365 Days to Better Baseball - Missed Ball Fielding Drill

Wednesdays Web Gems Tips

Never give up on play with this fielding drill

Good coaches take nothing for granted and even have a fielding drill in anticipation of players making errors.

I will never forget the time I dropped an easy pop up. I put my head down in embarrassment and disgust, as the base runner took an extra base. Talk about compounding a physical error with a mental one. Good coaches explain to players that plays are not over just because they missed the ball and that the play goes on. Players should hustle to missed balls and stay aware of the game situation. Additionally, this post error hustle often turns into an out with an over-aggressive base runner.

Good coaches have teams practice every aspect of the game. One of those aspects is the play when the ball gets away from a player. It is important that players keep playing after they have missed a ball, and especially when they simply bobble the ball, and this drill teaches that. Of course, hustling even after a bobbled ball or one that gets away just a few feet may even result in the original out.

Missed Ball Fielding Drill for Youth

After players warm their arms up, players catch the ball from their catch partner and flip the ball a few feet away on the ground in any direction. The player who caught the ball and dropped it, rounds the ball in the quickest manner to where they are in great throwing position, as they pick the ball up and throw it to their partner, who does the same thing.

Coaches watch to make sure players round the ball and set their feet correctly, so they are in great throwing position after approaching the dropped (missed) ball. Players should drop balls in all directions away forward - right, left, center; straight sideways and backwards in all directions and practice picking the ball up with their bare hand only, and not their fielder's glove.