Fielding a grounder

[uhsbaseball22]

I am a sophomore in high school starting at 3rd base for the varsity team. i could really use some help with fielding. I feel like I am fielding everything off of my heels, but even when i try to keep my weight forward nothing feels right. I think my feet arent moving with quite the range that I normally have. Any suggestions? thanks

[yuniesky4prez]

I am also a sophomore and i play 3rd. I had problems with this as well and i recently got over it. I'm kind of large, at 6-2 and about 165 pounds, but here's what I've been doing to field it right.

First, Pitcher comes set, take a step back making sure your glove foot is about one stride ahead of your throwing foot. Then, as the pitcher pitches the ball, take two steps forward.

If the ball is hit to you, take a step to the right, and field the ball coming through it. This will help your weight be going toward either first or wherever you need to throw it.

[bbjunkie]

Make sure when making lateral moves that your first step is with the foot opposite from the direction you're moving. IOW, if you're going to your left, your first step should be with your right foot.

[stejay]

My best advice is to just keep your eyes on the ball. And my personal one, is not to be scared of how hard it is hit, or how fast it is coming at you. I won't hurt as much if you just go for it with your all. I have quite decent experience in this field, as I have been shortstop since I was 10, which is 15 years. I have fielded many ground balls in that time.

[StraightGrain11]

Try this for a drill:

Take 2 bats, lay them side by side. Your feet go on one side (not END) of the bats, your glove/hands on the other. Have some one roll you grounders or throw them to yourself off a wall. Here's the goal: at NO TIME during the fielding process should your hands OR feet touch the bats. This will help force you too get your hands OUT IN FRONT OF YOU, AWAY FROM YOUR BODY - this is the #1 problem all fielders have, they want "soft hands" so they PULL their hands TOWARDS THEIR BODY as they field - WRONG! You want your hands either moving INTO THE BALL or staying STATIONARY as you field it. When you catch a football, do you catch in your chest or out in front of you body? You SHOULD be catching it out in front of your body; the same holds true with catching OR FIELDING a baseball - FIELD IT OUT IN FRONT OF YOUR BODY and LEAVE YOUR HANDS THERE. WHY?? Because you want "soft HANDS" not "craddling ARMS". When your hands move BACK TOWARDS YOUR BODY it is your ARMS moving your HANDS that way. If you want "soft HANDS" you must USE your HANDS. The ones who understand this concept the best and excel at it are the ones you get to watch on TV.

Another little tip that might help you [get your hands out], try fielding with your glove-hand foot(since your are "fielding" I assume you are a RH thrower, and this would therefore be your LEFT FOOT) dropped back a little. Here's the thought process: when we walk, we always walk opposite hand to opposite foot (meaning if your stepping with your right foot, your left hand is coming forward, and if you are stepping with your left foot, your right hand is coming forward) - the same ideology applies here: if you are fielding with your left hand and are trying to keep it forward (out in front of you) more, then it would make sense to BALANCE this by having your RIGHT FOOT slightly forward.

Here's a clip I found on youtube of the Dodger's Spring Training, if you scroll to about 2:00 mark, you will be able to see them doing what I am talking about. Good Luck. Keep asking questions - it's the best way to learn.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DW0PjsNcZhs&feature=related

[DukeK]

I believe Kevin Seitzer says in his infielding video, "you field with your feet, you receive the ball with your glove". As other posters have said and I stress when teaching infield, you need to get the footwork down.

Seitzer does a good job of showing that in his infielding video
http://store.linedrive.com/linedrive...ll-videos.html

[Twitch5]

Make sure when making lateral moves that your first step is with the foot opposite from the direction you're moving. IOW, if you're going to your left, your first step should be with your right foot.

HUH??????

Never heard this before... It would take twice as long to cover ground doing it this way.

Twitch5

[Go Cardinals]

Try this for a drill:

Take 2 bats, lay them side by side. Your feet go on one side (not END) of the bats, your glove/hands on the other. Have some one roll you grounders or throw them to yourself off a wall. Here's the goal: at NO TIME during the fielding process should your hands OR feet touch the bats. This will help force you too get your hands OUT IN FRONT OF YOU, AWAY FROM YOUR BODY - this is the #1 problem all fielders have, they want "soft hands" so they PULL their hands TOWARDS THEIR BODY as they field - WRONG! You want your hands either moving INTO THE BALL or staying STATIONARY as you field it. When you catch a football, do you catch in your chest or out in front of you body? You SHOULD be catching it out in front of your body; the same holds true with catching OR FIELDING a baseball - FIELD IT OUT IN FRONT OF YOUR BODY and LEAVE YOUR HANDS THERE. WHY?? Because you want "soft HANDS" not "craddling ARMS". When your hands move BACK TOWARDS YOUR BODY it is your ARMS moving your HANDS that way. If you want "soft HANDS" you must USE your HANDS. The ones who understand this concept the best and excel at it are the ones you get to watch on TV.

Another little tip that might help you [get your hands out], try fielding with your glove-hand foot(since your are "fielding" I assume you are a RH thrower, and this would therefore be your LEFT FOOT) dropped back a little. Here's the thought process: when we walk, we always walk opposite hand to opposite foot (meaning if your stepping with your right foot, your left hand is coming forward, and if you are stepping with your left foot, your right hand is coming forward) - the same ideology applies here: if you are fielding with your left hand and are trying to keep it forward (out in front of you) more, then it would make sense to BALANCE this by having your RIGHT FOOT slightly forward.

Here's a clip I found on youtube of the Dodger's Spring Training, if you scroll to about 2:00 mark, you will be able to see them doing what I am talking about. Good Luck. Keep asking questions - it's the best way to learn.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DW0Pj...eature=related

Ahhh yes... nice to have you back...