Ground balls are the plays kids see most, and the ones that scare them most. A ball that bounces up can sting. The good news: with a soft ball, a short distance and a few simple words, most kids can learn to field grounders with confidence.
Teach kids to field ground balls by starting in a low ready position, getting in front of the ball, putting the glove down early in front of the feet, funneling the ball to the belly with both hands and stepping toward the target to throw. Start with slow rolls and soft balls.
Train it: Complete Defender (Level 2 Fielding, $49) → Free: Free Fielding Intro Course →Start safe: soft balls and slow rolls
Fear is the number one reason kids turn their heads on a grounder. Take the sting away and the eyes stay on the ball.
- Ball: a foam ball, tennis ball or soft training ball. Save hard balls for later.
- Distance: start about five big steps apart and roll the ball, do not throw it.
- Surface: flat grass or a smooth driveway. Bad hops come from bumpy ground.
- Space: indoors only with a foam ball and plenty of room away from windows and furniture.
Our free Fielding Intro Course uses this same setup: seven 10- to 15-minute lessons that start with stationary rolls and build from there.
The ready position and glove down early
Fielding starts before the ball is hit. A player who stands straight up with hands on knees is already late.
- Ready feet: feet a little wider than the shoulders, knees bent, weight on the balls of the feet.
- Hands out front: glove open and relaxed, out in front of the body, not hanging by the knee.
- Get in front: small steps to line the belly button up with the ball.
- Glove down early: the glove touches the ground before the ball gets there, out in front of the feet. It is much easier to come up than to go down.
- Eyes in: watch the ball all the way into the glove.
A cue kids remember: "Make a wide gate and close the door." The feet are the gate posts, and the glove is the door on the ground.
Watch for two common misses. If the ball goes under the glove, the glove came down late, so remind them to put it on the ground first. If the ball bounces off the heel of the glove, the glove is probably too stiff or closed; open it wide and soft, like a big mouth.
Funnel the ball and footwork to the throw
Catching the ball is only half the play. The next move is bringing it in and getting the feet ready to throw.
- Funnel: the throwing hand covers the ball in the glove, and both hands pull it up into the belly, like scooping water.
- Step and turn: the feet turn so the glove-side shoulder points at the target.
- Point and step: point the glove at the target and step toward it.
- Throw under control: an easy, accurate throw beats a hard, wild one every time.
Practice it with no ball first: ready, glove down, funnel, step, throw. Five slow reps, then five with a rolled ball. Say the words out loud together. Kids love the rhythm.
A tip for softball families: the motions are the same, but the ball is bigger, so the funnel uses both hands even more. Adapt the distance and ball size to your child and division.
A ground ball progression by age
Move to the next step only when your child fields most balls cleanly at the current one. Going back a step is not a failure; it is smart coaching.
| Age group | Feed | Add next |
|---|---|---|
| 8U | Slow rolls straight at the player, soft ball | One step to the left or right |
| 10U | Rolls and easy bounces to either side | Field, then throw to a nearby target |
| 12U | Mixed speeds and short hops | Call the play first, then field and throw to the right base |
Do 10 to 15 reps, take a short break, then do 10 more. Ten good reps with focus beat fifty sloppy ones. Stop when your child gets tired or frustrated and try again tomorrow.
Ground ball games that build sure hands
Games turn a drill into something kids ask to do. Keep them short and keep score.
- Gate keeper: set two cones as a goal behind the fielder. Every ball that does not get through is a point. First to 10 wins.
- Beat the runner: roll a grounder while a sibling or parent runs to a cone. The fielder tries to field and throw to a target before the runner arrives.
- Rapid fire: roll five balls in a row, one right after another. Count clean funnels, then try to beat that number.
- Switch roles: let your child roll to you. Kids learn a lot by watching you get low and glove down early.
When the basics feel steady, our Complete Defender program ($49) builds on them with 16 coached sessions over four weeks: forehand and backhand, short hops, slow rollers, fly balls and smart throws. It works for baseball and fastpitch, and Session 1 is a free challenge.
One thing to remember
Get in front, glove down early, funnel it in and step toward the target.
What to do this week
Do three 10-minute sessions with a soft ball and slow rolls. Day one is the ready position and glove down early, day two adds the funnel, and day three adds the step and throw, ending with a round of gate keeper.
Parent questions
Why does my child turn their head on ground balls?
Usually they are afraid of getting hit. Switch to a softer ball, roll slower and closer, and praise eyes on the ball more than clean catches.
Should kids field ground balls with one hand or two?
Teach two hands first: glove down and throwing hand ready to cover. Older players learn backhands and one-hand plays later, once the basics are solid.
How many ground balls should a kid field in practice?
Short sets work best, around 10 to 15 good reps with breaks. Stop when focus fades, and quality matters more than total number.
YOUR NEXT STEP · FIELDING
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