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CATCH...NOT FETCH
For kids from 5 years to 10 years old, one of the most frustrating
drills for the players and the coach is the warm-up throws.
No matter what you say, the two lines will grow farther and farther
apart, the kids will start throwing humongoid rainbows to each other and
they will spend most of the drill running after the balls.
But this is a necessary evil as the kids need their arms and shoulders
stretched and warm and they need to develop catching and throwing, or
else they will be playing defense all day long.
Here's a drill to get your team to stop playing FETCH and to start
playing catch:
First, circle up your players with 15-20 feet between players and coach
in the middle. Give one player a ball and have them throw to the next
player (clockwise or counterclockwise). Have them throw around easy
until you get 2 laps and expect them to drop it a few times.
After 2 laps, tell them you want 2 more laps faster but anyone who drops
a good throw or makes a wild throw will owe a lap around the outside of
the circle.
You can inject a 2nd ball and a 3rd ball if they get going good. Also,
you can develop the relay-pivot maneuver with this same circle drill.
You'll be amazed at how the challenge aspect of this drill perks of
their enthusiasm and skills!! It really works. |
GROUNDBALL APPROACH
This tip is based around a few things that I will begin to put into
succession for fielding groundballs. This tip should be the first of
about 3 to 4 that will encompass fielding groundballs.
First thing is that none of our fielders gets caught standing around in
between pitches. They are always fixing the bad hop holes in front of
them, or turning around and communicating to the outfield or other
infielders. If they stay in some kind of motion, they stay in the game.
Our approach to the ball begins with some kind of a round to the ball.
We never come to the ball in a straight line simply because of momentum.
We round the ball to the right side so that as we field the ball our
momentum is taking us to the left side of the infield where most plays
are made. This can and does switch for first and second baseman.
We begin our round with good speed. We want to come to ball rather
quickly. So as we actually come near the ball we have to slow down to
get control of our bodies so that we can field cleanly. The key here is
to shuffle our feet to slow down yet stay in control.
After we have control, our footwork is essential that it is correct. We
begin by stepping with our right foot first and then glide our left foot
to the left and back, not forward. If your shuffle isn't good and your
body isn't in control, this becomes very difficult. However, we want to
be able to step with the right foot in front of the left foot to gain as
much ground toward our target as possible. If the left foot is in front
of the right foot when fielding, the athlete has a tendency to bring the
right foot behind the left foot therefore not gaining any ground as well
as carrying their momentum in a different direction than the target.
In short then, we cross over with our right foot in front of our left
foot to keep momentum and gain as much ground to make a shorter throw as
well as keeping our momentum directly toward our target. |
DON'T DANCE
Too often you see a retreating runner start to juke -- and the fielder
stops or slows his advance, and matches dosey-do with the runner, often
pump-faking. This "dance" is best left to endzones, not basepaths.
If the runner has not turned around and fled full speed to the base, the
fielder should continue running right at him. A fielder running forward
will ALWAYS catch a runner dancing backward. If you go full speed, the
runner has two choices: be out, or run away FAST. If the runner jukes,
leave spike marks up his jersey (metaphorically). But if he commits,
turns, and finally is himself going full speed back to his base of
origin, he is an easy out on a good throw. |
GET IT OUT!
Too often, young players make the mistake of fielding ground balls with
their mit on the ground, directly below their crotch, rather than
extended out in front of them. This drill helps ensure proper extension.
Lay a bat on the ground perpendicular to a line of players. The first
player in line should be 6-8 feet from the bat in a ready position.
Coach is 8-10 from the bat, opposite the players. Coach rolls ball
toward the bat. Player must approach the ground ball and assume a good
fielding position right at the bat, without his feet touching or going
over it. In order to prevent the ball from rolling into the bat the
player must have his glove extended, rather than hanging directly down
below his crotch. Once player secures the ball he sprints forward and
places the ball at the feet of the coach who is already rolling a ball
to the next player. Continue until all players have had sufficient reps. |
LATERAL MOVEMENT
Purpose: To improve the player's ability to react and move
laterally in fielding a ground ball.
Procedure: The drill has two tossers near the pitching area. Each
tosser has two shaggers with one standing on each side of the tosser.
The drill can have four or more players in each line. One line of
players is at the shortstop's defensive position, while the other line
of players is at the second baseman's defensive position.
The tosser throws a ground ball randomly to the right or left of the
player making the player move laterally to field the ball. After
fielding the ball, the player throws the ball back to the shagger on
that side. Then the player turns to the outside and Jogs back to the end
of the line. |
PADDLE
A different form of soft hands, and a drill or two to go along with it.
We use black rubber conveyor belt or something with a similar density to
take out the sting. The optimal width of the material is about 3/8"
thick. Lay your glove hand flat on a piece of paper and draw a line
around it. Give yourself about 1 1/2 to 2 inches cushion around the
entire hand. Cut on the dotted line and now you have an outline for a
paddle. You just need the material to cut it out of. Something that will
not shock if we want to catch baseballs with it, but something that will
make the player use his free hand to catch the ball. The best we have
found is the conveyor belt.
Once we have cut the paddles, we add a strap (that covers the entire
back of the hand) of innertube to the back to hold the paddle in place.
We drill holes in the paddle and run a piece of leather through each
side to hold the tube in place. We use a sort of plastic washer to hold
the tube down. They are easy to make, very cheap if you can access the
materials, and we have never had one break...Never!
The four basic paddle drills are designed to simulate the underhand and
overhand flips most commonly used by 2nd basemen and shortstops. The
players will partner up and start about 10 yards apart. The one with the
ball will start in a fielding position, ball in hand, right shoulder
facing his partner. He is about to perform the underhand flip that a 2nd
baseman uses in starting a double play. We teach him to pivot on his
right foot and crossover...show his partner the ball the whole
way....flip the ball chest high with no spin on the ball...and follow
your flip. The receiving partner in ALL paddle drills performs the
motions a 2nd baseman would to complete a double play....weight on right
side, ball up quickly, etc. He will always start in a position facing
his partner in a ready position....hands up and in front of
body...weight on the balls of your feet...constant movement with feet in
anticipation of any type throw.
Once the ball has gone from originator to receiver we have worked on two
different things...and the bonus is the improving eye-hand coordination
as a residual effect. Staying where they are, the players switch
drills...so the original receiver is now tossing and the tosser is now
the receiver. The drills go very quickly. The basic four can be
completed in 8-10 minutes if you stay on task. You can do them inside or
outside and they take very little room. You can use any kind of ball you
wish. The benefit from the drills comes from repetition. They should be
done daily.
We describe the different paddle drills based on where the tossing
partner will start. We want to complete 10 from each starting position
daily. It is probably easiest to teach the drills for the first time on
the field where they will actually make the movements we are practicing.
The kids will understand fairly quickly and will take it from there. The
four drills are 1) up close - right shoulder 2) up close - left shoulder
3) back up - right shoulder 4) back up - left shoulder. Number 1 is the
one we described above and it is the 2nd baseman's toss from close to
the bag. Number two is the shortstop's toss from close to the bag.
Number 3 is the 2nd baseman's toss from further back, when he must toss
the ball overhanded. Number 4, of course, is the shortstop's overhand
toss. We give our middle infielders the rule for when to use which toss
in a game: if the ball is at you or takes you to the bag, you should
flip underhanded. You must communicate your intentions verbally as soon
as you know which actions you will take.
These are the basic paddle drills. I didn't describe the footwork that
we teach because the drills are not limited to my preferences. Although
many coaches would like information on that subject, it is not the
subject of this piece of information |
RUNDOWNS: SLAM DUNKS OF OFFENSIVE BASEBALL
A team unprepared to deal with rundowns might panic at the sight of a
runner caught off base. In reality, few situations favor the defense
more. Once your team masters the following strategies, they'll view
rundowns as "slam dunk" outs.
The keys to successful rundown defense are as follows:
1) Conduct the entire rundown far away from the lead base,
2) Stay out of the runner's path when not in possession of the ball,
3) Force the runner full speed back to the original (trail) base,
4) Hold the ball steady, don't pump fake,
5) Tag as soon as you can, throw only if you must,
6) Limit to one throw at the right moment.
Apply these six fundamentals to all rundown situations, regardless of
which players are involved, or which direction you instruct them to peel
off after releasing the ball.
Before a tag is even attempted, infielders must establish proper
coverage of the lead and trail bases. All nine defenders take part. The
two most important roles to fill are those of the ball handlers.
They position themselves at least 10-15 feet in front of each base in
order to herd the runner into the middle of the base path. A third
infielder stands adjacent to the lead base. The pitcher and catcher, if
not already engaged in the play, provide back up, as do the outfielders.
The value of back up cannot be overemphasized.
Start the rundown by getting the ball as quickly as possible in front of
the runner-- into the hands of the fielder ten feet in front of the lead
base. If no one is there to accept a throw, whoever has the ball must
run and occupy that position. Guarding the lead base is the first
priority.
The next priority is to stay out of the runner's way. Anyone who blocks
the progress of a base runner while not in possession of the ball and
not in the act of fielding the ball will be called for obstruction.
Some coaches teach their players to throw and run to the inside of the
base path. Others prefer that their defense remain to the right side,
since most infielders are right-handed. Either way, crisscrossing the
base path is asking for trouble. If the runner tries to obscure your
fielders' throws or vision, they should move further to the chosen side.
The ball handler sprints toward the runner forcing him to abandon his
shuffle steps, square his shoulders, and retreat at full speed. Speed is
crucial. It exposes the runner's inherent vulnerability in rundowns.
While sprinting, the infielder holds the ball steady beside his ear
ready to tag or release at any instant. The trail base fielder presents
his glove as a visible target and is poised to move toward an arrant
throw, just in case.
As the runner approaches within 6-8 feet of the receiving fielder, the
ball handler gains control of his body and throws. The baserunner will
consume precious seconds coming to a complete stop and changing
direction.
During this maneuver, he is an easy mark. A synchronized throw will
allow the receiving fielder to administer the tag with only a stride or
two toward the runner. After releasing the ball, the fielder peels off
either to the inside or the right side. Whichever method you teach,
employ it consistently on all throws. The fielder then curls back behind
the base and assumes a back up role.
With two runners on base, the defense must cover the lead and trail
bases of both runners and prepare for simultaneous rundowns. If the lead
runner is in a rundown, the defense focuses on the greater scoring
threat. At the play's conclusion, if both runners occupy the same base,
tag them both and you still gain an out.
Runners at 1st and 3rd pose yet another challenge. The trail runner may
stray off base hoping to draw a throw and permit the lead runner to
score. Institute a verbal signal for the infield to shout, such as
"Going" or "Step Off", when they see the trail runner leaving early.
Upon hearing the signal, the pitcher steps off the rubber to prevent a
balk. He'll then launch the basic rundown defense already described.
While attacking the runner on 1st, whoever has the ball must remain in
control and be ready to throw home. Again, a verbal signal is in order
when the runner on 3rd makes his break.
Anytime a rundown begins with the trail base fielder possessing the
ball, like after a pick-off attempt, he momentarily stands his ground.
He won't want to force the runner toward the lead base. Nor can he leave
his post until backup arrives. Instead, he waits for lead base fielder
to charge in and then throws to him to begin the standard scheme.
During rundown drills in practice, allow all potential ball handlers to
play the part of the runner. Have them draw on this experience the next
time they're on defense. From the runner's vantage point, they can best
sense the optimum moment for the fielder to throw the ball to secure the
out.
Baseball offers few occasions where the outcome is certain before a play
is over. But, the next time your defense encounters a rundown, the only
unknown may be how to record the out in your score book. All you need is
the right strategy and the repetition of practice to make it so. |
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BACKPEDDLE
Drill:
I use groups of three players to aid in conditioning. The first player
moves forward under control from the starting line. Coach rolls a ball
to him and the player breaks down and fields the ball. The player then
BACK PEDDLES as fast as he can to the starting line and flips the ball
to players on the side waiting their turn. When he reaches the starting
line, he moves forward again and breaks down to field the second ball.
The player BACK PEDDLES again and repeats for the third ball. Coach
won't roll the balls until the player is moving. |
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CATCHING
A major
defensive skill is catching. This includes catching a thrown ball,
catching a grounder hit off a bat, and catching a fly ball.Initially,
some players will be afraid of catching a baseball. That fear will make
them flinch right before the ball reaches the glove. They'll end up
dropping the ball instead of catching it, or, worse, the ball may hit
them. By that time, they may be ready to quit.
Teaching players the correct catching technique is not easy. You must
first over come their fear of getting hit by a hard ball. That's why
it's so much better to start kids with safety balls that don't hurt.
Players can miss the ball, even get conked on the head with it, and not
wind up with a big bump and bruise. When your players have mastered
catching the safety ball, you can introduce easy catching with a
regulation baseball.
To catch a baseball, the player should position the glove according to
the flight of the ball. If the ball is below the waist, the fingers and
the palm of the glove hand should be pointed down with the mitt fully
open. If the ball is chest high, the fingers and the palm of the glove
should be pointing out, with the thumbs pointing to the sky. If the ball
is above the chest, the fingers point toward the sky. In all catching
attempts, a player should :
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keep eyes on the ball
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have both hands ready, with arms relaxed and
extended towards the ball
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bend the elbows to absorb the force of the throw
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watch the ball into the glove and squeeze it.
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After the catch, the player should immediately
grip the ball with the throwing hand in the correct overhand
throwing technique.
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DOUBLE PLAY
This fielding drill is called the "Double play drill". You will need a
catcher, two players at 1st base, and the remaining players evenly
divided at the shortstop and 2nd base positions.
The coach hits a ground ball to the SS position, the 2B player runs to
2B and then pivots and throws to 1B. The two players then go around to
the end of the opposite line they came from.
Once everyone has had a chance to field at the SS position the coach
then hits the ball to the 2B position, the SS covers 2B, then pivots and
throws to 1B.
Once everyone has had a chance to field at 2B the coach then randomly
hits the ball to either the SS or 2B position. The two players at 1B
rotate positions every three catches. The second player at 1B acts as a
backup for overthrows. |
THE CRUCIAL FIRST BASE PLAY
The Crucial First Base Play: Make sure that the 1B can get to the
bag without having to run and catch at the same time. When receiving a
throw make sure the 1B uses both hands, and that he catches the ball
with the fingers of the glove pointing up, especially from the knees to
the thigh. This forces the head to stay behind the glove.
When stretching, the 1B should land on the heel of his foot, as this
will push you back to the bag making sure you don't pull your foot.
When fielding a bunt you should always use two hands. Anticipate getting
the lead runner by setting up your feet to throw in that particular
direction.
If you have to tag the runner, hold the ball with the throwing hand
inside the glove. After tag, sweep arms in the direction of the runner
and immediately separate hands with the ball still in throwing hand.
If you have to feed the pitcher covering first, move towards the
pitcher, not the bag, and make sure you are showing him the ball.
Underhand the ball whenever possible, and make sure it is a chest high
throw. Use a stiff wrist when throwing underhand and only follow through
to around eye level. Get the ball to the pitcher before he gets to the
bag. If you have to throw overhand, throw the ball like you are throwing
a dart. |
HOOVER
1. Have infielders start about 30-40 ft from coach or partner. Infielder
starts with glove open and finger tips on the ground. Coach or partner
rolls the ball to infielder. The glove stays in contact with the ground
and open to the ball the entire time the ball is motion except for the
last movement. The last movement can be up, but never down. this gets
them to feel the old "stay down and work up" concept.
2. Have infielder start at position with coach or partner hitting a
fungo to fielder. Need not hit too hard but can make the ball bounce a
little (no big hoppers). The concept is the same.
If the player fields the ball correctly, tell him so and build his
confidence. If not... if the fielder's hands go up then down, or player
flips by showing the back of the glove and then flipping around, or if
the glove leaves contact with the ground too early... then the player
does a sprint to the outfield fence and back or does push-ups-Good
Push-ups.
Great drill to show and feel proper fieldng of groundball technique when
breaking down. |
LATERAL PICK-UP
Purpose:
1. To improve the players overall conditioning.
2. To improve the player's ability to move laterally and to assume a
good defensive position in fielding a ground ball.
Procedure: The drill has one tosser and one player, who are 6-7
feet apart facing each other. (Pairs) Drill can have as many groups as
desired.
The tosser rolls a ball about 5-6 feet out to the side. The player moves
on a semicircular path to field the ball. After picking-up the ball, the
player throws the ball back to the tosser. The tosser then rolls a ball
about 5-6 feet out to the opposite side, and the player fields the ball
in a similar manner. The drill sequence is repeated from five to 10
times depending on the player's conditioning level.
The number of repetitions is increased as the the players conditioning
level improves. It is important for the player to field the ball by
moving on a semicircular path in order for the drill to be effective. |
RELAY SPEED DRILL
Take the entire team and break them into groups of three. Spread them
out about 10 feet apart, with one player on the outfield foul line and
the other two lined up at equal distances towards center field.
Starting with the ball at the feet of the player along the outfield
line, hollar GO! to start the drill. The first player must pick up the
ball and throw to the middle player. The middle player is to turn to the
glove side, and relay the throw to player three. Player three then uses
quick feet throwing back to the middle player, who turns glove side once
again, throwing back to player one.
Do the drill a couple of times getting the middle player comfortable
turning to the glove side and then rotate team members so each one has a
turn as the middle fielder. This drill also works quick feet and can
also work as a game of competition with the slowest team dropping off.
The team left standing wins! |
PARTNER SHORT HOP / LONG HOP
This drill is used to prepare the fielder for short hops and longer
hops. Two athletes will get on both knees about 15 to 20 feet apart
facing each other. They will then play catch by throwing hops at one
another, varying between short and longer hops.
The key to the athlete fielding the ball is to understand where their
hands need to be. What is most critical is that the throwing hand is on
top of the glove to prevent the ball from popping out, as well as
keeping the glove out in front. This can be done in correlation with the
Hat in Mouth drill, which stresses keeping the glove out front.
The coach needs to emphasize that on the short hops, the fielder
presents his glove in a manner so that he can field the ball out front.
On the longer hop, the ball will bounce higher in its trajectory as it
closes in on the fielder, therefore the fielder's glove will not be out
in front so much. So again, on short hops make the fielder force the
hands out front and not into his body to field the ball, and then just
the opposite for a longer hop. This drill also allows the fielder to
recognize different hops in relation to where they bounce in front of
the fielder. Make sure that the athlete who is throwing the ball doesn't
just lob balls in; make him throw them hard. If they just lob it, you
aren't helping the fielder at all.
One other aspect that I teach, but may not be in your philosophical
beliefs, is that I have our infielders break their glove wrists as they
field the ball. If you can imagine that the tips of the glove (fingers)
are touching the ground, NOT the backs of the fingers...we do this to
prevent the ball from rolling up the arm and/or the ball hitting the
heel of the glove and bouncing out. So I incorporate this into all of
our infielding drills. |
SOFT HANDS - QUICK RELEASE
The drills I would like to share is one that helps infielders to develop
"soft" hands and release the ball quickly and one that helps with
lateral movement and fielding.
Have four infielders form a square with about 10 ft. between them. Then,
without gloves they flip the ball around counter-clockwise, then shift
direction and gradually increase the distance. In the other one divide
the infielders into pairs and have them face their partner at a distance
of about 10 to 15ft., then, while moving sideways they roll the ball to
each other a couple of times before shifting direction. It's important
in this drill that the fielders stay low and get rid of the ball
quickly. |
HANDS STAYING TOGETHER
In working with the infielders and trying to eliminate the ball that
sails over the first baseman, I took some video of my infielders making
throws across the diamond. I realized a very critical error they were
making as athletes and one that I was not seeing as a coach. Nine times
out of ten when the athlete separated his throwing hand from his glove
hand while still moving toward first base, the throw was high.
So, what we have our kids do is try to throw with their feet!!! Yes, it
sounds crazy but we do it...not literally of course. We have the kids
keep their hands inside of their body, throwing hand with ball in glove.
Next, they complete their footwork toward where they are going to throw
and just let the ball fall out of their hands. With the momentum they
create with their feet, the ball should actually roll away from their
body.
What we force our infielders to do is to keep their hands inside their
body until the last second at which they can separate and make their
throw. In the video, we noticed that if that separation occurs to soon,
the front side starts to fly out and the throwing arm lags behind making
the elbow drop and the ball sail. |
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IS IT BALL #1 OR BALL #2?
How many times do players, especially young ones, pull up too fast on a
grounder in anticipation of making the throw to first only to leave the
ball back on the ground or bobbling it because they have taken their eye
off the ball. This drill helps teach the players to look the ball into
their glove before they set and throw to a base. Since they have to read
the number on the ball, they learn to pick it up and handle it first
before throwing it. It also helps teach reacting and throwing to
different bases.
Players line up between third base and shortstop position facing a
thrower at home. There is one player at first base and one at second
base. The thrower has 12-24 balls with either #1 or #2 written on the
ball.
The thrower rolls a ball to infielder who fields the ball and reads the
number on the ball.
If ball = #1, throw goes to first base. First baseman throws to second
base. Second basemen runs the ball to the bucket that is at the
shortstop position. The players rotate while ball is being put in the
bucket (fielder goes to first, first baseman goes to second, and second
baseman goes to end of line).
Once the ball is put in the bucket, the next ball is rolled. If ball =
#2, throw goes to second base, second throws to first, first throws back
to second and second baseman runs ball to bucket as the players rotate
again.
Each time throw is made, player must tag base before next throw is made.
Wild throws must be retrieved and the base tagged before the throw to
the next base is made. Any of the three players can retrieve wild throws
but the ball must go back to proper base before next throw.
The drill can be turned into a competition by splitting up into teams
and simultaneously conducting the drill (other team starts in between
home and first and throw to third for #1 and home for #2) or timing each
team on how long it takes them to complete 12-24 balls. Emphasis should
be put on setting the feet to throw to the proper base and that making
good throws will avoid lost time chasing after wild throws. As players
advance, make sure proper footwork for tagging a base and throwing to
the next base is taught. |
CHARGING
Purpose: To improve the player's ability to charge a softly hit
ground ball.
Procedure: The drill can have as many tossers as desired. Drill
can have three or more players in the lines, which are about 70 feet in
front of the tossers.
The tosser throws a ground ball so that the player has to charge the
ball at about midway between the and the player. The player then throw
the ball back to the tosser, turns to the right, and jogs back to the
end of the line. A variation of this drill would be for infielders to
start about 70 feet in front of the tossers, outfielders should start
about 90 feet in front of the tossers. The tosser still attempts to
throw the ground ball so that the player has to charge the ball at about
midway between the tosser and the player. Rotation can also be varied so
that the player replaces the tosser who in turns goes to the end of the
line. |
THE DOUBLE PLAY THROW
The Double Play: "Make sure of one" is considered as being
negative. Pivot man must get to bag early, and the first throw to that
player is the most important. Try to make the throw where the 2B wants
it. The 2B should only have to change the direction of the ball, not
catch it. He should receive the ball on the glove side of his body, so
that his momentum carries him to 1B. You should time how long it takes
for the 2B to make his turn and throw to 1B....time from the moment the
ball hits his glove to the time the ball hits the 1B's glove. A good
throw will take .4 seconds off the pivot man's turn. After the pivot,
the 2B should point his toe to 1B to open his hips to be able to throw
in that direction. For the SS, the ball should be thrown to the outfield
side of the bag. From here the SS should sweep the bag his momentum will
be towards first. |
FENCE
This drill is designed to quicken reaction time to grounders and line
drives using lateral movement. We've been doing the following for
several years with our summer 12 year old traveling squad.
At the end of each practice the entire team competes in a contest to see
which player can keep the most out of ten balls from hitting a chain
link fence at his back. The fungo hitter stands only thirty-five or so
feet from the fielder. The fielder has 20 feet of fence to cover. The
fence is 6 feet tall. We hit to the left and the right, up and down. The
pace between fungos quickens. A clean catch is not necessary to score.
The player need only keep the ball from hitting the fence to his rear.
By the end of the summer players need from between 8 to 10 out of ten to
win. (PS. I caught for FSU from '59-61. Love to hear from anyone on that
squad. |
GLOVE WORK FOR FIELDING GROUND BALL
This is the third part in a succession of tips for fielding a ground
ball. This part we will talk about our glove work in fielding a ground
ball for infielders.
After we have our approach and footwork ready and are in our two
triangle formation, we can now go to work on the ball with our glove. We
firmly believe that we have to go and get the ball being VERY aggressive
to it. There are many philosophies out there that tell you to field the
ground ball by making a rounded 'L' to your belly as you field the
ball...however, we think that as you field the ball, your glove should
be going to it (attacking it) instead of moving away from it in the 'L'
theory.
So, our gloves literally go out to the ball and up. This allows us to
get rid of short hops that eat you up and forces your hands to go to the
ball not letting the ball play you. At the beginning of the year we
exaggerate this to the point that our hands go above our heads...as the
kids understand how important it is to go to the ball, we don't require
all of that exaggeration.
We make sure that our glove is ALWAYS presented from the beginning of
the approach. Presentation requires the wrist to be broken so that the
back of the glove is parallel with your legs, instead of the wrist being
straight and having the back of the glove parallel with the ground. This
eliminates the ball the roles up the arm or off the heal or front of the
glove causing the ball to go elsewhere. We focus on trying to get the
ball to hit the palm of the glove giving way to our 'alligator jaw'
formation. This is what we call our throwing hand and glove
together...they look like aligator jaws.
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LATERAL PICK-UP WITH MIMIC
I use drill similar to the lateral pick-up drill of Jamie Roberts.
Instead of two players I use three, one is the feeder, the second is the
fielder and the third mimics the fielder in all motions. The feeder
starts by announcing the direction at first, and both rolls and short
hops the ball to the fielder who must field the ball by funneling it
into his glove showing "soft-hands", come to a throwing position and
return the ball to the feeder. The mimic follows all of the fielders
motions. Places are switched after 10-12 tosses. This gets more fielders
involved and enables me to watch the fielding fundamentals of two
players. |
PERFECTION GAME
This drill makes infielding fun and competitive and puts the players in
pressure situations.
Put your infeilders in their positions with 2 players at each spot.
Rule is you must make play correctly and make good throw. If you dont do
everything right, everyone on your infield team does push-ups and the
next group goes.
Start with infield in and come to plate for force.
Next is infield in with runner on third.
Next is regular depth, nobody on.
Next is runner on first.
Next is runners on first and second.
Finally, move infield deep with nobody on.
You can allow for balls to be blocked as long as when they pick it up,
they immediately throw it and dont pump it in their gloves.
If they do make a mistake, you start all over with that team on the step
they were on. The team that loses does sit-ups while the others go home. |
SPLIT INFIELD
Line up team at the shortstop position.
Line up team at the 2nd base position.
Coach at home plate with bucket of balls.
Have two players act as catcher, one on each side of the coach.
Hit grounders to alternate sides, having the fielder throw the ball to
the appropriate side catcher.
After player fields the ball and throws to the left or right side
catcher, the player runs to the rear of the opposite line to await
his/her turn at fielding grounders from the other side. Make sure the
fielding player runs around their line, and behind it to the opposite
side, thus not to interfere with the next person up. |
THREE BAG
Need a drill that enables your infielders to get maximum reps on ground
balls and throwing to first, in a short period of time. "Three Bag" is
perfect.
This drill is designed for 60' bases. Adjust accordingly for 90' bases.
This drill utilizes three First Bases. Place a throw down base
approximately 40' from home plate, next is the regular base at 60', then
place a third bag 20' farther down the line. 3 coaches are positioned
near home plate with a bucket of balls. One coach hits grounders to the
third baseman (he throws to the bag at 40'). Another coach hits to the
SS (he throws to the normal first base bag). The third coach hits to the
second baseman (he throws to the bag at 80') It may sound confusing, and
a lot is going on with three coaches hitting grounders at the same time,
but a tremendous amount gets accomplished. Each infielder will get
numerous ground balls and throws across the diamond.
Additional Drill Organization:
A) Each first baseman can have a bucket to toss his balls into, or if
you have limited balls, he can "lazy toss" back to the coach.
B) You probably don't have three first baseman. Adapt and use additional
players (such as a cather) for this particular drill.
C) Each time you do this drill you might focus on something different
(ground balls to the left, ground balls to the right, slow rollers) Or
you can alternate during the drill, spending 3-4 minutes on each type of
ground ball.
D) Don't forget the value of this drill to your first baseman. They
should be working on proper stretch, scooping balls in the dirt, tagging
down on a high throw as they would in a game, etc. |
2 TRIANGLE METHOD
Here is philosophy number two in the process of fielding a groundball.
We need to talk about body position before we field the groundball.
Taking into consideration the previous philosophy on approach to the
groundball, we can now get our body ready to field it. We call this the
2 Triangle Method. Our infielders want to get their bodies so that they
make two separate triangles. Lets explain...
Remember that the left foot is behind the right foot from the approach.
When we put our glove out in front of our feet ready to field the ball
we construct two triangles. The first triangle is made if we connect
both of our feet and then from each foot to the glove. If this isn't in
a triangle, your glove tends to be in between your legs...and that is no
man's land. It is very tough to field a ground ball with your glove
between your feet. This also keeps your butt down and back straight.
The second triangle is formed with the ground, your forearms and your
shins. This is a vertical triangle while the other is a horizontal one.
Again, if your glove goes between your feet, you lose that triangle as
well. As infielders are fielding ground balls, you must look for both of
those triangles to be formed, if not, they aren't in the right position. |
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BUCKET
I have a drill that I run every so often that the kids really enjoy.
This drill is designed to teach the kids to get rid of the ball and not
hold it. As coaches, we are trying to avoid the situation of young kids
sometimes getting confused and holding the ball.
The drill consists of your squad broken into two teams. The first team
will line up, one behind the other, in the shortstop position. The
others line up behind first base. A five-gallon bucket is placed upside
down on first base. A coach will drop a ball in front of the first
person in line. The player has 3 seconds (which the coach counts out
loudly) to pick up the ball and throw at the bucket. If the bucket is
missed the fielders behind first will field the ball and throw it back
to the coach. This drill works best with a large number of balls. You go
through each team member 4-5 times and keep track of the hits. Switch
sides and keep score.
We also have both teams lined up and throwing at the same time and run
it on a timed basis. Be warned though, this variation involves a large
number of coaches. If you have the parental involvement, the head to
head is also a huge hit with the kids.
The kids thrive on the competition. This teaches quick release,
fielding, throwing accuracy and keeping the throw where the first
baseman can catch it. I have found success with this drill year after
year. |
COUNTDOWN
This is a fun drill to help the 1st and 2nd graders I coach develop good
hands, quick release, and hustle to a loose ball. I have the players
line up accross from a partner about 20 feet apart. They are to make
good throws back and forth as many times an they can while I count down
from 30 to zero. The player who does not have the ball at zero wins.
(Winning usually puts you in the first group for batting practice.) You
should see the kids scramble for a dropped, or passed ball. Baseball is
fun. Let's make practice fun too. |
FIELD THROW AND RUN
This drill helps with the basic fundamentals such as getting into a
proper fielding position, lateral movement, throwing, and lots of
running. It also has the advantage of working indoors as well as
outdoors.
Have three players line up about 70 feet from the rest of the group
(everybody can participate) and give the first player in the line a
ball. The rest of the group should line up slightly to the side so the
fielder can run left or right. Then the player with the ball throws it
on the ground to the first player on the other side, who fields it
properly, throws it to the second player in the first line, and runs
over to join the first line. The player who threw the grounder should
run to the other line after his throw. This then continues until
everybody is dead tired.
We usually first throw the grounders to the left, then right, then
straight on so the fielder has to run in and make an underhand flip. We
usually round off with both sides throwing the ball back and forth
instead off rolling it. In short: throw grounder and run; field, throw,
and run. You can vary the distance as well as putting only two players
in the first line, which will force the players to really run unless
they want the ball in their neck. |
FUNGO
Purpose: To provide players with an opportunity to field a large
number of ground balls.
Procedure: Drill has one fielder, who is 60 feet in front of
hitter, and one shagger, who stands on the right side of the hitter.
(Three person groups.) Drill can have as many groups as desired.
The hitter hits 10 ground balls to the player. After fielding the 10
ground balls, the player becomes the shagger, the shagger becomes the
hitter, and the hitter becomes the new fielder. The drill continues to
proceed in this manner for as long as desired. |
HAT IN MOUTH
The purpose of the "Hat in Mouth" drill is to teach infielders to keep
their hands extended in front of them while fielding ground balls.
Proper fundamentals of fielding a ground ball include extending a
player's arms well in front of the body. With an infielder's hands
held closely to their body, there is little room to react to a
groundball and a smaller margin for error.
To help prevent players from holding their arms too close to the body,
have your athlete take their hat off and put the bill of the cap in
their mouth. This should be done so that the back half of the hat is
pointing away from their body, and the flat bill is held in the player's
mouth. Then, as a coach feeds them ground balls, have the player field
the ball with proper footwork and fundamentals. Be conscious to notice
if the player is reaching well out in front of them to field the ball.
Having the bill of the hat in a player's mouth causes a vision block on
the ground directly in front of them. This will force the player's hands
farther out in front of their body position, so they can see themselves
field the ball.
Beginning players, this drill should not be done at the same time as any
other form of team practice. Beginning level fielders should concentrate
only on the position of their hands while fielding ground balls. More
advanced players (high school and above), the "Hat in Mouth" drill can
be combined with a regular fungo routine, where players are also making
throws and covering bases. |
MAKING AN INFIELDER
Making an Infielder: "Baseball is a 4 second game between bases."
An infielder should never stand around, make him fix the dirt for holes
in between pitches. When fielding ground balls he should show his pocket
of the glove and use alligator jaws...how the top hand and the glove
look. When picking up the ball, the body should form a triangle...knees
to feet with forearms and glove form triangle with the ground. Then the
infielder should make a out to in and down to up motion, or a rounded
"L" figure. It should be one continuous motion to the belly button and
then to the shoulders for the throw. |
OVER THE SHOULDER CATCH
Purpose: To improve the player's ability to catch a fly ball over
the shoulder.
Procedure: The drill can have as many tossers as desired. The
drill can have 4 or more players in each line. Each player has a ball.
The tosser stands on the left side of the player. The player hands the
ball to the tosser, then runs out, and the tosser leads with a fly ball
so that the player has to reach to catch the ball over the left
shoulder. After catching or retrieving the ball, the player turns to the
left, an jogs back to the end of the line.
A variation of this drill would be to work the players in a rotation of
tosser, fielder, end of line. Make sure to have all players also work on
fielding fly balls over the right shoulder. |
POINT
Split your team up into an A and B team. Have the A team spread out
between second and third base and the B team spread out between second
base and first base.
Once this is accomplished, have a coach (from home plate) hit ground
balls to each teams side. If a ball gets through on either side of the
infield and makes it to the outfield grass, then that team receives a
point. First team with ten points losses.
Kids love this game and are really aggressive (diving) going after the
ball. This game has also taught my kids the importance of backing up one
another when fielding a ground ball. |
SOFT HANDS
One of the basic fielding drills that our kids use is called the "Soft
Hands" drill.
We took a ping-pong paddle and cut the handle off and stapled a batting
glove to the back. The player puts his glove hand in the glove and
fields ground balls from a fungo. The drill emphasizes the use of the
top hand, to ensure the ball doesn't become loose and so that the
throwing hand is there to throw or flip the ball. |
THE PIT
This game is similar to the Point game, but this game is an individual
competition.
Have each player take a turn in the Pit. The Pit is a 8-10 feet
horizontal span area up against any type of wall surface. Have each
player take a turn in the Pit receiving a ground ball. If the any ball
gets past the playerin the Pit, within the span area, then he or she is
out of the game. For the player who field the ground ball cleanly and
makes an accurate throw back to the coaches hitting, make the ground
balls faster and tougher.
We usually use a soft baseball in case the ball is missed (the ball then
goes directly off the wall and back towards the player) and in
situations were the players are fielding cleanly and the balls are
starting to come faster. |
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TWO HANDS WHEN YOU CAN
As a
Tee-ball Coach working with beginners we do our best to come up with
catch phrases or anything that will help them remember how it feels to
do it right. One of the ways I have found that helps the youngsters in
remembering to field the ball with two hands is simply with two rubber
bands. Simply tie the rubber bands together forming a figure 8 and put
them around both wrists, you can have several sets of these so you can
do this drill quicker. Each player takes 5-10 grounders, and as they
field each ball, they obviously can not throw so you have them move
their feet and body into a throwing position. The rubber bands help make
them keep their hands together by the resistance of the rubber bands.
This will help in getting them to use both hands together to feild the
ball. After you have done this, take the rubber bands off, and have them
do the drill again. This time, have the kids make their throw. It is
amazing how well this drill works. Another benefit of the two hands
drill, is helping younger kids who cant quite "squeeze" the glove yet,
or have a new glove not yet broken making it difficult to keep the ball
from "popping out."
Note: Obviously you must be careful to properly supervise young kids
with the potential for horseplay with rubber bands.
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