Free Youth Shortstop Ready Position Drill

Ready Position is where baseball defense begins. Youth baseball is a great place to teach our youths an athletic ready position. This term and position is used in most sports I can think of, so learning it know will help them not only in youth baseball but other sports as well.

Do this first thing at practice after players warm up throwing on sideline!
(See warmup drill for an effective throwing warmup)

1. Line Players up at Shortstop. Put parent or coach at shortstop making sure ready position is implemented. Put parent or coach at first to catch. You also need a coach or parent at home to hit ground balls to shortstop.
2. Hit ball to 1st player in line at shortstop - player fields ball and makes throw to 1st, then starts a new line at 2nd base position.
3. Repeat for every player
4. Start hitting balls to 2nd and player throwing to first, then moves back to shortstop. REPEAT.

Let the kids take 2 balls at short and two balls at second, being sure the players are responding to the command "Ready"! This drill takes just a few minutes to do and is a great practice warm up drill to get the kids ready, fielding, throwing, and moving, while adjusting their throws from different lengths. You can then break into your stations and all fielding stations should respond to the "Ready" command.

After ready position is learned and being implemented, and you have decided positions for your players, you may then have your first baseman (basemen) catch the balls. It will give them a lot of catching opportunities. An asst. or coach should no longer be needed at shortstop, so now an parent or coach can now be placed to help reinforce the first baseman and his job to do.

Drill submitted by McClure Distributing Inc. We live for this! If your are a youth baseball parent or coach, you should be preparing your child for high school baseball.
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