Baseball drills

8 drills coaches already run every week, each written out with the setup, the coaching points and how to make it harder — and each one animated, so your players can see it before they do it.

Add any drill to a practice plan in one tap and it prints on your run sheet with its time and its coaching cue. Free, and it does not use up a saved play. Plan a practice now, no account needed

• Age 6 and upGround ball to firstMore outs in youth baseball are lost between the glove and the first baseman than anywhere else on the field. The ground ball is fielded, then the throw sails, or the first baseman is not on the bag yet, or nobody is behind the bag to stop the overthrow and a single becomes a triple. This drill puts the whole play together: field it in front, set the feet, throw to the bag, and have the bag covered and backed up before the ball arrives. 15 min 5 or more: a hitter, a shortstop line, a first baseman, a catcher and a batter-runner
• Age 9 and upCut-off and relayA youth outfielder who tries to throw from the fence to third base all on their own throws the ball into the ground halfway, and the runner scores. Two good throws are faster than one long one. The relay is how a team gets the ball from deep in the outfield back to a base: an infielder runs out into the line between the ball and the base, the outfielder hits them, and they turn and throw. This drill teaches everyone where to go when the ball goes over their heads. 15 min 6 to 9: an outfielder, a relay infielder, a base to throw to, and the backups
• Age 7 and upPop-up communicationThe ball that drops between three fielders who all could have caught it is the most avoidable hit in youth baseball. It is not a catching problem, it is a talking problem. Somebody has to call the ball, loudly, and everybody else has to get out of the way. This drill gives every player the same order of priority, so the call is never a debate, and makes them shout it every time. 10 min 6 or more: two or three outfielders, two infielders and a hitter
• Age 10 and upDouble-play feed at secondMost youth double plays are lost on the feed, not the throw to first. The second baseman fields it cleanly, then throws it too hard from three steps away, or to the wrong side of the bag, and the shortstop has to stop and reach. This drill slows the feed down until it is right every time, then teaches the shortstop to take it on the move and get rid of it. And it teaches the habit that matters more at 10 than the double play itself: get the sure out first. 15 min 6 to 8: a second baseman line, a shortstop line, a first baseman, a runner and a batter-runner
• Age 9 and upBunt coverageA bunt is the play that exposes a youth infield that has never practised it. Three fielders charge the same ball, nobody covers first, and a sacrifice turns into runners on first and second with nobody out. Bunt coverage is a rotation, and like every rotation it only works when each player knows their job before the pitch. This drill teaches the most common one, with a runner on first. 15 min 7 or more: a full infield, a bunter and a runner
• Age 7 and upFirst to third on a singleTaking the extra base is the cheapest run in youth baseball. Most runners on first stop at second on a single because nobody taught them when they could keep going. The answer is simple enough for an eight-year-old: if the ball is in front of you, you decide; if it is behind you, you look at the third-base coach. This drill teaches the read, the turn at second and the run to third. 15 min 6 or more: runners, a hitter or coach, a right fielder, a cut-off and a third baseman
• Age 8 and upRundown (pickle)Kids love a pickle, which is the problem. A runner caught between bases should be an easy out, and in youth baseball it turns into six throws, a dropped ball and the runner standing on second. The fix is to do less: run hard at the runner, drive them back towards the base they came from, and make one throw. This drill teaches the fielders to finish it fast, and teaches the runners what a rundown feels like from the other side. 10 min 5 or more: two fielders at each base, a runner and a backup
• Age 9 and up, where stealing is allowedCatcher's throw on a stealOnce runners are allowed to steal, a youth catcher who cannot throw to second turns every walk into a double. The throw is not about arm strength. It is about catching the ball already moving towards the throw, getting the feet under it and putting it on the bag at knee height, so the fielder covering only has to drop the glove. This drill builds the footwork first and the speed after. 15 min 5 or more: a pitcher, a catcher in gear, two middle infielders and a runner