How does an outfielder in baseball know exactly where a fly ball is going to com

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   IDONOposted 12 years ago

   How does an outfielder in baseball know exactly where a fly ball is going to come down?
   
   Are these guys that good at geometry or logorythmns with such speed?

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   gconeyhidenposted 12 years ago

   hi,  the old saying practice makes perfect holds much insight into the athletic skills that animals and humans have depended on thru time to survive in the wild.   Lions have to be taught how to hunt and Tiger Woods practiced w his dad looking over his shoulder from age 3 or so.   one of the first thing an American dad does when his boy reaches age 5 or so is buy him a baseball glove and have a catch to sharpen hand and eye coordination.   The pros listen for the sound of the bat to judge how hard the ball is hit.   Coaches hit zillions of balls.

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   BLACKANDGOLDJACKposted 12 years ago

   Practice is part of it, but some guys are blessed with extraordinary instincts that allow them to get a great jump on the ball.
   
   Like Jacoby Ellsbury of the Red Sox. I was just watching the Red Sox game and Cody Ross hit a 3-run walk-off homer, after two 3-run homers last night. Now Cody Ross filled in for Ellsbury in center a couple games during Ellsbury's stint on the disabled list. Ross can not play center field. He just doesn't get a good jump on a ball over his head. He never got to balls that Ellsbury would have had, and probably would have made it look easy. Ross is okay in right, especially when he's hitting 3-run homers.
   
   Granderson of the Yankees is another one like Ellsbury. He made a catch on Mike Trout of the Angels 4 or 5 days ago that was incredible.

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      gconeyhidenposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      really..you mean some guys are NOT Willie Mays.    Many balls are misplayed even by the pros.  if the outfielder cannot hear the crack of the bat he is at a disadvantage because thats the first indication he will get as to how the ball was hit.

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   First Colonyposted 12 years ago

   I will also add that outfielders need to know something about a hitter's tendencies.  Often, it is a coach from the dugout that shifts the outfielders and plays them "shaded" to the right or left depending on the hitter.  Knowing what the pitcher is throwing helps as well.

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   AJ Flaniganposted 12 years ago

   Being an outfielder myself, it all comes down to geometry.  Even though you don't think about it when you see the ball coming off of the bat, through practice, you are able to judge near perfectly how hard the ball is hit and what angle it travels.  Contrary to the other comments, judging where the ball lands is not what makes great outfielders great.  Any truely dedicated outfielder 13 years or older can predict where a ball will go (unless it curves, but that's a whole other story) What makes a good fielder great is quickness and mental awareness that enables him to know when to floor it to the wall, or follow it through for the duration of the play.  It's a lot easier than it looks, once you put some practice in.

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      gconeyhidenposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      if the ball lands it's either a home run, a foul ball or a ball not caught.   practice reinforces the pathways in the brain that allows your body to make unconscious responses in split seconds giving you your best shot at a catch.

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   adjkp25posted 12 years ago

   Baseball has many positions to learn in the game.  Being an outfielder presents a unique list of challenges but it can be played well with practice; here are a few tips. read more

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