Baseball drill
Short hop drill
A fielder takes short hops to the backhand, the glove side and straight on, from a partner's toss or a machine, and learns to work the glove through the ball instead of backing away from it. A good winter drill for any infielder.
At a glance
- Sport
- Baseball and Softball
- Skill
- Infield
- Ages
- 10U to High school
- Players
- 2 (a fielder and a feeder), or 1 with a pitching machine
- Time
- About 10 minutes
- Level
- Intermediate
- Equipment
- Gloves, A bucket of balls, A pitching machine (optional), A flat training glove (optional)
- Indoors
- Yes
The short hop is the ball that makes infielders flinch. It comes up off the dirt right at the glove, and the fielder who pulls the glove back or turns their head gets beaten by it. The way to win it is to meet the ball out in front and let the glove go through it.
This drill feeds a fielder nothing but short hops, in three places: to the backhand, to the glove side and straight on. It needs very little room, so it fits in a gym or a cage in the winter, and a partner with a bucket of balls can give one fielder a lot of reps in a few minutes.
Setup
- Put the fielder in a ready position, feet a little wider than the shoulders, glove out in front.
- The feeder kneels or stands about 10 to 15 feet away with a bucket of balls, or sets a pitching machine to throw firm ground balls that land just in front of the fielder.
- Start with a regular glove. A flat training glove, if you have one, can come out once the fielder is catching most of them.
How to run it
- The feeder throws a short hop to the fielder's backhand side. The fielder reaches across with the glove open, takes the ball out in front and gives it back.
- Do a set of five to eight on the backhand, then move to the glove side: the same short hop, now to the forehand.
- Finish with a set straight at the fielder, taken in the middle of the body with both feet set.
- Rotate the feeder and the fielder after each round of three sets.
- Once the fielder is clean, mix the three spots without telling them which one is coming.
Coaching points
- Glove out in front of the body, where the fielder can see the ball into it. A short hop taken under the body is a short hop that wins.
- Work the glove through the ball, low to high, at the moment it comes off the ground.
- Keep the head down and still. Eyes watch the ball hit the ground and come into the glove.
- Stay down through the catch. Standing up early lifts the glove off the ground and opens a hole under it.
- With a training glove, use two hands and soft hands. The ball has nowhere to hide, so the fielder has to give with it.
Common mistakes
- Backing up on the ball to make it a long hop. In a game the runner is still running; the fielder has to go get it.
- Fielding the ball too deep, between the feet, where the hop is hardest to read.
- Turning the face away, which pulls the glove with it.
- Feeding balls that bounce halfway to the fielder. Those are long hops; the drill needs balls that land within a foot or two of the glove.
By age
10U
Feed from your knees, softly, with safety balls on a gym floor. Straight-on short hops first, then the glove side, then the backhand.
12U and 14U
Run the drill as written, three spots, and finish each set with a throw to a partner or a net, so the catch becomes a play.
High school
Use a machine or a firm hand feed, add the flat training glove, and finish with the three spots mixed at game speed.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a short hop in baseball?
A ball that bounces just in front of the fielder, so it comes up off the ground right at the glove. It is hard to read, which is why infielders practice taking it out in front.
Can I do the short hop drill by myself?
With a pitching machine, yes. Without one, a fielder can throw a ball off a wall from close range and take the short hop off the rebound, though a partner who can aim each hop is better.
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