Softball Tips and Techniques

Explore throwing mechanics, defensive drills, and offensive drills to help your softball athletes become better players.

Perform everyday softball drills to smother the ball from a knee-based roundball approach, include forehand and backhand with eyes down, short hops and high ball, finish in front.

Perform ladder drills to sharpen footwork and positioning for ground balls, using variations such as high knees, inside-out, and backhand and forehand while keeping eyes up toward the hitter.

The throwing progression guides daily warmups from stationary to full throws, focusing on seam grip, downward throws, hip and shoulder rotation, and targeted distances for infield and outfield throws.

Master a sidearm circle throw drill to throw on the run in clockwise and counterclockwise circles. Lead your partner, release quickly, and practice off-balance throws to make uncomfortable positions norm.

The run through tee drill reenacts a bunt or slap short ball in front, forcing a sidearm throw on the run. Stay under shoulder height and throw to the base.

Master fast transitions from bare hands to training gloves to full gloves by keeping the pocket open toward the throwing hand and moving the ball quickly to throw.

Develop fast glove flips to field balls at the last moment, transitioning from below the waist to above the knees and delivering a throw in under a second.

The outfield give and go drill teaches fielding glove-side ground balls, overhead catches, and short hops, then cutting off balls to prevent the gap or hitting the fence, with conditioning.

Blind line drives simulate an outfielder tracking a ball behind her, turning and running while blinded. Calls of glove or hand help locate the ball, improving eye-hand recognition and catching.

practice outfield everyday drills, including drop steps, J routes, and cutoffs, to refine footwork, catching on the run, and holding doubles and triples by cutting balls off before the fence.

Learn to swing a short, youth-sized bat on a knee using a tee, with a choked-up grip for controlled contact on fat pitches, progressing to low and high work.

This lecture explains four contact locations on a hitting tee: low, high inside, high outside, and low outside. It also guides extension and full-swing technique to stay through the ball.

Explore power hitting drills using stump, ramp, and figure four setups to transfer weight from back to front. Finish with contact extension toward center field.

Master open and close tee hitting with an angled stance, keeping hands in front and inside the ball, and use a slightly weighted bat to improve through-zone contact.

Master set contact and set extension by syncing mind and body, loading with the bottom half, then the upper half into contact, followed by a full bottom half extension.

Perform the five plate tracking drill from the front door, using a pitching machine or live pitcher. Track the ball from the fifth plate, stay visual, and swing on time.

Practice the three plate timing drill to train hitting against fast and slow pitchers; move up and back in the box while maintaining on-time contact with consistent contact points.

Discover softball drills that boost your team's performance and enhance your coaching this season today.