30 Second Drill

A GREAT DRILL! It creates competition. It teaches quick hands. It demonstrates the importance of good throws.

Goal: Teach infielders to get the ball off as quickly as possible after catching the ball.

Drill: With partners about 20-25 feet apart, the partners catch and throw the ball back and forth as quickly as possible. The fielders make sure they use their feet to square off their shoulders to make strong throws to their partners.

Start with all the balls on one side. When the coach yells, "go," the play begins. When the player who threw the ball first receives the ball, he calls out "one." This is one complete revolution. The play continues until the coach yells, "stop." How many complete revolutions did they make? Don't count half revolutions.

The players should quickly see how expensive it is to miss a throw. The winning players will always be the one using two hands to catch and making good throws. They aren't necessarily the ones moving the fastest. Make sure the players understand this. You might want to have everyone watch the winning team.

Here's another tip. Every once in awhile, after the players have each selected a partner and are on the line ready to begin, tell the players on one side to move down one player and have the player at the end come to the front. This will disturb the pairing and will allow better players to help weaker ones.

This drill is very effective if done as the last warm up done before every game or practice begins.