Wall Ball Fielding Drills - Video

Fielding Drills using any Wall

There are so many uses of wall ball that baseball coaches should recommend its use for fielding drills, and show ballplayers how to use a wall for practice, repetition, and fun. In the time it takes to hit one ground ball with a throw on a ball diamond, players can have 10 or more catches and throws off a wall. The increased repetitions for these fielding drills, in a short time span, make wall ball a necessary baseball tool. All youth baseball players like to practice hitting, but give me a kid who loves to throw a ball off a wall, and I'll show you a ball player who loves the game. When I grew up, I had so much fun practicing by throwing balls off walls, even to the point of playing games off the wall. Almost any wall works and a big area is not necessary, just a safe ball, a desire to practice, and a little imagination. Along with working on quick hands and good fielding fundamentals, players can work on accurate throwing and position work. I continued to use a wall in my major league days to help develop focus, along with the aforementioned good habits.

Wall Ball Fielding Drills

Players can work on every kind of ground ball, learning when to get in front of balls, how to line them up correctly, and when and how to field them off to the side. Completing the play with one-hop throws, as seen here, adds the extra challenge. Wall ball is great for working the glove and footwork on backhand and forehand plays, along with fly balls. Additionally, players can work on various positions as for receiving balls at first base, double play techniques, and tag plays.

Fielding Drills that Make a Difference

When a second player or coach is available, players can work on additional wall baseball drills. Having a coach throw balls from behind the player, helps develop readiness, quickness, and good glove work, as they do not know where the ball will be tossed. Coaches can throw balls in all directions, along with slow rollers and fly balls. Wall ball is also very useful for players, who have a weakness going left or right, as they can concentrate on explosive first steps in that direction. The closer players are to the wall the greater the challenge. Having the coach off to the side, as seen here, helps players read angles on balls and has them completing the play by flipping or throwing the ball back to the coach. Infielders can work on various double play flips and throws. Additionally, players can have contests by throwing balls back and forth in this manner. Once again, the increased repetitions of wall ball make it a great baseball tool. Along with these fielding drills, another common use of wall ball is for setting a target or strike zone up on the wall for pitching practice.