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Amanda Freed: Outfielding
Amanda Freed: Outfielding
February 11, 2009 5:35 PM
By Amanda Freed
COURTESY OF AMANDA FREED
Amanda Freed pitching for the Rockford Thunder.
Amanda Freed has played and excelled as a softball athlete in every level of play. She was a star at Pacifica High School, then at UCLA, on the 2004 Olympic Team, and finally for the Rockford Thunder professional team. As a pitcher, outfielder and hitter, Freed has done it all and has endless experience on the field!
Below is a helpful hint from Freed for all the outfielders out there!
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Release the Bare Hand!
As an outfielder, we are the last line of defense. There are times when we have to play it safe and then there are times when we have no choice but to go all-out and hope that it's just enough. Having said this, it's really important that outfielders learn to trust their glove.
Besides, "keep your eye on the ball,” one of the first things we hear when we put on our first glove is, "use two hands.” However, there are situations where you've got to let go of the bare hand and put everything into reaching for the ball.
Stand up against a wall, put your hands together thumb to thumb, and reach up as high as you can. Then release one hand and extend as high as you can and notice the difference. Think about all the times you miss that line drive or fly ball over your head by an inch. Or all those times the ball tips off your glove going for a shoelace catch. There is nothing more frustrating than wondering whether you could have dug deeper and found that extra inch.
If it's a routine play, it's always safe to use your hand as back up but work on trusting your glove a little more. It's not a 'hot-doggin' move, it's an all out effort. Slowly those balls won't seem as out of reach as they did before and you'll never know what you can catch unless you go for it!
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