Baseball & Softball drill · Ground balls
Glove-Side and Backhand Ground Balls
Range is footwork before it is speed. Alternating sides without warning trains the read and the crossover that turn base hits into outs.
Why this drill works
Every fielder has a strong side and a side they hope the ball avoids, and games find the weak side with cruel reliability. Splitting reps deliberately between glove-side and backhand builds both, and the backhand especially rewards structured practice because its footwork, crossing over and fielding off the outside foot with the glove turned, is genuinely counterintuitive and almost never self-taught. Confidence on both sides doubles a fielder’s effective range for free.
How to coach it
Teach the backhand from a stationary ball first: footwork and glove turn without any timing pressure, then slow rollers, then real pace. Feed predictably, announcing the side, before ever mixing, since the read comes after the mechanics. Watch the glove’s angle, fingers down and turned so the pocket faces the ball, because a flat glove on the backhand is a guaranteed kick. Equal reps both sides, every session; the weak side only stays weak when practice lets it.
- Ages
- 9–14
- Skill levels
- developing, intermediate
- Players
- 4–12 (ideal 8)
- Time
- 14 min
- Setting
- either
- Space
- 20 x 20 yards per station
Equipment
- 6-8 balls per station
- 1 glove per player
- 3 cones
Setup
A roller with a ball pile faces a fielder 20 feet away. Two cones sit 6 feet left and right of the fielder's start cone, marking the lateral targets.
How to run it
- Roll two balls to the glove side: the fielder crossover-steps, rounds slightly, and fields moving through the ball when possible.
- Roll two to the backhand: crossover step, glove turned fingers-down, field off the back-side foot, plant, and throw.
- Alternate sides without telling the fielder which is coming.
- Add a verbal call: the fielder announces GLOVE or BACKHAND as they read the roll.
- Rotate fielders every 4-6 balls; retrievers feed the roller's pile.
What success looks like
First steps are crossovers rather than side shuffles on wide balls, backhands are fielded with the glove out front and fingers down, and fielders get around glove-side balls when time allows.
Coaching cues
- "Cross over, don't shuffle wide"
- "Fingers down on the backhand"
- "Get around it when you can"
- "Read it, call it"
Common mistakes
- Backhanding balls they could get in front of; teach that the backhand is the last resort, not the cool option.
- Backhand glove too close to the body; the arm extends so the glove reaches the hop early.
- Standing up out of the crossover; stay low through the fielding position.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: Tell the fielder which side is coming and roll softer, or start with a stationary ball placed at each cone.
Harder: Roll firmer and wider so a slide or extended reach is required, and time the field-plant-throw sequence.
Adapt it to your team
Small roster: Four players rotate roller, fielder, target, retriever; the roller learns roll placement, which is its own skill.
Large roster: Two mirrored stations rolling in opposite directions, separated by a safety gap of at least 15 yards.
Limited space: The lateral range can shrink to 4 feet per side indoors with rubber balls.
Limited equipment: Any six balls and three markers work; a bucket replaces the throwing target.
Safety
Lateral fielding invites bad hops to the face; use appropriate balls for the surface and never roll the next ball until the fielder is reset. See the safety page for general guidance.