The best baseball infield drill to increase defensive range is the side to side ground ball drill. The side to side ground ball drill works on an infielder’s lateral quickness, agility, stopping and starting ability, and making difficult backhand and forehand plays when fielding groundballs. In baseball the ball is rarely hit right at you so being able to move explosively in any direction, to not only field the ball but then to make a quick accurate throw is incredibly important.
The side-to-side ground ball drill consists of the coach rolling six balls side to side and the player imagining being a goalie. The player needs to do whatever
it takes to stop the ground ball ball from going in the net. That might be using their hands, their feet, sacrificing their body, diving, and sliding. Once the player does block the ball, they need to get up and make a strong accurate throw.
As a coach challenge the player by rolling the ball hard. It's okay if they miss some. Force the player to really extend themselves and work so hard that through practice they can start to achieve some of those game-like plays that you would want them to make.
Chapters
0:00 - Intro
0:18 - Why side to side ground balls are beneficial
0:57 - Drill demonstration
1:35 - Key teaching points
2:36 - Challenge
3:28 - Consequence
Joe Germaine of Multi-Sport Mindset creates athletes through speed, strength, coordination, mobility, and sport specific skills, drills, and games. We provide you with all the fundamental movements that combine to form the complex skills of sport. Our drills will help you execute in games.
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