What are the main points you cover with your IF's? What are your main principals? Do you teach the same footwork to all of your infielders, and if so, what? Thanks.
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Main points I teach
BEFORE THE PITCH
- Visualize What to do - they look at the situation and get an idea of what they should do before the pitch. Helps take the head out of the play
- Ready Position - I teach both the step, step, be low and the "jump" and let them do whichever one they feel comfortable with
BALL IN PLAY
- Angles - once they know the situation and the ball is put into play we want them to take angles that will create momentum to where they are throwing
- Quick, Slow, Quick - approach the ball quickly using small steps, break down slowly to ensure good funnel, quickly get rid of ball
- Follow the Throw - after the throw is made to continue the momentum towards the target
Hope that helps
BEFORE THE PITCH
- Visualize What to do - they look at the situation and get an idea of what they should do before the pitch. Helps take the head out of the play
- Ready Position - I teach both the step, step, be low and the "jump" and let them do whichever one they feel comfortable with
BALL IN PLAY
- Angles - once they know the situation and the ball is put into play we want them to take angles that will create momentum to where they are throwing
- Quick, Slow, Quick - approach the ball quickly using small steps, break down slowly to ensure good funnel, quickly get rid of ball
- Follow the Throw - after the throw is made to continue the momentum towards the target
Hope that helps
What is the "jump?"
It's hard to explain but it's similar to what tennis players do just before the serve as they bounce around and then on the last hop you end up in an athletic position. Imagine the pitcher going through his windup and once he gets to his balance point you go from a more upright position and "jump" into an athletic fielding position. You really don't jump to get high but more along the lines of taking your body from a not ready position to a ready position quickly.
If you could see it then it would make complete sense. Not saying you would agree with it but you could see where it would get you ready. I was at a clinic years ago and some presenter was talking about it. He made us stand up and do it as an audience. I liked it enough to show my guys but most of them stick with the traditional step, step, low ready position.
Here is a video that kind of gives you the idea of what I'm talking about. It's around the 40 second mark on the kid's second groundball after he tells him to follow the throw.
The kid doesn't do a very good job of it but hopefully you can get the idea of what I am talking about.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lUpub0mR4g
Two other things we do for IF that I forgot about help with relays and DP feeds
First to work on relay from the OF is get them in groups of three and put into a single line. They work on 4 types of throws.
The two on the outside throw the ball and the middle guy is the relay man.
First type - normal good throw. Have the middle man set up slightly open with arms up. Outside guy throws the ball and relay man catches it square in body and relay to other outside man. Need to make sure he is creating momentum towards target before he catches it.
Second type - bounce throw. Basically same thing as above but this time the throw is coming off a bounce. Make sure they are creating good hops and not inbetween / bad hops.
Third type - behind throw. Line up like normal slightly open and arms up. This time the thrower throws to the backside of the relay man. The relay man steps hard backward with his right foot (LF if he is lefty) to put the ball back in front of him. Now he continues the throw from here but slightly out of line.
Fourth type - in front throw. Same as above but this time it's out of line to the front. Once again hard step forward with right foot to square the ball and continue the throw.
The other drill is called 4 corners. Put all IF into a box about 10 - 13 feet away from each other. Overall this drill works on DP feeds but 1B get help on underhand toss to pitcher covering first. I justify 3B in it by saying they might have to toss the ball to catcher on bunt coverage. But really I got to give them something to do.
Doesn't matter where you start but the guy has ball in hand and glove like fielding before funneling. When you say go he funnels to his midsection and then underhand tosses to the corner to his right.
Key points -
1. He has to put something on the toss and in order to help do that he cannot take his hand above his shoulder.
2. To help create momentum he follows the flip and waits for his next turn at the corner he just flipped to. So basically you have the guys going in a circle.
3. We make the receiver call flip each time.
4. Once you catch the flip then you take it to the ground and funnel to midsection and make good flip to next corner and follow it.
Then you can call switch and they flip to the corner to their left. Everything is the same on this one.
If you could see it then it would make complete sense. Not saying you would agree with it but you could see where it would get you ready. I was at a clinic years ago and some presenter was talking about it. He made us stand up and do it as an audience. I liked it enough to show my guys but most of them stick with the traditional step, step, low ready position.
Here is a video that kind of gives you the idea of what I'm talking about. It's around the 40 second mark on the kid's second groundball after he tells him to follow the throw.
The kid doesn't do a very good job of it but hopefully you can get the idea of what I am talking about.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lUpub0mR4g
Two other things we do for IF that I forgot about help with relays and DP feeds
First to work on relay from the OF is get them in groups of three and put into a single line. They work on 4 types of throws.
The two on the outside throw the ball and the middle guy is the relay man.
First type - normal good throw. Have the middle man set up slightly open with arms up. Outside guy throws the ball and relay man catches it square in body and relay to other outside man. Need to make sure he is creating momentum towards target before he catches it.
Second type - bounce throw. Basically same thing as above but this time the throw is coming off a bounce. Make sure they are creating good hops and not inbetween / bad hops.
Third type - behind throw. Line up like normal slightly open and arms up. This time the thrower throws to the backside of the relay man. The relay man steps hard backward with his right foot (LF if he is lefty) to put the ball back in front of him. Now he continues the throw from here but slightly out of line.
Fourth type - in front throw. Same as above but this time it's out of line to the front. Once again hard step forward with right foot to square the ball and continue the throw.
The other drill is called 4 corners. Put all IF into a box about 10 - 13 feet away from each other. Overall this drill works on DP feeds but 1B get help on underhand toss to pitcher covering first. I justify 3B in it by saying they might have to toss the ball to catcher on bunt coverage. But really I got to give them something to do.
Doesn't matter where you start but the guy has ball in hand and glove like fielding before funneling. When you say go he funnels to his midsection and then underhand tosses to the corner to his right.
Key points -
1. He has to put something on the toss and in order to help do that he cannot take his hand above his shoulder.
2. To help create momentum he follows the flip and waits for his next turn at the corner he just flipped to. So basically you have the guys going in a circle.
3. We make the receiver call flip each time.
4. Once you catch the flip then you take it to the ground and funnel to midsection and make good flip to next corner and follow it.
Then you can call switch and they flip to the corner to their left. Everything is the same on this one.
The two main things that I teach that are a MUST are:
1. getting into the proper fielding position EVERY time.
2. Getting the butt down and hands out in front.
Until they can do these two things almost every time, I do not progress to other things.
1. getting into the proper fielding position EVERY time.
2. Getting the butt down and hands out in front.
Until they can do these two things almost every time, I do not progress to other things.