3 Basic Softball Drills To Build Fundamental Skills

No matter what age level you coach, it’s important to spend time at every practice working on the fundamentals.  In this article, we’ll review 3  basic softball drills covering  fielding, baserunning, hitting.

If you’re working with younger players, these drills will help teach critical skills and allow them to play with more confidence. And even if you’re working with older girls, it’s useful to get “back to basics” to help reinforce the proper mechanics and eliminate any bad habits.

Let’s get started!

Basic Fielding Drill – Know Where To Go

Purpose:

Sometimes when the ball is hit, players just don’t know where they are supposed to go. Often times, they will just sit around and watch the play develop and not go to where they really should be. This is a great drill to help them understand their responsibilities on the field.

Setup:

Set up a full infield with fielders at each position

Coach stands in the batters box to call instructions

Execution:

1. Run the drill by calling out a fielding situation to the team, then saying “Go”
2. For example, on a dribbler up the first baseline, who covers first? Who backs up the play?
3. Fielders should hustle to their appropriate position then freeze
4. Coach evaluates where the players moved to and makes any necessary corrections
5. Once players master the basics, try hitting live ground balls into the infield.
6. You can also add live baserunners to create more complex situations

Basic Baserunning Drill - Team  Relay

Purpose:

Running hard around the bases is important for the players to learn. This drill will keep them on their toes and have them compete against their teammates to stay ahead.

Setup:

Two lines — one at home plate, the other at second base.

Execution:

1. Divide team into two groups — put one group at home, the other at second base.
2. On the coaches’ signal for players to take off, the players on second sprint towards third, and then home, first, and back to second to tag their next teammate.
3. The runners from home do the same thing, only they round the bases in the correct order.
4. The teams will continue to do this, tagging the next player in line when they reach their team bag, until all players on a team have completed a circuit.

Hitting - Balloon Drill

Purpose:

This drill teaches players the right stride length to take when they are hitting.

Setup:

Line up 6 batters with nearly filled balloons. Don’t fill the balloons up too much, as they will pop too easily. All batters should have bats and helmets to start.

Execution:

1. The balloon cannot touch the ground.
2. It should be placed between the thighs of the batter and then they should assume their batting stance.
3. When the batter strides forward on their swing, they need to keep the balloon from falling to the ground.
4. If the player overstrides, they will drop the balloon. Point this out and make corrections.
5. The ideal stride length is very short - just 6-12 inches

If you enjoyed these drills and want to see more, make sure you check out the Essential Softball Skills and Drills eBook. You get instant access to 34 unique drills covering every major skill. It's delivered in PDF format, so you can download it to your computer, save it to your mobile device, or print out the pages you need and bring them right to the field.

Or, if you're looking for more free articles, check out the links below:

• Softball Drills for Kids 8U
• Softball Drills for Kids 12U
• Softball Drills for 18U