Alligator Ground Balls
Two-hand ground-ball technique: glove down, top hand snaps shut like an alligator mouth.
Your job today
Your glove is the bottom of an alligator mouth — put it flat on the ground. Your other hand is the top. When the ball comes, CHOMP and pull it to your bellybutton.
What good looks like: Two hands every time, ball pulled to your belly. No one-handed stabs.
Why it matters: Two hands means the ball can’t pop out. This is how every great infielder learned to field clean.
How it works
Foundational fielding drill from the Baseball BC 8U model. Players field rolled ground balls in the 'alligator' position — glove flat on the ground out front, bare (top) hand above it, then both hands snap together and pull the ball to the bellybutton. Roll first, then progress to a gentle fungo.
- Reps / rounds
- 2 rounds x 10 grounders
- Rest between sets
- 30s
- Space needed
- 20x10ft
- Coaches
- 1-2
Equipment
- glove
- 5 baseballs
If you don't have it
- No baseballs? Use tennis balls (moves to Backyard).
Setup
- Partner or coach 15 ft away with a bucket
- Fielder in athletic ready position
Run the drill
- Roll a ground ball at the fielder
- Fielder gets glove down out front
- Top hand snaps shut over the ball (alligator)
- Pull to the bellybutton, then step-and-throw
Coaching cues
- Glove on the ground, fingers down
- Alligator chomps two hands
- Hands to bellybutton
Common mistakes
- One-hand stab
- Glove starts too high
- Standing straight up
Scoring
Track % clean two-hand fields (percent). On-track when at or above 70.
Adjust it
Make it easier
- easier: ball rolled slowly straight at fielder, tennis ball
Make it harder
- intro: rolled grounders, no throw
- intermediate: rolled grounder + step and throw
- advanced: gentle fungo grounders
Variations
- Triangle approach: Add a small triangle path to the ball before fielding
Safety
- STOP_ON_PAIN: Distinguish acceptable muscle soreness from joint pain or severe muscle ache. Any pain, pop, or possible injury must be reported to a parent, coach, or trusted adult, and the activity stopped immediately. Any sign of illness or injury must be evaluated before returning.
Source
Author: platform · Status: Reviewed · Last reviewed 2026-06-03