And we’re not talking manicures…. Although we LOVE manicures!

Have you seen players with hands that seem so smooth? It looks like their hands are floating when they are fielding tough ground balls or when they are catching lasers coming at them. This doesn’t happen without focusing on the small details.

brick hands.jpg

How to keep from having hands like bricks when fielding:

  1. In practice just like throwing or hitting you have to “warm up” your gloves. Get a partner and get 4-6’ apart and throw short hops to each other. Start in the middle and then work both sides for glove work- back hands/front hands (20 reps each direction).
  2. When fielding have an “attack” mindset. An attack mindset means you “go get” the ball. Don’t let the ball come to you, but go get the ball. Move your glove toward the ball. Attack it! This keeps you from becoming a brick wall where you are sitting back allowing the ball to bounce off of you.
  3. While warming up your gloves try to relax your receiving muscles (fingers, wrist and hands). Wiggle your fingers in your glove to remind yourself to relax those muscles.

Here’s a simple drill we do to help our hands while stuck indoors in the winter.

(Video: Jaelyn Sanders- 2020 Southern Force- Bloomer, watch the ending, funny)

Good luck with your hands!

-Lisa

January 7, 2016