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FIELDING: Using A Bucket Of Balls
| Using A Bucket Of Balls |
This drill I use most often for short stops and second basemen. I have
used it with outfielders too.
I will take a bucket of balls about ten feet behind where the
shortstop or the second basemen would normally line up. I then scatter
the balls across the ground. I then have the fielder with their back to
the infield jog to the balls one at a time and pick them up and throw
them to home plate. I will have them pick the balls up with their gloves
one time, and with their bare hand the next. If I have no catcher to
help, I set a bucket about five feet away from home plate down what would
be the third base line.
The fielder would then need to throw the towards home plate. If the ball
does not go to home plate, at least make sure it goes in between home
plate and the bucket. I consider this the out zone.
The purpose of this drill is to get the fielder, that is most
often the cut off person practice. This gives them practice at getting
the ball with their back to the infield, and turning then finding home
plate then throwing the ball to home plate.
I use the placement of the bucket as a target for the fielder to
throw. The reason for having it on the third base side is, if the fielder
cant hit home plate, at least miss on the third base side so the catcher
still has a chance at getting the out.
When I use this for out fielders, I will scatter the bucket of
balls about ten feet in front of where the out fielder would line up. I
will have them charge the balls one at a time and throw them to home
plate. I will have them pick the balls up with their gloves one time, and
with their bare hand the next. Once again, if I have no catcher to help,
I set a bucket about five feet away from home plate down what would be
the third base line. The fielder would then need to throw the towards
home plate. If the ball does not go to home plate, at least make sure it
goes in the out zone between home plate and the bucket.
This drill is for getting the out fielder to charge balls on the
ground, and then throw them while on the move. It lets them work on their
throw to the plate.
If they can not get the ball to the plate, it is important for
them to know what direction their throws go when the ball hits the dirt.
The ball will usually consistently jump slightly one direction or
another. It is good for the fielder to see this, and remember this. They
should practice trying to get the ball to roll through the out zone
between home plate and the bucket on the third base line. Knowing how to
do this as well as throwing it through that zone in the air will help the
fielder and the catcher. |
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