Infield Tips | Funnel or Push Through?

Infield Tips | Funnel or Push Through?

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[HatWearingDog]

Dude, you don’t understand how good your videos are. I’ve had one good coach my entire life and that was on my middle school rec team. Your hitting videos, are f***ing magic. They added like 30mph to my exit velo. Keep em comin man. I appreciate it.

[tombergstrand]

YES! My daughter had two of her softball coaches/instructors teach pushing through the ball and I couldn't disagree more. They would say to use your glove like a bulldozer. I always taught her "soft hands" and I'm a big fan of those flat infield training gloves to emphasis this point. In fact, I would sometimes throw her eggs to really drive home the point, which is also a fun time. Checked with a couple of my buddies that played pro ball and they all agreed with the soft hands approach. Thankfully her high school and club coaches all agree as well now. Great job as always. You're always on point.

[waywardson]

Brian Butterfield teaches the funnel technique to such an extent that he encourages visualization of your hands and arms as part of a 'funnel'. Good tips on picking hops!

[victorgutierrez]

Your stuff is so good that I hope people realize that. Today so many people are trying to get these ball players to push through the ball. Pushing though the ball is what has these boys looking like they are playing with gloves made out of concrete. I was always taught to have soft hands unless you got into that position of having to create that short hop and then you have to go for it and push through it more than anythign just to keep the ball in front of you. Great great stuff. I use your videos with my players all the time.

[nolanleahy]

I've never really heard many if any coaches talk about pushing through or 'funnel' a ball. When I'm working at 2B I always work on working through the ball towards your target, and working on getting around the ball and fielding it off my left side as I'm a righty.

[toddtaylor]

I was taught to bring everything to the middle of my body and separate from there. Only recently have I seen it taught differently (for my daughter). The one thing that they do teach is the footwork. That is something that she has improved upon greatly along with her teammates. The thing that I takeaway from this video is; thumbs up and offset your glove so you're elbows naturally move outward. That is a big step that I think is missed. Yet another great video!

[kalinwatkins]

First. I love your vids Matt. What would be your walk up song now? That's a question that I have for everyone.

[mpa]

Matt be careful with these tutorials, Richie and Kyle are watching

[billybot]

I’ve also watched many different coaches preach push through the ball but I have always been the type to do what I teach. That being said it feels very uncomfortable to push through the ball. I agree that funneling is much more comfortable creating soft hands. And pushing through should be used on creating short hops.

[johnforjustice]

My first coach did a drill where we did infield without our gloves. Soft hit balls just to train your hands to receive softly and transfer smoothly. Was a long time ago but it changed the way I played infield.

[owenthompson]

I coach it the way you're explaining it.. I meet resistance from other coaches. I try explaining, but all for not... LOL.. Keep it up Matt! love the vids!

[ryanfigueroa]

I wish you were my coach. I'm an infielder for a college team, and nobody has ever taught me about the hop rule. All they've ever said is "get in front of the ball." This is huge to me. Thanks Matt! Maybe Ritchie Givens can use some of your tips to get to AAA.

[BroskiSe]

Whys matt look like smalls dad in sandlot

[jbrooks]

Kolton Wong posted some video to instagram of his early work before the NLCS and he was working on exactly that. Soft hands, ball to the middle and feet toward first base. He’s a gold glove finalist this year, so what does he know.

[rslwannabe]

Your slowly turning me into an mlb player man ;)

[Moshaw]

Economy of motion dictates since the players hands must come to the middle in order to transition to the throw, pushing out away from the transition to throw is not efficient and therefore slower.

[MrRevelation]

1983, (yes, I'm old), I was playing 2nd Base and the field that we played on was horrible, divots and sometimes hard dirt clods would be all over the infield that a lot of times were hidden by the grass, well anyway I had what I thought was a routine ground ball about waist high and it hit one of those and it bounced a lot higher then I expected and ended up tearing the fingertip of my right pinky almost off, just a little piece of the top was still hanging on, but I didn't know until after a few pitches later I felt my pinky had like a burning sensation, so I looked and saw that gross sight, I immediately called time, and had to leave the game.

[johnforjustice]

Bad hops are from infield lip built up. A good field manager flat infield. True hop. Too many coaches do not know how to drag infield.

[travisrogers]

MATT,
Do you think this is because of the Ron Washington videos that are out there? I know he is considered one of the top coaches in MLB. I think people miss understand as you state, when to push through the ball. He talks about eliminating the hop. I believe you even did a video on this already explaining the videos. Just like anything, people dont hear all the info and just start teaching it. That's why your videos are good. More info about the entire subject.

[philiplavery]

Ron Washington said the same thing you need to work thought the ball with your feet