Girls softball players need to understand the importance of hitting drills. To score runs and give your team a chance to win, they have to be able to make solid contact and move baserunners around the diamond. And to be able to solid contact they have to have lots of practice. The old saying you [...]
The purpose of the short game in softball is to advance runners from base to base without the necessity of getting hits. There are a number of ways to play the short game. Here we’ll take a look at three different types of bunts that players can use to play the short game. We’ll also [...]
In this article, we are going to take a look at the mechanics of slap hitting, explain how to teach it to youth softball players, and provide some useful drills to reinforce the skills in practice. The result of slap hitting is exactly what you would think from the title. The batter is going to [...]
After learning the basic mechanics of the pitching motion, it’s time to teach your pitchers how to throw some offspeed pitches. Below are 4 basic pitches that every softball coach should know how to teach. Change-Up The change-up is a pitch that looks like a fastball but is actually about 30% slower than the pitcher’s [...]
When teaching softball pitching mechanics, the best way to avoid injury, develop consistency, and see results is through repetition and attention to detail. Even a slight change in style can dramatically affect the accuracy of the pitch, so pitchers and coaches should watch for any changes due to fatigue, injury, compensation, or desire for better [...]
The great Ty Cobb once said 90% of sports is mental, the other half is physical While good ol’ Ty’s math might have been a few percentage points off, his idea rings truer than ever today. Hitting especially, is very much a mental game. Without adequate preparation, even minor errors or changes in routine can [...]
All softball players have pitches that are historically better for them to hit than others. An important part of becoming a better hitter is to learn what works for the batter, and coaches play a huge role in working with players to define those pitches. The Favorite Pitch The first way to define what pitches [...]
The following softball pitching drills are designed to help players master the components of the pitch before putting the whole pitch together. It is absolutely essential that pitchers understand the details and the movements making up the entire pitch instead of launching straight into learning a drop or curve ball. By taking things one component [...]
In this article, I’ll cover two of my most effective fastpitch softball drills. You can use these activities with teams of all ages. Make sure to start by demonstrating the skills in slow motion, and feel free to stop the drill at any time to reinforce key coaching points. Enjoy! Fastpitch Drill #1: Quick Plays [...]
If you’re looking for new softball practice drills, you’ve come to the right place! Here are two of my favorite drills for improving fielding skills, teamwork and communication. Softball Practice Drill #1: Rapid Fire Double Plays The purpose of this drill is help your middle infielders turn double plays. How it Works: For this drill [...]
One of our everyday drills for infielders includes a drill we call “Quick Hands.” Players must concentrate, get the balls out of their gloves as quickly as possible, have good hand speed and quick release, and good footwork. Quick Hands This drill is done with a group of four or five. One person (the thrower) [...]
I like to run the Box Drill but with my own twist—it’s kind of like the 4 corner drill set-up wise but rules of the game are slightly different. You can do this anywhere. The 4 Corner Box Drill Set up 4 players roughly 20′ apart from each other in shape of a square (they [...]
Here are a couple of drills that we like to do in practice. The first one is a timed drill that works on throwing and sprinting to the base. We do the second drill at the end of practice for some fun time for the players. Timed Throwing Drill We use a stop watch for [...]
A drill that I like to use is one that works great for infielders and outfielders alike. Softball Fielding Drill Break into two groups: the first player in line in group A takes two steps out then turns to face the next player in line. She then simulates that it is a hit to her [...]
There is a time to have some fun and still learn or polish some skills. I like to use the end of practice for a fun game that can create some team bonding while still focusing on softball fundamentals. Barney Bop Throwing Drill One of the best games I have used is called “Barney Bop”. [...]
These are a couple of my favorite softball practice drills that I use regularly. The first one is a scrimmage game that we play the day before we have a game. It is a great motivator! The Diamond Drill keeps your entire team moving, is fast paced and works on all skills. I use it [...]
This drill is a favorite with all my players every year. This drill teaches the runners to keep their hands up to prevent broken fingers, etc. when sliding to a base. The players that return to my team each year ask if we are going to do the sliding drill again this year. Softball Sliding [...]
I use a fielding drill that puts 2 groups on the field. This drill really helped my teams the past few seasons. It helps with agility & quickness of transfer from catching to throwing, & making strong throws. 2 Group Fielding Drill 1 group is at shortstop (set a cone almost behind 2nd base) & [...]
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