How to Improve in Fielding Ground Balls

A professional baseball player can make fielding a ground ball look easy, as if anyone could do it. The reality is that these people have put in countless hours of practice. Persistence and repeating the same motion over and over again so your muscles can accomplish the task without any thought is key. There are several tips and tricks that will help a beginner learn the art of fielding ground balls and make the game of baseball much more enjoyable.

Instructions

    • 1

      Position yourself according to the batter and pitcher. If the hitter is good and tends to pull the ball, you should position yourself more for him to pull. If the pitcher throws hard, you should expect the hitters to be less likely to pull the ball, so position yourself more for the ball to "go the other way." If you are not in the right position to catch the ball, it doesn't matter how good you are at fielding, you won't be able to get it.

    • 2

      Catch the ball in front of you. This is important because it enables you to watch the ball go into your glove. Also, if your hands are out in front of you, you can move with the ball, which makes it less likely that the ball will bounce off your glove.

    • 3

      Position your body so it is between where the ball is and where it is going. This means you will need to move your feet to get your body into position. If you miss the ball with your glove, you still have the opportunity to knock it down with your body if you are in the right position. You don't always have to catch it to make an out. You just have to stop it to make a play.

    • 4

      Start low and move up. This means that as the ball is coming to you your glove, you should be almost on the ground waiting for the ball. It is much easier to move up to catch a ball than it is to move down. The lower you can get, the more likely you are to catch or stop the ball.

    • 5

      Position your body with the "glove foot" slightly forward -- if your glove is on the left hand, your glove foot would be your left foot. Catch the ball as close to the glove side as you can. Always keep your feet moving to keep the proper position. Your weight should be on the balls of your feet. This will help keep your weight slightly moving forward.

    • 6

      Learn to read the direction and speed of a ball. This requires hours of practice. The more you work on this by being in the field during batting practice, the more your body and mind will be able to react properly to a batted ball. There is no get-good-quick trick to fielding a ground ball. Practice is the only thing that works.