| PA SPORTS TRAINING |
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Outfield
It's your turf.
That vast expanse is all yours - the entire area beyond the dirt cutout for the infield. Now, you may have started in baseball thinking the outfield is where they put the players who can't make the infield. But as you grow in baseball you soon discover it takes something special to make a good outfielder - most of all anticipation and concentration. After all, it can get lonely out there - so you have to keep your mind on the game from the baserunners to the batters.
And never ignore the game inside the cut. First, because you may play other positions as well. But also because a good outfielder is always ready to back up the action on the infield - from simple throws back to the pitcher, to all-in rundowns.
Besides, your the player with the leg speed, arm strength, and the desire to go all out. Need proof - check the plays of the day on your local TV station. It's always those great outfield catches they show. Be ready.
Know Your Role
Ready, set, go!
Be patient, be ready, be explosive.
Before the pitch...
Check the base runners.
Check your position. Don't hug the lines unless the situation calls for it.
On the windup...
Lean in, balls of your feet, square to the plate.
On contact...
Take time to read the ball (work on drop step technique)
Rock back on the first step. (It's better to get burned in front of you than behind.)
Hustle to the ball - get there early.
Over your head, turn and sprint.
Catch & Throw
The Catch...
Line yourself up for the throw BEFORE the catch, not after.
Runner on, take roller off your glove foot
Ball in air, flip glasses down at top of arc, or find ball through webbing.
Call it... mine-mine-mine!
As you catch it, move through the ball.
To throw...
Line up your glove-side shoulder to the target.
Elbow up, fingers on top of the ball.
Make it a line-drive or one-bounce throw (no rainbows) and chase it in.
Special Situations
Ball at the fence...
Before game, count warning track strides.
Feel for fence with throwing arm.
Jump straight up - land on throwing leg.
Bunt shown...
Be ready to charge in hard to cover at the bases.
But don't break too early.
Ground balls...
With lead runner at second, move through ball, come up throwing.
With lead runner at third, make a safety stop, throw to cut-off at second.
Fly ball, lead runner at third...
Catch ball on throwing side, one-hop it to the plate.
Not your play?
Balls hit to opposite field, runners stealing, then base coverage is up to you, too!
Grounders
Cutting Them Off
The primary responsibility of the outfielder is to get to the ball. The best approach is to anticipate where it's going and be there waiting for it. But that's not always possible. So you need to practice the best route to track down grounders in any game situation.
When practicing outfield groundball drills, make sure to include both glove-side and backhand plays. Shown here are fundamental techniques which all fielders should master.
Ground Balls
The safety catch - with no men on base. Line up on the ball as early as possible, then crouch using your glove - and leg - to keep the ball from getting through.
The banana scoop - with men on base. Take a route to the ball that lines you up with your intended target (base, cutoff or home plate). Adjust your stride for timing - you want to get to the ball when your glove-side leg is bent - it's easier to get the glove right to the ground. With men on come up throwing - using the crowhop for power and accuracy.
Fly Balls
Basic alignment. Take a route to the ball that lines you up with the ball coming down centered for an easy transition to the throwing side. Best to get there early and wait for it.
Glove side chase. Let the glove lead you to the ball. Try to time your stride to make the catch as you step down on the glove-side foot (easier to cushion the catch), then brake and continue around to the glove side for the throw.
Backhand chase. Let the glove lead you to the ball. While your approach to the ball may be at an awkward angle, the catch will be made into the throwing side so the throw in can be faster than with a glove side catch.
Crow Hop
What exactly is a 'crow hop'? Well it's the basic technique that everyone preaches, but the more you look at different fielders the more you realize that there are many ways to do the crow-hop.
From a standing catch the simplest crow-hop is more of a shuffling slide step. It is effective and has the advantage of being less likely to cross you up - keeping the movement and the throw in line.
Cross-over crow-hops sustain the momentum and the hopping foot can cross-over in front or behind. Notice, too, that in one of these animations, the fielder slows to get his feet lined up for the hop, whereas in the other the forward motion is continuous.
Side drift can cause some loss in momentum or accuracy.
Hitting the Relay
The quick glove-side relay takes 1.2 seconds or less from catch to release. The relay that pulls the fielder into a forced spin-around throw takes 1.9 seconds or more from catch to release. That can be the difference between an out and a run scoring.
So always through to the relay side(inside) or to the inside of the throwing arm.
The Drop Step
Fielders should be in a strong ready position when the pitcher starts his motion towards the plate. The more you know your own pitcher and the opposing batters, the more likely they can anticipate and shade to the left or right, closer or deeper, before contact is made.
Drop Left or Right
If the ball is hit hard and over your head then you must first drop-step back. Depending on which side of you the ball is hit, that's the leg to drop back.
Hit to right side, then drop the right leg back so you can push off with your left foot for power.
Hit on the left side, then drop the left leg back so you can push off with your right foot for power.
On balls that start straight for you (the toughest to read for distance), go with your personal preferences - what feels more natural to you - what gets you dropping back faster or on a better track?
Hooks and Slices
Remember that few fly balls travel in a straight line. If you are playing left field and a left handed batter hits the ball on a line drive or between you and the foul line, it will slice towards the line, so be ready for that. Just remember that pull hits tend to hook and opposite field hits usually slice away.
In other words on inside pull hits - all other factors (like wind) being equal - you drop back on the side closer to the hitter: right leg for righty and left leg for lefty. But on balls hit off the end of the bat, expect that slice towards the line.
Sliding Catches
The slide-in basket catch.
It's not really as impressive as it looks and it is safer than the head first dive. Use the same technique as for running the bases - drop down into the figure four leg position. The hard part is timing.
The slide to the glove side.
This is the all or nothing version - much harder to get the glove to the ball without the body to block a near-miss. Again, uses the base-runner's drop slide.
At the Wall/Fence
Realistically, most youth parks have chainlink, not a padded wall. If the fence is low, we hope you have a protective plastic cap. If the chain is high - the temptation to climb could result in a snagged cleat and twisted ankle.
The Backhand Climb
The step, the reach, the timing must be perfect to avoid injury, but one of the most fun drills in baseball.
The Gloveside Reach
The step, the reach, the timing must be perfect.
This one takes practice to be safe.
Dives
Forward Dive
Getting the ball into the glove is only the beginning - keeping it there is the hard part as the body slams down.
Tip: Let the glove, not the elbow touch down, and squeeze the glove tight.
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