6 Steps to Infielding By: Seth Lafera

[Admin]

*6 steps to Infielding*


1. Working fast hands

2. Positioning the player’s hands with his glove

3. Proper direction to the ball

4. Reading ground balls

5. Footwork after catching the ball

6. Staying on target with throws



1. Working the player’s hands to help him become a faster, more reliable infielder. Start by using a tennis ball for junior players and a baseball for more advanced players. Have a partner stand 10 feet in front of the player in athletic position. The receiving player should use one hand or a paddle as a glove to be a guide to transfer the ball from the catching hand to the throwing hand as fast as possible! Do this for 3 to 5 minutes. The faster the ball is transferred into the throwing hand, the faster the ball is transitioned, increasing the opportunity to throw out runners.


2. Hand position for backhands, glove side and straight ahead. Begin with a partner 10 feet in front of the player who throws a minimum of 10 balls to each position for fielding. The player who is fielding does not come out of his position while doing this for this will double as a leg workout. The partner who is throwing to the player should try to throw short hoops. Keep in mind while doing this that the hands should be positioned out in front of the body so that the player may track the ball into his or her glove. The further the partner’s hands go under, the harder it is to track the ball in the glove. Although this exercise is strenuous, it will provide necessary strength in the player’s legs.


3. Taking the proper direction to a ball helps us cut off the distance to the base the player must throw to. The player should approach a baseball with the correct angle so that he can find the easiest bounce with the shortest throw possible. Infielders who take the correct angles to the ball give themselves the best chance to throw out runners with confidence. For example, assume a ball is coming to the left of the player at shortstop. The player should take an angle in front of second base instead of letting the ball travel past the bag before fielding it. This reduces the number of footsteps that the runner is gaining down the line, thus giving the player a better chance to eliminate the base runner.


4. Reading ground balls also helps players with their in fielding success. Even as a gold glove player, I continuously work on my ability to read ground balls by practicing daily. The two most important bounces we should look for are: (1) The long hoop; and (2) The short hoop. If infielders can see the ball off the bat and judge each bounce the ball is taking, they can develop a plan and determine how to attack the ball.


5. Foot work after catching a ground ball is also another tool essential for being a great infielder. If a player uses his foot work to help gain ground toward his target, he can gain more ground on his throw and also help his accuracy. The way to develop this is simple. When catching ground balls, ensure that the player’s feet are in the right position. The glove hand foot should be slightly in front of the other foot. By doing this as the ball is caught, the player’s non-glove foot has time to pass our glove foot to gain ground toward the base he is throwing to. This also enables the player time to let his arm get into the proper throwing position.


6. To keep throws on target, the player must work on keeping his head as straight up as possible when throwing to the base. If the player keeps his head up- not turned- he will allow his arm a chance to stay consistent with the intended release point. After releasing the ball, the player should keep his body moving toward the base he is throwing. This is called ‘following the throw.’ By practicing this movement, the action will help put more power behind the throw and will reduce the pressure on the player’s arm during the throw.