Baseball Infield Skills and Drills

Rich Maloney, head baseball coach at Ball State University, presents infield and defensive drills to sharpen fielding. These drills aim to enhance defense and make routine plays routinely.

Develop quick hands and feet through everyday drills to stay low and ready to catch on the throwing side, then practice tag plays, short hops, forehands and backhands.

simulate a range of in-game plays with the phantom drill to build athleticism, fielding, and throwing accuracy, while emphasizing communication, double plays, and the keep it simple philosophy.

Showcases the phantom tag drill to develop reliable infield tag plays, focusing on arriving at the bag on time, staying low, and delivering accurate tags from various positions.

Practice wall drill to improve infield footwork, soft hands, and quick reactions by throwing against a wall, staying low, and moving the feet solo or with peers.

Master the gauntlet drill to develop rapid-fire infield exchanges, throwing from the outside of the body with one hand, and progressing from short to long hops.

Perform the three crow hop drill to keep feet under you and square shoulders to the target for consistent throws. Move through forehand, backhand, and fungal drills from grounders.

Develop fast, accurate forehand and routine back plays by catching deeper, pivoting to your target, and throwing with momentum; improve footwork, positioning, and aggressive, controlled plays after the catch.

Practice double plays by fielding cleanly, making quick feeds from the third baseman to first and from the middle infielders, staying under control and low to turn the double play.

Practice the slow roller drill from high catches to ground balls, evolving from two-hand to one-hand and bare-handed plays, focusing on momentum, control, and quick throws.

Gain control of the baseball during the rundown, raise the arm with the elbow at shoulder height, call a ball when ready, and attack the runner to close the gap.

Execute the triangle drill where infielders block dirt balls, throw out runners at first, turn a 3-6-3 double play, and practice catcher wild-pitch and pitcher cover scenarios.

Practice three-line PSP drill for pitcher fielding: grounders to first or second, priority and possession, pitcher covering first, and a butt play down the third base line with runners on.

Learn practical infield drills and coaching tidbits gathered from clinics and the American Baseball Coaches Association to boost your program's defense and infield performance.