Mt. Ararat High School Softball www.mtasoftball.com Skills and Drills Table of Contents Skills: Catchers... 3 Skills: Outfield... 4 Skills: Infield... 6 Skills: Pitching... 8 Fundamentals of the Pitching Motion... 8 Advanced Pitching... 9 Skills: Hitting... 10 Individual Position Skills... 12 1st Base... 12 2nd Base... 12 Shortstop... 13 Third Base... 14 Drills... 15 Throwing and Catching Drills... 15 1. - Wrist Flicks... 15 2. - Split/T... 15 3. One Knee... 15 4- Stuck in the Mud... 15 5- Sideways Split... 15 6- Flamingo... 15 7- Step Behind... 15
7- Long Toss... 15 Infield Drills... 16 Outfield Drills... 17 Catching Drills... 18 Hitting Drills... 19 Pitching Drills... 22 Sliding/Baserunning Drills... 24
SKILLS: CATCHERS Start REALLY low (especially for a drop ball) Get you bottom to the ground and keep your elbow low. Palm towards the ball and under the ball Receiving the ball Catch the ball so that it faces the plate Frame the pitch Get your nose and shoulders behind the pitch- don t reach Catch with a straight arm Anticipate the ball hitting the dirt Blocking home plate Start a foot in front of home plate Right foot in line with the top left corner of home plate After catching the throw, drop step with left foot and put right knee down on the ground Hand and ball inside the glove and back of glove facing the runner Blocking side to side Get your glove to the ball Glove and body follow the ball Head shoulders and knees facing home plate- Move in a smiley face. Drop and block Throwing to bases Feet, hips and shoulders need to be in a line to the target Hop into throwing position or drop right foot when there is a runner on base, and step with the front foot Ball that goes to the backstop with a runner on third base Quickly get out of stance to chase the ball. When approaching that ball, turn your body 90 to the left and slide on your knee guards. Pick up the ball and quickly throw from your knees to the pitcher covering home plate.
SKILLS: OUTFIELD Ready position and first step Set position- Feet a little wider than shoulder width apart with glove hand foot slightly ahead of your throwing hand foot. Creep into a ready position- three small, short choppy steps towards the plate. Fly balls Pump both arms like a sprinter and if you think you can get to it, call for the ball at least three times. Don t run with your glove up. Always back up the outfielder next to you Take the most direct angle to the ball- go to just behind where it is going to land. If the ball is hit over your left shoulder- drop step with your left foot. If the ball is hit over your right shoulder- drop step with your right foot. A drop step is followed by an explosive crossover step If you have to change direction- Reverse drop step, keeping your eye on the ball Arrive 3 steps behind where ball would land so you can step into the catch Catch with glove shoulder forward-both hands above your shoulders Take the glove and ball to throwing hand side, and step with your back foot directly towards your target Align feet in the direction to the throw After catching a fly ball on the run Catch the ball, if you have to change direction, step and plant your back foot and pivot towards your target, If you catch the ball moving towards your target, do a crow hop and throw. Make sure hips and shoulders are in line with the throw. Throwing Upper Body Take a large arm circle Palm is facing away from your head Back elbow above your back shoulder Glove, hips and shoulders in line with the target Lower Body After you throw, follow through completely. Fielding ground balls in the outfield Three methods 1. Infield Style Knees bent, balanced with your back side down Hands in front of your feet with your glove slightly to you glove hand side As you field the ball, bring the ball to your throwing hand side Step with your back foot and align your feet with the direction of the throw Step toward your target 2. Do or Die Situation Charge the ball at full speed Field the ball to the OUTSIDE of your glove hand foot Bring the ball to your throwing side shoulder Make one step with your back foot
3. Going down to one knee- Use this if the field is in less than perfect condition Get in front of the ball Go down with your knee on your throwing hand side. Form a blockade with your glove and your leg Keep the glove beneath the ball Field the ball in front of you When you field the ball, stand up and align feet in line with the direction of the throw. Cut off throws Locate your cut off person Make a strong throw, shoulder height to their glove side Sliding to make a catch Figure 4 Slide Put one leg straight out in front of you and tuck your other foot under your straight leg Keep your glove out in front and keep your body upright Diving to make a catch Dive head first Both arms extended- Don t brace yourself with your throwing hand
SKILLS: INFIELD Ready position Middle Infield When the ball enters the strike zone, your feet must be square to home plate, with your knees flexed You need to be ready to move in four directions Creep in and hop into the ready position as the ball enters the strike zone Stagger your feet slightly to keep the weight on the balls of your feet Corner Infield Stationary movement (no creep). Hands out in front Get low in ready position Ground balls First step for balls to your right or your left is always a crossover step Pivot your feet, STAY LOW and get your hips facing the direction you will be moving Cross over with back foot The further the ball is away from you, the deeper the angle you must take to get to the ball After you catch the ball, plant your throwing hand foot to get hips and shoulders in line with your target to make your throw Charge the ball if you can Keep ball between your feet, glove out in front, Field the ball with your glove slightly to your glove side. As you approach the ball, gradually get lower- like a plane landing not like a helicopter Get low by bending your knees not by bending over from the waist Throwing off one foot- use throwing hand foot and clear your glove side shoulder out of the way Get your glove as low as possible when the ball takes it s last hop Get your hands out in front of your nose Keep your elbow slightly bent Secure the ball by having your throwing hand on top of the glove with fingers pointed up Back hand Backhand only if you have no other choice. Field the ball out in front of you Stay low and after catching the ball, plant your back foot to be able to make a balanced throw Keep your front shoulder down on the throw so the ball doesn t go high. If you miss with the throw, miss low not high! Short hop Watch the ball all the way into the glove Field the ball with a forward motion with the glove Cut off receiving Line up with your eventual target Keep the ball on your glove side Give both a verbal and visual cue- Hit me, Hit me, Hit me with hands up
While the ball is in the air, drop step with your glove side foot and open up so your feet, hips and shoulders are in line with the throw Middle Infielders- Catch the ball, replace your feet and make the throw Corner Infielders (because you are going to be closer to the catcher)- catch the ball, then step and plant your throwing side foot in the direction that the throw just came, and throw to the catcher. Fly balls Stay behind the ball, catch with glove over your head Call for it three times Going back on fly balls Drop step and sprint When you know you can get to it, call for it three times An outfielder calling for the ball always has priority over and infielder calling Throws to 2nd base from the outfield 2nd baseman takes any throws from the middle of center field to the left field line SS takes any throw from the middle of center field to the right field line Keep the glove close to the tag- don t reach for the ball Feet in line with the throw Tag with the back of the glove
SKILLS: PITCHING Fundamentals of the Pitching Motion Focus on the spin rate of the ball- work on a consistent wrist snap Your front let must provide resistance- don t let it bend Hold you release point by your hip with very little follow through Fastball Grip Hold the ball with three (or four) fingers going with the seams Make sure index finger and thumb are on opposite seams so you can snap the ball At release point, feather the ball- lead with your index finger and have your pinky be the last finger off the ball Snap your hand under the ball and towards the catcher Stance Start on the rubber- back toe of the corner and front foot in the center lined up with the catcher Be relaxed and comfortable- hands apart Start with weight on back foot Pre-Motion Various ways to do this- ball in glove then bring hands back behind you Transfer weight towards your front foot to establish momentum towards the place Move Towards Home Plate Drive off the rubber with both both arms and front leg. Arms and legs come up together and drive towards the plate. Thumbs should be pointed towards each other Pitching arm is extended fully and pointed straight up with the ball facing 2nd base and the top of your hand facing the catcher. Make sure you open fully- legs, hips and shoulders in line with the target. Glove pointed towards the target Make sure pitching arm stays on one level plane all the way to the top and then down until release Stride straight towards home plate with front foot landing at a 45 angle. Release & Follow Through Arms should make a T - Glove hand pointed at the catcher, throwing hand pointed towards 2nd base Pull both arms down (towards each other) and let your forward momentum carry you towards your front side Keep your front leg straight to resist the motion- Do not let your front leg bend açt the knee Release the ball by your back hip Release by snapping your wrist under the ball Any follow through will be a natural motion after wrist snap
It s important to have a strong front side. Keep your front let straight, not bent, and keep your shoulders in line with the throw. Don t step through to swear up until after you have released the pitch. Advanced Pitching The tools of a great pitcher are :Control, Change of Speed, Ball Movement A good pitcher should be able to locate all of her pitches in any spot in the strike zone Basic pitching fundamentals need to be mastered before learning breaking pitches When a pitcher starts working on breaking balls, use them with drills that don t utilize the entire pitching motion.
SKILLS: HITTING Grip Top hand knocker knuckles lined up with bottom hand big knuckle (line up imaginary rings on both hands) Grip must be comfortable while allowing for palm up palm down position at contact. No gorilla grip (big knuckle to big knuckle) Loose wrist and loose shoulders Stance 50/50 balance Feet parallel with each other Knees inside of your feet K position- front shoulder, belt buckle front foot Eyes nose and chin in front of belly button Make sure your dominant eye can see the pitcher the whole time Front shoulder slightly lower than back shoulder Hands at shoulder level Front arm forms a L Knob of the bat facing the catcher Load (Negative Move) Hands and front foot should load in sync Front shoulder goes down, back shoulder goes up like rocking a baby Slight hip turn backwards Load into your back side not over it- keep your back knee in front of you back foot Stride and Separation- Launch Position Maintain K position throughout Narrow stance will require a long stride, Wide stance will be smaller stride Final stride length should be the width of you bat Stride is a controlled falling forward Land (launch position) with front foot slightly open- about 45 Front knee is slightly bent Hands stay back until front foot has landed Hips start turning towards pitcher but shoulders stay closed www.mtasoftball.com Updated February 24, 2017
Swing Path Bat shouldn t get flat until front foot has planted Core (belly button and hips) lead the way Barrel of bat stays behind the shoulder in the first move Elbows start the swing path- front elbow goes up, back elbow goes down At contact- palm up palm down and barrel below the hands Finish After contact, long extension Hands roll over only at the very end End with your back facing the 1st base side dugout for a right hander (3rd base dugout for a left handed hitter). Belly button faces down the 3rd base line (again for a right handed hitter. Back foot comes off the ground and moves forward slightly due to the momentum of the hips and weight transfer to the front foot. www.mtasoftball.com Updated February 24, 2017
INDIVIDUAL POSITION SKILLS 1st Base Ground ball footwork Field the ball out in front of you Throwing to 2nd Base For the right handed player- Pivot on your right foot and make the throw - OR - step forward with your right foot, turn your back to home plate and throw. Fielding bunts Field the ball to the inside of your throwing side foot Open up with foot facing 1st base and make the throw Footwork for Receiving a Throw Find the bag quickly- turn toward the infield to move to the bag Get in a good athletic position, ready to receive the ball Step to the ball with your glove side foot Don t stretch too soon- stay in the good athletic position so you can move right or left for an errant throw Pick Offs Open up to the infield. Sometimes, for a right handed first baseman, you can turn your back to the infield to get your glove closer to the bag, however, if the other team is aware that this is going to happen, the runner will just take off for 2nd base since the 1st baseman isn t looking at them. This is why this isn t a good idea to do all the time. 2nd Base Feeding the shortstop Ball hit right at you: Field the ball in front and to the inside of your glove side foot, with your right foot behind your left foot Turn your hips towards 2nd base Make a throw without taking a step drop your throwing side foot, field the ball and throw. Ball hit to your left side where you have time to get in front of it. Crossover step (right foot) and get in front of the ball Field the ball in front of you Use a jump step so your feet are in line with home plate and your shoulders are facing 2nd base Turn your hips and make the throw to 2nd base. Ball hit to your left if you can t get in front of it Crossover step with right foot to get to the ball and reach out for it Step through with your throwing side foot Turn your back on the infield
Plant your right foot and throw to 2nd base. Ball hit to your right If you can get in front of the ball, stay down and make a back hand flip to 2nd base If your momentum keeps you going towards 2nd base, use an underhand flip, showing the ball as soon as possible, stepping through with your left foot If you are close enough to the bag to take it yourself, it s the shortstop s job to make that call. Step on the bag with your right foot and throw to 1st base for the double play. Covering 2nd Base Get to the bag as quickly as possible and step on the bag with your left foot Get in a good athletic position Step to the ball with your right foot Covering on a Steal Get to the bag quickly Straddle the bag with both feet Keep your glove close to the tag, don t reach out for the ball. Let the ball travel to your glove Make the tag with the back of your glove and get the glove out of the way Shortstop Feeding 2nd Base Ball hit right at you Field the ball off your right foot Drop step back with left foot to open up your hips and make the throw Ball hit towards the bag If the ball is hit within two steps of the base, take it yourself Step on the back of the bag (center field side) with your left foot Step with your right foot and make the throw to first base. Underhand feed to 2nd base (if ball is fielded beyond two steps form the bag) Take a crossover step towards 2nd base Field the ball Step through with your right foot Show the 2nd baseman the ball (move your glove out of the way) Make a nice firm underhand flip without a wind up. Take the ball straight from the glove to the 2nd baseman. Receiving a Throw Keep yourself out of the baseline On throws from 1st base or the pitcher Square up to the throw with left foot on the bag then step with right foot to make the throw to 1st base Ground balls to 2nd base Right foot on the back side of the bag. Have your hands in a good position to receive a throw. As the ball comes, kick the outside corner of the bag with your right foot, Covering 2nd Base in Bunt Situation Find the bag with your right foot Step to the throw with your left foot like a 1st baseman
Covering 2nd Base on a Steal Usually the shortstop will cover the bag Cheat a little forward (in towards the plate) Make sure the hitter doesn t hit the ball Receive the throw in front of the bag with your feet in line with the throw Keep your glove close to the tag, don t reach out for the ball. Let the ball travel to your glove Make the tag with the back of your glove and get the glove out of the way Third Base Set up position is lower than the middle infielders Field the ball and get your hips and shoulders aligned to your target Footwork is either a right foot lead (crossover with right foot), replace your feet, or left foot lead First step in either direction is a crossover step- but make sure you stay low. Don t be afraid to dive Take a good angle to a ball. Take a deeper angle to a ball to give yourself a chance to get the ball. Once you make the backhand catch, plant your right foot and make the throw to first. Crossover step to your left, drop your drop back your right foot and throw. Fielding bunts Field the ball with your feet in position to make the throw Ball down the line, field it with a backhand so your feet are lined up with your target Throwing on the run- throw off your right foot (sidearm). Taking throws from the outfield Keep your glove as low as possible. Receiving a throw from left or center field- straddle the bag Receiving a throw from right field, get to the front, inside corner of the bag- with your left foot against the bag.
DRILLS Throwing and Catching Drills Pre-practice Throwing Progression- see www.mtasoftball.com for video examples of each step in the throwing progression 1. - Wrist Flicks On your knees facing your partner who is about 15 feet away. Hold the elbow of your throwing hand in your glove and using just your wrist, flick the ball to your partner 2. - Split/T While still on your knees, split your arms into a T - throwing hand pointing straight behind you and glove pointed at your partner. Come straight over the top and throw the ball to your partner. 3. One Knee Both players their knees about 15 apart. Your throwing hand knee should be on the ground. Repeat Split/T motion. Follow through by bringing your glove to your glove side shoulder and your throwing hand across your glove side leg. 4- Stuck in the Mud Stand facing your partner about 25 apart. Without moving your feet, pivot your upper body 90 and, using the same motion at in the one knee drill, throw making sure you follow through. 5- Sideways Split Move back a little more (30-35 apart). Rotate your body 90 so your shoulders are pointed at your partner and throw. Step through with your back foot and square up to your partner as part of the follow through. 6- Flamingo Same positions as #5, but now lift your glove side leg in the air and balance like a pelican. Hold this position for a count of three then step forward and throw. Step through as in #5. 7- Step Behind Move back a little more (40-45 apart). Same as Step 4, except before you throw, step with your back foot behind your front foot to get more lower body into the throw. 7- Long Toss As your arm gets loose, extend the distance between you and your partner. Ideally, a long toss throw should be like throwing from center field to home plate Thomas College Four Corner Drills Have one line of players at each base and a coach or manager in the middle of the diamond without a bucket of balls. Start with one ball at first base and one ball at third base. Begin throwing clockwise. After throwing, the player follows her throw and moves to the next line.
If a ball is missed or overthrown, don t chase it. The person in the middle will throw another ball in to play. After everyone has returned to their original starting spot, change the direction of the throws to counter clockwise. The player catching the ball with catch and then do a reverse pivot to throw (rotating left 270 ). Again, after everyone has returned to their starting position, using one ball, make 50 throws (clockwise) in under 1 minute and 30 seconds. Infield Drills Ground Balls with a Throw One line of players with one coach rolling balls and another one catching throws. Roll ground balls. Players field the ball, get feet set and make an accurate throw. Roll balls right at the fielder, and then to the right and left, making sure that their footwork on the crossover is correct. You can also throw softly so they have to charge the ball and throw, and simulate short hops by throwing the ball right at their feet. After the kids get the hang of this, then you can use a bat to hit the ball to players instead of throwing them. After a few reps each have the lines switch places. 3rd to 2nd Drill Have one line of players at 3rd base and another line at 2nd base. Roll balls to 3rd base and have player set their feet and make an accurate throw to a player from the other line who comes over to cover 2nd base. Again, give them balls right at them, then balls to their right and to their left, bunts and short hops concentrating on good footwork. You can also do the same drill, but throwing from: 3rd base to 1st base 1st base to 3rd base (both force play- keeping the throw at chest level, or a tag playlow throw) Shortstop to 2nd base with a shuffle feed. Make sure on the shuffle feed the thrower show the ball to the receiver. Fungo Drill Lines at each base. Hit ground balls to 3rd base line with throws to 1st base, ground balls to SS with a throw to 2nd base. You can use two coaches hitting at the same time to et twice as much work. Switch it so you have two line at 1st base- one in front of the bag and one behind the bag. Hit to 1st base and SS. The 1st base throws to 2nd base and the SS throws to 1st base Next, have two lines- one at 1s base and one at 2nd base. Hit balls between the two positions. They need to work on communicating relative to who is fielding the ball and who is covering 1st base. Force Play at the Plate Player at each infield position. Infield playing in for a play at the plate. First make a force play tag with the catcher receiving the ball chest high. Second, do tag plays, with the catcher receiving the ball below the waist
Pitchers Fielding Practice Pitchers start on the rubber and simulate their pitching motion. Coach hits a ground ball back at them, first right at them, then to their left and their right and bunts where they need to charge the ball First, have them throw to 1st base, then to 2nd & 3rd base. When charging he ball, have them catch the ball by their foot on their throwing hand side which will allow them to make a quick, balanced and accurate throw. Make sure their hips and shoulders are in line with the throw. Last, have catchers with gear on and make plays from the pitcher to the plate followed by the catcher making a quick throw to 1st base. Work on bunts with the pitchers fielding and throwing to the plate. Outfield Drills Crossover/Drop Step Drill Have the player facing a coach Coach says, Go, and player pivot/drop step then cross over to sprints after the ball Work balls to both right, left, behind players At first, tell them before hand where the balls are going to be, then eventually have them react on their own. You can also do this drill using a tennis ball and having the players catch with their bare hands instead of using the glove to develop soft hands. From this set you can also work on coming in on balls. 4 Ball Drill The coach will need four balls for this drill. The player will chase down four balls in a row- one behind her, one to her right, one to her left, then come in on one. This drill should be done quickly so the player is always in motion. Stop, Drop and Roll Coach throws the ball directly behind the fielder. Fielders opens up and drop steps to their glove hand side, then adjusts while the ball is in the air with another crossover to catch the ball on the throwing hand side. Fielder should drop step and not turn their back on the ball. Ground Balls Have fielder with the back to the coach. The coach says Go and throws and ground ball The player turns around and locates the ball and fields it. Field it three ways: First, go down on one knee Second, catch in on the run. The fielder puts their throwing hand behind her back when fielding the ball to make sure that she is getting the glove low. Third, Do or Die. Charge the ball and catch it on the run. Catch the ball off your glove hand side. They should then go right into a strong throw to the coach. Fungos Have a coach hit grounders and fly balls from home plate to the outfielders in all three positions. It s important that the ball come from home plate to simulate the angle that the ball will come from in a game. Add throws to all four bases then add cut offs
Objective: Teach communication and aggressive defense in the outfield. Range and Communication Drill Have 2 outfielders side by side in the outfield, preferably in left center and right center. Have a coach set up to hit balls from the plate. PHASE 1: The first ball hit, should be for the defender in right field. This ball is going to be hit towards left center and will force her to sprint hard after it, not allowing it to hit the ground. Her second outfielder s job is loud communication to help her with ball judgement. The next ball will be hit towards right center for the left fielder to defend. Same principle here. PHASE 2: Hit balls in the middle of the two defenders, now knowing that they both have the range to get to it. The two athletes are to communicate loud with one another to safely and successfully finish the play by making the catch. When finish with this phase of the drill, you can rotate other athletes in for the same drill. To make the drill harder, make the gap between the 2 defenders wider, while keeping it in perspective how much ground each defender should be able to cover. You can also implement diving with this drill, to emphasize that no balls should hit the ground with out maximal effort exhibited. Catching Drills Blocking Drill Have the catcher with gear on behind the plate. Have a coach in front of the pitching circle, throwing low balls that the catcher has to block and keep in front of her- Don t let the ball get through the legs. You can use softie balls for this to avoid beating up the catcher. Glove and body follow the ball Head shoulders and knees facing home plate- Move in a smiley face. Drop and block Bunt and Pop Up Drill Have the catcher set up in her crouch behind the plate with a coach behind her. The coach rolls a ball out in front of the plate to simulate a bunt. Catcher must quickly attack the ball and make a good, balanced and accurate throw to 1st base Next, have the coach move in front of the plate and throw high pop ups behind the plate so the catcher has to shed the mask, call for the ball, and catch it. Quick Release Drill Have the catcher with gear on behind the plate. Throw balls at her in a rapid fire manner. Each ball she catchers, she should hop 90 into her throwing position and bring the ball back behind her head. Instead of throwing the ball, she just lets it go behind her, then gets back down in her stancel and catchers the next one. See how many of these you can do in 30 seconds.
Drop Third Strike Drill This drill is an great way to ensure that when a drop third strike occurs in a game that the catcher know what to do and can execute the play efficiently. Create a game like situation when the batter is holding a ball. The batter simulates a swing (no bat) and then drops the ball. The batter will take off to first base and the catcher must find the ball and throw the ball to first base before the batter reaches the bag. Hitting Drills Throwing Drills In all throwing drills, the hitter will be throwing the ball and will not use the bat. Rock Skipping Drill Have the player get in their stance with a ball in their right and (or left hand if they are left handed) The hitter will mimic all the components of the swing and throw the ball sidearm into a net as if skipping a rock. Emphasize that the hands and upper body operate independently of each other. If they are not doing this, they will look like a gate opening. Go through the entire hitting process but throw the ball as if skipping a rock It s important to bring the elbow in tight to the hip when starting the forward motion You can also have the simulate hitting an inside pitch or an outside pitch by having them throw as if release the ball further out in front to pull or sooner to go the other way Walk Through Repeat the above drill but take a step first (towards the pitcher) and then go into the hitting sequence Tap Tap Have the hitter get into their stance Hitters shift their weight two or three times making sure to land each time on the insides of their feet. When they have their weight on their back foot, have them throw the ball as if swinging Single Tee Drills Make sure the tee is always lined up with the front foot at toe touch- hitting the ball out in front of the body. Single Tee Set up and hit the ball positioned off the hitters front foot. Hit as if there is another ball about a foot in front of the one on the tee. Make sure all hitting mechanics are sound. To practice pulling the ball, move the tee in (simulating the inside of the plate) and out in front a little more To practice going the other way, move the tee to the outside and back in the stance slightly Walk Through Start in the normal hitting position, then take one step backwards. Take a step with the back foot in front of the forward foot, then plant the front foot and swing making sure the hitter is using all proper swing mechanics They key is to make sure the front foot gets planted (toe touch) providing a god foundation. Long Tee Drills
The object of this drill is to hit line drives with back spin. Try to hit line drives up the middle This drill can also be cone with a walk through To make it even more challenging, do this drill with the hitters eyes closed Elbow Seperation Drill Start in the hitting stance, but with the bat in front of thither face- parallel to the ground with the head of the bat facing the pitcher As the hitter moves to the load position, the hitter leads back with their elbow and the bat comes bat into the normal position Make sure that at toe touch, there is good separation between the back elbow and the back hip but as the bat starts forward, the back elbow come towards the hip Make sure the hitter is going back slowly and then hits at normal speed- slow to fast Reverse Top Hand Drill Grip the bat with the top hand reversed (thumb down) Make sure bottom hand works like it would throwing a frisbee Flat Foot Drill Fall to Toe Touch Drill Start with both feet together On command, have the hitter go to toe touch and have her hold the position On command, have her swing Tap Tap Repeat the Tap Tap drill from the throwing drills Make sure that the hitter is keeping their weight on the inside of their feet and have some flex in their legs Start with 6 taps and then then four taps and then two taps Make sure hitter is generating power from their legs This develops timing, balance and rhythm Two Tee Drills Inside Outside Drill Set up two tees, one positioned for an inside pitch (inside and ahead of the plate) and one for an outside pitch (outside and farther back). Have the hitter first hit the inside pitch and then hit the outside pitch Make sure the hitter is keeping their hands inside the ball Make sure that you set the tees up at the same height and in a straight line (up the middle) Back to Back Drill Position one tee in the normal hitting position and the other one about three feet in front of the first Put a ball on each tee. Have the hitter hit the first ball and try to get the first ball to knock the ball off the other tee If the hitter is missing to the left field side (for a right hand hitter), then they are probably getting their hands and hips too far out away from their body and getting around the ball instead of hitting through a long zone. If they are missing to the right field side, then probably they are too quick with their hips are their hands are dragging. Target Tee Drill Same as Back to Back Drill, but move the second tee 10-15 feet in front of the plate. Two Ball Drill Put two balls on the tee- one on top of the other Have the hitter hit the bottom ball and have the top ball fall down and land on the tee
One Hand Tee Drills Top Hand Drill Hold the bat with the top hand only. The other hand should be out of the way- across the hitters body with their hand on their waist. Swing with the normal swing mechanics. Don t let them drop down with the head of the bat. It s good to do this drill at first with a smaller, lighter bat You can also have a partner standing in the opposite batters box and hold the hitters bottom hand. This is good to keep the front side from turning out. Bottom Hand Drill Hold the bat with the bottom hand only Make sure there is good separation between the elbow and the hip Lead with your elbow to start the swing Use the bottom hand as if throwing a frisbee Again, make sure all hitting mechanics are solid Toss Drills When doing these drills, the tosser needs to give the hitter a clear cue of when the pitch is coming so they can develop good timing Side Toss Drill This is a good drill to use whiffle balls Tosser kneels a few feet in front of the hitter at about a 45 angle Tosser needs to aim for the hitters front hip Toss the ball easily, in front of the hitter and she should hit up the middle To work on hitting an inside pitch, the hitter rotates around so both feet and in line with the tosser. The hitter then needs to hit the ball more out front and pull the ball To work on outside pitchers, do just the opposite- have her feet and shoulders and hips at a 90 angle to the tosser. Tosser always throws at the hitters front hip Two Ball Focus Drill Tosser throws two balls at once Once the balls are in the air, tell the hitter to hit either the top or bottom ball Head On Toss Drill Tosser behind a screen about 20 in front of the plate Give the hitter a variety of pitches- middle, outside, inside, up down, off speed You can also move the screen over towards 1st base and throw from the pitches from an angle. Hitters just set up as if pitch is coming from the middle of the field You can also do one handed drills- top hand and bottom hand. Walk Through Drill Do the same walk through drill as above. This is great for timing. Barrier Drills Have hitter stand just in front of a screen and swing at a tossed ball. If they have a good positive move, they will be able to swing without hitting the screen Throwing Drills Using a live pitcher. Take only 5-6 cuts per round Fly Ball Ground Ball In order to learn to make adjustments, if they hitter hits a ground ball first, their next hit has to be a fly ball or vice versa. No Pop No Pull
During the first round of hitting, hit the ball to the opposite field. No pop ups and no pulling the ball. Eyes Closed Reaction Drill Get into batting stance at the plate, with your partner either off to the side for a soft toss, or behind the pitcher's screen in front. Now you're going to close your eyes, and your partner is going to throw the ball. Right after your partner throws the ball, she'll yell out "ball!" and you will then open your eyes, locate the ball, swing through and make contact. Make sure to vary up the ball locations so that the batter can't just lock in on one area over the plate. Also, play around with the timing of when you call out "ball!" to make it easier or more difficult on the batter. Pitching Drills Wrist Snap Drill Goal: to develop a good wrist snap and feel your fingers at the release point Have catcher stand about 10-15 feet away Start with a fastball grip Turn sideways Point glove arm towards the catcher and throwing arm straight above your head Let your arms drop As elbow falls behind your hip, snap your wrist and release the ball Drive your fingers under the ball and get lots of spin This drill is not meant to throw hard, but to get a good, consistent release with lots of spin One Knee Drill Goal: Develop a good arm circle and get a good whipping action of the arm Set up 20-25 feet from your catcher Put your back knee (throwing hand side) down on the ground. Your stride leg (glove side) should be facing the catcher (flat footed) in line with your back knee. Rest your glove on your stride leg knee Keep your throwing arm looks and relaxed, and sling it up and around in a good arm circle. Your arm should almost brush your ear on the way by. Don t let your arm loop behind your head. When you start, make sure the ball is facing behind you (back side of your hand facing the catcher). Make sure you have a good release with lots of spin. After you get comfortable with this drill, you can use two or three revolutions of the arm to develop arm speed and strength K Drill Goal: Develop proper use of legs Stand 30-35 feet from your catcher Turn sideways to the catcher Put all your weight on your back foot Throwing arm is straight up in the air next to your head Glove hand points to the catcher Lift your front leg slightly Let your weight drop to your front foot as your arms drop into the throwing motion
Stay in balance throughout the drill As you get better at this drill, you can take a bigger step and drive more with your back foot. Also, you can pull your arms down into the wrist snap with more speed and power. T Drill Goal: Develop proper use of legs with a full arm circle Stand 5-10 feet infant of the pitching rubber Pivot foot starts in a 45 angle and stride foot points towards the catcher Stride leg, glove hand and throwing hand all move forward and come up together. Make sure your thumbs are pointed together on both hands. As your leg and hands come up, pivot parallel to the rubber, balance on your back leg, and push off. Don t let your upper body get ahead of your lower body. From here, just repeat the K drill Skate With your shoulders aligned with home plate(side saddle) hop back and forth like a speed skater twice and then throw. Get plenty of drive from your legs. Over Distance Start from about fifteen yards behind the pitchers mound. Take a couple running steps and then pitch the ball. Feel the momentum drive you forward towards the catcher. Target Pitching Draw a target in the shape of an L or a U on the wall and number low inside, low outside, high inside, and high outside pitches, one through four. The pitcher tries to hit each area in sequence a predetermined number of times. She must hit one before preceding to two and so on. Sprinter Get down in a sprinters stance- both knees bent, both heels off the ground. Fire out with your glove and left leg and pitch. Whiffle Ball Against the Wall To work on arm speed, use a whiffle ball and pitch against a wall- no catcher. Concentrate on generating as much arm speed as you can. Also, pay attention to your release point. Location Throw ten pitches in a row to each of four locations- low inside, low outside, high inside, high outside. Never in the middle of the plate. One Foot Stand on your right foot. Bend down with your left leg out behind you twice. On the second time going down, step out and pitch. Make sure you maintain your balance. Speed Circle From a throwing position the pitcher makes three revolutions, releasing the ball on the third. The focus is increasing arm speed. Remind the pitcher not to tense up, stay relaxed. Do five times hard, five times easy to recover, then five times hard again. Game Situation Keep track of the count like in a real game- 3 strikes is an out, 4 balls is a walk. The catcher will act as the umpire and call the pitches. Pitch three innings. Keep track of walks and strikeouts. Five Strikes Start with a count of five. The catcher will act as umpire calling the balls and strikes. For every strike you throw- subtract one, for every ball- add one. Go until you get to zero. This is a great drill to end with each practice session.
Sliding/Baserunning Drills Scarborough Sliding Drill A Temporary first base added about five feet behind the permanent first base B B A A B P A Runners B Pitcher throws a pitch Runners leave, A s toss to B s for a tag Runners rotate counter clockwise