Infielders: Stay on your feet

Nothing screams “BAD FOOTWORK” more than an infielder who falls to the ground on a normal play.  I’m not talking

about diving for a ball hit/thrown or even slipping on wet/poor turf.  I’m talking about plays like the one shown in the photo of Chase Utley.  If a middle infielder’s footwork is sound around the bag, there is absolutely no reason why he should end up on the ground.  When you do, the play dies.  You might get the guy out but you have no chance on throwing out anyone else trying to advance on the play.  That’s because you are on the ground and will have to get up before making the next play.

If you are a player or if you are a coach who works with infielders and you see a player on the ground often, there is a problem with footwork.  For them to get any better, the mistake of hitting the ground often has to be cleared up.

To learn a tip on how to stop this, go back and read this post.