Baseball drill
Wall ball quick release drill
A player throws a ball against a wall, fields the rebound low and gets it back to the wall with a quick, short throw. A solo drill for quick hands, a fast transfer and the shorter arm action infielders use on close plays.
At a glance
- Sport
- Baseball and Softball
- Skill
- Infield
- Ages
- 10U to High school
- Players
- 1 (several players can share a long wall)
- Time
- About 10 minutes
- Level
- Intermediate
- Equipment
- A glove, A tennis ball or rubber training ball (or a regular ball on a sturdy outdoor wall), A solid wall
- Indoors
- Yes
A lot of infield plays are won in the half second between the catch and the throw: a double play feed, a slow roller, a fast runner. The wall ball drill packs dozens of those transfers into a few minutes, because the wall sends the ball straight back and the player has to field it and get rid of it again right away.
It needs one player, one ball and a wall, so it is an easy assignment for practice at home and a good station when a team is short on coaches. Indoors, use a tennis ball or a rubber ball so the wall and the windows survive.
Setup
- Stand about 10 to 15 feet from a solid wall with no windows or doors nearby.
- Get into a wide, low fielding position, glove out in front.
- Pick the ball for the wall: a tennis ball or rubber training ball indoors, a regular ball only on a sturdy outdoor wall.
How to run it
- Throw the ball firmly at the bottom of the wall so it comes back on the ground.
- Field the rebound out in front, staying low.
- Move the ball from the glove to the throwing hand as quickly as possible.
- Throw it back at the wall with a short, quick arm action, without standing up.
- Keep the cycle going for 30 seconds, rest and repeat. Count clean catches in a row.
Coaching points
- Stay in the low, wide base for the whole set. Standing up between throws slows everything down.
- The transfer is the point: glove and throwing hand meet in the middle of the body and the ball comes straight out.
- Use a shorter, quicker arm action than a long throw across the field.
- Keep the feet active and adjust to each rebound instead of reaching for it.
Common mistakes
- Standing up tall after each catch.
- Taking a full windup on every throw, which turns it into a slow game of catch with the wall.
- Throwing so hard that the rebound is too fast to field cleanly. Speed comes from the hands, not the arm.
- Using a hard ball on an indoor wall.
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
Use a tennis ball, stand a little farther back and focus on catching each rebound cleanly before speeding up.
12U
Work on the quick transfer and the short throw. Count clean reps in 30 seconds and try to beat it.
14U and up
Move closer to the wall, throw firmer and mix in rebounds to the forehand and backhand.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of ball is best for wall ball?
A tennis ball or a rubber training ball for indoor walls and younger players. A regular baseball or softball works on a sturdy outdoor wall, such as a concrete handball wall.
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