The Play Ball Baseball Coaching and Teaching Philosophy

At Play Ball Academy we believe baseball is not just a game, rather it's a way of life. We teach the game much in the same way that we run our everyday lives; instilling values such as respect, honor, commitment, and class. Players come in all different shapes, sizes, and abilities, therefore, we do our best to teach baseball skills and techniques that are best suited for the individual and not force feed our own personal routines or opinions.

We don't think our teaching methods are better than others and don't claim to know everything there is to know about baseball. What we can guarantee is, decades of playing and coaching experience which we love to pass along to baseball coaches, players, and parents all over the world. What you'll find at PlayBallAcademy.com is an old school approach to the game with additional new and fresh techniques that are proven to be effective for the young baseball player.

Free Video Fielding Lesson- The Pick Drill a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="makeNewWindow('http://www.playballacade . . . lesson continued Video Pitching Analysis Lesson- Mike Description:Mike's pitching analysis lesson pinpoints a few mechanical concerns that can be c . . . lesson continued Free Video Lessons- Catchers Mitt Care Description: Coach Barthol explains how he takes care of his catchers mitt and stresses how a . . . lesson continued Pitching Video Analysis Lesson- Hiding the Ball Description: As a pitcher, it's important to keep the ball hidden from the batter throughout . . . lesson continued Pitching Lesson- Inside Pick Off Move to 2nd Base Video Description: Coach Rau demonstrates the inside move to pick off a runner at 2nd base. . . . lesson continued

Overanalyzing the Baseball Swing Can Create Problems Coach Steve Rau Coaches and baseball players have a tendency to take a perfectly solid swing and tinker with it to only create mechanical problems that will cause inconsistencies for the ballplayer. There are really . . . lesson continued Do You Understand the Language of Baseball? Coach Steve Rau If you've been around a baseball field for over 30 years, as I have been; you come to develop a new vocabulary that is unique to the game. Many people may be familiar with the classic baseball saying . . . lesson continued Free Hitting Article -Barrel Conscious and Quick Hands Blake Barthol Coach Rau and I were working with a local kid on his hitting yesterday and one of the problems that he was having is very common in a lot of hitters…..swinging hard. Anybody that has been to a little . . . lesson continued Is Your Ballplayer As Good As You Think? Coach Steve Rau As a parent of a little leaguer, we often like to believe that our child is one of the best players on the field. It's only natural to have those thoughts; however, simple logic tells us that not eve . . . lesson continued Why Young Baseball Players Should Learn Each Position. Coach Steve Rau One of the faults of young ballplayers and parents is to become a fixture in a position at an early age. For instance, some kids may only catch or play shortstop because that's the position he likes . . . lesson continued Free Baseball Article- Conditioning Musts for Pitchers Coach Steve Rau Back in the Bob Gibson and Sandy Koufax days pitchers were told to stay away from the weight room due to the fear of becoming too muscle bound and losing flexibility. Today pitchers are encouraged to . . . lesson continued More