High school
Fielding / Infield
All positions
Intermediate
Top 5 Ways to Teach Backhands
Progression of five drills (rolls, ball drops, push-through short hops, depth fielding, three-cone) that systematically develop backhand technique and confidence.
- Equipment:
- Cones
- Duration:
- About 15 min
- Setting:
- Indoor
- Players:
- Partner
Coaching notes
1) Partner rolls for short-hop backhands with head behind glove. 2) Solo or partner ball drops focusing on right-hip load and working through the ball. 3) Push-through short hops (air toss or mat). 4) Fielding for depth to turn almost-bounces into long hops. 5) Three-cone series combining drop-step, crossover, and fire-through backhands.
Objectives
Build soft, confident backhands; teach proper body positioning, head behind glove, and ability to work through the ball on short hops and deeper plays.
Coaching cues
Head behind the glove; hinge at elbow/shoulder/wrist; stay low and load the right hip; beat the ball to the spot and press through; keep eyes, glove, and ball aligned.
Common errors
Standing up or reaching with the glove only; head outside the ball; stabbing instead of working through; bad hop because of late feet.
Steps
- 1. Partner short-hop rolls focusing on head behind glove
- 2. Ball-drop backhands loading right hip
- 3. Push-through short hops (air or mat)
- 4. Depth fielding to create long hops
- 5. Three-cone drop-step / crossover / fire-through series
Source:
Dominate The Diamond
