Youth Fastpitch Softball Drills

Drills are a fundamental part of any softball practice session. Teaching drills to young fastpitch players of all abilities requires special consideration: These players usually have a background in softball fundamentals, but require additional training to succeed in the faster game. Conditioning, pitch recognition and advanced strategy drills are ideal for youth fastpitch players who are ready to master these new skills.

  1. Pivot Relay Race

    • Divide the team into a group of four players. Have the first player stand in the deep outfield, another in middle outfield, the third in the infield and one near home plate. Throw the ball from the outfield to home plate, hitting each cut-off person in the process. Use several groups in left, center and right field and turn it into a relay race.

    Reaction Drill

    • Stand approximately 60 feet from the fielder and hit line drives toward her. They must either catch or block these balls and throw to first base. This drill is ideal for pitchers and corner infielders, who often must field line drives quickly. Use softer balls or tennis balls for safety.

    Baserunning Conditioning Drill

    • Ask each player to stand at home plate and run hard to first base. When she reaches the base, she should jog the rest of the way around all of the bases. When she reaches home again, she should run hard as if she had hit a double, then jog the remainder of the way home. Continue this as if she had hit a triple and then a home run, in which she must run full speed all the way around the bases.

    Hawk-Eye Drill

    • Give each player a chance to stand in the batter's box without a bat and watch the pitches coming in. Batters must watch the rotation of the ball and tell the coach what pitch it was and whether it was a ball or strike. This teaches players to recognize different pitches and also teaches plate discipline.

    Rundown Drill

    • Put a baserunner halfway between two bases and start a rundown situation. This drill teaches teamwork, communication and proper technique. The fielders must rotate to their positions correctly to try to get the runner out; the runner must elude the tag and get to a base safely.

      Make this a competition between two teams of four to six players---everyone gets a turn as the base runner and the team with the most outs wins the game.