Softball drills for coaches are designed to help you improve your player's defensive and offensive fundamentals. While certain drills address specific positions, such as catching and pitching drills, other drills can be more generally applied to all players on your softball team. Softball drills for coaches range from slap bunting drills to outfield catching drills.
Blocking Drill
The blocking drill is designed to improve your catcher's ability to block balls behind home plate. Have a catcher stand behind home plate and crouch into a basic catcher stance. Stand a few feet in front of the pitcher's mound with a bucket of balls. Throw each ball in the dirt so that it bounces up at the catcher. As the ball hits the ground, instruct your catcher to slide to her knees, placing her glove out in front of her to block the ball. Throw the balls to the right and left side of her to help improve her range.
Opposite Field Drill
The opposite field batting drill is designed to improve your players' abilities to hit to opposite field. Have a player step up to the plate in their normal stance. Stand behind an L-Screen in front of the pitchers mound. From here, throw pitches at the outside corner of the plate. Instruct the hitter to step toward the ball, keeping his swing level and not allowing him to drop his back shoulder. Tell the hitter to hit the ball between the first baseman and second baseman. Repeat with each hitter on your team.
Double Play Drill
The drill is designed to help you teach your infielders how to properly perform a double play. Have your shortstop, second baseman and first baseman all get into position. Stand at home plate with a bat and bucket of balls and start by hitting a grounder to shortstop. Once the shortstop fields the ball, instruct the second baseman to run to second base to catch the ball. As soon as he catches the ball, have him pivot on his back foot and throw the ball to the first baseman. Repeat the drill until your infielders are performing it fluidly.
Pepper Drill
The pepper drill is designed to improve the reaction time and throwing accuracy of your fielders. Have three fielders stand 22 feet in front of you. From here, hit a sharp ground ball in the direction of one of the fielders. Instruct the fielder to catch the ball cleanly and throw the ball accurately so that you can hit it. As the ball is thrown towards you, hit it toward another one of the three fielders. Keep performing the pepper drill until everyone has gotten a chance to field the ball several times.
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