Box Drills is an infield drill designed to train and develop all aspects of infield play: Ground balls, catch play, feeds, turns, and general baseball athleticism.  The drill can be run anywhere with grass or on the infield diamond.  If run on the infield, the drill can “graduate” from close quarters, to a full distance, base-to-base drill.

EXECUTION – Place four cones in the shape of a square, roughly 10 yards apart.  Distribute athletes evenly (minimum number of athletes is 5).  Start the baseball at the cone with two athletes.  Athletes will follow their toss to encourage movement, rhythm, and athleticism with all movements.  After making a throw, player is to reset to an athletic ready position at the next cone or base.  Box drills can use tennis balls, safety baseballs, or regular baseballs and can be done with or without gloves.  Movements include:

• Catch & Throw Left – Simple catch play.  Compete for # of clean throws in a row or in a certain amount of time.
• Catch & Throw Right – Involve the reverse pivot footwork to turn the “wrong way” and deliver the throw.
• Ground Balls – Field, separate, shuffle… then roll a ground ball to the next cone.
• Underhand Flip / Left – Stiff wrist, leave it high, toss a knuckleball.
• Underhand Flip / Right – Crossover with left foot to begin.
• Reverse Pivot / Right – Start from fielding triangle position.
• Backhand Flip – Throw the ‘C’, thumb under baseball.
• GB / Flip / GB / Flip – Left vs Across – Mix up the drill and create more realistic reps.
• Mix it up

DC KEYS

1. Compete – # throws in time, # of throws in a row, etc.
2. Pressure – Risk vs. Reward (THIS is a great drill to teach performance under pressure).
3. Handcuffs – Keep the hands close together, as if wearing handcuffs, when catching and releasing a baseball.

EQUIPMENT LIST