Baseball Chaos Wall Ball Drill | Indoor Baseball Fielding Drill
For many athletes baseball is almost a year round activity, however, some athletes are limited by the climate where they live. Utilizing indoor baseball drills is a great way for athletes living in colder climates to work on skills to prepare themselves for the upcoming baseball or softball season.
Indoor baseball drills include, but are not limited to: Speed and Agility Training, hand eye coordination drills, fielding drills, or core and rotational drills. All of these baseball drills can be performed in different capacities in an indoor setting. Demonstrations for all of these indoor baseball drills can be found in the baseball training section.
Executing The Baseball Chaos Wall Ball Drill
To improve hand eye coordination, as well as reaction time, baseball and softball players should begin to work the Chaos Wall Ball Drill into a regular training routine. This baseball fielding drill is an excellent reaction time drill which can easily be performed in an indoor setting.
To perform the indoor baseball drill athletes will need a Chaos Ball, a baseball glove, and a coach or partner to assist with the wall ball drill. The Chaos Wall Ball Drill can be performed with or without an assisting partner. This article will discuss both methods of completing this indoor baseball drill.
Athletes will begin by standing 8-10 feet away from a wall with their partner or coach, 2-3 feet behind them. To begin the indoor baseball drill coaches or partners will throw the Chaos Ball off of the wall so the athlete must use good fielding skills to field the ball and then move into a good throwing position. Athletes should mimic the fielding motions all the way until before the Chaos Ball is thrown. Mimicking these movements will help athletes make quicker transitions from the glove to the throw and help athletes maintain good body position while making this transition.
Athletes can also complete this indoor baseball drill without assistance. This form of the Chaos Wall Ball Drill involves the athletes throwing the Chaos Ball off of the wall, quickly getting into position, making a good play on the ball, then mimicking the beginning phase of a strong accurate throw. Athletes may need to stand farther away from the wall during this version of the wall ball drill to allow more time to get set in a ready position.
In both versions of the indoor baseball fielding drill athletes will perform the Chaos Wall Ball Drill in five minute increments. Coaches can work this station into a circuit or rotate players in and out of the wall ball drill every five minutes. Coaches and athletes should keep a good tempo which allows the athlete to reset after each catch. When athletes are fielding during competition they will be starting with good body positioning. Mimicking these movements and body positioning during training will help these indoor baseball drills translate into better game situations.
Coaches and partners throwing the Chaos Ball off of the wall need to make good throws to challenge the athlete. Spinning the Chaos Ball as it comes out of the hand can better simulate a “hot” ground ball. Coaches should also work to make the athlete work to their left and right while also mixing in high and low throws off of the wall. Variety will keep athletes guessing and help them hone their fielding skills.
Foot And Body Positioning When Fielding The Chaos Ball
Athletes must treat the Chaos Ball in this baseball drill the same way they would a live ball in a game situation. Moving the feet so they are positioned in front of the ball is crucial to making clean plays on ground balls and allowing the body to stay in a good position to make a strong, accurate throw.
There are some instances in which athletes must make plays on balls which do not allow the athlete to get in front of the baseball and maintain good body positioning (a diving stop), however athletes should always work to get their bodies into proper position. When athletes allow their bodies to get in front of the ball it allows time to field the ball in front of them. Fielding the baseball away from the body, then cradling the ball toward the midsection allows for a cleaner exchange from the glove to the throwing hand.
Athletes also need to take time to secure the ball, practice getting the body into proper positioning, and then throwing the ball. This can be simulated in the Chaos Wall Ball Drill by taking a step or two after fielding the Chaos Ball and simulating the proper footwork to execute a strong throw.
Indoor Baseball Drills To Perform With The Chaos Wall Ball Drill
The Chaos Wall Ball Drill is an excellent indoor baseball routine, which can be easily performed indoors with minimal space. Athletes practicing indoors due to weather should take this time to add strength to their core and utilize indoor baseball drills which take up a minimal amount of space. Core exercises are great for athletes to utilize during the offseason. Increasing core and rotational strength can help improve the distance and speed an athlete can throw, as well increasing the probability of making contact with the baseball and hitting with more power.
Athletes should head to the baseball and softball training section. You’ll find many great demonstrations of core and rotational drills which can be performed in individual or team settings. Other drills to help strengthen and stretch the shoulders and legs can also be found in the baseball and softball training sections. Athletes need to remember they need to keep a good variety in their workouts to ensure the entire body is being strengthened and trained. Utilizing these drills is an excellent way for teams and individuals to keep variety in their baseball workouts even during cold weather.