Move in front of the ball: When a ball is hit in your direction, move quickly to get in front of it.  Most infielders prefer to catch grounders underneath their body, on the glove side. If you wear your glove on your left hand, move your feet so that the ball can be caught 6-12 inches inside your left foot. If your glove is on your right hand, do the opposite.

Learn to play the angles: Infielders must often take several steps to get to hit ball.  The angle of her movement will depend on where and how hard the ball is hit.   Here are a few scenarios:

• If it's a slow-moving ball, the infielder should charge it. She should run at the angle that will enable her to reach the ball as quickly as possible with her body under control. 
• If the ball is hit low and hard, at or near the infielder, she should move on an angle that will enable her to make an easy play on the ball.  As a general rule, it is better to make an easy catch and longer throw, then to move in aggressively and have to make a difficult catch.
  • With practice, you'll learn how to instinctively take the correct angle to the ball.  Remember, a clean catch and strong throw will almost always get you an out.  

Catching the bouncing ball:

Ground balls can be difficult to catch because they sometimes take "bad hops" and bounce in an unpredictable directions.

• There are 4 ways to catch a bouncing ball:
  • Top of the Hop: If possible, always try to field a bouncing ball at the top of on a long hop.
  •  End of a Long Hop:  When top of the hop isn't possible, try to catch the ball after it passes the top of the hop, and before it again hits the ground.  This is an easy catch, but you have to bend over a little further. 
  • Short Hop: This catch can be easy to make if the infielders timing is perfect.  An infielder "short hops" the ball, by catching the ball immediately after it hits the ground.  The infielder's glove must be on the ground, 1-2 inches behind where the ball hits the ground.  If a ball should take a bad bounce, it will usually enter the infielder's glove before it has an opportunity to bounce off-line.
  • In-Between Hop:  The worst place to catch a bouncing ball is 6-18 inches after it hits the ground.  If a bouncing ball hits a small stone or an uneven spot on the infield, the ball can bounce off-line and not give the infielder time to re-position her glove.   If an infielder mistimes her approach and allows the ball to bounce directly in front of her, she will need quick reflexes, and some luck, to catch the ball.  She should try to keep her body in front of the ball.  If the ball bounces past her glove, hopefully she can stop the ball with her body and still have time to make a play on the batter.

Tips:

• Whenever possible, quickly move your feet so that you can catch ground balls in front of you rather than having to backhand the ball or having to stretch far to the glove side.
• The most common mistake made by young infielders is not keeping their glove down. It is faster to raise your glove than to lower it.  As a ground ball approaches, keep your glove on the ground and, depending on the bounce, be ready to raise it.   
• Infielders must be prepared to do whatever it takes to catch the ball or knock it down.   Don't be afraid to dive, stretch, or use your backhand to make the difficult play.