Purpose
To practice using a drop step to field pop flies and line drives
Drill Setup
- Create a line of fielders (all with gloves) standing 20 feet away from the coach.
- Coach should have a bucket of balls.

How it Works
- The first fielder in line stands in a ready position facing the coach.
- Coach throws a ball at an angle behind the fielder (to either side, mix it up).
- The fielder uses a drop step to move to catch the ball.
- Fielder should then make a smooth motion throw back to the coach and run to the end of the line.
- Drill resumes with next player in line.
Coaching Tips
- Make it harder: Instead of throwing balls to your fielders, hit them instead. This will make the drill more game-like. For players who have mastered the drop step and catch- encourage them to catch the ball with their non-dominant foot forward so they can immediately go into a crow-hop throw.
- Make it easier: Walk through the footwork first, helping players understand how to make a drop step by pivoting on one foot and swinging the other foot out wide. Then introduce the ball with short pop-ups from 6-8 feet away.