Catching a Fly Ball

Step 1: Fielding Position/ Stance


Your body should be facing forward towards home plate.  Place your feet at a comfortable distance about shoulder width apart and flex your knees.  Always flex your knees for the ready position for comfort and stability.  This also provides you with a better range of motion rather than remaining in a stiff, upright position.  Next, from anatomical position, flex your elbows about 45 degrees in front of your body; also pronate your forearms so that the palms of your hands are facing the ground. You should appear as if you are waiting to receive a throw.

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Step 2: Drop-Step
The drop step is the factor that determines which way you will run to track the ball. If the ball is hit to your glove side, then that foot will step back creating a path to track the ball.  If the ball is hit to your bare-handed side, then that foot will step back to create a path to track the ball.  If the ball is hit directly over your head, drop to whichever side you feel more comfortable in order to track the ball.

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Step 3: Tracking the Ball
Depending on where the ball is hit and to which side you will drop-step, this is how you track the ball.  If the ball is hit to your left, you run to your left.  If the ball is hit to your right, you run to the right.  If the ball is hit shallow and in front of you, charge in as fast as you can to get to it.  It is important not to overrun the ball, meaning to run too fast and pass the ball.  Also, when running, DO NOT run with your glove up in the air to chase the ball.  Run in the frontal plane along the anteroposterior axis with your arms pumping quickly with your eye on the ball.

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Step 4: Catching with One Hand
Most catches are done only using the glove hand.  This provides more range of motion for your arm.  The key is to extend your arm in the direction of the ball.  Also, make sure you do not try to use your bare hand to cover the ball in the glove.  Once again, this can shorten the range of your arm and also, accidentally the ball could hit your hand.

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Step 5: Cradle Ball into Body for Support

After you catch the ball, the final step is very important.  In order to secure the catch, bring the ball into your body to cradle it.  Finally, cradling the ball is the beginning of the motion for quickly throwing the ball back into an infielder to complete the play.

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Swinging a Softball Bat

Step 1: Grip

If you are right-handed dominant, place your left hand on the bottom of the taped grip and your right hand on top of your left hand.  If you are left-handed dominant, place your right hand on the bottom of the taped grip and your left hand on top of your right hand.  Your hands should remain together at all times.  Next, there are two ways to hold the bat.  The first is called the door knocker.  This is where you would line up the knuckles that you would use to, literally, knock on a door.  However, another preferred grip is the box grip.  This is where both sets of knuckles line up creating a flat surface. ** When players "choke-up" on the bat, they are reducing the bat's moment of inertia with respect to the axis of rotation of the player's wrists.

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Step 2: Stance

As you step into the batter's box, take notice of home plate.  Right-handed dominant will stand in the box closer to third base.  Left-handed dominant will stand in the box closer to first base.  Notice that home plate is the shape of a pentagon with the point facing away from the pitcher.  Your feet should be "squared away" meaning spread apart shoulder width with your toes point towards the plate.  It is also important to flex your knees for balance and comfort.  *Depending on the speed of the pitcher and the speed of your bat swing will determine how close up or farther away in the box you stand from the pitcher.








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Step 3: Bat Angle
It is important to create the perfect bat angle to avoid any wasted motion or time.  A few quick steps to get that perfect angle are as follows:
a. Rest the bat on your shoulder with the knob pointing forward
b. Slide the bat back on your shoulder until the taped grip touches your shoulder
c. Drop your hands to your chest
d. Slightly raise your hands back on an angle
**Once in your stance and in this position, you should be able to see your hands and bat out of the corner of  your eye

 These mini steps are to prevent you from wrapping the bat too far around your head because that creates wasted motion and takes time away from the swing

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Step 4: The Swing

The swing includes a trigger step in the sagittal plane, (if preferred, not necessary) and also the point at which the bat makes contact with the ball.  It is important to bring the hands and bat straight towards the ball in order to avoid dropping your shoulder.  Also, hip rotation will help in preventing this common problem.  As your hips and shoulders rotate, the bat will come forward.  As you swing towards the ball, your forearm should pronate automatically, causing the snapping action of your wrisits. The snapping action is to provide more power for making contact with the ball in front of the plate.  The greater the radius of rotation of the bat striking the ball, the greater the linear velocity the ball will take on.
**If your swing is too early or too late, the results could end in foul balls or missed swings.

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Step 5: Follow Through

The follow through is from the point of contact to the completion of the swing.  You cannot make contact with the ball then drop your bat and run.  You must follow through by bringing your arms and bat through the ball.  Naturally, after snapping your wrists during the swing, they will roll over helping to bring the bat across the body and shoulders.  Also, the back foot (closer to the catcher), should "squash the bug."  This means that your back foot should pivot towards the pitcher.  It is important not to pivot and finish on your toes because that will lift your entire body, throwing you off-balance.

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Throwing a Softball

Step 1: Grip

First, observe the softball.  Notice how the seams create "C" shapes.  Find a "C" and place your index, middle, and ring fingers all along the top of the seam.  Your pinky finger and thumb will naturally fall into a comfortable position around the ball.  **It is important not to palm the ball because this will prevent any wrist-snapping action.

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Step 2: Stance

First start by determining where your target will be standing.  Next, turn sideways from your target making sure your feet are "squared away." This means that your toes are pointing directly forward.  This is also the same as anatomical position.  After the stance is set-up, take a little step towards your target before any arm movement occurs. **Remain in anatomical position before creating the arm angles.

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Step 3: Arm Movement

After you are placed sideways in anatomical position, abduct your throwing arm in the frontal plane 90 degrees.  Your arm should be parallel to the ground.  Next, flex that elbow 90 degrees in the sagittal plane around the mediolateral axis.  This will then create an "L" shape.  Next, externally rotate the wrist in the transverse plane. Finally, abduct your glove hand 90 degrees towards your target.

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Step 4: Release

The release is not just the release of the ball, but it also incorporates the rotation of hips.  As you rotate your hips, your throwing shoulder will also rotate, creating a path towards your designated target.  As your hand passes your ear, you will begin to snap your wrist forward creating the force to push the ball forward.  The ball then acts as a projectile  in general motion and will follow in a horizontal trajectory towards your target.

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Step 5: Follow Through

After the release of the ball, the throwing arm should swing down across the body in a curvillinear motion.  It should appear as if the hand will touch the upper thigh. At the same time, the glove hand should swing down past the corresponding leg in order to create stability and balance around your center of gravity.  In powerful throws, the corresponding leg to the throwing arm will follow along a curved path to create balance in the follow through.

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