It’s great to see outfielders make amazing catches. Evening sports programs are full of outfielders’ spectacular plays. Sometimes outfielders make astonishing grabs, sometimes defying logic. Many people say that “How did he make that catch?” “That looked like a sure triple didn’t it?” “That guy wasn’t anywhere near that ball — he seemed to come out of nowhere.”
How is this possible? Most outfield catchers are skilled at reading the ball and catching the ball with perfect angles. While great outfielders have great athletic skills, it doesn’t mean they are great at outfield. The catches are possible by working with their angles, jumps, and reads.
360 degree Footwork
A fielder can cover 360 degrees. If the outfielder begins from an athletic-ready position, he faces home plate. The outfielder is now facing the opposite direction, which means he faces forward. He can easily run in front to cover the 30 degree field. This leaves him with an additional 330 degrees to cover that he’s not facing. It’s quite a distance to cover and many directions. For a jump to be effective, the outfielder must make sure he moves as quickly as possible towards the ball. To change the direction of the ball quickly, the outfielder needs to move in a fast manner. He must also use his footwork to do so.
Cross-Over vs. Jab Step
These steps are only for balls that have been hit to or near the outfielder. The correct footwork will be discussed later for balls that are hit behind the outfielder or directly to his head. I was a fan of the jab step throughout my high school and college careers. It was wrong.
It sounds exactly like it is. When the ball hits the outfielder to his right, he will move his right foot first. This jab step only takes about half of a stride. He will also jab step with his left foot first if he wishes to move left. Again, this is only half-step. He isn’t yet fully orientated towards the ball with his upper body. The player will struggle to grab the ball quickly. Cross-over, on the other hand, is much more efficient. Why? It’s because you can cover more ground in a shorter amount of time.
Let us use the exact same example. The ball was hit on the right side of the outfielder. The outfielder moves normally by crossing his left foot over his right. A minimum of a half-step can be gained by covering ground. For the cross-over to be effective, you must also rotate your upper body. This is the fastest and most efficient way to do it quickly. Use your arms, especially the elbows. Properly used, the elbows and arms will help to turn the hip toward the target. It is crucial to get the hip out of your way, so that the entire body can move.
It is easier to transfer the left foot from the right foot when the hips are clear and the shoulders face the desired direction. To clear his right hip, the outfielder extends his left elbow behind himself and crosses his left arm over his chest. His right foot can be easily moved to the front, past and in front of his left. This is the Cross-Over Step.
It is important to keep in mind that the elbows of the outfielder are used for turning the torso. His arms don’t lie straight. Why? It’s simple physics. When your arms are bent it takes you less time to get the arms in the right position. It’s like this: Ice skaters keep their arms away from their bodies when turning slowly. If they need to spin fast, they will bring their arms closer toward their bodies. For outfielders, the same principle applies.
The player in these cases is moving towards his right. Similar principles apply if the player has to move to his left. His left elbow should be pushed backwards behind him while his bent right hand punches across the body. His left shoulder is now turned left, and his right hip clears. He crosses his right foot over his left and is ready to go.
You must make sure that your hips are pointed in the desired direction. The player should not use his elbows in any direction. He would be stuck and would not have the ability to use cross-over steps. These steps should only be taken when the player is in the right direction or left.
Take a step back
This leaves us with another 180° of coverage. Behind the outfielder is half of the coverage. Proper footwork plays a major role in this area. Drop steps help to move the outfielder quickly in the correct direction. The drop step requires footwork and movements of the upper body. Sometimes batted balls hit an outfielder’s head.
Let’s take an example: a centerfielder. It is hit to his right. Although he has zero chance to catch the ball, he wants to get rid of it before it reaches the wall. The outfielder who uses the cross-over move will be unable to remove the ball. Because his right foot cannot cross over and reach behind his left foot enough to make the ball angle, his right foot will not be able to. The drop step is what he should use. He places his left foot behind him. His right foot is moving behind him, and he’s opening his stride. He will aim his left foot in the direction of running when it touches the floor with his left foot.
Importantly, the player should not move his dropped foot in the wrong direction. Stopping the foot from closing stops hip turning and keeps the body open. He must simultaneously drop his left foot forward and then thrust his right elbow in front. It is important to clear his left hip.
The outfielder will be able to move his upper body in the desired direction by using this two-segment process. Drop step left, arms turn the trunk. To get to the ball, an outfielder should drop his left leg back towards his body. If the outfielder is running further back, his step must be deeper and he should move his elbows faster to spin his torso. We appreciate your time!