How to do the drill
- 1
Get in your runners-on stance. Tape a spot a hand's length (6 inches) ahead of your right foot, left for lefties.
- 2
No glove: a partner flips a ball from 2–3 steps away to your throwing hand.
- 3
"One": step to the tape, ball to your ear. "Two": front foot steps at second. "Three": freeze. Do 10.
- 4
Glove on: do 10 more with a real throw to second, about 42 steps (84 feet) away.
- 5
Count every first step that lands on the tape. Log your total out of 20.
Coaching cues
- Short jab step.
- Ball to the ear.
- One, two, three.
What good looks like
A short step onto the tape, the ball at your ear, and a throw arriving knee high at the bag.
Safety
Wear a mask when someone throws to you. Throw caps: 10 throws to second for ages 10–12 and 15 for 13 and up, and skip the throws on a day you pitched.
Why this drill
Stolen bases are decided by the catcher's feet as much as the arm. A short first step gets the ball out faster, and the shadow reps let a catcher learn the footwork without wearing out the arm.
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