Infield Fundamentals

I see so many young players who don't have the proper infield fundamentals and mechanics. Having the proper fielding position is something that every player can master with practice and repetition. The best part is that it isn't difficult to train your body to get into the correct fielding position consistently. This knowledge is applicable for players from little league up to the big leagues and is something every player and coach should know. 

I found this picture from my freshman year at JMU. Our head assistant was a great infield coach and was huge on infield fundamentals. I don't think there was one practice freshman year that he didn't correct my mechanics. I really like this picture to show the proper fielding position and I'll break down some key points.

The Base - Having a solid, athletic base, I believe, is the key to having a fundamentally sound fielding position. Your feet should be slightly outside of your shoulders in an athletic position much like you would guard someone in basketball. Your shoulders and feet should be perfectly squared up with the ball.
 
Sink the Hips - As you can see in the picture I have bent my knees and sunk my hips. A lot of younger players make the mistake of bending at the waist. You should be bending at the knees and getting your back side low to the ground, while maintaining an athletic position. Another common mistake is to squat too deep into a position similar to a catchers squat; we definitely want to avoid that. Getting into the correct fielding position will also lower your eye level and allow you the best view of the ball as it approaches.

Hands Out - You want to get your hands out in front of your body. This picture really emphasizes how far out in front of my body my hands are as I prepare to field this ground ball. Another tip that I learned from my college coach was to start with your glove on the ground. There are a couple reasons for this. Especially at  younger levels of baseball, the majority of missed ground balls go right through the wickets because the fielder never gets his glove all the way to the ground. It is also much quicker to move your glove up to field a ground ball, so always start with the glove on the ground and work your way up.

Get Your Head in There - Your head should be in front of your feet giving yourself the maximum vision of the baseball. This is very hard to get younger players to do because some are fearful of the ball popping up and hitting them in the face. For players at a higher level, you can't be afraid of the ball or you will never be a successful infielder. Many times I have seen teammates and myself take a ball off the chin, but that's part of the game.

The Triangle - If you draw lines between your two feet and hands, it should form a perfect triangle. This technique often helps younger players grasp the correct fundamentals.

Fielding the Ball -You are in a fundamentally sound position, now all that is left is to field the ball cleanly. Make sure that your fielding arm isn't locked out or too stiff as you want to be loose and able to move your glove quickly to adjust to a bad hop. Your throwing hand should be slightly above your glove to ensure a clean catch and to keep the ball from rolling out of your glove. As I noted above, the majority of errors happen when the ball goes below the fielders glove. Remember, start from the ground and work your way up.