How to Field a Baseball

Learning to field the ball effectively is not as straightforward as it sounds. Breaking bad habits and retraining players toward better techniques is a recurring part of fielding practice. A common mistake of infielders is when they field a ground ball too close to their body. The ball tends to get caught up in the footwork and the reaction time slows to a stop. This makes it nearly impossible to recover and get the out, even when you are up against the slowest base runners. Read on to learn how to field a baseball.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Baseballs
• Baseball Gloves
• Baseball Hats

Practice Fielding Drills

1. Use drills like the hat-in-the-mouth drill to teach teenage players how to field the ball correctly. Proper fielding will reduce pop-up injuries that happen when the ball is fielded too closely.
2. Instruct each player to grab a ball cap. Face the hat with the back turned away from the body and the bill placed in the mouth, which blocks the players downward line of sight.
3. Begin hitting ground balls and remind your player to keep his hands out in front of him.
4. Look to see that the palm of the player's glove is in sight. When the player can fully see the palm of his glove, he has set up the proper fielding distance.

Teach the Triangle Stance

5. Line up next to your teammates five to seven feet apart.
6. Reach your glove out on the ground in front of you about the same distance as the width between your feet.
7. Position your feet shoulder-width apart. Any wider distance will cause difficulty if you need to move laterally.
8. Look at your teammates and memorize the stance. You are looking at the ideal position for fielding a ground ball.

Use Both Hands for Proper Fielding

9. Get ready to field a grounder with your glove hand on the ground and your free hand ready to close in on top of the ball.
10. Stay low to the ground when a grounder is coming your way. If you are in a standing position, the ball could roll right through your legs.
11. Wait for the baseball to enter the glove, then immediately close the free hand over the top. This helps keep the ball in the glove rather than allowing it to pop or roll out.
12. Use your top hand to deflect the ball if you make a sloppy catch.

Who Can Help: