From Michael…
Here are 2 softball drills I like to do, either will work at any age.

They both teach to be looking forward, as opposed to down for the softball.

1) Put 5 or 6 girls in a row on the field and have them turned so that their backs are to the softball coach.

Hit / Roll / Throw ground balls to them, and when the ball gets halfway to them call one girl’s name.   They need to find the ball, field the ball and make a good throw to the coach, or player fielding the balls.   This softball drill teaches them to a) be ready at all times b) keep their head up so they can find the ball c) react quickly.

2) The second softball drill I use for younger girls to help them learn the infield positions.   Fill up the infield positions 1st, 2nd, 3rd, SS, Pitcher.   Have the girls turn and face the outfield. Hit / Roll / Throw ground balls to them and call their positions when the ball gets half way to them.   They need to turn, find the ball, field the ball, and make a good throw to either first base or the coach.

Either of these drills you can make into games or friendly competition by keeping track of how many reps they do without missing the ball, or making bad throws to the designated spot.

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From Wes…
I have a softball drill I use indoors when we can’t get outside.  It is designed to help my first basemen learn to squeeze and give when catching the throw to first base.

We use tennis balls.  A softball player (usually my second basemen or shortstop) receives a bounced ball from a teammate, simulates a force out at second, then throws it the length of the gym to the first baseman.  The first baseman steps to the ball and catches it with her bare hand.  She must squeeze the ball as she catches it and give with the catch or the ball with bounce off her hand.

This helps the first baseman and the middle infielders who are working on their footwork and how to throw around second base.

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From Steve…
Beginning softball throwing drill:

Start the players out on both knees around 10 yards apart. Keeping their elbow up, they throw getting back spin on each throw. After 25 throws, they go to knee with the same motion but turning their shoulder to the other player, 15 to 20 yards apart.
Finally, they stand up, keeping the same motion and turn their shoulder to the other softball player with an added front foot step, 25 to 30 yards apart.

From Dan…
We have been working with our 9 year old pitchers using video.  It’s one thing to tell them and try to explain the proper fundamentals, but when they see themselves on tape and  with the stop/pause features, it comes to life for them.

Suddenly, we just aren’t picking on them and they can see what we are trying to teach them.

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From Frieda…
I changed up one of your softball drills and made it a game; my girls loved it!

Thankfully I have enough girls to almost fill two full squads on the field (we utilize the softball coaching staff to make up the missing positions).  Once we have the teams set, the girls get into position, the team up to bat line themselves up in a batting order they think will work the best. (This makes them see the bigger picture, on the importance of a line-up.)

Once the girls have made it to a base safely they jump of the base and come back to the line-up. This helps so the players are only concentrating on one play at time.  The girls up to bat hit off of a tee.  If they get to first they get one point, if they get to second it’s 2 points, and so on and so on.

Now the girls in the field are battling back by trying to get the girls out before they are safe at any base. Throw out at first is one point, throw out at second is 2 points, and so on and so on. They only need to achieve three outs and then the teams switch spots. I play this like a softball game, inning wise, depending on the girls intensity.

The girls have a blast. This softball drill encourages them to be aggressive on the bases and helps the fielders understand the importance of fielding the ball clean, making a catchable throw, and challenging themselves to catch everything possible.  Most importantly they had a blast.

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From Heather…
I am coaching a 9 and 10 year old softball team and am new to the coaching bit although I have played softball for many years.  Here is a softball drill that I am teaching girls that are just learning:

Set up the 6 infield players at their designated infield positions.  Since I have a fairly new pitcher, allow her to pitch 3 balls to a batter.  The remainder of the girls are also batters standing on the side.

Have one of the softball coaches stand near the batter ready to bat the ball if the batter does not get a hit after three pitches.  Have another coach on the field directing the infield player as to the play.  Have two base coaches one at first and one at third to work with the batters on running during the session.

Start with the first batter and the infield ready for a play to first.  The batter gets three pitches, if after the first pitch they do not get a hit then the coach hits a random ball.  The infield has to field the ball, the batter runs to first when the ball gets hit by the coach and a play is made.  If the infielders do not get the runner out then let the runner stay on first.  The infield coach works with the girls on infield plays, the base coaches work with the runners, and the next batter gets up to bat.  Keep repeating the activity.

We go for about 25 minutes with this because we are teaching softball playing strategy for plays and also base running.  Plus the girls get a chance to bat.  Once the 25 minutes of this group has batted then swap positions and let the batters become the infield and the infield go to bat.  This works well because everyone gets to learn an infield position but the drawback is somebody on the team may be put in a position that you really are not intending them to play but they are learning.  This usually happens at third base because at this age it is hard to find a strong person to be able to throw that far to first.  Anyway, I think it works well and you try question the girls to get them to think with each batter coming up to bat.

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From Chris…
One of our favorite softball drills is  the “4 corner drill”.  I have players at 4 corners base length apart (doesn’t matter what position they play) then we throw counter clock wise working on right-handers stepping to the ball and throwing glove hand side.  Then counter clock wise for the left-handers.

Each softball player takes a throw and throws to the next corner then gets back in line.  We then have players mix it up by the first player throwing to a corner then the next player throwing diagonally to a corner.  This gives all players a chance to throw to every area (Every Base). We work on having our hands up and ready to receive the ball as well as catching with our hands together to be quick with the exchange for the throw. Foot work is very important in this softball drill as well.

We then close the 4 corners in to work on close underhanded exchanges.  Each player catches the toss then walks towards the corner she’s throwing it to and tosses it and goes to the end of that corner’s line to go again when it’s her turn.  Then she will catch the next toss and toss to the next corner following the toss and going to the end of the line of the next corner.

This works on close exchanges and works on showing the softball to the player your tossing the ball to.  Our throwing has improved tremendously doing this daily for 5-10 minutes!

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From Terry…
This is a softball drill I use to get the kids to make sure they really turn through with their hips and upper body when hitting.

It’s basically a soft toss softball drill with a twist, no pun intended.
1st have the player stand parallel to the sock net (softball screen) with back towards screen and about three feet or far enough in front of the screen not to hit it on follow through. Also have players front foot about twelve inches past one side of the net so that the screen is in front of your front foot.

Softball coach stands directly in front of player, of course, also parallel to the screen about three feet past the screen on opposite side. The softball coach tosses the ball directly at the player’s strike level and the player must hit the ball sideways into the net timing the throw to hit the ball with the fat part of the bat. The contact of the ball is made while bat is directly in front of the body.

This teaches the players to really follow through with their swing.

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From Van…
BACKING UP DRILL

Objective: To teach players the correct angle, alignment, and depth when backing up.
Equipment: 4 bases or cones, softball
Athletes: 7
Set Up: Place the 4 bases in a square about 40 feet apart.

Description: This softball drill involves 7 players.  2 players at 3 of the bases and 1 at the remaining base.

Place a player at each base to receive a throw and have the 2nd player backing up and ready to take over the base once the other player leaves.  The drill starts with the ball in a group to the left or right of the solo player.  The player with the softball throws to the base away from the solo player and then runs to back up the solo player. The player who receives the ball will now throw the ball to the next base and run to back up the base in which she received the throw from (throw right and run left, or throw left and run right). The drill continues until the softball coach decides to end it.

Coaching Points: Check and correct alignment and distance of the player backing up and the angle in which they take to get there.  Also this is a good drill to work on proper receiving skills and footwork for the players throwing and receiving.  NOTE:  If the ball is overthrown, continue the drill by having the back up player throw it to the next base and the receiver run to back up the solo player.  This way the players backing up learn to adjust their alignment.

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From Adam..
I manage 7 & 8 year olds at a Catholic school youth organization in Brooklyn New York.  One of the softball drills I use is quite a simple one that keeps all the kids on the field involved because as you know kids become easily distracted and bored if they are not directly involved at all times.

This softball drill is meant to help the kids catching and throwing skills, also keeping in mind that repetitions are a vital part in the learning process.

In this drill all 9 positions are filled.  It starts off as the pitcher throws the softball to the catcher, the catcher then throws the ball to 1st baseman who throws to 2nd baseman. Second baseman flips it to the shortstop covering 2nd base then to third baseman, then the third baseman throws the ball to the left fielder, left fielder to center fielder then to right fielder. The right fielder then will throw home to the catcher.

You can also move the outfielders deeper then insert hitting the cut off person; this keeps everyone on the field involved.
You can also time it or give points to the kids that catch the balls and eliminate the kids that drop the ball…last man standing wins.

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From Johnny…
A quick softball drill I use at the start of the season to practice bunting. This softball bunting drill uses their glove instead of the bat in the box
.
I have the “batter” assume the proper stance in the box for pitch delivery, upon delivery the batter gets in the “bunt” position. Hands, feet, body and head position.

The “bunter” catches the ball as thrown. Can be adjusted to “take” non strikes or how ever the softball coach decides.

Simple hand/eye softball drill and teaches how to read pitch position. Adding the bat comes when this task is mastered.

Can be used at all levels.

From Terrill…

When I want to go over defense, I shrink the diamond so everyone is real close. this way we can go over everything with the players are still standing in their positions and walk through everything. This also helps save your voice, by allowing to to talk normal instead of yelling direction and coaching tips to all the kids spread out far away on the normal size field.

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