365 Days to Better Baseball - Hats Off Baseball Practice Drills

Hats off Throwing and Receiving Baseball Practice Drills

Having fun and effective baseball practice drills is crucial for baseball coaches.

The shortest distance between two points is a straight line. This is an important fact in baseball as it is necessary to throw balls directly to a base without putting too much air under the ball, which delays the balls arrival to a base. Additionally, some direct throws have to be low enough to be cut off when the defense feels it necessary. Because of those two scenarios, players must learn to throw balls that take one hop before reaching its intended base.

Baseball Throwing and Receiving Baseball Practice Drills

Once players have loosened their arms adequately and backed up a good distance, players take their hats off and set them about ten feet in front of them. Throwing players attempt to hit the other player's hat with a ball, as they alternate being the thrower and catcher of the ball.

baseball practice drills

Coaches have the receiving players stand stands one hop distance away and in various ways based on the position they play in games.

Catchers with feet square, two hand catch, and back step after catching the ball and mimicking a two-hand tag play at home.

Third Baseman with feet square to ball as if straddling the bag, with a one handed catch and tag.

Middle infielders stand in a sideways position as if receiving the ball on a steal play.

First basemen act as if it is a one-hop throw to first and stretch or back up according to the hop, while catching the ball with glove only.

With young players, this drill can be performed with softer balls or with masks on so they avoid any hit-in-face bad hop balls.