During the above video, we’re going to talk about various common issues that occur with outfielders that you’ll want to pay attention to while coaching softball.
When a Ball is Hit Over the Player’s Head
Two common problems that happen on a ball that’s hit over an outfielder’s head, which an outfielder is going back on, are:
1. They make an “L” turn. The mistake is that they take one or two steps before they cut up to catch the ball and make a play with the ball. That could cost them, as their first step is most important as an outfielder. They want to have that first step go directly toward the ball.
2. They float to the ball; they don’t go hard. They need to pump their arms while they run to the ball so that they have tiem to reach the ball and make that play.
When Catching Ground Balls
Another common problem that you see with outfielders is that you have a player who’s a glove flipper. When they go to get that ground ball, you don’t want to see the back of the glove. What you want to see if the palm always up, scooping and shoveling to get the ball.
When it Comes to Throwing
A couple of common problems with an outfielder’s throw include:
1. Dropping the elbow. Be sure to keep the elbow up to shoulder level when throwing.
2. Turning the wrist at the release. Instead of snapping straight ahead, some players will turn their wrist out when releasing the ball. This causes the ball to either hook in or tail away.
3. Throwing form the outside of the body. In this case, they have the proper elbow angle, but they lose the 90-degree angle when they throw, and the throw comes outside of their body.
Do you see these issues with your outfielders when you’re coaching softball? Share your experiences in the comments section below!