Baseball drill
Ozzie drill (kneeling ground balls)
A fielder kneels on a pad while a coach hits ground balls at them with a fungo, so the drill is all hands, glove angle and eyes. It builds quick, soft hands against the spin and speed of a batted ball.
At a glance
- Sport
- Baseball and Softball
- Skill
- Infield
- Ages
- 12U to High school
- Players
- 2 (a coach with a fungo and a fielder)
- Time
- About 10 minutes
- Level
- Intermediate
- Equipment
- Gloves, A fungo bat, A bucket of balls, Two throw-down bases or pads for the knees, Soft training balls (optional)
- Indoors
- Yes
Taking the legs out of a fielding drill sounds backwards, but it lets a fielder work on nothing but the glove: where it starts, how it opens to the ball and how it adjusts to a late hop. On the knees, there is no hiding a bad glove angle with a step.
Hitting the ball with a fungo rather than rolling it gives the fielder real spin and real speed. Coaches often run it as a short daily glove warm-up for infielders, and it works on a gym floor as well as on dirt.
Setup
- Put two throw-down bases or pads on the ground and have the fielder kneel on them, glove on, sitting up tall rather than back on the heels.
- The coach stands about 20 to 30 feet away with a fungo and a bucket of balls.
- Set a second bucket or a spot beside the fielder where they can toss the balls.
How to run it
- The coach hits easy ground balls straight at the fielder.
- The fielder watches the ball all the way in, catches it out in front and tosses it aside.
- After a set of six to eight, the coach starts mixing in balls to the forehand and the backhand.
- Move the coach closer for quicker reactions or farther back for more hops.
- Switch fielders after each set, or after a set number of clean catches.
Coaching points
- Chest over the knees and back flat. The fielder leans into the ball rather than away from it.
- Eyes down on the ball until it is in the glove. The head stays still.
- Catch the ball out in front of the knees, not beside or under the body.
- Relaxed hands react to late hops. A tense, stiff glove gets beaten by them.
Common mistakes
- Sitting back on the heels, which pulls the glove in and lets hops get under it.
- Flinching or lifting the head on hard balls.
- Reaching way to the side with the arm instead of turning the shoulders to center the ball.
- The coach hitting too hard too soon. The fielder has no feet to get out of the way, so build up.
By age
10U and 12U
Start with soft training balls and rolled or tossed balls, then easy fungo hits once the fielder is confident.
14U and up
Use regular balls, hit them firmer and mix in short hops and in-between hops to the forehand and backhand.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is it called the Ozzie drill?
It is named for Hall of Fame shortstop Ozzie Smith, who was known for his glove. Coaches use the name for kneeling glove drills like this one.
How far away should the coach be?
Start around 20 to 30 feet. Moving closer gives the fielder less time to react; moving back gives the ball more room to take odd hops.
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