These following basic drills can be used to improve player mechanics and overall performance in both throwing and receiving.
Throwing Drills
Have your players pair-off in two lines facing each other about six metres apart making sure there is adequate room between everyone. As they warm up, players should move further apart with longer and harder throws. For the longer throws it is important that players use the crow-hop step (3 steps taken prior to throwing - starting with the leg opposite the player's throwing arm. For example: a right-hander would stride left-right-left and then throw).
Another drill that can be used is to have players throw from a sitting position, then from both knees, then one knee (throwing side knee remains on the ground). This drill teaches players to properly rotate their hips when throwing (since they cannot use their legs).
Grip Drill: Each player tosses the ball in the air to themselves and catches it with the throwing hand. Practise finding the correct grip before simulating a throw.
Crow-Hop: Every player has a ball and they toss it in the air in front of them, catch it, crow-hop and simulate a throw.
Target Drill: Pick a target on their partner (i.e. the chest and face area). Award one point for every ball thrown accurately at the chest and two points for a successful throw to the face area.
Receiving Drills
Like throwing, the proper methods of receiving a baseball must be stressed.
Shuffle Step Drill: Quick, short lateral steps are important in getting the body into a good receiving position. Without using balls, have all the players shuffle quickly to their left and back to their right. After two or three of these quick steps, they should pretend to receive a ball on the throwing side of their body using two hands.
Soft Hand Drill: Have partners throw to each other with no gloves. This drill forces them to throw easily and to draw back their hands to cushion the impact of the ball when receiving.
