Develop Soft Hands for Fielding With David Wright and the New York Mets

Nothing irritates a team more than defensive lapses. Especially when a fielding error caused by brick-like hands makes the difference between a win and a loss. Gold Glove winner and New York Mets 3B David Wright keeps his teammates happy by developing soft hands for the field.

Wright has been an effective defenseman throughout his career. Citing his on-field work, he says, “I do a lot of one-handed drills, [trying] to make my hands as soft as possible." Soft hands allow him to "give" with a ground ball, so it doesn’t bounce out of his glove.

After taking part in some one-handed drills, Wright backs up so he can work on his footwork, ensuring his momentum takes him in the direction of his throws and allowing him to make strong throws to beat out runners.

Keep your defensive skills sharp—and your team happy—with the drill shown below.

David Wright One-Handed Fielding

• Perform One-Handed Fielding first, then step back and field ground balls in a standard fashion
• Make hands as soft as possible, allowing them to give with each ball
• Get your feet in good position before fielding the ball
• Use proper footwork to gain momentum for the throw to a base
• Perform more at the beginning of spring training to strengthen your legs

Sets/Reps: 1x20-30