Softball drill
Belly up fielding drill
Players start lying on their stomachs, and on the coach's call they pop up and field a ground ball or pop-up. It makes young players get up and moving to the ball, and it brings energy to the start of practice.
At a glance
- Sport
- Baseball and Softball
- Skill
- Infield
- Ages
- 6U to 12U
- Players
- 3 to 5 per line
- Time
- About 10 minutes
- Level
- Beginner
- Equipment
- Gloves, A bucket of balls
- Indoors
- Yes
Young fielders tend to stand flat-footed and wait for the ball. Starting on their bellies takes that choice away: they have to push up, find the ball and get to it, and they learn that moving toward a ground ball is part of fielding it.
It is also fun. Kids like the race to get up, and it makes a good warm-up for the first few minutes of practice. Run it on grass, turf or a gym mat, never on hard ground.
Setup
- Players line up a few feet apart and lie flat on their stomachs, gloves on, facing the coach.
- The coach stands about 15 to 20 feet in front of them with a bucket of balls.
- Decide on one call to start each rep, such as "go", so players do not jump early.
How to run it
- The coach makes the call and rolls a ground ball toward the first player.
- The player pushes up to their feet, finds the ball and moves to it.
- The player fields it in a good fielding position, glove down and out in front.
- The player throws the ball back to the coach and lies back down at the end of the line.
- Once players are comfortable, mix in a soft pop-up instead of a ground ball.
Coaching points
- Pop up with the legs, getting the feet under the body quickly, not slowly rolling over.
- Find the ball while getting up, so the first step is toward it.
- Get the body in front of the ball before fielding, with a wide base.
- Attack the ball rather than waiting for it to arrive.
Common mistakes
- Getting up slowly or casually, which turns it into a regular ground ball drill.
- Fielding flat-footed after getting up instead of moving toward the ball.
- Reaching for the ball with the glove instead of moving the feet in front of it.
Printable drill card
Take this drill to the field: the setup, steps, coaching points and equipment on one card, with the video's address to find it again. Free, no account needed.
Print the drill cardSmaller: half page or quarter page (PDF).
By age
Coach pitch
Roll the ball slowly and a bit farther away so players have time to get up and get there.
10U and 12U
Roll it harder, add balls to either side and mix in pop-ups to make players find the ball fast.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if players cannot get up in time?
Roll the ball slower or start it farther away, and remind them to push up with both hands and get the feet under them in one move.
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