9 Outfield Drills to Build Confident, Smarter Outfielders

Steve Dintaman, Head Baseball Coach, Northern Kentucky

Full video on Glazier Drive: Outfield: Catch The Dang Ball

OVERVIEW

A baseball coach walks through 9 outfield drills designed for individual practice segments, using equipment like fungo bats, stopwatches, tennis balls, cones, and pitching machines.

FOOTWORK & AGILITY

The session opens with a foundational agility drill where outfielders practice their ready position, tucking their chin to turn and chase balls over the shoulder, and getting behind pop-ups — done nearly every practice.

CONE DRILLS

The 8-cone drill isolates first-step quickness and footwork. The square/rectangle drill uses 4 cones to simulate line drives, diagonal runs, and multiple movement patterns, mixing baseballs and tennis balls.

GROUND BALL PROGRESSION

A progression drill works balls hit directly at the fielder, then glove-side, then backhand. The four-ball drill creates a synchronized, competitive ground ball circuit for multiple players simultaneously.

FLY BALL DRILLS

A fungo bat placed at the feet eliminates false steps on balls hit over the outfielder’s head. The trident drill covers multiple angles — in, back, and diagonal. A rule of thumb: always open to the glove side on straight-back balls for better reach.

COMMUNICATION & LIVE DRILLS

The communication drill has two fielders converging on a ball to practice priority calls. The line drive drill uses two players at staggered cones, with the front player reading and running while the back player reads as a backup.