{"id":10759,"date":"2021-03-25T18:00:18","date_gmt":"2021-03-25T18:00:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.baseballsavings.com\/baseball-guide\/?p=10759"},"modified":"2021-05-21T14:28:34","modified_gmt":"2021-05-21T14:28:34","slug":"fielding-fundamentals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.playbaseball.com\/baseball-guide\/fielding-fundamentals\/","title":{"rendered":"Fielding Fundamentals"},"content":{"rendered":"

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.4.0″][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.4.0″][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.4.0″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.4.0″]Being good with the glove can keep you in the lineup even if you\u2019re struggling at the plate. After all, a run saved is just as important as a run scored. But how do you become an elite defender? It starts with want. Because if you don\u2019t want it, or feel like playing defense is just something you have to do between trying to hit home runs, you\u2019ll never dig in and do the work necessary to be great. But for those who do want it, you\u2019ve got to start with the fundamentals.[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.4.0″][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.4.0″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.9.0″]<\/p>\n

The Ready Position And Proper Balance
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Getting in proper position allows you to move left, right, forward and back, as quickly as possible. This means your feet are a little wider than shoulder width apart, your knees are slightly bent, and your hands are inside your knees. A proper ready position should give you the feeling that you\u2019re ready to explode in any direction. Most infielders<\/span><\/a><\/strong> prefer to get into this position a little late \u2013 right when the ball crosses the front of home plate. This timing and position can add up to a half-step to your fielding range, which makes those holes in the infield that much smaller.<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.9.0″ _module_preset=”default”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.9.0″ _module_preset=”default”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/tgwblog.kinsta.cloud\/blog-assets\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/02\/Infield.jpg” alt=”Infield cleats” title_text=”Infield cleats” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.9.0″ _module_preset=”default”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.4.0″][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.4.0″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.4.0″]<\/p>\n

Keep Your Glove As Quiet As Possible
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As a ground ball approaches, you might see a lot of young fielders prepare by patting their glove or flipping it down at the last minute. This may look cool, but it\u2019s not sound technique. All that movement makes it difficult to field the ball consistently, especially on balls hit hard. The best way to prepare for a ground ball is by putting your palm out and your fingers down. This maximizes the surface area\/opening of the glove. Once the glove is in that position, keep it there. Be relaxed with your hands and use your feet to field the ball out in front of you. Keep it simple. Cut out unnecessary glove movement and add better consistency to your fielding.<\/p>\n

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Bring Ball To The Middle Of Your Body
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Now you\u2019ve got the ball. The next step is to build momentum towards your target, and that starts by bringing your hands to the middle of your body. It doesn\u2019t matter if you\u2019re fore-handing the ball, back-handing the ball, or fielding the ball directly in front of you \u2013 funnel it to your belly button. This is the fastest and most efficient way to prepare for the throw.<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.4.0″][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.4.0″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.4.0″]<\/p>\n

Making The Throw
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Once you have the ball in the middle of your body, instinct is going to take over from there: You\u2019ll get your feet underneath you and make the throw. Remember, you don\u2019t have to throw it as hard as you can every time \u2013 only when you need to. If it\u2019s a standard ground ball, it\u2019s usually not necessary. Save your arm as much as you can. And for third baseman in particular, don\u2019t forget to follow your throw across the diamond so your ball carries.<\/p>\n

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So grab a fungo bat<\/strong><\/a><\/span>, put it in a friend or family member\u2019s hands, go out in the backyard, and practice, practice, practice! Concentrate on keeping everything the same: glove out in front, funnel to the middle, follow your throw. A good general mindset when fielding is BE AGGRESSIVE<\/strong>. Try and attack everything moving forward. Not only is it more effective, it\u2019s more fun!<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_button button_url=”https:\/\/www.baseballsavings.com\/baseball-gloves\/shop-all-gloves” button_text=”SHOP NOW” button_alignment=”center” admin_label=”BBS Shop Button” _builder_version=”4.9.0″ custom_button=”on” button_text_color=”#99ca0a” button_bg_color=”#061c33″ button_border_color=”#061c33″ button_font=”|700|||||||”][\/et_pb_button][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Being good with the glove can keep you in the lineup even if you\u2019re struggling at the plate. After all, a run saved is just as important as a run scored. But how do you become an elite defender? It starts with want. Because if you don\u2019t want it, or feel like playing defense is […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":10765,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[166],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nFielding Fundamentals - The Baseball Guide<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.playbaseball.com\/baseball-guide\/fielding-fundamentals\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Fielding Fundamentals - The Baseball Guide\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Being good with the glove can keep you in the lineup even if you\u2019re struggling at the plate. 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