nc5toolsoftball
My name is Nicole Camera, and I have been a softball coach for 5+ years.
The five tools for softball/baseball are hitting for power, hitting for average, strong fielding skills, strong arm/throwing skills, and speed/quickness on the base paths!
01/07/2020
First Class Starts Tomorrow!!
For young athletes, skills work for sports is important, but keeping the body healthy and strong is critical. I am an advocate of exercise being fun and rewarding, and these classes are crafted to deliver! My goal is for the athletes to gain a positive attitude towards exercise, and develop a fit and a healthy lifestyle so they can lead happier, healthier lives which provide a great foundation for adulthood.
My agility and conditioning classes are designed for young athletes (boys and girls) ages 7-10 and 11-18. Athletes will learn how to move more efficiently and quickly, which will help them in all sports. In addition to building speed and strength, athletes will gain lifelong skills by practicing important team and interpersonal skills by working with their peers in class. The program is structured around ladder and speed drills mixed with various body weight exercises as well as team building conditioning games. No two classes will be the same, to keep the athletes engaged and on their toes!
Due to COVID-19, there will be an 8 athlete limit per class.
All equipment will be sanitized before and after class and the athletes will be able to keep social distance protocols.
If you would like to sign up, please email me at [email protected]
21/06/2020
Happy Father's Day the the #1 softball dad out there! Thank you for all of your endless support on and off of the field and for teaching me how to be strong and independent. Thank you for getting up and driving me to games before sunrise and buying me all my favorite road trip snacks. I'm thankful for all of the memories we've made from our trips to Cali, Colorado, Nebraska and many many more states haha! I'm so happy I got to share this sport with you, thanks for being an amazing coach, role model, and father ♥️
12/06/2020
Understanding where you stand 👣 when you hit off the tee is super important for your success. Making hitting off the tee more game like will ease the transition from practice into play! 🥎 It is perfect to use during team practices or hitting on your own in your yard!
I have been making throwdown batters boxes out of rope (regulation size 7' x 3') and am selling them for $5!! DM me or email me at [email protected] if you would like to order one 😊
Full Swing Showcasing Full Extension!
The past couple hitting videos I have shared have been about contact point and extension. Practicing those drills are great, but are not helpful if you are unable to bring them into your full swing!
The video is a slo motion swing where you can see how I get to full extension. After I get to full extension the bat falls over my left shoulder.
Many times I have seen someone practicing their extension holds and executing them flawlessly, only to start rolling over again in their full swing. There is no magic answer or magic drill that will get you get extension into your swing. The deciding factor is you and how much you are willing to put into it!
Every time you hit, be mindful about what you are doing... think about your goals and what you are trying to accomplish. Don’t just do drills for the sake of doing the drills, because your progress will not be as fast as you want it to be. Think about WHAT you are doing and WHY you are doing it!
Practice doesn’t make perfect... perfect practice makes perfect!
Do you tend to roll over in your swing? If so, this video 🎥 may help you! Extension is one of the most important parts of our swing, so it is important to practice it!
How to Perform🥎:
1. Set up your tee and check for the correct contact point.
2. Load and swing stoping with your bat at extension.
3. Use your elbows to punch 🤜 through the ball and your wrists to snap through the ball.
4. At full extension, your bat should be pointed at center field, not towards the SS or 3B.
5. Don’t forget to use your hips!!
Why This is Important: Extension is the action of punching through the ball, by extending your elbows and wrists after making contact with the ball. Rolling over is the action of turning your wrists over the ball after making contact.
Rolling over will cause you to hit ground balls to the pitcher or 3B. Extension will allow you to drive the ball up the middle. Extension also gives you a greater margin of error in your swing... meaning that since you are staying on the plane of the ball for longer, you can be a little early or late and still hit the ball with the middle of the bat.
After you have set up your correct contact point and practiced your contact point snaps (discussed in a previous video), this is a great drill to work on your extension!
Get moving, stay active, and have fun!! 🤸🏽♂️
21/04/2020
Throwback to my baby softball days and my college softball days... These were the good old days, I miss them a lot! My heart goes out to all the athletes that did not get their chance to take the field this year... your time will come 🥎❤️
Thanks Mark Camera for the memories!
Contact Point Snaps! 🥎 In a previous video I discussed the importance of setting yourself up for success on the tee. Once you get to contact point, then you need to teach your body what to do next!
Extension is one of the most important aspects in our swing and it is vital that we get to this position in every swing that we take. I will be discussing it further in an upcoming 🎥video.
How to Perform: Once you get to a correct contact point, drive from your elbows and wrists to SNAP (or sometimes I like to think of a punch🤜) through the ball. You should finish with your elbows and wrists extended and the cap of the bat should be pointing to center field.
This is the first step to learning how to properly get to full extension in your swing. You have to break things down in order to build 🏗 them back up the way you want to!
Have fun, work hard, and find a way to get moving 🤸🏽♂️
17/04/2020
Had such an awesome Zoom workout with some hard working athletes! I am so proud of everyone who showed to improve themselves today! 💪🙌
If you are interested in joining next weeks FREE Zoom workout, DM me for more information 👍🤸🏽♂️
14/04/2020
Virtual lessons have been challenging to adapt to, but ultimately very rewarding! It is awesome to be able to stay connected with my athletes as they continue to progress 🙌🏼
DM me for more information if you are interested in signing up for virtual lessons 🥎
14/04/2020
We may be stuck inside, but that doesn’t mean we can’t keep moving! Find a way to make yourself better every day, don’t let your progress stop 🙌💪
Glove work fundamentals are so important and it is always a good time to perfect them! 🥎
Start on your knees in an active position, do not sit on your heels as that would be an inactive position. Get your chest parallel to the ground and try to maintain this posture the whole time!
Ball Right At You:
*Drive your palm through the ball like a shovel
*Keep your chest over the ball.
*Keep your face close to the ball.
Ball to Forehand Side:
*Drive your palm through the ball like a shovel.
*Keep your chest over the ball.
*Follow the ball with you head/eyes and keep them close to the ball.
Ball to Backhand Side:
*Turn glove by keeping it low to the ground... DON’T pick up the glove too high!!
*Keep your chest over the ball
Follow the ball with you head/eyes and keep them close and keep them close to the ball.
*You can use your bare hand 🖐 as a point to balance on the ground.
Overall Tips:
*Work your posture! Stay as low as possible.
*Keep your eyes 👀 and nose 👃 trained on the ball, don’t let your head pop up!!
*ALWAYS scoop through the ball, DON’T pick up the ball!
Fundamentals are key 🗝, so make sure you practice them! Once you get good at this, roll the ball to different sides without telling them where you are rolling it. Then try some rapid fire!
As long as you keep the key pieces of the drill, mess around with it and make it your own!
Have fun, get moving, and work hard 🙌💪
09/04/2020
This is one of my favorite quotes, and one that is so important especially in uncertain times such as these. Even though we can't physically reach out to all of our loved ones with a hug, see if you can find another creative way to stay connected and in touch with them! Try reaching out to someone you haven't talked to in awhile and see how that makes you feel 🤗 Just because we are physically distanced, does not mean we aren't still connected 🙌🏼
Whatever you decide to do in your life... decide to do it with kindness ❤
Walk Throughs! All you need is an open field and some softballs. This should be included in your warmups as a way to air out your motion and get big! The main goal of this is to warm up your motion and increase your overall power.
The foot work 👣 for this is simple, start with your feet together then step:
Righties: Right, Left, Right, Pitch!
Lefties: Left, Right, Left, Pitch!
Start close (before or at the pitchers mound) and throw about 50% of your max speed, with the ball being thrown more straight forward. As you start getting loose, start backing up and increasing your % of your max pitch (increase up to 60%, 70%, 80%, etc.).
The farther back you get, the higher you should pitch the ball! Really air it out and get your legs behind and under you to power through the ball.
Your legs are the key to this drill. Take BIG and CONFIDENT steps and finish up your pitch like you mean it! 💪Have fun with it and see how high you can throw the ball, extra points if you throw it over the fence 😄
As always... get up, get moving, and have fun!
Video Credit:Matt Camera
Contact Point! For everyone practicing swinging on the tee, you need to make sure that you are setting yourself up for success 🙌 If you don’t, then you end up swinging inefficiently and creating bad habits that you will take into a game. *Take a look at where my feet are lined up throughout the video*
Proper Contact Point:
•The tee should be slightly in front of the plate.
•Go through your set up and load, the stop right before making contact with the ball.
•Middle of the bat should be lined up with the middle of the ball... if it isn’t then you need to make some adjustments!
•Elbows should be bent at contact so you can extend/punch 🤜 through the ball for more power.
•Your hands should be above the ball, not even with the ball.
Out in Front/Early Contact Point:
•Your contact will be with the end of the bat.
•Your elbows will be extended, draining some of your power.
•You will be early and hit the ball towards the left side of the field if you are a righty, and the right side of the field if you are a lefty.
•To Correct: move up towards the tee and recheck your contact point!
Lagging Behind/Late Contact Point:
•Your contact will be closer to the handle of your bat.
•Your bat will be in line with your body, you haven’t given yourself enough room.
•Your elbows will be too bent, and when you swing you will not be able to effectively punch 🤜 through the ball.
•You will be late and hit the ball towards the right side of the field if you are a righty, and the left side of the field if you are a lefty.
•To Correct: move back towards the catcher and recheck your contact point!
In order to make each swing your best, you need to make sure that you set yourself up properly! The quality of your swing is ALWAYS more important than the number of swings you take!!
Skater Drill! This drill is great for lower body explosiveness in your swing 💪🥎
1) Start with both of your feet together at the top of the plate.
2) Jump back, jump forward, jump back, then SWING.
3) Drive your bag leg hard and finish with your leg in a 90/90 position.
When you jump, make sure you land on one foot and you land controlled!
If you feel you are losing balance when you jump, take your time and regain balance before your next jump.
Once this drill gets easier, jump faster and farther!
As always have fun with this drill and be explosive 🧨
Base Running Agility Course! It’s a beautiful day to get up and moving and get your heart rate up! Don’t let your progress stop 🙌
In this video the sequence is:
1) Sprint
2) Side Shuffle
3) Back Pedal
4) Sprint
Perform this sequence 4-6 times, or get creative and make up your own agility course! Take a video of your creation and tag 🥎 Get moving and have fun!
Video Credit 🎥: Matt Camera
Pitching Arm Speed Drill! This drill is great for arm circle coordination as well as endurance 💪 The most important thing with this drill is to go as fast/rapid fire as possible... and to have fun with it, tossing is definitely harder than it looks Lisa Amend! 😂
This drill works best of you have a bucket or two. If you only have one, try to complete the whole bucket without stopping. If you have more, see if you can go for 30 seconds or even 1 minute! It does not matter exactly where the ball goes, this drill is not about accuracy, it is about making you sweat!
🥎Pitcher: Catch the ball with your barehad if you can. You do not need to use your legs here, just whip your arm as fast as you can. As soon as you release the ball get ready to catch the next one!
🥎Tosser: Toss the ball out in front, where the beginning of her arm circle starts. Have all the balls ready and as soon as she releases toss the next one! If your pitcher is struggling, toss a little slower. If it is too easy, then toss faster! I have found it helpful in my tossing experience to kneel next to the bucket to toss. Make sure you encourage your pitcher and cheer her on, because this one is exhausting!
Video Credit: Matt Camera
Fielding Agility! This drill is great for increasing foot work and fielding reaction time. Place 2 cones between 10-15 feet apart and roll 4 balls back and forth with the 5th ball tossed as a pop up!
🥎Roller: As soon as the fielder picks up he ball, start rolling the next one to the opposite cone!
*If that is too hard, give them more time in between each ball
*If that is too easy, spread the cones farther apart or give them less time in between each ball.
🥎Fielder: Make sure to run fast and stay low to get the ball. Once you catch the ball toss it to the side. You should be out of breath by the end of this drill!
POWER BALL! The goal is to throw the ball as fast and as hard as possible. This drill is great for explosiveness, leg drive, and endurance.
Throw 3-9 pitches as hard and as fast as you can in a row! If you have never done this before start between 3-5 in a row and work up to 9! For the best endurance effect perform 3 sets!
21/02/2020
Over the past 6 Mondays I had the pleasure of working with these awesome athletes. We worked on hitting fundamentals, timing of inside and outside pitches, mentality in the box, as well as fielding and throwing! Grateful for the opportunity to work with them
_________________________________
If your team would like private workouts for hitting, fielding, or pitching DM me for more information!
The Landmine Drill is one of my favorites to practice staying low on the ground ball and to work on reaction time! Lucy is a pro at this 🙌💪
13/02/2020
A big shout out to these athletes as well as the athletes in the older class (unfortunately I did not get a group photo with them) for working so hard the past 6 weeks! The Agility and Conditioning Classes were tough but together we had so much fun and learned a lot about the importance of movement and health! 💪
Classes will begin again in March, DM me for more information or if you would like to sign up one of your athletes 🙌
21/01/2020
The five tools for softball/baseball are hitting for power, hitting for average, strong fielding skills, strong arm/throwing skills, and speed/quickness on the base paths. My vision is that all of the athletes I work with will develop these 5 tools and elevate their game to a higher level. I offer private lessons for fielding, pitching, and hitting for all ages/skill level as well as team practices and seasonal camps/clinics. Through 5 Tool Softball, your athletes will learn how to be mentally tough, gritty, and unstoppable on and off of the field! Direct message me for further information or to book a lesson!
21/01/2020
I am Nicole Camera, and I have been a softball coach for 5 years. I was a varsity starter at Metuchen High School (2010 - 2014) and a starter at Adelphi University (2014 - 2018), receiving multiple recognitions for offensive performance as well as awarded the NE-10 Defensive Player of the year in 2016. As a team we had won the NE-10 Conference as well as made it to the D2 Women's College World Series twice. Currently I am enrolled in the Doctorate of Physical Therapy Program at Rutgers University. One of my passions is coaching, I pride myself in passing on valuable lessons about softball and life that I learned throughout my career to the next generation of athletes!
About 5 Tool Softball
I am Nicole Camera, and I have been a softball coach for 5 years. I was a varsity starter at Metuchen High School (2010 - 2014) and a starter at Adelphi University (2014 - 2018), receiving multiple recognitions for offensive performance as well as awarded the NE-10 Defensive Player of the year in 2016. As a team we had won the NE-10 Conference as well as made it to the D2 Women's College World Series twice. Currently I am enrolled in the Doctorate of Physical Therapy Program at Rutgers University. One of my passions is coaching, I pride myself in passing on valuable lessons about softball and life that I learned throughout my career to the next generation of athletes!
The five tools for softball/baseball are hitting for power, hitting for average, strong fielding skills, strong arm/throwing skills, and speed/quickness on the base paths. My vision is that all of the athletes I work with will develop these 5 tools and elevate their game to a higher level. I offer private lessons for fielding, pitching, and hitting for all ages/skill level as well as team practices and seasonal camps/clinics. Through 5 Tool Softball, your athletes will learn how to be mentally tough, gritty, and unstoppable on and off of the field!
Videos (show all)
