Softball drill
Five ball approach drill
Five balls sit in a row in front of a line; the fielder runs in, breaks down, picks one up barehanded and throws, then backpedals and shuffles to the next. It works the approach to a ground ball and builds conditioning at the same time.
At a glance
- Sport
- Baseball and Softball
- Skill
- Infield
- Ages
- 10U to High school
- Players
- 1 to 4 per group (one working at a time)
- Time
- About 10 minutes
- Level
- Intermediate
- Equipment
- Five balls per group, A cone or line to start from
- Indoors
- Yes
Charging a ground ball is a sprint followed by a sudden slowdown into a fielding position. Most young players do one or the other: they sprint and overrun the ball, or they jog and never get there. This drill repeats the full approach five times in a row, with a still ball at the end of each run, so the fielder can focus on breaking down at the right moment.
The backpedal and shuffle between balls make it a conditioning drill too. It needs only five balls, so it is a good winter or indoor drill, and a group of three or four can rotate quickly.
Setup
- Mark a start line and set five balls in a row about 10 to 15 feet in front of it, a few feet apart.
- The fielder starts behind the line, lined up with the first ball.
- The next players wait behind the start line; a coach or partner resets the balls after each turn.
How to run it
- On the coach's signal, the fielder runs at the first ball.
- A few steps from it, the fielder breaks down with short, quick steps, gets low and picks the ball up with the bare hand.
- The fielder comes up into a throwing motion and lays the ball down, or tosses it aside.
- The fielder backpedals to the start line, shuffles over to line up with the next ball and goes again.
- Finish all five, then the next player goes while the balls are reset.
Coaching points
- Run hard, then break down with short steps before the ball, not on top of it.
- Get low by bending the knees, not the waist, and pick the ball up out in front.
- Stay in an athletic position on the backpedal, with the weight forward on the feet.
- Keep the throwing motion sharp on the fifth ball, even when the legs are tired.
Common mistakes
- Jogging to the ball instead of attacking it and slowing down late.
- Running past the ball or reaching for it from too far away.
- Standing straight up during the backpedal.
- Rushing the throwing motion when tired and losing the footwork.
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
10U
Go at half speed and focus on the breakdown steps and the pickup out in front. Three balls is plenty.
12U
Speed it up, use gloves if you like, and make every throwing motion crisp.
14U and up
Run it at full speed as a conditioning drill and finish each set with a real throw to a partner.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should players wear gloves for this drill?
They can. Barehanded pickups on a still ball work the quick hands, but with gloves on it is closer to a game, and you can alternate sets.
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