How do you go about...

[Brett]

...Teaching a player to field a ground ball?

Are there absolutes you use? Drills/techniques that you turn to?

I have heard from many about different ways to field a ground ball. Some work better than others, so what is it for you? How do you teach it?

[Brett]

May 16, 2010 22:07:49 GMT -8 @kharma said:

Brett
You probably will not be surprised to know that Dr MM says the first thing you teach kids is to get out of the way of grounders. I don't know if I would go that far but I will guarantee you that if you hit all grounders to kids such that they have zero fear of the ball you will produce much better fielders.

Kharm

I agree that you have to make them not fear the ball, but that is tough to do if you only hit them 87 hoppers all day. The reason that is tough is once you get a rocket hit at you in a game, what happens then?

I feel that a progression from those slow ground balls is good, and that you should have more routine ground balls than hard hit ones in practice. On hard hit balls it becomes more about reaction time and having the cajones to keep it in front of you.

I know Doc doesn't want players to get in front of the ball. That is surprising coming from a pitcher, because if I were pitching and my infielders didn't get in front of the ball we would have words in the dugout.

Of course if you are a Marshall pitcher you don't need a defense, right? Just shaggers over the fence ;D

Seriously though, players need to be taught how to keep the ball in front of them.

[Brett]

May 17, 2010 10:08:04 GMT -8 @kharma said:

Brett

Dr Marshall was drafted as a ss and was an all star at the AA level. He told us that in his day guys fielded the ball from the side.

Why don't you just turn on the TV and watch how the players do it today?

Interesting paradox that Marshall has utter disdain for pitching mechanics in his day or today but thinks that infielders should field the ball the way everyone else did back then.

I strongly recommend that you reco to kids to get out of the way if they think the ball is coming to hard at them. It doesn't have to be 72 hops just make sure the have a nice easy hop.

I strongly recommend that you are developing future outfielders with this line of thinking.

[Brett]

May 17, 2010 14:07:57 GMT -8 @kharma said:

I do not think Dr Marshall has disdain for today's fielders. This tough guy thing that these coaches have are producing more Lacrosse players. Nothing pisses me offore than these coaches blasting ground balls at kids.

Kharma

Blasting ground balls with no purpose pisses me off too, but when you get older, and you get in a game situation, you better get in front of the ball.

If it is a tie game in the 9th with a runner on second and a rocket gets hit at you, you better not ole it. If you do, you are likely to be put on the bench.

[Brett]

May 18, 2010 12:26:39 GMT -8 @kharma said:

So at what age do you hit rockets at them to replicate these rare hard shots?

Don't jump to any conclusions here K...they don't have to be scud missles being fired, but you do have to work on some hard hit balls.

It's like hitting. You want someone who can throw bp with something on it, but not game 7, 98mph fastballs. Once you get in a game the reaction will adjust, but it doesn't happen by just hitting lollypops or fielding them.

As for hitting anything hard in practice, players should start working on it seriously at the high school level.

[boardmember]

IMO, the number one killer of teaching a kid to field ground balls properly is an un-groomed infield......Groom the infield, or at least the area of ground ball practice early and OFTEN......I keep an infield rake handy and make the kids rake after about 10 balls in their area........Asphalt and tennis shoes may be the best place for beginers......

With that said:

Butt down/Chin up......Glove foot forward of the throwing foot is the ready position.......

Half creep step (back foot/front foot) when the ball is tossed up to get the feet movin.......

Get centered and use a second creep step AT reception glove foot foward......Hands in front....Suck it in/Tuck the chin......Clear it to the gut for control......Then a single half shuffle of glove foot then fielding foot pivot to square off.........And let'r rip.........The players feet should sound/feel like: da-dunt (at reception)....da-dunt (at throw)..........Foot work flow is da-dunt, da-dunt.........no stopping.......

Shuffle/Pivots: Back foot behind front from third to clear out from the baseline and get squared...........Back foot TO the front foot from SS........NO PIVOT/quick flip from second.......

Backhands.....Glove foot down in front of the ball/bounce......One step THROUGH reception with the throwing foot to prevent early pull up/off..........Quick half shuffle as above and let'r rip.......

Next step through with off legged (throwing foot) throw while turning and back peddling to maintain balance.......

[boardmember]

May 21, 2010 6:29:12 GMT -8 @kharma said:

BM

nice post. Do you have an opinion on whether you should field the ball at the top or bottom of the bounce?

Bottom whenever possible.........Meaning at the start, not at the end.

Nothing worse then seeing a kid who backs up on the bounce to catch it late........Only to find out the ball didn't bounce like he thought, and the runner getting 3 extra steps waiting for the bounce to reach him........

Technically, there is no defense........There's only offense.....There's "fielding offense"......

My players are taught early that THEY dictate the outcome, not the ball........Attack the ball always.......Don't give the ball a chance to decide where it's gonna bounce........Catch it at the start of any hop and you take away the unknown......

Consequently.......We spend 10-15 minutes at EVERY practice on short hop drills...........

We use a short hop drill by splitting the players into 2 lines 60 ft apart......

At the first line (short hop line) is a coach sitting on a bucket with a bucket of balls right next to his throwing hand........Line of players are facing him, one behind the next single file, about 5ft. away from him........

The other line (receiving line) is 60ft away also single file with the lead player waiting to receive the throw from the short hop fielder.......

The drill progresses with the coach "shooting" a short hop to the first player who fields it and throws it to the receiver.......

The receiver catches the ball and sprints behind the bucket coach dropping the ball back in the bucket and going to end of the fielding line.......The fielder of course follows his throw sprinting to the end of the receiving line.........

This drill moves VERY FAST and is a VERY INTENSE workout for the players.......With all the sprinting between fielding and receiving.......

We start with the RH players glove foot is toward the target for a short-hop shuffle and throw....

We short hop between the feet for one round......Then outside each foot for sucessive rounds simulating forehand and backhand short hops........

Then we turn the bucket coach and line around so the players throwing foot are facing the target and practice jump pivots and "kickout" pivots..........

This drill can easily go 15-20 minutes of intense fielding and sprinting practice.......

If you muff the short hop you don't get a second chance. You sprint to the other line regardless, and the receiver sprints to the fielding line........

If you make an arrant throw, you chase the ball down and get to the back of the receiving line.......

Players figure out really fast that good short hop fielding and accurate throws ENDS this drill MUCH SOONER........