Table of Contents
Videos
14 Pitching and Fielding Videos
11 Hitting Videos
3-2-1:
Place three balls equal distance apart about three fourths of the way from third
to home. Have a runner (team 1) and have a fielder on third base and one one 2nd
base (team 2).
When you say "go", the runner must reach 2nd base before the fielder
fields and throws the balls to the fielder at second base. All throws must be
accurate. If the fielders get all balls to second base before the runner gets
there, the fielders get 1 point. If the runner gets there first, they get 1
point.
The runner is on the base in her ready position
(ready for her lead off). Another player or coach is a short distance from her,
in the base path from 1st to 2nd base. The coach holds a tennis ball at eye
height. As the ball is dropped on a piece of flat wood, the runner leaves the
base and attempts to catch the ball before it bounces off the wood a second
time. The distance for this drill is determined by the skill level of the
runners, but start out close so that she can easily catch the ball and slowly
move back to challenge her.
Split the team in half and form two lines at home plate, one staggered ahead
and inside the other. The coach stands at the pitcher's circle with two bats.
When he (she) hits the bats together, the lead runners in both lines take off.
One runs straight through first base as if she is beating out a groundball, the
other makes a turn and continues into second. You now have runners at first and
second and two lines of runners still at home. At the next crack of the bat, the
drill continues in the same manner but the runner on second now rounds third and
scores while the runner on first takes third. Now every base should be occupied.
It continues again, with the runner on third tagging up and scoring. Two runners
will now score each time the bats are hit together. They will then return to the
end of the opposite line and the bases will always remain loaded.
The coach can gauge when the team has had enough and end the drill when the last
player on line crosses home.
The drill allows for every baserunning situation, allows the coach to check
running mechanics and proper turns and helps build stamina with short bursts.
It's much more helpful than having the players continually circle the bases. You
will find that the runner scoring from second will often chase the runner
tagging from third home, making for a good game-type situation.
Out of the Box Drill: This drill is similar to
the base drill, but this time the runner is a batter. The dropper is lined up a
short distance from home plate in the base path to 1st base.
Have the batter take a normal swing with a "bat" (use a fake bat, or
top of a batting tee). As the "bat" enters the impact or contact zone,
drop the tennis ball and have the batter run out of the batters box and catch
the ball before it bounces on the wood a second time. Once again, start out at a
short distance and increase the distance to challenge the batters.
NOTE: Make sure batters weight is balanced and not leaning forward or backward
or she will take unnecessary steps to regain her balance before running for the
ball. Also, watch the right arm and elbow (right handed batters). The proper
movement is to drive the elbow back and outside the hip to initiate the running
sequence. Finally, watch the "bat" to make sure she does not
"whip" the bat back to the right side and then run. The
"bat" should be dropped by the left hand after the right hand has
released it.
This drill teaches two things. The first is to get out of the batters box
quickly and with the least amount of steps and wasted movement. The second thing
it teaches is to hit the ball and run. Not to HIT THE BALL, ADMIRE YOUR HIT AND
THEN SAUNTER TO FIRST BASE.
Have a fielder on first base and one on third base (team 1). Place a ball on
a tee or soft toss it to a hitter (team 2). The hitter hits the ball and runs to
as many bases as she can reach before both fielders have touched the ball. For
each base she reaches before the fielders touch the ball, her team gets 1 point.
They all like this one!!
Split up your team into two teams and have the
catcher on each team make up signs for her players. One of the teams will play
defense in the field, while the other team runs the bases. The team running the
bases will begin with a runner on both first and third, with the object being to
score a run.
This becomes a game of competition, with the team scoring the most points
winning. The runner on first has only three pitches in which she must attempt to
steal second base. A successful steal of second base will be worth one point,
and a run scored will be worth three points. If the girl scores at second base
and the other is out at home then they get one point and have one out. However,
if the runner scores at home and the girl is out at second, the out does not
count because the girl scored.
Defensively, the object is to stop the runner from scoring while also attempting
not to give the runner second base on an easy steal. The catcher calls the play
before the pitcher pitches the ball. Usually we play one or two innings and the
losing team has to run sprints.
This drill really helps during the games and the girls feel more comfortable
about the steal when there is a runner on third base. Additionally, the catcher
feels more comfortable throwing the ball down with a runner on third base
We use this game to start the practice almost
every night. It is fun and gets the blood moving.
Have your players lay on the ground in a circle with their heads toward the
middle of the circle. Designate a player to start the action. When she starts,
she gets up and runs over every player in the circle until she gets to an open
spot (vacated by the first player she has run over) and then she lays down on
the ground (usually falls down). After the starter has run over the FIRST player
on the ground, SHE gets up and runs over every player until she finds an open
spot (vacated by the FIRST player SHE has run over) and then lays down.
When played right, you will have 3 or 4 girls running over players and falling
down at all times. The players love this game and it is a good warm up exercise.
Place two bases 40-60 ft. apart. Only three
people are needed. One at each base and one to be the runner. I would recommend
using tennis balls to avoid getting hurt.
The fielder with the ball should begin at the bag opposite the runner. Starting
with his foot on the bag, the runner gets a 3-5 sec. lead toward the base in
front of them. After they have touched the first base and gets a start back to
the other base the fielder they just ran from throws the ball to the other
fielder to try and tag the runner out. If the ball gets past the fielder or they
drop it, the runner can turn around after touching that base and run back to the
other. The runner would just go back and forth as many times they can until they
get into a pickle. If the fielder catches the ball, they can run the runner back
to the base like a real pickle situation in a game. The runner can not get
credit for this base because they didn't touch the other base, yet.
The goal of this game is to touch the bases as many times as you can without
being tagged out. The runner must keep track of how many times they touch the
base before a fielder tags them out. When that runner gets out, they rotate
positions so that the fielders can be the runner. After everyone has ran, they
compare their scores (bases touched).
This is a good drill for all aspects of stealing.
Put players at each of the infield positions. Have the rest of the team put on
helmets and line up at 1st base. The baserunners will each run the bases in this
pattern: lead off, steal. Only one runner on the bases at time. The first runner
gets ready on first. The pitcher pitches the ball and the runner takes a lead.
The catcher attempts a pick-off at first and the runner tries to get back in
time. On the next pitch the runner attempt to steal second and the catcher tries
to throw her out. The runner proceeds with a big lead at second, stealing third
and big lead off at third. The final pitch for that runner is a deliberate
passed ball/wild pitch which gives the catcher and pitcher a chance to practice
this play.
To encourage the runners to take big leads and to teach them what they can get
away with we will place little pieces of candy in the dirt as a challenge. If
they can grab the candy and get back safely, they can keep the candy. After they
have done this drill a couple of times, allow the runners to do a "delayed
steal" on their lead offs. If the catcher throws to first, the runners can
attempt to go to second. This way the catchers learn to recognize the delayed
steal and run the baserunner back.
The drill gives the catcher a lot of practice throwing to the bases, allows the
infielder to practice positioning themselves for and putting on the tag, and
allows the baserunners a chance to practice leading off, sliding, and themselves
before practice officially started while the coaches were taking care of some
paperwork. The coaches decided to just sit a watch them coach themselves
Have 1/4th the players line up behind first base,
1/4th the players line up behind second base, 1/4 the players line up behind 3rd
base, and 1/4th the players line up at home. You will need to have a dozen or so
eggs (not hardboiled). Give 2 eggs (one for each hand) to the first player in
line at home. She has to run to first base and slide, with her hands up so as
not to break the eggs. The first player in line at first base, gets the eggs
from the runner and runs to second base and slides. This continues until all the
players have run and slid.
You will be amazed how few (if any) eggs are broken. We have never broken one!!
This drill is for conditioning and control.
Player set-up
A catcher stands between first and second base with a discard bucket. The rest
of the team stands between third base and home with gloves.
Ball set-up
Place three balls on the first baseline, spacing them a few feet apart. Do the
same on the second baseline. Place 5 balls in the center of the field,
vertically between catcher and player.
Drill
This drill should be run one player at a time. The player sprints to any ball on
the field, and throws it to the catcher. (If the throw is not good, the ball is
replaced by another player for a second try.) They then sprint back to where
they started, and go after another ball. This goes on until all of the balls are
in the bucket. This drill should be tiring, and should be run at a sprint. Time
the players if they need motivation. The other players on the team should be
cheering on the runner.
My daughter calls this game, "The Running
Game". It is also as old as the hills, but we use it almost every night in
practice.
Have half of the team line up at second base and half the team line up at home.
On the signal, one player from each team runs the bases until she reaches the
base she started out at. When she gets there, she tags the next runner in line
and she runs the bases. This is done until all the runners have run. Whoever
reaches their base first wins. The other team has to pick up the bases.
This is usually the last thing we do at the end of practice.
This game has been played ever since the start of
time. It is played with 2 teams. One team is at bat with a tee or soft-toss, the
other team has one fielder on third base and one on first base. The batter hits
the ball off the tee or from a soft-toss as hard as she can and runs as many
bases as she can until BOTH fielders have touched the ball.
Keep score by counting bases reached before the ball is touched. After all
batters have batted, switch sides.
Vertical Leap Drills: Equipment required: 2
lengths of rope (about 15-20 feet long).
1. Static Jump: Have two players hope the rope LOOSELY in their hands at a
height of the jumper's knees. From a stationary position facing the rope, have
the jumper, jump over the rope using her hands and legs to propel her over it.
If she does hit the rope, instruct the holders to drop it. Next raise the rope
to half way through the thigh. Then to the top of the thigh. Do this twice.
2. One Step Jump: Have the holders hold the rope at knee height and have the
jumper take a step and jump over the rope with both feet (jump rope style).
Raise the rope to half way through the thigh and to the top of the thigh.
3. Two Rope Jump: Have two sets of players hold two ropes. The first one is at
the jumpers knees. The second rope is at mid thigh. Have the jumper stand
inbetween the ropes and stretch out her arms. This is the distance between the
two ropes. The jumper faces the first rope and takes a step and jumps over the
first rope and immediately upon landing, she jumps over the second rope without
taking a step. Do this twice. This drill improves vertical leap which is
directly related to speed and quickness.
4. Lines on The Field: Equipment Required: Strips of cloth, small pieces of wood
or chalk to make marks on the field (outfield). Have an area of about 60 feet to
run in. Make lines (like hash marks) on the field indicating where players feet
should be hitting as they leave the base or batters box. The first 10 feet
should be short, but getting longer as they build up speed. Place a marker at
about the halfway point and tell the players that when they reach the marker to
focus on pumping their arms faster. This drill will teach the proper way of
defeating inertia by taking short steps at first and then pumping their arms to
reach optimum speed.
NOTE: Watch for the proper arm position of 90 degree bend in the elbows. The
hands go from chest to pocket. KEEP THE HANDS OUTSIDE THE EYES. Also, there is a
direct correlation between the speed of the arms and the speed of the feet. As
an instructional demonstration, have the players try to run slowly while pumping
their arms as fast as they can. It doesn't work!!! The runner runs about 10
yards with the rope holder applying resistance. You do not want too much
resistance, just enough to keep the runner in the proper running position. Do
this 2 times then have the runner "free" sprint over the same distance
while the rope holder is putting on the belt. Then switch positions.
How to improve speed to first base.
First of all, you must realize that the game of softball is played entirely on
the balls of your feet, regardless of what position you play. There are only 2
times when your heels should hit the ground.
1. In between pitches when you are relaxing
2. In the dugout in between innings.
To generate more speed you must realize the dynamics of running. If you are
running with your heels hitting the ground first, you are actually pulling the
ground toward you. This is not generating any speed. When you run on the balls
of your feet and leaning forward, you are pushing the ground away from you and
this generates power and speed.
One of the best drills I have ever seen to improve strength in your stride
(running stride) is to do static jumps. This is done by stretching a length of
rope between two chairs or people (hold the rope very loosely). Hold the rope
about waist high and from a standing start, on the balls of your feet, jump over
the rope. You may have to start out lower, but get to the point where you can
jump over a rope at waist high, then add a second rope a couple of feet away
from the first. Jump the first rope and when you hit the ground, immediately
jump over the second. This will improve your speed the first day you do it.
Every day after that, you will see more and more speed.
The first few steps toward first base should be short, choppy steps and you must
be still in a bit of a crouch and leaning forward. After about 10 feet, begin to
straighten up just a bit and lean forward. When you reach almost half way to
first base, begin to pump your arms as fast as you can. This will make your legs
move faster, and don't stop until you go past first base.
The key to faster times out of the box and to first base is to run on the balls
of your feet. Do the drill and I am certain your will be a faster runner.
One thing I like to have my catchers work on is
retrieving balls near the backstop and making the play at the plate.
I dump a bucket of balls along the backstop behind the catcher. The catcher
starts in her usual stance; the pitcher starts approximately halfway to home. On
"GO" the catcher must turn around, go for a ball, look quickly, and
backhand the ball to the pitcher running in. The pitcher works on fielding the
ball and making the tag.
We do this 30+ times until the catcher is able to accurately place the ball at
the plate on repeated tries. This drill has improved the speed and accuracy of
the catcher's throws and the effectiveness of this play. It also helps alleviate
some of the pitcher's anxieties about making the play on a girl stealing home.
In our last game, we caught two girls trying to steal home on past balls. The
opposing coach stopped sending his players from third. Need I say more?
The best drill for catchers is to set up the
pitching machine at the pitchers mound and to shoot the balls into the ground
just behind home plate and in front of home plate, in full gear of course.
Inside drill is to tie catchers hands behind there back and throw sponge balls
into the floor and have them block them and move side to side.
There is one rule that I use with my catchers:
They will perform every drill with chest protector & shin guards on
(sometimes a mask but it can get pretty hot.) The reason for doing this is that
catchers must be able to react, act and think when they are uncomfortable and
sweaty. If you can get your catcher(s) to 'buy-in' to this it will make them
better in the long-run. Besides then you can really see who wants to catch and
who doesn't.
1) With full gear on (mask too) have your catcher get behind the plate w/out her
glove. Make sure she has a balanced stance with her weight on the balls of her
feet, knees bent (thighs parallel or slightly past) and toes slightly in towards
the plate. Draw a circle in the dirt about the diameter of a washing machine
around the plate. Have your catcher assume her crouch with both hands behind her
back.
A coach/player (never a pitcher) then throws Incredible/WhiffleBalls, Tennis
balls (to start with then move to regulation alls) low pitches/short hops at the
catcher. Using only her chest, legs and shoulders the catcher tries to make
every ball stay within the front of the circle. The catcher must use her
body/shoulders to keep the balls within the cirlce by 'bowing' her shoulders to
guide the balls to the front of the plate within easy reach distance.
We do this drill at 10 balls/3x for 30 balls a session with 3 sessions. We also
increase the reps until 1/2 through the season and then decrease because of
physical strain on the catcher(s) after 60-80 games in both school ball and
summer ball.
Have your catcher stand behind a plate in full
gear. I find that this drill works best in a gym with a backstop or wall behind
the catcher. Instead of wearing a catcher's mitt, have your player wear wooden
paddles strapped to their hands. The paddle should be large enough to cover the
catcher's hand even when fingers are fully extended.
With the catcher in the crouch position, fire balls to all corners of the plate.
The balls should hit the ground directly in front of the catcher. The catcher
then blocks each ball with the paddles.
This drill is meant to teach quickness, coordination, and will help overcome the
fear of incoming pitches.
A significant thing that is not stressed in these
other drills is the throwing mechanics.
A catcher should always bring their hand up to their ear and throw (of course
with a snap). When a catcher throws their glove (which should be extended
towards their target) should cross their chest when they throw. To gain speed on
the throw down to second, a catcher has to pop-up after they have caught the
ball. When they pop-up their feet should be at a 90 degree angle to what they
were at before.
A good drill to practice the popping up on steals is drawing a cross. Crouching
down on one of the lines a catcher should be able to pop-up and land on the
other line that crosses it.
*good practice for throwing correctly is holding onto your ear as you pop-up
each time*
One of the best catchers drills I've ever used is
to stick a 55gallon plastic garbage can on its side next to second base(1st base
side) and throw balls into the can from home plate. Then move can to 3rd base,
doing the same.
You will need a hula-hoop and some softball.
Place the hula-hoop upright over second base (a coach will hold it) and instruct
your catcher to make her throw from home plate through the hoop. This develops
accurate throws.
The second part of the drill, you can put a pitcher on the mound and practice
pitching and then have the pitcher duck when the catcher throws the ball down to
second base. This helps make a good pitcher/catcher connection.
The same drill can be used at third base. This drill gives the catcher a target
area to throw to. Use a player to act as backup behind the hoop.
I have been catching for 2 years now and I was
taught the ping pong drill last year. The catcher is in FULL gear and the coach
is at least 3 feet away throwing ping pong at the catcher. The catcher does this
drill first without a glove, then with a glove. It teaches the catcher to keep
the ball in front of her at all times no matter where the ball goes.
Here is a good catching drill that our catchers
do at every practice.
The catcher is in ready position with all the gear on. The player/coach stands
behind the catcher. The person in back tosses the ball high into the air and
yells "ball" and the catcher imediately throws the mask & helmet
and gets the ball before it hits the ground.
It is harder than it sounds and is great practice!!
The purpose of the first is to get beginning catchers (or rusty veterans)
used to seeing a flying object come directly at their face. Have the catcher (in
her face mask, helmet, and chest protector) stand up against a wall with her
hands behind her back. A coach/player stands 1-2 feet in front of the catcher
and lightly throw the ball so that it hits the catcher in the mask. As the balls
are hitting the mask encourage the catcher not to blink--a natural reaction for
everyone! It's not as easy as it sounds and it will take several sessions before
the catcher truly becomes adept at overcoming the impulse to close her eyes and
watch the ball all the way into (eventually) the glove.
The second is to work on quickness and response time.
Have the catcher, in full gear, crouch four feet away from a wall. The
coach/player stands two feet behind the catcher and throws the ball over the
head of the catcher and at the wall. The catcher can not see the throw and must
react to where it rebounds off of the wall. Insist on good side to side
movement, containing the ball with the shoulders, and staying square behind the
ball. As the catchers get more proficient at this drill, vary the speed and
angles at which the ball comes off of the wall.
The best thing for catchers is repetition, throw
50 balls in the dirt for blocking the plate, make them throw 50 to second off
the pitch. A good one for flies is have them crouch with the coach on his knees
in front off her, with ball in hand stretched out so the catcher can see it like
a pitch coming in. Then he flips it in the air in different directions so she
can practice getting the mask off and finding the ball.
The best way to correct your form is to practice
game situations or game-like situations w/out actual runners. Most of the
catchers that I have seen in the past eight years have been excuse me, but
pretty pathetic looking. Most coaches don't stress working with their catchers
and therefore they lack in good form. This drill will help with runners stealing
second base.
You want to make it seem like an actual game as much as possible. The pitcher
stands in the circle with a bucket of balls. The catcher is to be behind home
plate in full equipment in the crouch position. (This should be with thighs
parallel to the ground, a fairly wide stance for balance, and their left foot
slightly in front of the right, (for right handed players).
Draw a straight line across the ground in line with the left foot.) The catcher
should extend their left hand (glove hand) out and make a fist with the thumb
tucked inside. The right hand should be placed behind the glove pocket. This
will enable better control and a faster throw to second.
Have the pitcher pitch a regular fast ball down the middle of the plate. The
catcher is to lean forward slightly to get to the ball faster. As the catcher is
catching the ball they should turn their feet so their right foot is
perpendicular to the position that the left foot was in. They should not have
taken any steps toward the pitcher except the shuffle turn. Their left foot
should be open to second base, which will allow the throwing arm to be in a
straight line with second base. With the upper half of their body, they should
be in a sitting position with their back straight (like a wall sit.) The ball is
pulled with both hands up to the right of their face by their ear. The left arm
should then separate with the right and point to second base. With the ball in
the right and an extended right arm parallel to the ground, bend it to a 90
degree angle, hand toward sky. Rotate the right wrist backwards (as if to show
the python muscle.)
With each throw, the catcher should have the same grip on the ball. I use the
grip with my index, middle, and ring fingers crossing the seams. Keeping the
"L" shape in their arm, follow through the throwing motion keeping in
line with second base. Their weight should shift with the throw. (Make sure not
to shift the weight too soon, as this will create less speed on the ball.) The
left arm should release and fall as the right arm throws the ball.
Your follow-through should force your right foot into the fielder's position.
The ball should be going on a down angle to second base, not a straight line.
This will better enable the shortstop or second baseman to put the tag on. (The
receiver's glove should start on the ground and be pulled up for bad hops, not
started in the air as is often taught.) The catcher should not be stepping on
the plate or any where near the plate.
After this is done repeatedly (and don't worry it is not to be learned in one
day!), try other pitches. For a ball on the glove side, the ball should be
pulled across the body with both hands and into the throwing position. The body
should not go to where the ball is.
Here's a drill for strengthening and quickening
throw downs to second base.
The idea of a trash can is great--for more accuracy try an orange cone with a
ball on top, try to knock the ball off without hitting the cone.
Here's another great one. Lay five to six balls in a semi-circle in front of a
fully dressed catcher, from her stance have her retreive one ball and throw it
down, using proper throwing techniques. Then return to her stance. Do this until
she has thrown all the balls. Time her for fun. But make sure you emphasize
accuracy.
(By the way make sure she's working with her short stops, not the coaches, it's
practice for them too, and they learn to trust each other.)
You can also incorporate this with other positions and players
A very good drill we did to enhance speed and the
ability to move from side to side quickly was to get behind the plate in full
gear, and have the coach or pitcher throw or pitch balls to both sides of you.
The point is to be able to get your body in front of the ball so it never gets
away from you. You do this for 50 balls once at the beginning and once at the
end of practice. It's very tiring because you don't have time to get up and walk
back to the plate.
It is also a speed drill. Try it. It works!
The catcher, without a glove and hands shoulder
width apart at stomach height, tosses ball from hand to hand in 2-3' arcs for 30
seconds.
Gradually decrease height of arc and speed up hand transfer until ball is flying
back and forth between hands in a straight line.
Got that down? Then try it with eyes closed! The idea is not to drop the ball.
A catcher, in full gear, squats in a ready to
receive position. Five people stand about 35-45 feet away, spread evenly across
about a 65° arc. In turn, each person throws a ball at the squatting catcher.
The catcher’s job is to properly receive the ball, frame it, and drop it. As
the catcher is beginning to drop the first ball, the second person should be in
the motion of throwing the second ball. Done properly, this drill teaches soft,
quick hands.
Have each of the five players throw five balls each. Twenty-five receptions in
the span of about a minute will certainly teach soft hands. As age and skill
levels increase, you can increase both the number of balls thrown at a catcher,
and the pace at which each player makes their throw.
Keep a full bucket of balls on the pitchers
mound, and throw every ball in the dirt in front of the catcher. Vary the
pitches - some to the glove side, some right at the catcher, and some to the
backhand side. After throwing all the balls in the bucket into the dirt (to
practice keeping the ball in front of you) there are usually many balls behind
the catcher, against the fence or whatever backstop exists. When the last ball
is about to be thrown the pitcher must warn the catcher.
Once this ball gets by the catcher, they have to get every single ball as fast
as they can. When the last ball gets by the catcher, the pitcher (usually the
coach) must grab the empty bucket and run to home plate. The catcher must make
accurate throws to home so the pitcher can refill the bucket. Any wild throws
(throws past the pitcher covering home with the bucket) must be retrieved by the
catcher. Try timing this event for increase in speed.
One of my favorite fielding drill is what I call the: (1, 2, 3 drill). This
drill is great for both infielders as well as outfielders.
This is a line drive and pop up fielding drill which teaches players to catch
three types of flyballs.
1) a line drive right at them,
2) a line drive that they must stretch for,
3) and last a flyball that they must sprint to catch. This is how the drill
works.
Line your players up in a single file line, players should start on the fair
line just behind first base at the edge of the outfield grass. The coach will be
in right-center field with a bucket of balls. The players will be running in a
straight line about 50 to 60 feet away from the coach. (Running from first
towards second.) One player at a time and they need their gloves.
The coach starts by throwing a line drive right at the players, the player
catches it and will still running the coach throws the second ball in front of
the player making her reach to catch it, while the player is still running the
coach throws the third ball, which is a high pop fly out away from the player
that she must track down and catch it. After player one has been she returns to
the back of the line and it is time for the next player.
Keys importance to this drill:
1) Once the players starts running (she never stops nor hesitates) she sprints
all the way, catching all the balls on the run.
2) Once the players catches a ball she quickly throws it down and looks for the
next ball.
3) After the player has finish she retreats and picks up the three balls and
gets in the back of the line. (balls on the ground may cause a twisted ankle)
4) The coach needs to be quick and accurate with his/her throws. A line drive
right at them starts it off, then the second throw must be where they reach out
for, and the last throw is a fly ball out away from the player which they must
hustle down and catch.
5) This drill really works on catches you may encounter during a game.
6) There is a big difference between running and sprinting we like our players
to sprint while doing this drill.
Set up an infield with players playing 1st, 2nd,
ss, and 3rd. Have two coaches at home plate, one to hit & one to catch in.
Coach hitting the ball will be hitting quickly and randomly to the players on
the infield. Player fielding the ball will throw to 1st base who will throw ball
home to coach catching in. Other players are on the sidelines heckling those
fielding the ball trying to distract the fielders to actually create a bobble or
an error. If, and when this happens fielder will verbally admit to the error
"Uh-oh my bad or my fault" and will leave the field and a player on
the sidelines will take her place. The object here is to A:) Learn to focus no
matter what noise is going on in the stands. B:) If you make an error- admit it,
deal with it, get over it and continue on. C: ) For my girls it is a competition
as always and some of our best dives for the ball will happen.
Note: When the ball is missed and extra effort has been made such as a dive then
this is not considered an error and fielder will continue.
This drill is a "break down drill" Have
your players get in partner.
On there knees they role each other the ball. While fielding with bare hands (enforce
soft hands, paddles can be good for this) they lift there feet of the ground
behind them. This forces them to see the ball all the way in. After they have
done about twenty of that tell them to put their gloves on. Do about twenty that
way. Then have them work forehand and back hands the same way. When they are
done with that tell them to stand up and do the same things while standing.
Start with their gloves off and go back through the rotation. When they do
backhands and forehands make them start with their feet already in the position
they would be in when fielding the ball and make them concentrate on soft hands.
We do this drill everyday on my college team. While it can be really annoying it
really does help you focus on the basics and make sure that they are right.
A cutoff-approx. 50 ft. from the catcher. And 5 or 6 outfielders-each spread
out from right to left, approx. 50 ft. from cutoff. I start be hitting a ball to
the girl farthest left, she throws to cutoff, cutoff throws home. After throwing
to cutoof the fielder then runs to take her spot, the cutoff after throwing
home, runs home to become catcher, and the catcher is to run to the openspot in
the outfield. In a short amount of time fielders get to field in all outfield
positions,work on throws, and get some conditioning.
This drill is to help the kids keep an eye on the
ball. I write numbers on the balls in different colors 1-5. The girls have to
field the ball and call out the color the number is written in. When they get
the hang of that have them call out the number written. I use permant marker and
depending on the age I will determine what size to make the numbers.
Set out some small cones in an arc in the
outfield and then hit grounders to the outfielders. They must round the cones
before reaching the ball. This teaches them to go to the path of the ball and
not directly at the ball.
This drill was one of the most helpful drills as
a player, and now as an assistant coach. Players can do this drill after warming
up their arms, with their partner. One player keeps their glove on, the other
takes their glove off. The partner with the glove rolls them the ball. The
fielder must get down on the ball, or they will miss it.
They also learn they must get completely in front of the ball, and scoop or
"funnel" the ball to their waist.
You need 2 coaches (if girls are skilled enough let them hit the grounders),
2 crates of balls (25 in ea.), & 2 empty crates to set at designated base.
The drill goes as follows: Grounders to 3B who throws to First; other coach hits
to 2B who throws to SS covering second. Then: ss to 1B, 3B to 2b; 2B to 1B, SS
to 3B; 1B to 3B, SS to 2B.
There are variations we mix in also with catcher throwing to bases.
I divide the team into 2 groups. One group lines up behind third-base. The
other group lines up in deep right-center. I have an assistant coach acting as
my catcher as I hit hard grounders to the first in line at third-base. She
fields the ball and quickly makes a sharp throw to home-plate. I then hit a deep
fly ball to the first in line at right-center. As this player sprints to catch
the ball, the fielder that was at third-base sprints to a relay position for
home-plate. The outfielder hits the now relay fielder who should be properly
positioned to receive and relay the throw to home-plate.
The cycle repeats as the infielder that was the relay joins the rear of the line
of outfielders. The outfielder that caught and threw the ball to the relay then
joins the rear of the line of infielders.
Place half the team in left field and the rest in center. The coaches hit a
flyball in between the first two outfielders.
They both go for the ball with one catching it and the other properly backing up
the fielder. If the ball happens to get by both fielders then they will use a
relay throw to get the ball back to the coach.
This drill has helped greatly in backing up on all balls, and easy to do before
games.
Have the players line up and have one of them
selected to field a ball hit over her head. Hit or throw the ball over her head
and to the right or left. Make sure that she does not run with her glove up, but
rather put the glove down and run to catch the ball and then get her glove up
and make the catch.
Also, when doing these drills, make sure the fielder catches the ball in front
or to her throwing side so she can make a quick release of the ball to an
infielder.
The fielder stands about 20 yards away from the thrower. The fielder runs to
the right and makes the catch, then drops the ball and hauls it over to the far
left, makes the catch, drops the ball, then runs away from the thrower for the
longball, catches it, drops it, and runs straight towards the thrower for the
shallow ball and that's it.
Take the fielders and line them up in a straight
line. With plenty of space in between each one, line them up one behind the
other away from the coach. Number each player such that the first person is
number one, second is number two, and so on.
To execute the drill, the coach hits a hard grounder and calls one of the
numbers at the same time. That number must field it, while the others step out
of the way. The coach should randomly vary the numbers, so that each fielder has
a chance to field a grounder and none can predict whose turn it is.
This drill teaches quick reflexes and clear thinking under pressure
Playing area: Two large open spaces (field or gym). Divide the team into two
groups. A coach goes with each group and serves as the “hitter.”
Players do not use gloves in this game. The reason that gloves are not used
is to force players to field the ball with two hands, rather than just using the
glove and fielding the ball with one hand.
The game is basically “pepper”. The coach “hits” a softball towards
the fielders and one fielder tries to field the ball. A successful fielder stays
in place; a fielder making an error moves to the LEFT end of the line. After the
ball is fielded or retrieved a player tosses it softly underhand to the coach to
hit, just as in pepper.
The game goes on for a minute or two. When time is up the player on the RIGHT
end of the line is the “King of the Hill,” or winner. The coach should make
an attempt to hit towards every player both for practice and to keep the contest
fair.
To make the game more interesting, play one contest for a couple of minutes.
Then take the half of the players from the RIGHT end of each line into a
“winners” game and the players from the LEFT half of each group into a
“consolation” game. Then play another round and the winner of the
“winners” game will be the undisputed “King of the Hill” for the
practice.
Stand as you would to begin your windmill motion, but position your self with
your throwing shoulder against the wall. Start your windmill motion and as your
hands go forward and up pivot your body into an open position so your body faces
the wall. Both of your hands should be above your head and in contact with the
wall.
Now continue your motion and try to keep your hands in contact with the wall
through the entire motion. The wall represents the pitching plane that your arm
circle should follow through your entire motion. Having your front side hand
follow the pitching plane as well keeps your arm circle following the correct
pitching plane. You want your body to be in the open position at release.
To paraphrase Michele Smith, the glove side leads and the throwing side
follows. Your glove side is your dominant side; if it leaves the pitching plane
too soon it can pull the throwing side off the pitching plane. Following this
pitching plane helps your right to left control. Moving your pitching plane
slightly, adjusting your front shoulder position a little left or right, helps
you hit the inside or outside corner.
| PITCHING: KEYS TO PITCHING PROGRAM |
The secret to an effective softball career is muscle memory, which is
obtained with the constant repetition of proper mechanics used in playing
the game. Good muscle memory is gained by drills, drills and more drills.
Those of you who are not pitchers, please read the keys and apply the
concepts to your position. Figure out a routine for yourself to follow for
practice and games. The keys are the same for any position, Preparation
(drills and muscle memory), Confidence (knowing that you can perform any
athletic task required because of your hard work and muscle memory) and
Relaxation (when your have confidence in your preparation you are relaxed
and can focus on the game).
3 KEYS TO PITCHING
PREPARATION
To become a successful pitcher you must practice at least every other day.
This means, after warm-up, pitching 75-150 balls, hitting locations and
working on rotations and if at all possible, throwing long toss.
WORKOUT: (ALL PITCHES MUST BE THROWN USING THE NORMAL PITCHING ROUTINE)
1. Warm-up with snap drills (3 ball drill) Do 25-50 snaps
2. Once warmed, work on locations. Start with pitches right down the
middle and then work the corners (inside and outside) also high and low.
Do 25-50 locations
3. Throw some heavy balls or close rotation drills to perfect rotation of
the ball for certain pitches. Do 5-10 riseballs, peel drops, and roll
drops.
4. Move back to 40 feet and throw 5-10 riseballs, peel drops and roll
drops.
5. Work on change-ups. Throw 5 change-ups, then throw fastball-change,
fastball-change. Do 5 sets of fastball-change.
6. If you have the room, do the long-toss drill. 7. Finish up with 5
fastballs on the corners.
RELAXATION
1. Before each pitch take, a deep breath, wink or do whatever is
comfortable in order to get relaxed. Use this every time!! You cannot
deliver a quality pitch if you are tense.
2. If you are in a game and you get tense, try playing with the dirt in
the pitcher's circle. This will relax you. You may also call time out to
talk to the catcher.
3. Take your time. Everyone waits for you. The play does not start until
you make a pitch.
CONFIDENCE
If you are prepared and relaxed, you will be confident. The batters can
sense your confidence and you have already won half the battle. Just
deliver the pitch in the location called and you have done your job.
NOTES:
1. Focus your best on the first batter of every inning. Try very hard not
to walk her.
2. You must finish each pitch in a "ready position". This will
enable you to field your position and protect you from line-drives back at
you.
3. Even in practice, deliver each pitch from the normal pitching routine.
This will help you deal with pressure situations because all you need to
do is to relax and deliver the pitch just like in practice.
4. With a runner on base, you cannot throw a pitch in the dirt. This will
give the runner the next base. If you do (everybody does) go through your
relaxation routine and increase your focus the next time you are in that
situation.
5. Pitchers need short memories. If you have just thrown a homerun ball or
walked the last batter, Shake it off! Go through your relaxation routine.
"Never let them see you sweat!!"
6. If you are hurt, TELL THE COACHES. Pitching when you are hurt will only
make your injury worse.
7. HAVE FUN!!, but focus on the job at hand. |
This drill improves a pitcher's arm
rotation speed, leading to more powerful throws and
controlled speed. To do this drill, the pitcher's feet should be wider than
shoulder width and in a stride position, as if she has taken a small stride.
She will make three fast circles with her pitching arm, releasing the ball on
the third rotation. The shoulder should stay relaxed but controlled. The purpose
of this drill is to increase arm rotation speed and help pitchers release the
ball with more momentum.
To help aim the ball, the pitcher should have her glove
hand at shoulder height and facing the catcher, where she wants to throw the
ball. After working on three rotations before a pitch, reduce it to two
rotations before the pitch and finally, one rotation and the pitch.
If players feel any pain during this drill, they should
stop immediately. The shoulder must be relaxed enough that it can rotate quickly
without pain, but players should never push through shoulder pain.
For pitchers needing to improve or practice control and
accuracy, this pitching distance drill can do the trick. The catcher starts at
the plate like normal and does not move.
The pitcher starts at a designated line, about half her normal starting distance
from the catcher. After throwing a few strikes from this closer location, the
pitcher backs up to another designated line, about 10 feet behind the first. She
repeats the drill, throwing several strikes before moving back to the next
pitching line.
The lines should start about half the normal pitching
distance and end at twice the pitcher's normal pitching length. The coach can
determine how many strikes are necessary before moving on to the next line.
The important point about the pitching distance drill is
that pitchers should essentially keep their form the same as they pitch,
regardless of where they are in relation to the catcher.
It is important that they provide the right amount of
power, which will depend on where they are standing, but the body mechanics and
pitching technique stays the same.
As pitchers move farther out, they should focus on:
* Taking a longer stride
* Making a more controlled final down swing
* Getting a good flick of the wrist at the release
All of these drills improve speed and control/direction.
1. Stand facing toward the wall in your stride position (standing sideways).
Take a ball and flick your ball straight to the wall and it should come right
back to you. Only use you wrist no windmill. This drill can be done indoors with
a rubber or incrediball, or outside with a regular ball against a pitchback.
2. This drill is also to be done in or outdoors. Stand 8ft. Away from the wall
in your stride position, do your windmill and close your hips and the ball
should come right back to you
3. This one is also to be done in or outdoors. Stand 6ft away from a wall in
your stride position and just do your windmill do not close your hips, the ball
should come right back to you, time yourself for 15 seconds and see how many you
can do. Every time you do it see if you can get more than the time before.
4. The last drill should be done outside with a catcher. Get a weight ball and
kneel down on one knee with your other knee facing the catcher. And only using
your wrist snap flick the ball to your target or catcher. As you do 15 move back
a couple of feet. When you're about 10ft from the plate use a regular ball. Then
when you're about 20ft away from the plate do the windmill, until you can do
this all the way from the rubber.
This drill can be done either with a catcher or against
a backstop. The pitcher takes a bucket of balls and moves to a point just behind
pitcher's rubber. Pitch a ball that crosses over the plate. If it crosses the
plate, move back 5 feet and toss another one. Continue moving back and
increasing the arc of the pitch until you cannot get it across the plate
anymore. Then move back to the last successful toss and toss 3 more. Measure
your distance and next workout, try to beat the mark.
We use this at EVERY practice!!
As far as drills for a curve the most useful is having
the pitcher throw from the slingshot position.
Concentrating on the proper position of the hand at the hip. Instead of the ball
facing the batter when it is at the hip, the hand should be palm up to the sky
and the ball laying in the hand so if you were to stop the motion the ball would
stay in the hand. Once the pitcher starts her push off the rubber she should
concentrate on bringing the hand around with the hip and peeling the ball off
the side of the hand. The forefinger (the middle one) will be along the seam and
the index finger under the forefinger ( basically the same grip as the rise).
The forefinger will peel the ball off sideways by using the seam, in effect
spinning the ball. Be careful not to get under the ball that will cause it to
rise. As far as in and out all you can do is try different release points, the
more a pitcher throws the more comfortable and accurate she will become.
Use some type of back-stop and a bucket or old milk
crate. Have one player hold the ball at shoulder height and drop it straight
down into the strike-zone. The batter must see the ball and react fast enough to
hit it. This drill teaches the batter to take their hands straight to the ball.
Have the player dropping the balls, drop them at different times so the batter
does not "cheat". The batter can watch the release of the ball, but
cannot move prior to the ball being dropped.
This drill has increased our team bat speed a lot. We use this drill in warm-ups
before every game and as a team, we are making contact with the ball in .900
range. Something must be working!!!
I am certain, by now, all of you have seen a picture of
Mark McGwire hitting one of his towering home runs, right? But have you really
"seen" it? If you can pull one off the internet, look closely at his
eyes. They are focused on the ball. In some pictures, the ball has already left
the frame of the picture, but he is still focused on the point of contact. This
is what every hitter must do in order to avoid hitting little grounders to the
infield. You must focus on the point of contact even after you have hit the
ball. If you lift your eyes to watch where the ball goes, you will lift you
shoulders and consequently will hit the ball on the top, resulting in a grounder
with little speed on it.
To demonstrate this to yourself, get in front of a mirror and watch your
shoulders as you take your normal swing, with eyes looking at the point of
contact.(you will have to stop in mid-swing to see this) Now take another swing
watching the path of the ball that was just hit. Notice that your lead shoulder
has lifted along with your eyes. Your trail shoulder has dropped and your swing
has become a "down to up" cut, with your hands way below the ball.
This will cause you to swing higher than you want to and you will top the ball.
To correct this, watch the impact with the ball even after it has left your bat.
I have found that the best time to check out this flaw is when we are doing
"soft-toss drills". Watch their eyes.
Coaches, to reinforce this concept, I used to ask a player that has just
singled, "Wow, what a hit. Did you see where it went?" If she
answered, "Yeah It was a little blooper to left field". I gave her a
lap or two to have her think about watching the point of contact. This usually
put an end to this mechanical flaw.
If your players batting mechanics are good, and they're
still not hitting the ball, they are probably not seeing it correctly, or
perhaps not following it right to the bat. Here are a few drills that are
designed to really keep your eye on the ball
BALLS AND STRIKES DRILL:
Have the pitchers throw pitches and the batters just watch the ball into the
glove and call balls and strikes. You'll be amazed at what batters think are
balls. The best thing for good eyes are just seeing live pitching...lots of it,
even if it is just being a batter while your pitcher is doing a workout. You can
learn to read different pitches, and the pitcher gets better practice when there
is a batter in the box.
HITTING DIFFERENT OBJECT:
Try golf whiffle balls, small coffee can lids (thrown like frisbees), pinto
beans, etc, anything that has them concentrating on a smaller than usual target
and hitting something that moves, rather than moving in a straight line. This
will improve their concentration and teach them to follow the ball all the way
in.
MISS/MISS/HIT:
Use a series of three pitches to teach them to watch the ball. The first pitch,
the batter swings over the ball. The second pitch, swings under the ball. The
third pitch the batter hits the ball. Repeat this drill until they can do it
every time. After that, you can really fine tune this: Pitch 1- just nick the
top of the ball. Pitch 2-Just nick the bottom of the ball. Pitch 3- Hit it right
in the middle of the ball.
TWO-BALL SOFT TOSS:
Get two different color whiffle balls (say red & white) or mark half of the
balls with a different color dot. Works better with whiffle baseballs or even
golf whiffle balls. Its easier to toss smaller balls plus helps hitters in focus
and coordination. Toss the two balls at the same time (from same hand) and ask
the player to hit one of them, either red or white. This helps players to
coordinate, focus and react ti=o hit the correct color ball.
PICK A NUMBER:
Take 3 or 4 balls, write a number on each ball. The players job is to see the
ball well enough to tell you which number is on the pitched ball.
I picked this tip up from a Higher Ground hitting video.
The majority of information received by our brains is gathered through our eyes.
As a hitter, it is crucial that the head, and therefore the eyes, be in the
proper position. With your athletes in a semi-circle around you, and
approximately the distance from home plate to the mound away, hold a ball at the
release point. have them point a finger directly at the ball with both eyes
open. Holding their finger as steady as possible, alternately close each eye.
The opened eye that causes the ball to "move" the least is their
strong eye.
Now have your players take a batting stance relative to you as the pitcher.
Using only the strong eye, they should rotate their head, keeping it level, to
the point where the ball is perfectly focused. This the position their head
should be in when batting.
We use tennis balls a lot in practice. I toss them from
the normal position a lot to make certain the mechanics are correct. I also toss
them from behind the batter. This makes the batter watch the ball all the way to
impact and teaches a quick, compact swing. I also like to bounce the ball into
the "contact zone."
Another drill I like to use is the walking-tossing drill. Using tennis balls, I
walk slightly in front and to the side of the batter and bounce a tennis ball
into her "contact zone." The batter must load up and swing while
walking. I bounce 3 or 4 balls as we walk. This is tough, but the players love
it once they can hit the balls. For beginners, I recommend bouncing the tennis
balls and hitting them with a regular bat, but then move to a smaller bat.
We rarely use a full size "bat" or a full size
"ball" when doing soft-toss. This is done to intensify the drill and
the skill being taught. Position your self to the batting side (right for right
handed batters) and ahead of the batter. Toss the "ball" at the hip of
the batter. You want them to impact the ball in front of their body. This is the
"contact point". The toss is important!! You do not want an arching,
ugly type of thing, unless you are playing the old man's game of
"slo-pitch", if so, you are on the wrong home-page. The toss should be
crisp, but not too fast and out in front of the batter. Practice this to get it
correct.
We use soft-toss to teach and reinforce the proper mechanics of the swing. Make
sure your batters are:
1.) pivoting correctly and early enough.
2.) rotating their hips with an explosion toward the ball.
3.) unlocking their shoulders, elbows and wrists in sequence while throwing
their hands straight to the ball (watch for hands dropping and correct this).
4.) Watching the ball all the way to the "bat" and continuing to watch
the "contact point" after the "ball" has been hit.
The proper stance is essential. It should be a balanced stance with 60% of the
weight on the back foot, eyes level, bat in launch position (not rapped behind
the head), knees slightly bent, and door-knocking knuckles lined up. The stride
should be a short, smooth lift and move type of stride. At impact with the ball
and at follow-through, the body should be in a slightly curved position toward
the ball (inward "c"), this insures that all the weight and power went
in to impacting the ball.
We have used many things for "balls" and "bats". To increase
concentration on the ball, try using tennis balls, practice whiffle golf balls,
coffee can lids (plastic ones like frisbees), but my favorite (and the players
favorite) is to use black-eyes peas. We start hitting them with a full size bat,
but quickly move to using a "thunder-stick" or a home-made
"bat" I made which is about the same size as a
"thunder-stick" but with less weight inserted in the end. I feel we
are trying to teach muscle memory and too much weight teaches a slower swing,
but others think differently. During warm-ups before games, I always hit the
peas and them some LOUD, regular sized softballs. These are the hard ones and
they sure turn some heads! The girls love the looks on the opposing teams faces
when they hit these loud balls. We hit into a portable backstop so there is no
time lost chasing balls.
One of my favorite drills is the "High-Low" drill with the practice
golf balls. I hold 2 balls in my hand and toss them into the "contact
zone" and call out either "high" or "low". The player
must hit the corresponding ball. I tried it once with the black-eyed peas and
was quite successful.
If the batters start to "cheat" on soft-toss drills, I hold 1 ball in
either hand and rotate them (like juggling) and toss one up. This way they do
not know when the ball is coming. They all hate this, but it works!!
