I am not sure what happened to the time-honored tradition of taking “infield” before high school and youth games, but what I commonly see now for warm-ups are coaches hitting balls to lines of infielders and outfielders.
Hitting fly balls to a line of outfielders and watching to see if the player being hit to catches the ball is okay for 8 year-olds. If the players are older than that, it is not. If “infield” is not taken before a game, here is the way outfielders should be warmed-up for optimum game preparation.
First, particularly at away games, every field condition, weather condition (sun and wind), and local ground rules, e.g., balls stuck under, in or through the fence, that could impact the game needs to be discussed. The players must know the amount of foul territory, the type of fence, and the type and size of the warning track (counting their steps at full speed from the time they reach the warning track until they reach the wall). On natural surface fields, the team should walk the entire outfield to spot impediments, e.g., holes, muddy areas, sprinkler heads, etc. that could impact their fielding a ball on defense or that could be taken advantage of as a baserunner on offense.
Second, every footwork pattern, e.g. chatter steps, lateral steps, drop steps, “wrong way” turns (both lateral and drop step – yes, there is a different way to do a “wrong way” turn for each of them) etc. in all directions must be trained in the dynamic movement/athletic preparation phase of the pre-game warm-up. The drills used for this purpose must condition reaction as well as action and include both verbal and non-verbal cues.
Third, every type of throw, e.g., “do or die” fly balls and ground balls, balls at fence, balls in sun, etc. and every footwork pattern for every direction a ball is caught, e.g., charge, lateral, angle, overhead and relays, the outfielder will be required to make in the game must first be practiced perfectly in the throwing and receiving phase of warm-ups.
The most common mistake made by teams during high school and youth games is not what they do during a play; it is what they fail to do before the play begins – they fail to communicate. Communication is the life blood of team defense. It must occur before every hitter and after every time a runner advances or scores. Outfielders must have a system of communicating non-verbally about what they are doing if the ball is hit in the air and on the ground, at them, or in a gap. Each of those things may require a throw to a different base and/or relay person. Of course, the game situation may dictate different actions too, e.g., “do or die” throws and balls not to be caught hit deep in foul territory with less than two out and the winning run on 3rd base in the last inning, etc.
This non-verbal system of communication must be practiced in warm-ups. A game situation should be called out to the outfielders before every ball is hit to them so they give each other the appropriate signs where the ball should be thrown.
Once the players are ready to have fly balls hit to them, if you have a line of players watching one player being hit to, you have a design flaw in your system. (Ditto for infielders.) Once the ball is hit, the players not involved in catching the ball or shadowing the player catching the ball should execute the prep step and initial reaction steps to the ball being hit and then should yell where the ball should be thrown. There is no line standing only line doing.
When hitting balls to outfielders, just like in the game, two players at a time should be spaced 70’ – 100’ apart. Each pair of players should have three turns at fielding a ball or shadowing a player catching the ball before a new pair has their turn. One ball is hit to each player and then a ball is hit between the players so they must communicate who is going to catch it and who will shadow. The balls must be hit in all directions, in the sun, and at the wall.
As Hall of Fame coach Ed Cheff taught me many years ago, if coaches expect their players to be able to field balls with all types of speed, spin, distance, direction and height, coaches should be proficient at hitting all of them. The mantra of “Get Better Every Day” begins with the coaches. If a coach is not proficient yet at doing this, a machine should be used. Accuracy is critical for proficiency.
All balls caught by an outfielder must be thrown to an infielder as a relay player rotating out of a station in the infield warm-up. The infielder is moved into a straight line from the outfielder to a catcher after the ball is hit to the outfielder by verbal commands from the catcher. The infielder must be coached to perform perfect relay mechanics on every throw. It may be the difference between out or safe at a base or in winning or losing a game. The relay is then thrown to the catcher who is coached on tag mechanics at home plate. After the tag is made, the catcher immediately throws to one of two infielders randomly called out by a coach who are stationed at throw down bases at angles in the outfield to simulate a “look in” play during the game to second or third base. Those infielders are also coached to do perfect tag mechanics at their base.
Outfielder warm-ups begin long before a ball is hit to them and once it is finally hit to them, outfielders, infielders and catchers are involved and are coached in the process to simulate all game conditions. Anything less and the team is failing to prepare so they are preparing to fail. Or the team could just warm-up by taking “infield”.
Hitting fly balls to a line of outfielders and watching to see if the player being hit to catches the ball is okay for 8 year-olds. If the players are older than that, it is not. If “infield” is not taken before a game, here is the way outfielders should be warmed-up for optimum game preparation.
First, particularly at away games, every field condition, weather condition (sun and wind), and local ground rules, e.g., balls stuck under, in or through the fence, that could impact the game needs to be discussed. The players must know the amount of foul territory, the type of fence, and the type and size of the warning track (counting their steps at full speed from the time they reach the warning track until they reach the wall). On natural surface fields, the team should walk the entire outfield to spot impediments, e.g., holes, muddy areas, sprinkler heads, etc. that could impact their fielding a ball on defense or that could be taken advantage of as a baserunner on offense.
Second, every footwork pattern, e.g. chatter steps, lateral steps, drop steps, “wrong way” turns (both lateral and drop step – yes, there is a different way to do a “wrong way” turn for each of them) etc. in all directions must be trained in the dynamic movement/athletic preparation phase of the pre-game warm-up. The drills used for this purpose must condition reaction as well as action and include both verbal and non-verbal cues.
Third, every type of throw, e.g., “do or die” fly balls and ground balls, balls at fence, balls in sun, etc. and every footwork pattern for every direction a ball is caught, e.g., charge, lateral, angle, overhead and relays, the outfielder will be required to make in the game must first be practiced perfectly in the throwing and receiving phase of warm-ups.
The most common mistake made by teams during high school and youth games is not what they do during a play; it is what they fail to do before the play begins – they fail to communicate. Communication is the life blood of team defense. It must occur before every hitter and after every time a runner advances or scores. Outfielders must have a system of communicating non-verbally about what they are doing if the ball is hit in the air and on the ground, at them, or in a gap. Each of those things may require a throw to a different base and/or relay person. Of course, the game situation may dictate different actions too, e.g., “do or die” throws and balls not to be caught hit deep in foul territory with less than two out and the winning run on 3rd base in the last inning, etc.
This non-verbal system of communication must be practiced in warm-ups. A game situation should be called out to the outfielders before every ball is hit to them so they give each other the appropriate signs where the ball should be thrown.
Once the players are ready to have fly balls hit to them, if you have a line of players watching one player being hit to, you have a design flaw in your system. (Ditto for infielders.) Once the ball is hit, the players not involved in catching the ball or shadowing the player catching the ball should execute the prep step and initial reaction steps to the ball being hit and then should yell where the ball should be thrown. There is no line standing only line doing.
When hitting balls to outfielders, just like in the game, two players at a time should be spaced 70’ – 100’ apart. Each pair of players should have three turns at fielding a ball or shadowing a player catching the ball before a new pair has their turn. One ball is hit to each player and then a ball is hit between the players so they must communicate who is going to catch it and who will shadow. The balls must be hit in all directions, in the sun, and at the wall.
As Hall of Fame coach Ed Cheff taught me many years ago, if coaches expect their players to be able to field balls with all types of speed, spin, distance, direction and height, coaches should be proficient at hitting all of them. The mantra of “Get Better Every Day” begins with the coaches. If a coach is not proficient yet at doing this, a machine should be used. Accuracy is critical for proficiency.
All balls caught by an outfielder must be thrown to an infielder as a relay player rotating out of a station in the infield warm-up. The infielder is moved into a straight line from the outfielder to a catcher after the ball is hit to the outfielder by verbal commands from the catcher. The infielder must be coached to perform perfect relay mechanics on every throw. It may be the difference between out or safe at a base or in winning or losing a game. The relay is then thrown to the catcher who is coached on tag mechanics at home plate. After the tag is made, the catcher immediately throws to one of two infielders randomly called out by a coach who are stationed at throw down bases at angles in the outfield to simulate a “look in” play during the game to second or third base. Those infielders are also coached to do perfect tag mechanics at their base.
Outfielder warm-ups begin long before a ball is hit to them and once it is finally hit to them, outfielders, infielders and catchers are involved and are coached in the process to simulate all game conditions. Anything less and the team is failing to prepare so they are preparing to fail. Or the team could just warm-up by taking “infield”.
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