How to do the drill
- 1
Warm up: arm circles, band work if you have it, and 10 easy throws that get longer.
- 2
Stand 25–35 steps (50–70 feet) from your partner, closer if you're younger. They roll you a grounder.
- 3
Field it just outside your glove-side foot. Righties hop onto the right foot and land sideways (lefties: left foot).
- 4
Keep the hop low and moving, step at your partner and throw at their chest.
- 5
Do 4 sets of 5. Count every throw that arrives on a line or one hop, out of 20.
Coaching cues
- Field it, hop, throw.
- Land sideways.
- Throw through your partner.
What good looks like
One quick hop toward your partner, a sideways landing, and a throw on a line or one hop.
Safety
These are real throws, so stop at 20, or sooner if the arm feels tired. Stay at a distance you can reach on a line or one hop. Throwing as far as you can (max-distance long toss) is for older players with a coach watching. Skip this the day after pitching.
Why this drill
Coaches teach the crow hop to every softball outfielder. The legs carry the body toward the target, so long throws from the grass get to the infield without the arm doing all the work.
Next throwing drillRight-Left-Throw Footwork →
