A drill is only useful when you know what it is for. These are the drills in Coach Bass's Infield Development program, grouped by the part of the play each one trains.
Ready position and footwork
- Field-and-replace: Train the rhythm from fielding position into the throw: field, replace the back foot, throw, without rushing.
- Pre-pitch gather: Load the body as the ball reaches the hitting zone so the first move to any ground ball starts from a ready, balanced position.
- Right-left-throw: Build the right-left-throw footwork pattern behind every routine ground ball so it is automatic before a ball is added.
- Routine: straight at: Put the feet and hands together on the routine ground ball straight at the fielder, with a real throw on every rep.
- Routine ground ball to throw: Develop a repeatable routine ground-ball play that finishes with a controlled, accurate throw.
Soft, quick hands
- Backhand short hops: Train the backhand on the short hop from a knee, the backhand side only.
- Bad-hop recovery: Train keeping the ball in front on a bad hop by fielding on uneven ground on purpose.
- Barehand short hops: Build soft hands: on a knee with the bare hand only, so the hands have to do the job without the body cheating.
- Glove-hand only: Train the glove hand alone: the same short-hop drill with the glove hand only, no throwing hand.
- In-between hop read: Train the read of the hop: the partner varies short and long hops and the read is the drill.
- Short hops on the move: Add movement to the hands: shuffle laterally into the short hop on both sides.
- Tennis-ball hands: Speed up the hands: barehand with tennis balls at a fast tempo.
- Two hands: funnel: Train two-hand fielding: field it out front and funnel it to the middle so the exchange starts in the right place.
- Two-ball reaction: Train reaction: the coach rolls one of two balls at random and the fielder reacts to the one that comes.
The forehand and the backhand
- Backhand: Train the backhand play: replace step and throw.
- Backhand replace step: Train the backhand footwork pattern: cross over, field, replace and throw, to both sides.
- Backhand to throw: Develop control when fielding a ball to the backhand side and transitioning into a quality throw.
- Forehand to throw: Develop control when fielding a ball to the forehand side and transitioning into an accurate throw.
- Glove side: Train the forehand play to the glove side, working through the ball.
- Glove-side shuffle: Train the two-shuffle approach to the glove side so the player arrives in fielding position instead of reaching.
Range
- Deep in the hole: Train the deepest play: crossover, plant and the long throw from the hole.
- Deep-hole crossover: Train the crossover step to the backhand side, the plant and the set for the long throw from the hole.
- Lateral left to throw: Train the infielder to move laterally left, regain control and make an accurate throw.
- Lateral right to throw: Train the infielder to move laterally right, regain control and make an accurate throw.
Slow rollers, charges and bunts
- Bunt defense: Train the first baseman to move to a bunt, secure the ball and complete the correct throw under control.
- Charge and throw: the slow roller and the bunt: Train live reads on the slow roller and the bunt: charge and throw.
- Charge to throw: Train the infielder to move forward aggressively but under control and finish the play with an accurate throw.
- Do-or-die approach: Train the do-or-die charge: an angle to the glove side with no gather, so the play can be made on the move.
- Slow roller: Train the slow roller: charge it and throw off the run — the play that separates infielders.
- Slow roller to throw: Train the player to attack a slow ground ball, field it under control and complete the throw efficiently.
- Slow-roller pattern: Train the slow-roller pattern: charge, field on the run outside the left foot and throw off the wrong foot.
Double plays
- Double-play feed: Develop a controlled, accurate feed that gives the receiving infielder a playable ball during a double-play sequence.
- Double-play feeds: Train the double-play feeds — underhand, flip and turn-and-throw — at real distance.
- Double-play pivot: Learn the footwork at second base for the double-play pivot, without a ball or a partner, in both directions.
- Double-play start: Develop a controlled first throw that starts a double-play sequence from first base.
- Feed footwork: Learn the three double-play feed shapes — underhand, backhand flip and turn-and-throw — without a ball.
- Turn at second: Train all three double-play pivots at second off a real feed.
At the bag and at first base
- Feed to pitcher: Develop a controlled first-base feed that gives the pitcher a playable ball while the first baseman moves toward the bag.
- First-base picks: Train first-base picks: short hops at first base and the footwork on the bag.
Throws on the move, relays and cutoffs
- Relay/cutoff: Train the first baseman to receive, redirect and complete a relay or cutoff throw efficiently.
- Throw on move: Develop the ability to make a controlled throw when the play does not allow the infielder to fully stop and set.
Game speed
- Live rapid-fire: Finish at game speed: balls hit in all directions, with real throws.
- Random ground-ball direction: Train the infielder to read the ground ball, react to different directions and complete the appropriate throw.
Train it
The Infield Development program puts these drills into a plan: which ones, how much and in what order. That part is for members.