Two hands is the rule for game catches. But the glove hand alone has to be strong enough to hold a ball when reaching, diving, or catching off-balance. This drill builds that hand without letting the kid cheat by snapping with the throwing hand.
What you need: A glove. 5 baseballs or tennis balls.
Setup: Stand 15 feet apart. The kid puts their throwing hand behind their back.
How to run it:
- Cue: Eyes, Hands, Squeeze, Pull. The throwing hand is gone today.
- Throw 5 balls right at their chest. They catch with the glove only. The throwing hand stays behind the back.
- After 5, throw 5 balls slightly to their glove side. Same one-hand catch.
- Throw 5 balls slightly to their throwing-hand side. They have to reach across.
- Last round: 5 balls high. They catch above the head with one hand.
What to watch: Are they squeezing the glove shut on every catch? One-hand catches require a hard squeeze. If the glove stays half-open, the ball pops out.
If they’re struggling: Move closer. Throw softer.
If they’ve got it: Move back to 25 feet. Or throw harder. Or have them do this drill with a tennis ball that’s much smaller and harder to grip.