Monday, March 7, 2011

Fielding a Regular Ground Ball


Step 1: Stance
Both arms slightly out in front, knees slightly bent, and feet are slowly moving towards home about shoulder width apart.

Shoulder Girdle - both are slightly abducted
Shoulder Joint - slightly adducted
Elbow and Radioulnar Joints - Flexed about 40 degrees and supinated
Wrist and Hand Joints - fingers and thumb extended and slightly abducted

Muscles involved: pectoralis minor, serratus anterior, latissimus dorsi, teres major, biceps brachii, brachialis, brachioradialis, extensors , abductor policis longus


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Step 2: Prep
Bend both knees down, placing glove between the legs, BUT out in front of the body. Use the free hand to increase chances of fielding the ball cleanly.

Shoulder Girdle - Slightly depressed and slightly abducted
Shoulder Joints - diagonally adducted
Elbow and Radioulnar Joints - extended and supinated
Wrist and Hand Joints - wrist, fingers, and thumb extended, and fingers slightly abducted

Muscles involved: trapezius, pectoralis major, biceps brachii, triceps brachii, supinator, and extensors


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Step 3: Movement
After fielding the ball, line up shoulders with the target. Keep the knees bent and take a "crow-hop" towards the target and get ready to throw the ball.

Shoulder Girdle - (throwing arm) slightly adducted (non-throwing arm) slightly abducted
Shoulder Joints - internally rotated
Elbow and Radioulnar Joints - both flexed about 50 degrees
Wrist and Hand Joints - (throwing hand) wrist flexed and fingers flexed around the ball (non-throwing hand) fingers adducted (can't flex them because of glove)

Muscles involved: trapezius, serratus anterior, brachalis, biceps brachii, brachioradialis, palmaris longus, flexors,

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Step 4: Follow through
Stepping with your left foot towards the target, extend the throwing arm back to throw and the left arm pointing toward the target to increase the accuracy. Ball should be thrown over the top.


Shoulder Girdle - upward rotation
Shoulder Joints - (throwing arm) internally rotated and abducted (non-throwing arm) abducted 
Elbow and Radioulnar Joints - (throwing arm) flexed (non-throwing arm) extended
Wrist and Hand Joints - (throwing arm) wrist and thumb, 2nd, and 3rd fingers are extended, 4th and 5th finger are flexed (non-throwing arm) fingers extended and abducted

Muscles involved: serratus anterior, latissumus dorsi, teres major, subscapularis, pectoralis major, biceps brachii, bracioradialis, brachialis, triceps palmaris longus, flexors, extensors,


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Step 5: Recovery
After releasing the ball, momentum of the throw should take you towards the target.


Shoulder Girdle - (throwing arm) elevated and downward rotation (non-throwing arm) depressed and abducted
Shoulder Joints - (throwing arm) diagonally  adducted and internal rotation (non-throwing arm) internally rotated
Elbow and Radioulnar Joints - (throwing arm)  extended (non-throwing arm) flexed
Wrist and Hand Joints - (throwing arm) wrist flexed and fingers extended (non-throwing arm) wrist slightly adducted

Muscles involved: trapezius, rhomboids,pectoralis major, subscapularis, triceps brachii, biceps brachi, brachioradialis, brachialis,palmaris longus, flexors, extensors




Drill: A drill for fielding regular ground balls is to constantly take ground balls from a coach, and throwing it into a net that is in between the player fielding and 1st base. The reason for the net is so the player can simulate the throw without having to exert an extreme amount of force to reach first base. An illustration of the drill is below.



Sunday, March 6, 2011

Fielding a Slow Roller (Glove)



Step 1: Stance
Both arms are out in front, knees slightly bent, and feet are slowly moving towards home plate at shoulder width apart.

Shoulder Girdle - both are slightly abducted
Shoulder Joint - slightly adducted
Elbow and Radioulnar Joints - Flexed about 40 degrees and supinated
Wrist and Hand Joints - fingers and thumb extended and slightly abducted

Muscles involved: pectoralis minor, serratus anterior, latissimus dorsi, teres major, biceps brachii, brachialis, brachioradialis, extensors , abductor policis longus




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Step 2: Prep
While running in to get slow rolling ball (in an arch), put glove hand out all the way down to the ground to field the ball. The objective is to field the ball on your left foot.


Shoulder Girdle - (throwing arm) adducted (non-throwing arm) abducted
Shoulder Joint - (throwing arm) extended (non-throwing arm) extended and slightly slightly adducted
Elbow and Radioulnar Joints - (throwing arm) extended (non-throwing arm) extended and supinated
Wrist and Hand Joints - (non-throwing arm) wrist extended and fingers abducted 



Muscles involved: trapezius, pectoralis major, biceps brachii, triceps brachii, supinator, and extensors


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Step 3: Movement
If fielded properly on left foot, momentum will now take you to the target. Continue moving toward target as you reach back to throw the ball. While doing this, point the glove towards the target to increase accuracy.

Shoulder Girdle - (throwing arm) adducted (non-throwing arm) abducted
Shoulder Joint - (throwing arm) abduction (non-throwing arm) horizontal abduction
Elbow and Radioulnar Joints - extended
Wrist and Hand Joints - (throwing arm) thumb ,2nd, and 3rd finger extended, 4th and 5th finger flexed (non-throwing arm) fingers adducted)

Muscles involved: trapezius, serratus anterior, brachalis, biceps brachii, brachioradialis, palmaris longus, flexors



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Step 4: Follow through
Throw the ball over the top since the angle at which you fielded the ball will allow for a regular throw. Throwing off the back foot will generate the most power in this situation.

Shoulder Girdle - (throwing arm) adducted/upward rotation (non-throwing arm) abduction
Shoulder Joint - (throwing arm) diagonal abduction (non-throwing arm) internal rotation
Elbow and Radioulnar Joints - (throwing arm) extended (non-throwing arm) flexed
Wrist and Hand Joints - (throwing arm) wrist, thumb, 2nd and 3rd finger extended, 4th and 5th finger flexed (non-throwing arm) wrist flexed, fingers extended and adducted.

Muscles involved: serratus anterior, latissumus dorsi, teres major, subscapularis, pectoralis major, biceps brachii, bracioradialis, brachialis, triceps palmaris longus, flexors, extensors





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Step 5: Recovery
After the throw, your momentum should be taking you right at the target as if you were "following your throw". Slowly come to a stop.

Shoulder Girdle - depressed
Shoulder Joint - (throwing arm) diagonal adduction (non-throwing arm) internal rotation
Elbow and Radioulnar Joints - (throwing arm) extended (non-throwing arm) flexed
Wrist and Hand Joints - (throwing arm) fingers adducted (non-throwing arm) fingers adducted and wrist flexed

Muscles involved: trapezius, rhomboids,pectoralis major, subscapularis, triceps brachii, biceps brachi, brachioradialis, brachialis,palmaris longus, flexors, extensors




Drill: A good drill for fielding a slow roller with the glove is to use a cone, and a stationary ball. The only time a player would field a slow roller with a glove is because there is ample time to get the ball from the glove, to the throwing hand, and still get the runner out. With this, throwing on the run takes away a lot of the momentum one would normally have on the throw because they can no longer use all of their legs and hips as they did in a regular throw. So, to get more momentum, the player wants to take an arch like route to the ball so that when they are fielding the ball, they are running directly towards first base. Placing a stationary ball in the grass, and a cone in between the player and stationary ball will force the player to run around the cone with their momentum going towards first. After the player goes around the cone, they come back up and make the on the run throw. An illustration of the drill is below.


Saturday, March 5, 2011

Fielding a Slow Roller (Bare-Handed)


Step 1: Stance
Both arms are out in front, knees are slightly bent, and feet are slowly moving towards home plate about shoulder width apart.


Shoulder Girdle - both are slightly abducted
Shoulder Joint - slightly adducted
Elbow and Radioulnar Joints - Flexed about 40 degrees and supinated
Wrist and Hand Joints - fingers and thumb extended and slightly abducted


Muscles involved: pectoralis minor, serratus anterior, latissimus dorsi, teres major, biceps brachii, brachialis, brachioradialis, extensors , abductor policis longus



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Step 2: Prep
As the ball approaches, bend down to grab the slow rolling ball with bare-hand.


Shoulder Girdle - (throwing arm) abducted (non-throwing arm) adducted
Shoulder Joint - extended
Elbow and Radioulnar Joints - (throwing arm) extended and supinated (non-throwing arm) extended and pronated
Wrist and Hand Joints - (throwing arm) wrist extended and fingers abducted (non-throwing arm) fingers adducted


Muscles involved: trapezius, pectoralis major, biceps brachii, triceps brachii, supinator, and extensors


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Step 3: Movement
Field the ball with a "bear claw" grip to increase chances of holding onto the ball. Knees are both bent in order to get the ball and to generate power for the throw in the next phase.


Shoulder Girdle - (throwing arm) depressed (non-throwing arm) elevated
Shoulder Joint - (throwing arm) extended (non-throwing arm) extended
Elbow and Radioulnar Joints - (throwing arm) extended and supinated (non-throwing arm) extended and pronated
Wrist and Hand Joints - (throwing arm) thumb all fingers extended,  (non-throwing arm) fingers adducted


Muscles involved: trapezius, serratus anterior, brachalis, biceps brachii, brachioradialis, palmaris longus, flexors,




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Step 4: Follow through
Ball must be throw across the body due to the angle taken to get the ball. Throwing off your back foot will generate the most power in this situation. Left arm is pointed towards the target to increase accuracy. right arm is slightly below the shoulder, and ball will most likely be thrown side arm due to the momentum of body going away from target.


Shoulder Girdle - (throwing arm) depressed (non-throwing arm) elevated
Shoulder Joint - (throwing arm) diagonal abduction (non-throwing arm) abduction
Elbow and Radioulnar Joints - (throwing arm) extended (non-throwing arm) extended
Wrist and Hand Joints - (throwing arm) wrist, thumb, 2nd, and 3rd fingers are extended, 4th and 5th fingers are flexed (non-throwing arm) fingers adducted


Muscles involved: serratus anterior, latissumus dorsi, teres major, subscapularis, pectoralis major, biceps brachii, bracioradialis, brachialis, triceps palmaris longus, flexors, extensors


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Step 5: Recovery:
Slowly come up from throwing position and come to a stop.


Shoulder Girdle - (throwing arm) slightly depressed (non-throwing arm) slightly elevated
Shoulder Joint - (throwing arm) diagonally adducted 
Elbow and Radioulnar Joints - (throwing arm) slightly flexed (non-throwing arm) slightly extended
Wrist and Hand Joints - (throwing arm,) fingers flexed (non-throwing arm) wrist flexed



Muscles involved: trapezius, rhomboids,pectoralis major, subscapularis, triceps brachii, biceps brachi, brachioradialis, brachialis,palmaris longus, flexors, extensors




Drill: When fielding a slow roller bare-handed, that indicates that the play is going to be very close at first. So unlike with the slow roller with the glove, the route to the ball must be a direct line. The throw won't be as strong, but sometimes its the only way to get the out. So in this drill, there is simply a stationary ball and the player must take a direct route to the ball, and make the throw to first. An illustration of the drill is below.