getting your glove down

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does anyone have any drills that would help with getting your glove down quick?

 

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Yes. The best way to get your glove down quickly is to START with your glove down and LEAVE it there. 3rd basemen would never miss a ball if they'd just start with their gloves down at their ankles. Shortstops and 2nd basemen should start with their gloves low and not raise them as they charge the ball or move a step or two left or right. Keep your eye on the ball and if it take a hop, then raise your glove and catch it. It is much easier to come up for the ball than to go down and get it. Try it. You'll have a lot of success.

 

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does anyone have any drills that would help with getting your glove down quick?

First make sure the glove is adjusted properly as to thumb and baby fingers locks...most do not even have them tied or do not even understand what it does.

Next put them in front of a mirror and get into their fielding position with the glove on the ground and visually look to see in the mirror if the glove is even open...usually you will see the thumb and not the inside of the glove. Now ask them to rotate the thumb of the hand outward away from them and they will see the inside of the glove for the first time in many situations. Show them what you mean by too much angle of the glove and then pressing so hard that it smashes out the glove so they visually see it them self.

We have the floor marked for foot positions and walk them through it and have them field the ball on the inside of the glove hand foot and try to tell them think they are shoveling sand. On the field we mark the foot position using baby powder to get them started just like we do for the slappers when hitting.

Hope this helps Howard

 

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There is no substitute for good reps staying down not just with the glove but also with the body. Teams I coach or help with get a steady diet of fielding grounders and doing pickups trying to keep the glove from leaving the ground even as they move laterally. This drill work increases range and allows a player to understand the concept of working up with the ball if need be as opposed to stabbing at the ball whether forehand or back hand. This drill work also leads to diving for the ball as they learn to move laterally from a lower position.

Players will ask, "In a game do you want me to go get the ball with my glove on the ground?" To which I reply, "In a game you react, in practice you work on keeping the glove down."

I am a big believer that one major reason players do not stay down is due to being out of shape to do so - meaning they have trouble remaining in a low position as they move. Their backs and legs are not used to it. Most have a habit of straightening up to move forward, back, left and right. And if the ball is hit right at them - this habit of straightening up allows the ball to travel one hop farther. And it is always the last hop that kills you

Here are a few clips of the pickups we routinely practice.

Pivot Back Hand This drill we focus on flipping the glove over and dropping the outside knee

Crossover Back Hand Again flipping over the glove and then after the cross over step dropping the outside knee

Forehand Pickups Keeping the glove down keeps the body down

Pickups Taking Back Angle This drill leads to diving as you roll the ball farther out

The key to these drills are rolling balls so the players can focus on form and plenty of reps. After a few practices they get stronger and keeping the glove down becomes more routine

Hope this helps.

 

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One Thing Craig Nettles once told us, just think that your'e sitting on the john, Get the butt backside down. Too many leave it up and are too far forward, glove tip easily resting on the dirt, take your spikes and dig mini trenches on both sides of your feet to push off left to right (almost like starting blocks for sprinters but sideways push offs)... of course smoothing out the dirt in front of you along with field maintenance for large pebbles every inning...

 

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One thing that works for my girls is to count the bounces from bat to glove. It keeps you focused on the ball better, and like above the glove is to be close to the ground already.

 

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Nice drills, will try at next practice.

 

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Welcome to OFC, RBR09! Thanks for the clips.

 

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There's really no drill for that but to keep your glove down and infront of you prior to pitch. All you have to do is move it right our left and ball will just go directly to glove. When fielding, make sure to have the glove at an angle and let the tips touch the ground and get your free hand cover the ball.

The closer your position is to home plate the lower your glove should be

softball drill

 

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My daughter played with john miller from the cinci doom he had a great drill for the girls to keep there glove down and it worked. try him for details.

 

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We also use heads down dribbling glasses. Makes you tuck chin and keep head down with head goes hands.

http://www.amazon.com/Unique-DS-1-Dribble-Specs/dp/B0000BYS19/ref=pd_bxgy_sg_img_c

Work great for hitting and bunting practice as well........