Techniques of Fielding

Fielding in baseball is easy for everyone to do, but difficult for anyone to master. While stopping a ball sounds fairly simple, technical aspects of fielding often make the difference between getting an out and allowing a run to score. Where and how the ball is hit determines which techniques will be used to successfully field the ball.

  1. Ground Ball

    • Fielding a ground ball requires you to squat down, with your upper body leaning forward at a 45-degree angle. Your glove should be on the ground before the ball reaches you. Put the back of your ring finger on the ground, with your throwing hand suspended two feet above your glove, ready to remove the ball from the glove to make a throw. As the ball reaches your glove, pull your glove towards your midsection, giving with the ball slightly as you field it. Flip your hips into throwing position so that a quick throw can be made.

    Fly Ball

    • As an outfielder, you must be sure that nothing gets over your head. When a ball is hit, if you have to lift your chin to follow the ball's path, your first two steps should be backwards. Do not move until you know which direction to go. It is easier to recover from a late start then from moving in the wrong direction. If no one is on base, simply move to the location where the ball will land and catch it, but if a runner is on base, you should stay two or three steps behind where you expect the ball to land so that you can catch the ball moving forward, generating power for your throw more quickly.

    Infield Hierarchy

    • All fielders are not created equal. Most coaches teach the same rules to the infield concerning who is in charge of catching pop-ups. Generally speaking, the shortstop will catch anything he can get to. The shortstop can call off every other player in the infield, though smart shortstops will not call off fielders who are already underneath a pop-up. The second and third basemen are next in line. These two fielders will never have to compete for a ball, but the third baseman can call off the catcher and pitcher, and the second baseman can call off both of them as well as the first baseman. The pitcher will only catch a ball if it will land on the mound. He does not come off of the mound to catch a pop-up. The first baseman and catcher each wear mitts that make catching pop-ups more difficult, so they should catch pop-ups only when no other fielder is available.

    In the Hole

    • Ground balls hit into the hole between the third baseman and shortstop can be the most difficult to convert into outs. Third basemen should field anything they can reach, because their momentum is moving towards first base, making their throws shorter and easier. To avoid collisions, third basemen will run in a direct line from their position across the back of the mound toward first, while the shortstop will run a deeper angle behind third base.

    The Banana

    • Pitchers must be able to help in the field as much as possible. As a pitcher, any ground ball hit to your left puts you into the play as a fielder. Run in a straight line to a spot fifteen feet in front of first base. As you run, look at what is happening behind you. If the first baseman is in position to take a throw to first, or has fielded the ball close enough to run to first and touch the base himself, you can stop. If the first baseman is too far from the base, continue running until you reach the baseline. Bend your path until you are running parallel to the baseline so that you can catch a throw from the fielder and step on the inside of the base without being run over by the baserunner.