Tips for line drives at outfielders

If you have access to a pitching machine, especially one with tires or spinning wheels you can set the bottom tire at twice the speed of the top one and get the effect of a line drive. Put a player out around 150 feet and adjust the machine accordingly. You can make the ball go over the head or land in front of them with minor adjustments to the machine.

Just make sure that they open up to the glove side and track the ball. Any quality outfielder will always make the initial step back. They will make their adjustments and move to the ball. This is a tough play to grasp because it is hard to copy in practice.

Practice ---Practice-- Practice

Reps are what are needed

The best drill any outfielder can do is treat every pitch of LIVE batting practice as a drill. You can hit fungo, throw from a machine, whatever you want to do, but you'll NEVER get the same look as a ball hit off of live pitching. If your outfielders are lazily chatting and shagging balls as opposed to getting ready with each pitch and reacting to the ball hit, they will not develop good instincts in the outfield.