fresh beginners and set them up in the batters box as shown in the picture above. This was an immediate success. before the students were worried about "hitting the batter", now they were having fun "not hitting the poles". And we had a good laugh whenever a pole was hit and "knocked down the batter" Scary became fun.
As a fun drill, I set the poles up on the outside of the batters boxes on each side about 5' in front of the plate and the pitchers pitch a pitch between the poles, which each success the poles move closer. Beginners get 3 tries each, experienced beginners get 2 each and everyone else gets just one.
The focus I get out this drill is incredible. last week I had 5 girls make it all the way to where the 2 bases touch and 2 girls actually pitched it through without a touched pole. One of these girls was one of my beginners on her 4th lesson! She threw about 5 pitches in a row right down the center of the plate, she hadn't thrown more than 2 in a row the whole class.
Just wanted to share. I was just going to use these from time to time, but looks like I'll be lugging them to every class for now on!
Correction, I purchased the two bases. The poles that came with them were made of plastic and broke the first time they were hit by a semi-fast all. I've replaced them with sturdier PVC.
Since using them I have come up with many many ways of using them. At first it was to produce a narrow lane for the pitchers to pitch through, to address striding, glove and lean issues.
Then I began using them for visual references to stay back, push more, etc. Being taller than my Tee they are more visual.
Then for my pitchers that were learning the place the ball outside and inside, I began to set the poles up way outside the plate and had them pitch the ball between the plate and the pole, slowly moving the pole in after each success.
It was amazing how the visual cue help the girls focus and in no time at all they were hitting their spots.
Seeing the success in this, I took the poles on my latest fresh beginners and set them up in the batters box as shown in the picture above. This was an immediate success. before the students were worried about "hitting the batter", now they were having fun "not hitting the poles". And we had a good laugh whenever a pole was hit and "knocked down the batter" Scary became fun.
As a fun drill, I set the poles up on the outside of the batters boxes on each side about 5' in front of the plate and the pitchers pitch a pitch between the poles, which each success the poles move closer. Beginners get 3 tries each, experienced beginners get 2 each and everyone else gets just one.
The focus I get out this drill is incredible. last week I had 5 girls make it all the way to where the 2 bases touch and 2 girls actually pitched it through without a touched pole. One of these girls was one of my beginners on her 4th lesson! She threw about 5 pitches in a row right down the center of the plate, she hadn't thrown more than 2 in a row the whole class.
Just wanted to share. I was just going to use these from time to time, but looks like I'll be lugging them to every class for now on!