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In today's video blog, you'll learn about 2 great pitching drills that work well for all aged players.

One Knee Drill

The one knee drill helps your players work on the concept of keeping their weight back when throwing and pitching the ball. The purpose of this drill, and a very important point to teach your pitchers, is that the shoulders do not move at the same time the ball is thrown. What happens is her arm needs something to pull against when she releases the ball, so if her shoulders are moving and her body is moving forward at the same time she is releasing the ball, there is no resistance, and her really needs something to pull against when she releases. So when properly executing a pitch, the pitcher pulls against her own body, and creates her own resistance.

Wrist Snap Drill

Another pitching drill that's terrific for younger players is the Wrist Snap Drill. This drill allows your much younger players (8 and under) to learn and get comfortable with how the ball feels when it rolls off the fingers.

Next step: head on over to our complete collection of pitching drills for youth softball. You'll discover some proven techniques to help develop the proper mechanics, while keeping your girls engaged and having fun.

Or, if you're ready to get on the fast track, check out our Ultimate Softball Pitching drills ebook today!

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Softball Pitching Drills for All Ages - Softball Spot

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In today's video blog, you'll learn about 2 great pitching drills that work well for all aged players. The one knee drill helps your players work on the concept of keeping their weight back when throwing and pitching the ball.

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Softball Pitching Drills: Drive & Momentum | iSport.com

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This softball guide introduces two of the most important aspects of pitching: Drive and forward momentum. Centered on the mound, these drills will focus the pitcher... Read More.

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Gary Leland - Fastpitch Softball TV Show

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Fastpitch Softball Catchers Training - Megan Willis

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How to Improve as a Softball Catcher with Mike Candrea

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Hitting

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Catching Tips - Stance with Ashley Holcombe of USA Softball

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Catching Tips - Throwing with Ashley Holcombe of USA Softball

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Catching Tips-Framing with Ashley Holcombe USA Softball

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Fastpitch Softball Catchers Training - Megan Willis

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Today, we're going to talk about softball hitting and some drills that your players can do to build their strength, accuracy, and over hitting skills.

Confidence is a key psychological factor when it comes to softball hitting. We need to know that we can hit. We have to believe that we can hit. We have to know that we're better than the pitcher out there.

But one of the keys to that is believing that our swing is where we want it to be. That we've worked hard as we can to get our swing exactly where we want it. That our rhythm is good, that we're seeing the ball well, that our contact points are down, and that everything is exactly in place.

The softball hitting drills that we're going to talk about will help us get to that point.

Wrist and Forearm Strengthening Drills

Many young hitters are worried about how strong they are, whether they can swing a bat.

Weights are good, but if you don't have access to weights, there are some softball hitting drills that will strengthen the muscles used in hitting, using a heavy bat.

With the wrist and forearm extension drill, your hitter will hold the bat out in front and bring it back to her cap letter, and flip the bat out as fast as she can, stopping it in front of her body.

This should be done ten times.

For the next drill in this category, she will take the bat completely back over her head, let it hang down behind her with her elbows in, and fire the bat out in front, trying to stop it in front of her nose.

She'll do ten repetitions of this drill.

During the next softball hitting drill, she'll hold the bat right out in front of her and do wrist rotations, starting with small circles and working to big circles. And then back the other way. Small circles to big circles.

She should do this drill ten times each way.

Windshield Wipers Drill

With this next softball hitting drill, your player will hold the bat right out in front of her with the bat straight up and move it just like windshield wipers. She'll move the bat all the way down as far as she can go, back and forth, a total of ten times.

Wrist-Snap Swing Drill

For this drill, your player holds the bat right in front of her nose, hands about chest high, and snaps the bat through the hitting zone, working on bat lag and extension out in front of her.

Contact Zone Drill

For the next softball hitting drill, your hitter will take a normal swing and try to stop the bat at a contact point in the nine zones of the contact zone.

The first one is high inside. The next one is high middle. High outside. Middle in. Middle middle. Middle away. Low in. Low middle. And low away.

Remind your hitter that as she's doing this, her back elbow should stay in, and her head should track the ball all the way through.

Interested in checking out some more softball hitting drills? Head over to my YouTube channel!

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Softball Hitting: How to Work on Your Hitters' Strength and Accuracy

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Today, we're going to talk about softball hitting and some drills that your players can do to build their strength, accuracy, and over hitting skills. Confidence is a key psychological factor when it comes to softball hitting. We need to know that we can hit. We have to believe that we can hit.

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In today's video blog post, we are briefly discussing the importance of proper softball catcher mechanics and warmups, and the difference in throwing mechanics of the different positions.

Catcher Mechanics & the Importance of Proper Warmup

Like every position, a strong arm is a necessity, but especially with the catcher, and especially in fast pitch softball where runs are so hard to come by.

You need a catcher that can prevent runners from stealing bases. It's not just a matter of being able to throw them out, but of them knowing that your catcher has an accurate strong arm, and they won't even try to steal because of this.

A proper warmup for your catcher will increase her opportunities for easy throw-outs.

Warmup Drill

In this drill, your catcher will warm up by throwing to a player at the base or at approximately 60 feet away.

As she gets warmer, the player at the base will move further back into the outfield, eventually reaching the 125 to 150 foot distance.

After you reached the maximum distance of 125 - 150 feet, have the player in the outfield come back in to 60 feet, and finish off by focusing on good catcher mechanics.

One thing you have to remember is that each position demands a different arm circle in their throw. The catcher has one of the tightest arm circles. As you watch her throw, it is almost a direct draw back with the hand that has the ball, and a forward throw - unlike an outfielder who will drop the ball down and take a big long full circle in their throw to generate the distances they need to throw.

For more great softball catcher mechanics, be sure to check out my Softball Drills and Practice Plans series, complete with video demonstrations! And don't forget to Become a Fan on Facebook, where I will share more fun softball throwing drill tips and techniques!

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Catcher Mechanics & the Importance of Proper Warmup

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In today's video blog post, we are briefly discussing the importance of proper softball catcher mechanics and warmups, and the difference in throwing mechanics of the different positions. Like every position, a strong arm is a necessity, but especially with the catcher, and especially in fast pitch softball where runs are so hard to come by.

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Top 30 Fastpitch Softball Hitting Drills | Softball Spot

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Hitting a fastpitch softball is one of the hardest skills to master... in any sport. In this section, we'll cover softball hitting drills to help develop the proper mechanics, while building bat speed, timing, power, and confidence at the plate.

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Series

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Half Swing with Weighted Ball

Purpose Pitchers develop forearm and wrist strength. They also improve timing of lower body and upper body. Drill Setup Pitchers stand about halfway from normal pitching distance (15-20 feet) holding a weighted

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Muscle Drill

Purpose Helps pitcher develop a strong wrist snap. Drill Setup Pitcher stands with a ball and glove. How it Works Pitcher starts with arm up in the air forming a 90 degree angle,

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Critique The Pitch Drill

Purpose Helps pitcher correct flaws in delivery. Drill Setup Pitcher stands on the rubber. Catcher is behind home plate. (35-40 feet away) How it Works Pitcher goes through normal motion and throws the

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Long Distance Drive

Purpose Pitchers practice taking a good long stride toward home. Drill Setup Pitcher stands four or five big steps behind the pitching rubber. (45-50 feet) Catcher is behind home plate. How it Works

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Full Swing with Weighted Ball

Purpose Pitchers develop forearm and wrist strength. They also improve timing of lower body and upper body. Drill Setup Pitchers stand at three-quarters of regular pitching distance (25-30 feet) holding a weighted

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Half Circle Drill

Purpose Pitcher stands anywhere on the field with a ball and glove. Drill Setup Teaches pitcher to keep her arm in front of her so she doesn't hurt her shoulder when she

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Knee Up Drill

Purpose Pitchers work from the knee up position on driving and pivoting. Also, helps develop good balance. Drill Setup Pitcher stands on the mound (3540 feet away) with a ball. Catcher is

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Walk Through Drill

Purpose Pitchers work on both mechanics and developing strength Drill Setup Pitcher at regular pitching distance (35-40 feet) holding a weighted ball. Catcher is in stance or sitting on bucket. How it Works

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Full Motion Drill

Purpose Pitcher practices her full throwing motion. Drill Setup Pitcher stands in front of the wall (or net or fence or catcher). How it Works Pitcher shows four dots (shoulder, shoulder, hip, hip)

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Full Circle Drill

Purpose Teaches pitcher to complete a full arm circle when pitching. Drill Setup Pitcher stands with a ball and glove. How it Works Pitcher starts with arm down, wrist cocked, fingers pointed toward

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Walk Through From Distance

Purpose Helps pitchers develop arm and leg strength for greater velocity on pitches. Drill Setup Pitcher stands roughly double the regular pitching distance away from the Catcher (70-80 feet) How it Works Pitcher

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Back Side Soft Toss

Purpose Helps player learn to hit the breaking ball by forcing her to keep her front side in Set Up Player stands at plate or in front of net. Coach stands in

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Sideways Drive Pitching Drill

Purpose Pitchers work on getting their back side driving, their front leg up and getting a long stride. Set Up Pitcher stands at three-quarters of regular pitching distance (25-30 feet). Catcher is

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Arm Speed Pitching Drill

Purpose Helps pitchers develop power and velocity Set Up Pitcher stands on the mound (35-40 feet away). A coach or player stands beside the pitcher to feed her the balls. Catcher is

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Knee Drill for Pitching

Purpose Teaches pitcher to stay in balance while executing the windmill arm motion. Set Up Pitcher gets on knees in front of a wall, fence, net or catcher. Coach stands nearby. Instructions 1. Pitcher,

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Rapid Fire Pitching Drill

Purpose In this drill, the pitcher works on arm speed and arm conditioning. Set Up Pitcher stands on the mound (35-40 feet away). A coach or player stands nearby with a bucket

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3 Minute Drill

Purpose In this drill, the pitcher focuses on develops=ing arm speed and endurance. Set Up Pitcher stands on the mound (35-40 feet away). A coach or player stands nearby with a bucket

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Pops Pitching Drill

gPurpose This drill helps pitchers develop power by removing the stride Set Up Pitcher stands on the mound (35-40 feet away) or just behind it to start. Catcher is behind home plate. Instructions Pitcher

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Without a doubt, the pitcherÂ isÂ the most important position on the field. And probably the most difficult to learn. This section will cover our favorite softball pitching drills to help develop and players at all ages and competitive levels. Including mechanics, grips, accuracy, velocity and the mental game.

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How to Sacrifice Bunt in Softball | iSport.com

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The skill of bunting is often underestimated even though it is a huge aspect of hitting. This guide will give you the knowledge to become a stand-out bunter... Read More.

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In today's video blog post, we are talking about softball catcher conditioning for plays at the plate. These would be plays where the catcher is either receiving a throw from the infield or receiving a throw from the outfield, with someone coming to score.

The two things the catcher has to pay attention to is:

Number one: making the tag on the runner coming in

Number two: making the decision whether she's going to have to get down and block the plate to keep the runner from sliding in and scoring.

When the ball is hit, the first thing the catcher has to do is she needs to get her body in front of the plate, with their left foot over the plate, which can be used as a guideline for them. They're watching the ball being thrown into them, but they know where the plate is now because their left foot is off the corner of the plate.

When we come out, we want to make sure we square the shoulder to the throw. We want to keep the body in the midline in case the throw is off line, bounces incorrectly, and so forth. And remember, whenever we come out to field any ball there is always a bend in the knees. Bend in the knees.

Scenario: Runner is tagging at third base, there's a throw from left field. Close play at the plate. We're concerned with whether she's going to be safe or out, so we want our catcher to block the plate.

take a step so she can come across and get her body in the middle of home plate

position the body

bring her hips down, slide across, and create a blocking position to keep the runner from getting through to her.

field the ball, take a step, so now we're bringing that body across the plate

drag the leg and now we're creating a blocking position.

bring the glove down, leaning over with the back, so you are bringing the shoulders into the play as a block. Now I can accept the force of the person coming into me with my shoulders. I'm using leverage and I can keep her from knocking me back on the plate.

Glove is down, two hands on the ball, and now we're ready to make the play and the tag.

You always want to be ahead of the plate a couple feet if possible. If somebody does get by you, you want to keep them far enough away where they're not going to reach the plate. Now this can't always happen, depending on how late the ball comes in. But if possible, you always want to stay a couple feet in front of the plate so you don't give that person opportunity to reach it at all.

And the last point I want to make about blocking the plate and plays at the plate is you're going to have those times when the throw is going to beat the runner by quite a bit. The thing you want to tell your catcher is to get away from the plate, go meet the runner, and tag. So if she has the ball in plenty of time, she's not going to stay here and let the runner come to her. She's going to go ahead, meet the runner, tag her with two hands, and get her out of the way.

For more great softball catcher conditioning drills, tips and techniques, be sure to check out my "5 Free Softball Coaching Videos from 11 Time NCAA Champ Sue Enquist"! Sue will take you through more great tips on softball catcher conditioning for fielding and defense! And don't forget to Become a Fan on Facebook, where I will share more great softball fielding ideas and suggestions, and where you can talk to other coaches and players about other important softball catcher conditioning and practices!

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Softball Catcher Training: Plays at the Plate - Softball Spot

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In today's video blog post, we are talking about softball catcher conditioning for plays at the plate. These would be plays where the catcher is either receiving a throw from the infield or receiving a throw from the outfield, with someone coming to score.

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How to Crow Hop in the Outfield in Softball | iSport.com

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A crow hop, in short, is a leap used to gain forward momentum for a throw in the outfield. This softball guide will teach you how to perfect this invaluable skill... Read More.

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Defensive Tips for Outfielders in Softball | iSport.com

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Playing in the outfield requires skill, dexterity, and endurance. This guide offers advice on the basic techniques needed for every outfielder... Read More.

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Defensive Tips for Second Basemen in Softball | iSport.com

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Second base is popular in softball for its constant action, but it takes a certain attitude to play. This guide breaks the basic requirements of good second a baseman... Read More.

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Softball Catcher's Guide: How to Block the Ball

It's unrealistic to expect a pitcher to throw a perfect strike every pitch, and in some situations, the pitch might be out of the strike zone on purpose. As such, it's crucial for every catcher to be skilled in blocking. When a ball is in the dirt, you only have one job: Prevent the ball from getting past you. But don't let this responsibility daunt you.

Catching might not by glorious or popular, but it's the most important spot on the field. If a catcher can't catch, the pitcher can't pitch, and it all starts with proper blocking technique. So take the following tips to heart and you'll be unstoppable behind the plate.

Replace Your Feet

When a ball hits the dirt in front of you, block it with your entire body. That is, drop to your knees and use your body as the backstop. To do this properly, you have to be able to recognize where the pitch is going as it's coming off the pitcher's hip (release point). So keep your eyes on that spot and once you see the ball hit the dirt, drop to your knees:

1. Replace your feet with your knees in one, fluid motion: Drive your knees into the ground to where your feet were (about shoulder-width apart, with your upper body centered between them).

2. Clear your feet: So that you can get to your knees easier, clear away your feet by sliding them out to the side of your body. Keep your shins on the ground and your toes pointed back and away from you to be in the best position to block the ball.

3. Drop your mitt: As you see the ball approaching the dirt, drop your mitt between your legs. The web of your mitt should be in contact with the ground, and the palm of your glove should be squared towards the pitch. Your fingers will be below the ball.

4. Tuck your arms: As you drop your glove, keep your throwing hand poised above the mitt or tight to your throwing-side. Your glove-side arm should be tight to your body, making a larger blocking area.

5. Angle forward: Your upper body should be straightened and angled forward, over the ball. By doing this, you can knock down the ball and deflect it straight into the ground, rather than away from you.

6. Keep your eyes down: Tuck your chin and always watch the ball.

7. Block it & watch it: After a catcher has blocked the ball, she can do one of two things. If there is a runner on base, she should pop up into her throwing stance. If there are multiple runners on base and a catcher can't get her mitt on it, she'll often deflect it forward and watch the runners. That way, she can step and throw to where the lead runner is. With no one on, she'll simply get the ball back to the pitcher.

Side to Side

When the ball is in the dirt, but not right in front of you, you can't just drop to your knees - you still need to put your body behind the ball. That is, you need to slide to the ball. There are two common ways you can get behind the ball:

1. Slide with both feet: Push off both feet (from the starting catcher's stance) and drop into position in front of the ball. Drive off your toes and start dropping your knees immediately. Your upper body should be leaning in the direction of the ball anyway, so let that momentum help you slide. This should all be done in one, quick motion.

2. Slide with one foot: Depending on where the ball is, drive the near-side foot toward the ball (take a small step towards it) and then drop down in front of it. Your far-side knee will naturally be first to drop.

Blocking Tips

No matter where you need to get in order to block the ball, there are a few tips to remember:

Always keep your shoulders and hips squared to the pitcher as you block to decrease the chances that you deflect the ball to the side or over your shoulder.

Keep your head down.

Keep your upper body angled forward so that the ball hits you and is deflected down and stays within an easy grasp.

Keep our arms tight to your body to create a bigger space for blocking.

Make sure that every motion is quick and fluid.

Stop, Drop, & Block It

The catcher's position is no easy feat. Many times, attention is only brought to the plate when there are errors and wild pitches, and in those cases fans often question the catcher's abilities rather than the pitcher's. But don't let it discourage you - if you learn how to block and practice hard, your fans and coaches will know you're stopping everything you can. You can't control whether a pitcher is going to be wild, so focus on what you can control, and block everything in front of you!

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Softball Catcher's Guide: How to Block the Ball | iSport.com

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Softball Catcher's Guide: How to Block the Ball It's unrealistic to expect a pitcher to throw a perfect strike every pitch, and in some situations, the pitch might be out of the strike zone on purpose. As such, it's crucial for every catcher to be skilled in blocking.

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In today's video blog, you'll learn about 2 great pitching drills that work well for all aged players.

One Knee Drill

The one knee drill helps your players work on the concept of keeping their weight back when throwing and pitching the ball. The purpose of this drill, and a very important point to teach your pitchers, is that the shoulders do not move at the same time the ball is thrown. What happens is her arm needs something to pull against when she releases the ball, so if her shoulders are moving and her body is moving forward at the same time she is releasing the ball, there is no resistance, and her really needs something to pull against when she releases. So when properly executing a pitch, the pitcher pulls against her own body, and creates her own resistance.

Wrist Snap Drill

Another pitching drill that's terrific for younger players is the Wrist Snap Drill. This drill allows your much younger players (8 and under) to learn and get comfortable with how the ball feels when it rolls off the fingers.

Next step: head on over to our complete collection of pitching drills for youth softball. You'll discover some proven techniques to help develop the proper mechanics, while keeping your girls engaged and having fun.

Or, if you're ready to get on the fast track, check out our Ultimate Softball Pitching drills ebook today!

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Softball Pitching Drills for All Ages - Softball Spot

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In today's video blog, you'll learn about 2 great pitching drills that work well for all aged players. The one knee drill helps your players work on the concept of keeping their weight back when throwing and pitching the ball.

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There is nothing quite like the crack of the bat or the slap of the ball into a leather glove to really get a baseball fan going. Unfortunately, not everyone has the information necessary to make the most of their own potential as a player. The article that follows is meant to remedy that problem.

There is no magic stance for hitting a baseball. You should stand in a comfortable position with your shoulders parallel to your body and your toes pointed towards home base. Avoid trying to imitate another players stance if it doesn't feel comfortable. Figure out your most comfortable batting position when you're not holding the bat.

Whenever you hit the ball in fair territory, run at full steam. Even if it appears like an easy out, you've got to give it your all. It may be that the opposing team misplays the ball, or it may take a tricky bounce giving you just enough time to reach base.

If you play an outfield position, be sure you and your fellow outfielders have proper communication skills. When a ball is popped up into the outfield, it's important to know who will be going after it. If you cannot get this straight, the ball could end up dropping or you could collide with your teammate.

Batting helmets protects against concussions. They guard against the potential for dangerous head injuries. The best batting helmets will have a shield that also helps protect the face from balls that are either pitched badly or for hits that results in a foul ball.

Learn how to play as a team. Baseball may not feel like a team sport in the same way as basketball or football, but it certainly still is one. When you master how to play as a team, especially on defense and when there are men on base in offense, you'll start winning more games than you lose!

One of the best things you can do before any game is to drink plenty of water. Baseball is generally played during the Spring and Summer months, meaning the weather is quite warm. Baseball players use a lot of energy running bases and running after balls. Therefore, it is important that you stay hydrated to avoid a heat stroke.

Don't let baseball take over your life. You need a break from everything, including baseball. Time away can actually have a rejuvenating effect on you and your baseball ability, so take time to enjoy other interests. When you return to baseball, you'll feel refreshed and ready to conquer the world.

Before stepping in to face a new pitcher, take a couple of practice swings while he's facing another batter. Use the time to measure the pitcher's timing. This will give you a better opportunity to have a quality at bat against the pitcher. Otherwise, you may be outclassed pretty quickly.

Pick the right bat. Pick out one that is not too heavy for you. Beginners should use lighter bats. It is pretty rare to see someone swing a bat that is "too light" because there is a trick called "choking up" to make bats lighter. This involves placing hands about an inch or two up the bat.

If you are a third base coach, there are certain things you have to attend to. For example, you have to decide whether to send runners home or hold them at third base. You must let runners know if they should slide into third or come in standing. You need to assist the runners by informing them when to run and remind them of how many outs there are.

To be a better player in the outfield, you have to be moving. If you stand in the same position too long, your legs can get tight and you will not be able to run when a ball is headed your way. The best way to stay moving is to take a few steps between pitches.

When you are coaching a kids' baseball team, you must realize that you are very important to the team members. You are teaching them about baseball and about life. Be sure to give plenty of positive encouragement along with any correction. Remember that your players will make mistakes and that encouragement will get a lot better performance out of them than criticism. Make the goals for your team members realistic. Always present a positive and upbeat demeanor.

Personalize your new baseball glove well before the new season starts. If you are fortunate enough to have new equipment for the upcoming season, put the time into working your glove. Toss a baseball repeatedly into it. You can also help break in the glove leather by using leather softener. Punch the weave using a fist. Gloves that have been broken in are much more effective.

On warm, sunny summer days, no activity seems quite as perfect as the playing of a baseball game. Every player wants to improve their skills, and luckily, there are ways to do just that. Refer back to the above information when needed to become a truly impressive addition to the team.

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Baseball Advice For The Beginner To Learn

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There is nothing quite like the crack of the bat or the slap of the ball into a leather glove to really get a baseball fan going. Unfortunately, not everyone has the information necessary to make the most of their own potential as a player. The article that follows is meant to remedy that problem.

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Defensive Tips for Third Basemen in Softball | iSport.com

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Whether it's a hard grounder or a soft grounder, a third baseman needs to be able to handle it all in softball! Read on to learn about what's needed at this hot corner... Read More.

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It's always important to spend some time on softball practice drills designed especially for your various positions. This blog post will focus on drills primarily for your girls who play first base.

Ground Ball Series

During this first series of fielding drills, your 1st baseman is going to work on fielding ground balls left, right, shallow, and working her footwork without actually throwing the ball. After you've worked on this for a while, go ahead and proceed into a series where your player will actually be throwing to the various bases.

For the first series (minus throwing), have your player focus on the following:

Setting her feet in line with the intended base or target

Rotating around and switching her feet as quickly as possible

After you've spent some time on the series without actually throwing the ball, it's time to amp it up and have your first baseman actually throw the ball to the appropriate base.

Change it up and have your player work on a short throw, focusing on the staying low and making sure that her throwing hand doesn't go above the shoulder and that she doesn't cock the wrist.

Next, have her focus on a medium throw. During this, she'll want to focus on pointing her toes to the foul line, lining up the ball on her load side, staying balanced, and finally releasing the ball.

Once it's time to move on to the long throw, remind your player to focus on staying balanced so that she keeps her throw inside the baseline, making it easier for the intended baseman to receive the ball.

It's a good idea to work on having your first baseman first throw to the second baseman (short, medium, and long throws), then have her work on throwing to the third baseman (short, medium, and long throws), then end up with her working on throwing to home (short, medium, and long throws).

Here's something for you coaches to keep in mind while running these drills:

Does your first baseman have a weak backhand? Have her focus on working on that backhand until she feels more comfortable with it. If she has a weak forehand, you can have her focus on that until she's mastered it. Once she has solid fundamentals, then you can mix it up and have her alternate between forehand and backhand.

Tag Series

This set of drills involves actual tags. There are two ways to tag a runner: forehand and backhand.

The forehand tag involves your player tagging the runner with her forehand and catching that runner off the base. Your first baseman should focus on:

Being quick

Receiving the ball as quickly as possible

Her drop step

Making a vertical tag to the base

The backhand tag involves your first baseman tagging the runner with her backhand; she should be focusing on the same points above for her backhand tag.
Catching the Strike
It's important to also spend time working on your first baseman's ability to catch the strike.
Fly Ball
Your player should work on dropping back on her forehand and her backhand side. She also has to work on communicating with the outfielder-this communication is key.
Foul Fly Ball
The key with a foul fly ball is to make sure that your first baseman feels comfortable going right up next to the fence. And if she has to, she should feel comfortable moving back towards the field of play.
Wild Balls
You, as the coach, should be one to throw these poor throws-you don't want your other players to practice at throwing poorly. However, it's important for your first baseman to have sufficient practice catching poorly-thrown or poorly-hit balls so that she's prepared during game time.

Next step: check out our complete collection of drills for softball defense. It includes fundamental skills, plus game situation drills that involve multiple players.

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Softball Practice Drills Specifically for First Basemen

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It's always important to spend some time on softball practice drills designed especially for your various positions. This blog post will focus on drills primarily for your girls who play first base. During this first series of fielding drills, your 1st baseman is going to work on fielding ground balls left, right, shallow, and working her footwork without actually throwing the ball.

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How to Track the Ball in the Outfield in Softball | iSport.com

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An outfielder is responsible for anything that hits the green - even if it's over her head. Follow along with this softball guide for tips on tracking fly balls... Read More.

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How to Track the Ball in the Outfield in Softball | iSport.com

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An outfielder is responsible for anything that hits the green - even if it's over her head. Follow along with this softball guide for tips on tracking fly balls... Read More.

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Troubleshooting is probably one of the biggest things we do as a coach. When we are at a game or we're in a practice, we always give constant tips and things that we see to batters to help them out to be more successful. When we're in practice is when we want to do most of our coaching. One of the things we want to do in practice is hitting drills over and over and over again in one basic common way, so that when we go into a game, we do everything straightforward.

So in a practice situation or a batting cage situation, here's some of the things we want to look for during out hitting drills, starting with the stance.

Always Check Your Players Stance

Take the players bat and make sure that she has a good straightforward stance. Every time that I teach, I try to teach a basic proper mechanic as opposed to what we call a band-aid. A band-aid might be, for example this player is not very good at hitting outside corner pitches, maybe she's stepping out. So what she'll do is drop her foot back so she's got a closed stance. What she's done is made it better for her to hit outside corner pitches, but made it harder to hit an inside corner pitch. So she's created a band-aid. Fixed one thing, but didn't fix the whole picture.

Batter's Stance

Place a line on the ground

And then we want the player to keep her toes on that straight line/line up the feet in a straight line

Make sure the same line that we're on with our feet is the same line we are with our hips and the same line with our shoulders

- Now without a bat, get in your batter's stance and look out at the pitcher. Stand in front of her, and make sure you can see her hands and that her shoulders, hips, and her feet are all in the straight line.

- Make sure that her feet are nice and wide. One rule of thumb on that is that, if you take your shoulders and add a straight line coming down, you want to be a few inches outside of that, so just outside our shoulder width to create that good balanced V.

- A narrower stance will mean she's not as balanced and will force her to take a longer stride. So starting a little wider creates a smaller step, and will make her swing a little bit quicker.

So, in review there, we want to make sure that our feet are lined up straight with our hips and our shoulders. We want to be, as a pitcher, be able to see her hands out in front of her body. We want to make sure that she's nice and wide and balanced with a nice, slight knee bend to help relax those muscles. And these are a couple of things to look for in your batter's stance.

Load

The next aspect we are going to talk about is the load. And then we're going to do really basic hitting drills on how we can work on the loading process when we hit.

Have the athlete get in her batter's stance. And what I'm going to do as a coach is I'm going to stand behind and grab the player right above the rib cage. And I'm going to have them push back with their body without moving the hands.

So what I want to happen is the whole body moves back, and her hands stay in the hitting position. But I'm giving a little bit of resistance to remind her that we want to stay short. Short without load and to keep our hands in that hitting position, and then we're ready to go.
A couple things to look for in the load -
When we get in our stance, we want to have those hands behind our shoulder. So again when we load, our hands aren't going to move, it's the body that moves the hands.

And the other thing is our knee. We're going to load our body back and keep the knee on the inside of the foot. Get in your good stance, your hands back and we should feel pressure on the inside of the leg when we're loading back.

So in the load, a couple things to look for is:

make sure that this back side doesn't fall back this way. Just push up against a firm coach holding them still.

remind them to keep that front knee inside the foot so we're not having that knee go behind our foot this way. You want to have the pressure coming up against it.

keep that load nice and small.

See The Ball

The next aspect we are going to talk about is see the ball. This is probably one of the biggest aspects to drill, that will get those ideas in the head of the young hitter on how to watch that ball when it comes in.

We're going to work on one of the most basic of hitting drills. It's just working on keeping your head still.

The player gets into her good stance, and she's going to load and swing.

She's going to kick a swing where she's not going to take her eyes off the tee as she swings and freeze. Her head doesn't move and her eyes stay focused right in the area of the ball. This is the most important area in hitting.

We watch that ball come in, but the last few feet are where every contact happens in baseball and softball. So we want to make sure that we train our players to keep the head still in that area.

For more great hitting drills, be sure to check out my Softball Drills and Practice Plans series, complete with video demonstrations! And don't forget to Become a Fan on Facebook, where I will share more great hitting drills, tips and ideas!

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Stance, Load and Killer Hitting Drills - Softball Spot

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Troubleshooting is probably one of the biggest things we do as a coach. When we are at a game or we're in a practice, we always give constant tips and things that we see to batters to help them out to be more successful.

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If you're [tag]coaching middle school softball[/tag] and looking for an effective [tag]practice[/tag] [tag]drill[/tag], you've come to the right place! Try out this idea that Wade sent in and let me know how it goes for you.

This is a very good [tag]softball[/tag] drill for throwing accuracy, catching, quick footwork, and tagging the runners.

Have a catcher straddle home plate facing first base. First baseman straddles 1st base facing the catcher. Second baseman straddles 2nd base facing first, and third baseman straddles 3rd facing second base. Let the short stop and second baseman alternate at second base.

Catcher will throw the ball to first, first throws second, second throws to third, and third throws to home. Repeat several times around the bases and then reverse by going from catcher to third, third to second, second to first, and first to home. Also repeat this direction several times.

This is a good every practice drill for ball handling, and quick foot speed as they have to spin and throw to next base. Idea is for the players to not let the ball touch the ground.

Coaches will definitely see the improvement as their ball season starts and the ball handling will be even better by the end of season.

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Coaching Middle School Softball - Practice Drills - Softball Spot

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If you're [tag]coaching middle school softball[/tag] and looking for an effective [tag]practice[/tag] [tag]drill[/tag], you've come to the right place! Try out this idea that Wade sent in and let me know how it goes for you. This is a very good [tag]softball[/tag] drill for throwing accuracy, catching, quick footwork, and tagging the runners.

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Correct Mechanics...Grip, Stride, Rotation, Release Great softball pitching hints and recommendations for girl softball pitchers

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An excellent site for girl softball pitchers from Colorado Pitching Coach Gerald Warner.

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Softball Defense for 3rd Base

One of the things about third base is that it is a reaction position. In other words, you have got to be close to the ground at all times, and simply react to a batted ball. In today's video blog post, we are talking a little bit about the 3rd base position, and some tips for defending from 3rd base.

It's important that your 3rd base player understand the importance and mechanics of the backhand catch and getting everything up the deep hole and short, because by the time the shortstop can get there, set up and make the throw, a fast runner will beat it out 9 times out of 10. This is where the 3rd base player becomes invaluable.

The setup position in relationship to the foul line tends to be where you can use one reach and protect the line. In the later innings , you may be closer to the line, or earlier in the game you might be a little further out, but you always want to make sure that something isn't going to get past you on the line side. You should especially be at a good distance to backhand efficiently.

You want your 3rd base player to get as many balls on the inside as possible. And this is where you have to be comfortable with angling. You want the player to be ready to grab that ball, get around it and make the throw.

It's important for the 3rd base player to have their feet in a square position, so they can quickly move to either side. This is where it becomes especially critical to not open or close one part of the stance when you are going to the side. Maintain that square position and be quick and agile on your feet so you can respond quickly to any situation.

Looking for more awesome tips for softball defense and more? Then be sure to check out Championship Coach Sue Enquist's other Softball Coaching Videos! Sue will share some great tips and softball pitching mechanics, hitting and much more! And don't forget to Like Us on Facebook, where we share more great ideas and suggestions for your practice plan! You can also Follow Us on Twitter and Hangout with us at Google+!

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Softball Defense for 3rd Base - Softball Spot

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One of the things about third base is that it is a reaction position. In other words, you have got to be close to the ground at all times, and simply react to a batted ball. In today's video blog post, we are talking a little bit about the 3rd base position, and some tips for defending from 3rd base.

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Tips to Improve Softball Pitching Mechanics!

In a previous blog post, we talked about softball pitching mechanics, and the wrist snap, leg drive, drag and closing of the pitch. In today's blog post, we are going to continue discussing these fundamentals as we explore variations of this pitching mechanics drill set further. Be sure to check out the article 4 Softball Pitching Drills to Improve Mechanics if you have any questions or problems following along with today's article.

In this next pitching mechanics drill, we're working on the arm swing, the wrist snap, the release, and the finish. But now we're going to include the legs. We're using the weighted ball and the purpose of this is actually now to put the legs together with the upper body a little bit more.

I'm taking a few steps back so we're about 30 feet away. And every time I'm doing these pitching mechanics drills, I'm going to draw my T so I have my power line so I know exactly where I want to be and where I want to step. And I think it's important because a lot of young pitches can get what I all sloppy. And they don't pay attention to their strides or their legs or their feet or their drag. So make sure you're always reading the dirt on what you're doing.

So the position we want to get into is have your leg up. And I want to have my arm set into the X position. And now all I'm going to do is really work on driving out towards my catcher, planting, snapping, and releasing. This is a good way to get your legs warmed up.

You can also do a different form of this pitching mechanics drill where you can start with your arms forward, come back up on the leg, and stride. You can try whichever one is more comfortable for you.

The purpose of this pitching mechanics drill is to work on your leg drive along with working on your arm swing in a progressive manner, while not coming all the way around. So this really helps me to time when my front leg plants and where my arms are at plant. In my opinion, if you're having problems timing your lower body and your upper body, you want to isolate those two things and really work on that. And this is the best way to do that. Let's say you're taking too short of a stride and you're not letting your arms get through. Well, this way you can really work on trying to take a little bit longer stride. I'm also getting up on my back toe as I'm pushing off. And it also helps with balance - a lot of young kids have problems with balance.

I like to introduce it first without a cone and then I will introduce it with the cones. If I have a kid, a young lady who is not taking a long enough stride, this is a perfect opportunity for using the cones. First mark the players stride. And a good way to mark stride is, based on your height - and I'm 5'10". I like to take about a 6-6½ foot stride. And the way I measure that is I put my heel on the front of the mound and I go heel to toe. One, two, three, four, five, six and a half. And that's my stride. A young lady who's quite a bit smaller, obviously her stride will be a little shorter. But you want to make sure that she's taking further than a 2- or 3-foot stride. That she's actually getting her legs up and driving them out. And this is one of the major problems I see with kids and what I mostly work on.

So if I have a child who I feel like doesn't really stride very well, I'll introduce the cone. And I'll have them place their feet a little bit further than shoulders' distance apart. And with their arms are forward, they're going to come back and stride over the cone. This forces them to use their legs and stride a little bit more. But you've got to watch out that they don't try to come around the cone, and if you have that problem then maybe you can set up several cones. You can also do this with a glove or some other object that they can visually see the cone and that will also impede them from stepping on top of it.

One thing that's really crucial while you're doing this pitching mechanics drill is that you have to pay attention to what the back side of the pitcher is doing. What happens a lot with young pitchers as you're showing them this drill is they will stride out and then the back side will get stuck. So you have to make sure you tell them to quickly drive the right side through once they've stepped out. And this will get everything more explosive, more powerful, and much quicker.

The next pitching mechanics drill that we will be doing is bringing the arm all the way around, but keeping the feet stationary. And the purpose of this, as all the drills are, is to progress through the pitching circle and the motion little by little so that we can work on the whole thing and put it together at the end.

So what we're going to be doing is, from the same distance, about 30 feet, which is about three-quarters of the way to the mound, I'm going to spread my feet out, be in a balanced athletic position, and now I'm going to work on my arm circle, making sure it's tight, making sure I'm rotating open, and making sure I'm long, I'm snapping, I have my release point, and my finish.

At this point you can introduce the regular 12″ ball, after you've thrown probably 15 or so of the weighted ball or the Cannonball. And what's going to happen is, especially with your younger kids when they first try this, they're going to want to aim it and throw it up in the air nice and high. It's important that you tell them to throw it as hard as they can. Trust their release point and stay nice and long while they're doing this.

Did you find these pitching mechanics tips valuable? Share your additional tips and comments below! And if you are looking for more great pitching mechanics drills, be sure to check out my Softball Drills and Practice Plans series, complete with video demonstrations, for more great drills, tips and techniques you can incorporate into your softball practice plan! And don't forget to Become a Fan on Facebook, where I will share even more valuable pitching mechanics information.

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Tips to Improve Softball Pitching Mechanics! - Softball Spot

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In a previous blog post, we talked about softball pitching mechanics, and the wrist snap, leg drive, drag and closing of the pitch. In today's blog post, we are going to continue discussing these fundamentals as we explore variations of this pitching mechanics drill set further.