An Infield Routine & Workout By Phil Newman Written & Published by the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) September 2007

With players putting a major emphasis on their hitting during the off-season, the importance of maintaining strong defensive mechanics is often overlooked. This article will take you through a basic off-season/in-season program that will not only strengthen your glove work, but also your overall core muscles that are used in every facet of the game.

I. First Step Explosiveness There is no such thing as a routine ground ball in the infield. Routine is a term thrown around by everyone else except the person actually fielding the ball. Every infielder has weaknesses. Most players have trouble with one of the following four plays: the ball right at you, the ball to your left, the ball to your right, or the ball you need to charge. To improve weaknesses, infielders need to work on their first step. First, instill a dynamic stretching and agility routine that applies to the first step in the infield. When we stretch we want to loosen up our explosive-twitch muscles by doing a normal stretching routine combined with dry hurdles, lunges, leg lifts with extensions, and frog hops. Some good agility drills to work on to increase the first step are as follows: inner and outer thigh lifting; ankle weighted speed skater drills, ankle weighted high knees, ankle weighted box drills, and jump rope. Second, apply the first step to a five cone box drill using a stop watch. From the ready position, run from the center cone to one of the corners and return to the center in ready position. Repeat this movement to all corners until completed. This drill is great for foot work and body awareness to the baseball. After watching players work this drill, the biggest mistake they make is to rush to each cone without getting back to the center cone in a good ready position. From the coach’s perspective, we need to do this drill accurately by watching our player’s footwork. Third, build up to a live ground ball instead of just hitting fungo after fungo. Most general infield mechanics and high-end adjustments can be made by working in a small space to start and then working up to longer distances. To use hitting for an example, we hit off of a tee usually before we hit live on the field. Naturally, we should apply the same theory to our defensive workouts, especially in the off-season. Work with someone rolling ground balls from about forty-five feet away while using a simple three cone drill. What is the three cone drill? The first is located where the right foot should start, the second cone is located at a forward diagonal to the right of the first cone, and the third cone is located at the point of contact where your right foot needs to land while breaking down into fielding position.

II. Increasing Lateral Movement To make team defense in the infield even stronger, it is vital that as coaches we continually develop our infielder’s lateral movement, in a similar manner as a pitcher who works to develop higher velocity. We always want our infielders thinking to their left; this way we can keep the momentum going toward the target we are throwing to for the majority of the time – first base. Probably the most important area to focus on when developing left or right lateral movement is working on a strong ready position that provides a maximum amount of push in either direction. The ready position is a great way to increase our anticipation of where the hitter may hit the baseball. The following is an overview of several types of ready positions that we should use throughout the game on different types of hitters: -- The Tennis Return/Linebacker Approach = Spray Hitter @ Middle Infield -- Left-Right Square = Right Handed Pull Hitter @ SS/2B or 1B -- Right-Left Square = Left Handed Pull Hitter @ SS/2B or 3B The “Tennis Return” is used for the majority of the time by our middle-infielders on spray hitters or while playing deep on slower fields, simply to get their feet moving as the ball is being pitched. Some keys to note while using this approach are to make sure that the infielders are not bouncing to the point where their head begins to bounce too, and also make sure that their shoulders are not giving up any range in either direction. Shoulder alignment is a major reason why players lose range in one direction or the other, but at the same time we may know a hitter’s tendencies enough where we can angle our shoulders to compromise the hole in anticipation of a ball being hit up the middle. “Left-Right Square” can be used by our middle infielders and corner players, primarily the first baseman. We want to be landing on our right foot by the time the pitcher releases the baseball to get a small amount of momentum or rather anticipation to our right side. Again note the alignment of the shoulders to make sure the momentum put into ready position is not compromised by the shoulders pointing in the other direction. “Right-Left square” can be used by our middle infielders and corner players, primarily the third baseman. We want to be landing on our left foot by the time the pitcher releases the baseball to get a small amount of momentum or anticipation, to our left side. Again note the shoulder alignment. One great drill for working the above noted fielding positions is fielding baseballs at various speeds on a straight line. Have the infielder stand on a baseline and roll ground balls from the center position to a measured distance on either side. After about fifteen repetitions per player, move the cones to a wider distance and run the second set. Use cones so there is a visual for the infielder, and be sure to use the various scenarios that an infielder can face in a line-up. Probably the most important piece to the ready position puzzle is knowing the line-up, who is up, the tendencies in their swing, and communicating this ready position to the players in the infield. From a “being ready for the ball” standpoint there is no better way than watching the game and playing the percentages.

III. Fielding Position Strength The approach I like to take is that we field ground balls with our legs, not our hands. If we can have the best footwork possible leading up to the ground ball, then we can be in better position to field it with our hands. The best fielding position is one that is under control regardless of whether the fielder breaks down into fielding position or is running through the ball. Keeping the glove in the fielder’s peripheral vision is the key to keeping fielding simple. With fielding position we need to think about our mental approach at the same time, as it will denote which type of fielding position we will use. The best mental approach an infielder can take is one where he is stalking the baseball and at the last second attacking it. Let’s get our eyes on a lower plane as the ball approaches and keep our knees inside our ankles, which will put our weight on the inner halves of our feet. The actual fielding position is easy to practice with a simple short-hop drill. However, exploding through to the throw is achieved by feeling a lean onto the balls of the feet through the baseball. This lean will allow for our right leg (right-handers) or left leg (left-handers) to gain ground over our glove hand leg. The final portion of the fielding position is having the ability not to funnel, but rather break the hands by the time the glove and baseball are about 15 inches from contact. If we can achieve all of the above areas of fielding position, then the infielders will be able to put more of their body into the throw, which will take the stress off their arms.

IV. Improving Mental Approach & Anticipation The best advice I have for my infielders is that I know and expect that they will make errors. But what I do not expect is for them not to be ready for the ball or feel uncomfortable because they feel under-prepared. I will take a short-stop that busts it for every ball and comes up short over a short-stop who will not go for a ball because he may make an error. From a coach’s perspective, we need to make sure our infielders know that we have full confidence in them during game time, and when they make a mistake, we need take a mental note of it, and work to fix it in practice. The more positive example we can set as coaches when our infielder(s) are making mistakes, the more relaxed and prepared they will feel. This type of leadership will flow down through the teammates.

V. Team Approach Drills I like to the entire team work with each other so that we can create a positive atmosphere around defense. Defense will dismantle teams, but in order to truly have a good defense, you need to work as a team to achieve this effect. It is not good enough to just rely on the coach; we need to rely on each other. Pitchers should be working out with our defense as they are reliant on them to help their individual cause. I would encourage pitchers to know all the weaknesses and strengths of the players behind them, and have some personal time invested in helping each infielder. The following are some great team drills that are used for the infield:

-- Team Wall Short-Hop Drills - Line your infielders up about 4 feet from a wall and have them stand in fielding position so that their feet are parallel and up against each other. You can have all members have a baseball or just use one and ricochet it up and down the line while staying in fielding position.

-- Knee Fungos & Soccer Net – Have five players on their knees in-front of a soccer net and have a fungo man try to score on the players

-- Fielding Circle – Take one fielder and put him in the middle of a circle of players that are armed with a baseball. The person in the middle needs to stay in fielding position and rotate around the circle fielding short-hops.

-- Chaos Throwing – Practice as a team throwing under situations where errors happen or practice the amazing plays. Definitely practice throwing hard under short distances.

To wrap up this infield workout and areas surrounding the infield, we need to work on our defense during the off-season as well as during the season. To really develop the complete player, defense should be considered a high priority during the off-season as hitting and weight lifting has become.