Outfield Practice

[obbay]

In our last game I had a 12yo in the OF track a fly, get under it and miss it, the ball hitting her on the shoulder. She has improved a great deal since last year and as I saw her tracking the ball, I thought "if she catches this it will exemplify just how far she's come since last year". but then she missed it.

today I'll be hitting them flys, but i was wondering if there are any specialized types of drills I should work with her (and them).

she saw it, went to where she needed to be to catch it and just couldn't catch it. might've grazed the side of her glove. there was no last minute flinching or stabbing at the ball. I don't know how she missed it.

Does that mean she closed her eyes? took her eyes off the ball for an instant?

 

[chinamigarden]

Without seeing the play, my best guess is she has her glove in a position where at the end of the play it is blocking her view of the ball. Ask her if this is happening, maybe toss her some pop ups where you are close enough to see the glove position relative to the ball flight and her eyes.

 

[CoachKevin]

I know from playing in the outfield that running on the "toes" is mandatory, if you let your heels hit first while running, the ball seems to jump around. Could have been the problem. I also teach to spread their fingers right before making the catch to open the glove.

 

[PA SB Dad]

If the ball hit her in the shoulder, was she trying to catch the ball off to the side? Or was she properly positioned to catch the ball in the middle of her body, and the ball glanced off the side of her glove? We teach our girls to get under fly balls, and position themselves to catch the ball out in front of their face and chest, not off to the side, not over their head, and certainly not basket style in front of them.

If they are having trouble with doing that, we take them aside, and toss balls to them to get them to catch the ball in the proper position with their glove up and in front of them, gradually moving back. It's repetitious and tedious, and can take quite a while for some. The next step is to get the girls to get into position, catch the ball in front as they are moving toward the ball, and crow hop and throw in a smooth motion. We also run what we call the touchdown drill with the girls at the beginning of every practice to get them warmed-up and loose. Girl throws ball to coach, takes off running at full speed and coach throws an arcing fly ball that they have to track down and catch. Do this several times going in different directions, including back-pedaling, and at the end coming in hard to make a sliding/diving catch.

We have spent a lot of time on outfield play (for all our players) over the past 3 years and it is really paying-off, as we give up very few runs on fly balls to the outfield that aren't line-drives in the gaps.

 

[obbay]

Thank you, this all sounds good!
the funny thing is that I was teaching and working on the drop step with the girls back when we first started indoors back at the beginning of April! coaching-wise I'm getting no help so we have yet to work on OF despite any plans I might've had.

was she trying to catch the ball off to the side? Or was she properly positioned to catch the ball in the middle of her body,

she used to be a big reacher where she would go until she thought the ball was within arms length and reach out to the side for it, usually missing. the time I mentioned above, she looked like she actually got centered on the ball and was trying to catch it in front of her. In reality, I think she got her catching shoulder centered on the incoming ball and tried to catch it in front of her shoulder. This is still an improvement for her, but as you noted, not right.

We may just do OF practice today.

 

[alabama_lowlife]

I used to throw the ball over my head as high as I could and get set directly under it to catch it. I didn't realize I was practicing, I just did it because it was fun. Try teaching her to do this and maybe she'll get more comfortable with catching it.

 

[CoachKevin]

I used to throw the ball over my head as high as I could and get set directly under it to catch it. I didn't realize I was practicing, I just did it because it was fun. Try teaching her to do this and maybe she'll get more comfortable with catching it.

This is a huge difference between boys and girls. I remember "winning" so many World Series pitching against a brick wall.

Obbay, what do you mean your not getting any help? Are you coaching the team alone?

 

[Ivy's Dad]

I use a tennis racket to hit tennis balls underhand to my DD. When she was younger, it worked really well to allow her to practice catching fly balls without the fear of a large, hard projectile coming towards her. I don't think anyone is really ever afraid of a tennis ball.

Now that she's older (13), we warm up with the tennis balls and then switch to her catching softballs I hit with a bat. The tennis balls are still a nice way to "get in the zone" before switching to the real thing.

 

[obbay]

Obbay, what do you mean your not getting any help? Are you coaching the team alone?

I am an assistant coach, but the only one who does anything about practice. the other two guys show up for games-the HC then projects unreasonable expectations and the other coach (who is a good coach when he wants to be) doesn't do a whole lot. In another thread I think I whined about the HC being self-employed but never being able to leave work early to make a practice. He is also coaching soccer and his other DD's softball team.

I use a tennis racket to hit tennis balls underhand to my DD

That is actually a very good idea! Some of the girls , even though they are older, still have a deep-rooted fear of the ball. get them used to catching a ball they are not afraid of and then the step up to softballs is not such a big difference.

 

[CoachKevin]

Obbay, well if the girls are old enough and you have enough equipment, you can always set up hitting stations (Tees, Whiffle Balls, ect) and break the team up Infield/Outfield. Have the infielders work on hitting while you work with the outfield, then switch. I do this when I'm alone coaching. Make sure to keep looking over to see if the hitting stations are going and they aren't messing around.