Short Hop
Also known as: short-hopping a throw, picking a short hop
A short hop is fielding a ground ball immediately after it bounces, catching it just as it leaves the dirt — often considered the cleanest hop to field because the ball is rising predictably.
Because a ball's bounce is most consistent in the instant right after it leaves the ground, catching it there — the short hop — removes much of the unpredictability that builds up as the ball travels further from its bounce point. Infielders are often taught to attack the ball aggressively enough to take it as a short hop rather than waiting passively, since a controlled short hop is more reliable than hoping a longer hop settles into an easy catching height.
Fielding a clean short hop, sometimes called "picking" a short hop, requires soft hands and a glove that gives slightly on contact, since the ball is still low and rising quickly right off the bounce. It is especially emphasized for infielders receiving throws in the dirt (at first base, or on a relay), where the same principle applies: attacking the throw and taking it as a short hop is more reliable than backing away and hoping the in-between hop somehow arrives clean.
Example
The first baseman dug the low throw out of the dirt by picking it clean as a short hop, saving the infielder's errant throw from becoming an error.
Why it matters
The ability to consistently pick a short hop — both on batted balls and on throws in the dirt — turns borderline plays into routine outs and is one of the most valuable, trainable infield skills.
How it shows up on video
On video, a clean short-hop pick shows soft hands giving with the ball at the moment of contact and the glove positioned low and out in front of the body; a mishandled short hop often shows stiff hands or the glove positioned too close to the body, causing the ball to deflect off the heel of the glove.
Common mistakes
- Waiting passively for the ball to arrive rather than attacking aggressively enough to take it as a clean short hop
- Keeping the glove and hands stiff at the moment of contact instead of giving softly with the ball's rise
- Positioning the glove too close to the body, reducing the margin for error if the hop is slightly off from expectations
In SwingVantage Motion Lab
SwingVantage Motion Lab reviews glove position and hand softness at the moment of contact on fielding reps, helping distinguish a soft-hands technique issue from a positioning or timing issue.
Frequently asked questions
Why is a short hop considered easier than a long hop?
Both can be fielded cleanly, but the short hop is more consistent because the ball's bounce pattern is most predictable in the instant right after it leaves the ground, before spin and surface irregularities can change its path further.
Related terms
- Reading a HopReading a hop is the skill of judging early where a ground ball's bounce will arrive — as a short hop, an in-between hop, or a long hop — so the fielder can adjust footwork and glove angle before it reaches them.
- In-Between HopThe in-between hop is the awkward bounce that arrives at a fielder's shin or knee height rather than as a clean short hop or a rising long hop — the hardest hop to field and a common source of errors.
- Glove PresentationGlove presentation (for catchers) is how the catcher holds and moves the mitt to receive the pitch cleanly and, in competitive baseball, to subtly show the umpire the ball in the strike zone.
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