"Base Running Warm-up" Drill

This drill comes from Michael McHugh our September 2003 Drill of the Month Winner.

Equipment: Bats, Balls, and Helmets

After the players warm their arms throwing, I have them practice the following two drills to warm up their legs and practice a number of skills. Here's how it works:

1. Each player gets a bat and helmet. They get two chances to lay down a fair bunt (balls out of the strike zone are counted.) If they miss both times, they run to first base anyway so we keep the drill moving along. They pull the bat back if it is a ball so they are encouraged to learn to lay off bad pitches.
2. The player runs past first without slowing down at first and we make sure they look to the infield rather than turn their heads away from the infield.
3. The next batter is then up to bunt. We have the runner at first rock step at first to teach that skill. On each pitch, they take three big steps toward second, stop, turn to the infield and either go back to first, or go toward second if the batter's bunt is fair. If it is fair, the player rounds second and heads for third. The player slides into third to practice their sliding.
4. The next batter bunts and the player on first does step #3 while the runner at third rocks forward, takes three big steps toward home. If the bunt is successful, the runner tags up and comes home just to teach the skill of tagging up and running through home.
5. When all the players have bunted we have them line up at home and one at a time run to first as if the ball is hit to the outfield (we call this the question mark drill since they run straight out of the batter's box then round out to catch the corner of first base.) We have a coach at first telling them to either come back, or keep going for a home run. If they come back, it is only until we have the next player leave the batter's box. This second drill goes very fast since we often have three or four players running the bases. To avoid collisions, coaches have to make sure they wait to send runner toward first if one is coming home from third.