As we all know 90% of softball is a mental game rather than a physical one.  We try to achieve an outing for the team once a month but at the minimum we plan an outing at least every other month.

The outing includes the entire team and softball coaches going and doing something for fun for the day. We take turns picking what we do for fun but some of the things we have done include, bowling, going to the movies, going to a theme park, paint balling, a trip to the lake and sometimes it is just to get together to swim for the afternoon and grill hamburgers and hot dogs.

Getting the team together in an atmosphere outside the ball field has really made a difference in the team’s mental attitude not only towards the game of softball but also towards each other.

They come to softball practice with a mentality of eagerness and wanting to be there to learn and are very receptive to new ideas. In addition, it has really made them come together and gel as a unit.

They are very supportive of one another and there is never a sign of negativity between players. It is very refreshing.

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This allows the players to make the calls that we would make in the course of a game. It helps the players see the game from a different view. It really opens their eyes to the little things that we pick up in the course of the game. They then are able to use things during actual games.

There is one softball drill that I don’t do offend enough, but the girls love it. Base stealing and learning how to slide. Every drill focuses on catching, throwing, etc. Sometimes these get boring and the girls want more.

Here is a trick I use to get my softball players to slide properly:

Get into a three (3) point stance like you would in football. Kick your right/left leg out in front landing on your rear-end.
Hands in the air like you’re signaling for a touch-down. I explain and show the kids so they get the proper form.
This teaches the proper approach and slide form.

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We try to work a healthy amount of conditioning into our softball practice, so after warm-ups, we have them take 2 laps around the field, while cradling a softball. It kills two birds with one stone, and forces them to cradle properly or they will spend much time chasing dropped balls. It also shows the softball coaches, at a glance, which players need more work on cradling.

Swing Drill: have your players use a smaller and lighter bat than usual. Using the back arm only, have the player make full swings; it reinforces the importance of rotating the hips and shoulders.

To get a batter with happy feet to stand still, have them stand on a board (like a 1×6) when batting in practice. It will help them concentrate on their feet until they get that muscle memory we all talk about.

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Basically the hitter stands in the batter’s box or backed up to a fence and the pitcher, usually one of the softball coaches, stands about 20 feet away.  The batter stands like he would be hitting, however the catch is he must turn his head away from the pitcher, like back towards the catcher.

The ball is thrown, pitched underhand for the small kids, and then the coach yells “ball” and the batter must turn her head back toward the pitcher, pick up the softball and then try to hit it.  This tends to make the batter focus more on picking up the ball, and improves bat speed as well.

I usually start with whiffle balls or rubber or softer balls.  Also the distance can get shorter between the pitcher and batter as the hitter gets better.

MOTIVATION TIP
Sometimes it is hard to get the girls interested in softball practice, especially the younger ones. I find that if I make it fun they will pay attention more. When practicing pop ups I tell the girls that if they catch 3 in a row, I will run a lap around them. If they miss 3 in a row they run a lap around the field.

It is so fun to watch them try so hard to make the coach to have to run.

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Line your outfielders in any outfield position.  We use a pitching machine to sail balls deep into the pocket or burn a line drive into the gaps.

The girls must learn to take off just before the ball goes into play from a ready position. They stand at ready, both feet moving in anticipation. They must react to the ball as soon as it comes off the bat so they are locked on the strike zone with such concentration that when they explode toward the ball is a reaction not a thought.

Part 2 is an eye patch over their glove hand-eye. This makes them track the ball in the air all the way to the glove. They must move their head and glove to track the ball and make the catch.

Since these 2 softball drills were put into the practice regiment we have had only 2 fly balls make it to the ground out of just over 30 fly balls in fair territory.  The girls now call it the “easy out drill”.

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I noted something specific and well-executed that each girl on my team did at our first game. At the next softball practice while we were in stretching circle, (which by the way each girl leads us in a stretch as a way to start practice) I mentioned each girl by name, and she came forward and I specifically named what it was that they did, from striking out a batter, to getting hit by a ball, and getting right back out there. I proceeded to give that player a roll of lifesavers.

It was such a hit that I now do this at every practice after our games (a different treat each week). We always work on the softball skills that needs work, but how great to acknowledge what went right; it was a great morale booster.

We won that game, but won’t always; yet there will always be something positive to point out to the players.

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I like to have my kids do what I call “Around the Diamond“.  Space the whole team out evenly around the perimeter of the field.  The first player has a whole bucket of balls and will start to toss them to the next person.  Each player needs to catch the ball, turn around, throw it to the next kid, then turn back around to catch the next ball.

The trick is to see how fast they can get the entire bucket of balls all the way around the field without anyone dropping a softball.  If a ball hits the ground, all the balls come back to the bucket and they start over.  Sometimes I’ll break them into two teams and have them compete against each other.

This softball drill forces them to work quickly and accurately while under pressure.  The kids seem to love it also.

In the 8-9 year old modified kid pitch group:  We usually end our softball practice with a batting drill where each girl gets to bat and runs the bases, then she goes and stands were her ball landed. After all the girls have batted, the player standing the furthest wins the contest!!!

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To keep the players interested in taking their game to the next level is to demonstrate a new softball drill for them.  Run them through it a few times and then the next time they do it, have players run the drill.  The players are then trying to help each other get the most out of the softball drill and they all learn. This has added benefits for all involved as it is also a great way to form team cohesion.

Here is another idea that we like to do–a team drill that we call six or nine, depending on how many outs we decide we want to make.

Put a kid at every position and the softball coach starts hitting the ball, and the kids have to make the plays.  They need to make six or nine consecutive outs without an  error (physical or mental), or they start over at the beginning.

My team loves this drill and they ask for it all the time.

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What I do is take a look at her swing and if the mechanics look good I don’t change her a bit.  Most high school girls use a 22-24oz bat and the girls who are hitting it foul may just have good bat speed.

I have them hit with a 2-4oz heavier bat than norm.  If they hit to short-stop area and you want to go a little deeper to center, add another ounce or two. This softball tip has worked well for me instead of changing the batter stance /changing mechanics and getting into the athletes head too much.

This softball drill helps players learn to tighten their swing. Player stands in front of fence, wall, etc. with bat in hand in hitting stance.  Make practice cuts without hitting the wall behind them.

This helps the player to have a more compact swing, swing level to level down at the softball and stops them from reaching back with their swing throwing them off plane.

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Divide the players up into two groups:
Group A — Fielders at 3rd base, SS & Catcher & Pitcher & Runners at 3rd.  Group B –Fielders at 2nd base,  & 1st and Runners at Home

Have two softball coaches hit grounders — one to Group A and one to Group B. In Group A, SS fields the softball and tries to get runner (at 3rd) out at home, Runner at 3rd tries to run home or gets into a “pickle” between 3rd and home (with the catcher, pitcher, SS and 3rd baseman).

In Group B the coach hits a “soft” grounder that the 1st baseman must field. The runner at Home tries to reach 1st before the 1st baseman gets the ball and throws to the 2nd baseman, who is covering 1st.

This softball drill keeps the kids going fast and they practice their fielding, throwing & running at the same time. After each side has done the drill, we switch sides and repeat the drill for the others.

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