I can’t count the number of times I’ve heard ideas thrown around and taught at youth league levels where I thought, “That might work now, but it won’t work anymore when the game gets faster.”

Doug Bernier, Fielding Coordinator, Colorado Rockies

Adjustability is the key fielding concept for much of what I teach. Anyone can cleanly field a ground ball that comes off the bat at a manageable speed and takes nice predicable hops. That, however, is not always the case. What happens if the ball is hit hard (or softly)? What happens if the ball takes an unexpected hop? I teach players how to put themselves in a position that not only makes fielding routine ground balls truly routine, but also allows them to make split second adjustments to catch the ball.

Here are some of the things players will learn:

• Timing and how to beat the ball to the spot.
• Proper sequence of fielding including when and how to present the glove.
• Eliminating “bad” hops by fielding the short hop or back-end of the hop.
• Using footwork, posture, and the glove arm to adjust to the hop.
• Securing the ball and making the exchange.
• Throwing from different arm slots as dictated by the situation.