I received this suggestion on [tag]coaching fastpitch softball[/tag] from Jamie. Try this [tag]outfield[/tag] [tag]softball[/tag] drill at your next practice. Keep them coming!
There is one [tag]drill[/tag] that I work on with my outfielders. We are an 18U [tag]fastpitch[/tag] softball team.
And we as an outfield are having problems taking the right angles to balls. So what I decided to do is put cones in the gaps of the fields (3 cones). So if you were looking at it from home plate the cones start out wide and then get more narrow as you go back to the fence. So if you have 4 outfielders you put 2 on the first cone closest to the infield, and the other 2 on the opposite side of them. (in the other gap)
What I do is give them 10 grounders where they have to run around the cones to field the ball, and then coming through. So it is teaching the girls to get behind the ball and then come through the ball in the direction that they will be throwing. Making sure that they field the ball on the proper side of their body, running through the ball with runners on base and not sitting back waiting for the ball to get there. They switch sides each time and once they go from both sides that is considered to be 1. They go 10 times then we do fly balls, and then line drives. Teaching them how to keep running and do not pull up if you think that you are going to dive for a ball.