Step and catch timing

There are many situations in baseball where the fielder must step to the ball and make the catch.  Here are several I can think of:

• An outfielder getting behind a fly ball and stepping to the ball to make the catch.
• A shortstop turning a double play where he will need to step across the bag to catch the feed.
• A first baseman stretches for a throw at first base.
• A catcher steps to the ball on a force out at home plate.
• Any fielder who becomes like a first baseman at a bag and stretches for the ball on a close force play.
• Any fielder who has to catch the ball on the run and throw to first base.
• Slow rollers to the third baseman.

In each case the footwork and timing is exactly the same.  The fielder catches the ball at the same time the foot (glove side foot) touches the ground. Those two things always occur at the same time.

When a defensive player masters this basic piece of timing of the step and catch, he can transition to other positions much more easily.