Equipment Needed
- Balls
- Bases or cones
Keep practice balls on hand
A bucket of practice baseballs keeps double-play pivot reps moving at game speed.
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- A feeder stands at shortstop position with balls; a middle infielder waits near second base.
- A receiver stands at first base as the throwing target.
Instructions
- The feeder rolls or tosses a ball toward second base.
- The middle infielder receives the ball, touches the bag with the correct foot, and pivots away from an imaginary sliding runner.
- Complete the pivot with a strong, accurate throw to first base.
- Rotate through feeder, pivot player, and first base target.
Coaching Points
- Footwork comes before arm strength here — a clean pivot with an average throw beats a rushed pivot with a strong one.
- Catch the ball while already moving toward the throw, not stopping to catch and then starting the pivot.
- Stay aware of an imaginary runner's slide path and pivot away from it for safety.
- Keep reps at a controlled pace until the footwork pattern is smooth, then add speed.
Variation
Add a real runner jogging (not sliding hard) to the base for a realistic look, or increase to full game speed once footwork is consistent.