Outfield practice in the winter?
- Thread starter Djanvk
- Start date
Welcome to Discuss Fastpitch
Your FREE Account is waiting to the Best Softball Community on the Web.
Knee down & do-or-die drills. You can work on over the shoulder drills. You can also work on drop steps. It's a great time to work on footwork.
- Feb 15, 2013
- 33
- 0
1. Have her face you about 5 yards away. Point your glove either direction, she drop steps that way and takes about 2 steps at 45 degrees away from you, then you throw a flyball at 45 degrees to the other side. She can work spinning all the way around or performing a second drop step to change direction and get to it.
2. Throw flyballs to either side from about 20 yards away. Have her round 2 steps behind the flyball and then catch while coming forward, immediately going into a softball style crow hop (throwing arm foot coming through at about mid-shin to knee height) and get the ball back to you quickly. The purpose is to teach her how to get her momentum moving through the flyball and combine that momentum with a crow hop for the strongest possible throw. As she gets better, have her work on transitioning the ball from glove to throwing hand quicker and quicker and quicker, to the point where she is even starting the crow hop as she catches the ball (or even a touch before).
2. Throw flyballs to either side from about 20 yards away. Have her round 2 steps behind the flyball and then catch while coming forward, immediately going into a softball style crow hop (throwing arm foot coming through at about mid-shin to knee height) and get the ball back to you quickly. The purpose is to teach her how to get her momentum moving through the flyball and combine that momentum with a crow hop for the strongest possible throw. As she gets better, have her work on transitioning the ball from glove to throwing hand quicker and quicker and quicker, to the point where she is even starting the crow hop as she catches the ball (or even a touch before).
Knee down drill.
Situation is nobody on and a base hit to the outfield. The outfielder fields a ground ball at about a 45 degree angle on throwing side knee. The object it to get big and make sure you get the ball and hold the runner to a single. I like progression. If the player is new to this, I have her get into position and I roll the ball to her. After she understands the proper position, I have her start in a fielding position and I roll the ball to her and have her attack, drop a knee down and field the ball. Increase the speed as needed.
Do-or-die drill.
Situation is that the outfielder needs to attack the ball hard and come up throwing. They should field the ball off their glove side on the run and get the throw off. You can have them field, step, throw or field, crowhop, throw. Whatever you choose.
Also, as has been said, the over the shoulder drills work great when you start with the fielder facing you and have them drop step. Pay special attention to their footwork when they drop step.
Good luck and have fun!
- Dec 3, 2008
- 161
- 0
Good time to really breakdown the fundamentals of the footwork; especially emphasizing that she doesn't take a false step when moving toward balls. Happens a lot on ground balls in front. Don't tell her what you're looking for, have her in a ready position, and roll her a slow moving ground ball. Good chance she takes a step back first to get momentum. That's a false step...a step where she isn't gaining any ground. Same things happens quite a bit on lateral steps and drop steps. Can work on correct foot placement for a drop step (should not be a long first step) so that she can explode out of that position and gain ground.
Speeding up her footwork and then getting her glove transfer to speed up to match that speed is a good thing to develop in the winter, too. You can work on exploding through the catch that way, too. Have a bungee or three? One thing I've done is hook my players up to a bungee that is secured IN FRONT of them (attached to where they are throwing). Place a ball stationary in front of them and have them come through like a do-or-die to throw. The bungee pulling them forward will force them to speed up their feet. Typically the hands will be too slow at this point, but repetition will get her back in sync and moving quicker than she has before.
In my opinion, particularly in the outfield, the key to fielding fly balls well (as you mentioned you wanted to work on) has more to do with the footwork getting to the ball and getting rid of the ball, than the glove work.
Speeding up her footwork and then getting her glove transfer to speed up to match that speed is a good thing to develop in the winter, too. You can work on exploding through the catch that way, too. Have a bungee or three? One thing I've done is hook my players up to a bungee that is secured IN FRONT of them (attached to where they are throwing). Place a ball stationary in front of them and have them come through like a do-or-die to throw. The bungee pulling them forward will force them to speed up their feet. Typically the hands will be too slow at this point, but repetition will get her back in sync and moving quicker than she has before.
In my opinion, particularly in the outfield, the key to fielding fly balls well (as you mentioned you wanted to work on) has more to do with the footwork getting to the ball and getting rid of the ball, than the glove work.
Last edited:
Softball_2,
Great breakdown on the footwork. I like an explosive first step without the 'false step' as you call it. Get the footwork down now and when you are able to go outside, work on correctly reading the ball off of the bat.
Great breakdown on the footwork. I like an explosive first step without the 'false step' as you call it. Get the footwork down now and when you are able to go outside, work on correctly reading the ball off of the bat.
- Dec 3, 2008
- 161
- 0
smddad: Not to hijack the thread, because I think this will add value to the discussion since to OP asked for more info about do-or-dies... what do you teach? Field with glove foot forward, throwing hand foot forward, or either?
Similar threads
