Okay folks, grab a seat ’cause I just spent the whole morning tripping over my own feet trying to fix my trash fielding before next weekend’s beer league game. Seriously felt like I had butterfingers last match – dropped two easy pop-ups like they were hot potatoes. Time for damage control.
Drill 1: The Coin Toss Grind
Dug up these old poker coins from my junk drawer – figured anything shiny would work like a tennis ball substitute. Stood in my backyard with my glove, tossed a coin straight up about head-high, and oh boy. First ten tries? Total disaster. Kept overthinking, stabbing at air like I was swatting flies. Focused hard on watching that coin spin while moving my feet quick sideways. After 30 minutes? Finally started snatching ’em clean by just relaxing my wrist and letting the coin drop into the pocket. Felt stupidly satisfying catching metal.
Drill 2: Wall Ball From Hell
Grabbed the sturdiest brick wall behind my garage and started whipping tennis balls against it hard and low. Goal was to react to wicked grounders without flinching. First five rebounds? Ow. One bounced off my shin, another zipped right between my legs. Started bending my knees super low – almost squatting like a frog. Started tracking the ball off the wall earlier, hands out front like I was begging for change. That adjustment saved me. After 50-ish throws? Stabbed at a nasty short hop without blinking. Major progress.
Drill 3: One-Handed Barehand Madness
Got cocky after the wall drill and tried something reckless. Dumped five balls in the grass, then sprinted towards ’em while forcing myself to only grab with my bare hand. First round? Faceplanted sideways trying to scoop a slow roller one-handed. Spit out some dirt, kept at it. Learned quick to charge the ball hard, get my body sideways, and drop my hand like an excavator bucket instead of reaching down. Even nailed a short hop barehanded. Wasn’t pretty, but it built insane confidence handling ugly bounces.
Final verdict? Don’t overcomplicate it. These drills took barely over an hour total with breaks for water and swearing. Felt smoother moving laterally, hands felt soft when I wasn’t panicking, and most importantly – stopped fearing dribblers. Gotta run these three again tonight. No miracles, just less suck.
