In-Between Hop (Slow-Pitch)
Also known as: in-between hop, awkward hop
The in-between hop is the awkward moment mid-bounce when a ground ball is neither a clean short hop nor a clean high hop — the hardest timing to field cleanly, requiring a fielder to adjust their glove height at the last instant.
Every ground ball bounces in a predictable arc, and skilled fielders learn to move their feet so the ball meets their glove at the top of a hop (a high hop, easiest to field) or immediately after it leaves the ground (a short hop, also manageable with the right technique). The in-between hop is the awkward midpoint of the bounce's rise or fall, where the ball's height is changing too fast to reliably track with a fixed glove position.
The fix is footwork, not hands: rather than reaching for the ball wherever it happens to be, the fielder takes a small adjusting step — forward to attack a short hop, or a slight hesitation to let a high hop develop — so the glove arrives at a predictable, catchable point in the bounce rather than the in-between zone.
Drill "bad-hop reps" intentionally — have a coach throw ground balls off an uneven surface or short-hop machine so your feet learn to make micro-adjustments under real unpredictability rather than only clean, predictable hops.
Example
Seeing the ball about to arrive at the in-between point of its hop, the shortstop takes one quick shuffle step forward to attack it as a short hop instead of letting it rise into the awkward mid-bounce zone.
Why it matters
Fielders who can adjust their approach to avoid the in-between hop field a far higher percentage of routine grounders cleanly. SwingVantage can review footwork timing on ground-ball reps to flag fielders who are consistently caught at the awkward bounce point.
How it shows up on video
On video, track the fielder's last two steps before the catch relative to the ball's bounce pattern — a fielder avoiding the in-between hop will show a small adjusting step (forward or a brief hold) timed to the bounce, while one caught in the in-between zone shows a static approach with a last-second glove scramble.
Common mistakes
- Standing flat-footed and hoping the ball arrives at a good hop rather than adjusting footwork to create one
- Reaching for the ball with the glove alone when it is at an awkward height, instead of taking a small step to change the timing
- Freezing when the hop looks uncertain rather than committing to attack it as a short hop
- Backing away from an in-between hop, which almost always makes the timing worse rather than better
In SwingVantage Motion Lab
SwingVantage can analyze a fielder's footwork timing relative to ball bounce from uploaded infield practice video, showing whether adjusting steps are being used to avoid the in-between zone.
Related terms
- Short Hop PickupA short hop pickup is fielding a ground ball the instant after it bounces, catching it low and out in front with soft hands rather than waiting for it to rise to a more comfortable height.
- Bad HopA bad hop is a ground ball bounce that deflects unpredictably off a seam, rock, or divot in the infield, changing direction or height at the last instant before it reaches the fielder.
- Ready Position (Slow-Pitch Fielding)Ready position is the balanced, athletic stance a fielder takes just before the pitch — knees bent, weight on the balls of the feet, glove down and out in front — that allows an immediate first-step reaction in any direction.
- Glove-Side BackhandA glove-side backhand is fielding a ground ball hit to the fielder's glove-hand side by reaching across the body with the glove turned outward, rather than shuffling the feet to field it squarely.
Related guides & benchmarks
Put this into your swing
SwingVantage can spot this in your own swing — free to start.
See a sample Slow-Pitch Softball report first