Baseball drill
Quick hands partner throwing drill
Partners 15 feet apart catch and throw back as fast as they can cleanly, with short, quick feet. It trains the catch-to-throw exchange that turns close plays into outs.
At a glance
- Sport
- Baseball and Softball
- Skill
- Throwing
- Ages
- 10U to High school
- Players
- 2 per pair (any number of pairs)
- Time
- About 5 minutes
- Level
- Intermediate
- Equipment
- Gloves, One ball per pair
- Indoors
- Yes
A fielder who catches the ball and then takes three steps before throwing it loses the runner. Quick hands is the short, fast end of a throwing warm-up: partners close to 15 feet and get rid of the ball as quickly as they can while still hitting the chest, with the feet timed to the catch.
Run it after players have worked back in from longer throwing, as the last few minutes before infield or a defensive drill. It wakes up the feet and the hands, and pairs can race each other once they are clean.
Setup
- Partners stand about 15 feet apart in an athletic stance, facing each other.
- One ball per pair. Mark the 15 feet with a cone or a line if pairs tend to creep in.
How to run it
- One partner throws a firm, chest-high ball to the other.
- The receiver lets it come in close to the chest rather than reaching out for it.
- The glove-side foot lands as the ball hits the glove, and the back foot steps up to replace the front foot to line the body up.
- The ball comes out of the glove at the chest and goes straight back to the partner's chest.
- After each throw, take a couple of small steps back to the starting spot. Two sets of ten, then rest.
Coaching points
- Catch it close to the chest. The farther out the glove, the longer the trip back to the throwing hand.
- Time the glove-side foot to land with the catch.
- Short, choppy steps. Feet stay under the body; no big strides or crow hops.
- Quick still means accurate. A fast throw over a partner's head is not the goal.
Common mistakes
- Reaching out and stabbing at the ball, then pulling it back before the transfer.
- Taking long, slow steps and holding the ball too long.
- Creeping closer to the partner on every rep instead of resetting.
- Rushing so much that throws sail high or into the dirt.
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
Slow the pace down and teach the rhythm first, ball in the glove as the foot lands, before asking for speed. Softer throws at a slightly shorter distance are fine.
12U and 14U
Run two sets of ten at 15 feet, then race: which pair can make 20 clean throws first without a drop or a bad throw.
High school
Game-speed exchanges with the feet moving all the time, and every throw at the chest. Add a set where the receiver turns and throws to a third player, as on a double play feed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why shouldn't players reach out to catch the ball in quick hands drills?
Catching with the arm stretched out means the glove has to come all the way back to the chest before the throwing hand can get the ball. Letting it come in close shortens the exchange.
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