Fundamentals of Infield Play

Fundamentals of Infield Play

One of the two most important factors in giving your offense a chance to win is defense. Having a good infield solves plenty of problems when it comes to staying in the game. Defense is a two part system in baseball. The first is the infield. The infield consists of a 1st baseman, 2nd baseman, short stop, 3rd baseman, catcher, and pitcher. If you have a strong infield, then you are halfway there to being successful. A solid outfield is the next part of that process, but outfield play will be another post for another day.

The first thing I will discuss is infield fundamentals. Nothing is more important than being prepared to catch a ground ball or a line drive. To do this you have to be in rhythm with the pitcher. As Issac Newton said, “an object in motion stays in motion.” Therefore rhythm is important to all facets of the game of baseball, and the same runs true on defense. 

1. Ready Step/ Jump- There are two-ways to be prepared for the pitch. One way is a ready step. The ready step consists of a left step, right step, left step, and present your glove for a right hander, and vice-versa for a left hander. The second way is a jump or hop. Both of these forms of preparation are to allow the infielder to be on the balls of their feet and in an athletic stance. The athletic stance should be like a defender in basketball.
2. Presenting the Glove- Presenting the glove is an important aspect of being a solid infielder as well. If your glove is open then it allows you to catch a ground ball or a line drive. When we present the glove we have the wrist pointed towards the action, our glove is open, and the palm of the hand open close to the glove. 
3. Funneling the Ground Ball- The next step in teaching infield play is how to catch a ground ball. To catch a ground ball I teach three points in catching one. The first point is to catch the ball at the top of your hat bill. Next is having your belt buckle pointed at the middle of the ground ball. The third point is you catch the ground ball you make an alligator mouth with the glove hand and throwing hand. You then funnel the ball into your belly button. After this you shuffle towards the base you are throwing the ball to. 
4. Follow your Throw- The last and most important step is throwing the ball. Many young players do not do this. After throwing the ball make sure you allow your body to follow towards the base you are throwing to. This allows your throw to be on point and to also give your body a natural act of motion. 

I hope this post helps many coaches refresh infield fundamentals and helps youth coaches teach infield fundamentals. As always, thank you for reading this post!