The Youth Softball Coaching Clinic Blog is your free online source for youth softball and little league softball coaching tips and drills. Our articles and daily post covers all aspects of coaching girls softball and girls softball teams.
Fastpitch Softball Drills - Develop Speed and Accuracy With These Pitching Drills By Becky Wittenburg
Once softball pitchers have developed their technique, they often reach a plateau where they no longer improve. However, there is always potential to be a better pitcher. These innovative fastpitch softball drills were designed to help pitchers develop their speed and accuracy on the mound.
Snap Drill
This fastpitch softball drill was developed to practice the snap of the wrist at the end of the pitch. Using the wrist muscles to snap the ball as it is released will increase the velocity of the pitch.
For this drill, two pitchers will stand about ten feet apart. The first pitcher will start with the pitching hand down at the side, holding the ball. She then takes her wrist back slightly before flipping the ball forward to her teammate, focusing on using as much power as possible. The partner will catch the pitch and use the same technique to snap the ball back. Each pitcher should snap the ball twenty-five times, working to increase strength in the wrist and velocity in the snap. This also serves as a great pitching warm-up.
Two for One
This drill for fastpitch softball helps the pitcher develop fielding skills while practicing pitches. The pitcher needs to always be prepared for a ball hit back to the mound.
Set up this drill with the pitcher at the mound and the catcher at the plate, each with one ball. As the pitcher delivers her pitch, the catcher will toss a ground ball to the mound. The pitcher should field the ball and use it for her next pitch, while the catcher will receive the pitch and use it for her next toss. Complete the routine twenty times, focusing on proper technique and increasing reaction time.
Distance Pitching
This pitching drill develops arm strength while emphasizing accuracy of pitches.
Start with the pitcher twenty feet from home plate, pitching to the catcher at home. The pitcher throws as many pitches as it takes to get five strikes, according to the catcher's judgment. Next, the pitcher should move back ten feet and pitch five strikes from that position, and so on until she is sixty feet from home plate.
Pitching from a long distance stretches the arm and increases strength, resulting in more powerful pitches. Using the catcher to determine strikes will keep the focus on accuracy, as well.
Isolation Drill
This softball drill for pitching focuses on the last portion of the pitch. By isolating the final stage of the pitching motion, players can develop the specific moves required to deliver an accurate pitch.
Have the pitcher stand thirty feet away from a teammate. The pitcher will start by raising the pitching arm and curling the wrist to form a letter "c" above the head. She should then complete the pitch from this position, concentrating on swinging the arm down, firing the hips, snapping the wrist, and releasing the pitch.
And if you'd like to see more free softball drills and coaching tips, go here to watch a free video:
http://www.softball-spot.com/vid/ Becky Wittenburg is a kids softball coach, and the owner and publisher of Softball-Spot.com, the web's #1 resource for softball drills, tips, and practice ideas for youth and high school coaches.
Coaching Youth Softball - Tips for Male Coaches Coaching Girls Posted on YouTube by softballperformance
http://www.softballperformance.com/blog - Softball Peak Performance Marc Dagenais shares a lesson he learned from coaching female athletes over the last 20 years.
Balancing all the roles of being a softball coach can be difficult, especially when what a player needs personally may be at odds with the best thing for the team. This short article helps coaches find a balance between acting as a friend and teaching a team how to be successful softball players.
Mentor
A coach's primary duty when working with young people is to act as a positive adult role model. Even on competitive teams, coaches must strive to bring their team together and build life skills while focusing on increasing sports ability.
When we talk about being a mentor, it means that the coach acts as someone the players can trust and go to with problems or questions. A mentor's actions speak louder than their words, so coaches must take care to be on their guard when around players.
Expert
The coach's next important role is to act as the team's expert at softball. Players will look to the coach to understand what they need to improve on, how to do certain things, and what they already excel at.
As the expert, coaches need to be both confident and friendly. Show that you know what you are talking about. If you as the coach can't demonstrate something, make sure you have someone available who can. This helps cement you as the team's expert and makes you more approachable to athletes.
Friend
As a neutral adult in the athletes' lives, coaches are also well positioned to act as a friend at times. This means letting them play around, or ignoring innocent things you hear that they may not want their parents to know.
Juggling Roles
Coaches can play multiple roles, but knowing what a situation calls for can be difficult. When athletes are stressed out or dealing with personal issues, friendship can be the most valuable quality you bring to the table. Sometimes, this even means putting the athlete's needs above the team's needs.
If the athlete is unable to concentrate or is performing poorly, give them a few minutes to try to collect themselves. Talk as a friend and recognize when they need some space. Don't feel the need to call attention to the situation by sharing it with other players.
If a few minutes away doesn't solve things, consider sending the player home for the day. As the expert, you need to make sure your team performs its best, but as the mentor, you must protect the mental and physical health of your players. In this situation, briefly explain to the team that the athlete is dealing with a personal issue and will be gone for the practice or event. Move on, and don't allow speculation or gossip.
If you find that an athlete is simply underperforming, watch for problems with technique that may not have been there before. Ask the athlete to step up as a leader on the team and show the other players what it means to fight through a bad practice or game.
And if you'd like to see more free softball drills and coaching tips, go here to watch a free video:
Becky Wittenburg is a kids softball coach, and the owner and publisher of Softball-Spot.com, the web's #1 resource for softball drills, tips, and practice ideas for youth and high school coaches.
Fastpitch Softball Hitting Tip: Forget "Elbow Up" Posted on YouTube by staciemahoe
Why "elbow up" should NOT be forced upon young softball players or be taught as an absolute necessity to good hitting by fastpitch softball coaches. More at http://www.allaboutfastpitch.com --------------------------------------------------------------------
Kids Softball Drills - Fun Drills for Beginning Players by Guest Author Becky Wittenburg
Start with the Basics
These kids softball drills teach the basics -- hitting, running, throwing, and catching -- in fun, simple ways that beginners will understand and enjoy!
Don't Miss
This hitting drill emphasizes making contact with the ball and correct placement of the bat once the batter has hit the ball. You will need a tee, a ball, a bat, gloves for each player, and a hula hoop.
Divide the team into two sides. Fielders will play as usual. Batters take turns hitting from the tee, focusing on making solid contact with the ball. Once they have hit the ball, they must toss their bat into the hula hoop on the ground next to home base before they can run to first. If the player misses the ball or knocks the tee over, it's a strike. After three strikes, the player is out. The player is also out if they don't place their bat in the hula hoop before running to first.
Red Light/Green Light
This kids softball helps beginners get used to running with a glove and ball in their hands. Each player will need a glove with a ball in it. Have the players form a line facing the coach, who is about 60 to 90 feet away.
The drill begins when the coach turns away from the players and yells "green light." The kids run toward him/her as fast as they can, making sure to hold on to their balls. Periodically the coach will yell "red light" and spin around. If the coach sees any of the players moving after he/she has called "red light," those players are out. The first player to get close and tag the coach out wins.
Hit the Coach
This is a fun beginning softball drill to teach throwing accuracy. The kids form a line facing the coach, each one holding a small foam ball or other type of soft ball.
When the coach says to begin, the kids all try to hit him/her with their balls while the coach tries to avoid getting hit. The kids can run to retrieve their balls after they have thrown them, but they must throw from the starting line. Once the coach has been hit three times, the kids get to make him/her do something silly, like a dance or animal noise.
Look Up
This softball drill for kids teaches beginning players to catch fly balls in the outfield. When first learning softball, many kids are afraid of looking up to catch the ball. This drill will ease them into feeling comfortable catching from below.
This drill requires small foam balls and as many tall people (coaches, assistants, or parents) as possible to stand next to the kids and drop the balls over their heads. The kids look up with their hands raised and try to catch the balls. At first they should use both hands and no glove to get used to catching with both hands. Eventually they can move on to using gloves.
And if you'd like to see more free softball drills and coaching tips, go here to watch a free video:
Becky Wittenburg is a kids softball coach, and the owner and publisher of Softball-Spot.com, the web's #1 resource for kids softball drills, tips, and practice ideas for youth and high school coaches.
