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This is the “Ready Position” in the Drop Step for outfield play. The purpose of this drill is to teach players how to run back on a fly ball, or to get around a ground ball properly.
As you see, our players are in a good ready position on the balls of their feet, and after that, he does not have to be as crouched down as an infielder. He could be upright. He has a little more time to react to the ball. He still has a nice, rocking motion on the balls of his feet, staying nice and loose.
The reason why we have our weight shifted from side to side is, so that when the ball is hit in either direction, a player is easily able to run in that direction.
Now, the first drop-step we are going to work on is the drop step from your glove side. We are going to go step by step, so all I am going to say is “Ready Position” and I am going to say “step one”, and you are going to drop-step, glove side. Okay, here we go.
Step one:
[Demonstration]
With this step, our players have cleared a path, so that he can run for the ball. The ball is hit over his left shoulder. So, now, he has got one step on the ball. As soon as the ball is hit, you have to decide where the ball is going to be. Is over your left shoulder, your right shoulder, or is it directly over your head and you have to make that adjustment quickly and drops that to where you think the ball is.
Step Two: Now, our player has turned his back to home plate. That is the proper way to go back on a ball. In order for you to run back on a ball properly without hindering yourself or getting yourself tied up, you must turn your back to home plate.
Step Three: Go get it. Running with the glove, come on back, gentlemen. It is very important that the player, while running back on the baseball, uses his glove as an extension of his arm and does not hold that glove out there and run after the ball with the glove wide open. That is going to slow the player down.
Instead, we want to keep that glove closed and just make-believe it is a part of our arm, and run with the glove, very important. Also, it is very important for our players to run on their toe and not your heels because if the ball is in the air and you are running on your heels, the ball will seem to be bouncing, and it is very difficult to catch a fly ball that is bouncing.
So, the three-step process, ready position. Step one, clear yourself a path, the drop step, exactly what it says, drop-step; Step two, find the ball; and step three, come on back. Excellent job!
Now, that is drop-step, left side or glove side for a right hander. Let us drop step right side. The ball is hit over player’s right shoulder. So, we are going to drop-step with our throwing side.
Number one, clear yourself a path. Pick up the ball; Number two, turn and start going. Looking over your left shoulder and picking up the ball; and number three, go get it, running with the glove.
[Demonstration]
Come on back, gentlemen. Excellent job! So, it is going to look like this, gentlemen. Ready position. Ball is hit over your glove side. Go!
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Drop-stepping, go! Come on back. Excellent job! We are going to go to our throwing hand side. Ready position. Ball is hit, go!
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And back. Ready position. Ball is hit over your throwing hand side. Go!
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Very good! I like the placement of the head.
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