My girls were stopping their swings during games recently and this reminded me that I hadn’t done this batting “basketball” drill in awhile.  We broke out this drill and after only 4 hits with the bb drill the girls were hitting doubles and triples in the next game.

Take half deflated basketballs and place them on a tee. Have the girls set up in a normal batting stance. When they swing it forces them to follow through and shows them whether the stopped the swing or not.

PURPOSE:  This increases the power of the swing but also stops that half swing that causes the ball to just drop on the dirt.  It insures that they remember to follow-through on the swing.

Bunting-
I teach my softball team that bunting is as simple as “catching the ball with the bat”.

To show this, I have the athlete stand in the batters box in sacrifice bunting position squared up to the pitching machine without a bat.  We use lite-flite foam balls and pitch to the batter.  The right handed batter then literally catches the ball with her right hand; a left handed batter catches the ball with her left hand.  Those are the hands that control the location of the bat.

This works really well when trying to teach a right handed hitter to bunt from the left side, because in most cases she usually catches the ball with her left hand anyway.  You could also use a harder ball and have the batter wear a mitt on her catching hand. After a few successful catches or deflections (it is sometimes difficult to squeeze the foam ball with a bare hand), put a bat in her hand.

You should find improvement in eye-hand-bat-ball coordination resulting in improved bunting skills which should carry over to improved hitting as well.

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Caught in the Pickle
I have a runner at first and a runner at third.
Have the runner attempt to steal second trying to get the pitcher or catcher to throw the ball down to get them caught in a pickle. This allows the third base runner to advance to home.  This really works well if the other team is not disciplined enough to not throw the ball.

I challenge the girls to score before the girl gets out between second.  If she can get home before she gets out they do not have to run fences.  If she does not score before she gets out they both run.

I have the girl start in between first and second with the softball on first base or second base.  Or I have a girl start running from home on a hit or walk and instruct them to keep running to second trying to bait them into making a play at second to create the pickle.

This drill teaches the runner on third to stay in the game and not to daydream and to run hard for home.  It helps teach her to be more focused on what her responsibility is to score.  There are times that the girls watch the pickle instead of running home.  It also teaches them that anytime a pickle is on if they can, to advance bases, good drill.

It teaches the runner in the pickle how to slide if she gets the chance and to be quick on her feet.  It also teaches the other girls how to perform the squeeze to get some one out.   The pressure for them to score gives them real game time pressure so they do not have to run.  It also helps explain the look back rule if the runner is coming from home plate to first and the pitcher has the ball.

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Fastpitch softball tip:  Reduce strike outs and to teach your players to keep their eye on the ball on contact.

These drills are best for 10-11 yr olds, but you can try it with athletic 9 year olds too. My girls do great with the tee and soft toss, but when it comes to hitting a pitched ball—it often falls apart.

I use the hard plastic baseballs.  First I demonstrate what I want them to do.  I have my bat and get into my stance.

I have a girl pitch a ball to me and I stop the ball from going past me by just bringing my hands to the ball and have my bat make contact with the ball. I am not swinging.  The knob of the bat is near my waist and the barrel of the bat is in contact position and my head is looking at the barrel of the bat.  This is where I show them where my head is on contact.  I’m not swinging at the pitch.  I’m consciously putting  the bat in position to make contact with the ball. It’s sort of a half -swing.

After my girls master this–and this will go quick–I have them do the drill adding a follow through.

Add a follow through (a squish the bug or hip rotation) and now they’re swinging fluidly and don’t realize it.  They just know their smacking the ball and hard.

I call out “connect and follow through” before each pitch.  Warning—Once they see how they can hit every ball pitched to them, they don’t want to stop.

This softball drill makes them keep their head in there and their eyes on the ball.  Naturally, they load on every pitch without reminders.  After they master keeping their eye on the ball—the rest is cake!  When a ball is coming 40 mph—all you have to do is put the bat on it and follow through—its going!

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For example–we might work on picking a runner off of third base.  We would have a line for catcher, a line for third base, and a line for left fielders.

The softball coach would toss a ball to the catcher who would come up throwing to third.  Meanwhile the left fielder is immediately moving to back up the throw.

After the play is completed we rotate.  The catcher hustles to left field, left field hustles to the back of the third base line, and the third baseman hustles to the back of the catching line.  Each player keeps moving and the idea of backing up is heavily emphasized.

The basic idea of working in lines of three or more and emphasizing backing up has helped us a lot and can be used to teach/drill many situations.

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When I’m working mostly w/ 6U & 8U girls, it seems like their attention gets very lax when they are batting, and their bat speed suffers a little bit.  Or they go through the motion, with no real-follow through.

M tip to increase attention, bat-speed, and follow-through is to put my hand over the plate, right where the ball would be, and ask them to hit it.  Make sure you move your hand.  But if you try this a number of times, it’s amazing how fast that bat moves off their shoulder, into position, and across that plate when they try to hit the moving hand.

Occasionally the girls are really flat or distracted after a busy school day.  Recently, they were warming up throwing & missed balls were rolling everywhere.  Spur of the moment we created a competition using Starburst & Lifesaver candies to make most repetitive catches a competition.

The girls perked up, and started focusing on what they were doing just to get the small reward.  Save the reward system for when they really need it, but on a day with distractions or a lack of self-motivation, we were happy to get in a good workout.  Besides, if the softball coaches work hard, they get candy, too.

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I time it as a way to get my girls to get better and faster and helps to make it more fun.

1)Have the team split up into equal groups and form a line at all the bases & home plate (usually 3 per base & home plate).
2) The drill works with the coach standing on the pitcher’s mound.  He can follow the drill just by turning in circles making corrections &/or encouragement as the drill progresses
3) Drill starts by the softball coach throwing the ball to the first player in line @ 1st base & then starts timing.
4) 1st baseman holds ball in throwing position and moves toward the pitcher’s circle while pretending to watch a potential runner on third.  When they get about halfway to the pitcher’s circle (girls softball-but can be used for boys as well) they throw the ball home, where the catcher puts down a tag and then throws to third base who puts down a tag.  3rd base throws to 2nd base & tags & throws to 1B where the 1st baseman practices receiving the ball in a good stretch toward the ball.  This continues until all the girls have gone through the line at that base.  When the original 1st baseman gets the softball back she flips to the coach on the pitcher’s mound, who then tells the girls to rotate to the next base.

All the girls then sprint to the next base, 1B to home, home to 3B, 3B to 2B, 2B to 1B & then the drill starts again and continues until all kids have completed their a turn at every base.  Once that it is done the coach stop the clock.

Try doing this softball drill under 4 minutes can be challenging!

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One drill has been helpful for my 1st-4th grade girls.  Four girls are about 10 paces apart in a square.  Girl #1 rolls ball to #2, #2 fields, pivots, and rolls to #3;  #3 pivots, rolls to #4, #4 to #1; continue.

Then add another softball into the rotation, adding balls until there are 4 going clockwise (or counterclockwise).  Girls have to call out to the girl they are about to roll to.  This then turns into an easy throw instead of a roll.  Works with fielding, pivoting, throwing, and communicating.  It is important to switch girls around so they work with other girls.

Another softball drill to work on their throwing is one I call “hit the coach”.

Line them up on a baseline facing towards the field.  Demonstrate how to throw properly.  Set a plastic bucket next to them with 10 tennis balls in it.  Have the coaches go out it front of them and be targets.  Have the kids throw the tennis balls at the coaches.  They love it.  After each kid has thrown their 10 balls, instruct them to go pick up 10 balls, put them in their bucket and return to their station.  Repeat 2 or 3 times.

They get lots of throws and lots of laughs.

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Line up your girls, with four players to a line, stretching from one foul line to the other.
Make three or four lines depending on how many players you have at practice.
The ball starts at the left field line, is thrown to the player in left-center, then thrown to right-center, then to the right foul line and then the sequence is reversed.

When the ball makes it all the way back to the left foul line, the player drops the ball and all of the players rotate up one position with the girl who started on the left foul line running all the way to the right foul line.

Once all of the players have rotated through each position in the chain this softball drill is done.

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Players line up across the field approximately 90 feet apart in a straight line with four in each line (or an even number).
The first player throws the softball to the next player in line then runs to that player’s position and so on down the line.
The last player in line runs all the way back to the front of the line after catching the ball, and the drill starts again until the first player is back in the first position.

When the players get tired, you keep telling them how they are getting tougher and stronger and more accurate–anything POSITIVE to keep them striving for a higher level.  This builds stamina and endurance, and teaches the mind and body to keep going even when are both really tired.

This softball drill has a lot of running and throwing and is a good one to do at the end of practice. I make sure to have plenty of goodies to offer after softball practice as an added incentive!

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Pitchers’ Fielding Practice – Fielding Bunt Balls
Have your pitcher(s) on the mound.
Coach throws out 5 softballs along the 3rd base line from home plate simulating bunted balls.
Pitcher goes through his motion from set or windup–dry or live.
Pitcher goes and fields the furthest ball from home plate first, throws ball to 1st base.
Same pitcher then goes through the same process until all 5 balls are fielded.
The next pitcher goes through the same routine.

You can then use this same softball drill down the 1st base line.

It also works as good aerobic exercise for pitchers.

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