Rounding the ball

[nychamps2k7]

Im a high school shortstop and i know that it is very importent to "round the ball". I have troubes with doing this and because of this my throws are often one hopping first base. So i was wondering what kind of drills could i do to enforce this?

[BallCoach06]

I have really gotten away from telling our kids to "round the ball". I tell our kids to work to the right of the ball when it is hit (to judge the speed and hops) and then square up to where they want to throw it (this helps to field the ball on the left side of their body). Once they field it they use their feet and legs to get the shoulder in line with target and use lower body to drive towards target. They finish by following their throws to the target.

It is hard to explain in words, but we saw some real strides made by our infielders in year one of this approach this year.

[caseyd123]

just like ballcoach said, come all the way through when ur finished. i was having a ****** time early on throwing the ball from SS and i decided to just stop and watch our D1 prospect shortstop and on one ground ball i noticed when he was finished throwing he came so far through his throw and it just clicked...really made a difference

[brian920]

Do you guys have any video of infielders rounding the ball(or fielding it on their left side) correctly? Also, to enforce this, should you field with your right foot forward?

[Jake Patterson]

There are drills that help with this which concentrate on the footwork. Send me a PM Friday and I will send you something. I am away right now.
Jake

[BallCoach06]

Do you guys have any video of infielders rounding the ball(or fielding it on their left side) correctly? Also, to enforce this, should you field with your right foot forward?

If you can, find video of Jose Reyes. Watch him field a routine ground ball right at him. He does not round out. He works to the right of the ball to judge the speed of the ball and hop, fields squared up to first base (not square to the ball), and uses his lower half well after he fields the ball to set up his throw to first.

It might be hard to find video on this however. Most video that is on Sports Center or on the web are usually the "web gem" plays and not the routine ones.

[Stealth]

Do not round the ball - go get it. Hitters love infielders who round the ball - more hits for them!

[CoachB25]

Do not round the ball - go get it. Hitters love infielders who round the ball - more hits for them!

As Stealth said, get the ball. My child spent some time recently at a clinic given by a successful college coach (softball) and was asked by her to play SS. She is not a SS. However, she attacked the ball. The #1 comment made my this college coach is that good SSs know how to create angles that attack. I really enjoyed watching this instruction. On the throw, the comment made often was "knock that d&^% 1st baseman down. They have a glove on."

Oh, I forgot, the SSs and 2B, had to draw 3 angles in the dirt simulating "attacking balls" hit to locations. They started then by a coach rolling balls into those areas. This instruction was very intense and a bit over the top when a fielder didn't get the ball. However, I think the point was made concering the mindset that a player will catch every ball on their terms.

[korp]

Its not really "rounding" the ball but getting your body going towards the base you are throwing. For instance if you round the ball you might not backhand very many balls if you can get in front of it but it is alot easier to get your weight going the right direction by backhanding it (correct way). Like said above too you always want to judge the ball from the side vs head to head because you can see the bounces alot better which is another reason why backhanding is better than rounding. I had fielding lessons with a current minor league coach and really opened my eyes to how the pro game differs from what alot teach. He showed these things and really when you think hard about it and try both it really is the better way to do things.

[nychamps2k7]

Another thing is how do i know when i should attack the ball, because if you watch mlb they dont always have their motion going toward 1st when the ball is hit sharply to them. It seems like they just turn their feet after the field the ball.

Plus when in double play depth is it even possible to attack the ball when on your back hand?

Finally what are the proper mechanics for fielding the ball when your motion is toward 1st? Because you cant field it with 2 hands and it seems like if a bad hop occurs there is nothing you can do about it.

[brian920]

In response to all of this, I agree you should go get the ball, but you must also take the correct angles. I feel like if my body is angled towards first when I field, I can't get in front of the ball as well. Thus, I prefer to attack the ball, upon which I don't have too much trouble creating momentum to first. Anyway, if your momentum is towards first, you still have time to get your body in front of it. There are times where it helps to round the ball, but is not consistently necessary. What do you guys think? Also, Korp, how is backhanding better than fielding out in front? On another note, if it is a sharply hit ball, or you have a weak arm, wouldn't rounding be inefficient?

[korp]

If a ball is hit slowly then yeah you gotta go get it but if its reasonable speed and to the right back hand is usually the best choice. Backhanding the ball lets you have a solid base so you can take maybe a step or two and let it rip. Backhanding a ball also will set you up nicely to go straight to first. The problem with fielding a ball in front of you to the backhand side is you have to stop your weight and redirect it in a way that takes more time whereas in a backhand you can be lined up towards first base when you field the ball making it a quick and efficient throw. One more thing is that a ground ball is a heck of alot easier to judge from the side than head on which is a big reason to use the backhand .... ideally you want to field the ball to the side whenever possible to give you the best view. If you watch Jeter field the ball probably high 90% of the balls are fielded to his left because of that. I will usually field the ball in front if its a step to my right but everything else that way is a backhand.

[brian920]

I have really gotten away from telling our kids to "round the ball". I tell our kids to work to the right of the ball when it is hit (to judge the speed and hops) and then square up to where they want to throw it (this helps to field the ball on the left side of their body). Once they field it they use their feet and legs to get the shoulder in line with target and use lower body to drive towards target. They finish by following their throws to the target.

It is hard to explain in words, but we saw some real strides made by our infielders in year one of this approach this year.
Ballcoach 06, why not field squared to the ball. Doesn't it give you more room to knock the ball down? Maybe a clip would help?

[caseyd123]

so if i field it squared to the 1B, would I be right in saying that the left foot would be in front of the right foot? so the ideal is to be angled to 1B and field it well out in front of your left ear...then what is the ideal throw, a 1-shuffle to 1B?

[brian920]

At short, the right foot would be squared to first upon fielding. I tend to field with my left forward to gain more momentum.

[korp]

so if i field it squared to the 1B, would I be right in saying that the left foot would be in front of the right foot? so the ideal is to be angled to 1B and field it well out in front of your left ear...then what is the ideal throw, a 1-shuffle to 1B?
The ball doesn't necessarily have to be a ton to your left but the side is the ideal position. The left foot when fielding should be slightly in front of your right foot ... the middle should be even with your right toe. Your right foot should cross over in front of your left then your stride and throw.

[brian920]

Im confused. How can your right foot cross over when you stride to throw the ball. Perhaps a video would help clarify.

[CoachHenry]

I have really gotten away from telling our kids to "round the ball". I tell our kids to work to the right of the ball when it is hit (to judge the speed and hops) and then square up to where they want to throw it (this helps to field the ball on the left side of their body). Once they field it they use their feet and legs to get the shoulder in line with target and use lower body to drive towards target. They finish by following their throws to the target.

It is hard to explain in words, but we saw some real strides made by our infielders in year one of this approach this year.

I am similar in that we work on getting the kids into position as they are actually in the act of fielding. Of course job #1 is catching the ball but within that you can start your footwork early. If the catch is difficult then you need to work on getting yourself into a good throwing position. You also need to practice some standard "out of position" throwing as well.

[korp]

Im confused. How can your right foot cross over when you stride to throw the ball. Perhaps a video would help clarify.

Sorry I figured that post would probably be jumbled. Ok so your in the fielding position and field the ball, then you step towards first base with the right foot (going in front of your left foot not behind like a cross over step), then you step with the left foot (the stride) and fire to first base. Don't ever step behind the left foot though because this will get weight going towards right field generally and cause tail on the ball. Hope that clears it up ... I can try and find a video if its still unclear but I think that description is a little more clear.

[caseyd123]

Sorry I figured that post would probably be jumbled. Ok so your in the fielding position and field the ball, then you step towards first base with the right foot (going in front of your left foot not behind like a cross over step), then you step with the left foot (the stride) and fire to first base. Don't ever step behind the left foot though because this will get weight going towards right field generally and cause tail on the ball. Hope that clears it up ... I can try and find a video if its still unclear but I think that description is a little more clear.

Right-Left-Field
Right-Left-Throw

[BallCoach06]

I will try to find some video that I can post or a website that might show some of this stuff.

As far as the throw, it is not so much a cross-over step with the right. If that happened you would have momentum going towards right field instead of first base and would be very hard to get everything going towards first. It is more of a skip step (what I call it) where the right foot never goes in front of the left foot. It is similar to a catcher throwing to second base.

[nychamps2k7]

The only flaw I see is that fielding the ball to your left allows for a bad hop to easily pass right past you whereas if you squared to the ball its not getting past you.

I have also seen people step in front when throwing to first and when i try it doesnt feel right.

Is it alright that i dont shuffle my feet at all when i throw sometimes? Sometimes when i field a back hand i dont even step or shuffle just plant my right foot and front foot and just throw.

[nychamps2k7]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfQBHjBrXAw

Here is a clip of jeter durring spring training so he isnt try to hard but you still can get the idea of footwork.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edDvN8fF41c

Here is another clip of some random person but his footwork is good. Notice how on most ground balls he fields them squarely and then shifts his feet and throws.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-miCAwUadX4&feature=related

Here is a final clip of the mariners short stop and even though he doesnt throw on to first his stills has his feet ready to throw.

[korp]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfQBHjBrXAw

Here is a clip of jeter durring spring training so he isnt try to hard but you still can get the idea of footwork.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edDvN8fF41c

Here is another clip of some random person but his footwork is good. Notice how on most ground balls he fields them squarely and then shifts his feet and throws.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-miCAwUadX4&feature=related

Here is a final clip of the mariners short stop and even though he doesnt throw on to first his stills has his feet ready to throw.
The only possible problem in the 2nd one is he doesn't cover much ground after he fields the ball (balls right at him and to his glove side). The Jeter one is pretty good wish it were full speed for throwing though.

[rkbenn]

Nice little explaination.

http://www.itsportnet.com/leagues/7183/graphics/11303.pdf

[rkbenn]

See this post as well.

http://www.baseball-fever.com/showthread.php?t=72841

[brian920]

Korp, I still don't see where your right foot would over cross over your left foot. Do you mean in the fielding position the right foot is ahead, but the left foot then strides toward first base?

[brian920]

Sorry I figured that post would probably be jumbled. Ok so your in the fielding position and field the ball, then you step towards first base with the right foot (going in front of your left foot not behind like a cross over step), then you step with the left foot (the stride) and fire to first base. Don't ever step behind the left foot though because this will get weight going towards right field generally and cause tail on the ball. Hope that clears it up ... I can try and find a video if its still unclear but I think that description is a little more clear.
Korp, I still don't see where your right foot would over cross over your left foot. Do you mean in the fielding position the right foot is ahead, but the left foot then strides toward first base?

[nychamps2k7]

I belive he means you hop step your right foot forward then stride then throw or you can hop step then shuffle then throw.

[korp]

I guess hop step sounds better if that explains it. Your right foot shouldn't be in front of your left when you field it ... the right toe should be even with the ball of your left foot (the arch). Its more of a shuffle probably but when you field the ball you don't just automatically step with your left foot and throw ... clip (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JTZMuMM0Ps) Thats pretty much it in the clip.

[BallCoach06]

Here is a little video that goes over some of the stuff we have been discussing. It is from the infield coach at San Diego State.

Much of what I learned was from a AA-AAA infielder during this past off-season. The biggest thing I took from working with him, was he told me that HS and college coaches usually teach a cookie cutter fielding process. He said in the pros, they tell you to be an athlete and make the play. He said that he has learned some technique things, but the biggest thing was go get the ball and make a play. I took a lot from that as he also played at a major division one program in college.

Here is a link to the video:

http://www.brightcove.tv/title.jsp?title=686975318&channel=627259063

[BallCoach06]

Just an FYI... I will be working a camp next weekend in which we will be teaching these techniques. If I can find someone to video, I will try to get some clips up.