Softball Coaching Stuff
Three Flies In
Sep 4th
Name of Drill: Three Flies In
Purpose: This drill is competitive and includes hitting from a soft toss and fielding fly balls or ground balls. The objectives of the drill are to have fun (competitive) and to get practice hitting and fielding.
Explanation: Divide your team into two relatively equal teams; one starts as offense, the other as defense. Defense: positioned in the outfield – on the grass. Offense: hit with a soft toss from home plate. What happens when the offense hits the ball?
A fly ball:
- hits the grass = 1 run for the offense
- is caught = 1 fly ball for the defense
A ground ball:
- fielded cleanly = 1 ground ball
- 3 ground balls = 1 fly ball
Any ball:
- mishandled = 1 run
- a ball that doesn’t go to the outfield grass = 1 fly ball
When the defense gets 3 fly balls, they change to offense. After several rounds (each team on offense once), the team with the most runs is the winner.
How to be a Successful Coach
Sep 4th
There are many skills which you will need as a coach:
- A recruiter
- A planner
- An organizer
- A manager
- A leader
- A teacher
- A communicator
- A cheerleader
All Around Drill
Sep 3rd
Name of Drill: All Around Drill
Purpose: The objectives of this drill are to practice throwing, catching and base running at game speeds. The drill is competitive just as in a game. You can also emphasize the proper technique of positioning for and handling a tag at home.
Explanation: The coach hits a ground ball to the short stop, who throws to first base. The first base throws to home, where the catcher makes a tag. The catcher then throws to third base who makes a tag and throws to second base. Second base does double play footwork and ends up throwing to first base, who returns the ball to the catcher.
After throwing to first base, the second base puts on a helmet and becomes a baserunner at second. The coach hits a ground ball to center field where the center fielder fields the ball and throws home to the catcher. The catcher makes a tag on the runner coming from second.
Players rotate as follows:
- the 2B/runner moves to right center field in back of the CF line, on the way there dropping the helmet behind 2B
- catcher goed to 3B
- 3B becomes SS
- SS will be the next 2B
- CF who just fielded, goes to 1B
- 1B will go to home plate to be next catcher
Keep the drill moving rapidly, with everybody hustling, making good throws with proper footwork.
3 Box Throw Drill
Sep 3rd
Name of Drill: 3 Box Throw Drill
Purpose: This is a great drill that combines throwing, catching and reaction and is run as a competitive activity.
Explanation: The objective is to practice throwing, catching and quick reaction with proper footwork. Trying to be the quickest group adds game like pressure to the drill. Set-up and mark three squares: infield (60 feet²), medium (40 feet²), small (20 feet²).
Begin with the smallest square, one player at each corner. The ball is thrown clockwise around the square twice. Then the players move over to the medium square and throw clockwise around twice. Finally the players move over to the infield corners and throw around the bases clockwise twice.
Take the total time for the 3 squares, the group with the lowest time wins. If any throw is not caught, the time is not used and the group cannot win.
Variation: throw around counter clockwise.
Throwing @ Buckets Drill
Sep 3rd
Name of Drill: Throwing @ Buckets Drill
Purpose: This is a fun and challenging drill/contest which will get your players throwing as hard as they can … and working on their accuracy.
Explanation: Stack two buckets at home plate. Position players (P) behind the baselines between 1B and 3B (vary the distance to the buckets based on the age of your players). Give each player a ball. Starting at 1B each player throws a ball and tries to hit the buckets. Score one point for each hit. Return the ball to the player and the next player throws. Go around several times and try to improve points on each try.
Softball Coaching Tips
Sep 3rd
By Sandy Jerstad
Head Coach – Augustana College (SD)
What is coaching? It is a way of relating to people in order to help bring out the best in them. I suspect there are many similarities in coaching and in leading or managing any kind of company or business organization. We all have coaches in our lives – people who help guide, teach and motivate us to be the best we can be. They are our parents, teachers, friends, and sports team coaches. It is indeed a special role, and one I have loved. Over the years that I have been involved in college coaching, I have learned a great deal. I learn new concepts every year from my teams and from the experiences we share together.
I have formulated a number of principles over the years to guide me as I assume the privilege of leading another team through a year of learning, practice, improving, competing and becoming the best team we can be. These are the principles that govern my duties as coach.
How to Hit with Two Strikes
Aug 27th
When one of our hitters get two strikes, as coaches we immediately think that the hitter needs to do something different mechanically in order to put the ball in play. Have you ever heard a coach/parent tell Suzi Slugger to “Choke Up” whenever she gets two strikes? Is sounds so easy. The question I always asked myself as a hitter and now as a coach, is why make the change mechanically when you rarely get to practice it? For those coaches who make the time to practice hitting with two strikes, I take my hat off to you.
Maybe not changing technique or philosophy when the hitter has two strikes is more productive. But maybe not! Assuming the batter has good bat control, she’s relaxed, maintains confidence and focus and has a disciplined strike zone, maybe her approach to hitting with two strikes should not change. Without repetition, any mechanical change will be uncomfortable at first. The hitter may be uncomfortable when she has a two strike count. The game plan has to be accepted by the hitter. This is actually the first technique in adjusting to a two strike count. As a coach I am comfortable allowing the hitter to make no physical adjustment, especially if we don’t have the practice time to work on individual philosophy.
Another Bunt Defense Drill
Aug 27th
Name of Drill: Another Bunt Defense Drill
Purpose: The objectives of this drill are to give your catchers the opportunity to jump out and field a bunt, work on proper footwork to field a bunt, set and throw and to practice making good 60 foot throws and catches.
Explanation: C1 fields a ball on the 1B line and throws to first base. 1B throws back to C1. C2 fields a ball on the 3B line and throws to 3B. 3B throws back to C2. Repeat until all balls are fielded, thrown and returned.
Bunt Defense Drill
Aug 27th
Name of Drill: Bunt Defense Drill
Purpose: This drill provides many repetitions of players fielding a bunt and throwing to a specific base. Objectives:
- Proper technique in fielding a bunt.
- Throwing the ball to a specific base.
- Second baseman gets practice moving to first base and receiving a throw.
- Receiving the ball at the base (fielders can either simulate a tag or just touch the base).
Butterfly Relay Drill
Aug 27th
Name of Drill: Butterfly Relay Drill
Purpose: This is an excellent drill/contest to get your players running hard and working on their footwork and agility.
Explanation: Divide your players into two equal groups. Each group will “run” the relay course against the clock or the other group. Player vs. player can be fun and exciting but also runs the risk of players colliding and falling. Running against the clock is less risky. The relay course is set up as a square using four small red cones or the bases. The course would have four corners 60 feet apart if the bases are used or you can set the cones at whatever distance you choose. A forty feet square is about the shortest distance for a good relay.
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