Softball Drills

8/3/2019 Softball Drills

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SOFTBALL DRILLS

for the NHSACA Convention

SOFTBALL DRILLS mentioned at the NHSACA Convention

1. 3-man bunt drill ... 2 tossers, each with a ball, 1 batter. Alternate who pitches and bunter mustbunt back to the one that pitched the ball.

2. Diamond drill ... Place 4 balls between each base, have 4 girls at the pitchers mound, on GO allgirls run and pick up one ball and throw it the next base. They then run to the center, touch thepitchers mound and run to the next set of balls. Example for one girl: At the mound, I run to theballs between home & 1st, pick one up and throw it to 1st; run back to the mound then on to theballs between 1st & 2nd; pick one up and throw it to 2nd; run back to the mound then on to theballs between 2nd & 3rd; pick one up and throw it to 3rd; run back to the mound then on to the

balls between 3rd & home; pick one up and throw it to home and run to the mound to finish 1st.The fielders at each base are now the runners and the runners have a break while a new crewfields balls at the bases.

3. Infield Hustle Drill with the machine at home plate. Equal lines of athletes at 3rd, SS, 2nd, and1st. Everyone throws to 1st base. With the machine, drop to 3rd, she throws and goes to the backof the SS line; immediately drop a ball to a new girl at SS, she throws and goes to the back of theline at 2nd; immediately drop a ball to a new girl at 2nd, she throws and goes to the back of theline at 1st; make sure the girl at 1st has fielded the ball from the 2nd baseman before droppingthe ball out of the machine to her. As they leave 1st, they run around behind me at the plate, andtell me how many errors they have. When they get three errors, they are out of the game and itgets interesting.

4. Outfield Hustle Drill with the machine at home plate. All balls are fly balls because of the rapidaction and because there is an infielder at each base. Everyone else is lined up in the left field outof bounds area ... 1 gal in left field. With the machine, drop a fly ball to left; let her throw the ball to3rd and start running to center and drop a ball to center and another one to a new girl in left; letthe 1st girl throw the ball to 2nd and start running to right and drop a ball to right, center, and left;keep dropping balls right, center, & left; until everyone is in the right field foul territory untileveryone is over there and we do the same thing coming back.

5. Rapid fire drill - hit to infielders & outfielders ... anyone can hit 30 balls to each player and theythrow every 5th ball to designated area. Lots of hitting all going on at once.

6. 3 second drill - throwing a lost ball. Stand behind runner, drop a ball into her ankle, gently, shepivots, locates ball and throws into partner's glove ... she has 3 seconds (counting aloud) to get

the ball into the glove. The distance throwing is across the infield.

7. Run bases - jog even, sprint odd, minimum 10, everyone runs.

8. 3 man pivot drill - catch, pivot, throw. Three to a line ... Spread out over your whole field, and dothrowing races.#1 ... just throw from 1-2-3-2-1 and first one back wins.#2 ... throw 3 times down and back for a winner.


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#3 ... make them think; 1-3-2-3-1-2-3-1.And whatever other fun throwing relays you can come up with.

9. Free Hitting #1 ... Batter tosses and hits to fielders

10.Free Hitting #2 ... Another player soft tosses to hitter

11.Free Hitting #3 ... Three pitchers and 2 hitting stations off the field left and right, these arebunting stations.

12.Catch, run and throw drill (follow the ball); triangle to left and triangle to right. Players needed:LF, 2 2nds, 3rd, 1st, RF, 2 Catchers, and extras split and waiting to go into LF or RF. Here is howit works: You take a ball from catcher on the 3rd base side and hit to LF, as soon as she catchesthe ball she throws to 2nd who throws to 3rd who throws back to the catcher. As soon as the ballwas caught by the LFer, you immedately get a ball from the catcher on the 1st base side and hit aball to the RF who throws to 2nd who throws to 1st and who throws to the catcher. Each girl whothrows a ball, follows that ball and runs to the next position to field. After they rotate in to thecatcher position, they rotate to the opposite field. Example of one player: LF, 2nd, 3rd, Cat, runover & stand in the line for RF, RF, 2nd 1st,Cat, run over & stand in the line for LF; Repeat; You

as the hitter, just keep hitting balls to the LF and RF and LF and RF and duck once in a while.

13.Second base toss for double play drill. Line at 2nd & SS; start sitting and rolling the ball, back upto hit with bat from the plate. Throw the ball quickly to every girl at SS and just give them enoughtime to throw the ball for a double play and get to the back of the 2nd basemans line. First base isa stationary girl. Then throw all balls to the 2nd and give strategy hints while the drills goes. Backup and hit balls.

14.Backhanders - throw to backhand, 25 each-rotate, (2 people, 2 balls)

15.Throw from knees .. warm up drill

16.3 outs drill, we always play 3 outs before going in for the day. You hit a ball wherever you wantand if it is a hit, still 3 outs, if it is an out, we need 2 more to go in and if it is an error, we need 4outs to go in. Add an out on errors and subtract an out on outs. I always finish with a very hard hitto 3rd. The team encourages her a great deal to get the ball because we can go home.

17.Catcher full gear and 1st with shin guards. Throw in the dirt in front of each player. Everyonethrows from pitcher area to stations.

18.Around the horn, 4 man teams, timed on 2 laps.

19.Quick release, 2 lines with partners opposite each other, first 2 athletes to 20 win, then rotateeveryone to the right so they have a new partner.

20.Funnel drills--bare handed, then with glove. Throwing then batting. You can also use ping pongpaddles with rubber tubing around the paddle to hold it onto the hand.

21.Infield footwork drill....slide right, left, right, up, etc. Outfielders are running angles back and leftor back and right.

22.Machine hitting: Points for the following #1 you call no pulling allowed; #2 you call only pullingallowed; #3 you call only line drives allowed;


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23.Machine hitting: bunts with bats as boundaries; a good bunt is a single, a bunt in zone 2 drawnin the dirt and you run to 2nd; a bunt in zone 3 and you run to 3rd; a missed or fouled off bunt andyou run all the way around. Each player get only one ball, runs, and back into line.

24.Machine hitting: spray paint some balls blue and some red. Hide the balls when you drop themin the machine. Batters must: Bunt the blue; Take the red; Hit away on the white balls.

25.Pickle drills ... You throw the ball whenever you want them trapped and work on your coverage.

26.Running drill #1 -- read coaches signs at 3rd (go, stand up, slide).

27.Running drill #2 -- everyone lines up on the line between home and 1st and watches the coach;they take a lead-off as though the ball has been pitched and if the coach points at the 1st baseside they dive back (everyone) and if the coach points to left field they sprint across the infield tothe line between 2nd and 3rd. Do the same thing coming back.

28.Defense - 1st throw back, lets it go through. Check to see if your backup player is there.

29.Defense - 1st fielder lets it go through. We are checking to see if our 2nd fielder is there.

30.Ball handling skills:a. Partners run away from you on go; you throw ball; they locate & catchb. Toss from behind over their head; they locate & catchc. Toss to the side, facing the coach, alt. left or right, they dive & catch

31.Hitting off twirly balls when ground is wet. Everyone wears a helmet. If you drill a hole in asoftball, you can put a heavy hank of rope thru the hole and tie a knot at both end of the hole,next to the ball. You can now spin the rope and use it for hitting practice. Rope must finish six toeight feet long.

32.Signs ... Athletes give signs to each other

33.Indian run drill; groups of 4 jog in a straight line and only the #1 gal has a ball; whenever shewants to, she tosses it straight up, #2 catches it and becomes #1 and the gal that tossed the ballgoes to the back of the line. They jog all over the field.

34.Pitchers pitch to the wall and practice fielding.

35.Hit whiffle golf balls with broom sticks. Use left hand only, then right hand only, and both handswith full swing. Also put the broom stick behind your back and swing with the hips and the elbowsare holding the stick.

http://www.amug.org/~nlellis/sb.dhs.drills.html
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Softball Fielding Drills Rapid Fire Infield Drill & Bare Hand InfieldBecky| |Comments (0)

Here are two softball fielding drills I do after warm-up and stretching

when we break out into infield/outfield practice. Both of these drills are for the infielders.

Rapid Fire Infield Drill

Infielders are at all positions with a catcher on each side of me.

Hit the ball to short, who throws to 1st then home.

Hit to 2B who throws to 3B who throws home.



This is done in rapid fire sequence emphasizing fielding/throwing/footwork. As the drill goes on

you can vary where everyone throws to and work on DP, etc.I make sure fielding position is correct and any bad throws cost the player a foul pole.

Bare Hand InfieldI take the entire infield, except the catcher, and throw them ground balls to catch with their bare

hands.

Once they field the ball they take their glove hand and throwing hand to their throwing side ear.

It has really worked well in getting the players to keep their gloves on the ground and not raise

up too early and they have the ball up and ready to throw very quickly.
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5/12

Softball Hitting Drills Going for the PointsBecky| |Comments (0)

This is the one of the softball hitting drills our kids love the most;

we call it Going for the Points. It teaches aggressiveness and confidence at the plate and that,if it is a strike, you need to be swinging. This works equally well for softball and baseball.

Going for the Points

Put a full defense on the field

3 kids form a hitting group

Coach pitches

Each hitter stays up until he either misses a pitch (strike), fouls a ball out of play (strike), or

lets a strike go by.

If you hit a fair ball you stay up.

If you hit a base hit or if the fielders make an error that would have allowed the batter toreach base, you get a point.

Players in the field focus to make the fielding plays so as not to give away points and hitters

concentrate on making contact and not letting good pitches go by.

Hitting group gets 3 rounds then they go out and play defense and a different group of 3 comes

in. Assistant coach or team mom keeps track of their individual points or if the groups are even( 4 groups of 3) we have group scores. Player or group with most points at end of drill gets a

rousing cheer at end of practice and is excused from wind sprints.

They love it because it is competitive and they get to hit. coaches love it because they have toconcentrate on defense and make the plays; they police themselves on lack of focus in the field

and being ready to make plays.
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6/12

Softball Hitting Drill Bunt Game for All LevelsBecky| |Comments (0)

I use this softball hitting drill for all levels from beginnersthru high school.It is a fun way to learn bunting as well as quick hands for the infielders.

Bunt Game, Tourney Style!Split up the kids into teams of 3

Use throw down base to make 4-5 fields in the outfield.I make the bases anywhere from 25-40 feet apart.

Adjust accordingly to your players abilities.

The defense is comprised of a first baseman, pitcher and third baseman.

The offense must bunt the ball between the pitcher and the third base line. You can also set

up cones or a string line a little left of the pitcher to make it more difficult for the hitters.

Any ball popped up is an out, whether it is caught or not.

Any ball to the right of the pitcher is also an out.

The third baseman must stay behind the base until the bunter makes contact.

The pitcher makes a good crisp throw but must not throw too hard. The idea is to bunt the

ball, not strike people out from a short distance.

A run is scored each time the offense reaches first safely.

No runners stay aboard, their goal is to simply beat the throw at first.

We play 3 inning games and do it tourney style.

Every inning, rotate the defense so each kid plays each position once. Be sure to wear helmets.

The kids always enjoy the competition and want to do this drill every chance they get. Great for

infielders to practice quick hands and an excellent way to get plenty of reps in forbunting. Every year the girls talk about who won the bunt tourney!

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Softball Hitting Techniques - 10 Absolutes of Good Hitting

1. A Balanced Workable Stance

Good athletes are always balanced even in awkward situations. A balanced stance gives a solid

comfortable base to work from, and helps reduce tension.

. Rhythm and Movement in the Stance

Although it isnt always obvious, good hitters always have some kind of body movement in thestance. They are like a car with the engine idling. This allows them to quickly execute

movements and shift weights smoother.

3. A Smooth Weight Shift

A smooth weight shift from back side to forward side to hit from a firm front side. A hitter must

shift weight from back to forward to hit effectively. How smoothly and quickly this is

accomplished will determine how hard you hit the ball.

4. Striding With The Front Toe Closed:

Striding with your front toe open can pull you out of position, causes your hips to possibly opentoo much, and can throw off the timing mechanics of your swing.

5. Having The Ball In The Launch Position:

Having the ball in the launch position before or when the front foot completes the stride orweight shift. Good hitters have the bat ready to launch before the foot completes the stride. Both

movements are separate. They all step to swing as the two movements are separate.

6. Good Hitters Go To The Ball To Hit It:

Good hitters go to the ball to hit it. They dont wait for it to come to them. Always strive to makecontact with the ball.

7. A Tension Free Swing Is Crucial:

A tension free swing is crucial. Tension prevents full extension, causes your head to move

improperly, and prevents a smooth swing.

8. Keep Your Head Down And Eyes On The Ball:


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Keep your head down and eyes on the ball as you swing and hit. Good hitters see the ball longer.

Body balance is the key to being able to do this.

9. Use The Whole Field To Hit:

Use the whole field to hit. Hit the ball where its pitched. Lay off the bad pitches.

10. Hit Through The Ball:

Hit through the ball. Follow through and get out of the box and sprint to first as fast as possible.

http://www.softballperformance.com/softball-hitting/10-absolutes-of-good-hitting.html
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9/12

Softball Fielding Tips - Developing a Middle Infielder

By Dot Richardson

This article will address the defensive fundamentals for the middle infielders in the sport of

Fastpitch softball. It does not matter what level an athlete reaches, she must concentrate on

proper execution of these basic skills. The athlete who continually works on improving defensivefundamentals is the one who can build on her performance to

reach new levels of success.

Before discussing the physical aspects, it is appropriate to first

establish the mental attitude. Every great ballplayer possesses

the confidence in herself to keep reaching for a level of

performance never achieved. As an infielder, this attitude is to

get front of every ground ball and to move quickly. Theseconcepts should be a permanent part of your thought process

whether it be during practice or a game. If your mind isprepared to play, then your body will simply react. It is then

that physical skills can be performed at their optimal level.

The essential equipment for defense naturally are your glove

and cleats. As my first coach always said, be good to your

glove and it will be good to you! Ones glove should be

shorter in length than outfielders because as you will see laterthe ground ball is mostly fielded in the palm area of the glove

and not in the webbing. It should also fit your hand snugly. Ifyou have small hands or simply would like better control ofthe glove, place the fourth and fifth fingers in the last finger slot. The suggestion for cleats is to

wear a pair that fit comfortably, and even more importantly, the pair you run fastest in!

An important phase of fielding is the ready position. Actually, it is probably the mostimportant fundamental to establish in your game. The ready position is the time when you are

mentally prepared for any situation that can arise and physically set to react both efficiently andeffectively. When we first begin playing the sport, we hear a familiar voice coming from the

dugout, Every one get in the ready position; gloves on the ground. I want to emphasize as

middle infielders NOT to put your glove on the ground. The ready position should be one that

allows you the freedom of quick and efficient movements.

This is accomplished by being positioned at the level in which you run. If you have to lift your

glove off the ground then that will be your first movement instead of one towards the ball. As arule, the closer your playing position is to home plate the closer your glove is to the ground. In

the ready position keep your feet a little wider than shoulder-width apart, knees comfortably

bent, and slightly off the heels. It is extremely important that you play the sport on the balls ofyour feet. This will improve your range and performance tremendously. The arms should hand
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comfortably with the elbows slightly bent.

You are now ready to explode toward the hit ball. Your first movement from the ready

position is the most important. There is a significant difference in this reaction time between theaverage and above average infielder. Once the ball is hit, sprint at an angle that would put you in

front of it with enough time to get yourself in proper fielding position. It is important to pumpboth of your arms when sprinting for the ball. There are many players that do not do this while

running for a ball and it limits their range.

When you are in front of the ground ball, line the ball up a little to the left of the middle of your

body. This is because the glove is on your left hand (vice versa for left-handers). The proper

technique for receiving the ball is to first position yourself on the balls of your feet, placing them

wider than they were in the starting position. The width is determined by the location of the ball.

The more the ball hugs the ground the wider your feet have to be and the closer your glove is tothe ground. Once the feet are positioned, bend at the knees and then reach both of your arms outtowards the ground ball. This reaching should lift your bottom up a little and result in the glove

positioned past an imaginary line that exists between your forehand and the ground straight down

from it. This may sound confusing but it is a very important concept to grasp. If a ground ballthat hugs the ground is rolled to an infielder, the glove should be positioned way out in front of

the athlete such that the arms are almost completely extended. The forehead should be seen with

the glove properly located out in front of the athlete.

This concept of fielding a ball with the glove placed out in front is an extremely important

feature for fielding success. It features the advantage of not having to move the head, therefore,

the eyes can accurately focus on the ball. Also the glove is positioned far enough in front of thebody so the player has enough time to react to an unexpected bad bounce or miscalculation.

Believe me, it will make a difference. It creates an ease in defense that adds to your ability to

reach new levels of success. When fielding the ball, the glove should be positioned with the palmfacing forward. This gives you the advantage of having the glove open for easy reception of the

ball. If the glove was removed at this point, both arms and hands would be identically positioned

to go on top of the ball immediately after it has entered the glove. As a reminder: when the ball isflat on the ground, your glove must contact the ground!

Most fielding problems arise with the timing involved in getting into the proper position. A

player may get into position too soon and as a result will be letting the ball play her instead of

her playing the ball.

More commonly, the player positions herself too late and as a result receives the ball between

her feet.

A good way to work on timing is to have ground balls rolled straight to you. Notice how you

field the ball. Once the ball enters the glove and the throwing hand goes on top of it, stop and


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analyze your technique. Notice whether or not you are on the balls of your feet, with the knees

bent, and feet positioned wide enough to allow the glove to reach out level with the ball.

Your bottom should lift slightly due to the extension of both arms out in front of you.

Do not squat when fielding a ground ball!

At the point of reception, the ball enters the palm of the glove and as soon as it does, the

throwing hand goes on top of the ball! This is crucial for developing consistent defensive

performance.

Notice the palm of the glove was mentioned not the web. Oftentimes, the ball is lost in the

webbing of an infielders glove. There is difficulty in finding the ball which results in poorexecution of the play.

Remember to get that throwing hand over top of the ball once it enters the glove! If your glove is

positioned properly, the ball will enter the palm of the glove naturally.

Once your throwing hand is on top of the ball, pull the glove with the ball and the throwing handon top of it to a position just below your chest referred to as the cradle position. As this isbeing done, move your back throwing foot (right foot for right-handers) to where the glove was

on the ground when you fielded the ball. If you field a ball that is off the ground, step with theback throwing foot to the ground immediately below where the ball was fielded. When placing

this foot, land on the ball of the foot with the arch directed toward the receiving target. Pointing

the arch toward the target will result in a sideways rotation of the body. When you bring the

other leg through, this sideways rotation is completed.

In setting up for your throw, before your front throwing foot (left foot for right-handers) touchesthe ground take the ball out of the glove.

Notice the angle that your right bicep and right forearm make with each other once you removedthe ball from the glove. This angle is approximately 45 -60 during the entire throw.

When your front throwing foot makes contact with the ground: 1) you should be completelysideways to the target, 2) on the balls of both feet, and 3) the angle at the throwing elbow is the

same as that developed from removing the ball from the cradle position, while the front elbow

shows some extension. The sideways positioning is very important for generation of maximum

velocity of the throw. If you find that in the sideways position your front foot points at the target,

your hips have opened too early.

Opening your hips too soon will eliminate some of the power you can generate. The hips shouldboth be completely sideways to the target when the front foot contacts the ground.

This concept not only applies to throwing but also to the rotation involved in hitting. When

maintaining the sideways position, it is imperative that you land on the ball of the front foot to
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allow the necessary rotation on that foot during the throw. The result of all of this will aide in the

development of a good, strong and quick throw.

The basic fundamentals are necessary for every type of defensive positioning. The forehand and

backhand are considered emergency plays. Remember the goal of every good infielder is to get

in front of every single ball that is hit. The forehand play is initiated from the ready position. Onesprints at the appropriate angle toward the ball with the intent to get in front of it. When this

cannot be accomplished, the glove leg extends out.

Next, the glove arm extends toward the path of the ball with the glove leg bending to bring the

glove to the appropriate level.

Once the ball is in the glove, continue with your momentum for another stride in order to best

position your back throwing foot for the throw. You want to try and get your body sideways tothe target as much as possible. At the same time, bring the glove and ball up to meet the

throwing hand. Then bring both to the cradle position. The cradle position is very important

because it allows the infielder to get under control. Once sideways to the target, you are ready tocomplete the play.

The backhand is similar to the forehand play. Start in the ready position. Sprint towards theground ball with the intent to get in front of it. When it is apparent you cannot properly position

yourself, extend your glove leg while moving your glove arm to the balls path. When reachingwith the glove for the ball, bend the glove leg enough to allow the glove to get to the appropriatelevel for reception. Once the ball is in the glove, quickly bring the glove up to meet the throwing

hand.

Next, bring both up to the cradle position. When the ball is in the glove, make one more step

onto your back throwing leg. You want to position it on the ground so that the arch is facing thetarget. When you do this, it is extremely important to stay at the level you were at when you

fielded the ball. If this is executed properly, you will be able to shift your momentum onto theback throwing foot and then transfer all of it onto the front foot during the throw.

On the overhand, if you field the backhand and pull the ball back to you or take one more step onto the

back throwing foot but stand straight up, all of your power will dissipate and the result will be a weaker

throw.

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