Divide the team into groups of four.

One group of four should move out to a square area (about twenty by twenty feet) marked on the field, with a “base” in each corner and a player on each base. At the whistle, the player at home takes off for first, sliding in. When she touches the bag, the player standing there at first takes off for second.

When she slides in, the runner on second base takes off toward third. This continues around the horn until the player who began at home gets back home again. Whichever team does this the fastest is the winner.

If you do not have enough room to have all your groups going at once, then you can use a stopwatch to see which group is the fastest.

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Some coaches like to hang a rope or string from the ceiling for this one, but a swimming noodle anchored by a large coupling will do also. The noodle or rope should be 5 to 7 feet in front of home plate and as wide as the spot where the pitcher or coach would like the ball to be when it reaches that location.

The pitcher breaks the ball around the noodle. A right-handed pitcher will pass the noodle on the right side and, if the ball breaks effectively, she will see the pitch caught on the other side of the noodle.

This drill is also an effective way to practice stride-foot placement. The pitcher should be striding across the power line and to the throwing-arm side of the noodle, since this is where it is intended for the ball to start.

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A visual aid, such as a glass of water, may help with going through the pitching motion – slowly of course.

Correct motion will allow the glass of water to stay upright until the bottom of the circle, approximately 12 to 18 inches behind the body when the arm begins to move forwards for the wrist snap. At that point the water will spill out of the glass.

Early loaders will spill water as soon as they reach the back side of the circle top.

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This exercise promotes proper ball release and speed when pitching.

The pitcher delivers a ball to a partner without using a forward stride. The partner can be another pitcher, so this is a good warm-up drill. The stride foot is even with the pivot foot. The pitcher pitches the ball using good hip rotation, a strong snap of the wrist, and a good follow-through, focusing on proper hip and arm mechanics.

Pitchers should be aware of the danger of not rotating the hips and then throwing only with the arm.

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Knowing the natural stride of the pitcher, the coach can place a rope in front of her at about three-quarters the full distance of her stride. The rope can be four to five inches off the ground.

This placement will encourage the pitcher to stride farther as well as drive the stride leg (by forcing it to stay higher longer). The distance and height of the rope can be changed reasonably and gradually, but the pitcher must keep in mind the timing that must occur with the stride-foot landing and the arm between ten o’clock and twelve o’clock.

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Stride aggression can be improved in several ways. The coach can observe the pitcher’s stride on several pitches without her realizing that the coach is trying to get an honest idea of her natural stride. The coach then places a chalk mark where her toe is landing and another three or four inches in front of the first.

The pitcher should try to reach the new mark. If that is easy, the distance can be increased by another three or four inches.

The pitcher should not attempt to do too much at one time.

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Working on pitching accuracy can sometimes be boring, so why not turn it into a game?

This game can be played with two or more pitchers and a catcher. The object of the game is to throw ten strikes. The first pitcher throws as many balls as it takes to throw ten called strikes. The next pitcher tries to beat that number by throwing fewer pitches to get to ten strikes. The catcher is the judge.

A more advanced game is to count only pitches where the catcher does not have to move her glove to catch the ball. If she moves her glove, it does not count.

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This drill improves pitchers’ accuracy when pitching under conditions in which stamina is being challenged.

Each pitcher works with a catcher. For 30 to 45 seconds, pitchers continuously deliver pitches without any breaks (speed drill). At the end of each session, catchers call a sequence of five specific pitches varied by type and location.

Between the speed drill and sequence of five pitches, pitchers should take two shallow breaths followed by one deep breath, releasing tension in the shoulders during each exhalation.

If pitchers accurately throw the sequence of five pitches to each designated location (judged by the catcher), they have successfully completed the drill. Pitchers who do not hit each specified location will repeat the speed drill and a new sequence of five different pitches until successful completion.

Repeat until the pitcher hits each spot or has performed the speed drill a total of three to five times.

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This helps the pitcher develop control and accuracy.

The pitcher throws to the extreme four corners of the strike zone. When she achieves accuracy at one spot, she moves the target to the next corner. A catcher or a target on the wall can be used.

To adjust for the in and out targets, the pitcher must adjust her body angle from her normal stance. She turns the toe on the rubber about a half-inch in or out from the position she used to throw to the middle of the plate.

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In working side to side, the pitcher can work alone and become accustomed to various step locations by standing in the middle of a room.

Someone can call out different objects located in different areas in the room – the corner of the coffee table, the lamp, the coat rack, the glass of water, the plant, the left side of the television – and the pitcher can stride toward the object and finish through the pitch.

This drill, of course, is done without a ball.

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Place a stripe right down the middle of the ball and use it in close rotational work to insure the proper rotation is being imparted to the ball. The stripe gives instant feedback to the player and is easy for the catcher to see and determine what rotation has been imparted to the ball.

When throwing a rise ball or a peel drop (straight drop ball) the pitcher and catcher should see a solid line as the ball flies toward the target. If the line looks solid, the rotation is probably correct. If the line wavers or is non-existent, the rotation is incorrect and more rotational work is needed.

The straight drop (peel drop) is released off the middle finger and the rotation is clockwise as viewed from 3rd base. If any other rotation is being imparted to the ball, the ball will not drop.

The rise ball is just the opposite from the peel drop. The ball must have counter-clockwise rotation as viewed from 3rd base.

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This drill is made to improve the pitcher’s ability to react in a lateral direction to a ball.

Two pitchers must be on the field, one at the defensive position and the other 20 feet in front of the other pitcher with a full ball bucket. The first pitcher simulates a pitch. Then, the second pitcher throws a ball randomly to the right or left of the pitcher making him reach to catch the ball.

After eight repetitions, the pitchers rotate positions and the drill continues on for as long as desired.

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The purpose of this drill is to improve the pitcher’s ability to catch a hard hit line drive and throw to specific bases.

The pitcher will pitch a ball, which is caught by the catcher. As the ball gets near the catcher, the coach will hit another ball as a line drive to the pitcher, who catches it and throws the ball to second base. The drill sequence is then repeated with the pitcher throwing the ball to third base.

After around eight repetitions, the pitchers rotate, and the drill continues for as long as desired.

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The purpose of this drill is to help the pitcher field bunts.

Start with one or more pitchers in the mound area; place another pitcher or player acting as the receiver at first base, at second base, or both, to receive the thrown ball at the bases.

The coach tosses the ball from home plate to in front of the mound, and the pitcher fields the bunt using the standard fielding procedure, and throws to first base. Remind the pitcher to surround the ball by setting her feet toward the base to which she is most likely to throw. The pitcher then returns to the mound and repeats the bunting procedure, either throwing to first or alternating between bases.

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The purpose of this drill is to strengthen the lower body and build endurance.

One partner stands 60 feet away from the other partner with the ball in a grassy area, gym
space, or ball diamond. She begins walking and takes approximately three steps before she steps into her pitching motion. Once in the motion she attempts to throw the ball to her
partner. She wants the ball to reach her partner in the air. To make this possible she must use her legs and lower body so she gets a good lift on the ball.

After she releases, she takes three steps back to the 60-foot distance. Once the partner receives the ball, she will then do the same technique back to the first thrower.

This drill works the legs and teaches the athlete to use the lower body as the generator for the pitch. Have each player pitch 20 to 30 balls.

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The 20-4 drill focuses on strike accuracy and ball control. Pitchers start at their normal pitching distance or somewhat closer, depending on the development and skill of the pitcher. It is fine to start at half the distance and work back up to the normal pitching distance.

This drill requires pitchers to pitch 20 strikes for every 4 balls they pitch. If the pitcher gets the fourth ball before getting the 20th strike, they start over. Be careful not to overwork pitchers in this drill, because it requires lots of repetitive pitching.

One of the points of this drill is to keep players from focusing on speed and instead, to focus on accuracy. Pitchers should be encouraged to pitch slower, at about 60% of their normal pitching speed. This is because the drill is repetitive and requires pitchers to pitch much faster than usual, with less downtime between pitches.

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For pitchers needing to improve or practice control and accuracy, this pitching distance drill can do the trick. The catcher starts at the plate like normal and does not move. The pitcher starts at a designated line, about half her normal starting distance from the catcher. After throwing a few strikes from this closer location, the pitcher backs up to another designated line, about 10 feet behind the first. She repeats the drill, throwing several strikes before moving back to the next pitching line.

The lines should start about half the normal pitching distance and end at twice the pitcher’s normal pitching length. The coach can determine how many strikes are necessary before moving on to the next line.

The important point about the pitching distance drill is that pitchers should essentially keep their form the same as they pitch, regardless of where they are in relation to the catcher. It is important that they provide the right amount of power, which will depend on where they are pitching from, but the body mechanics and pitching technique stays the same.

As pitchers move farther out, they should focus on:

• Taking a longer stride
• Making a more controlled final down swing
• Getting a good flick of the wrist at the release

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The dummy batter drill involves a cardboard or wood cutout of a batter, standing in their first stance at the plate. This drill is best for pitchers already understanding the mechanics of pitching and simply wanting to improve their accuracy and aim.

The dummy batter should have a line coming down in front of it, made from some stiff material that will not blow about in the wind. This line is the proverbial “bulls eye” for a pitcher. Since pitchers are working here to improve their aim and number of strikes, having a visual cue denoting the perfect strike line will help as they experiment with pitches.

The dummy batter is also great because of the safety concerns with pitching. When a pitcher is learning a new pitch or tweaking their aim, the chances of a batter getting hit with a ball are pretty high. With the dummy batter, batters stay safe and the pitcher is free to experiment as necessary.

The dummy batter drill can be used for much more than developing proper aim. It is also a great pitching tool for learning new pitches, especially pitches like the drop, curve, rise, and screw. Since pitchers will have to practice over and over to develop the proper ball movement, having a dummy batter there will lend consistency to their practices.

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This drill begins with the pitcher behind the mound. The pitcher gets only one step onto the mound before the pitch.

The pitcher will take a step onto the mound as they are presenting the ball and then throw a pitch. The step should be aggressive and long, helping the pitcher to extend her pitching range and get momentum.

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This drill improves a pitcher’s arm rotation speed, leading to more powerful throws and controlled speed. To do this drill, the pitcher’s feet should be wider than shoulder width and in a stride position, as if she has taken a small stride.

She will make three fast circles with her pitching arm, releasing the ball on the third rotation. The shoulder should stay relaxed but controlled. The purpose of this drill is to increase arm rotation speed and help pitchers release the ball with more momentum.

To help aim the ball, the pitcher should have her glove hand at shoulder height and facing the catcher, where she wants to throw the ball. After working on three rotations before a pitch, reduce it to two rotations before the pitch and finally, one rotation and the pitch.

If players feel any pain during this drill, they should stop immediately. The shoulder must be relaxed enough that it can rotate quickly without pain, but players should never push through shoulder pain.

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Start with groups of three to four players with their gloves off, about 15 feet away from the coach.

The players are to be in an athletic position with the glove hand out in front as if they are going to receive the ball. With the palm of their glove hand facing down and fingers spread, toss the ball at the player. Their only goal is to tap the ball straight down to the ground with the palm of the glove hand.

Progress to the next step, only when the first is mastered, and introduce the throwing hand. Literally have the player tap the ball into the throwing hand, not catching the ball, but tapping the ball into the throwing hand.

There should be two soft sounds: the first is the ball hitting the glove hand, and the second is the ball falling into the throwing hand.

Progress to the next step and do the same as above but add the foot work to get them into a throwing position.

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Have the players throw balls back and forth between one another. At random, call out “Statue!” All of the players must become statues in the throwing position with the proper grip. Because they are “frozen”, it allows coaches an opportunity to check grips and body form carefully.

As they are checking for these things, the game for the coach is to try and make the player laugh (making funny faces, saying funny things, etc.) and become a “non-statue”, one player at a time, spending 10-15 seconds trying to make each kid laugh.

The best “statue” wins that round. The kids love the aspect of trying not to laugh, and the “freeze frame” gives the coach enough peace to note what aspects need work. Several rounds in a row are easily workable.

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Split the players into 2 equally skilled teams.

Set out 2 cones 15-20′ apart and then 2 more cones 40′ away, again 15-20′ apart.
Spread the girls out between the cones evenly. There should be 2 lines of players in between the cones facing one another.

Give 1 team a ball and have them begin throwing grounders at the opposing team.

If a grounder gets through the opposing line then the girl who missed the ball is out.

If 2 or more girls go for and miss the ball then the throwing team chooses which one is out!

This drill really helps to reinforce teamwork and also helps players learn to catch grounders.

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Set three cones out in a “Z” shape. A hitter stands behind the player as the player runs to the first cone and hits a ball towards her.

Vary the way the balls are hit – grounder or fly ball. Have each player run towards each cone looking for the ball, and where the ball is placed (high, low, front or back, etc.) to ensure players are tracking the ball and reacting accordingly.

Once caught, or retrieved, the player has to square up, get a good base and make a good throw back to the coach. As the coach catches it, the player should turn and run towards the next cone, preparing for the next hit.

This drill helps to improve reaction and tracking, agility with quick starts and stops, and the transition from running, fielding and throwing.

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Place two bases 40-60 ft. apart. Only three people are needed – one at each base and one to be the runner. Use tennis balls to avoid getting hurt.

The fielder with the ball should begin at the bag opposite the runner. The runner should start with his foot on the bag, and take a 3-to-5 second lead toward the base in front of them. After they touch the first base and get a start back to the other base, the fielder they just ran from throws the ball to the other fielder to try and tag the runner out. If the ball gets past the fielder or they drop it, the runner can turn around after touching that base and run back to the other.

The runner would just go back and forth as many times they can until they get into a pickle. If the fielder catches the ball, they can run the runner back to the base like a real pickle situation in a game. The runner cannot get credit for this base because they didn’t touch the other base, yet.

The goal of this game is to touch the bases as many times as possible without being tagged out. The runner must keep track of how many times they touch the base before a fielder tags them out. When that runner gets out, they rotate positions so that the fielders can be the runner. After everyone has ran, they compare their scores (bases touched).

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Have the players lay on the ground in a circle with their heads toward the middle of the circle. Designate a player to start the action.

When she starts, she gets up and runs over every player in the circle until she gets to an open spot (vacated by the first player she has run over)and then she lays down on the ground (usually falls down). After the starter has run over the FIRST player on the ground, SHE gets up and runs over every player until she finds an open spot (vacated by the FIRST player SHE has run over) and then lays down.

When played right, there will be 3 or 4 girls running over players and falling down at all times. This drill is very good as a warmup exercise.

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The runner is on 1st base in her ready position (ready for her lead off). Another player or coach is a short distance from her, in the base path from 1st to 2nd base.

The coach holds a tennis ball at eye height. As the ball is dropped on a piece of flat wood, the runner leaves the base and attempts to catch the ball before it bounces off the wood a second time.

The distance for this drill is determined by the skill level of the runners, but start out close so that she can easily catch the ball and slowly move back to challenge her.

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Take a thick broom handle or a 1″ thick dowel and cut it to about 2 foot in length. Drill a hole in the center of the dowel, and tie a rope through it. Attach a weight to the other end of the rope.

Have the pitcher hold the dowel with both hands straight in front of her with arms locked out, and roll her wrists forward until she has wound up the rope and the weight has reached the dowel. Then have her reverse the motion to unwind the rope until the weight touches the ground again. Adjust the weight as she gets stronger.

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This drill is particularly effective for pitchers who “rush” their motion, fall forward too soon, have trouble getting “on top” of the softball into a high- 3/4 arm slot, or are imbalanced in the balance position.

A coach or another player is needed for this drill.

To begin, a pitcher will go through her full wind-up without the ball. When she gets to the balance position, the pitcher will stop, hold, turn her head and wait for the coach to hand her the softball.

The coach should vary how quickly he hands his pitcher the ball. It should be anywhere from three to five seconds.

Once the pitcher has received the ball from her coach from the balance position, she will turn her head again and throw to her target, emphasizing a good follow-through.

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At the beginning of practice or as a warm-up, incorporate these running exercises.

• Players run straight ahead at 3/4 speed. They should concentrate arm swing and run at 3/4 speed, accelerate to full speed, and then slow down (about 30 yds.)
• Players move sideways by sliding their right foot out and following with their left foot. They should avoid crossing or hitting their feet together. Players should keep their shoulders level and facing home plate.
• Players lead off from the base. They should be standing with feet parallel to the base next to them. Have them swing their left leg over towards their right to start a run towards another base. Run to the other base. Make sure they do no turn or swivel their feet and run to the next base.
• Players keep their left foot on base. Their right foot should be behind the base facing the next base. Run to the next base.
• Runners should shuffle 3 to 4 times and then return to an imaginary base. Put their left foot on the base and look towards the outfield. They will then run on your command of “go”.

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Starting with a light weight (4 pound) dumbbell, do arm curls, butterflies, and wrist snaps in 10 rep sets. Once the pitcher can do 3 sets of 10 reps, increase the weight and start with 1 set and work up.

Make sure she does not overexert and make sure to consult a doctor before installing a weight program for your pitchers!

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Catchers should be well-taught on how to give signs to the pitcher. Remind the catcher of these few simple rules:

• Finger movements should be slow and controlled. There is no need to rush. The pitcher should be able to see the signs easily and in a relaxed manner.
• The catchers hand should be placed back against the cup or groin.
• The fingers should be pointing down. If the fingers are at an angle, it will be hard to see from the pitcher’s circle.
• Be sure the fingers are not placed too low. The hand should not be so low that the on-deck hitter or individuals behind the catcher can see the signs.
• Close off both knees. The knees should be facing toward the pitcher. If the knees are open, the coaches in the coaching box may be able to see your signs and relay them to the hitter. There is nothing wrong with stealing signs if the catcher is doing a poor job.
• Have as little hand movement as possible. Don’t give away location of pitches with loud arm and hand movements. The key to sign giving is to be slow, deliberate, and subtle.

There are a few simple drills that can help catchers practice giving signs. Have the catcher get into position several feet away from a mirror and giver her signs. This gives her a good idea of what the pitcher can and can not see.

During practice, have the catcher and pitcher go through the entire process of a pitch, starting with sign-giving. This gives the coaches a good chance to see with their own eyes where problems may be and fix them immediately.

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This drill is designed to help shortstops and second basemen, but can be adapted to help outfielders as well.

Take a bucket of balls about ten feet behind where the shortstop or the second basemen would normally line up. Scatter the balls across the ground. Have the fielder, with their back to the infield, jog to the balls one at a time and pick them up and throw them to home plate. They should alternate between picking up the balls with their glove and their bare hand. If there is no catcher to help, set a bucket about five feet away from home plate down what would be the third base line. The fielder would then need to throw the towards home plate. If the ball does not go to home plate, at least make sure it goes in between home plate and the bucket. This is the out zone.

The purpose of this drill is to get the fielder, who is often cut off from the rest of the team, a good practice session. This drill gives them practice at getting the ball with their back to the infield, and turning, finding home plate, and throwing the ball to home plate.

The bucket should be a target for the fielder. The reason for having it on the third base side is, if the fielder can’t hit home plate, they should at least miss on the third base side so the catcher still has a chance at getting the out.

To modify this drill for outfielders, scatter the bucket of balls about ten feet in front of where the outfielder would line up. Have them charge the balls one at a time and throw them to home plate.

This drill is for getting the outfielder to charge balls on the ground, and then throw them while on the move. It lets them work on their throw to the plate.

If they can not get the ball to the plate, it is important for them to know what direction their throws go when the ball hits the dirt. The ball will usually consistently jump slightly one direction or another. It is good for the fielder to see this, and remember this. They should practice trying to get the ball to roll through the out zone between home plate and the bucket on the third base line. Knowing how to do this as well as throwing it through that zone in the air will help the fielder and the catcher.

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To practice throwing form, have someone standing about 5 feet directly behind the player. She should take a ball and, from the hand in glove position (as if the ball were just fielded), separate the hands with the ball hand swinging first down, then back and up until her throwing arm bicep is parallel with the ground and she has a 90 degree angle with her forearm pointing up and the ball facing backwards.

Looking at this motion from the third base side, the ball hand starts at 9 o’clock, swings down to 6 o’clock then up to 12 o’clock (if the player is a right handed thrower). If the ball is released at about 3 o’clock and the player’s form is correct, the ball should be easily caught by the person standing behind her. If the ball goes to the left or right of the catcher, she is not using a proper path for her arm.

When the player has the proper arm motion, have her go into your throwing motion instead of releasing the ball. She should stride with her lead foot and follow through.

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Split the players into 3 teams. The game works well with 12 girls (3 teams of 4 players) and 2 coaches. One team goes to the outfield, one team plays the infield and the other team is up to bat.

One coach pitches and one catches. If there is only one coach, use a tee and have the coach play catcher. Once the ball has been hit, the team who touches the ball first has to pass the ball under their legs until it has been touched by every girl on their team. The last girl has to throw the ball to the catcher before the batter/runner makes it home. The throw home has to be a good throw and the coach receiving the throw home can stand on home plate and can stretch to catch the ball. However, he can’t leave the plate.

If the ball arrives before the runner then the home team has one out. After three outs, the players rotate – the team at bat goes to outfield, the outfield team goes to infield, and the infield team goes to bat. The catch is that the pitcher can pitch as soon as a batter is up to the plate with a helmet on, so if a girl’s team was just at bat, she had better be running to position herself in the outfield.

Some girls who play this game don’t even take their helmets off so that they can get out as quickly as possible. They also learn teamwork. Girls will have each others gloves ready for their teammates on their way to the field and they usually have the girl with the best arm line up at the end of the line to assure a good throw home.

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Set up a pitching machine at the pitcher’s mound and shoot balls into the ground just behind home plate and in front of home plate. The catcher must be in full gear and catch the balls so that they do not go behind her.

A variation of this drill is to tie the catcher’s hands behind their back and throw sponge balls onto the floor. The catcher must block them by using her body and moving side-to-side. Do not use regular balls for this version – only sponge balls!

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Have the players line up in a line stretching to the outfield. The first player throws the ball to the glove side of the second player in the line. She throws to the glove side of the player next to her. Continue until the ball has traveled all the way down the line, and then have it brought back down the line.

This drill teaches the proper location for the relay throw and also helps players develop a quick turn and release of the throw.

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This game requires two teams of at least 5 players.

One team takes the field at 1st base, 2nd base, shortstop, 3rd base, and catcher. The other team is at bat. The batter hits a ground ball. This can be done from a tee, a soft toss, or by throwing the ball up and hitting it. Fly balls are strikes.

An infielder catches the ball and throws to 1st base. 1st base then throws to one of the other infielders. That fielder throws back to 1st base. 1st base then throws to the other infielder who hasn’t yet touched the ball, who throws back to 1st base. The ball then goes around the horn: 1st base to short stop to 2nd base to 3rd base. Then it is thrown to the catcher.

Each fielder must touch her base before throwing except for when the ball is thrown around the horn and home. If the batter-runner can run all the way home before the ball gets home, they score a run. If the ball gets home first, they have one out. In that case, the fielders rotate one position clockwise and the next batter hits.

For every batter, each fielder has caught 3 balls and made 3 throws. Every catch and throw must be accurate or the batting team scores one run. Batters need to wear helmets. Fielders can rotate in at 3rd base if you are playing with more than 5 players on each team.

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Flip tennis can lids frisbee-style towards the batter. Vary which edge is up to imitate a curve, screwball, etc. Have the batter use either a regular bat or a Thunderstick.

This drill helps players keep their weight back and encourages snap and eye tracking.

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Players form two lines facing each other about 15 – 20 feet apart. The coach flips a ball to the first player. That player throws to the player across from her. That player immediately throws the ball to the next player in line across from her. This continues until the catcher receives the ball. The catcher then drops ball into the bucket.

After the first ball is flipped by the coach, another is tossed in by the coach. Depending upon the skill level of the players, the coach may flip the ball immediately, or he may wait a few seconds. This continues until the coach runs out of softballs.

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Have two players stand 10-20 feet apart.

Player one throws a ground ball to Player Two. Player Two fields and throws back to Player
One.

Player Two then runs toward Player One. She will circle Player One and return to her spot.
Player One will throw a flyball back to her.

After Player Two gets the ball, she throws it back to Player One. Then Player One throws
back to Player Two. Then Player Two gives the ground ball to Player One repeating the process.

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Write numbers 1 through 5 on the balls in different colors. Have the girls field the ball and call out the color the number  is written in.

When they get the hang of that, have them call out the number written. Use permanent marker and depending on the age, determine what size to make the numbers.

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The following speed drill also works for accuracy, while building arm strength. Have the pitchers pitch 10 balls from approximately 20 feet. Then have them move in ten foot increments as they move back, have them pitch 10 balls each time. Do this until they are throwing from as far back as 60 feet.

Once the “comfortable accurate distance” for the drill had been reached, move them to the rubber, and have them throw 20-50 hard pitches. Combining the short and long distances works on two things at the same time: arm strength (speed) and accuracy.

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Throw 50 balls in the dirt to help the catcher practice blocking the plate. Make them throw 50 to second off the pitch.

To practice for flyballs, have them crouch with the coach on his knees in front of her, with ball in hand stretched out so the catcher can see it like a pitch coming in. Then, have the coach flip it in the air in different directions so she can practice getting the mask off and finding the ball.

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A catcher should always bring their hand up to their ear and throw (of course with a snap). When a catcher throws, their glove (which should be extended towards their target) should cross their chest. To gain speed on the throw down to second, a catcher has to pop-up after they have caught the pitched ball. When they pop-up, their feet should be at a 90 degree angle to where they were before.

A good drill to practice the popping up on steals is to draw a cross in front of the catcher. Crouching down on one of the lines a catcher should be able to pop-up and land on the other line that crosses it.

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Place a ball on the tee at hip height. Have the batter hold a bat behind her hips and take a normal batting stance. Have her pivot and knock the ball off the tee with the bat. This teaches proper hip rotation and explosion.

Next, locate the tee at the proper impact point for inside pitches and then outside pitches. Place the balls on the tee and have the batter hit from a normal stance. This teaches the proper technique for hitting these pitches.

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Draw sections in the dirt in front of home plate. In each section, write a number representing a point value based on what the coach considers the perfect bunt. For example, a two-foot diameter circle in the “no-man’s” area between the pitcher, catcher and either 1st or 3rd base would have a high point value.

Divide the girls up into teams. Each girl takes her turn bunting. She is awarded the point value of the section that the ball stops in (not lands in). After every player has taken her turn, total up the points and reward the winners.

After the girls have played this game, let them take turns drawing sections in the dirt and assigning point values. Even if they give high point values to what would be considered a bad bunt, they are still learning how to control the bunt and put it where they want it. When used with pitchers fielding the ball, this drill also gives them practice.

Be aware that the pitching machine balls tend to be more bouncy than real softballs and are more difficult to control. Make the sections larger and explain why to the players.

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This drill is used to have everyone participate in fielding, catching and throwing.

Have everyone spread out evenly into deep infield positions. One player on first and another player for backup to the first baseman. Have an assistant be the catcher or use another player.

Start the drill by having the coach say, “ready.” This is a cue for getting all the players into a ready position.

Hit grounder or fly balls to them. They will need to be sure and call it if it is a fly ball. Make sure fielders set up in proper fielding positoin. Once the catch is made a good throw to first base is then made. The first basemen then throws the ball to the catcher.

If a ball is missed the player missing the ball runs and retrieves the ball, runs back, and rolls the ball into the backstop while everyone else continues on with the drill. After they all have received at least one ball hit to them, tell the players to switch positions. At that time the player that is backing up the first baseman becomes the first baseman. The first baseman goes to where third would be and everyone else rotates toward first.

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A catcher stands between first and second base with a discard bucket. The rest of the team stands between third base and home with gloves.

Place three balls on the first baseline, spacing them a few feet apart. Do the same on the second baseline. Place 5 balls in the center of the field, vertically between catcher and player.

This drill should be run one player at a time. The player sprints to any ball on the field, and throws it to the catcher. (If the throw is not good, the ball is replaced by another player for a second try.) They then sprint back to where they started, and go after another ball.

This goes on until all of the balls are in the bucket. This drill should be tiring, and should be run at a sprint. Time the players if they need motivation. The other players on the team should be cheering on the runner.

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These drills are done as a series for warm-up and allow the players to focus on the “mechanics” of proper throwing techniques, using certain isolation drills.

1) Indian style: Have the players start approximately 10-12 yards from their partners sitting Indian style. By throwing in this position, the players isolate the upper body motion, using the glove hand for proper shoulder rotation. To help emphasize proper follow through, the players should follow through with their throwing arm elbow outside their knee, as if picking a blade of grass. This can also be done in the kneeling position with both knees on the ground, bodies square to their partners.

2) One Knee: Have the players proceed to the one knee position, stride leg in front pointing towards their partners. The players should move back to approximately 15-20 yards. This focuses on upper body mechanics and accuracy. Again, the players should follow through with their throwing elbows outside their knee with bend in the waist.

3.) Standing: Players put all three together and begin throwing from the standing position. Again, emphasize using the glove hand to point at the target as well as proper follow through (throwing wrist should brush the outside of the knee).

4) Crane: Players begin in the “crane” position. That is, with their stride leg raised in the air (knee bent), their glove hand pointing at their target, their throwing hand in the launch position (ball outside ear), players hold in this position for 2-3 seconds before releasing the ball. To ensure proper follow through, the players then take one full step towards their partner after releasing the throw. This helps the players focus on properly using their glove hand for emphasis on shoulder hip and knee rotation. For right-handed players, the left shoulder, hip and knee point at their target and when they are done, their right shoulder hip and knee should be pointing at their target.

5) Quick throw: Players work on framing and quick release. Players catch and throw without hesitation for approximately 1-1.5 minutes straight.

6) Tags: While partners are working their “Crane” positioning, the receivers set up in the straddle position. When the throw comes in, they perform sweep tags. This allows the receivers to train as well as the throwers.

7) Throwing for distance: Once the series has gone through, continue to have the players back up until they are able to make accurate, strong throws DIRECTLY to the receiver. No lob throws. This allows arm strengthening.

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Have the batter stand one bat length from a barrier (use a net to prevent damage to the bat). Have her take her normal swing. If she hits the barrier, she is unlocking her elbows before her shoulders and getting wide on the swing.

Another variation of this is the rear barrier drill. Place a barrier directly behind the batter and have her take her normal swing. If the bat hits the barrier, she is dropping her hands.

This drill can be used even when you are using a pitching machine or live pitching for instant feedback to the batter that she is dropping her hands

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Set up a net with a mat in front of it. Place a medium size orange cone on the mat. Have the hitter kneel on their back knee. The front leg should be straight out in front towards the net.

Place a ball on the cone and have them hit. This allows them to concentrate on the proper hand and arm movement without worrying about the legs.

The coach should have one player hit the balls and another feed them the balls, to allow the coach to concentrate on the hitter and also get other players involved.

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Have someone to throw the ball and to catch. First, have the players form a line about 30 to 40 feet away from the person that is throwing the ball.

Tell the players to charge the ball. Also tell them that they could expect almost anything: grounder, pop fly, or a line drive right to them – anything.

This drill teaches them to be ready for anything and to always charge the ball.

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Line all of the players up at third base. Hit a hard grounder to the first person in line. As soon as they field it and throw it in to the coach throw a high fly to first.

Make the player hustle to get it. As soon as they throw it in hit another grounder to third, thus making them run back across to get it.

This drill is good for foot speed, fielding and personal effort. Speed it up as players advance.

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Cones are set just behind baseline and 15-20 feet apart. Coach tries to hit balls past the two fielder teams.

Bobbles are OK as long as ball doesn’t pass the cones. When fielders miss ball, the next team is up.

Fielders can either be at same depth, or one can move closer to the batter. Keep track of records and make it competitive.

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Have the players line up and have one of them selected to field a ball hit over her head.

Hit or throw the ball over her head and to the right or left. Make sure that she does not run with her glove up, but rather have her keep the glove down and run to catch the ball and then get her glove up and make the catch.

Also, when doing these drills, make sure the fielder catches the ball in front or to her throwing side so she can make a quick release of the ball to an infielder.

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Place half the team in left field and the rest in center. The coaches hit a flyball in between the first two outfielders in each line.

They both go for the ball with one catching it and the other properly backing up the fielder. If the ball happens to get by both fielders then they will use a relay throw to get the ball back to the coach. Make sure that girls communicate with each other as to who will catch the ball.

This drill helps greatly in backing up on all balls, and is easy to do before games.

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The players are divided into two teams and stand on the corner of the gym on opposing corners.

Each coach stands on the opposite end at the corners and hit/throws grounders or fly balls to their team cross court. Each coach has a catcher who feeds the ball to the coach and also must catch all balls if possible. To complete the play the player must catch the ball successfully and make a catachable throw to their catcher for a point.

This goes on for about 3 minutes with the winner watching the others run or getting a treat.

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Use 2 hitters and catchers, and two or more fielders.

Place one set of catcher and hitter half way between 1st base and Home, the other set between 3rd and Home

Place one fielder at shortstop and another at second base. Have the other girls flank the fielders about 10 feet back.

The hitter between 1st base and home will hit to short stop and the hitter between 3rd and home will hit to 2nd base. The balls should “cross over” one another essentially.

Once the fielder has fielded and thrown the ball back to the catcher, the fielder will rotate clockwise and the next player will take her position.

Have the hitters hit about 15 times, then rotate with the catchers. When they have both hit 15 each, the hitters and catchers will rotate to the field and 4 fielders will come in to hit and catch.

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Set up a cutoff approximately 50 ft. from the catcher and 5 or 6 outfielders each spread out from right to left, approximately 50 ft. from cutoff.

Start by hitting a ball to the girl farthest left. She throws to cutoff. Cutoff throws home. After throwing to cutoff, the fielder then runs to take her spot. After throwing home, the girl at cutoff runs home to become catcher, and the catcher is to run to the open spot in the outfield.

In a short amount of time, fielders get to field in all outfield positions, work on throws, and get some conditioning.

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Use a smaller ball for this drill.

Position your self to the batting side (right for right handed batters) and ahead of the batter. Toss the “ball” at the hip of the batter. They should impact the ball in front of their body. This is the “contact point”. The toss is important! It should be crisp, but not too fast and out in front of the batter. Practice this to get it correct.

Make sure the batters are:
1) pivoting correctly and early enough.
2) rotating their hips with an explosion toward the ball.
3) unlocking their shoulders, elbows and wrists in sequence while throwing their hands straight to the ball (watch for hands dropping and correct this).
4) Watching the ball all the way to the bat and continuing to watch the “contact point” after the “ball” has been hit.

The proper stance is essential. It should be a balanced stance with 60% of the weight on the back foot, eyes level, bat in launch position (not wrapped behind the head), knees slightly bent, and door-knocking knuckles lined up. The stride should be a short, smooth lift and move type of stride. At impact with the ball and at follow-through, the body should be in a slightly curved position toward the ball (inward “c”). This insures that all the weight and power went in to impacting the ball.
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Use a series of three pitches to teach players to watch the ball. On the first pitch, the batter swings over the ball. The second pitch, she swings under the ball. The third pitch the batter hits the ball.

Repeat this drill until they can do it every time. After that, the drill can be fine-tuned. For pitch 1, the player should just nick the top of the ball. On pitch 2, they should nick the bottom of the ball. On pitch 3, have them hit it right in the middle of the ball.

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Try throwing golf whiffle balls, small coffee can lids (thrown like frisbees), pinto beans – anything that has players concentrating on a smaller than usual target or on a target that moves randomly, rather than moving in a straight line.

This will improve their concentration and teach them to follow the ball all the way in.

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Have the pitchers throw pitches and the batters watch the ball into the glove and call balls and strikes. It is amazing what some batters think are balls.

The best thing for good eyes is seeing live pitching even if it is just being a batter while your pitcher is doing a workout. You can learn to read different pitches, and the pitcher gets better practice when there is a batter in the box.

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Line the players up at 1st base. Use 2 raw eggs. Tell them to hold on to the eggs, run towards second, slide, and don’t break the eggs. This promotes having the hands over the head and a nice clean slide into 2nd.

Don’t give each girl two eggs – use the same two eggs over and over. After they’ve each made the trip to 2nd base twice, put a rope across the path — about three feet in front of 2nd base for them to slide under. This will give them the incentive to stay low on the slide. Make sure the rope is held very loosely!

After they’ve done that two times, take the eggs and have one of the players come and look at them. Point out the fact that there are lots of little cracks in the eggs and that they’re getting pretty weak.

Get the girls to slide into 2nd, pop-up and run to 3rd and slide. Then they should run to 1st and hand the eggs off.

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Have half of the team line up at second base and half the team line up at home. On the signal, one player from each team runs the bases until she reaches the base she started out at. When she gets there, she tags the next runner in line and she runs the bases.

This is done until all the runners have run. Whoever reaches their base first wins.

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This game is played with 2 teams. One team is at bat with a tee or soft-toss, the other team has one fielder on third base and one on first base.

The batter hits the ball off the tee or from a soft-toss as hard as she can and runs as many bases as she can until BOTH fielders have touched the ball.

Keep score by counting bases reached before the ball is touched. After all batters have batted, switch sides.

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Runners break from third, approximately 4-5 steps, running in foul territory. At the coaches command, the runner tags at third waiting for the coach to give the next command (simulating a fly ball).

At the coaches command, the runner breaks for home with a slide-by past home plate. The catcher may want to work on blocking home plate at this time. Another fun addition is to actually have a coach hit fly balls to the outfield and try to beat the runner home with a throw.

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Batters can hit off a tee, bunt or swing the bat and then run to first.

Runners must make contact with the front edge of the base and look immediately to their right. First base coach holds a ball in their right hand. If the coach drops the ball, the runner takes off for second (indicating an overthrow). If coach keeps the ball, the runner turns to their right and returns to first base.

After completing a perfect run to first, the runners stay behind the first base coach waiting for the rest of the team to finish and for the next base running series.

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Help catchers develop quick feet.

Catchers assume their stance with runners on base. On command from the coach they jump with their feet so that they are facing 90 degrees to where they started.

On each command they jump another 90 degrees. They never come out of their stance throughout the entire drill.

Repeat 10 to 12 times.

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This drill teaches the catcher to get to the proper throwing position quickly and with proper technique. Have the catchers pair up. One throws and one catches.

The catcher assumes her stance as if there is a runner on base. Feet spread , rear end up, throwing hand behind the glove. The pitcher throws the pitch around the strike zone.

The catcher should catch the pitch and then quickly execute the proper footwork to get to the throwing position. She should pause with the ball in her throwing hand as if she were ready to throw to second. She can then flip the ball back to the pitcher.

Repeat about ten to twelve times.

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This drill helps to show the catchers how to crouch properly, give a sign, and position themselves the right distance from home plate.

Pair the players up as a catcher and a hitter. The hitter should take her stance at home plate. The catcher will get into her proper stance and align herself the correct distance from the hitter. This can be done by having the catcher reach out and touch the back knee of the hitter. If she cannot touch the hitters knee she is too far away from the plate.

The catchers should then give their signs. Make sure they use their glove to block the view of the third base coach. Next the catchers will assume their receiving stance by placing their throwing hand behind their back and give the pitcher a good target.

You may then want to have the hitter swing the bat to show the catcher that she is a safe distance away.

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Have the catcher, in full gear, crouch four feet away from a wall. The coach/player stands two feet behind the catcher and throws the ball over the head of the catcher and at the wall. The catcher can not see the throw and must react to where it rebounds off of the wall.

Insist on good side to side movement, containing the ball with the shoulders, and staying square behind the ball. As the catchers get more proficient at this drill, vary the speed and angles at which the ball comes off of the wall.

This drill helps the catcher develop quickness and a good response time.

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Lay five to six balls in a semi-circle in front of a fully dressed catcher. From her stance have her retrieve one ball and throw it down, using proper throwing techniques, then return to her stance. Do this until she has thrown all the balls. Time her for fun. Make sure to emphasize accuracy.

Have her practice with the shortstops, not the coaches. It helps both players and builds trust between them.

This drill can be incorporated with different positions and players.

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Players are located at 3rd base fielding position, 2nd base (on bag), 1st base (on bag) and at catcher. All other players are lined up at 3rd base coaching box.

The coach hits ground ball to 3rd base, who throws to 2nd base, who throws to 1st base, who throws to catcher. After they throw, the player then sprints to the position she threw to. The next player in line then assumes 3rd base and the drill starts over. When everyone has been through, place the players at 1st base and the drill goes from 1st base to 2nd base to 3rd base to catcher.

This drill provides a quick warm-up and works on fielding ground balls, throwing accuracy, and pivoting to make the next throw.

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Get a stuffed animal and put it on a chair by 1st base. If you have a net, put the nest behind the chair to stop the ball. If not, put the chair near home. Have a coach hit ground balls to shortstop.

The player fields the ball and makes a throw trying to knock the stuffed animal off the chair.

The ball must be fielded properly or the player receives no points. Have a time limit (about 5 minutes) and keep track of how many hits the toy gets.

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Here is a drill for younger players trying to learn the wrist flip.

1. Have a friend or parent hold a broom where the long part is horizontal and touching the arch in the player’s back right where their wrist would hit on their release point.

2. If they take their arm behind them and slowly pitch, their wrist will hit the broom making their wrist flick the ball.

3. Remind them that they don’t want to throw the ball hard. It should not go far and will go slow.

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These drills improves speed and control/direction.

1. The player stands facing toward the wall in her stride position (standing sideways). She takes a ball and flicks it straight to the wall. It should come right back to her. The player should only use her wrist – no windmill. This drill can be done indoors with a rubber or incrediball, or outside with a regular ball against a pitchback.

2. This drill is also to be done in or outdoors. The pitcher stands 8ft. away from the wall in her stride position, does her windmill and closes her hips. The ball should come right back to her.

3. This one is also to be done in or outdoors. The player stands 6ft away from a wall in stride position and does only the windmill – she does not close her hips. The ball should come right back to her. Have her time herself for 15 seconds and see how many she can do. Every time she does it, see if she can get more than the time before.

4. The last drill should be done outside with a catcher. The player must get a weighted ball and kneel down on one knee with her other knee facing the catcher. Only using her wrist snap, she should flick the ball to her target or catcher. As she does, have her move back a couple of feet. When she’s about 10 ft from the plate, use a regular ball. Then when she’s about 20 ft away from the plate, do the windmill, until she can do this all the way from the rubber.

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Divide the team up into 3 groups. The first group stands between first base and second base. The second group stands at short stop. The third group stands at home plate. A coach and the catcher stand a little to the side of the plate.

The coach hits the ball to the first group, and the first girl in line for the first group catches it and throws it to the girl in the second group, while running to the second group position. The second group girl that catches the ball throws it to home plate while running there.

Continue until all the players have been through all the positions.

This drill keeps players in shape and alert the whole time.

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This drill improves throwing accuracy and footwork in the infield.

Divide the team into two groups. Half are positioned at short stop and the other half are positioned at second base.

Mark off a starting point that the girls must stay behind until a ground ball is hit to them by a coach at home plate. Each group alternates players fielding ground balls and throwing to home plate where two stacked buckets are located.

Each time a player hits the top bucket on a bounce 1 point is awarded. Hitting the bucket without a bounce gets 2 points. The first group to 10 points is the winner.

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Infielders stand at their positions (except the pitcher). The ball starts at the catcher, who throws to the second baseman. She throws to the third baseman. She throws to the first baseman. She throws to the shortstop. She throws back to the catcher. While this is happening, a runner is running the bases. They leave at the same time as the catcher starts the cycle.

The fielders usually start to move towards the middle, making it easier on them. Let them do that for a while, till it gets too easy, then make them start backing up. After they get a few steps in the grass the faster runners start making it close. (the runners like to see a dropped or missed ball)

This really helps the infielder’s learning to get rid of the ball quickly.

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There are many instances where the underhand shovel toss is the proper throw for an infielder.

The first baseman shovels the ball to the pitcher covering first base. The middle infielders use the underhand toss for plays around second base. As the fielder fields the ball she doesn’t stand straight up but keeps her knees bent. Her palm is up and her wrist is firm with her elbow in. Her glove hand is by her side so as not to “hide” the ball from the player who will catch it. She “shows” the ball to her partner to give her time to track the ball.

She steps with her left foot and releases the ball with a firm throw at the teammate’s chest. She keeps her knees bent as she releases the ball and “walks behind” the ball to insure accuracy. She should not stand up because the ball will have a tendency to sail.

Drill this play by lining up the infielders at shortstop and hitting sharp ground balls to them and they shovel toss the ball to a player at second base. For first basemen this is also a part of Pitchers Fielding Practice. If this play is ignored, the tendency is for the players to stand up as they underhand the ball. Drill it several times in the off season.

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This drill is divided into eight steps.

1.) Player stands with feet shoulder width apart, puts throwing arm up at 90 degree angle, holds elbow with glove, and throws ball to partner just using wrist action.

2.) Player sits with legs spread and has arm in same position only this time she can use from her elbow up and throws the ball to her partner.

3.) Player remains sitting, only now she can rotate her hips and turn her upper torso to throw the ball. Follow through is not necessary yet. There is an emphasis on using the glove arm or elbow to direct throw.

4.) Player now goes to one knee. She rotates her hips and upper torso and throws the ball, only now she puts the emphasis on following through across her knee which is raised.

5.) Player now stands with glove arm closest to partner, and feet shoulder width apart. Using all of the above steps, she throws the ball concentrating on follow through, only she cannot move her feet.

6.) Player now goes to the post position as in pitching, and throws the ball using the above steps. Emphasis in this step is balance at the post position.

7.) Player now uses all the steps above and crow hops and throws the ball to his partner. Emphasis in this step is proper technique of the crow hop.

8.) Finally, the last step is long toss.

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Each infielder will get 5 grounders to play at their specific position. This will allow them to field a bunt or slap, field a grounder and turn two, field 3 grounders hit to inside and outside their position (watch their feet to make sure they do not shuffle or cross over) and to make the throws to 1st base.

If they drop or juggle the ball, they start over. If its a bad throw, they start over. If the ball is thrown wild, start over. The players soon find out what is expected of them.

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Keep a full bucket of balls on the pitchers mound, and throw every ball in the dirt in front of the catcher. Vary the pitches – some to the glove side, some right at the catcher, and some to the backhand side. After throwing all the balls in the bucket into the dirt (to practice keeping the ball in front of you) there are usually many balls behind the catcher, against the fence or whatever backstop exists. When the last ball is about to be thrown the pitcher must warn the catcher.

Once this ball gets by the catcher, she has to get every single ball as fast as she can. When the last ball gets by the catcher, the pitcher (usually the coach) must grab the empty bucket and run to home plate. The catcher must make accurate throws to home so the pitcher can refill the bucket. Any wild throws (throws past the pitcher covering home with the bucket) must be retrieved by the catcher.

Try timing this event for increase in speed.

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In order to be a great hitter, it is always important to focus on fundamentals. Regardless of age or skill level, a hitter must learn to keep her eyes on the ball.

The Hawk Eye drill can help in training a player’s eyes to follow the ball from the pitcher’s hand to the contact point where the ball meets the bat. It will serve to solidify the importance of keeping your eye on the ball at any level of play where pitchers are throwing various pitches.

How It’s Done

Invite a number of players (who are not pitchers) out for pitching practice and have them bring their helmets. Tell them they will stand in as a live batter, so that they will be unaware of their task at hand.

After the pitchers are warmed up and throwing their pitches for accuracy and movement, have a hitter step into the batter’s box without a bat, BUT WITH HELMET ON. Her only responsibility is to watch the rotation of the ball from the pitcher’s hand to my glove.

Pitch Recognition

The batter then has to tell me what the rotation of the ball was, what kind of pitch it was (based on the rotation) and if it was a ball or a strike. Each batter reads five pitches and then moves back into the line.

If you have multiple pitchers and catchers, more than one batter can practice ‘seeing’ the ball at the same time, but a coach should be watching each set of players both for safety reasons and to ensure that the hitter’s are calling the pitches correctly.

Through this drill, the player has strengthened their vision’s muscle memory. Reading these pitches will enable her to watch the flight of the pitch, concentrate on the ball and focus on the contact point. It can be a big help in developing the subconscious action of viewing and reacting to a quickly pitched ball.

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This is a two person drill. One person is the hitter, the other is the pitcher and fielder.

The hitter holds the bat close to the knob. The bat is then put behind the back at waist level. The hand and knob will be about the middle of the back. The other arm is then put behind the bat then bent forward so that the bat is held with the bend at the elbow. If this is done correctly the bat is then sticking out beyond the bent arm around 18 to 24 inches.

The pitcher is then is going to pitch the ball slow and flat at waist level to the batter. The batter should be standing as if they were at the plate. To begin, they will want to use an open stance exposing the front of the body to the pitcher. As the pitcher tosses the ball, the hitter attempts to hit the ball by twisting at the waist. The picture will not want to put much arch on the tosses.

With practice it is not all that difficult. This teaches the hitter to keep their eyes on the ball. It encourages them to use their waist when hitting. It helps them to learn to adjust to the level of the ball by bending at the knees, and not just reaching. It is good for loosing up the back and legs. It get the pitcher to bend their legs and warms them up by moving laterally.

Once learned, this little games can take on a quick pace. It is great for working out indoors or outdoors.

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Simply divide the girls into two teams. Have the teams form two lines about 40 to 60 feet apart, with players shoulder to shoulder three feet apart. Place something two feet from each girl at either end of both lines. These are the goal posts. The goal posts can be buckets, cones, balls, or the parents. Hand a ball to one of the players. To play the game, the girls take turns trying to throw grounders through the opposing line. They can throw as hard as they want (make sure they’re spaced far enough apart).

The rules are fairly simple: The player who fails to prevent the ball from going past the imaginary line between goal post is out of the game. The team who loses all its players first loses. The ball must bounce in front of the players to count. If a player’s ball is caught on the fly without bouncing she is out – if it is dropped, she stays in. If a ball goes through the line without bouncing, it has no effect. Any throw outside the goal posts has no effect.

As players are eliminated move the goal posts in until the last player has a goal roughly six feet wide. Hint: if the girls learn to charge the ball, it gives one of their teammates an opportunity to back them up. If there is a question as to which girl allowed the ball to get through the line, the opposing team decides

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Place 3 balls on the ground evenly spaced, about 3/4 of the way from third base to home.

The fielding team has a third baseman and a group at second base. Another team is at bat (without bats). When the coach yells, “Go”, the batter (runner) runs as fast as she can to first base and on to second. The fielder at third base runs to the first ball and makes a throw to a teammate at second base, then goes to the second ball and makes a throw to the same fielder at second base and does the same thing with the third ball.

The object of this game is to make 3 good throws from third base (third base line) to second base before the runner gets to second base. If the runner gets there first, or if the fielder makes a bad throw or bad catch, the batters get 1 point (you can use any value you want). If the fielders get all 3 balls to second base before the runner gets there, no points are awarded.

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Players can do this drill after warming up their arms, with their partner.

One player keeps their glove on, the other takes their glove off. The partner with the glove rolls them the ball. The fielder must get down on the ball, or they will miss it.

They also learn they must get completely in front of the ball, and scoop or “funnel” the ball to their waist.

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Get behind the plate in full gear, and have the coach, or pitcher throw, or pitch balls to both sides of you.

The point is to be able to get your body in front of the ball, so it never gets away from you. You do this for 50 balls once at the beginning and once at the end of practice. It’s very tiring because you don’t have time to get up and walk back to the plate.

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a batting beam with pieces of 2″ x 4″s. The main piece should be about 4′ long. Two cross pieces about 18″ should be nailed about 16″ from each end of main piece. Have player stand on this during soft toss. The player should remain on beam throughout swing.

The beam encourages the batter to be on the balls of the her feet and to maintain a balanced swing. It also helps the batter to take their timing step straight to the pitcher. The players don’t like this beam at first, but it does help.

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Have the batter set up approximately 3ft. from a fence in her batting stance just as she would at the plate. With one exception, have her bat resting on her shoulder.

The coach then tosses a softball up to her, the batter must then attempt to hit the ball with only the butt (End cap on the handle) of the bat. NO SWINGING ALLOWED! The coach can toss the ball in various locations (High, Low, Inside, Outside, etc.,…).

This drills teaches the girls to move there head/eyes to and with the ball and take there hands to the ball as opposed to just swinging and hoping for the best.

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The drill uses a whiffle ball and a plastic bat. First set the bases at about 40 feet apart. Divide your team in two. One half fields and the other bats. Fielders do not use their gloves. We want to teach them that the hands are the real tools in catching the ball.

The ball is pitched from about 20 feet away. The batter has only three chances to hit the ball. (There are no balls or walks in this drill.) Once the ball is hit, the batter must run the bases until she reaches home plate or is tagged out. The fielders must always try to tag the runner out at first. You bat the entire line up. Then you change sides. We usually do this drill twice a week for about 20 minutes at a very fast pace.

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This is a line drive and pop up fielding drill which teaches players to catch three types of fly balls.

1) a line drive right at them,
2) a line drive that they must stretch for,
3) and last a flyball that they must sprint to catch. This is how the drill works.

Line your players up in a single file line, players should start on the fair line just behind first base at the edge of the outfield grass. The coach will be in right-center field with a bucket of balls. The players will be running in a straight line about 50 to 60 feet away from the coach. (Running from first towards second.) One player at a time with their gloves.

The coach starts by throwing a line drive right at the players, the player catches it and while still running the coach throws the second ball in front of the player making her reach to catch it, while the player is still running the coach throws the third ball, which is a high pop fly out away from the player that she must track down and catch it. After player one has been she returns to the back of the line and it is time for the next player.

Keys importance to this drill:

1) Once the player starts running (she never stops nor hesitates) she sprints all the way, catching all the balls on the run.
2) Once the players catches a ball she quickly throws it down and looks for the next ball.
3) After the player has finish she retreats and picks up the three balls and gets in the back of the line. (balls on the ground may cause a twisted ankle)
4) The coach needs to be quick and accurate with his/her throws. A line drive right at them starts it off, then the second throw must be where they reach out for, and the last throw is a fly ball out away from the player which they must hustle down and catch.
5) This drill really works on catches you may encounter during a game.
6) There is a big difference between running and sprinting. We like our players to sprint while doing this drill.

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To develop bat control and short, quick swing.

Stand approximately 22 feet away from the three fielders who position themselves two feet apart. Hit the ball using a short, quick, downward stroke. Hit the ball sharply with one or two hops (ground balls) to the fielders.

A fielder fields the ball and quickly tosses a half to three quarter speed pitch back to be hit. Hit the ball where it is pitched. Preferably use four players in this drill and not more than five.

Hit the inside pitch to the fielder to your left (for a right handed batter). Hit the pitch in the middle to the fielder directly in front of you. Hit the outside pitch to the fielder to your right (for a right handed batter).

To make the drill more difficult, use two softballs at once, keeping the hitter constantly ready to swing and fielders always head-up.

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Stand next to a wall, approximately 4 to 6 inches away, feet angled at a 45 degree, then go through the motion of either slingshot or windmill.

When they do actually pitch, they do not drop their shoulders and make that swooping motion.

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Full Motion To help a pitcher keep her weight back, have her deliver a pitch at 75% speed driving her back knee into her front knee and holding that balanced position until the catcher returns the ball.

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For pitchers who can’t keep weight back during stride.

Set up to pitch in front of wall and perform full motion without releasing ball.

Also, coach can hold rubber surgical tubing around the pitcher’s waist to help her keep her weight back.

Also can have pitcher stride onto inside toe area and not drop heel until after pitch is released.

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Stand in stride position with glove open next to left thigh.

Wrist Snaps, Pull Downs, “K” Drill, Arm Circle Drill, and full motion can be performed with ball released into the glove.

Have pitcher follow through to bent arm position after releasing the ball.

Use a sock ball or other soft ball to perform these drills indoors.

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