Baseball Drills: Infield : Ground ball - Backhand

Drill: Ground ball - Backhand

Purpose:
Helps infielders work on different fielding techniques for ground balls hit to their right.

Equipment:
1 cone or glove for the players and coach to use as a marker; baseball

Setup:
Set cone up between short and third or between second and short. Coach stands on infield grass. Have a player set up between the cone and first base to catch the throws.

Execution:

• Player gets in ready position.
• Coach rolls a ground ball either close to the cone or farther to the right of the player.
• If the ground ball is rolled close to the cone the player should hustle to get around the ball, plant his right foot and field the ball as he begins moving toward the target. Try to roll it at a speed that allows them to move around the cone. This helps to emphasize the change in direction.
• If the ground ball is rolled farther away the player should hustle over to get into position to backhand the ball.
• After fielding the ball, the fielder should take a shuffle step or two towards the base they are thowing. Most young players don't have the arm strength or accuracy to make a good throw without getting some momentum directed in the direction of the throw. Making a good throw should be a priority in this drill as it can really help players work on the proper footwork, balance, and momentum required for them to make a good throw..

Notes: As your players get comfortable with both techniques, remove the cone and move farther away. This will allow you to throw the ball in different positions, with various hops, and at different speeds. This will help them get comfortable with the footwork required to field most balls that are hit to their right.

With the ball that they can get in front of, make sure you get them to round the ball enough to be able to stop their momemtum for going to the right. This will allow them to field the ball smoothly and make a quick throw. Fielding the ball in front of them while still moving to the right is a difficult play to make and puts them in a poor position to throw the ball.