Baseball drill

Charge the ball drill

Name: Three Fielding Drills For the MaxBP Pitching Machine
Channel: Coach Dan Blewett
Description: Two cones sit 10 to 15 feet in front of an infielder, and on every ground ball the fielder has to run past them before fielding the ball. It breaks the habit of waiting back on ground balls and teaches players to attack the ball under control.

Two cones sit 10 to 15 feet in front of an infielder, and on every ground ball the fielder has to run past them before fielding the ball. It breaks the habit of waiting back on ground balls and teaches players to attack the ball under control.

Video by Coach Dan Blewett on YouTube. The write-up below is ours.

At a glance

Sport: Baseball and Softball
Skill: Infield
Ages: 6U to High school
Players: 1 fielder at a time, plus a coach (a line can rotate through)
Time: About 10 minutes
Level: Beginner
Equipment: Gloves, Two cones, A bat and a bucket of balls
Indoors: Needs a field

A lot of youth infielders wait for the ball to come to them. That gives the runner extra time and gives the ball extra chances to take a bad hop. The two cones in this drill make the point without a speech: if the fielder did not get past them, they waited too long.

It is simple to set up at any infield position and works on routine ground balls and slow rollers alike. Use it early in the season, or any time you notice players sitting back.

Setup

Place two cones about 10 to 15 feet in front of the fielder's normal position at shortstop or second base, a few feet apart.
The fielder starts behind the cones in a ready position.
The coach stands at home plate with a bat and a bucket of balls, or closer to roll by hand.

How to run it

The coach hits or rolls a ground ball toward the fielder.
The fielder moves forward right away and runs through the line between the cones.
Past the cones, the fielder slows down with short, choppy steps to read the hop.
The fielder fields the ball out in front, a little to the glove side, and brings it to the middle of the body.
The fielder makes a throwing motion toward first, or a real throw, and jogs back for the next one.

Coaching points

The first step is forward. React to the ball off the bat, not after a look.
Run hard at first, then break down with short steps to read the hop.
Field the ball a little to the glove side, with the hands out in front.
Under control beats fast. A fielder who arrives too fast cannot read the last hop.

Common mistakes

Sitting back and letting the ball roll past the cones.
Running out of control and never slowing down to field the ball.
Stopping at the cones instead of going through them to meet the ball.

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 card

Smaller: half page or quarter page (PDF).

By age

Coach pitch and 10U

Roll the balls by hand at first, so players get used to running forward without the worry of a hard hit ball.

12U and up

Hit the balls, mix hard ones with slow rollers and let the fielder decide how hard to charge.

Next: Free defensive lineup generator.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should infielders charge every ground ball?

Not at full speed; a hard-hit ball needs a quicker set-up. But the default should be to move toward the ball and pick a good hop, rather than wait for it.

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