Double Play Drill
Sometimes repetition can be boring, but its also absolutely necessary to be good.
One area where repetition is critical is executing various defensive situations
In the clip below Steve Bieser, University of Missouri Head Coach, gives you a live look into one of his practices. In this particular clip he is conducting a defensive situation drill that gives his players multiple repetitions.
The drill that you are going to see is a Double Play drill. Coach Bieser, puts 3 minutes on the clock and the team is trying to turn as many double plays as possible. On this day they fall one short of their goal, as they are only able to turn 37 double plays in the 3 minute time frame.
The drill requires two players at each position in the field and a line of pitchers off the field. The pitchers will have to sprint on and off the field quickly to keep the drill moving. The pitchers will simulate the pitch and coaches will hit the ground balls to the appropriate position to initiate the double play
The various double plays are turned in the following sequence:
5-4-3 6-4-3 1-6-3 4-6-3 1-2-3 3-6-1
Once the 3-6-1 is executed then you start over at the top with the 5-4-3. The double plays must me turned without a bobble to be counted towards the total.
This is very efficient use of practice time. Just requires 1-2 minutes to set up and then 3 minutes to run the drill. A four minute time investment gets you nearly 40 repetitions on a fundamental that affects winning and losing.
This drill is just one from Coach Bieser’s coaching DVD:Open Practice: Defensive Drills & Situations
For more information about that DVD click the link above.
The YouTube video below has audio, so please make sure that your speakers are turned on and that you have access to the site. Note that some schools block access to YouTube.