Softball Hitting Drills

Practice alone does not always make perfect. But perfect practice will always make one perfect. Nowadays there are hoards of articles on good softball hitting drills out there; this isn’t one of them. More so, if you only sought have just a good reading time. This is because in this edition I opted to focus mainly in the objectives of the drills rather than the ease of engaging them. Upon a careful consideration, I am certain that every hitter who reads this article will obviously add something to his/her hitting menu. I know it’s not always an easy task to read through drills line-by-line, but I am sure you’re going to enjoy this if you read so.

Are you ready my now? Keep the wide stance, feet straight, knees & arms bent; elbow, shoulder and your eyes be even. Now assume the correct bat grip. Everything check?  Now we begin our drill list.

Part A – Basic drills
Main Objective:

In hitting, strength, agility, confidence and creativity will often support winning. The drills of this segment will focus mainly on strengthening the hands. In addition, they can also help a beginner to master the art of swinging. They are pretty simple and you can actually try them indoors if you wish.

Drill #1: The Wall Drill

Assume a bat’s distance (place a bat between the tip of the belly and the wall) with a wall.
Within that distance, make swings without the barrel of the bat hitting the wall.

Note: This drill’s main aim will be to help you learn the correct swings. It could best be practiced with a friend/coach to correct you if you mess up.

Drill #2: The Tee Drill

Next you kneel at a bat’s distance facing an erect standard softball tee facing you.
Just like in drill one, try and make swings without hitting the tee.
Make at least 20 swings with the forehand then interchange and do the same for the backhand.
Drill #3: One Hand Toss Drill

Mark a hitting distance of a bat’s length in front of your chest.
If you are a right-handed pitcher, hold the bat by your left hand in a ready position.
Toss the ball by the right hand and try to swing and hit it.
Make at least 20 hits and interchange the arms.
Do the reverse for left-handed

Part B – Comprehensive Drills
Drill #1: The Spray Softball Drill

Objective

The aim of this drill is to enable players make quick and short swings. This drill is also designed to coach accuracy when hitting. Best for ladies aged between 7 and 14 years old.

How to play it:

In order for this drill to work perfectly, ensure you gather at least 3 fielders, a batter and a coach (or an equivalent player to act as a coach).
Let the batter be at least 22 ft. away from the fielders whereas the fielders themselves between 2 and 3 ft. from each other.
Now the batter will then hit at any randomly selected fielder by the coach.
Keep interchanging the player positions and increasing the speed with every alternation.
Drill #2: The Multi-Color & Ball Drill

Objective

The main objective of this drill will be to foster concentration on hitters. In order to make it even more enchanting, you can decide to interchange the fence with different things of like manner or even replace it with another pitcher. This will enhance speed even further.

How to play it

The batter will now face the fence in that all his hits will hit the fence.
The coach has to hold two balls of different colors.
Next the coach will throw the balls simultaneously and shout the color of the ball he/she will like to be hit.
The batter’s aim will be to focus and hit the correct balls only.
Train with this drill for 10 minutes before shifting to a different player.