Backhanded Compliment

If your infielders run around their backhands because they just aren't very good at it, and you're not too sure just where to begin fixing them, then here's a daily practice routine that should really help you a lot!

Start the following practice routine with your infielders at every single practice. It only takes about 10 minutes and is DEFINITELY time well spent. I call them "everyday's" since that's how often your players will do them and this concept of a core set of fundamental skills that are important enough to be done every single practice helps your players have a routine that can be done quickly while building critical skills.

To create your everydays, have your players split up into pairs, each with their gloves on and one ball per pair. They'll do the glovework and quantities listed below from the following distances. Start out about 3 feet apart, then move back to 6 feet and then about 12 feet apart with balls rolled slightly faster. Each partner takes turns rolling and fielding before moving back to the next distance.

For the backhand have each infielder do the following:

• 20 backhands
• 10 shorthops
• 10 forehands

Make sure the following backhand fundamentals are worked on:

• bending the back knee to lower the glove (& not bending at the waist)
• opening the palm to the ball and not to the ground
• giving at, or going from the elbow and not from the shoulder
• moving through the catch instead of pulling back

Since these "everyday's" are for glovework improvement no throws are necessary.

For more fielding and defensive help check out our Fielding eSkill, Fielding eDrills,and our Infield Drills Manual