Basic Skills

To play Baseball competitively or recreationally, you need some basic skills, including the ability to:

• Catch
• Throw
• Field a ball
• Hit
• Move between bases

Catching

Catching correctly not only keeps you from being hurt, it also makes it easier for you to get ready to throw the ball. Catching and throwing are the 2 fundamental defensive Baseball skills. In a game your ability to catch and throw quickly helps you throw out a base runner attempting to advance to the next base.

Throwing

Throwing is the most important basic skill required of a good defensive player. The ability to throw accurately and quickly will make it hard for the opposition to score and advance runners. Having the correct throwing technique will allow you to hit your targets with greater consistency.

Fielding

Good team fielding makes it difficult for the opposition to score runs and gives the pitcher and catcher extra confidence. It is important to practice the basic fundamentals of fielding a ball hit along the ground and in the air, as well as knowing where to throw the ball. A good fielder will rehearse specific plays so they know exactly where to throw the ball if it is hit to them.

Hitting

Hitting is the most enjoyable part of the game. It is hard to hit a round ball with a round bat into a specified area, especially if you only have a split second to react. A good hitter needs excellent hand-eye coordination, a fast reaction time, good technique and confidence.

Base running

Sharp aggressive base running can put a lot of pressure on the defensive team. Good base running is about being fast and smart. It is just as important to know and understand the current game situation at all times (including the number of outs and the defensive team's fielding placements) as it is to move around the bases quickly.

More information about these basic skills, as well as tips and training programs to help you develop your skills, will be available in the Coaching section of this website soon.