Purpose

To practice & improve fielding footwork (crossover, drop step).

Set Up

  • Set up a “tennis court” on the field using cones as markers.
  • The ”court” should be a rectangle 30 ft long by 20 ft wide, use dots or more cones to mark out a line down the middle as shown.
Players throw pop flies from one side of the “tennis court” to the other.

Instructions

  1. Two players stand on each side of the court, facing each other. One player begins with the ball (Player A).
  2. Player A throws a pop fly or line drive into Player B’s zone. Player B has to catch the ball using a crossover or drop step to move toward the ball.
  3. Player B then throws a pop fly or line drive into Player A’s zone. Player A must catch the ball using a crossover or drop step to move toward the ball.
  4. Repeat until one player misses the ball. When a catch is missed it’s a point for the throwing player. First player to 5 points wins.

Coaching Tips

  • Make it harder: Add in a second ball so that there are two balls going at once.
  • Make it easier: For players still learning the fundamentals, perform this drill with a coach on one side of the “imaginary net”. This way the coach can customize the throws to ensure the player feels challenged, but not frustrated.