Catch the Ball Out Front

• Try to keep your glove in front of your body rather than underneath your legs. It is hard to watch the ball all the way to your leather to ensure a clean field with your glove. If you field the ball in front, you will more easily field and throw; this is what baseball people call having "soft hands." Bend with both your knees to help keep your glove out front. This will also help you make last-second adjustments to funny bounces.
  
  

Position Your Hands

• To better field the ball, keep your glove wide open and nearly vertical. This provides the most area within your glove for fielding the ball. Also, try to keep your glove close to the ground. It is easier to come off the ground to field a tricky hop than it is to lower your glove from a higher position to field a ball that is rolling.
  
  

Short Hops

• These are tricky because you have little reaction time to field the ball after the last bounce. The best method is to determine the trajectory of the ball and either move up or back on the infield after the ball is hit to avoid having to field the ball on a short hop. Mastery of this will only come with practice.
  
  

Backhand

• This is a hard play to make because you must field the ball across your body with the back side of your glove. Make sure you are able to watch the ball into your glove by keeping your leather in front of you. Depending on when you are able to get to the ball, you will put either your left foot or right foot forward. Practice fielding a backhand both ways.
  
  

No Erratic Charging

• While you want to make a habit of trying to move toward the ball to speed up the time it takes you to grab it and throw to a base, you don't want to erratically "charge" the ball even it is hit very softly. You should go toward the ball in a fast, controlled manner that still allows you to maintain balance as you try to field the ball.