Fielding Grounders

[roundin4]

I have found myself lacking confidence lately in my D game. Any tips or thoughts on how to get that aggressive confidence back in fielding ground balls?

[roundin4]

I know it's a mental thing.

[moonshot]

The advice I always hear from the pros is simply tons of reps. Get someone to just hit to you over and over until you feel confident again. Oh and use both hands :D

[casper13]

it is Mental on fielding grounders in softball. Baseball you had time to round the balls off in softball you just have to throw your ears back an catch it, or eat it

[roundin4]

Agreed ....I think that's the way to go. More reps.

And I always use 2 hands. :D

[Rojo0416]

I got this tip a while back from someone:

It might sound stupid, but get a ball cap, put the bill into your mouth and have someone hit you some grounders. By doing this, it will force your glove to be out in front of you - which is the proper way to take grounders.

Take it for what it's worth.

[roundin4]

I got this tip a while back from someone:

It might sound stupid, but get a ball cap, put the bill into your mouth and have someone hit you some grounders. By doing this, it will force your glove to be out in front of you - which is the proper way to take grounders.

Take it for what it's worth.

It's not really a technique issue for me....More a confidence issue. But thanks for the replies guys.

[EastonOhio]

Practice Practice Practice........

Use Ping Pong Paddles in your hands for about 100 grounders, then go back to your glove!! No Joke

[Westi7]

I think every infielder goes through this once in a while especially in softball where we find ourselves playing on the worst infield conditions on the planet! LOL! The times in my career where I've struggled it usually comes in a tourney where I play on choppy fields and I get a couple of horrible hops and then I get gun shy and what I have to do to over come this is between games on the same fields is get someone to hit me a bunch of groud balls over and over again but hit them fairly softly to where I don't have a problem keeping my head down and not coming up on the ball. After a while you'll find that your confidence will slowly start to come back and due to the repetitions, you get your fundamentals back and then you start catching it again. JMO works for me! Hope this helps.

[roundin4]

I think every infielder goes through this once in a while especially in softball where we find ourselves playing on the worst infield conditions on the planet! LOL! The times in my career where I've struggled it usually comes in a tourney where I play on choppy fields and I get a couple of horrible hops and then I get gun shy and what I have to do to over come this is between games on the same fields is get someone to hit me a bunch of groud balls over and over again but hit them fairly softly to where I don't have a problem keeping my head down and not coming up on the ball. After a while you'll find that your confidence will slowly start to come back and due to the repetitions, you get your fundamentals back and then you start catching it again. JMO works for me! Hope this helps.


I think this is exactly what needs to be done. Now I just need to get my team to practice!

[Westi7]

Good luck w/ the rest of your season.

[Tippy]

just get a ************ ton of grounders hit to you, and by someone that is actually going to hit some GAS to you

[roundin4]

just get a ************ ton of grounders hit to you, and by someone that is actually going to hit some GAS to you

Just got to take 1 in the eye I guess
:eek:

[2ndBaseman]

I think this is exactly what needs to be done. Now I just need to get my team to practice!

Same issues here. Westi is right on the money.

I hope you can get your team on the field quicker than I can!
Best I can do is three other die-hards who will play whenever!
LOL
:p

[tom15]

I also have problems getting my team to practice...

[Shermjuice]

One of the things we do at practice is hit a lot of reps to each position. What I tell the guys is get your body into a rhythm: "SEE IT, CATCH IT, THROW IT" (say it to yourself for a while when you're out there on the field). Once you feel that rhythm you will want every ball to come to you. Main thing is Practice as much as you can and take as many grounders or fly balls as you can. Do whatever you can to get yourself into a defensive rhythm. Your confidence will be back upto par soon enough.

[roundin4]

Played a solid hot corner this weekend....I think it's all coming back boys.

[roundin4]

Yup coming back nicely.....A little gunshy staying down on those real bullets , but still staying in front of them....

[roundin4]

Knocking them down and getting the confidence up is helping. I USED to be solid and scared of nothing...But the eyes for the dirt are coming back.

[kratzzy8]

I heard that if you wear a face mask it helps you field grounders better.
something about you needing to keep your head down longer on the ball.
What's everyone think

[roundin4]

I'd rather be a man and take 1 in the eye!
:D

[roundin4]

Getting more and more back into the swing of things....Just need to stay in the dirt and get some OF's that show every week.

It's those ones that bounce once or twice w/ nice top spin and then stay on the ground after that have me wanting to "pop up" early....Just gotta FORCE myself to stay down, which is easier said than done.

The bouncers and 1 hoppers I'm all over now, Forehand and backhand....And making myself move my feet is a big key.

[roundin4]

But my point was that getting a ton of grounders hit to me was indeed exactly what the Dr. ordered.

[roundin4]

Yup coming along REAL nicely. But now my OF game is falling....I'm getting too old!