I create a cone corridor 15 ft wide by 45 ft long.  I use this corridor as a confined space and place players outside the cone lines at intervals and then create ball movement drills that the players must perfect.

In one such softball drill I line up the players at one end and place two players on each outside edge of the cones at intervals.  The first interval is 15 ft from the player line at the end and the next interval is fifteen feet from the first edge player and on the opposite side of the corridor.  I then post a player at the far end, which is 15 ft from the last interval player. From this particular configuration I can run multiple different drills.

In this drill the player at the far end throws a ground ball hard at the players in line at the other end.  The first player in line must charge the ball, pick it up, and throw it to the first interval player who throws it to the second interval player who in turn flips the softball into the air so that the original line player who is still running the corridor can catch the flip pass and then must quickly throw it to the player at the very end of the corridor before running past him.

This teaches the fundamental of getting quickly to the ball on the ground and handling it on the run in a small space to an outlet teammate who must also handle it rapidly to another team mate who must handle it quickly back to the running team mate who must handle it again and get it to the originating team mate at the end of the line.

Failure results in getting back in line without finishing and suffering the indignity of the jibes from your team mates.  The positioned players are alternated so that all players play all roles.

The corridor positions, tasks and ball movement sequences can all be varied in a thousand ways to create different choices requiring different skills.

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Get a group of 6-8 players in a circle.  Then, have 1 player in the middle of the circle (no glove).  There should be about 10 – 12 feet from the playing in the middle, to the other players.

Two people on the opposite ends of the circle.  When the softball coach blows the whistle, 1 player will roll the ball to either the left or right of the player in the middle.  The player will keep low, and on the balls of their feet, and retrieve the ground ball.  She will then flip the ball to a player close to her.  As she flips the softball, the 2nd player with a ball will roll another grounder.  The player in the middle must field that ball, and flip it to a close player.  The player in the middle must now remember where he flipped the earlier ball, and get ready to field the ball.

The players continue this softball drill for 30 seconds.  You want to work so that your players can work up to 60 seconds.

This drill makes sure the players are staying low, and moving their feet to get to the ball.

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This softball drill helps our players practice their footwork, helps them learn how to move up on the ball to use their momentum to get the ball in faster, and it also teaches them that the outfielders are an important part of the team so they don’t feel like they are being punished if they are chosen to play an outfield position.

We set up our infield and outfield with our softball players. Then take the rest of the players and let them bat using soft toss.

When they hit, they run just like a game and the defense tries to get them out.  We then rotate batters and replace them with the fielders.  They get to practice batting, running and defense.

It is a win, win situation.

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How To Do It
1.    This softball drill should be done inside (unless a wall is available outside)
2.    Player # 1 sets up in a fielding position facing the wall, about 5-10 feet away
3.    Player # 2 is behind the fielder with a softball
4.    Player # 2 (the tosser) throws the ball against the wall in front of the fielder
5.    Player # 1 must react and field the ball
6.    Do this about 12 times and then the players switch

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Whoever each girl threw with in warm ups is their partner for “Stick It”.
The object of this is to make accurate, catchable throws.
The balls start on one side, and all partner teams throw at the same time.  The softball must be thrown and caught by each partner.

The catch is, when you catch the ball, you have to have one foot stuck to the ground at all times.  The person catching can choose which foot. So, you can’t jump to catch the ball or move the foot that is stuck. If you do, your team is out.  After throws are made, one side of the girls moves back and you throw again.  That same side continues to move back until someone wins.

When throwing, you can move both feet, crow hop, etc, do whatever you need to do to make an accurate throw, but the receiver may not move that one foot when catching the ball.  If they don’t catch the ball, but it lands close enough for them to reach for it without moving that foot, we count that.  This softball drill makes for some funny times!

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1) I, or another softball coach, hit or throw the softball to them.
2) Set up a large trash can to throw the ball back to.
3) The goal is to throw the ball into the can while the can is lying down on its side.  To make this softball drill more difficult you can start using smaller cans as they get better.

Make a game out of it and the players like the sound of the ball hitting inside the can.  They are always “awing” and “oohing” each other!  It makes them focus on throwing the ball straight and to the object they are throwing at.  Works great.

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There is no time for day dreaming with this one or watching the other players.  To really get the pace going have your softball coaches pick up the pace of the hitting.  Emphasize all aspects here: the throw, good and sharp, the fielding with the emphases on the quick release, two hands.  We will time our players and get them to release the softball within 2 seconds.  The best part is about 5 minutes to each position and it keeps all players working and thinking:

Infield softball drill: (2 hitters) all fielders at bases and SS

Hitting coaches should take a position with one to the right of home plate and one to the left of home plate:

1st round: 1st coach hits to 3rd who throws to 2nd with 2nd baseman covering
2nd coach hits to SS who throws to 1st

2nd round: 1st coach hits to 3rd who throws to 1st
2nd coach hits to 2nd who throws to SS covering 2nd

3rd round: 1st coach hits to SS who throws to 2nd with 2nd baseman covering
2nd coach hits to 1st who throws to 3rd

4th round: 1st coach hits to 2nd base who throws to 1st
2nd coach hits to SS who throws 3rd

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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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Setup for this drill–is at least 4 fielders, 1 baserunner, two bases, two targets (anywhere from 30 to 60 feet from the base path), and a changing indicator. We like to put a target (maybe a bucket) on the ground (throwing for a tag) and another about 4 or 5 feet in the air (throwing to a player on a base). You can be creative for the changing indicator using hands, fingers, location within the base path where the tag may occur.

Running the drill:  It all starts with a hot-box (or pickle) drill, where fielders are running down a baserunner caught between bases. Once the tag occurs, the tagger immediately looks at the indicator (with a sign for the lower target and another indicating the upper target). Determine the target and throw the softball to hit the target.

Sometimes we use which side of the halfway mark between bases where the tag occurs as an indicator. The purpose of the indicator is to get the tagger to see the signal quickly (in a game its another base runner) and make the correct throw to the correct target.  We award a point for a tag and a point for hitting the correct target with the ball.

We like to split into teams and make it a contest. This has been a great way to put mental pressure on our players as they make plays in the infield.

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(B) Player one throws a ground ball to player two. Player two fields the ball cleanly and throws the softball back to player one.

(C) Player two will then run towards player one and circle her heading back to her spot. Player one throws a fly ball like a quarterback to a wide receiver. You can alternate the throws from short to long as well throw to the right and to the left.

(D) Then after player two gets the ball she throws it back to player one. Player one throws the ball to player two. Player two throws a ground ball to player one and the process is repeated.

Always reinforce the fact that the object is to make adjustments while running forward and looking back at the ball and not so much as catching the ball; one leads to the other in time.

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