Help a player who rushes.

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Nov 16, 2017
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Coaches,

Our team has a player that has a tremendous amount of ability but when put in a stressful situation, everything breaks down, she rushes, she panics, and does bad things. Currently she has been at 3rd base. What I would like to know is there anything you all have to done to slow the game down for players like this. Any teachings, drills, videos anything at all that can help slow the game down for her. I know how to do that for batters, I just can't come up with anything other than more and more reps, just hoping for something clever that I haven't thought of yet.
 
Oct 26, 2019
1,375
113
Coaches,

Our team has a player that has a tremendous amount of ability but when put in a stressful situation, everything breaks down, she rushes, she panics, and does bad things. Currently she has been at 3rd base. What I would like to know is there anything you all have to done to slow the game down for players like this. Any teachings, drills, videos anything at all that can help slow the game down for her. I know how to do that for batters, I just can't come up with anything other than more and more reps, just hoping for something clever that I haven't thought of yet.
The more you can create those pressure type situations at practice the better you will be. Groundballs and putting the girls on a stopwatch can be eye-opening for the girls and give them a better sense of how much time they truly have.
 
Jun 6, 2016
2,714
113
Chicago
How long has she been playing?

With most players, this is a matter of inexperience. The newer you are, the faster the game moves. The only real way to get past it is to play more. I'm sure simulating these situations in practice can help, but nothing truly replicates playing in the game.
 
Nov 18, 2015
1,585
113
Antonelli has recommended a few things to help with feeling rushed or nervous when fielding ground balls. One of them was to have the player count the hops the ball takes on the way to your glove. Another one you try is to have her focus on the bottom of the ball, as if she’s trying to get underneath it. Still focusing on the ball, just giving the mind something to do other than get nervous.


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Jan 31, 2014
292
28
North Carolina
As as been stated, experience will help a lot. In practice, lots of reps. Lots and lots of reps, always focusing on techniques, on making the mechanical sequence of techniques more and more fluid and consistent. You might even consider speeding up expectations of how fast she can get the ball to first. Help make her movements more comfortable at the quicker pace. It's much easier to mentally slow the game down from this point, I think, than if they have to suddenly make a rush play in a game they haven't prepared for.

I coach infield at my local high school. I have my infielders practice at high speed, sometimes timing them as if to beat a fast slapper. In the game, I tell them don't let up for a slow runner or what looks like an easy play. Always play like you practice, and errors should diminish.
 
Apr 20, 2018
4,581
113
SoCal
Antonelli has recommended a few things to help with feeling rushed or nervous when fielding ground balls. One of them was to have the player count the hops the ball takes on the way to your glove. Another one you try is to have her focus on the bottom of the ball, as if she’s trying to get underneath it. Still focusing on the ball, just giving the mind something to do other than get nervous.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Another is see the ball in the glove. Breathing is important. Actually pause at ball to pocket contact for a half second. See the ball, see the ball, see the ball. If she has been taught the correct way to field the ball, at some point it has to be see the ball and allow the body to respond/preform. When she gets better, try running a base runner in front of her while fielding.
 
Jun 8, 2016
16,118
113
Another option is to speed things up in practice so that the game seems slower (being the feeder in the below drill takes some practice....)

 

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