To stop booting ground balls, fix the setup first: stay low and balanced, move your feet to the ball, get the glove out in front where you can see it, and watch the ball all the way in. Most errors on routine grounders start with the feet and the timing, not with “bad hands”.
This is one of the most common problems we see in baseball fielding training, and the good news is that it is very fixable. Here is how to find the cause and what to practise.
Why players boot ground balls
A booted ball is the end of a chain. When you look at the play frame by frame, the mistake usually happened before the ball reached the glove.
1. Flat feet
If a player is standing tall and still when the ball is hit, they are late. They end up reaching or lunging, and the ball gets past them. An active, balanced ready position is the fix.
2. Letting the ball play them
Waiting back for the ball lets it take extra hops, and each hop is another chance for a bad bounce. Good infielders move toward the ball when they can and pick the hop they want.
3. Glove too close to the feet
When the glove is under the body, the player cannot see the ball into it, and the ball can hit the heel of the glove or skip underneath. The glove belongs out in front.
4. Head up too early
Many players look at first base before the ball is secured. Eyes should stay on the ball until it is in the glove.
5. Fear of the ball
A player who is afraid of a bad hop will turn their head, stand up or backpedal. That is a confidence issue, and it is solved with safe, progressive reps.
A simple fix: follow the 6 F’s
Coach Cinz teaches infield play through the 6 F’s of a great infielder: Feet, Field, Funnel, Footwork, Fire and Follow. Booted ground balls are almost always a Feet or Field problem. Getting those two right cleans up most errors.
- Feet: balanced, low, active before the pitch.
- Field: glove out front, eyes on the ball, soft hands.
- Funnel: bring the ball to the body right away to secure it.
Drills to stop booting ground balls
Work through these in order. Move to the next one only when the current one is clean.
- Stationary glove-out rolls. The player sets in a wide, low stance. A partner rolls balls straight at the glove. Focus: glove out front, watch it in.
- Short-hop soft toss. A partner tosses short hops from close range. This trains soft hands and teaches that the short hop is often the easiest ball to catch.
- Move-to-the-ball rolls. Roll balls a few steps to either side. The player must move the feet, not just reach.
- Attack the slow roller. Roll slower balls so the player has to charge and field on the move.
- Live ground balls. Once the pattern is clean, take real grounders off a bat at increasing speed.
Many of these can be done in the backyard. See our infield drills for kids at home for a full at-home session.
Building confidence on the dirt
Confidence and technique grow together. Start with softer balls for younger players, keep the distance short, and add speed only as they succeed. Praise the good habit (“great, your glove was out front”) even when the ball gets away. Coach Cinz works on the mental game alongside mechanics, because a fielder who wants the ball is a better fielder.
Parents often notice that when their child understands the “why” behind an adjustment, the change sticks. That is a big part of how Coach Cinz coaches.
What if the ball is caught but the throw is bad?
Sometimes the grounder is fielded cleanly and the error happens on the throw. That usually points to footwork after the catch. Read how to improve throwing accuracy from the infield for the fix.
Get help with fielding
If your player keeps making the same errors, a coach can spot the cause quickly. The Fielding Clinic is a 1.5-hour group session with drills, live action off the bat and situational plays. A Private Lesson is $65 for 30 minutes of one-on-one work, and Video Analysis gives feedback on a submitted video for $35.
See all options on our Fielding & Infield Training page, or start the free Benchmark to get a plan built around your athlete’s goals.
