Softball Drills

Other drills.....

.....1. For the young uns, their is a rubber ball attached to a bungy cord like string that a kid can throw and retrieve. It cost like $5. the best thing about this tool is it can be played with inside. Don't be fooled TBR, this firecracker will come back at you! The harder you throw the faster it returns. Its hands down the best hand/eye fielding device I've come across!....2. WindMiller has a gig that is a ball on a string line. That line is attached to two points, say, 25 ft. apart. The ball can slide up and down this line at speedes fast and slow. The batter has a nutsy bat, yep, get this, a bat that has been bored out in the middle ( 1 1/2 inches maybe ) from the top down to about where the old timers call the trademark. Anyway, this contraption is cool. ......Heres the kicker folks, Training, practicing, whatever we as parents want to call it, MUST entertain the kids, be an attention getter.

 

Bunting......

....is SOOOO important. I've used this tech. at camps with Charlie. The kids leave us with a firm hold on the bat/bunt. Have the kids point their finger like shooting a gun, you know, thumb up in back, right? Now put them in the cage or easy pitch to them. Ya'll know all about the getting in the front of the box, etc, so for time sake I'll concentrate on this 1. Turn towards the pitcher, bat held properly, and have the back hand thumb up! 2. Have the batter track the ball by putting his nose over the thumb. .....Now I know ya'll are saying "what"? Try it track the ball by putting your nose over your thumb. If the ball goes up your hands and nose go up, and if it goes down your nose and thumb goes down. Sorry, I beat you to the correction.......Always start with your hand and bat at the top of your strike zone...I know, but you get my point You'll see this....A kid will keep her/his head over the plate "so to speak" and wont be so eager to bail out! Small ball is the great equalizer!

 

Lets not forget the obivous......

.....good old live pitching. Pitchers, catchers, and batters will always benefit from this practice. The only downfall here though might be the fact that it doesn't include more than a few kids at a time. Thats when stations working fundamentals are most needed.

 

Got to agree..

Got to agree with Marlinfan, you are exactly right. I started my girls out at 10U using live pitching in practice. No substitute.

 

Outfield drill.....

.....,well, this is done from the outfield. I asked my DD her opinion on the drills listed above, which she has done for years, and she said "where is the bucket game". This drill is the simple catch of a flyball, or grounder to the outfielder who comes up throwing at a bucket placed at homeplate. Hit the bucket! My DD didn't knock down one that I can remmber, but she must have had a blast trying. If a drill can entertain a player, all while teaching/practicing them, then thats the heat!

 

Oh!!!, the head first slide.....

.....is Coach Charlies mecca. This is cool. "Cool" is the point, 90+ degrees, and CD has the kids diving down a "slip-n-slide" into a trough of water. Now thats "COOL"!

 

Pickle...

...you know, getting caught in a rundown between bases. 1. For defense, half of your kids set up 10 or so feet from 2B bag in the baseline, the other half sets up 10 ft. from 1B towards 2B. The kids throw the ball like a dart, VERY IMPORTANT, like a dart, not pump faking shoulder turns, etc. As they throw, they follow the throw and get into the opposite line. Always follow the throw to the same side, you know gloveside as an example. This helps to minimize the confusion of the very play itself. 2. Then back the kids to the 1b/2B bags and have them throw the full distance. The throw here is the important factor in the drill. Chest high and the kids catching the ball are coming forward to receive it. Go through the line about three times with no throw aways and they'll get a hold on be composed and not hurried. 3. Then back them up on 1B/2B and have them hold the bag as if tagging a runner out. The throw must be down low and catchable. Its tough! Con't forget, the kids are always following their throw to say the gloveside. They love it!

 

I used to use this one myself marlin, except i put a helmet on top of the bucket and if you knocked it off the bucket you got a dollar (this was when they were 10-12 so a dollar meant something) also did "bunting for dollars" geez now that i think about it maybe i shouldn't have done those games. I might be rich by now. lol

 

Star Drill...

....most of ya'll know this one but for the folks that don't....1. Set up one player at Catch., 3B, SS, 2B and 1B. 2. Have all of the other kids line up behind the 1B bag, over near the coaches box. 3. Drill starts by the 1B throwing to SS, and follows her throw to take over SS. SS catches the ball and throws Home, follows her throw, and takes the C. position, Catcher guns to 2B, follows throw, takes 2B position, ....2B, throws to 3B, follows throw, takes over 3B, ...3B throws to a "new" kid out of the line of extra players in the coaches box, who now has taken over 1B......WHEW! I hope I got it right. The object can be any one of things.....e.g. coming to a throw, or a good throw, or awareness of where the ball is all the time......whatever. Try it. try to go through your entire roster across the infield each occupying all bases three times. Easy...Huh? MAKE SURE YOU HAVE PLENTY OF BALLS TO COVER FOR THE BAD THROWS.