How We’re Training Shortstop This Summer (Simple Offseason Plan for 12U Fall Prep)

We’re using this summer to focus on real development — no games, just high-quality reps. This 2x/week indoor shortstop routine is helping my son build better glove work, footwork, and confidence heading into fall ball. If you’re looking for a simple, repeatable plan to sharpen your player’s infield skills, this might be a good place to start.

Lou LaMedica

Jun 23, 2025

Coaching Sports

How We’re Training Shortstop This Summer (Simple Offseason Plan for 12U Fall Prep)

My son isn’t playing baseball this summer.

We intentionally took a season off from games to give him a break — and to give us time to actually work on skills that often get neglected when you’re in the middle of playing tournaments every weekend.

We’ve decided to use this summer as a focused prep window for Fall Ball.

👉 2 one-hour sessions per week

👉 Indoors at a baseball facility

👉 Focused on glove work, footwork, transfers, and infield instincts — the things that really separate great shortstops

This is the exact routine we’re using. Posting it here both as a reference for myself, and in case it helps anyone else looking to structure their kid’s offseason work.

🧠 Mental Cues for Every Drill:

“Expect the ball every rep”

“Glove leads, feet follow”

“Move on to the next play”

“Play fast, stay smooth”

“Be the loudest voice on the field”

The 4-Block Routine (1 Hour Total)

We’re training indoors at a baseball facility. We’ve got cones, a ladder, a soft glove, and can use real baseballs.

Here’s the structure we follow every session:

1️⃣ Agility & Footwork Warmup (10 min)

Purpose: Train explosive first step, quick feet, athleticism.

Ladder drills (4–5 patterns)

Cone shuffle races (3 sets)

Cross-step footwork around cones (3 sets)

Short sprints → decel → change of direction (5x)

Video references:

👉 Baseball Agility Ladder Drills

👉 Baseball Lateral Movement Drills

Goal: Build quickness, body control, and reactive first steps

Cues:

“Light feet!”

“Quick in the ladder, clean out”

“Stay tall, don’t bounce”

“Explode off that outside foot”

“Change direction under control”

2️⃣ Glove Work + Lateral Movement (20 min)

Purpose: Build soft hands, glove confidence, footwork around the ball.

Triangle drill — 2 rounds of 5 balls

Short hop picks — 2 rounds of 10 balls

Lateral shuffle + pick — 10 reps each direction

Backhand only — 10 reps

Slow roller charge — 10 reps

Add: Wall Ball Quick Hands Drill — 2–3 rounds, 30 seconds each

Add: Middle Infield Box Drill — 3 reps each cone, rotate through 4 positions

Video references:

👉 Tap Backs

👉 Middle Infield Footwork

👉 Short Hop Picks Drill

Goal: Soft hands, low posture, move through the ball

Cues:

“Glove out front”

“Stay low — chest over glove”

“Move through the ball”

“Funnel to center”

“Quiet head, soft hands”

“Backhand — glove open, out front”

“Read the bounce, don’t stab”

3️⃣ Transfer Drills + Throw Footwork (20 min)

Purpose: Train clean glove-to-throw transfers and build infield throwing footwork.

Field → fast glove-to-throw transfer — 2 rounds of 10

Field → power position footwork → throw to net — 2 rounds of 5

Triangle → field → cross-step → throw — 10 reps

Double play feeds → flip/toss accuracy into net — 10 reps

Add: Vision/Tracking Reaction Drill — 3–5 min as a reactive warmup or cool-down

Add: Transfer Timing + Hand Speed Drill — isolate glove-to-hand transfer and quick release

Video references:

👉 Infield Quick Hands & Transfers

👉 Field & Throw Progression Drill

👉 Quick Feet and Transfer Drills

Goal: Clean, fast glove-to-throw transfers with footwork flow

Cues:

“Field it, stick it, transfer”

“Be quick, not rushed”

“Right foot replaces left”

“Throw from rhythm, not reach”

“Power position — glove to ear”

“Finish with your feet under you”

“Give a target — throw through it”

4️⃣ Specialty / Game Situational Work (10 min)

Purpose: Build game instincts and polish infield movements.

Tag plays — tag cone/tape mark, 10 fast reps

Slow roller game speed — 10 reps

Coach calls out situations → player visualizes and moves (8–10 calls)

Add: Shortstop Rhythm Drill — 2–3 rounds of smooth timing reps on grounders

Video references:

👉 Small Space Drills

👉 Double Play Feeds & Footwork

Goal: Build instincts and polish real plays

Slow Rollers:

“Charge hard, stay low”

“Make the read — glove or barehand?”

“Catch → step → throw”

Double Play Feeds:

“Field, pivot, flip”

“Step through, not around”

“Feed your partner — belt to chest”

“Quick and firm, not soft or floaty”

Tags at 2B:

“Get to the bag early”

“Straddle, sweep, get out”

“Tag the runner, not space”

Why This Works

We’re not trying to do a million different drills.

We are trying to master the basics and make everything repeatable:

📅 Soft hands

📅 Quick feet

📅 Clean transfers

📅 Strong game awareness

The big rule: quality > quantity. I’d rather see 10 perfect reps than 50 sloppy ones.

Mental Cues We Repeat Every Session

Glove leads, feet follow

Stay low through the ball

Move through the ball — don’t stop feet

Quick clean transfer

Next pitch mentality — no sulking, next play

How We Track Progress

We’re using a simple weekly checklist:

Week	Session 1	Session 2	Notes
Week 1	✅	✅	Focused on short hops
Week 2	✅	✅	Improved backhand footwork
Week 3	...	...	...

Just seeing that you’re showing up consistently is half the battle.

Why Summer Is the Perfect Time to Do This

When your kid isn’t in games, there’s no rush — no fear of making mistakes, no stats to worry about.

It’s the best time to break down footwork, work on glove angles, and train smooth transfers.

The goal: show up in Fall Ball looking like a different player — more confident, more athletic, more ready to lead the infield.

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Lou LaMedica

How We’re Training Shortstop This Summer (Simple Offseason Plan for 12U Fall Prep)

How We’re Training Shortstop This Summer (Simple Offseason Plan for 12U Fall Prep)

🧠 Mental Cues for Every Drill:

The 4-Block Routine (1 Hour Total)

1️⃣ Agility & Footwork Warmup (10 min)

Cues:

2️⃣ Glove Work + Lateral Movement (20 min)

Cues:

3️⃣ Transfer Drills + Throw Footwork (20 min)

Cues:

4️⃣ Specialty / Game Situational Work (10 min)

Slow Rollers:

Double Play Feeds:

Tags at 2B:

Why This Works

Mental Cues We Repeat Every Session

How We Track Progress

Why Summer Is the Perfect Time to Do This

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