Fastpitch Softball Tips: Coaching Drills
Softball coaching drills emphasize many of the same things as baseball drills, but the emphasis is more on timing and concentration. A softball moves differently than a baseball. Because a softball is lighter and larger than a baseball, its movements tend to be more unpredictable and exaggerated. To excel at fast-pitch softball, a player must be drilled on coordination and execution. That includes hitting, fielding, pitching and catching.
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Holding the Bat
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When a bat makes contact with a softball, the impact is solid and drawn out. The ball remains on the bat longer than a baseball, so it is necessary to maintain control of the bat during contact. A softball bat is held at the base of the fingers and not the bottom of the palm. A drill to help emphasize this is to have players hit a softball from a tee with their eyes closed. When they are not watching the ball, they are concentrating more on making impact and that can help them concentrate on maintaining control of the bat.
Tennis Balls
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A good drill to help with the unpredictability of the flight of a softball is to use a tennis ball. Have the player stand in the batter's box and look straight ahead as though there were a pitcher there. You stand down the baseline that is their blind spot. For left-handed batters this would be the first-base line, and for right-handed batters this would be the third-base line. Bounce a tennis ball so it skips 2 to 3 feet in front of the plate and ask the batter to hit it. This improves concentration, improves hand-eye coordination and helps deal with the flight of a pitched ball.
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Next in Line
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Fielding in softball is about timing and concentration. Line up your players in the outfield at one end of the field. Begin by having one of the players start to run across the field to the other side. As she is running, throw a line drive at her that she needs to catch. The player needs to turn and throw the ball to the next person in line. As soon as the ball is thrown, the next person can start to run after it. This teaches discipline, patience and coordination. It also helps players see how difficult it can be to throw a softball on the run.
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