Outfield: Step back, or hold your ground?

[Doug Romrell]

The better the outfielder is at reading the ball off the bat, the less need for having an automatic drop-step.

 

[Axe]

Yup, especially at the younger ages. One of the big reasons to have them take the step back is to counter the urge they have to run forward on every flyball and then watch the ball go sailing over their head.

I think this is correct. Most coaches use the "step back" as more of a "pause and find the ball" rather than an actual drop step that you would take to go back on a ball over the fielder's head.

 

[CoogansBluff]

Thanks for all the answers. Based on those, I do respect the theory that the step back can be 'better safe than sorry' for many. Would still say the ultimate solution is better tracking skills, which DD is addressing. Getting a heavy dose of fly balls in practice.

 

[Greenmonsters]

Thanks for all the answers. Based on those, I do respect the theory that the step back can be 'better safe than sorry' for many. Would still say the ultimate solution is better tracking skills, which DD is addressing. Getting a heavy dose of fly balls in practice.

Read, read, read. You can never read too much - holds true for books and fly balls IMO.

 

[NoVA Softball]

It seems to me that a single drop step transition to charging in is easier (plant heel and come forward) than trying to switch from coming in to full reverse. I'm not sure why that is... maybe charging in the weight tends to come forward of the toes but drop step keeps weight balanced over the legs???

Also, being wrong on a drop step means a base hit. Wrong on charging in means a double or worse.

Finally, like several others I have seen way more outfielders burned coming in than the other way around.

Sure I'd prefer "read the ball perfectly and react accordingly" but until they can do that regularly, the auto drop is more likely to be right, easier to recover from if wrong, and less costly if gooned up, so that's what I teach.


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[nicelag]

Younger players need to maximize by minimizing. They will work well in one direction! If you try having them think in both directions they tend to freeze. So I prefer to play the odds and drop step then come forward. It is much easier to recover going forward than backwards. A ball drop in front is at worst a single, and many times the outfielder is close so the runners on base have to freeze until the ball drops win win. Balls over the head are big trouble. I like to have my younger ones get back and work forward. As they get older and see, oh, a 1000 fly balls or so then you can change things up a bit.

 

[CoogansBluff]

As they get older and see, oh, a 1000 fly balls or so then you can change things up a bit.

Good advice. Of course, it might take an entire travel-ball career before a kid sees 1,000 fly balls in a game.

I'm wondering how many fly balls some of the TB outfielders are taking in practice. I'll often hit 2 buckets (60 balls) at DD in a row. Good for fitness because many of the catches are on the run, and it's often hot.

 

[Merrill Danner]

For my newer and younger players, it is drop step first, but as they get older and wiser, it is read the ball off the bat and adjust accordingly.

 

[WARRIORMIKE]

Always be ready on your toes, especially to make the step in any directions

 

[Sweet Lou]

The better the outfielder is at reading the ball off the bat, the less need for having an automatic drop-step.

100% agree with this. But inexperienced to "semi-inexperienced" players should always default to the drop step as first move. At least in my humble opinion.

Always be ready on your toes, especially to make the step in any directions

Nit pick here as we probably mean the same thing but I say "Always be ready on the balls of your feet."