After a long cold winter, baseball aficionados love to hear the words "pitchers and catchers." Of course that is the sign that players are about to report for athletic training and baseball is about to come back to life, along with flowers, shrubs, and outfield grass. Young players especially love this time of year. Nothing is better than the smell of the fresh cut grass, and the sound and feel of a baseball popping a well-oiled glove. One of the true pleasures in life is sprinting full speed, with acres of space in the outfield, and running down a fly ball--unless, of course, you drop it.
Keeping your eye on the ball is as much a part of baseball conditioning as are the stretching exercises and the weight lifting. Here are a couple of great drills to help players keep an eye on the ball.
Anyone who has watched a football game during the winter probably saw at least one receiver performing this drill before the game, and this drill works great for baseball players as well. One of the hardest catches to make is the over the shoulder catch. This simple drill works well in practicing the execution of those catches. Instruct a player to stand still, with his glove ready. Stand behind this player with a bucket of balls and softly toss them one at a time over his head. The player will not know which direction the ball is coming from, and is forced to spot the ball and react quickly.
Put a player in deep right field, another in deep left field, and then position another player behind second base. Throw deep lobs into the outfield that all three players must run after. The one closest to the ball should call out, "I got it, I got it." Make sure the players know that they have to yell it twice in order to eradicate any doubt of who should catch the ball. When a player just calls out, mine, there can be confusion, or perhaps he will not be heard by the other players. If you watch most major league players, they clearly call out, I got it, and they call it out twice.
Keeping your eye on the ball involves batting, as well as catching fly balls. Make sure your team has plenty of baseball tees on hand. Too often, players associate tees with T-Ball; however, tees make great training tools for helping batters keep their eye on the ball while concentrating on perfecting their swing. Remember that keeping your eye on the ball is as much a part of training, as are the weights and the stretches.
