Coaching a 16u team and my outfielders are hesitant to charge fly balls, which lets some that should be caught, fall. I have no doubt it's a confidence thing so I'm just looking for any drills I can do to help them work through it, find and know their range to help boost that confidence to run down some of these flies.
Looking for outfield drills to charge through the ball
- Thread starter Frost033
- Start date
Welcome to Discuss Fastpitch
Your FREE Account is waiting to the Best Softball Community on the Web.
- Jan 22, 2011
- 1,634
- 113
One drill my DD's 12u coaches discovered by accident was to throw flyballs off a pitching machine and challenge them to do a couple of rounds of trying to catch the balls on one bounce. It seemed to take the pressure off of them from having to catch the ball and concentrate on tracking the ball. When they went back to having to catch the ball in the air, they did a lot better.
I'll have to think about other drills to recommend.
I'll have to think about other drills to recommend.
If you have a pitching machine, try using it to "hit" fly balls. Assuming it's not really windy, you have a +/- basic idea of where the ball will land. Can have the players work on balls hit to their left, right, charging in, dropping back. As they make the catches, have them, start a few steps farther away. By the end, it becomes a good competition to see how far they can run one down.
BigSkyHi
All I know is I don't know
- Jan 13, 2020
- 1,385
- 113
- Where will the fly ball hit the ground? Where will the ground ball stop rolling? That is the angle one wants to take when the ball is hit.
- I send them to positions and hit balls with them pointing to the point where the fly drops or the grounder stops. I do not check to see where they are pointing as this is an internal learning adventure.
- In position, without a glove, have them run to the drop or stop. Making mental notes of the foot work when they take off for future instruction. Want them only thinking about where they need to go.
- In position, with a glove, game on.
- Catching a fly while running forward
- One-handed catches only
- Do not let the ball get directly in front of the eyes as this will most likely cause a loss of depth perception.
- Catch line drives outside of the body. Most likely the kids grew up being told to get in front of a line drive or under a fly ball. Both will cause a loss of depth perception.
Like this video for bill of cap hint.
