Outfield Defense: Drills and Skills

Outfield Defense: Drills and Skills

"Offense sells tickets, but defense wins championships." -Coach Bear Bryant

In any sport the importance of a quality defense cannot be overstated. A good defense wins championships. It doesn't matter what sport you are playing, if you cannot prevent the opponent from scoring, you will not win. Therefore, it is important to have a solid defense. Today I will discuss outfield defense along with drills and skills that will help give your outfielders game-like repetitions. 

Defense starts as soon as team stretch has finished. Every player should be split up into groups. This means that infielders should throw together, outfielders should throw together, catchers should throw together, and pitchers should throw together. The reason being, is each specific position will have their own throwing program. After the players have stretched out their arms to a specific point, each group will start adding in position specific throws into their catch-play. This is where I will start our first drill.

Catch-Play Cutoff Man Drill: https://coachesinsider.com/baseball/videos-baseball/outfielders-throwing-drills-unc-baseball/ 

Outfield practice starts during catch-play. Outfielders, along with the whole team should be striving to have perfect catch-play. Perfect catch-play is having each throw hit your partner in the chest. Chest high throws are what all players want because this allows for the most athletic movement to occur. For outfielders this is important because many of their throws will dictate how many runs will score. An errant throw can cause a run or many runs to score. A throw that hits the cutoff man in the chest can prevent a run from scoring and keeps the double play in order which prevents a big inning for the opponent. This is where the first drill will come into play. This drill can be done once the outfielders are ready to long toss. This drill allows the outfielders to get game-like reps in with their fellow teammates. This drill practices the outfielder playing through a ground ball on the pinky toe glove hand side of the outfielder, staying under control, gathering himself, stepping through, and throwing the ball while hitting the cutoff man in the chest. The next step of this drill is to help the outfielder to learn how to handle himself when his momentum is out of control. When fielding with momentum, the outfielder should crow hop on the back foot to regain control before making a strong head high to chest high throw to the cutoff man. The outfielder should want a chest high throw or a long hop. A short hop can cause a miscue to happen.

What you do not want is the outfielder to be out of control. If the outfielder is out of control then his feet will be getting wide, allowing the outfielder to fly open and have errant throws. This drill allows the outfielder to create muscle memory and to feel when he's fielding and throwing correctly.

Z-Drill:https://coachesinsider.com/baseball/videos-baseball/outfielders-z-drill-img-academy-video/

When outfielders learn the position for the first time, one of the first things that is taught is their first step back. The first step back is either a drop step with the left leg or right leg. Sometimes a crossover step will work as well. Even taking a single step backwards will work. What the outifielder cannot do is go forward and then backward. It is easier for an outfielder to go backwards and then forwards. This also allows for the outfielder to gain momentum for his throw to the cutoff man.

What happens though on a ball that has fooled the outfielder that is lofted in the air or on a line? The Z-Drill is the perfect way to practice the fundamentals to catch these fly balls in a game. To set up the Z-Drill you just need three little cones set in the form of a 45 degree triangle. The outfielder takes a left step, right step, and gets into his defensive stance. Then the outfielder will drop step with either his left or right foot, then with whatever foot the player opened up with he will plant that foot and open up with the other foot and catch the lofted fly ball. Another way to do this technique is to do the same steps, but instead  of planting your same foot, you plant the opposite foot causing the player to take his eyes off of the ball. This technique can be difficult to master because the moment the player takes his eyes off of the ball, he could lose it. Another step of this drill is to have the outfielder work on opening up and then notice that the ball will be on a line and have the outfielder have his momentum go forward to catch the ball.

Ball off the Wall Drill:https://coachesinsider.com/baseball/videos-baseball/outfielders-plays-off-the-wall-scott-jackson-unc-video/

Another outfielding drill that is fundamental is fielding the ball off of the wall. It is paramount that all outfielders understand how the ball bounces off of their outfield fence or wall. It is your home field, so it should be to your advantage. When you’re away, during batting practice or when scouting the field, see how the ball bounces off of the away field’s wall or fence. This gives your team the opportunity to get more comfortable in an unfamiliar territory.

All you need to do for this drill is your outfielders, a space in the outfield, a coach, and a fungo bat is optional. The reason why a fungo bat is optional is because the coach can throw the balls off the wall. This drill teaches the outfielder how to get proper footing on the warning track, how to get the proper grip of the baseball, and gives the outfielder confidence in hitting the cutoff man from the warning track. The outfielders should focus on planting their glove-handed foot, having their head over the ball, getting the proper grip of the baseball, gathering himself, and having a strong throw to the cutoff man. Another key for this drill is for the outfielder to make sure that his feet do not not get too wide. You want the outfielder to stay athletic so that a proper and strong throw can happen. The key to getting the proper grip of the baseball is to push the ball into the ground and placing a four-seam fastball grip on the ball with the throwing hand.

Numbered Outfield Drill: https://coachesinsider.com/baseball/videos-baseball/numbered-outfield-drill-mike-fox-unc-video/

The last drill I will discuss today puts a bow on all that I have covered today. This drill is excellent because you can hit fly balls, ground balls, and practice cut off throws and relays. This drill involves outfielders and infielders. The coach will yell out a set of numbers that stands for each base. The defense must throw the ball to each base in a smooth and quick manner. Click the link above to see this drill at work. This drill is awesome for all involved and is a great way to open up team defense while also practicing game-like reps. Challenge your outfielders to prevent could be doubles, and make them singles. It is paramount that the defense always keeps the double play in order. 

Defense is necessary for championship teams. If you are striving for excellence, then starting with a solid defense is a great way to start. Teams that have a strong defense keep themselves in every game and allows them to win each game. Simply put, as Coach Bear Bryant said, "Offense sells tickets, but defense wins championships." Perfectly stated by one of the greatest coaches of all time.