How To Practice Catching Fly Balls By Yourself

Can't remember where I learned this one exactly. Seems to me it was from a book or article by a Major League Baseball game player a long time agone. Or possibly it was one of those "tips for the youngsters at home" they used to run on Tv.

In any case, young outfielders ofttimes take trouble learning how to judge a fly ball. They see the ball go up off the bat and they set up where they think the brawl volition come downward. (Or they run in a few steps automatically, thus violating the "first stride back" rule, only that's a story for another day).

Information technology takes a long time and a lot of repetition to learn to judge fly assurance reliably. I've never found any drill to shortcut the process. The best mode to acquire is to catch hundreds (or thousands) of fly assurance off a bat. But you don't always take time to do that, peculiarly with a game coming upwardly. So here's something you lot can utilise to aid speed up that judgment.

The only thing that'due south required is a visor or hat. When the ball is hitting, see if it immediately goes to a higher place the nib of the visor or stays beneath. If it goes above, the odds are it'south going deep. If it stays below the bill, information technology's a line drive and likely volition stay in front of you.

Information technology's not a hard and fast rule. Sometimes when the ball goes loftier it's going to be a popular-upwards. But if it is and the outfielder drops back, odds are it'due south no damage no foul. Information technology wasn't her ball anyway.

Another affair to keep in mind related to the height of the brawl is how hard you can charge it. If the brawl goes loftier and looks like information technology might fall curt yous can run total out after it, and even slide or dive for information technology. If you miss, the ball isn't going very far. But if it stays below the neb of your visor, approach with caution because if it gets past you information technology could roll for miles.

Finally, I got this tip from the NFCA's Coaches College. The toughest ball to judge is the one hit straight at you. If you're facing 1 of those and having trouble, move a few feet to the side and then you can see it at an bending. And heed for assistance from your teammates. They may be able to see the flight of the ball better and help you know whether to go backward or forward.

About Ken Krause

Ken Krause has been coaching girls fastpitch softball for nearly twenty years. Some may know him as a contributing columnist to Softball Magazine, where he writes Krause's Korner -- a regular column sponsored past Louisville Slugger. Ken is too the Ambassador of the Discuss Fastpitch Forum, the most popular fastpitch word forum on the Internet. He is currently a Three Star Master Passenger vehicle with the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA), and is certified by both the Amateur Softball Association (ASA) and American Sports Education Program (ASEP). Ken is a individual teacher specializing in pitchers, hitters, and catchers. He teaches at North Shore Baseball game Academy in Libertyville, IL and Pro-Player Consultants in McHenry, IL.

Source: https://fastpitchlane.softballsuccess.com/2010/09/10/tricks-for-judging-fly-balls/

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