Want To Reduce Your Opponents’ Run Totals? ...this drill is major step in achieving that goal
/Practice Priorities
What drills do we prioritize in our practices? Infielders: ground balls; Outfielders: fly balls; Catchers and First Basemen: catching the ball; Everybody: batting.
Do we consider the number of times in a game a pitcher is involved in making a play?
Do we drill our pitchers, so they can perform successfully in these instances?
The answers to these questions, for many youth baseball and softball coaches, are No and No. Drop by a college or pro practice. We see pitchers working tirelessly at fielding all types of balls, making throws to all bases; working on covering bases and receiving throws.
Drilling fielding skills of pitchers is even more important at the youth level of softball and baseball. Fewer balls are hit to the outfield and more balls are hit to the pitcher. Making pitchers fielding practice a priority limits mistakes, maximizes opportunities to record outs and reduces our opponents’ run totals.
This article addresses plays when a pitcher fields the ball with their back to a base, requiring them to Turn Glove Side.
Turn Glove Side
Fielding requirements for a pitcher: quickly get to the ball, establish a good fielding position, create momentum towards the base when throwing. Their unique location on the diamond, with their back to the bases, requires an additional and important piece to the field and throw sequence. Pitchers need to master the Turn Glove Side action.
In the college and pro setting mentioned above, we constantly hear coaches hollering “Turn Glove Side!”
What Difference Does It Make?
Kids often turn to their throwing arm side in these situations resulting in the pitcher standing with their chest facing the base. This leads to weak throws, inaccurate throws, and unnecessary stress on the arm. Turning to the glove side puts the pitcher in a proper throwing position: glove shoulder facing the base.
Situations Requiring the ’Turn Glove Side’ Action
Right-Handed Pitcher - Throws to Third ...fielding a ball on the third base side
Left-Handed Pitcher - Throws to First ...ball on the first base side
Comebackers - Throws to Second
In most instances, with runners on base, pitchers in youth baseball and Softball throw to first, allowing the other runners to advance. Right-Handed Pitchers, when fielding the ball, are already in a sound throwing position: glove shoulder facing first base; it's a simpler play.
On game day we want to get the lead runner as often as possible. This starts with training our pitchers in proper footwork for throwing to all bases. The Turn Glove Side Drill develops confidence in our pitchers; they can successfully execute a play to any base. Making plays on the lead runner becomes a habit. This can significantly reduce the number of runs scored by an opponent.
Turn Glove Side Drill
The drill is fast-paced, fun, keeps the entire team active and develops the awareness and skills to make plays on the lead runner. Three coaches are stationed at home plate, each working with their own group. (If only two coaches are available, cut the drill down to two groups …or recruit a Parent Helper).
Instruction Points Abbreviated Commands
Quick to the ball Quick
Feet Wide to Catch Wide
Pick up both sides of the ball Both Sides
Turn Glove Side Turn Glove Side
Move Feet to Throw Feet
We holler out these instruction points throughout each rep of the drill session. These remind the pitchers of the key actions they need to execute. The second column has a shortened version of each instruction point. After running the drill a time or two, we can simplify our talk to the abbreviated commands in the second column.
After a running the drill a couple times, we can drop the first two instruction points as part of the verbal instruction during the drill (we still make sure the kids are executing them correctly). Points 3-5 are absolutes our pitchers must execute Every time. These verbal cues are an integral part of the drill. And yes, it takes practice for the coaches to become fluid in executing their verbal role in the drill.
Videos
In many of these examples, the pitchers do not gain ground towards the base as deliberately as we want to see in our kids. However, you can see them generate momentum and power towards the base when making their throws. Footwork and body strength of these MLB players makes up the difference. Taking in all the videos, we see consistency in their actions and examples of what we want from our kids.
Note: Butt towards the Base when fielding, pick up Both Sides of the Ball and Turn Glove Side. See additional comment for each.
RHPs, Third Base Side - Mariners Spring Training Watch: 0:20-0:45
LHPs, First Base Side - Yankees Spring Training Watch:
0:00 - Move Feet to throw ...done well
1:25 - Quick to the ball ...done well
1:50 - Quick to the ball ...done well
Comebacker
Verbal Reminders During Drill Reps
Quick to the ball
It is critical that our pitchers move at Full Speed, to the ball, during each drill rep. Developing a sense of urgency in getting off the rubber cannot be overemphasized. Come game time, we want our pitchers conditioned to break hard to the ball as soon it comes off the bat.
In the final few steps approaching to the ball, the player slows down and comes under control. We teach them to shorten their steps.
Feet Wide to Catch
This statement (and fundamental action) gets our pitcher’s butt and hands low to the ground. It is consistent with the terminology we use when Instructing infielders (used in place of the statement, “Get your butt down”).
Two additional points to note:
Center the Ball between the feet when fielding
Butt Facing the Base when positioning their body to field the ball.
Additional to ‘Situations Requiring the Turn Glove Side Action’ above:
When a RHP fields a ball on the first base side wanting to throw to first, or a LHP on the third base side, the glove side shoulder should be facing the base when fielding the ball (Mariners Spring Training watch 0:00-0:15).
Pick up Both Sides of the Ball
Kids often try picking up the ball, using only their bare hand or just their glove. In either case, missing the ball is usually the outcome. ‘Pick up both sides of the ball’ illustrates, literally, the objective to use Both hands: the glove on one side of the ball, the throwing hand on the other. This action also forces the head and eyes to stay focused on the ball.
This is a critical coaching point.
Turn Glove Side
(covered above)
Move Your Feet to Throw
This is absolutely critical! ...and will requires repeated instruction and emphasis.
Baseball and softball players in general, but kids especially, tend to panic and rush their throws when they think the play is going to be close.
Shuffling the feet in the direction of the base creates momentum, and insurers the throwing action will be directed straight towards the base. Explain to kids that the brief moment required to move their feet is more than made up by a throw with more velocity (and more consistently accurate).
It cannot be emphasized enough, the importance for a youth baseball/softball player to Move Their Feet leading into a throw. When a player fails to take a shuffle step towards the base prior to their throw, have them run through the drill again. We need to make it clear to them that the shuffle step is a must; it is not optional.
Investing time in pitchers fielding practice reduces mistakes in games and increases the instances of our team getting the lead runner in multiple base runner situations. The result: reducing our opponents’ run totals.