How to Track Fly Balls

Learning to catch fly balls is easier once you learn tracking techniques.

Positive outfield play is essential to becoming a winning baseball team. For outfielders, successfully tracking fly balls can help a good player become a great player. "Tracking" a fly ball just means that you are assessing the most direct place the ball will land once it is hit into the air. There are basic tips for tracking these high-flying balls that can take much of the guesswork out of the sometimes difficult task of catching a fly ball.

Things You'll Need

• Baseball
• Baseball glove

Instructions

1. Run on the balls of your feet. Running in the normal "heel to toe" manner gives the perception that the ball is "bouncing" in the air. It will be very hard to gauge where the ball will land if you cannot properly gauge where the ball is in the air. By running on your toes, a more level field of vision is maintained.

2. Hold the glove up to catch the ball only in the last three steps of tracking. Don't let the baseball glove become an obstacle. Holding up the glove up while trying to estimate the location of the ball slows you down.

3. Watch the batter. It is possible to get a jump on the direction of the ball by watching the direction of the bat. Don't move from your initial location until the ball is hit by the batter. If the batter hits the ball up the middle, then prepare for it at center field. If it's hit to the left, then prepare for it at left field. It is very important to watch each pitch, and each swing of the bat.

4. Practice drills and observe successful outfielders to improve the skill of tracking fly balls. Practice will help train your brain in how to gauge the moving ball as you are also moving.

References

• Baseball Excellence.com: Tracking Fly Balls
• ITSportsnet.com: Tracking Fly Balls
• Webball.com: Getting Under Them

Resources

• Livescience.com; How Baseball Players Catch Fly Balls; Dan Peterson
• Sciencedaily.com; How Does an Outfielder Know Where to Run for a Fly Ball?