BASEBALL BEST PRACTICES


If you analyze the best teams and the best players you will find core methods that are common between them all. These methods are the best practices. While there is always more than one way to do something, we want to teach doing it the way the best do it.

As for our youth players, our mission is to prepare them for higher level baseball. Some higher level best practices may not be attainable or applicable to youth players such as relay cuts but our goal is to introduce as much as we can so that they do not have to make as many adjustments when they get older.


The ready hop is the body mechanics of reacting to a batted ground ball for infielders.


The routine ground ball is the most commonly hit ball in baseball. Fielding a grounder seems simple in concept, however, the reality is the body mechanics are very complex.


When catching a ball we want to hear a distinct pop. The means the ball was caught in the pocket of the glove reducing the chance of a dropped ball. If you do not hear a pop, aka the ball rattles in your glove, the chances of a drop ball drastically increase and the transition to your throwing hand is much more difficult.


One of the most crucial “best practices” of baseball. Fielding a ball with the glove off to the side of your body or having to turn your head to follow the ball into the glove leads to a much greater chance of a missed catch. Having your face behind your glove allows your eyes to track the ball into your glove without having to use peripheral vision or turn your head at the last second. You will pretty much almost eliminate dropped balls keeping your face behind the glove.


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Last Hop is the last hop a bouncing ball takes before it reaches the fielder. The goal is to judge the last hop so the ball is at the top of its arc as it reaches the glove.


Pop Fly Priority is the chain of command on who should catch a fly ball so there won’t be any accidental collisions.


Pickoff moves to 1st

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Pickoff moves to 2nd

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Taking a Lead at 1st

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Taking a Lead at 2nd

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Taking a Lead at 3rd

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Do’s and Don’ts. Mechanics Sequence.


Outfield Flyball Tracking

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Cut Off Scenarios

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Catcher Framing

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Catcher Pop Fly Tracking

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