Softball drill
Hop and pause throwing drill
From a fielding stance, the player brings the ball up, hops sideways into a throwing position and freezes for a second with the hands still together, then throws. It teaches fielders to keep the hands together until the feet are set.
At a glance
- Sport
- Baseball and Softball
- Skill
- Throwing
- Ages
- 10U to High school
- Players
- 2 per pair, or 1 per net
- Time
- About 8 minutes
- Level
- Intermediate
- Equipment
- Gloves, One ball per pair, A throwing net (optional)
- Indoors
- Yes
After fielding a ground ball, many infielders pull the ball out of the glove while their feet are still in the air. The arm gets ahead of the feet, and the throw sails or dies. This drill puts a full stop in the middle: field, bring the ball up, hop into a throwing position and freeze with the hands together. Only then does the throw happen.
The pause shows at once whether the hands broke too early. If the player cannot stop with the ball still in the glove as the back foot lands, the timing is off. Run it with partners or into a net before infield practice.
Setup
- Pair players about 40 to 50 feet apart, or put each player in front of a net.
- The thrower starts in a fielding stance with the ball in the glove, touching the ground out in front.
How to run it
- Start low, both hands on the glove, in a ground ball fielding position.
- Bring the ball up to the middle of the chest.
- Take a small hop that turns the body sideways to the target, landing balanced on the back foot.
- Freeze for a full second, hands still together at the chest, front foot just touching or hovering.
- From the freeze, break the hands, stride and throw.
Coaching points
- A real stop at the end of the hop. Rushing through the pause defeats the drill.
- Both hands still together on the ball during the freeze.
- Land with the weight on the back leg and the front shoulder a little higher than the back.
- After the pause, make a normal, athletic throw, not a slow, careful one.
Common mistakes
- Pulling the ball out of the glove during the hop.
- Drifting forward during the pause instead of staying balanced on the back leg.
- Standing straight up out of the fielding stance.
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
Call it out for them: field, hop, freeze, throw. Hold the freeze long enough to walk over and check the hands.
12U and up
Add real ground balls rolled by a partner or coach, then take the pause out and look for the same timing at full speed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why pause in the middle of a throwing drill?
The pause shows whether a player is breaking the hands too early. If they cannot stop with the ball still in the glove as the back foot lands, the arm is ahead of the feet.
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