Glove Progressions to Help First Basemen with Picks in the Dirt

Picking out balls in the dirt is one of the most difficult yet important skills a first baseman must possess. Typically when teaching a player how to play first base he or she needs work with the footwork around the base, having a catch the ball first mindset, and then picking balls out of the dirt. The footwork and mindset are pretty easy to pick up on, but the picking ball out of the dirt is when the trouble starts. In this post I will go into progressions and drills to help out a first baseman improve with picking balls out of the dirt. 

Understanding the Kinds of Picks to Make

Supplemental Video

It is important for a first baseman to understand what kind of picks needed to make when playing first base. If you draw a half circle around where the first baseman steps out to catch the ball thrown at him, you can use it to teach him what kind of catch to make. If the ball is around the half circle, the first baseman will go out and beat the hop. If the ball is to the far left or right of the half circle, the first baseman will let the ball hop and catch it on its upward trajectory. Ideally you want the first baseman to go out and beat the ball before it hits the dirt and goes upwards. It is an easier catch and will more than likely beat the runner running to first base. 

Glove Progression Series

I always like to start off infielders and outfielder on two knees. This allows them to focus on their upper body before they go into adding the lower half. When focusing on picking the ball at first I have the first baseman catch forehands and backhands into their web. Here is the catch though, in round one they do not close their glove. The reason being is because I want them to feel how it is supposed to feel when a ball is in the web. After the first round or mastery of catching the ball in the web, have the first baseman catch the ball in the web and close the glove. Once there is mastery, rapidly fire baseballs at the first baseman to go out and catch the ball before it hops upward. 

After the first baseman has shown mastery of catching the ball in the web, then have him get on two feet and on first base. Have him step forward to where he would step when receiving the thrown ball. After that you will draw the semi circle as an example on where to catch different kinds of picks. Explain to the first baseman about the half circle and how to catch different kinds of picks. As the coach, you will throw the ball to the first baseman or you can hit fungo short hops to the defender. 

For different rounds, have the first baseman step out and then have him catch picks in different areas of the circle. An example is as follows below. As you can see, you can get as creative as you would like to do with the rounds. 

Round 1: Picks out in front (2x 10)

Round 2: Picks to the left (2x 10)

Round 3: Backhand picks (2x 10)

Round 4: Far left picks (2x 10)

Round 5: Far right picks (2x 10)

Round 6: Random picks (2x 10)

As you can see it takes a lot of work to get good at catching balls on a hop, but with this progression circuit the first baseman should improve. Get as creative with the drills given and make them your own. Remember there are many ways to master a skill, explore and put in the work.