When the ball gets hit deep into the outfield, unless you’ve got a girl with some kind of rocket arm, your going to need two throws to get the ball all the way to home. Practicing the relay is important, because if players understand their limitations better, and know where to go to get the ball from point a to point b as fast as possible, they’ll be much more coordinated and effective.
This is a simple drill that I like to run for 5 minutes every practice, as it’s great for the above mentioned reasons, but also for improving arm strength, and assessing your best outfield throwers.
Relay Drill
To keep the drill controlled, do the batting yourself, and just toss yourself up easy lobs. You can either have your entire infields and outfields out on the field, or just work one side at a time, depending on your available time and space.
Hit the ball deep into the outfield. Your outfielder should scoop up the ball easily, but now we want to get the ball to home. If the ball is in the left outfield, your shortstop should come right out to the grass line of the infield, and if were on the right side, it’ll be the 2nd baseman. Regardless though, the shortstop or 2nd baseman should be calling for the ball, communicating to both the outfielder and the rest of their teammates that they’ll be getting the ball.
From here it should be a simple throw to home plate if a runner is making a go at it, but otherwise, just throw it to the pitcher, and let him assess the situation.
That’s all for today! If you’ve got any questions or concerns, make sure your voice is heard, and give me a shout below! Or even better, come check out our Facebook page, where you can find daily Softball updates!