INFIELD PLAY  

1. Quick hands
2. Soft hands
3. Quick feet
4. Strong legs
5. Body Control

Rest and Ready Position
You cannot get your best jump from a dead stop
A good ready position allows players to keep more balls in the infield 

Rest Position
This is the time between pitches when nothing is going on
Must be thinking about the situation (outs, runners, score, etc.)
Must know what you are going to do if the ball is hit to you or goes to another player 

Ready Position
This is the time when the pitcher toes the rubber and begins his wind-up:

• Feet spread at least shoulder width for a strong base
• Knees flexed and ready to run (Athletic position)
• Weight on balls of feet
• Hands extended with glove open and facing the sky
• Slight rock back and forth to stay moving

Getting into Fielding Position
Getting into good fielding position in time, on time, and under control gives you a chance to react to the tough hops as well as the easy ones

Did you know that infielders catch the ball with their feet? Charge hard but keep body under control; Your feet take you to the ball, into fielding position, and into throwing position

Charging the ball allows you to do 2 important things:

1. Cut down the angle and distance that you must throw the ball
2. Choose the hop you want rather than letting the ball play you

Never raise up from the Ready Position

• Attack ball with glove shoulder (or ball outside of body on glove side)
• Ultimately positions ball in center of body
• Keep glove extended while going to the ball – Do not drop, pat, or flip glove
• Last two steps are 1, 2 Field – Must be smooth and under control (Do not jump into fielding position)
• Throwing foot straight to ball
• As you go to ball, begin to lower into fielding position (Bottom goes down)
• Be an airplane landing, not a helicopter landing
• Glove foot then goes to the side - 2 times shoulder width and toe to heel

Key Points

• As foot hits ground, back should be flat and glove on the ground
• Ball should be in center of body
• Should be on the balls of the feet
• Never get on the heels as an infielder – ball will eat you up!!!

These techniques will put you into perfect fielding position and allow you to handle any type of hop!!!!
 

Types of Hops

1. Long hop
2. Short hop
3. In between hop
4. Bad hop

• Feet are spread 2 times shoulder width
• Feet staggered toe to heal (or toe to instep) with your glove foot out in front
• Bottom is down
• Back is flat and parallel to the ground (allows hands to get out front)
• Glove is extended out in front and on the ground (always work below the ball)
• Allows for quick and soft hand
• Bare hand is extended beside glove or over glove (alligator)
• Allows for quick hands
• Head is up to see the ball
• While tracking ball, should be able to see glove out front with peripheral vision
• Hands are relaxed so they can react
• When ball hits glove, cover ball with bare hand
• Cradle ball into body for soft hands (Like catching an egg)
• Ball goes straight to stomach with elbows out at side
• Head follows ball (Should be able to see the button on the hat)

Moving Through The Ball

Nothing in baseball looks better or draws more attention than a smooth fielding infielder. A fielder should never be at a dead stop when fielding the routine ground ball. As you cradle or funnel ball to stomach, feet have to get into throwing position.

1. Throwing hand foot crosses inside glove foot. This cuts down distance and gets momentum going toward the target. Your instep should face target. Your glove foot then moves into straight line with target. As this happens, you should have separated the hands and be in a good throwing position.
2. Shuffle feet towards target replacing front foot with back foot.  Feet must be in a straight line with target.  Much quicker but usually doesn’t gain as much ground to target