BUCKET GROUND BALLS
Purpose: To develop the hands, proper feet positioning, proper hand positioning when receiving a ground ball.
Equipment: Bucket of balls, GREAT HANDS GLOVE
Procedure:

1. Coach roll ground balls 8-10ft away, straight on. Player in ready position to receive the ball.
2. Coach wants to look for soft hands, two hands being used at all times.
3. Player needs to develop quick soft hands.
4. Player can throw to a base: Coach wants to see quick soft hands, proper footwork.

SHORT STOP DRILLS
TOSSES FOR DOUBLE PLAY
Purpose: To develop the player's knowledge of when to throw, toss or take it herself on double play plays.
Equipment: Softballs, a bat, a base and a GREAT HANDS GLOVE
Procedure:

1. Have the player start in her ready position where she would normally play with a runner of first.
2. The coach will hit ground balls to the short stop and she will field the balls and throw to second for a double play.
3. If the ball is to her backhand, the player will want to throw the ball.
4. If the ball is to her forehand and close to the base, she will want to toss the ball to second for a double play.
5. If the ball is fielded one or two steps from the bag, the player will want to turn the double play herself.
6. This drill should be performed for a prescribed period of time or a designated number of repetitions.

RECEIVING THE BALL ON DOUBLE PLAYS
Purpose: To develop the proper footwork when turning the double play.
Equipment: Softballs, a bat, a base and a glove
Procedure:

1. Have the player start in her ready position where she would normally play with a runner of first.
2. The coach will be at home plate and hitting balls to the right side of the field.
3. The short stop will come to the back side of the base and drag her foot across the back corner of the bag.
4. She will want to time it so that she is receiving the ball as she is dragging her foot.
5. She receives the ball and throws it to first to complete the double play.
6. This drill should be performed for a prescribed period of time or a designated number of repetitions.

Coaching Points:
Emphasize strong, accurate throws.
Emphasize fielding the ball with proper techniques.
Emphasize dragging her foot over the back of the base.
Emphasize staying out of the baseline.

SECOND BASEMAN DRILLS
POP-UPS
Purpose: To develop the proper footwork when fielding a pop-up in foul territory, in front of her and behind her.
Equipment: A bat, softballs, a glove
Procedure:

1. Have the player take her normal starting position.
2. The coach is at home plate and will throw pop-ups.
3. The player must call the ball and use proper footwork to get under the ball.
4. This drill should be performed for a prescribed period of time or a designated number of repetitions.

Coaching Points:
Emphasize calling the ball.
Emphasize using two hands to catch the ball.
Emphasize a drop step when the ball is over her head.
Emphasize finding the fence when the pop-up is in foul territory.

TWO BUCKET-BALL DRILL:
GREAT FOR QUICK HANDS WHEN USING THE GREAT HANDS

The Drill is run with two lines of fielders, one at second base, the other at shortstop. Place one player at first and one at third to receive throws from the fielders. Second basemen throw to third and shortstops throw to first.

Two coaches stand at either side of home plate, balls are hit to each side of the infield, the players at shortstop throw to first base, players at second throw to third base. 1st and 3rd basemen place the balls into the bucket after catching them. Team with the least errors or most plays in a row without an error wins the competition. Losing team does 10 pushups.

Another variation of the drill eliminates the throws to first and third bases, once the ball is fielded by one of the players at second or and at shortstop, they run over to a bucket and drop the ball in. In order for this to be successful, please place a bucket on either side of second base in order to avoid collisions.

Keep the drill moving fast, once the coaches are out of balls, it is the responsibility of one of the fielders to run the bucket of balls back to home plate, then have players switch positions, the line at second base goes to short and the line at short goes to second.

After running this drill a few times, you made some interesting discoveries about who we thought were infielders and who we did not think were infielders.