Baseball Daily Drills To Increase Performance
Reaction Running
Purpose: Conditioning, along with making quick adjustments with your feet.
Set-Up: Coach stands about 30 yards from team, which is lined up in a horizontal row.
The Drill: On coach's command, the players run forward and react to the coach's hand signals. The coach points left or right, the players cut in that direction and accelerate. Coaches' Corner: This drill is especially good for outfielders. Spice it up by using a ball. The coach gives the hand signal, then tosses a fly ball to one of the players, who makes a running catch.
Hit & Fetch
Purpose: To accomplish conditioning in a fun and competitive way.
Set-Up: Divide your team into two groups. Group One is at the plate hitting off a tee or off a coach pitch. Group Two is divided, with half fielding at third base and half fielding at first base.
The Drill: The batter hits the ball and runs the bases. Every base the runner touches scores a point for his/her team. The play is stopped as soon as both players who began at first and third touch the ball. Example: The ball his hit to deep center field. The runner is between second and third when both fielders get to the ball and touch it in center field. That round is over, with the runnner's team getting two points. Go to the next batter and two new players at the bases. After everyone has gone through one time, the teams switch.
Coaches' Corner: Keep it fun and before you know it, everyone is huffing and puffing without complaint.
Around The Horn
Purpose: Accurate throws by infielders.
Set-Up: Put players at catcher, first base, second base and third base. There can be more than one player at each position.
The Drill: The catcher begins by throwing to third. The third baseman catches the throw, sets his feet and throws to second. The second baseman sets his feet and throws to first. The first baseman sets his feet and throws to the catcher.
Coaches' Corner: So much of playing infield is simply playing catch well. This drill emphasizes accurate throws. Make it a contest by counting how many throws are made before one hits the ground.
Short-Hop
Purpose: To help infielders catch short shops in proper fielding position with their glove out in front.
Set-Up: Divide players into pairs and have them stand about 10 feet from one another, facing their partner.
The Drill: Players toss one-hoppers to their partners like they are skipping rocks over water. The throw should bounce just in front of the tip of the triangle where the ball should be fielded. The fielder catches the short hop, freezes for a moment to check his or her fundamentals, then repeats the drill to the partner.
Coaches' Corner: Emphasize catching the ball out in front, so the glove can give with elbow flexion, creating soft hands. Many players tend to recoil their gloves up and into their lower stomach before making the catch. This makes for hard hands. The throwing hand should be near the glove.
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