Fielding a Few Offers
By LARRY LEE
Head Coach, Cuesta (Calif.) College

Ready Position

The instant before the pitch reaches the contact zone, infielders must get to this position. I like a small two-step approach. To begin, the feet are slightly wider than shoulder-width, weight on the inside balls of the feet, knees flexed, hands out front, square to the hitter. Just before the ball enters the contact zone of the hitter, a small step by the right foot is followed by a small step by the left foot. When contact is made, you should be in position to move in any direction. Don't get too much forward momentum because it limits side-to-side range.

Approach to the Ball

Ball Hit at Infielder: Get to the right side of the ball (called rounding the ball) and line up the ground ball with your left leg. As the ball approaches, the momentum of breaking down your body toward your throwing target will allow you to field the ball directly in front of you.

Ball Hit to Infielder's Forehand: When going to your left, take a small drop-step with your left foot and cross over with the right foot. This allows you to clear your hips and take a deeper angle to the ball, which increases range.

Ball Hit to Infielder's Backhand: When going to your right, take a small drop-step with your right foot (picture 1A) before crossing over with the left foot (picture 1B).

Fielding Mechanics

• Your feet should be slightly wider than shoulder width, weight on the inside balls of the feet.
• Knees should be flexed and slightly tipped inward.
• Rear end is in a seated position with your hands out front, wrist slightly hyper-flexed, so the fingers of the glove point slightly downward with the entire glove face open to the baseball. Place your feet slightly wider than shoulder width, bend your knees and squat while placing your forearms on your quadriceps (picture 2A). Slide your forearms off your quadriceps until your hands are out front, creating a triangle. Your feet are the base of the triangle and your hands are the apex (picture 2B).
• Field the baseball out front on the center line of the body with your throwing hand covering the ball slightly from the side. Players who field the ball straight with the throwing hand on top take the chance of getting hit on the tips of the fingers with the ball. Funnel the ball to the center of the chest (picture 3A) before separating the hands to throw. I like funneling to the chest instead of the belly button. It allows the fielder to get into a throwing position quicker and to make sure the glove elbow is shoulder height before throwing (picture 3B).
• While fielding and funneling, your lower body should go through the same motions every time. Upon making your approach, the steps for a right-handed thrower are as follows: a step with your right foot, a step with your left foot, then field the ground ball, step with your right foot toward your target, closing up your front side, point your glove elbow to your target at shoulder height and throw.
• A key element in your footwork is how your right foot steps toward your target after fielding the ground ball. There are three ways to do this.
  1. Right foot crosses in front of the left foot (picture 4A).
  2. Right foot inseam shuffles to left foot inseam (picture 4B).
  3. Right foot slides behind left foot (picture 4C).