Softball Coaching Tips on Things Your Softball Team Should Always Focus On

Softball Coaching Tips on Things Your Softball Team Should Always Focus On
By Marc Dagenais

It's easy to get distracted when you're a softball coach. You have schedules to deal with, and you also need to train your players on top of that. And it can get even more confusing with the training part. What specific things should your team focus on? How do you measure your team's progress?

Don't get frustrated, though. If you feel like you're losing control over your team, let me show you how you can keep your players well-trained minus the stress. The secret: it's all about focusing on the basics. This softball coaching tip especially applies to coaches handling 16U teams.

What should the basics cover? Let me show you some of the important things your softball team should always focus on:

Hitting and pitching

Obviously, if you want to train your players with the basics, you need to start with hitting and pitching. With hitting, teach them how to hit the ball consistently. This involves teaching them the proper hitting mechanics, plus showing them how to track the ball, from the time it leaves the pitcher's hand to the time they already need to hit the ball.

Also teach your players how to bunt. Your team doesn't always need to aim for a homerun. Bunting is a useful skill if you want to have more runs, for example.

Then there's pitching. For one, you should help your players develop their core muscles, found at the trunk. Developing these muscles help them transfer power from their legs to their upper body, which translates to faster throws.

Running Bases

What most inexperienced softball players don't realize is that you don't just run like heck to another base and call it baserunning. To properly do that, you need to know when to do it, and when you shouldn't. Your players need to consider the overall situation of the team on the field before making a run.

Aside from that, they also need to develop their sliding skills along with this. Proper sliding enables your players to get to the base faster, while minimizing the chances of injury.

Decision making

This skill comes with experience. But building experience doesn't necessarily mean your team always has to play in competitions. You can improve their decision making skills by letting them play specific game situations during practice.

Showing them how to react during particular game situations enables your players to make decisions as soon as they recognize a similar situation in actual games.

Communication

Teaching your players how to make decisions quickly also involves helping them improve communication among their teammates. It may involve the use of signs, but whatever you do, show your players how they can elevate their communication to a level where they no longer need verbal communication just to get their message across.

Again, it all boils down to teaching your players the basics, especially if they're inexperienced. They need the basic skills in order to perform much more difficult skills required at the elite level. The basics should be the main thing your softball team should always focus on.

Marc Dagenais is a softball peak performance coach that helps softball players and coaches improves their game by sharing with them the tips and strategies used by the world's best softball players and coaches to achieve extraordinary performances. Visit his site and sign-up to get his FREE softball hitting tips!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marc_Dagenais

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3095484

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Kids Softball Drills - Fun Drills for Beginning Players

Kids Softball Drills - Fun Drills for Beginning Players
By 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:

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 kids softball drills, tips, and practice ideas for youth and high school coaches.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Becky_Wittenburg

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Infield Drills: Ground Balls, Back Hands: Softball

Infield Drills: Ground Balls, Back Hands: Softball
Posted on Youtube by almarksports

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Check out these coaching articles at the Softball Coaching Digest:
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• Articles from the Youth Softball Coaching Clinic Blog
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• Articles from the Coaching Fastpitch Softball Hitters Blog
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USA Softball Instruction Fundamentals of Outfield Play - 06

USA Fastpitch Softball Instruction Fundamentals of Outfield Play - 06
Posted on YouTube by softballoutlet

Part 6 of 6 - The Finer Points - USA Softball Olympic Team Assistant Couch John Rittman, and Leah O'Brien Demonstrate and teach the Outfield Fundamentals that makes team USA one of the best Fast pitch Softball Teams in the World. New instructional DVDs can be purchased at www.softballoutlet.com. Proceeds benefit ASA/USA Softball, a non-profit organization, and members of the USA Olympic Team appearing in each DVD.

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Check out these coaching articles at the Softball Coaching Digest:
SoftballCoachingDigest.com
• Articles from the Youth Softball Coaching Clinic Blog
• Articles from the Coaching Fastpitch Softball Pitchers Blog
• Articles from the Coaching Fastpitch Softball Hitters Blog

Softball Coaching - 5 Tips for Coaching Youth Softball.mpg

Softball Coaching - 5 Tips for Coaching Youth Softball.mpg
http://www.softballperformance.com - Softball Peak Performance Coach Marc Dagenais discusses about tips for coaching youth softball to pick up new skills, better communication with players, and be better prepared for the next game.

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Frozen Ropes: Fast Pitch With Kaci Clark - Torso Track

Frozen Ropes: Fast Pitch With Kaci Clark - Torso Track.

Kaci demonstrates pitching techniques

Youth Softball Coaching Tips

Drills for Girls Softball
By Guest Author: Becky Wittenburg
If you're searching for the best infield drills for girls softball, then look no further. This article details two excellent combination drills that aim to improve your infielders' throwing accuracy and pivot skills in both regular play and double play situations.

Free Softball Drills
By Guest Author: Becky Wittenburg
Softball drills are what ultimately trains a team to win. It's very important that the various drills are adequate in teaching skills for different parts of the game. As the coach, it's your job to decide which drills will give the team the best practice. Here are some free softball drills that you can use.

Teaching Softball Drills To Win
By Guest Author: Becky Wittenburg
Teaching softball drills can be extremely challenging for new softball coaches. Here are a few strategies you can use when teaching softball drills to your team.


Softball Coaching Drills
By Guest Author: Becky Wittenburg
This softball coaching drill is explained as a defensive exercise but the skills that are being used will help to improve the players all-around. The Bubble Drill will help to ensure that your team is a step ahead of the other team. The Bubble Drill teaches the skills that a team needs to make it all the way.


SoftballrUs.com/FastpitchSoftballSupply.com is the ultimate online fastpitch softball online store. SoftballrUs.com has Batting Trainers,Pitching Training, Training Bats,Defensive Training Equipment,Coaching DVDs & Books, Softball Pitching Machines, Softball Complete Net & Frame Batting Cage Packages, Batting Cage Nets, Protective Practice Screens and Nets, and BatAction Hitting Machines, and much, much more. Visit Softballrus.com now!

A Summer's Day of Softball Quotes

A Summer's Day of Softball Quotes
By Guest Author: Shawn Manaher

Softball - there is nothing soft about it. This is one of the many inspiring and memorable quotes of softball players. Teams use this type of inspiration to get out there on the field and do their best. Softball is all about working together and cheering each other on as a team. Players and coaches alike have come up with many softball quotes that help them to remember at the end of the day it is not always about winning, but being part of a team. With softballs flying through the air and fans cheering their favorite players on, it is also a friendly reminder that spring is here and summer is on its way.

Eat, sleep, play softball. Sounds like a great life, but if you are a dedicated softball player, it is a way of life. To a softball player, there is nothing like hearing the crack of the bat against the ball as the pitcher throws another fast pitch across the mound. The batter hits the ball and softball gloves reach high in the air as the players run around the bases to score home runs.

Softball is as American as hot dogs and baseball, and becoming more popular. There are women's and men's fast pitch softball teams. Softball was actually invented by men in the late 1800s, but did not catch on until the Amateur Softball Association was formed in 1925. Softball did not become recognized as a sport until the 1930s. Ironically, softball was once thought to be a woman's sport. You can go online or in athletic apparel stores and there will be just as many softball t-shirts, hoodies, and other merchandise geared towards men as women. One sweatshirt in particular that really stands out with a memorable quote stated: softball is everything. This is the attitude that many players take on when they play this sport.

Along with softball comes the reminder that summer is right around the corner. Just as many memorable summer quotes come to mind as there are softball quotes. One favorite is, "thank you stars and fireflies, for the magic of summer skies." Moreover, there is nothing more magic than a slightly chilly summer evening, cuddled up on the bleachers, watching the ball game. A moment like this is one of the greatest pastimes and simplest pleasures we can endure in our lifetime.

There are many memorable summer quotes that are so inspirational to look over. Looking online is one excellent resource for finding quotes that reminding us of the good times we share with friends and family. Watching or playing sports such as softball is one great way for us to connect with others, while quotes are a good way to hold on to these fond memories.

Overall, softball is a sport that gives great motivation and inspiration to its teammates and fans alike. Many softball and other athletic quotes available remind us what it is like to be a part of such a wonderful sport and what fond memories of summertime it brings with it.

The author has spent a lot of time learning about softball quote and other related topics. Read more about softball quotes at Shawn's website.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shawn_Manaher

How to Overcome Being Scared of the Ball When You're Up to Bat!

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Article Title: How to Overcome Being Scared of the Ball When You're Up to Bat!

By Janet K Hansen

As a coach, you can teach hitting mechanics all day and even see players improve by leaps and bounds when hitting off a tee or hitting pitches delivered by a pitching machine that grooves every pitch into the strike zone. But one intangible problem often rears its ugly head when live pitching from an uncertain source, like an opposing pitcher, enters the mix-bailing out of the box due to fear of getting hit by the pitch. How can a fear of being hit by the pitch be overcome? It may not be easy in some cases, but it is possible.

It Starts with the Proper Batting Stance!

To begin with, teach your players (or son/daughter) that proper batting stance will help them hit strikes AND shield themselves more effectively should a pitch come at them. Stepping in the bucket prevents a good swing at any pitch, reducing both power and contact. Plus, opening the front foot out and away from the plate exposes the face, stomach, and for guys, the external anatomy to the potential of being hit. Explain that the impact will hurt worse in these locations than if they keep their front foot in place, striding straight toward the pitcher. Then, if they have to shield themselves, they can tuck in their shoulder and head, twisting towards the back arm, and take the pitch off the helmet, butt, meat of the arm or shoulder, or back, reducing the sting considerably. The bottom line is that proper stance is safer and more productive. Here's a key: training your players to get out of the way properly, or shield the more vulnerable spots, when a ball is destined to strike them will give them confidence when they head to the plate. Their attitude will be "if I need to, I know how to duck the pitch or have it hit me where it won't hurt so much." That confidence will translate into fewer worries, and soon, they may not be thinking about it at all!

The Fear is Usually Worse Than the Sting!

This is a tough one, but help your players understand that the fear of being hit is often worse than the actual fact of being hit. The truth is, in a game, or even batting practice, the adrenaline is usually running pretty high, and adrenaline acts as a natural barrier to pain. Taking a fastball off the leg or hip, or even square in the back, usually doesn't hurt that bad, if at all. Help your players comprehend this. If you have a pitching machine, have the players stand at the plate with their gloves and catch pitched balls. When they are in receiver-mode, expecting the ball at the speed a teammate might throw it to them while they're covering a bag, their perspective changes. They may just realize "this ball isn't coming that fast! It doesn't hurt my hand when I catch it... it probably wouldn't hurt me if it hit me." When that realization occurs, the fear problem often vanishes.

Coach Through the Fear and Never Tease Them!

NEVER belittle players for their fears. This will only encourage them to quit or to act out of fear even more. When a player gets hit by a pitch in batting practice or in a game, make sure that they are not injured, and then give them huge kudos if they don't melt into a puddle. Let them hear "atta girl" and "that's my man" when they shake it off. This will strengthen their resolve in the future and help the rest of the team realize it isn't as bad as they fear it might be. "Way to take one for the team!" will boost pride and resiliency, and might even produce the attitude that getting hit by the pitch is a badge of honor and toughness.

Building Confidence in Practice, Delivers Rewards When it Counts the Most!

Build confidence during hitting drills and batting practice. Confidence is the key to overcoming the fear of being hit by a pitch. Boost your players' confidence in their hitting through drills and verbal encouragement, and they'll go to the plate with success on their minds, looking to get on base or drive in runners already there. The fear of getting hit by the pitch will recede as their desire to hit the pitch hard grows.

Janet Hansen is a girls softball coach in NC and helps others understand how to choose the right softball bat for their needs at her softball bat review website, http://www.SoftballBatGuide.com. You can also learn batting tips and join in the discussion along the way!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Janet_K_Hansen




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Practice Really Helps During Softball Drills

Article Title: Practice Really Helps During Softball Drills
By Marc Dagenais

One of the things that really hit home is the amazing discipline that a player possesses every time he makes up with his game performances. Softball drills are developed in order for a player to get hold of the latest skills that will help him achieve more scores during any softball game performance. A softball player should have the commitment, dedication and patience to undergo every challenge that will beleaguered of him.

No matter how difficult the succeeding games are, there will always be some smooth times. During these times, a softball player must have a mental challenge also. This is the perfect time to stop and ponder on the things that will make him a much improved and a much better softball player not only of his school, not only of his fellow players but also a great softball player of his family, friends and community.

It is amazing that success in softball is also measured by the way how a player handles every conflict and challenges that crosses his way. It doesn't have to exist with too many excuses or else there will be some series of pitfalls and chaos more so during the softball game.

One of the most wonderful things that a player should always incorporate in his daily softball drills is the motivation. A player should always be motivated with his actions. He must have the power to stay energetic and active throughout the different challenges that will arrive before him.

Another important material to be practiced every time you have your softball drills is the ability to decide. Deciding indispensable decisions in life is a remarkable task. It should be something that will enhance not only you but the whole team as well. It is also important that when making decisions, you should incorporate the power of fair and equal judgment.

You should also practice committing yourself to every softball drills that you are doing. It is nice to note that when you really commit yourself, you'll get to the point of doing anything and everything just to get hold of your main end.

And most importantly, never forget to succeed. Success is what everybody wants to achieve. A successful softball player always has something to worry about but that is just part of the bargain. You will never meet the true meaning of success if you haven't battled every drudgery that will come along your way. It is therefore but normal to have some misunderstandings, vicissitudes and mishaps in your entire softball game experience. But those are something to treasure because they are all part and parcel of your way to success.

Softball drills are always part of any softball game. Whether a softball player likes it or not, one thing will always remain true. Softball is not just about being the best player. It is about having the best attitudes in order to become the best player. It is because without having the right kind of attitude, you may lose out a lot.

Marc Dagenais is a Softball Peak Performance Coach that helps softball players turn their athletic talent into extraordinary performances and help coaches get more out of their players, turn their struggling team around or get an edge over their opponents. Visit us to sign-up to get our FREE softball pitching tips!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marc_Dagenais

Thinking About Coaching Youth Sports Like Baseball Or Softball? Go For It! You Won't Regret It

SoftballrUs.com

By Bob Langys

You've been on the sidelines, watching your child play for the softball, baseball, soccer, football, or any other team. You'd like to get involved, but you don't know enough about the sport or about coaching.

Here is the deal: As long as you know a little more about the game than the players, you know enough. As long as you take some time along the way to attend a clinic or two, or even to research drills on the internet, you can stay ahead of the kids and provide value to them. If you can bring some enthusiasm and have a genuine desire to help the players progress, you can learn to coach them!

My Experience

My children started to play baseball and softball at a young age. I've never played any kind of organized sport, nor have I followed any professional sports. When my son joined the t-ball team, I initially sat on the sidelines and watched. As I saw what the drills were, it was quickly realized that they coach could use some help by breaking this team down to smaller, more interactive, groups. My offer to help with immediately accepted and my coaching career began.

As my children moved up through the levels of baseball and softball I studied along with them. My best gains in learning were had through the coordination with other coaches and with clinics that our league sponsored. The clinics were great in that they broke down individual skills down into a repeatable, numbered process. I've never pitched, but I can now get players started pitching. I've never been a catcher, but I can help kids be catchers.

Other considerations

The relationship with your child will change a little on the field and in practices. They are one of the team so you have to treat them like you do their teammates. That is often hard for the child, as they can't understand why you won't just be their mom/dad instead of the coach. A helpful technique for getting past this issue is to team up with another coach, and to have them responsible for coaching your child. It works well to tell the other coach the points that you want to get across to your child and let them do the work. Your other coaches will need the same from you.

Get Involved!

Go to the practices. Insert yourself into the process by helping with some drills. The coach may not know how to ask for help but most will not turn it down. Not sure what you are doing? Have the coach break down a drill for you. Start out as an assistant, but when you are ready make sure the league knows that you want to coach a team. Often times, they are short coaches and are looking for people who want to step up.

Assistant Coaches - the "Volunteering" of help.

Just like you have may have been a little hesitant to get involved many of the other parents are in the same boat. If a parent is at the practices and has not clearly indicated that they are not interested - they are a potential assistant coach. Learn some names, call them coach, and give them a drill to run. Believe me, more often than not that parent will be happy that they were able to help.

The Payoff

Coaching is very rewarding. Most coaches find that he benefits received consistently outweigh the time and energy put in. You will know that you have done it right when your players return for the following season and parents inquire as to your plans for next year. Over the years you will gain many relationships with parents, other coaches, and the players. When you get a chance to see the player - who has never made a play before - make the play for the first time you will never again wonder if you should have been a coach.

Bob Langys is an experienced telephone systems engineer and sales professional who has been in the industry for over 15 years. His interest in the technology and applications combined with his love of coaching / sharing the knowledge has served him well throughout his career. Bob works with Medlin Communications, in the Chicago Suburbs, and has the pleasure of working with a team of can-do people. Find out more about the information in this article at:

Find out more about Bob at:

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Bob routinely works with a variety of systems including Asterisk, Elastix, Toshiba, Cisco, and Avaya. Whatever the communications need, Bob will put his experience to find the best solution for you. Call Centers, Call Recording, ACD (automatic Call Distribution), and general office telephone solutions are all in his core area of expertise. Single sites or multiple locations. Located in northern Illinois ( Chicago area ) or across the nation, Bob can help.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bob_Langys

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5 Core Mechanics to a Good Baseball and Softball Swing

www.Baseball2u.com

By Todd Thomas

In hitting there are 5 core principles that as a hitter you hope to execute on every swing. No thanks to pitchers constantly attempting to mess up a hitter's timing and balance, these core movements aren't always present in every swing. These core mechanics are dependent upon each other for a player to really execute their best swing. In order to successfully execute one's best swing, these "parts" need to work together to maximize the hitting process. These five core principles are the "blueprint" of a hitters basic mechanics. They are:

1. Weight Transfer
2. Hips lead the hands
3. Matching the swing plane to the pitch plane or "leveling"*
*(this involves the shoulder dip, tilting, & getting the bat level to the ball)
4. Ideal contact
5. Staying inside the ball

These principles of hitting are the foundation and are present in every good swing but they are not all always present in EVERY swing from the same player. A player cannot, and will not, be consistently successful if they are regularly lacking in any one of these areas in the hitting process. This is why Ted William's said that hitting a baseball is the single most difficult thing to do in any sport. Although, I tend to disagree with Ted on this thought. Hitting a baseball(or softball) may be the second most difficult thing. I believe TEACHING someone to hit a baseball/softball may be the most difficult thing to do in sports!

Do great hitters always look great or even good at the plate? The simple obvious answer is NO. If the pitcher is successful as they often are, their pitch will take one of the core elements away from the hitter. When this happens take a look at what happens to their swing. The result are often less than favorable in these cases.

Oftentimes, a player who has excellent core hitting mechanics can be struggling at the plate and even look awkward. If you regularly watch a lot of games and hitters as I do, you will clearly recognize when a hitter gets into advantageous hitting positions and when they obviously did not. In the situations when their swing looked "bad", that doesn't mean that the hitter has poor hitting mechanics. Rather, something in the process was slightly off. One(or more) of the core mechanics was out of whack for whatever reason. A lot of times it's a hitter's rhythm, timing and tempo that are off and they are "chasing" a pitch the pitcher fooled them with. Whatever the pitcher has done, it has worked in that the hitters core mechanics are thrown off. As well all know, this doesn't always mean the hitter doesn't get a hit. We've all seen the crazy off-balance swing where the hitter drops one in for a base hit. As well as, we have all seen the "perfect" swing where the hitter smokes the ball only to have it fielded for an out by the defense.

One thing to add here is two-strike situation. A hitter should be less concerned with staying perfect with their mechanics and should be simply focusing on doing whatever it takes to make contact and put the ball in play. There is typically not much a hitter can do when they have two strikes on them except let the ball travel as deep as possible and simply put the bat in the path of the ball. Any thoughts of putting the perfect swing on a pitch when a hitter has two strikes must be out the window and he/she should focus on making the adjustments necessary to put the ball in play.

What is the perfect swing anyway? It's the adjustments a hitter makes appropriate to the pitch they get. This is the reason why a lot of times no two swings look very similar. It all starts with the core mechanics and then expands from there. Every element is necessary to maximize the swing process to a consistently high level. When a player is taught improper core mechanics or if core mechanics are not firmly established, hitting problems are exacerbated greatly and hitting frustration is escalated. Learning the core mechanics and learning them correctly while continually working on them is crucial to all hitters.

Todd Thomas is a Baseball Coach and Professional Hitting Instructor for Mike Epstein Hitting. Coach Todd's personal hitting website is http://www.HitItHere.net. Coach Todd also enthusiastically endorses http://PlayMyBestBaseball.com as a place where baseball and softball hitters can master the Confidence, Composure, Focus and Consistency of their game so they can reach their full potential.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Todd_Thomas

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Working on Softball Hitting Tips - Your Line of Attack to Win!

SoftballrUs.com

By Marc Dagenais

All games require energy, concentration, alertness and staying power in order to achieve one goal - to win! In softball game, these behaviors must be in attendance to every player of a team. When you engage into this game or kind of sport, there are certain things that you need to take serious of and to consider. And, softball hitting is one of those many things which you are required to make focus on because hitting is the best way in order to win in the game.

Here are some strategies for you to be able to deal with softball hitting:
· The first important thing in hitting is the weapon that you are using in striking or hitting a softball - the bat! It is very essential for a player to have a good bat and when we say well, it involves the features of it, for instance the size. You should consider the size of the bat when buying one. And, you should be able to get used to it or go well with your bat; it is like you have the connection from both of you. Size is important in terms of your speed, for some players want a big bat that can somehow help them to strike, however having a weighty one is not suggested by experts, and it really should be of a good size to help you out in when you swing it with no difficulty and within your control. The best part is to use the bat to strike the bottom part of the softball.

· Focused - mind is needed in softball hitting. It is pretty important when striking because your attentiveness on the softball tells and describes how good and brawny you are in the game. You should be able to keep your head in one place and in one course, for this will help you out to put your 100% focus and awareness to the softball and in order to make a nice strike. Keeping your focus steady and secure towards the ball, will provide you time to guess your accurate timing in hitting the softball.

· Hands are also playing as one of the most important parts in softball hitting. They are the ones who make hold of the bat and striking the ball in a very nice manner depends on how will you hold your weapon. You should not grip the bat too tight or too loose, just handle it in a relaxed way and be certain that your fingers are in a proper position when you are holding the bat to give you comfort. This will certainly give you a good speed when you strike the softball and give you much awareness to hit than how will your hands move when you make a strike.

· Your stance must be at a good place. You should make your knees bend and allow your feet to carry out your body's weight and have a distance between your feet, enough to make you at ease with your stance.
You should give enough time and effort when practicing these softball hitting strategies for you to achieve your goal - to be triumphant!

Marc Dagenais is a Softball Peak Performance Coach that helps softball players turn their athletic talent into extraordinary performances and help coaches get more out of their players, turn their struggling team around or get an edge over their opponents. Visit us to sign-up to get our FREE softball pitching tips!

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Coaching Youth Softball - How to Teach Softball Skills Quickly and Efficiently

By Marc Dagenais

Coaching youth softball is no easy task. Coaching involves multiple responsibilities and one of them is to teach the fundamentals of the game - hitting, pitching, throwing, fielding, and so on.

However, teaching is itself a skill and not as easy as most people would like to believe. Knowing the game is the easy part; teaching it is the hard part. Coaching youth softball involves a lot of teaching.

To make practices fun and enjoyable, youth softball coaches must be able to teach softball skills quickly and effectively using a sound pedagogical approach that takes into account the various types of learners.

Here is a sound approach that involves 6 steps:

Step #1 - What and Why

Kids today need to know why you are doing things. They are critical thinkers. So, when you introduce the new technical element (the ''what''), explain them why it is important. No need for a long speech or justification, just give a reason why so that they can more easily buy into it.

Step #2 - Demonstrate without instruction

This is crucial yet 95% of those coaching youth softball don't it. Most kids have no idea what the skill looks like. So, even before you start giving instructions, you must give them a visual picture or visual reference of what you are talking about. Someone once said that a picture is worth a thousand words and they were right.

Step #3 - Demonstrate with instruction using simple cues

Once the kids have a clear picture of what you are talking about, then you can provide instructions using only a few simple cues to emphasize key technical elements. Don't overload them with technical information, you will lose them.

Step #4 - Get them to try the skill

At this point, you get them to try what you just demonstrated so that they can ''feel'' what you are talking about. By nature, most athletes love to learn by doing.

Step #5 - Give them feedback

At this point, you want to give constructive feedback on what needs to be improved and what they should focus on.

Step #6 - Verify learning and let them ask questions

The worst question to ask to a kid is whether or not they understand. They will always say ''yes'' either because they think they understand (even if they might not) or they don't want to look like they are stupid. So, you want to quiz them asking them questions like what are the key points to verify their learning. Also provide them with a chance to ask their own questions so that they can make sure they clearly understand what was taught.

This 6-step approach is quick and efficient as it respects the fundamental principles of pedagogy. I strongly encourage you to use it with your athletes.

Marc Dagenais is a softball peak performance coach that provides softball tips, softball drills, and information on techniques for hitting, pitching, coaching, and training through his blog at http://www.softballperformance.com/blog

He also helps softball players and coaches improves their game by sharing with them the tips and strategies used by the world's best softball players and coaches to achieve extraordinary performances. You can sign-up to get his FREE Softball Tips at http://www.softballperformance.com/softball-tips.html Go Sign-up Now!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marc_Dagenais



Check out these coaching articles at the Softball Coaching Digest:
SoftballCoachingDigest.com
• Articles from the Youth Softball Coaching Clinic Blog
• Articles from the Coaching Fastpitch Softball Pitchers Blog
• Articles from the Coaching Fastpitch Softball Hitters Blog
• Articles from the Tips for Fastpitch Softball Coaches Blog
• The Fastpitch Softball Training Equipment Blog
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SoftballrUs.com/FastpitchSoftballSupply.com is the ultimate online fastpitch softball online store. SoftballrUs.com has Batting Trainers,Pitching Training, Training Bats,Defensive Training Equipment