How to Do a baseball workout for infielders

Step-by-step Instructions

Here is what you need to do...
Step 1

First you are going to need 5 baseballs, a partner and someone who can hit ground balls to you. The first drill in the workout is going to be done with one ball and one partner. You will start out by standing about 40-50 feet apart. You will roll each other the ball nice and slow. The goal for the person who is fielding the ball is work on their footwork and get around the baseball. You want to field the ball right below your left thigh, so slightly left of just center. After you field it, shuffle and fake the throw to first. Do 10 reps each, the goal of this is to just field it and work on proper field work.

Step 2

Next you will stand 90 feet apart and do the same steps as earlier, only make the actual throw back to your partner. The goal of this part of the drill is to field the ball and get your momentum going towards the target and make an accurate throw. Do 10 reps of this drill.

Step 3

After this you will be working on more fielding specific drills. You will stand 10-12 feet from your partner, and throw each other short-hops. This is just a simple throw that lands right in front of your partner where it only bounces once. You will do 10 straight up short-hops which you field it in front of you like normal. Then you will do 10 backhands, which is just turning your body position and fielding the short-hop like a backhand. Then you will do 10 forehand short-hops. This is the opposite of a backhand. After those three drills, you will repeat the whole process 2 more times. 3 total sets.

Step 4

After working through small progressions, now we are going to put them all together with the final drill. Now you will have a coach or someone else stand at home plate with a bucket of balls and he will be hitting groundballs to each of the positions. 3rd base, shortstop, and second base will all be throwing the ball to first base after they field it. They will be focusing on fielding it properly, and getting momentum towards first base to make an accurate throw. When the first basemen field it, he will do the same thing except for make the throw to 3rd base in order to work on his/her arm strength as well.

Step 5

This is continued from the previous step. But the person who is hitting the groundballs to the infielders should mix up the type of groundballs. This would mean hitting them hard or soft, or making the player range left or right. Regardless of where the ball is hit, the fielder should focus on fielding it properly and getting there momentum going towards first base. The number one cause from throwing errors is not getting your shoulders square towards your target.

Step 6

After going through this workout you can make modifications depending on where the player struggles the most. If they struggle with fielding you can spend more time with those drills and add more reps or various exercises. If they struggle with throwing make changes in that area and spend more time working on that.

Special Attention

Difficulties people often experience or parts that need special attention to do it right.

Make sure step 3 is done on the infield dirt. Step 2 can be done on the grass or the dirt, doesn't make a difference. Make sure every rep is done at 100 percent otherwise the player will be developing bad habits if they take a play off.

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When did you first do this & how did you get started?

I first started doing infield specific drills freshmen year of high school. I got started because that was the first year I played varsity baseball and their training and practices are different than at the youth ages.

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