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Front Toss is one of the most essential drills in your arsenal. Bill demonstrates how having more control over the placement of the pitch can force a hitter to load and explode on the outside pitch with authority.
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Take your soft toss to the next level by placing a focus on the outside corner but varying with tosses to the inside part of the plate.
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Hitting for power demands an effective weight transfer. With the High Tee Drill, hitters can work on maximizing their weight shift to hit the ball with authority.
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They call it scoring position for a reason. Once you get to second base as a baserunner, you are expected to score on a base hit. Bill Ripken shows how runners should create depth and cut a tight angle at third base in order to score from second base every time.
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Bill demonstrates how to build hand-eye coordination for quick reaction with a unique and fun drill.
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With the Quick Hands Drill, hitters isolate their hand and arm movement to strive for the quickest bat speed to the ball while staying balanced.
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Bill covers the footwork and fundamentals of turning the double play as a second baseman.
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Stay big. Stay athletic. Stay ready. Bill Ripken demonstrates the proper positioning for holding a runner at first base.
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Bill Ripken demonstrates the Box Drill - a useful and efficient drill for middle infielders to practice starting the double play. In this Box Drill demonstration, players work on starting the double play from second base.
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How do you start the double play as a second baseman? Bill Ripken shows you how with the correct footwork and the fundamentals of a perfect underhand toss.
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A great backhand play is just the beginning. Now you have to throw across your body to get the out. Bill Ripken shows how infielders can leverage good footwork to generate momentum toward their target after making a backhand stab.
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Bill Ripken demonstrates an easy drill for getting infielders to field tough groundballs with the proper backhand fundamentals.
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If you're going to make it all the way to third base from first on a base hit, you better have the proper footwork during your secondary lead. In this tip of the day, Bill Ripken shows you how to get off the bag, get a secondary, and take the proper path to go from first to third.
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Ryan Heller and David Bounds demonstrate the footwork needed to start the 5-3 double play at third base.
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In crucial situations, the third baseman has to make a play with his barehand. Ryan Heller and David Bounds show you the keys to the barehand play when it matters most.
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Good first basemen catch good throws from their teammates. Great first basemen catch anything their teammates throw. If you want to be a great first baseman, check out this tip from Bill Ripken as he explains how to attack balls in the dirt to help your team generate outs.
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The greatest players use their entire body to make strong, accurate throws. In this tip, Bill Ripken uses a simple drill to get players in the habit of generating momentum toward their target, making an accurate throw, and following through.
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A first baseman's main job is to receive throws from his teammates in order to generate outs. The wider an area a first baseman can cover while keeping a foot on the bag, the more effective he will be at making his team better defensively. And to be effective, it all begins with getting your footwork in-sync.
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Bill Ripken explains the two important fundamentals of beating out an infield hit: pick a finish line beyond the bag & step on the front of the bag. You want to be running full-tilt all the way and you want to hit the part of the bag closest to home plate to cut down the time and distance to the bag as much as possible. On a bang-bang play, it makes all the difference.
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At third base, the runner's secondary lead changes from a shuffle to a walking lead. Bill Ripken explains how the walking lead gives you the best chance of scoring from third with every opportunity - whether your teammate puts the ball in play or the defense gives you a chance with a passed ball or wild pitch.
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Bill Ripken demonstrates the keys to a laying down a successful sacrifice bunt toward the third baseman.
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In this quick tip, David Bounds shows how footwork in the batter's box has a huge impact on your ability to cover the plate and drive the ball to every field.
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When the game is on the line, your coach will call for the suicide squeeze. Will you be ready to win the game for your team? Bill Ripken gives you everything you need to know to execute the suicide squeeze with perfect timing.
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How do you bunt for a base hit? A well-timed reaction and strategic placement of your bunt, that's how. Bill Ripken demonstrates how to bunt for a base hit, the Ripken Way.
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In late-game situations, defending against the double is crucial to keeping your team in a position to win. Ryan Heller shows you where a third baseman should play to give himself the best chance of preventing a double down the line..
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The Box Drill - 2B to SSBill Ripken demonstrates the Box Drill - a useful and efficient drill for middle infielders to practice starting the double play. In this Box Drill demonstration, players work on starting the double play from second base.
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Going back on a deep fly ball is one of the toughest plays and outfielder has to make. To prevent extra bases, it's important that an outfielder starts with the correct footwork in order to give himself the best chance of making a great catch. Bill Ripken demonstrates the correct footwork - drop-step, crossover and go!.
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Bill Ripken shows how a great throw from the outfield depends less on pure arm strength and more on using the proper footwork to create momentum toward your target as you catch the ball and transition into a strong and accurate throw.
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One Arm Drill
Cal Ripken, Jr. and Bill demonstrate the One Arm Drill at the Under Armour All-America training facility. With the One Arm Drill, hitters isolate their bottom hand on the bat and focus on taking a quick path to the point of contact.
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The tee is one of the most effective training tools in your arsenal, but you have to know how to use it. David Bounds demonstrates how to use the tee the Ripken Way, and it all begins with putting yourself in the right starting position.
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Moving up on the basepaths demands a good lead and an even better secondary lead. Bill Ripken demonstrates the fundamentals of getting off the bag at first and being aggressive with your secondary.
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The underhand flip is perhaps one of the most overlooked fundamentals in baseball. But it always comes into play at crucial moments in game situations, like starting double plays or getting out of a jam with the pitcher covering first. Use this drill to perfect your underhand flip.
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The 5-4-3 double play is one of the most difficult turns in baseball - it all begins with an accurate throw from the third baseman. Ryan Heller shows you how to gain momentum and deliver a perfect throw to second base to start the 5-4-3 double play.
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The three keys to fielding a ground ball are: have a wide base, get your butt down, and field the ball out in front. Bill Ripken demonstrates a simple drill for perfecting how you field the ground ball so it become routine in game situations.
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In this quick tip, David Bounds shows the proper way to grip the bat with your "door knocking knuckles" aligned.
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As a first baseman, when you're holding a runner on the bag, it's important to get into a ready defensive position once your pitcher commits to throwing toward home. Bill Ripken shows you how to get up with the pitch so you're ready to play your position.
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In this training tip, Cal and Bill demonstrate how to approach Front Toss with a purpose to get the most out of the drill. Work the outside corner and drive the ball to the big part of the field. To do that, you have to stay within yourself and let the ball get deep in the zone.
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The power position is the most important phase of a pitcher's mechanics - the pivotal moment when all of the momentum a pitcher has generated gets transferred to the ball. With this drill, John Habyan shows how isolating the power position allows a pitcher to focus on getting his upper and lower body in-sync to maximize power to the plate.
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An outfielder's primary job is to prevent the offense from taking bases they haven't earned. Lateral quickness plays an important role in enabling outfielders to do just that. And to have great lateral quickness, it all begins with your first step.
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It's no secret: to hit the high fastball, the fundamentals of your swing have to be flawless. That's where the high tee drill comes in. By elevating the tee, you force your hands to be quick through the zone in order to stay on top of the ball.
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Sometimes the best way to deceive a runner at first base is to simply hold the ball. Bill Ripken and John Habyan explain in this Tip of the Day.
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Take a knee and isolate your upper body movement in order to work on developing the proper arm action from glove to release point. This drill is perfect for pitchers of all ages and levels to incorporate into their warm-up routine.
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For young players developing their arm strength, there's nothing more crucial than getting the elbow above the shoulder when throwing. Dropping the elbow creates unnecessary strain on the arm and limits your ability to throw hard. Use this variation of the One Knee Drill to correct a player who drops his elbow.
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Take your lower half out of the equation and focus on having quick hands through the zone with the Side Toss Drill.
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