PracticeField

Baseball & Softball drill · Catching

Short-Hop Partner Station

The short hop is the scariest ball in youth baseball until it has been caught two hundred times from eight feet away. This station supplies those two hundred catches.

Why this drill works

The short hop is the scariest ball in youth baseball and also the most learnable, because its secret is positional, not reflexive: attack the ball and take it just after the bounce, where it is low and predictable, rather than retreating to where it is high and wild. Partner-fed short hops in a controlled station let players meet hundreds of them softly, which drains the fear out of the play before games ever pressure-test it.

How to coach it

Start with announced, gentle feeds from close range and soft or safety balls; the drill is confidence work disguised as glove work. Coach the motto out loud, GO GET THE HOP, and watch for backing up, the instinct being retrained. The glove works from the ground up, never stabbing down. Increase feed pace only as flinching disappears, and finish each turn with a couple of successes even if that means easing the last feeds. Fear removed is the deliverable.
Ages
9–14
Skill levels
developing, intermediate
Players
4–16 (ideal 10)
Time
12 min
Setting
either
Space
10 feet per pair
Short-Hop Partner Station setup Kneeling partners face each other at short distance. The feed bounces once, one foot in front of the receiver's glove. Feed Recv
Kneeling partners face each other at short distance. The feed bounces once, one foot in front of the receiver's glove.

Equipment

  • 1 ball per pair
  • 1 glove per player

Setup

Pairs kneel or squat 8-10 feet apart. One partner has the ball; the other sets a glove target low and out front. Use soft training balls for the first sessions.

How to run it

  1. The feeder throws a firm one-bounce ball that hops a foot in front of the glove.
  2. The receiver catches the hop with the glove moving forward and slightly up through the ball, then flips it back.
  3. Ten reps to the middle, then switch roles.
  4. Round two: five hops to the glove side, five to the backhand, receiver calls the side as the ball leaves.
  5. Round three: receivers start with the glove touching the ground and beat the hop up.

What success looks like

Receivers attack the hop with a forward glove instead of pulling back, and short hops start feeling routine instead of scary.

Coaching cues

  • "Go get the hop"
  • "Glove works forward and up"
  • "Watch it into the leather"
  • "Soft hands, firm feed"

Common mistakes

  • Pulling the glove back at contact; that turns short hops into face hops.
  • Feeders bouncing the ball halfway, creating big in-between hops; the bounce belongs a foot from the glove.
  • Catching one-handed too early; keep the bare hand close on middle hops.

Make it easier or harder

Easier: Use very soft balls and toss underhand bounces from 6 feet until the flinch disappears.

Harder: Speed up the feed rhythm, extend to 12 feet, or stand up and add a shuffle step before each hop.

Adapt it to your team

Small roster: Any even number works; with an odd player, run one triangle where the extra player rests as counter.

Large roster: All pairs on one line, all feeding the same direction; walk the line coaching glove paths.

Limited space: One of the most space-efficient drills in baseball: a wall and 10 feet of gym floor suffice.

Limited equipment: One ball per pair; with limited gloves, rotate glove-wearers each round and let others feed.

Safety

Soft or reduced-injury balls until receivers consistently attack the hop; a pulled-back glove plus a hard ball is how kids get hit. See the safety page for general guidance.