List of Baseball Outfield Drills
Baseball outfield drills may require baseball equipment like gloves, balls and bats but they may also just require players to run and jump around the field or the training area. Coaches and trainers may come up with specialized baseball outfield drills to cater to their players’ skill sets or their team’s needs. These drills are not just for players assigned to play the outfield, they can also be performed by infield players. Here are some baseball outfield drills that players can use to become more well rounded baseball players.
List of Baseball Outfield Drills
Up-Backs Drills
The Up-Backs drill requires a coach or a trainer to act as a thrower. The thrower stands in front of the player, a few feet apart. The thrower throws the ball well over the player’s head and then the player is required to catch it. Whether the player successfully catches the ball or not, the thrower will throw another ball, but this time it is well in front of the player. The player, fresh from catching the first ball, must move as quickly as possible to catch the second ball. This drill develops the player’s reflexes and his speed in moving either forward or backward to catch the ball.
Drop Step – Turn Your Back Drills
In the Drop Step - Turn Your Back drill, the player stands a few feet away from the thrower. The thrower points to a direction and the player proceeds to move towards that direction. After the player takes a few steps, the thrower throws the ball in another direction. The player should have enough presence of mind and control over his direction to change his trajectory and catch the ball. This drill develops the player’s ability to be mindful of the direction of the ball, taking into consideration wind factor, his trajectory, and the direction of the ball.
Bounce Drill
The Bounce is a drill that requires two players facing each other, with approximately 100 feet of space between them. They will pass the ball to each other by letting it bounce off the ground. After the bounce, if the ball doesn’t go left or right, it means the throw didn’t have enough spin on it and the players need to work on their throws. They keep doing this until they get a hold of the right spin for the ball by adjusting their grip and making sure they throw it overhand. Once they get it right, they can increase the distance between them so they can start the drill all over again.
Drills for Young Players
For younger players, it is recommended to make them do drills that are fun and not repetitive. They should also be conditioned not to always pick playing the infield. To expand their knowledge of the whole game, they need to be familiar with plays both infield and outfield. It is best to switch between outfield drills and infield drills for all players every once in a while to keep things fresh and balanced.
References
Baseball Drills and Coaching Tips: How to Play Baseball - Outfield Drill
QCBaseball.com:
