Infield I. fielding mechanics II. my favorite drills III. situational defense strategies
Fielding Mechanics Fielding at the tip of triangle/shovel out Fielding ball, glove side of middle Stepping right over left towards target Moving through groundballs; not back on your heels Ground up/palm up
Gvg Favorite drills PPF’s Knee ground balls Sprint towards fungo hitter On the runs Ladder drills Step and throw Fielding at every position Hot box Bunt defense
Pre-Practice Fundamentals (PPF’s) Rolling balls/short hops on knee w/partner (forehand,backhand,middle) Standing up w/ no glove,small glove, normal glove (FH,BH,M, power backhand) Over the shoulders Do or dies
Knee ground balls Hitting ground balls while receiving on knees Helps you stay low, field ground up Work on your glove work Will help someone who is aggressive with their glove….want soft hands
Sprint towards fungo hitter Want to be set by the time fungo hitter throws the ball in the air Helps you have the feeling of moving through a ball with control Not field on heels Being able to stop yourself and “slow” the ball down
On the runs Working on leading someone Having “touch” on your throws do it blind/ fielding groundball
Ladder Drill Work on footwork & applying hand eye Can roll/throw the balls when come out of ladder Either can have players/ or coach throw to person going through ladder Can incorporate “on the run drill” w/ ladder
Step and throw Stepping w/ right foot to the ball Catch w/ two hands Working on getting rid of the ball and having consistent throws
Fielding at every infield position While its fun, you are throwing from every possible position
Hot Box Makes you be quick Good competition between teammates Cardio workout/ focusing on staying in your legs because of fatigue Focus on throws while tired How many can you do in 30 seconds?
Bunt Defense Simulating bunt situation in a game Putting it all together (fielding, communicating, executing) Offensively can work on short game
Situational Defenses bunt/slap defense 1 st & 3 rd defense
Bunt/Slap defense 1.) “zone defense”/ set place where you go no matter what batter does -good because no thinking is involved 2.)“man to man” straight up defense/batter dictates what defense does -more advanced…need constant communication -good because you are not giving up anything on right side -pitchers can work more around the plate
1 st and 3 rd defense Prefer just shortstop covering 2B can be a distraction when the cut across Can create different plays w/ SS covering 1. runner on 3 rd is a MUST (close game) 2. just get an out (winning) 3. catcher can pick at 3rd