INSTRUCTIONAL FRIDAY: INFIELD PLAY
INSTRUCTIONAL FRIDAY: INFIELD PLAY
INSTRUCTIONAL FRIDAY (12/21/18)
INFIELD PLAY
Coaches love practice. Of course games are fun because of the competition and strategy to try to win. But it’s at practice where a coaches put their mark on players, on the team, and ultimately on the culture of the program. It becomes a practical classroom for teaching and instruction. The core responsibility of the coach in this environment is to elevate the skills of the players so that execution in games can match the situations as they are presented.
After explanation and demonstration of these skills, the real work begins with accomplishing proficiency through drills. Drill are the best. This is where reps are accrued and corrections can be made. This is where the player and coach can breathe life into the skill. Skills of the game are married to drills throughout the game. Individual. Group. Team. Offense. Defense. And just like the skills they enhance, some are simple and some more complex. So with that, let the off-season sharing of skills & drills begin!
Infielders have to be excellent at many skills. None perhaps with higher importance than securing the ground ball and delivering it to a teammate. Personal preferences will often guide the instruction as to these skills and thus the drills that accompany them. Techniques and tactics aside, fielding ground balls demands a need to get it into the glove with a fluidness that breeds fluidness and supplies an ease to delivering it with speed and accuracy.
Consider a few things here on fielding the ground ball. Emphasize the footwork that allows for repeatable glove placement to have the ball enter the glove out in front of the fielder on the routine attempt. Also, consider the suggestion that some ground balls need to be “worked through” and some need to be “funnelled”; practice both and give the player an understanding on when to use either with reps to support.
A favorite on getting massive reps in a short period of time on fielding the ground ball is using
HAND DRILLS (or pick-ups, or partner rolls, or a number of other names). Begin the drill with no glove to emphasize the wrist angle and allowing the fielder to feel the ball with the fingers as they work through the dirt to grasp the ball. With the player at a short distance (5-10 feet) from the teammate or coach rolling the ball, 3-5 reps should be rolled to the fielder with precision to get the ball into the same place each attempt; preferably aligned to the glove side eye of the fielder.
Move the drill along then to 5 more reps just outside the glove side foot of the fielder; continuing to execute wrist angle and contacting dirt with the hand. Finish with 5 reps to the backhand side with emphasis on working through this ball and not pulling up with the fielding hand. Repeat the sequence again with a glove. Repeating both rounds again with the short hop will give the fielder upwards of 60 fielding opportunities in a mere matter of minutes. Don’t allow poor technique at the expense of style or speed.
Take the ground ball to a more practical drill with adding the delivery of a feed. The ROTATING FEED DRILL provides a quick pace with player movement and a variety both ground ball and delivery styles all rolled into one. Already have established with infielders the type of feeds they should use depending on distance and situation of the throw. The number of participants can vary but best results need at least 4 players. Distance is also negotiable depending on type of work being done. The players will be in 3 locations at equal distance, those receiving the ball on the outside and the fielder in the middle, slightly deeper (example: player at 3B, player at 2B, fielders stacked in the middle few steps back.
Diagram:
F
F
F
(R) (R)
The coach should deliver balls either with a fungo or by rolling between the fielder (F) and a player (R) receiving the feed. As the feed is made to the receiver, the fielder follows the ball to take the position as the receiver runs to the back of the line to drop the ball in a bucket. While this transition is taking place, the coach is moving the next fielder to the the opposite direction to do the same with the appropriate established feed for moving in that direction.
After all participants have gone through the sequence a few times, the coach should begin delivering balls closer to the fielder’s starting point to elicit a longer feed. Fielders should still follow the ball to replace the receiver. The coach should announce when balls will be addressed “away” from the feed. Once this begins, the fielder will now replace the receiver away from where the ball is delivered. All movements should be done with speed and precision. Be advised … this drill looks sharp and offers meaningful reps when guys hustle.
The HOW to being great at infield play is that same as any other skill or performance – Hours Of Work. That’s it. Put in the time with a plan. Gather sound instruction based on proven fundamentals and commit to the task.