10-Minute Ground Ball Drill

Ground balls are the most common play in baseball. The team that fields them cleanly wins.

Setup

You need a glove, 3–6 balls, and 30 feet of flat space (yard, driveway, park).

The routine

TimeDrillFocus
3 minStationary rollersRoll balls directly at the fielder from 15 feet. Stay square, glove out front, funnel to belly.
3 minForehand / backhandRoll to the left and right. Shuffle into position before fielding.
2 minField and throwRoll the ball, field it, crow-hop, throw to a target (bucket, fence post, parent’s glove).
2 minSlow rollersRoll softly — fielder charges, bare-hands or glove-picks, throws on the run.

Key cues

Get your body in front of the ball. Glove out in front — not under you. Field the ball where you can see it go into the glove. Funnel to the belly, transfer, throw.

The most common mistake: Fielding the ball between the legs instead of out in front. If the ball is between your feet, you can't see it and you can't react to a bad hop.