From Cindy…
This is one of my team’s favorite softball drills–works on base running and throwing.  Start with two teams.

Team one is in the field, they will need one person on 2nd and the rest will line up behind 3rd base position.

Team two is at the plate.

To start:  line up 3 softballs between home and 3rd in a straight line. One player at a time starts in the 3rd base position, on the signal she runs up and picks up the 1st ball and throws it to second base.  Then the 2nd ball, then 3rd.  A the same time one offensive player is running from home to second.  When she touches 2 the round is over and the defensive team gets one point for every good throw to 2nd base.  If the runner beats the last ball no point is given.

Repeat until every defensive player has a turn.  Then switch sides.

Technorati Tags: girls softball drills, softball drills, softball

From Danielle…
I am not sure what kinds of problems other softball teams are having but my 16 under team’s biggest problem is bunting. They think that if they get the softball in fair territory that they have been successful, not taking in to consideration the placement of the bunt.

SO I play a game with them. I divide them up into two bunting groups and draw out a point system for placement of bunts (ie. right in front of plate is -2 and so on, see attached drawing). I do this for three rounds (1 round of sac, 1 surpise bunt, and one for 2 strike bunt). The softball team with the less points has to run a real estate (the length of the entire field we are playing on).

This really motivates them to win because they hate running~!

From Rebecca…
To teach the girls how to use both hands when catching is to have them catch the ball with their gloved closed, not open.
That way they have to use their other hand to secure the ball.

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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 Mike…
Here’s a softball drill I use quite successfully.

Slow Roller: Line up players three deep at the second base position and hit slow rollers to their left.

The players try to field the softball (one handed pick with glove ) and under hand toss to 1b. After those 1st three have fielded three slow rollers then I have a runner (usually my fastest girl).

It’s funny how introducing a runner changes everything but after the first time with a runner the girls start to settle down and make better plays. We will do this until the fielders have thrown the runner out at least twice.

I repeat this drill with each position once I discover the girl’s arm strength. If a girl is quick and strong from second then I’ll see if she can handle the same drill from SS then third.

From Suzy…
A drill that my younger girls enjoy is called “Freeze”. With girls in their positions the softball coach hits the ball to a player, and anytime in the process of fielding, throwing or catching will yell “FREEZE”. The players all freeze like statues and you can see if everyone is moving with the play of the ball. The girls love getting caught in the right position and are able to see when they are not.

Great for teaching that everyone moves on every play of the ball.

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From Kathy…
I have two things that I have been using lately in softball practice. Both are for warm-up and are good for conditioning and instilling some discipline.

For this softball drill the girls do a progressive warm-up starting on one knee and about 6-8 feet apart and throw with just their wrist, then start tossing using full motion, then stand and put their glove on and as they get warm, they start moving farther apart and throwing at game speed.  At this point they have to do push-ups if they miss or drop a good throw or if they make a bad throw.  This helps to keep them on task, pay more attention to how they are throwing and using 2 hands to make the catch so they don’t drop the ball.

The second softball drill is a shuffle step around the bases.  In this, they get down in the ready position at home plate and shuffle step to first base while facing the dug-out.  At 1st they turn to the infield and shuffle to second base.  At 2nd base they turn to the outfield and shuffle to third and then again turn to the dugout and shuffle step home.  They need to maintain the ready position while shuffling around the bases.  This helps to warm and condition the leg muscles and by repeating the shuffle, helps to make it a habit.

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From Coach C…
Softball Throwing Drill–

I line the girls up in 2 or 3 lines of 6 or 7. (Long space in between each person, so they can get a good throw)
First in line faces the other 6.
First person throws the softball to the second, who pivots and throws to the next person.
Each catcher pivots and turns to throw to the next, until the ball reaches the last person.
The last person runs to the front of the line and starts the softball drill again.

I usually do this twice.

From Monica…
We play a little softball game with our girls.  The 3 coaches vs. the 12 girls.

They really learn that it’s more important to have good softball skills rather than big numbers.  Plus they let their guard down & pull together to beat the softball coaches.  Both ways we are teaching them & everybody has fun.

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From Crystal…
This is a simple but fun softball drill my high school softball team enjoys that we call the Line Drive Drill.

After every batting practice each player gets a chance to hit as many line drives in a row as she can, off the machine.  If they foul tip, miss or hit anything other than a line-drive, they are finished.

The softball player with the most line drives is the winner and receives a prize, (like no running after practice), or special recognition of winning, whatever works for each team.  The softball coach judges whether each hit is a line drive.  Depending on the ability and willingness of the coaches, they can join the competition as well.

It’s amazing how hard the players try when they are trying to beat the coaches!!

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From Molly…
Here is my softball drill to contribute.  I designed this drill because our runners needed to work on their leads and becoming more alert on the bases.  You really only need a pitcher (or even a coach), catcher, and runners ready to go.

Load the bases to begin, and have a line of runners at home.  On the pitcher’s release, every runner takes a lead (except for the one at home of course).  The catcher has a softball in hand before she even receives the ball from the pitcher.  As the ball enters her glove, the catcher throws the ball back to the pitcher one of four ways–as a pop fly, a ground ball or a bunt, or a direct throw.

The runners react differently depending on the catcher’s choice.  A grounder or a bunt, runners advance one base after their lead, a straight throw (simulating a line drive through to the outfield) runners advance two bases.  A pop and the runners return to the base to tag up, and then advance one base.  The runners at home just take off when the catcher releases the “hit” and advance the appropriate number of bases.  As lines form at the different bases, runners just take turns advancing.

It is fun to watch the mental focus of the runners in action.  There are variations you can do with these softball drills such as adding in defenders, and/or having the coach hit the balls.  It was fun because it kept everyone moving and thinking.

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From Bob…
I coach softball to  11-13 yr old girls.

This softball drill I call hot potato (it helps them to be ready and field ground balls better).

I have 15 girls on the team. I split them in half, each group makes a big circle(about 25ft across from each other). When I say go the girl with the ball rolls it to any girl in the circle (they all half to be ready for a grounder).

If the ball gets by them ,they have to get the ball and roll it to someone else and then they have to run around the circle (not jog).

After a couple of times of running around the circle, the girls do a very good job scooping up the ball in their glove. Grounders are a cinch after this drill.

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From Stacy…
We do a softball drill that includes the whole team and teaches the team how to react to situations, and play error free smart softball.

We start with a player at every position but pitcher. The extra players put on helmets and run the bases as the softball coach hits the ball in play. If any defensive player makes an error physical or mental, she then replaces one of the runners, and the runner takes her place on defense.

You can move girls around to play their positions or let them try new positions. You can also do this with the infield only, or a partial infield and a full outfield.

It teaches the girls to know all positions and therefore know their position very well. Having to run the bases also teaches the runners to run aggressively and challenge the defense.

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