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OK. Since I'm not a lefty can someone tell me how to adjust infielder technique for the lefty. IOW, RH is centered on the left eye and the right foot plants, then the left foot, followed by the glove forming the triangle. Is the footwork the opposite for a LH infielder?
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Yes, we teach "opposite" footwork for guys fielding with "opposite" hands.Originally posted by The Uncoach View Post
A drill we used to use for that (not so much anymore at the HS level), is very simply, having them focus solely on their foot pattern of the three steps just before fielding the ball......
RH - "Right, left, right." LH - "Left, right, left". The "steps" being shorter, jab steps to the side (45o maybe), with the very first being almost a little "hop step" (hard to explain with out showing, hope that makes sense), to simulate the steps needed to start squaring them up to the ball, after they've made their hard move forward towards it.
Once they get that down, you can then move them into running hard toward the ground ball and then "breaking down" into those three steps once again, as you roll the ball to them by hand......eventually working up to fungoing it to them.
If you haven't already got Bill Stubb's DVD, "Mastering Infield Play" I highly recommend getting it. One of my favorite, and IMO, best baseball training videos of all time.
While we may all argue heatedly about "the best" hitting instructional DVD, I doubt if you'll find anyone here who says that there's a better fielding DVD out there than Coach Stubby's......
Good luck,
mud -In memory of "Catchingcoach" - Dave Weaver: February 28, 1955 - June 17, 2011 -
Thanks. Mud. Yes. I have Stubbs DVD. I also had my kid at a clinic yesterday with a Minor Leaguer who was going through a bunch of footwork and drills that pretty much fit what Stubbs is teaching, too. I just wondered about LH, because I have 13U kids this year and a lefty on my roster who hasn't really been instructed as an IF (smaller, quick, nice arm, so he's mostly OF/P). I figure if I can teach him some proper footwork/glovework and get him some time at 1B, it may give him an extra skill to have an edge in making his HS team.Comment
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BTW: there is not a single LH infielder in the major leagues. Why not play lefties at 1B, OF and pitcher? I'm a lefty too and it sucks that we cannot play IF but I think kids have to accept that. of course we pay this back in hitting, a natural lefty has an advantage hitting lefty vs a converted LHH
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I now have my own non commercial blog about training for batspeed and power using my training experience in baseball and track and field.Comment
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I'm kind of confused about your point. First basemen need to learn good fielding technique, too.Comment
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