Ramp fielding drill

At a glance

Sport

Baseball and Softball

Skill

Infield

Ages

6U to 10U

Players

2 (a coach and a fielder)

Time

About 10 minutes

Level

Beginner

Equipment

Gloves, A bucket of balls, A small marker: a mini hurdle, a cone, a string or a line on the ground

Indoors

Yes

Two habits cause most young infielders' errors: catching the ball too close to the body, and stopping the hands hard, with the glove at a flat angle, when the ball hits the glove. The ramp drill works on both. A marker on the ground shows where the glove should be, and the motion after the catch, up and in toward the belly, is the "ramp" the ball rides up.

It is a slow, close-range drill, so it suits the first weeks of a season, a gym in the winter or a one-on-one lesson. Use it often with coach pitch and young 10U players until fielding out in front becomes automatic.

Setup

• Put a small marker on the ground in front of the fielder: a mini hurdle, a cone or a line.
• The fielder gets into a wide fielding position with the glove out in front of the marker, open and touching the ground.
• The coach kneels about 10 to 15 feet away with a bucket of balls.

How to run it

1. The coach rolls the ball slowly, straight at the glove.
2. The fielder catches it with the glove past the marker, with the throwing hand right above it, ensuring that their glove is at an angle to the ground (not flat).
3. In one smooth motion, both hands bring the ball up and in toward the belly button.
4. The hands split apart, and the fielder steps into a throwing position.
5. Do sets of eight to ten. Once it is smooth, roll a little firmer and add a throw back to the coach.

Coaching points

• Back flat and seat down, with the knees bent. The fielder should not bend over at the waist.
• The glove is open and out front before the ball arrives.
• Catch and bring it in is one motion, not a catch, a stop and then a lift.
• The throwing hand stays close above the glove, ready to cover the ball.

Common mistakes

• Catching the ball behind the marker, which means the ball got too deep.
• Stabbing at the ball instead of letting it come into the glove and giving with it.
• Standing up before the ball reaches the belly.

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.

Smaller: half page or quarter page (PDF).

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Frequently Asked Questions

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