From Nicole…
Here are 2 of my girls favorite softball drills to do.

The first one we call The Box.

Put 4 cones into a square shape.  The harder you want the softball drill the larger the square. Two girls go inside and their job is to not let a ball hit the ground. The softball coach throws low pop-ups all over the circle and girls have to catch them. The better they get, the faster you throw the balls. We usually do a competition and whichever team can catch the most before they let one hit wins. It really helped my team to be able to call the ball and talk to each other- plus it got them to dive for the softball.

The second one we do with a very soft ball. You can either have a coach hit, or the girls find it more fun when they get to hit. The coach hits a ball as hard as they can at the fielder from about 40 ft away, and make the fielder react(use a soft ball). We always start with hitting it right at the player, and as they get better hit it harder and then to either side so they have to step and grab. It also helps if you have a player hitting the ball they learn a lot of bat control.

Hope maybe these are a little different and can be useful.

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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 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.

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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 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 Warren…
A really cool softball drill that has been working well for our team is the “catcher’s toss”.

I put a softball on home plate or where home plate should be, and tell the girls to focus on the softball on the plate/ground.  Someone kneels down a few feet behind them clearing the bat’s path in the area of the catchers position, then toss tennis balls, softballs or wiffleballs across the strike zone over the softball that is on the plate or ground. When the batter sees ball cross the softball they have to react quickly, then hitting the ball into a hitting net.

This is a fun and challenging softball hitting drill for all age groups and it’s main purpose is increasing bat speed and explosiveness.

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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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