Lead foot or crossover--1st step for fielders?

[Maxx]

When moving laterally, do you teach your infielders and outfielders to make their first step with the lead foot or with a crossover step?

[Jake Patterson]

When moving laterally, do you teach your infielders and outfielders to make their first step with the lead foot or with a crossover step?

It depends on how much ground they need to cover. Small adjustments laterally slide step... large adjustments cross step. I teach circling the ball so that the fielding and the direction of the throw is as much in line with the target as possible. Hiddengem had a good clip up a couple of weeks ago.

[Maxx]

Do you drill both movements Jake?

[Jake Patterson]

Do you drill both movements Jake?

Every practice. I incorporate this into the tail end of our dynamic warm ups. Instead of running for running sake I set up cross step, side steps, back steps, drop steps drills into every practice. I do no "laps". I also use fielding sequence drills after our dynamics and then while we are in the gym I finish with a fielding circle drill.

[wilson68]

Every practice. I incorporate this into the tail end of our dynamic warm ups. Instead of running for running sake I set up cross step, side steps, back steps, drop steps drills into every practice. I do no "laps". I also use fielding sequence drills after our dynamics and then while we are in the gym I finish with a fielding circle drill.

Hey Jake, do you have more detailed information on what you do? Specifically what you are trying to accomplish with each drill and how you do them. We just started doing some specific footwork with some young players indoors and any extra information would be great. Fielding footwork rarely gets covered well, or covered at all, around here. I have rarely done it myself in the past, and I plan to change that this year.

What kind of movements you use in your dynamic warm-ups would be very interesting as well. I am short of good information on what to incorporate.

Thanks