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As an outfielder on the Little League level, in order for a player to gain confidence in fielding ground balls. It is taught to field the ground ball with one knee down, keeping your body in front of the ball. We teach the glove side to stay up and the throwing side knee to go down, keeping the shoulders square to the ball. This is done when there is no one on base, just a base hit.
Okay, let us just show how it looks for us to go down on one knee, fielding a ground ball, keeping it in front of your body. No one on base. Go ahead . Keeping your shoulders square, just like you can move out of it more, giving yourself a little more surface area. That is a very good job.
Now, the head should be down here. The ball is coming towards you and you should be able to watch the ball all the way into your glove. A very important factor when fielding a ball like this is not to get down into this position too early. What happens is players get down to this position too early and the ball will take a skip and go right by them. So, it is important to know when you go down.
Another important factor about fielding a ground ball with one knee down is guiding or sweeping the ball in with your throwing hand. Your glove will be flat on the ground and as the ball approaches, your glove as a sweeping motion. You sweep the ball into your body. Into your glove, bringing it into your body, come up and throw.
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Very good! Okay. Do not neglect to get into the proper throwing position. Keep the ball in front of your body, turn, point, tuck and throw.
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As you sweep the ball into your glove. You should be feeling for the seams so you can get the horseshoe, and get the proper grip that you need to get on the ball.
A very important factor, keeping your body in front of the baseball. If the ball happens to take a bad hop and skip. Your body is in front of it, most likely, it is going to skip off your body and stay in front of you. Then you can bare hand the ball and make an accurate throw to the plate. Wait, wait, wait cut off man.
It is important for you to keep your throwing knee down and keep your body in front of the baseball. A lot of times, the ball will take a bad hop and skip up. When the player is in front of the ball. He can keep his body in front of the ball and it could bounce off his body, and stay in front of him, and enable him to still make a play.
This also helps the outfielder watch the ball all the way into his glove. It is important for the outfielder to take his bare hand and guide the ball, sweep the ball into his glove.
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