3 Drills That Improve Agility for Baseball Infielders

By: Zachariah Thompson

Provided by: Stack.com

The better a baseball infielder's range, the more plays he can make. But range has to be developed through baseball agility drills that work on first-step burst, quickness and acceleration. Here are three drills I use with my infielders at Ashland University.

Baseball Agility Drills

4-Color Cone Drill

Suitable for all ages, this drill works all three important agility skills—first-step burst, quickness and acceleration. It is especially beneficial because it mimics game situations throughout, including carrying your glove low toward a ground ball and finishing with throwing technique.

• Set up a starting point for your infielder.
  
• Place four different colored cones 10 feet in front of the infielder at various angles—e.g., red cone at 60 degrees to the right; blue cone at 45 degrees to the right; yellow cone at 45 degrees to the left; and green cone at 60 degrees to the left.
  
• Coach calls out a color; player runs to the cone, keeping his glove hand down as if charging a ground ball.
  
• Player backpedals to the starting point.
  
• Repeat until specified reps are completed. On the final rep of the set, the player does a "slow-roller" fielding and throwing action through the cone.
  
• Sets/Reps: 3x5

5-10-5 Drill

This drill is great for infielders, because it improves their first-step quickness and acceleration toward a ground ball hit in either direction.

From the starting point (Cone A), set up a cone 5 yards to the left (Cone B) and another one 5 yards to the right (Cone C).

• Straddle Cone A.
  
• Turn and sprint to Cone B and touch it.
  
• Turn and sprint to Cone C and touch it.
  
• Turn and sprint through Cone A.
  
• Repeat drill in opposite direction.
  
• Coaches can also instruct players to laterally shuffle through the 5-10-5 pattern.
  
• Sets: 2-3 each direction

Speed Ladder Fielding Drill

This one improves an infielder's foot speed, teaching him to maintain solid balance throughout his movements in game-like situations. 

• Player performs a selected speed ladder routine toward a partner.
  
• Once the player makes it through the ladder, the partner rolls a ground ball toward him.
  
• Repeat, varying the direction of the ground balls (center, left, right).
  
• Repeat using different speed ladder routines.
  
• Sets: 2-3 each variation