Playing the Infield
By Dan Hughes, Author of Managing and Coaching Slowpitch Softball
Here is some very basic infield theory. Most of us learned these rules in Little League.
But I always find it unbelievable how many adult softball players have forgotten the basics, or maybe they just never played Little League ball. Or they had a coach who never taught them this stuff.
First things first –
Keep your head in the game! ALWAYS know which bases are occupied. Before EVERY pitch, tell yourself where you'll throw the ball if it's a grounder to you, and where you'll throw the ball if it's a
line drive to you. Forget to do this, and your hesitation after you field the ball could cost your team bigtime.
When you’re fielding a grounder,
get your body in front of the ball. Catch the ball in front of your left leg if possible (if you are right-handed). Use your leg as a backstop - you feel like an idiot when the ball rolls between your legs and keeps on going.
Never reach left or right outside your legs unless you don't have enough time to get in the path of the ball.
As the ball is coming toward you, keep the fingers of your glove on the ground. Bring your glove up only if the ball comes up first.
Remember this: If the ball goes OVER your glove, it took a bad hop and you did nothing wrong. But if the ball goes UNDER your glove, you blew it and it's your fault.
As you watch the ball into your glove, keep your bare hand above your glove hand. In Little League, they call it making Alligator Jaws. There are two reasons for doing this.
First, you’ll guide the ball into your glove, and then retrieve it quickly to throw. Second, you’re protecting your face if the ball takes a bad upward hop.
After you field the ball, you must get it from your glove to your throwing hand quickly to throw out the runner.
A special note on this, just for pitchers and second basemen: If you're close enough to first base when you field the ball, and the runner isn't yet close to the bag, use an easy underhand toss to first. Don't throw it overhand if you’re really close to the first baseman.
For the shortstop and third baseman: When you throw the ball to first, aim at the first baseman's head.
Look at your first baseman's head the entire time you're throwing the ball to him. Keep the target in your sights!
Catching the ball at head level lets him stretch out farther towards you, and it makes it less likely that he’ll have to try to scoop your throw out of the dirt. I can still hear my old first baseman yelling, "Throw the ball at my HEAD, not my FEET!"
And for the first baseman: If other players are on base, be aware that they may try to take an extra base on the play. Don't just hold the ball after you've caught it; be ready to immediately throw it to another base.
There's nothing prettier than the first baseman gunning down a runner at home who tried to score from third base on a groundout.
I'm tempted to discuss cutoff theory, but that is best learned from books with diagrams. These books are easy to find.
And if you don’t want to spring for a book (or a library card), here’s a good website with detailed discussions of every possible base-running situation:
http://tinyurl.com/awzd38.
Okay, back to the game:
When the pitch is released, the infielder should be standing with feet apart, his glove down and between his legs, and leaning slightly forward.
If the ball is hit to his right, he should not shuffle his right foot toward the ball.
Instead, his first step should be with his left foot, forward and toward the path of the ball.
Similarly, when the ball is hit to his left, his first step is with his right foot.
These movements are awkward until you get used to them. But they are important, because they will save the fielder a full step and allow him to get to the ball faster.
Practice them until they come naturally.
Copyright © 2009 by Dan Hughes
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