Hard Hit Ground Balls to the Outfield

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Strike2

Allergic to BS
Nov 14, 2014
2,044
113
The way you charge a ball in the OF would be unlike anything you would really do at third base, SS maybe (although you don't see many softball SS charge using 1 hand like you do in MLB). Anyway it is possible she is just taking her eye off the ball to peak at the runner? When you hit them to her does she have the same issues?

This...my DD used to bobble OF grounders, and 95+% of the time, it was because she was peeking at the infield. Lots of different types of grounders plus a buy-in on her part about the problem cured it.
 
Apr 8, 2019
7
3
Do you find she's sprinting too hard at the ball? Outfielders should be going full speed at a grounder then decelerate a couple steps before fielding it.
She should also have her glove foot back as she's fielding the ball. Step into the ball with the throwing-side foot. She'll be able to adjust more quickly in that position.
This all might explain why the ball is flying up her glove side or maybe taking a bad hop that she can't read quickly enough.

Some girls do that slow-down naturally, but it isn't intuitive for everyone. So, the sequence should be high-speed, medium-speed before reaching the ball, then back to high-speed after fielding as she moves through her throw.


This video demonstrates the concept nicely.
 
Jun 8, 2016
16,118
113
Do you find she's sprinting too hard at the ball? Outfielders should be going full speed at a grounder then decelerate a couple steps before fielding it.
She should also have her glove foot back as she's fielding the ball. Step into the ball with the throwing-side foot. She'll be able to adjust more quickly in that position.
This all might explain why the ball is flying up her glove side or maybe taking a bad hop that she can't read quickly enough.

Some girls do that slow-down naturally, but it isn't intuitive for everyone. So, the sequence should be high-speed, medium-speed before reaching the ball, then back to high-speed after fielding as she moves through her throw.


This video demonstrates the concept nicely.
The fast,slow,fast idea is no different than in the IF. I don't remember much about what my college coach taught me but that is the one thing I remember he used to say about IF play, fast-slow-fast.
 

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