The Good Jump Drill is perfect for practicing stealing bases.
Setup
Have three or four players line up on first base with a lead. The pitcher, catcher and infielder should all take their positions. Pitchers, catchers, and infielders can also be alternative if there are a lot of players at practice.
Drill Instructions
- The pitcher (or coach) will throw balls randomly to the catcher and first base.
- The runners lined up on first will practice diving back to first or stealing depending on what they read from the pitcher.
- Runners should only run when they get a good jump.
- Good base stealers need to learn how to dive and they can do so with this drill. Using the legs to get back to first base is okay if the player makes it back in time.
- After the desired number of reps, have players switch positions.
Coach’s Tip: Quality reps are important for base stealers to feel comfortable. For the best quality reps, this drill is best performed at the beginning or mid practice. For conditioning only, it is okay to perform this drill at the end of practice.
