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.
Showing posts with label softball tips free softball tips. Show all posts
Showing posts with label softball tips free softball tips. Show all posts

Sunday, July 4, 2010

Free Softball Practice Drills

Free Softball Practice Drills
By Marc Dagenais

These softball drills are all great to use during practice and are free! If you play softball you may want to take the time to practice these drills during practice or on your own time because they can help you out tremendously.

Drill 1 - Merry-Go-Round (Softball Infield)

Purpose: To warm up or work on conditioning while fielding ground balls.

Procedure: Players form two fielding lines at opposite corners of the infield - one to the left of second base and one at home. Be careful that the players in line at second do not trip over the base. Two hitters hit or throw from the pitching-circle area, one to each line. Players field and run to the end of the opposite line. Hitters hit ground balls, fly balls, range balls, line drives, and scoops. Players return the ball to their hitter or place it in a bucket at the line they are running to. Hitters should have a bucket of extra balls to replace balls that fielders miss so the drill can be done at a steady pace.

Drill 2 - Knee Dives (Softball Catching)

Purpose: To learn how to dive to catch the ball.

Procedure: The tosser is six feet in front of the diver, who is on her knees. Using soft safety balls, the thrower tosses balls to the side just out of reach so that the diver must dive to catch them. Players progress to starting in a squat position and then to a full standing start. When using a mat have one tosser and never more than six fielders in a line so players don't waste too much time waiting for their turn but still have time to get ready for their next attempt. When bad weather forces you inside, this is an excellent drill if you have access to tumbling or wrestling mats.

Drill 3 - Sequence Throwing (Softball Throwing)

Purpose: To force concentration so that players can work on accuracy.

Procedure: Players use this sequence when throwing to a partner. Because the numbers are not in a logical sequence, the thrower must concentrate on each throw.

1. left shoulder 3.right shoulder

3. right hip 4. left hip

Drill 4 - Watch and Take Advantage (Softball Baserunning)

Purpose: To practice holding the leadoff until the pitcher has the ball.

Procedure: A pitcher with a bucket of balls on the mound throws to a catcher. Runners form a line behind first base. The runner works on getting a good jump on her leadoff and then maintaining a balanced position until the ball is successfully returned to the pitcher. The catcher occasionally overthrows the pitcher or the pitcher drops the ball. The runners looks for the error and reacts by going to second.

Drill 5 - Air Drill (Softball Bunting)

Purpose: To evaluate and practice bunting technique.

Procedure: The coach calls a particular bunt, and the batter then assumes position in an imaginary batter's box. On the command "Ball" the batter executes the basic movement. The emphasis is on proper bat angle and contact spot, good balance, and using the legs to lower the body for low pitches.

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


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Thursday, July 1, 2010

Get Your Hands on the Most Effective Softball Tips Ever Written!

Get Your Hands on the Most Effective Softball Tips Ever Written!
By Guest Author Marc Dagenais

Softball claims to be one of the most popular sports in the United States. Mastering the different skills in softball can help the team score and score and score again. Take your game to the next level using these powerful and proven softball playing tips. These will assure you of maximizing your team's performance. These very effective mechanics includes tips about the game itself, tips in playing softball, tips in effective softball coaching and tips on effective softball team building.

Simple tips about the softball game:

Softball is played by nine players in a team. The playing field is divided into the infield which is the lines between the bases and is sixty inches apart, and the outfield which is outside the baseline but inside the playing field. Any ball going outside the first or third base line is a foul ball which means runners cannot advance and the batter gets another try unless the ball was caught in the air, which translates to an out. An official game is seven innings. An inning is done when both teams have had their turn to bat.

Tips in playing softball:

You should keep your eye on the ball. Bend your knees when batting the softball. Don't backtrack; run sort of sideways while tracking the ball with your eyes. Run through first, but don't run through any other base. You can only step on a base and get somebody out when there is a strength or force; otherwise you must tag the runner playing softball.

Tips for effective softball coaching:

Plan a practice. Create a motor plan through mental preparation of the players. In this way, there is a development of unique set of mental rules. The plan will definitely becomes effective in matching drills to the player's ability, refining of action through an action plan, and further refining of the existing softball skill. Give appropriate rewards every time a player does a skill successfully. Review each successful game and compliment the player's effort as much as possible. Set practical goals. The goals must prepare the player for a realistic end. Teach a skill, by starting with the simple movements. Shape their behavior by being an example. Communicate with the players like a proficient and a capable coach.

Tips on Softball Team building:

It is often said that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. In softball paying, you must know not only your personal strength and weaknesses but also the others. A team is a group of people working together to achieve a common goal. Softball team building is the process of enabling that group of people to achieve that goal and that is to win in any softball competition!

It is about learning the simplest ways in getting started with softball that gives the sure ball in the game. Awareness of these softball tips can fully bring out the best in you and ignite the sports juices and stimulate new ways of looking at sport.

Marc Dagenais, MHK, CSCS, is a softball peak performance coach that helps players and teams hit with more power, run faster, throw harder, become mentally tougher, and be more dominant on the softball field. To get tons of great FREE softball tips to boost your game, visit us: http://www.softballperformance.com

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

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