Stool drill for fielding

If you are a Phillies fan, you probably saw a number of photos like the one to the right showing second baseman Chase

Utley rehabbing from his recurring knee issues.  He missed a number of games early this past season but that didn’t stop him from working out to keep himself sharp while decreasing the stress on his knees.  Fielding ground balls while sitting on a stool was the answer.

Being stuck in a gym during the colder months presents a challenge for players and coaches who want to work on basic skills but don’t have the ideal amount of space.  For fielders, a good drill that works basic skills in a small area is one that incorporates the use of a stool.  Fielding ground balls while sitting on a stool improves the following:

• It forces the fielder to get his hands out front and away from the stool like they should be when fielding for real.
• It focuses attention just on hand work by talking the bottom half out of the picture.  Glove only drills, two hand drills, and bare hand drills are all variations that can be used with a stool or chair.
• It gets the player’s body used to being low.  Many players do not get low enough on ground balls.  Sitting down on a chair or stool shows the player how low his body needs to be for proper fielding.
• It promotes the proper back angle that enables the player to be leaning slightly forward while still keeping their head up and eyes looking out front.  Some players make the mistake of fielding with their back straight up and down which prevents them from getting low enough.  Others bend at the waist too much which makes it hard to keep the eyes up and looking out front at the ball coming at them.

Give it a shot!  It doesn’t require a lot of space, it promotes good mechanics, and it’s something different for your players.