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Coaching Guide -&nbsp;Baseball Practice Plan #1

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Baseball Practice Plan #1

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Baseball Graphical Practice Guide #1

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Baseball Graphical Practice Guide #2

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Coaching Baseball: Parent Letter

This section contains coaches&#39; tips and advice on scores of topics

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Coaches Tips &amp; Advice

This is a great game simulation drill that teaches hitters to be aggressive and to hit under pressure.

Two teams face off in a 7 inning game with each batter coming into the box with a full count. Action is quick and players must be alert both offensively and defensively.

The count may also be changed to 2-2 and each team can be given one out to start the inning.

Full Count Game

Thanks to our friends at LA84, novice to advanced coaches will find this youth baseball coaching guide a valuable resource for every aspect of coaching baseball and running a youth baseball team practice.&nbsp;&nbsp; You&#39;ll find baseball drills and everything you need to lead your baseball team to success. From warm up &amp;amp; conditioning routines to hitting to fielding to base-running to pitching to position play, no area is left uncovered.

<a href="https://youth-sports-drills-cdn.teamsnap.com/Baseball%20Coaching%20Guide%20-%20LA84.pdf">Download Document:</a>

The LA84 Foundation Baseball Coaching Guide

<h2>For Balls in the Dirt</h2>

A big part of successful baserunning involves properly reading balls in the dirt. This drill will help your players to learn to properly judge the trajectory of a pitched ball that bounces in the dirt.

Station a baserunner at each base - first, second, and third. Runners should be independent of one another, since the responsibilities for each base differ slightly. Have a coach on the mound, pitching a variety of pitches - mix in balls and strikes, as well as pitches that will bounce.

Any time a pitch is about to bounce, the entire team must yell "Dirt!" This lets you know if everyone is paying attention, and players tend to like the excuse to yell.

Baserunners on first should automatically go if they know the ball is going to bounce - if they wait to see if the catcher has blocked the pitch, they are too late.

Runners on second should read the pitch and decide whether it is safe to go - if the ball gets away from the catcher, they should go, whereas if the catcher blocks the ball, they should stay put.

Similarly, the runner on third should read and react. Take a lead, get a good crow hop as the ball nears the plate, then react to the bounce of the ball.

Emphasize that each base is independent of one another; this is not a game situation in which a runner going from first automatically forces the runner from second. This is a drill to teach the different reactions needed from each base to a pitch in the dirt. Emphasize your runners&#39; lead techniques, making sure that they don&#39;t lead too far, or are caught leaning the wrong way... it&#39;s not a bad idea to have your coach occasionally make a move to pick off one of the runner, just to keep them honest.

It&#39;s also a good idea to keep two catchers for this drill, to avoid tiring one out too much.

Dirt! Baserunning Drill

I cannot count the number of times I have watched a young player get out on a play when they should have been safe at first, had they simply ran hard. This is a very preventable out, and one that will cost you several runs over the course of the season if you don&#39;t nip it in the bud.

Younger players especially tend to see first base as a destination, and they will slow down in order to stop on it, or, even worse, time their run to the bag in order to make a little "hop" and land perfectly on the base. Either of the methods will invariably lead to plays that are far closer than should be, and even to outs.

The concept that you must teach is that first base is simply a checkpoint over which the runner passes. In no circumstance should a batter ever simply stop on first base. They should always be charging at full speed, ready to make the turn to second if the ball is in a gap, or simply run down the line otherwise.

Beware that players who run sraight down the line will often like to turn back to their left on the way back to first base - oftentimes placing them in the field of play, and subject to being tagged out. The dugout drill avoids this.

Have all your players line up behind home plate, and put the first kid into the batter&#39;s box, as if he is hitting. On your signal, he runs down the first base line as hard as possible. The first base coach either yells "Go! Go! Go!" indicating the he should advance to second base, or "Dugout! Dugout!" indicating that the player must overrun first base by two or three steps, then tail off to the right as if he is going to the dugout. Make them turn back to their right, then race quickly back to first base, ready to advance.

Repeat this drill periodically throughout the season to make sure that your players do not forget and stop on first base!

Dugout! Run Past First Base on Every Hit

I like coaching and teaching younger players the fundamentals of baseball. I coach my son&#39;s 2nd grade coach pitch team and help out with my daughter&#39;s tee-ball team. It&#39;s amazing how much boys and girls can pick up and develop from the age of 5 until the age of 8 or 9.

However, one habit I see kids do more often than any other when it comes to baserunning is stopping on first base. From tee-ball on, the first instinct of a runner is to stop right on first base.

The last drill we run in practice is running through first base, yet when we get into a game situation, the kids tend to go back to their old habits.

I&#39;ve incorporated two steps to improving our drill. 1) Instead of all the kids lining up behind home plate and running to first, I put one or two kids at short stop and my first baseman on the bag. I then throw grounders to the short stops and have them make throws over to first. It get the baserunners used to seeing someone covering the base (since some tend to slow down and shy away from the bag if they see the first baseman move off the bag or jump to get a throw) and it gives them a little more incentive to beat out the throw. 2) On ground balls I have my first base coach (during practice and during the game) actually move about 10 feet down the first base line toward the outfield and motion with his left hand to keep coming hard, and at the same time use his right hand to point to the ground.

The visual tends to help the kids remember that they need to sprint to a point past the first base line. If the throw gets away from the first baseman, my coach can still direct the hitter to make the turn to second base.

Running Through First Base

<h2>Is there anything more fun in baseball?</h2>

<h4>By Richard Todd, Head Coach, WebBall Baseball, as published on WePlay.com</h4>

<hr />
Sliding in for an extra base on a hit or a clean steal is a great accomplishment. 
- If you enjoy it, you&#39;ll be relaxed. 
- If you&#39;re relaxed you&#39;re body will land more softly.

Note to Coaches: Because sliding may be required after a hit as well as on a base-to-base steal, it&#39;s an important basic skill to learn. Many kids take to it readily, but not all.

<h3>Leg Tuck</h3>

Start by learning your normal leg tuck.

Hold yourself up in a crab-walk - back to the ground, arms out to the side, knees bent.

Let go. As your arms go up, one leg usually tucks itself under as you flop down.

Tuck that same leg under when you slide, with the lead leg over top, slightly bent.

<h3>Sock Slide</h3>

Next, try some simple slides on grass, cleats off. (Wear old clothes for this one - you will get grass stains - and it helps if the grass is slightly damp - a morning practice with dew.)

Do it first without a base as a target, then do some with a base (not anchored), to judge distance.

Take a 10-20&#39; run up, and while you&#39;re still in motion just sit down - lifting your arms up over your head as you tuck one leg under and bend the lead leg slightly - lead foot about half a foot of the ground.

<h3>The Pop Up</h3>

The bent lead leg is important for the next step - the pop up at the bag.

As you reach your target, bring the lead foot down and plant it.

Your body will naturally come up. Use your tucked leg to stop, regain your balance, and be ready to take off for the next base on an overthrow. (Look to your coach for instruction.)

<h3>The Arm Hook</h3>

Sometimes you want to slide in off the bag to avoid a close tag.

Do everything the same as above, but aim your lead leg 2 to 3 feet beside the bag, and keep it raised (no pop-up).

As you slide by, extend your arm to grab the bag and maintain contact.

If necessary, roll onto your hip, or fan your legs out to brake.

<h3>Head-First Slide</h3>

Don&#39;t.

Risks of injury include bent fingers, twisted forearms, scraped face, concussion, or worse. Any questions?

Baserunning: How to Slide Smoothly and Safely

This drill focuses on getting a good jump. Your first step will often determine if you catch the ball or not at the end of a long run. In this drill, the instructor stands opposite the player in the outfield.

The outfielder reads ball direction as the instructor points to different areas, backpedaling, turning and running in that direction, doing whatever it takes to get to the spot that the coach points at quickly.

The fielder is to sprint 3-5 steps in the correct direction, then repeat the process.

The Jump Drill

For levels and leagues where players can lead off when the ball crosses the plate, run an exercise requiring a pitcher, a catcher and a first baseman and one baserunner with batting helmet (at first base).

The remaining players line up in foul territory to take their turn running. To begin, the pitcher pitches to the catcher and the catcher makes a throw to first base to try to catch the baserunner coming off of the bag to go to second base.

The object is for the baserunner to get as far as possible toward second base (but not to go to second) and then try to get safely back to first before the throw. Mark a line in the dirt at the farthest distance that each player gets to if they get back to first safely. That tells the player how far they can get off the bag and still get back during a regular game. We have a competition to see who can get the farthest.

Lead-Off Drill

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Derek Jeter explains the mentality of going for extra bases in baseball after a hit begins before you make contact with the ball. By practicing the right mentality when hitting, you can hit for more doubles and triples.

Going for Two

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Sliding is a skill youth baseball players need to develop as they learn to run the bases. This video explains the reasons for sliding and the situations in which sliding makes sense.

Sliding to a Base

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Getting out of the batter&#39;s box quickly is the focus of this baseball video. A youth baseball coach explains how to take that all-important first step after a hit for right-handed and left-handed batters.

Running After the Hit

Your stride should be easy and comfortable. The key is to stride form the ball of your drive (back) foot to your the ball of your landing (front) foot. Be sure to pull down through the ball and stay behind the baseball.

Stride

One of the more important baserunning skills in baseball is learning how to take a lead from a base. This video demonstrates the basic techniques youth baseball players should use.

How To Take A Lead

Harold Reynolds explains smart decision making for extra base hits. Shuffle, keep your eye on the ball, check with the third base coach and watch the field.

Extra Base Hits

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Practice base running by learning to stay low. Keep your body below the baseman&#39;s hand until you hit a full sprint at about your fifth step. Think of a runner bursting out of the blocks.

Staying Low

Learn to read the pitcher by staging the environment. One person acts as base runner and the other pitcher. Practice keying off various pitching weaknesses from both left handed and right handed pitches.

Reading Pitcher Drill

The third base tag up can be tricky. Keep your eye on the ball, the third base runner and the third baseman.

Tagging Up

The Ball Gets Through The Infield 
With less than 2 out and the ball is hit into the outfield, your job is to get to 3rd base. If the ball is hit to right field, this should not be difficult unless it"s a hard hit line drive right to the fielder. Take a quick look at your 3rd base coach as you near the 2nd base bag to see what he wants you to do. Run as if you expect to get called over.

Ball Hit To Center Or Left Field 
If the ball is hit from center to left field, you will have the play in front of you and it will be up to you to determine if you are going to attempt to make it to third or not. Remember, by making it to second, you are in scoring position. Do not take chances going to third if an average to good throw will get you out.

If you determine that you are going to try and make it, make sure you focus on hitting the inside part of the bag as you turn the corner. Once you have made it past second look up and pick up your third base coach. The third base coach will let you know whether to slide or go in standing. If in doubt, slide.

Ball Hit To Right Or Right Center Field 
If the ball is hit from right center to right then you must rely on the third base coach to let you know whether to stay at second or go for third. If you get no sign before getting to second, you must use your determination from the picking up the ball. If it looks like it was hit hard and directly to the right fielder, you will want to go straight in to second base and pick up the right fielder or third base coach as you do so. If the ball was hit down the line or in the gap and you are anticipating trying for third, take an aggressive turn.

You must pick up the third base coach immediately after touching second. He will be able to let you know whether to continue on or to stay at the bag. The big difference between scenarios is in the first, you plan on staying at second unless the coach lets you know otherwise; in the second scenario, you plan on going to third unless the coach signals you to stop.

First to Third

RULE #1 
You are now very close to scoring. It wasn&#39;t easy getting here so don&#39;t make mistakes. There are two HUGE mistakes you can make here: 
1. Getting picked off 
2. Not scoring when the opportunity is there. 
You want to really get on the coaches bad side, commit one of these two errors.

Leading Off 
Remember this only applies in leagues where leading off is allowed by the rules... Get the signs from your coach while you are standing on the base. This is more critical than at any other base because your back is toward the pitcher. Once you have received the signs, take your lead. The biggest difference in taking your primary lead from third base rather than from first base is your need to stay clear in foul territory. You don&#39;t want there to be any doubt that you&#39;re in foul territory if you&#39;re hit by a batted ball.

Another important point when taking your secondary lead is to make sure you keep your hips and shoulders square to the field so you can easily continue towards home or get back to third quickly if necessary. A good catcher who sees the shoulders squared towards him will make a throw to third. This position therefore will not only cause the runner to be slower getting back to third, but will encourage more throws from the catcher.

Getting Back 
If the catcher catches the ball, you want to return to the bag in fair territory even though you took your lead in foul territory. If the catcher is going to attempt to pick you off, he has to throw the ball accurately to the inside of the bag. This makes it more difficult for the third baseman to make a quick tag and it may result in a bad throw that either hits you or ends up in left field. Whatever the end result, you have placed more pressure on the catcher.

Any ball hit in the air, you should start back towards third base. If it&#39;s a line drive that gets through the infield, you&#39;ll score easily even if you start back towards third. If it&#39;s a fly ball, then you need to return to third to tag up.

Ground Ball 
Knowing when to run home on a ground ball with 0 or 1 outs is very difficult. You should be able to score on any ball hit up the middle that gets by the pitcher unless the infield is playing in tight.

Third to Home

Catcher gets in blocking/throwing stance. Standing 30 feet away, the coach throws a mixture of strikes and balls in the dirt to be received.

Also, mix in pump fake throws to make sure that the catcher&#39;s balance is good.

An advanced variation is to include random verbals simulating a stealing baserunner.

Yell the phrase "runner!" and instruct the catcher to execute proper footwork for throws down to second or third base.

<hr />
<blockquote>
For more information, check out my book <a href="https://www.coachingthebeginningpitcher.com" rel="nofollow">Coaching the Beginning Pitcher</a>.
</blockquote>

Catch/Block/Fake Drill

<h2>How to Correctly Receive Throws and Block the Dish</h2>

The most important job of the catcher, second only to receiving the pitch, is to protect home plate. While some leagues have specific rules regarding plays at the dish, there are universal principles that work well in any league, from eight year olds on up to the pros.

On any play where the ball is hit fairly, the catcher should immediately come up out of his crouch and move in front of home plate. The mask should stay on; discourage the "macho" impulse to rip it off on every play, reserving this instead for pop-ups and pitches that are not cleanly caught. Leaving the mask on gives protection in the event that you have a "bang-bang" play at the plate and a ball gets away.

The catcher should position himself relative to the location of the hit, using home plate as a reference. If the ball is hit to the left field side, he should line up using the third base corner of home plate as a guide. Likewise, if the ball is hit to the right field side, he should use the first base corner of the plate as a guide. The catcher should be no more than a foot or so in front of the plate in order to give himself the best position on a potential tag. In most leagues, it is illegal for the catcher to block the plate unless he actually has the ball in his possession, though unwritten rules allow him to do so if the ball is actually in the air.

When blocking the plate, give the runner the back half of the plate. This gives the runner a clear target (which will reduce the number of collisions), and also the illusion of a safe path to home.

Once the ball is caught, the catcher should take a quick step onto the third base line, making sure to square his knees toward third base. The knee is very resistant to damage from head on collisions, but likewise very succeptible to injury if struck from the side. It is imperative that the catcher stay low - the runner will have the advantage of momentum, and the only way to counter this is for the catcher to have a low center of gravity.

The ball should be gripped tightly in the throwing hand, then placed inside of the mitt. If the ball is held in the mitt alone, the shock of an impact can very easily dislodge it. The tag should only be applied with the back of the mitt. Keep the tag low. Only apply a sweeping tag if the throw was off target, preventing the catcher from getting into the correct position.

Once the tag is applied, the catcher should spin away toward the infield, ready to make a throw to another base if the situation calls for it.

Follow these steps to realize a greater percentage of outs at the plate, and to protect your catcher from injury.

Protect Home Plate!

To work on taking a proper approach on a ground ball, place cones in an arc in the outfield.

The semi-circle represents the necessary angle to take in order to be moving towards the target when fielding a ground ball.

Again, work first on the concept of taking an angle (surrounding the baseball, similar to a fielding approach) and then add the fundamental steps of fielding a ground ball in the outfield.

<hr />
<blockquote>
For more information, check out my book <a href="https://www.coachingthebeginningpitcher.com" rel="nofollow">Coaching the Beginning Pitcher</a>.
</blockquote>

Outfield Approach Drill

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<a href="https://www.weplay.com/users/pattyman29">Pat Ahearne</a>, former NCAA College World Series Championship pitcher with more than 16 years of pro ball experience shares his fundamental approach to catching the baseball.&nbsp; A great video for youth baseball players and coaches working to improve the basics.

Transcription:

Hi, this is Pat Ahearne and you&#39;re On the Way of Baseball. I want to give you a couple of real quick tips on catching the ball. Some young players, I see them make mistakes and have a tough time catching the balls, so this is a really easy way to get yourself ready and make good catches. 
 
So when you&#39;re playing catch, first of all, get in an athletic position, bend your knees, a little flexed at the waist so you can move. You have balance, you can move. Now, what you use, with your glove, you give your partner a target to throw to right in front of your glove side arm. Now, from this position, you can get to about any ball that&#39;s thrown to you. 
 
If the ball is to your left, you can just reach across. If it&#39;s above you to your left, if it&#39;s straight up and now if the ball&#39;s coming on this side of you, you can reach across really easily and make the catch. If the ball is straight across, you can reach this way on the backhand and make the catch. 
 
Now, one of the problems that I see with youth players, when a ball comes down too low, they&#39;re not sure what to do. So when you start with this position and the ball comes below your waist, you turn your palm up and make the catch that way. So if it&#39;s right below you, come down here, catch it this way. If it&#39;s down and opposite your glove side, you can reach down on the backhand and catch it here. 
 
Same thing on your glove side. You can just turn your palm up and catch it this way and you always start from the athletic position and expect, especially when you&#39;re in the field and playing the game, if you expect a bad throw, a good throw will be easy. That&#39;s what you&#39;ll be ready for. So if you&#39;re here and you&#39;re athletic and expect a bad throw, if it comes way over here, you can move, move your feet and get to it. 
 
So, catching isn&#39;t only a skill with the glove but it also involves the feet. You got to be able to move. You got to be ready to go. So now there&#39;s a good tip for helping you catch the ball. Anything else on your mind, you can find me at thewayofbaseball.com and I&#39;ll give you help, and tips, and advice on how to go better and farther on your way of baseball.

Baseball Fundamentals: Catching the Ball 

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Red Sox catcher Josh Bard shares his keys to catching and what to focus on when learning the position.

Josh Bard: The Keys to Catching

This is a blocking drill designed to help a catcher move quickly from side to side as well as react to balls in the dirt.

Place three baseballs on the ground in front of the plate one middle and one on either side of the plate. Have the catcher set up behind the middle baseball and react to the coaches directions.

After a coach points to a ball, the catcher is to move towards that ball in a blocking position.

From his knees, the catcher pops up to his feet and moves back behind the plate to react to the next assignment. Start slowly and increase speed as appropriate, but be careful to maintain proper technique.

Finally, be sure the catcher is back into his blocking/throwing stance before pointing to the next ball.

<hr />
<blockquote>
For more information, check out my book <a href="https://www.coachingthebeginningpitcher.com" rel="nofollow">Coaching the Beginning Pitcher</a>.
</blockquote>

3-Ball Catching Drill

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Red Sox catcher Josh Bard talks about the proper technique for catching a pop-up from behind the plate. Using these recommended techniques, a baseball catcher can be much faster at getting to the ball and making the play.

Josh Bard: Catching a Pop-Up

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Proper set-up and technique are especially important for catchers because they have to be ready for all sorts of scenarios. In this video, a youth baseball coach demonstrates the basics of a neutral stance set up for a catcher.

Basic Catching Stance

The most important job of a catcher is to keep the ball in front of him at all times. This video gives youth baseball players the proper technique for blocking balls thrown low in the dirt or outside.

How to Block a Pitch

<h3>1. SIGN-GIVING STANCE</h3>

When giving signs, the catcher&#39;s job is to allow only the pitcher (and middle infielders) to see the signs. To do so, the catcher will place the glove on the outside of the left knee. This blocks the third base coach from stealing signs. The sign-giving stance should be very relaxed, with the catcher sitting on his toes and the knees kept in tight. Young catchers have a tendency to open their legs up too wide, enabling opposing players and coaches to see the signs being given. The forearm and wrist of the bare hand should be sitting gently on the thigh, positioned deep, up against the protective cup. To avoid having pitches picked, a catcher should avoid giving signs too high or too low.

<h3>2. RECEIVING STANCE</h3>

After the sign is given, the next step is to get into either the receiving stance or the blocking/throwing stance. With nobody on base, and less than two strikes, the catcher will be in the receiving stance. This stance allows the catcher to concentrate exclusively on catching the baseball. There is no blocking or throwing needed while catcher is in this stance.

There are many different types of receiving stances. For catchers ages 12+ (depending on strength of catcher) I teach them to receive with their feet a little wider than shoulder with apart. With their toes pointed slightly out, and the front of their left foot even with the instep of the right, I have them roll onto the inside of their feet (with most of the weight transferring to the front of the left foot) as they get down into the stance. This stance is going to feel awkward and probably hurt a little bit when first learning it, but it allows the catcher to "drop-knee," which will be discussed later.

In the receiving stance, the catcher&#39;s back is almost completely straight. The glove should rest comfortably in front of the lower chest - not too far into the catcher&#39;s chest protector, yet not too far away from the body that the catcher extends his arm. The catcher&#39;s glove-hand wrist should rest gently on the thigh, a few inches before the knee. The elbow should be bent with no tension - Leave it nice and loose. The throwing or bare hand should always be behind the back. Because there is no threat of a baserunner advancing or scoring, a catcher may attempt to scoop or pick a ball is in the dirt no blocking required!

<h3>3. BLOCKING/THROWING STANCE</h3>

If a catcher is forced to use this stance, his responsibilities increase dramatically. The catcher must still receive, but also must block any pitchers in the dirt and throw runners out attempting to steal. While in the blocking stance, the catcher must raise his tail up a bit to be able to block pitches better, shift quickly, and throw to second base with more ease and accuracy. To do this, the catcher&#39;s feet should be a little wider than they were in the receiving stance. Once again, the catcher will roll his feet in, but not as much as in the receiving stance. The catcher still wants to be on the balls of his feet, without sitting back too far. In an effort to avoid blocking the umpire&#39;s vision, do not allow the catcher to get too high while in this stance.

While in this stance, the bare hand sits behind the glove instead of behind the back. This allows the catcher to either... quickly grab the ball when moving to throw out a runner, or keep behind the glove when going down to block. Both wrists should be resting on the catcher&#39;s thighs (or close to the thighs). It&#39;s very important that the catcher does not stand flat footed while in this stance as this makes blocking and throwing more difficult.

<hr />
<blockquote>
For more information, check out my book <a href="https://www.coachingthebeginningpitcher.com" rel="nofollow">Coaching the Beginning Pitcher</a>.
</blockquote>

Baseball Skills & Drills: Catching Stances

This video explains the basics of a catcher&#39;s equipment and why each piece is necessary. Shin pads, the chest protector, the face mask, and the catcher&#39;s mitt are all discussed.

Catcher&#8217;s Equipment, Part 1

Learn how to make the pitch as attractive as possible to the umpire. Make that pitch look like a strike by trying these techniques.

Framing the Pitch

Communicate signs effectively by protecting them from the third and first base coaches. Learn where to keep your legs, when to change the sequence and how to stay focused.

Giving Signs

Retrieving a ball can be tricky. Locate the ball quickly by removing your mask, using the correct drop step and more.

Passed Balls

Coach stands behind the catcher. Catcher assumes their stance.

The coach tells the catcher what pitch is thrown and where.

The coach will give the catcher a few seconds to get ready.

When the coach claps their hands, the catcher will assume the blocking position and hold.

The coach or other players will check their form to make sure the catcher is in a good position.

Giving the catcher less time between pitch and location and the clap can vary the drill, or the catcher will go on verbal commands only.

Shadow Blocking Blocking Drill- (No ball)

Coach gets on one knee from a short distance.

The catcher assumes the blocking position.

The coach will throw the ball in the dirt and off the chest of the catcher.

Sit and Get Hit Blocking Drill

Coach stands halfway between the mound and home plate.

The catcher assumes their stance.

Coach will throw balls in the dirt and the catcher will block, retrieve, and get their body in a position to throw.

Medium Toss Blocking Drill

Coach stands on the mound.

The catcher assumes their stance.

Coach will throw balls in the dirt and the catcher will block, retrieve, and get their body in a position to throw.

Standard Toss Blocking Drill

The catcher should start in the down position with a ball placed in front of them.

When the coach says go, the catcher fires their hands out to the side and away from the ball, gets to their feet quickly, rakes in the ball and gets their body in a position to throw the baseball.

Hands Blocking Drill

Catcher starts out in their stance.

Coach holds a ball in front of the catcher and moves it around the strike zone.

The catcher follows the path of the baseball and frames the area.

The catcher should work on body movement and catching the ball in halves.

Shadow Framing Drill

Coach gets on one knee five to ten feet from the catcher.

The coach will toss a ball to the catcher.

The catcher will work on body movement and catching the ball in halves.

The benefit of this approach is that the coach is close enough that they can be more accurate with their toss and work all areas.

One Knee Toss Framing Drill

Coach stands up and throws pitches to a catcher from 40-50 feet.

This allows the catcher to track the ball from a longer distance.

The catcher will still work on body movement and catching the ball in halves.

Medium Toss Framing Drill

Place one ball near the first base line, one up the middle, and one near the third base line.

Catcher will assume their stance. Coach will stand behind and call out which ball to field.

Catcher will attack the ball, field it, and make a strong and accurate throw to a base.

Three ball - Plays at the Plate Drill

One of the most commons pitfalls seen by infielders is the mistake of fielding a ground ball too close to their body - often letting the ball get all the way in between their feet. This cuts down on their reaction time, and most bobbles tend to end up behind the fielder, making it difficult to recover and record an out on even a slow baserunner.

To help prevent your players from holding their arms too close to their body when fielding grounders, give them a mouthful of their cap! To perform the drill, the fielder should hold his hat in his mouth by the bill - the back of the hat should be facing away from his body. A coach then hits grounders at him, stressing proper footwork and fundamentals.

Since the hat will block a large portion of the player&#39;s field of vision, he will be forced to place his hands further out in front of him in an effort to see the ball into his hands - and thus, to field the ball properly. Though the drill naturally helps to ensure this (and most players do so without even being told), make sure that your players actually are reaching out, and not trying to simply field the ball blind, else you will do more harm than good!

Younger players should simply field the ball. Older, more skilled players can incorporate the hat in the mouth drill into their normal fielding routines - making throws to first, covering bases, even turning double plays.

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The Hat in the Mouth Drill

The purpose of this drill is to perfect your infielders&#39; skill against the bunt. To set up the drill, you&#39;ll need your typical infielders, though a pitcher is optional. You can double the effectiveness of the drill by having some of your other players rotate as batters - let them take turns laying down bunts. Alternately, you can simply have your catcher (or a coach) roll soft grounders to simulate bunts, but I prefer using batters.

To perform the drill correctly, you need to emphasize the importance of hard charging by the fielders. Once the fielders see the batter squaring to bunt, the first and third basemen must charge at full speed to field the ball. Simultaneously, the second basemen and shortstop must wheel to cover the corners - the shortstop covers third base, while the second baseman covers first.

Have the fielders throw to the opposite corner - the third baseman throws to first, while the first baseman throws to third. Stress aggressiveness, since a timid corner infielder might as well let the catcher pick up the bunt. Don&#39;t let them be afraid to overrun the ball, to pick up the ball barehanded, and to make throws on the run if need be.

You can of course mix things up by having the first baseman throw to first, and the third baseman throw to third, since both of these situations do show up in games. Once your players become proficient at the drill, you might want to mix in some regular hitting so that the fielders do not cheat.

Work this drill from time to time, and you&#39;ll be amazed at the progress of your infielders.

Bunt Loops

If you&#39;ve ever been to a little league practice before, chances are that you&#39;ve seen a variation on the following: the coach lines his players up, hits the ball to them, and the ones with some existing skill or innate talent do a good job... while the new player or the less talented athlete struggles. The coach tells them to "get in front of the ball," to "get their glove down," and to "keep the ball in front of them." And that&#39;s about the extent of it.

Maybe this improves over the course of the season. Unfortunately, it has been my experience that this is all too often not the case - instead, the lesser fielders get dropped into the outfield in an effort to minimize their liability to the team. As a result, they get less practice reps than the infieldiers, and if anything, the disparity between the skill level of infield and outfield widens further.

Now, I&#39;m not suggesting that you should place your weakest fielder at shortstop. What I am suggesting is that you, as the coach, need to make sure that you give all of your players the tools they need in order to succeed. The best way you can do this is by emphasizing - and then consistently teaching - the fundamentals of baseball fielding.

Remember the triangle. Before you begin fielding, line your players up with some space in between them. Have them set up with their feet about shoulder width apart. Now, have them reach their glove out on the ground in front of themselves about the same distance as the width between their feet, as if they are fielding an imaginary grounder. Have them hold the position, and point out that the three things on the ground - each foot, plus the glove - form the points of a triangle. This is the ideal position for fielding a ground ball; feet too close together take away the ability to move laterally, a glove too close to the feet gives no room for error when scooping up a grounder.

Use both hands. This is possibly the most critical aspect of fielding grounders that you can teach, and is oddly enough, the one most often ignored by coaches. When set to field a grounder, the glove should be placed on the ground, and the other hand should be open, above the glove, with the heels of the hand fairly close together (the analogy used for younger players is that of an alligator&#39;s mouth).

When the ball enters the glove, the secondary hand should automatically close over the ball and gather it in; not only does this ensure that the ball won&#39;t pop out, but it places the fielder into a favorable position to make a throw. The further, and less obvious benefit, is that balls that skip off of the heel of the glove cannot pop up and hit the fielder in the face if this basic fundamental is employed; the top hand will simply deflect the ball back down into the dirt where it can then be recovered.

Start low, then come up high. Teach your kids that, when fielding a grounder, they should always begin with their glove all the way on the ground. If the ball takes a hop, they can bring their glove up to it; even if they misjudge, odds are excellent that their top hand and/or their body will block the ball and keep it from going past.

However, if the player tries to start with their glove high and then go down to the ball, they will invariably let grounder after grounder go between their legs.

Keep soft hands. Ground balls come in with so much velocity that they will frequently bounce out of even a perfectly placed glove. Bringing the second hand in will help this, but sometimes, the ball will still pop out in the time it takes to bring that hand down.

The best way to reduce this effect is by having soft hands. In other words, teach your players to not lock their elbows in, thus presenting a brick wall for the baseball to ricochet off of. Instead, they should "give" ever so slightly - this will reduce the energy of the baseball enough to prevent it from popping out. If you have a player who always seems to get into the right position for fielding, who uses two hands, who gets his glove down, and yet still seems to lose a lot of balls, odds are excellent that he has no idea what soft hands are.

Watch that footwork! The first instinct that many young fielders have when fielding a grounder not right at them is to turn to the side and run towards the ball. Unless the fielder is trying to make a stab at a ball deep in the hole (and even then they should give ground, taking a proper angle), this is the wrong way to do it.

If the player turns his head and runs, he loses track of the ball. Since the first rule of pretty much every phase of baseball is some variation of "keep your eye on the ball," we know that this cannot be correct! Furthermore, even if the fielder can pick up the ball in time, he then must turn his body and reset his feet in an effort to get back to a good "triangle" stance.

Coaches are often tempted to ignore fundamentals in the case of a talented fielder who can make plays, even when doing it the wrong way. The fact of the matter is that you are doing a disservice to your player if you take this path.

Instead of turning and running, players should "slide step" to the side, allowing them to keep the eye on the ball. Further, this allows for a simple stop in motion to place the fielder into proper triangle form. Practice this by lining your players up with several feet in between them, and have them simply "slide" to the left, then to the right. Repeat this for a minute or so, until you have them breathing nice and hard.

The idea is that they should be stepping wide to the side, then following the other foot over until their heels almost click together. In younger players, this will be somewhat of a hopping motion, but as they become more accustomed, it should become second nature and more of a glide.

You don&#39;t have to practice footwork every time you meet, but you should emphasize it and correct bad footwork whenever you see it.

Your job as a youth baseball coach is to teach your players, to give them the tools they need to improve. If your players are not improving, ask yourself if you are doing everything you can to help them succeed. If you are not teaching fundamentals - and thus, giving your players instruction on the correct way to play the game - then you are doing them a disservice.

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Teaching Fielding Fundamentals: Ground Balls 

Youth players, particularly younger ones or those new to the game, often make the mistake of letting ground balls get too close to their body before making a stop, resulting in less reaction time if the ball takes an odd spin. It is important to emphasize the proper method of fielding - get the glove on the ground, use both hands, make sure to field the ball in front of you. This drill ensures that players must field the ball before it gets to them.

Divide your squad into two teams of roughly equal ability. Place two bats on the ground - one at the shortstop position, the other at second base. Next, line one team up behind each bat, leaving about six feet between the first player in line and the bat itself (you can adjust this distance to make it less for younger teams or more for older players).

Hit a grounder to one station, and have the player charge up and field the ball. He must not allow the ball to hit the bat, nor may he step over the bat to field the ball. In other words, he is forced to reach and field the ball out in front. When he has thrown the ball back (preferably to another coach), have him rotate to the back of the line. Alternate hits between your two teams, or have another coach hit balls at the same time to keep both sides working.

Let the players go through the drill once or twice, then announce a competition. Each time a player misses a ball, fields one improperly, or makes a bad throw, their team gets a point. Go through everyone four or five times, slowly increasing the velocity of your batted balls and making the players move laterally more. When finished, declare the team with the least accumulated points to be the winner (much like golf, a low score is better).

As an added bonus, give out sticks of sugarless gum to your winners. When you do your next drill, you might be surprised at the intensity!

The Bat Drill - Teach Players to Field the Ball in Front

You see it in every single game - the pitcher delivers, the batter gets a little under the pitch, and look out! The hitter has popped it almost straight up. If the catcher makes the play, the out is nothing short of huge... but many times, especially in the younger levels of youth baseball, the ball will fall to the ground within easy distance of the catcher, and the batter suffers nothing more than a strike.

Take five or ten minutes per practice early in the season, and your team can easily realize a few exra outs over the course of the year.

The drill itself is simple. Get your catcher in full gear, and have him squat in his stance. Have a coach stand a couple of feet directly in front of the player with his back to the catcher. Give a signal (I like to have the coach yell "ping", like the ball coming off of the bat) and toss the ball directly up into the air. Obviously, the object is for the catcher to keep the pop up from hitting the dirt.

Make sure to emphasize the importance of ripping off the mask in the same motion as the catcher comes to his feet - if the mask stays on, the chance of catching a pop are drastically reduced. He should be looking up, and balanced, in order to move to the ball. Have the coach vary the location and height of his tosses - a catcher that can effectively cover not only the area between himself and the pitcher, but can also patrol the foul areas well, is a huge defensive boost to your team.

Don&#39;t forget that, if the catcher makes the catch (even in foul ground), runners can advance at their own risk, so don&#39;t let your catcher mentally "check out" just because he makes the play!

Pop Up to Catch Those Pop Ups!

<h2>Keep your legs under you and the ball in front of you.</h2>

<h4>by Richard Todd, Head Coach, WebBall Baseball, as published on WePlay.com</h4>

<hr />
The real art to fielding is to be ready before the pitch, and react when the ball is hit.

<h3>Get ready</h3>

Guess where the ball is going. (Your first guesses may be way off, but keep doing it. Over time you&#39;ll develop good fielding instincts.)

Call for the ball - before the hit, in your mind. You want the ball to come to you. Be positive - confident.

Take two short steps in. Forward movement keeps you on the inside balls of your feet. You want to be loose and fluid.

Stay low on a wide base - feet apart, knees bent, rear end down, arms hanging relaxed between knees.

<h3>React</h3>

Move to the ball.

For best lateral move to right... 
- Drive across with left shoulder. Turn right foot out. As upper body leans right - step with right leg, then left leg. (Don&#39;t start with a cross-over step - open the body to the ball side first.)

For lateral to left... 
- Lead with right shoulder and step with left foot.

Keep head down, sneak up on the ball - soft strides.

Try to get there early, to face the hit (on all but the most out-of-reach hits.)

<h3>Catch</h3>

Don&#39;t get ahead of yourself - focus on catching the ball before you try to throw it.

Establish triangle - wide leg base, arms out in front, maintain balance. (Check with heel tap.)

Stay soft - light feet, relaxed hands, loose shoulders.

Glove below the ball - arms can pull up easier than push down.

On out-of-reach shots - drop to knee with throwing hand for balance, glove arm stretch. (Flat-out dives seldom work.)

<h3>Transfer</h3>

A good transfer from glove to throwing hand, starts with a clean catch.

Cradle the ball on the heel of your glove for quick grab by throwing hand (on top).

Don&#39;t rake the glove back towards the throwing hand, the ball could fly out . Keep the body behind the ball in case you bobble it.

Don&#39;t panic on a bobble, reach down, pick it up and make the throw,

Once you get good with throwing hand picking the ball from the glove heel, you can then try to turn the body to the throwing side - to save time.

Always come up with your feet under you, ready to throw.

How to Scoop Grounders like a Vacuum Cleaner

Build outfielders fundamental base by breaking down the steps to catching a fly ball. As a group, line the athletes up side by side and practice

(1) dropstep and read,

(2) crossover,

(3) go.

Standing in front of the group, begin by pointing up in the air towards the right or left. Follow up with verbal prompts so that athletes follow steps appropriately. When you point your finger in a certain direction, outfielders should dropstep in that direction. When you yell "crossover," athletes should take their crossover steps... and on "go," athletes are to take two or three running steps.

Group Work with Fly Balls

Move athletes into one line with the first outfielder stepping out in front of you. Begin by pointing a baseball in one direction (right or left). The athlete is then to dropstep and crossover in appropriate direction as you reach back and throw an easy pop fly.

Group Work Fly Balls with Fundies

The next step to fundamental outfield play is to work on how the athletes are catching the fly ball. Instruct and teach athletes to:

<ul>
	<li>Communicate "Ball, ball!"</li>
	<li>Catch the ball using two hands</li>
	<li>Catch the ball above your eyes</li>
	<li>Catch the ball over your throwing shoulder</li>
	<li>Catch the ball moving towards your cut-off man</li>
	<li>Involve fly balls off of the bat only after fundamentals are solid.</li>
</ul>

<hr />
<blockquote>
For more information, check out my book <a href="https://www.coachingthebeginningpitcher.com" rel="nofollow">Coaching the Beginning Pitcher</a>.
</blockquote>

Outfield Group Work Drills

Position bases and pitchers plate half the normal distance from home plate. Players take positions, including all outfielders, infielders, pitcher and catcher. Coach walks players through situation drills, back ups, who goes where when, etc.

Have pitcher "pitch" to catcher.

Coach hits fungo as practiced. Everyone moves as instructed. Fantastic drill to teach rotations, back-ups, defense with runners on, etc.

Short Field Drill

This requires more than one player. Two or more players are separated in the outfield and a fly ball is hit between them.

The players are to then <a href="https://www.teamsnap.com/teams/features/messages">communicate</a> and use rules of fly ball priorities to make the catch. The player that is "called off" the fly ball is then responsible for backing up the play and telling the outfielder with the ball where to direct the throw.

Calling the Pop Fly Communication Drill

Players stand near a fence or outfield wall with about 15 to 20 feet to spare. Balls are then hit over their heads.

The outfielder must read the flight of the ball to determine the best course of action.

Is the ball to be caught, or played off the fence?

Wall Balls

Players in groups of three in a triangle. Players take rolls as coach, Short Stop and Second Baseman.

Position players 10 feet apart. Players assume an "athletic position." The "Coach" then underhands the ball to one player, who catches it with their glove. The player takes the ball with throwing hand and flips it to other player. Repeat drill with both players.

Coach starts with easy glove side underhand tosses, then moves toss to center and to throwing hand side. As players progress, move ball into all reachable areas.

Triangle Drills

There are two types of ground balls that outfielders will field. First, there are ground balls without a runner advancing. The responsibility of an outfielder in this situation is to keep the ball in front of them and get the ball to an infielder immediately. Encourage a fielding triangle similar to an infielder, keeping the ball in front at all times (drop knee for young athletes is okay).

When a runner is attempting to advance, an outfielder must catch the ball on the run and make an immediate throw. This second type of outfield ground ball involves the following fundamental steps:

<ol>
	<li>Ready Position</li>
	<li>Read</li>
	<li>Take angle (surround baseball)</li>
	<li>Go!</li>
</ol>

<hr />
<blockquote>
For more information, check out my book <a href="https://www.coachingthebeginningpitcher.com" rel="nofollow">Coaching the Beginning Pitcher</a>.
</blockquote>

Outfield Ground Ball Mechanics

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Former MLB second baseman Harold Reynolds explains a great drill for middle infielders working on getting the ball in and out of their glove.

Houston Drill

Field the ball outside your glove-side foot

Look ball into glove

Crow Hop

Hit the cut-off man

<h3>What is a Crow Hop?</h3>

A crow hop is executed with the back leg hopping in front of the front leg. It is intended to gather the momentum behind an outfielder&#39;s throw. In the case of a right-handed thrower, this athlete will field a ground ball outside of his left leg (glove side). A proper crow hop will entail his right leg hopping in front of his left leg. Allow an outfielder to take one or two steps before executing the crow hop.

<hr />
<blockquote>
For more information, check out my book <a href="https://www.coachingthebeginningpitcher.com" rel="nofollow">Coaching the Beginning Pitcher</a>.
</blockquote>

Outfield Ground Ball Technique

<h3>1. READY POSITION</h3>

Similar to the infielders, all outfielders should be encouraged to focus immediately as the pitch is released. This can be the same right left hop footwork to ensure that the athlete is on the balls of his feet and ready to react.

<h3>2. DROPSTEP AND READ</h3>

First step back! Any time a ball is hit in the air, an athlete&#39;s first step is back. Specifically, on a ball to his right side, the athlete is to step back with his right leg and open up to judge distance. A ball hit in the air on his left, the athlete is to dropstep with his left leg. The next step is to read how hard the ball is hit to decide to charge or go back on the baseball. Any fly ball hit short requires the athlete to charge in.

<h3>3. CROSSOVER</h3>

For a ball hit behind the outfielder, the athlete is to dropstep followed by a crossover step. On a ball to his right, the dropstep will be with the right foot followed by a left foot crossover step. For a ball hit to his left, the dropstep will be with the left foot followed by a right foot crossover step. Sounds complicated it&#39;s simple and it works!

<h3>4. GO!</h3>

Run down the baseball and make the catch.

<hr />
<blockquote>
For more information, check out my book <a href="https://www.coachingthebeginningpitcher.com" rel="nofollow">Coaching the Beginning Pitcher</a>.
</blockquote>

Outfield Fly Ball Mechanics

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Focusing in the field means being prepared for all situations and scenarios before each and every pitch.

Defensive Focus

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A key to getting teammates on the same page and more comfortable with each other is by constantly <a href="https://www.teamsnap.com/teams/features/messages">communicating</a>.

Communication on the Field

Purpose:

The main purpose of this drill is to work on the throws that infielders will be required to make during a game. The catcher will be able to work on throws down to second and third, the middle infielders will work on turning two, and the corner infielders will be able to work on throws home and across the diamond. (See attached diagram)

How it Works:

This drill is performed with every infield position manned. When the drill is first run it can be done without base runners. Once the drill is practiced a few times then outfielders can be used for base runners. The ball should go "around the world" and back home before the runner makes it all the way around the bases. A game could even be run with a point being awarded to the runners or the infielders depending on who wins.

The ball starts out with the catcher. The catcher throws down to second base where the shortstop catches it, touches the base and throws down to first. The first baseman catches the ball while touching first and then throws down to third base. The third baseman catches the ball and then throws to second where the second baseman will catch the ball, touch second, and pivot and throw down to first. This time the first baseman will catch the ball and throw home. The catcher will catch the ball and throw down to third base. The third baseman will catch the ball and return the throw back to home.

If a base runner is used, the catcher should hold onto the ball until the base runner clears past him and then begin the throwing drill by going to second base.

Coaching Points:

The coach should be looking to make sure players are catching the ball with two hands and transitioning smoothly from catching the ball to throwing the ball. Players should make sure they touch the base with each and every catch. It&#39;s important that players keep their feet under them and make strong throws.

The coach should also pay attention to the way the base runner circles the bases. The player should run in a straight line to each base and only curve out to circle each bag about 10-15 fifteen before the bag. This is the shortest distance. (Runners should not make a huge circle around the bases.)

Courtesy of <a href="https://www.baseball-tutorials.com/" rel="nofollow">http://www.baseball-tutorials.com/</a>

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Around the World

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New York Mets outfielder Ryan Church offers up some helpful advice and reminders for playing the outfield.

Ryan Church: Tips for Playing the Outfield

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No matter how high or how low you feel after the last game, the important thing is to remember the lessons learned and start fresh the next time around.

Ryan Church: Getting Ready for the Next Game

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Cubs centerfielder Reed Johnson shares some helpful tips about playing the position as well as things you should keep in mind while practicing.

Reed Johnson: Preparing to Play Center Field

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There are right ways and wrong ways to catch a baseball at the outfield wall, says Major League Baseball&#39;s and Cubs center-fielder Reed Johnson. Practicing proper technique and being prepared will help you make great catches and avoid injuries when playing baseball.

Reed Johnson: Catching a Baseball at the Wall

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It&#39;s important for youth baseball players to learn good technique when catching fly balls. This video breaks down the proper way to make an above-the-chin catch, putting the player in the right position to make a play after the catch.

How to Catch Fly Balls

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Infielders must learn to charge ground balls rather than wait for the ball to come to them or throwing out runners becomes much more difficult. This video features a simple baseball drill that reinforces the concept of charging ground balls.

Transcriptions:

Baseball is a game of inches. So many times the runners are just barely out or just barely safe. A lot of times when kids field ground balls, what they do is they get into the proper position, but they actually wait for the baseball. Allowing the ball to take more bounces, allowing the runner to get further down the line. Now I have to field the ball and rush it.&nbsp; 
 
So, what we&#39;re gonna do is, we&#39;re gonna set up cones or you can draw two lines, either or. I&#39;m gonna get into my position, my coach is going to roll the ball to me, I&#39;m going to charge the ball in front of the cone or the line, and then make the throw. And what this is doing is, this is reinforcing me to actually move through the baseball. Making that close play out opposed to being safe.&nbsp; 
 
Again, I&#39;m in my fielding position, there&#39;s the ball. I approach it. I make the catch, and now I make the throw.&nbsp;

Charging Grounders

The Pause and Balance Drill is a very effective drill to get a pitcher into a controlled and balanced balance position.

This drill is particularly effective for pitchers who "rush" their motion, fall forward too soon, have trouble getting "on top" of the baseball into a high- arm slot, or are imbalanced in the balance position.

A coach or another player is needed for this drill.

To begin, a pitcher will go through his full wind-up without the baseball. When he gets to the balance position, the pitcher will stop, hold, turn his head and wait for the coach to hand him the baseball. The player should be reaching back with palm down to receive the ball properly.

The coach should vary how quickly he hands his pitcher the ball from three- to five-seconds.

Once the pitcher has received the ball from his coach from the balance position, he will turn his head again and throw to his target emphasizing a good follow-through.

The Pause and Balance Drill

Ozzie&#8217;s Infield Drills

Stopping the ball can be critical in getting a out or even in turning a double play. Practice one motion catches in the palm of your glove with a teammate.

Stop the Ball Drill

Outfielders check out the bobble head drill to learn to run on the balls of your feet while keeping your head steady.

Bobble-Head Drill

It&#39;s important to get behind the ball in crow hop. Use this simple drill to force the player to not only get behind the ball, but to throw it quickly.

Crow-Hop Drill

Combo Work involves a number of different actions at the same time. There are a myriad of combinations to involve all infield positions, each avoiding the other in a safe and effective manner. Combinations are limitless, but depend on how many coaches are available to hit ground balls. Take some time to script three or four segments during the team defense portion of practice.

Here is an example with two coaches available: Coach #1 hits ground balls to the third basemen. Third basemen toss the ball back to Coach #1 or the baseballs into foul territory. Coach #2 hits double play ground balls to the shortstops. The second basemen turn the double play and the first basemen receive the throws (6-4-3). Here are other variations:

<ul>
	<li>Example: Coach #1: 6-4-3 Coach #2: GB&#39;s to 3B (5)</li>
	<li>Coach #1: 5-4, Coach #2: 6-3</li>
	<li>Coach #1: 1-6-3, Coach #2: Alternate GB&#39;s between 3B and 2B</li>
	<li>Coach #1: 4-6-3, Coach #2: 2-5</li>
	<li>Coach #1: 5-4-3, Coach #2: GB&#39;s to SS (6)</li>
	<li>Coach #1: 1-6-3, Coach #2: 4-2 (GB&#39;s to 2B with throws to C for tags), 3B works on pop up down left field line</li>
</ul>

Here are more advanced examples with more coaches and multiple infielders at each position. Each can be executed for several minutes:

Segment 1:

<ul>
	<li>SS throws to 1st base receiver</li>
	<li>3B throws to 2nd base receiver</li>
	<li>2B throws home for tags (one receives)</li>
	<li>1B takes GB playing deep (one receives)</li>
</ul>

Segment 2:

<ul>
	<li>SS throws home for tags (one receiver)</li>
	<li>3B throws to 1st base bag</li>
	<li>2B feeds 2nd base bag</li>
	<li>1B takes GB playing deep (one receives)</li>
</ul>

<hr />
<blockquote>
For more information, check out my book <a href="https://www.coachingthebeginningpitcher.com" rel="nofollow">Coaching the Beginning Pitcher</a>.
</blockquote>

Infield Combo Work (Advanced)

A Fielding-Bunts Drill:

<ul>
	<li>
	Coach stands behind catcher and simulates bunt by rolling ball down first or third baselines or directly in front of catcher.
	</li>
	<li>
	An added variety to this drill has the coach calling the base to which the catcher is to throw.
	</li>
	<li>
	This makes the catcher react to the call.
	</li>
</ul>

Rolling The Ball

A GREAT DRILL! It creates competition. It teaches quick hands. It demonstrates the importance of good throws.

Goal: Teach infielders to get the ball off as quickly as possible after catching the ball.

Drill: With partners about 20-25 feet apart, the partners catch and throw the ball back and forth as quickly as possible. The fielders make sure they use their feet to square off their shoulders to make strong throws to their partners.

Start with all the balls on one side. When the coach yells, "go," the play begins. When the player who threw the ball first receives the ball, he calls out "one." This is one complete revolution. The play continues until the coach yells, "stop." How many complete revolutions did they make? Don&#39;t count half revolutions.

The players should quickly see how expensive it is to miss a throw. The winning players will always be the one using two hands to catch and making good throws. They aren&#39;t necessarily the ones moving the fastest. Make sure the players understand this. You might want to have everyone watch the winning team.

Here&#39;s another tip. Every once in awhile, after the players have each selected a partner and are on the line ready to begin, tell the players on one side to move down one player and have the player at the end come to the front. This will disturb the pairing and will allow better players to help weaker ones.

This drill is very effective if done as the last warm up done before every game or practice begins.

30 Second Drill

Practice all kinds of short hops: Straight-on, backhand, glove side, hot potato in the hole. Focus drills on the fundamentals of quick feet, centering the ball, moving to either side, keeping your eyes on the ball.

<ul>
	<li>
	Put your players into circles - about 6 players to a circle. Hand a ball to one player.
	</li>
	<li>
	The players will throw a short hop to anyone in the circle. If the throw is poor, the player is out. If the throw is good and missed, the player making the fielding error is out. (Don&#39;t call the player out if it&#39;s a bad hop).
	</li>
	<li>
	Keep going until one player is left. The players that are out should be cheering the others on. Keep working all the players until you have a team champ. Repeat the drill at all practices so that other players get a chance to de-throne the champ.
	</li>
</ul>

Remember that keys to becoming a good infielder are learned skills, not merely the result of natural ability.

Short Hops

Short hops don&#39;t happen only after the crack of the bat. Every infielder will get bad throws and whether they can pick that throw or not will be the result of their practicing quick picks. Have your first baseman dig out bad throws.

Have your middle infielders and third basemen practice "grab and tag"; this is where they&#39;re simulating a bad throw from the catcher or another infield that they pick and then have to make a tag on. Have them practice pop-tags, sweep tags and swipe tags.

The more game situations you can simulate, the more prepared your players will be.

Quick Picks

The best way to practice catching with two hands and working on soft hands is to do your infield drills with and without a glove.

The glove is obviously an incredibly important tool, but it can sometimes get in the way of learning the best fundamentals.

Bare Hands

An absolute rule for a bobbled ground ball is to use the throwing hand to pick up the baseball.

Once a ball is bobbled, athletes will have a tendency to use their glove to try and pick it up.

The chances of dropping the baseball again are much higher when using the glove.

Instruct a "boot and barehand" philosophy!

Take time during fielding instruction to practice bobbling a ground ball and using the throwing hand to pick up the baseball and execute a throw.

<hr />
<blockquote>
For more information, check out my book <a href="https://www.coachingthebeginningpitcher.com" rel="nofollow">Coaching the Beginning Pitcher</a>.
</blockquote>

Infield Skill: Boot and Barehand

Purpose:

To practice footwork and releasing the ball quickly for the throw. An intense conditioning element is also a part of this drill.

Procedure:

<ol>
	<li>
	This drill can be used with any of the infielders in a variety of situations. For each position, place five balls in a line in an area where that player would likely field balls. For example, to help the third baseman practice fielding bunts, set up five balls in a line extending from the foul line toward the pitcher&#39;s mound approximately 10 feet away from home plate, where the fielder would pick them up for a bunt.
	</li>
	<li>
	The third baseman starts in his normal ready position and depth, then runs to surround the first ball and throws it to first. He then runs back to his starting position and quickly turns back to field the next ball. Repeat until the fielder throws all five balls.
	</li>
	<li>
	Place the balls in similar areas for the first baseman and catcher. For middle infielders, place the balls to one side of each player and have them practice their throws to each of the bases.
	</li>
	<li>
	Each player fields and throws two sets of five balls placed in slightly different locations.
	</li>
</ol>

Variation:

Two fielders can be fielding and throwing at the same time. For example, the first baseman can practice fielding bunts and throwing to first while the third baseman fields bunts and throws to second. Or the first and third basemen can work together to field balls and practice throws while the shortstop and second baseman do the same.

Baseball Fielding Skills & Drills: 5 Ball Drill 

Here&#39;s a nice simple infield drill. This drill covers all of the throws an infielder will make, and it is so quick paced that the players enjoy it.

Position a player at each base and home, give the catcher the ball. The players make three throws around the horn, then on the third catch, that player throws across the diamond to the player diagonally across to him. After four repetitions of this, the players run to the next base and start again.

Here&#39;s how it works:

C-3b-2b-1b-across to 3b 
3b-2b-1b-c-across to 2b 
2b-1b-c-3b-across to 1b 
1b-c-3b-2b-across to c who makes a sweep tag. 
Players than run to the next base: c-3b, 3b-2b, 2b-1b, 1b-c.

Repeat this four times until the original catcher is back at home plate.

Whenever a player throws to the wrong person, stop and give the ball back to him so he can get it to the correct player. Emphasis is on good, accurate, properly thrown balls, proper catching technique, and quick feet.

Around the Horn Sideways

Geeting a Good Jump 
When the ball is hit, get a good jump on the ball. A good jump depends on your reaction time, which can improve through repetition. Watch the ball all the way to the plate and watch the swing of the bat. With a little practice you will find yourself starting to lean in the right direction before the ball is contacted.

Footwork 
It&#39;s difficult if not impossible to get a good jump without good footwork. When the ball is hit to your side, your first move will be a crossover step. When the ball is hit over your head to the side your first step will be a drop step on your throwing side.

One of the most difficult fly balls to judge is the ball hit directly at you. If you don&#39;t immediately recognize whether the ball is going over your head or going to drop in front of you, freeze right after your drop step. The worst thing you can do is guess. Simply freeze, try to determine where the ball is and listen. The other outfielders may be able to see the trajectory better than you and yell at you to go in or go back.

Get Behind The Ball 
You will dramatically improve your velocity and the time required to throw the ball if you get behind the ball as it comes down and start moving in the direction of your target as you catch the ball.

Playing the Fly Ball in the Sun 
It&#39;s important that you don&#39;t stare into the sun directly. Use your throwing hand to shield the sun. If you are using your glove to shield the sun, you will be blinded when you bring your hand down to catch the ball.

Tips 
- Always catch with two hands. The ideal position is above the head and in front of the throwing shoulder. 
- The first movement of your body is a short drop step back on your throwing hand side. 
- Locate the ball and determine the angle you should take. 
- When time permits, circle around the ball and take your momentum forward through the ball on line with the target. 
- When you need to be quick, use a direct angle to the ball. Sprint to the spot for the catch and then turn to the target to throw. 
- Always attempt to keep your eyes on the ball. 
- Use quick feet to maintain balance. 
- Run on the balls of your feet using good running technique. Don&#39;t extend your glove until the last moment.

Catching Fly Balls

The advance version of Dueling Fungoes efficiently involves an entire team into infield practice using multiple ground balls. The head-to-head competition is removed, but the execution challenge in significantly increased. Two coaches hit ground balls, each working with two positions around the infield. One coach will hit from the third base side of home plate and the other from the first base side of the plate. Place athletes at their respective positions, as well a receiver at both 1st and 2nd base.

Segment 1:

The coach on the third base side will hit ground balls to SS and 1B, who will then feed to the receiver standing at the second base bag. The coach on the first base side will hit ground balls to 3B and 2B, who will throw across to the receiver at 1st base.

Segment 2:

Coaches hit to the same positions, but the feeds are reversed. SS and 1B now will throw across to the receiver at 1st base. 3B and 2B now feed to the second base bag.

Coaches are to alternate ground balls, ensuring that a quick pace is maintained. Receivers are to stay with their coach, expecting throws from alternating positions. When the feeds switch, receivers will take throws from new positions. Be careful of athletes charging ground balls and getting in the way of throws to different bases.

<hr />
<blockquote>
For more information, check out my book <a href="https://www.coachingthebeginningpitcher.com" rel="nofollow">Coaching the Beginning Pitcher</a>.
</blockquote>

Dueling Fungoes (Ages 12+)

Teaching Better Baseball.com&#39;s Clemente Bonilla provides an initial overview for infielder positioning. The three key points are getting low, staying on the balls of your feet and distribute weight evenly when the pitch is thrown.

Infielder Setup and Ready Positions

A great drill involving competition, Dueling Fungoes is applicable to athletes of all ages and involves the entire team. Athletes are to compete against each other in two teams all the while maintaining proper fielding fundamentals. Dueling Fungoes can be done with two coaches competing along with their respective "teams" or with a single coach hitting ground balls to both lines of athletes.

The rules are very simple: Split the group into two even teams. One team lines up behind a cone, placed in between the pitcher&#39;s mound and first base. The other team lines up behind a cone placed in between the pitcher&#39;s mound and third base. A target net is placed just behind home plate, which will serve as the "basket." Coaches line up on either side of the catch net, or a single coach can pick a side, in position to hit ground balls to the athletes.

<h3>Execution</h3>

Make a throw into the catch net, earn a point! With each team lined up behind their respective cones, the first athlete steps forward and into the ready position. Coaches take turns hitting ground balls and checking fundamentals. Athletes are simply to field ground ball correctly, shuffle their feet, make an aggressive throw and then return to the end of the line. If the ball ends up in the net, that athlete&#39;s team earns a point - First team to reach a determined number is the victor.

Note: To challenge athletes, add rule that fielder must execute proper technique or throw will not count no point! Also, it is the responsibility of the coach to be loud and create energy this drill is fast-paced. Athletes love the chance to compete against one another and avoid doing push ups or picking up baseballs!

<hr />
<blockquote>
For more information, check out my book <a href="https://www.coachingthebeginningpitcher.com" rel="nofollow">Coaching the Beginning Pitcher</a>.
</blockquote>

Dueling Fungoes (ages 6-11)

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Work on reaction speed in this drill, perfect for any baseball player looking to improve in the field

Baseball Conditioning: Reaction Wall Drill

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Derek Jeter focuses on the fundamentals of baseball skills and drills by reviewing the ready position.&nbsp;Make sure your beginner baseball player demonstrates balance and a solid base before moving on to more advanced baseball drills.

Transcription:

Derek: All right, you guys ready to go? 
 
Kids: Yeah. 
 
Derek: Ready to learn some stuff today? 
 
Kids: Mm-hmm. 
 
Derek: So if you guys have any questions at any time, ask me, all right? I know you&#39;ve got a lot of questions, right? Yeah? So what we&#39;re going to do is, first we&#39;re going to work on our getting ready position. Can anybody here play basketball? 
 
Ryan: Mm-hmm. 
 
Derek: How do you play defense in basketball? 
 
Ryan: Like this. 
 
Derek: Yeah, you&#39;ve always got to be on your toes, right, so you can go left and right. It&#39;s the same thing on defense. So if you&#39;re playing defense on me, I&#39;m playing basketball, how&#39;re you got? If I go this way, you&#39;re with me, right? So, baseball, it&#39;s the same thing. You&#39;ve gotta be in ready position. You&#39;ve gotta be on the balls of your feet so you can go left to right at any time. All right? 
 
So we&#39;re going to work on our ready position. All right? So I&#39;m acting like I&#39;m the pitcher, and then when I get ready to throw, that&#39;s when you guys get ready. Okay? There we go. Now you, what you need to do, Joe, you need to spread your legs out a little bit. 
 
Joe: Like that? 
 
Derek: Yeah, like that. Because, put them back together, now if you&#39;re like that, I can just push you out of the way, right? 
 
Joe: Mm-hmm. 
 
Derek: But now spread out. When I try to push you, you&#39;re better, right? Okay, we&#39;ll try it one more time. You ready? Now you guys are ready to go. Now you&#39;re tall, so you want to make sure that you get your butt down a little bit. See, I&#39;m tall too. So you don&#39;t want to go like this, you wanna make sure you get your butt down. 
 
All right. There&#39;s one thing you&#39;ve got to realize when you&#39;re playing defense, you always want to make sure your glove is on the ground, all right? You&#39;ve got to make sure you get your butt... But put your other hand out here because you always want to... There you go. 
 
So we&#39;re going to do some drills like that without the glove to make sure you guys are down. Remember, now, to get your butt down. All right?

Shortstop Ready Position

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In this baseball drill, Derek Jeter talks about the importance of fielding the baseball and throwing it to first base quickly.

Transcription:

Derek: We&#39;re going to try going left and right. Now you always want to try to get in front of it, if you can. That&#39;s why I asked if you can dance, because when you&#39;re dancing you&#39;re supposed to move your feet a lot, right? So it&#39;s the same thing when you&#39;re playing defense. You&#39;ve always got to make sure you move your feet. So I&#39;m going to go a little bit left, a little bit right, and you&#39;re throwing to first, so you&#39;ve got to make sure you get around it, all right? You can throw to him. If you hurt him, you extra points, all right? Ready? Nice. Oh, you&#39;ve been practicing, huh? There you go.&nbsp; 
 
Man: Is there anything negative to see? 
 
Derek: They&#39;ve been doing, they&#39;re doing good. 
 
Man: Yeah? 
 
Derek: So you guys look like you&#39;re doing pretty good.

Side-To-Side Defense

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In this baseball drill, Derek Jeter stresses the importance of a backhand.&nbsp; The backhand baseball drill helps infielders work on effective fielding techniques.&nbsp; Remember, keep your baseball glove low to the ground.

Transcription:

What we&#39;ll do now, I&#39;ll tell you what we&#39;ll work on. We&#39;ll work on back hands, all right? You know, when you can&#39;t, because I tell you to try to get in front of it sometimes. Sometimes you&#39;re not able to get in front of it so you got to backhand it, all right? So let me see how you guys do that and then we&#39;ll talk about it all right. You&#39;re a lefty so we&#39;ll go this way. Try one more. All right. Now remember this, when you go with the backhand, remember what I was talking about before, you wanna make sure that your glove is down. Same thing when you&#39;re doing it that way. You don&#39;t wanna go to the ball and just throw it down at the last second. You want to make sure when you&#39;re over there that your glove is already down, okay.&nbsp;

Backhand and Throw Drill

Reading the hop is an important baseball skill for every infielder&#39;s game.&nbsp; In this baseball drill, Derek Jeter explains the value of understanding when to let the baseball bounce and when to move up and grab it.

Transcription:

Derek: I&#39;ll give you a drill you can do for you and a friend, all right? Give me one person. One volunteer. When you&#39;re catching a ground ball, you gotta be able to, you have to know when, where the ball&#39;s gonna bounce, and whether you&#39;re going to catch it back or you&#39;re gonna go get it. So, what you&#39;re gonna do is, you&#39;re gonna have you and a friend, get in the ready position, and I&#39;m gonna throw you some ground balls. Stay down. Read the hop. You gotta stay down and come up. All right, now we&#39;ll go to the next one. There you go. The only thing I would tell you, remember because you&#39;re tall, get your butt down. See when I was younger, you wouldn&#39;t have anyone to play with, you&#39;d throw it against the house. 
 
The more ground balls you take, the better you&#39;re gonna get. You&#39;ll be able to read the hops so you&#39;ll know if it bounces out there that you catch it back, all right? If it bounces closer, you gotta go get it. All that comes from practice. You just keep doing it. All right? Got it? You want some? Come on. 
 
Uh oh! Make sure, remember now, make sure you start with your glove low then if it bounces up, you can come up. All right? Ready? You don&#39;t have to put it on the ground. Get Ready. There you go. Atta boy. Now you got it. See? You got it now? Atta boy. There you go. Alright, you got it! 
 
Come on buddy, ready? Get your butt down a little bit. You don&#39;t want to spread out that wide, stay how you were. Go wide, how you just were. Watch this, you&#39;re gonna fall over, right? Make sure you&#39;re in a strong position. There you go. Now, don&#39;t put it on the ground yet. Ready? Atta boy. There you go, you got it. Now, just remember about your feet. You don&#39;t wanna get too wide. Because then, if you get too wide, what happens? 
 
Boy: You fall down?&nbsp; 
 
Derek: Push you over. You got it, see now you can just have you and a friend, and the more you do it, the better you&#39;ll get.

Reading the Hop - Derek Jeter

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This is a fun baseball drill for your infielders.&nbsp; Derek Jeter leads a group of young baseball players through a switch up baseball drill testing each player&#39;s reaction and agility.

Grounder Switch Up - Derek Jeter

Everyone would like to see their baseball players hitting the ball harder. Quite often, youth batters get so anxious to hit the ball that they end up way in front of many pitches, with their weight too far forward and/or their bodies in awkward positions - both of which rob leverage, and thus power, from their swings.

Timing is another issue for another drill, but a quick and easy way to teach players to keep their weight back (and therefore keep their optimum balance and leverage) is to have them hit an old, deflated basketball off of a tee. Turn a toilet plunger upside down and place it in your tee, then place the partially deflated basketball on the tee.

Make sure that your hitters set up in a proper batting stance - don&#39;t let them cheat or get lazy, or you will minimize the positive impact of this drill. Players will discover that they must keep their weight back over their back foot in order to hit the ball off of the tee with any authority. As a bonus, the drill forces a good follow through, as well.

This drill is emphasized by many a successful coach; if you don&#39;t really have the time (or space) to devote to long batting practices (which can be of questionable value, anyway), try having your guys hit an old basketball. I have read of coaches that use this almost exclusively in terms of batting practice, with great results. One thing I guarantee is that prudent use of this drill will turn those infield dribblers into solid contact, and solid contact into scorching line drives.

Skills & Drills

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