Softball Bunting Drills – Small Ball, Big Impact

Posted on May 6, 2025May 8, 2025 by Coach

Softball Player bunting a pitch In softball, power hitting gets a lot of attention — but sometimes, it’s the small ball game that can tip the scales between a win and a loss. Bunting may seem like a simple skill, but it requires precision, timing, and strategy. Whether it’s a sacrifice bunt, a bunt for a hit, or a squeeze play, your team needs reps to master this finesse move. Here’s a set of focused bunting drills that will sharpen your players’ small ball skills and keep the defense on its toes.

Softball Bunting Drills

Stationary Bunt Placement – Softball Bunting Drills

Start simple: work on control and placement without worrying about the running element. Set up three cones along each baseline — one near the pitcher’s circle, one halfway down the line, and one near the base. Players will bunt off a tee or soft toss and aim to land the ball near a chosen cone.

Focus points:

Angle of the bat
Soft hands to deaden the ball
Watching the ball all the way to contact

Rotate through targets, so players practice bunting up both the first and third base lines. Keep score to add competition!

Live Bunt-and-Run – Softball Bunting Drills

Once players are placing their bunts well, it’s time to add game speed. Have your pitcher throw live pitches while your batter bunts and immediately sprints to first base. Add a fielder at third or first to simulate pressure.

Focus points:

Quick reaction out of the box
Dropping the bunt in fair territory
Beating out the throw when bunting for a hit

You can track how many successful bunt-for-hits each player gets in five tries, then rotate.

Squeeze Play Simulation – Softball Bunting Drills

For advanced teams, practice the squeeze play. Place a runner at third base. The batter’s job is to get the bunt down, no matter what — the runner is coming home on the pitch. Pitchers and infielders can practice defending against the squeeze as well.

Focus points:

Bunting ANY pitch — even if it’s high or outside
Maintaining composure under pressure
Communication between batter and runner

Rotate runners and batters so everyone practices both roles.

Wrap-up

Strong bunting can change the game — it pressures the defense, creates scoring opportunities, and forces mistakes. Adding dedicated bunting drills to your practices ensures your players have the tools they need when the moment comes.

What are your team’s favorite bunting drills? Comment below or share your best small-ball strategies! If you have questions or want personalized drill suggestions, email us anytime at coach@elitesoftballdrills.com.

Spring is here — so grab your bats, set up those cones, and get out there and play ball!

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Softball Catching Drills – Defense, Defense, Defense

Posted on February 26, 2018May 8, 2025 by Coach

During a game, much of the focus is on the pitcher and the batter. However, strategists would argue that the catcher wears the most hats during the game. She has an incredible amount of responsibilities behind the plate: calling pitches, catching strikes, blocking errant pitches, throwing out baserunners, catching foul balls, fielding bunts, and tagging runners out at home — all while wearing a full set of gear. It’s no wonder that softball catching drills differ so much from other fielding drills. While she should participate in general running, throwing, and stamina drills, the following drills are specifically designed to enhance the catcher’s unique skill set.

Home Plate Block

As players try to score, the catcher must tag them out at home. Two crucial factors are at play: Did the runner touch the plate before the tag, and did the catcher hold onto the ball? These plays often result in the runner sliding aggressively into home.

To practice, split the team into two groups. Have your catcher in full gear behind the plate. One group goes to second base, the other to third. Each rotation starts with a runner on third and a fielder at second. Roll or hit the ball to second, and the runner sprints home. The catcher blocks the side of the plate with her knee, catches the throw from second, tags the runner, and holds onto the ball. Rotate players and repeat.

2nd Base Steal

Coaches often encourage players to steal second base since it’s far from home and has a high success rate. But if the catcher can’t consistently make an accurate throw, it opens the door for additional stolen bases. To improve this, the catcher can train independently with special equipment.

If the diamond is busy, measure the official distance (84 feet 10 ¼ inches) and set up a tee at the shortstop’s glove height. Place a ball on the tee. The catcher practices springing from her position and making the throw to knock the ball off the tee. A teammate can help reset the ball, or the catcher can reset it herself for added endurance practice.

Wrap-up

Just as there are specific drills for pitching, hitting, and fielding, there are many ways to keep your catchers engaged in practice. You can help them develop the specialized skills they need to excel. What are your favorite catcher drills? Comment below and let us know! If you have any questions, email us at coach@elitesoftballdrills.com.

Spring training is just around the corner — gather your team, grab your gear, and play ball!

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Softball Fielding Drills – Throw, Relay, and Bump out

Posted on August 29, 2017May 10, 2025 by Coach

For a team to truly be successful, they must be able to perform in both the top and the bottom of the inning. While it is, of course, incredibly helpful to put big numbers up on the scoreboard offensively, a team needs good defensive skills to win. Spending practice time on fielding drills can often be the difference between winning and losing a game. Try these fun, yet effective fielding drills to help get your defense in top shape.

The USA Throw Around – Softball Fielding Drills

This drill requires a full infield. Outfielders will be used for hitting and baserunning. The infield should take their positions. The outfielder will hit the ball, keeping it in the infield. The infielders field the ball and throw to first base. The first baseman throws to second, second throws to short, then to third, the catcher, and the pitcher.

While the ball is making its way around, the outfielder runs the bases. The goal is to complete the throw-around and return the ball to the pitcher before the runner completes a home run. Run the drill at full speed until the infield can send the ball around twice before the runner reaches home.

Cut Off Relay Competition – Softball Fielding Drills

Players love competing, so turn drills into a competition. Line players in groups of three with at least 10 feet between them. On the whistle, the player at the end throws to the cutoff, who pivots and throws to the far end. That player throws back to the cutoff, who pivots and returns the ball to the start.

The entire line takes a knee to signal they’ve finished. The first line to complete the relay earns a point, and players rotate. As a variation, make the line larger, perhaps with the entire team in two lines, racing to complete the relay first.

Bump Out – Softball Fielding Drills

Fielding errors can cost runs and seasons. Set up defense as in a game. Have backup players ready. The coach hits or throws balls into play. Any player who makes a fielding or throwing error is “bumped out” and replaced. Players track how often they’re bumped out. The coach should call out different baserunning scenarios to vary the throws.

Using these and other fundamental fielding drills in practice will help your defense handle any game situation. What are your favorite fielding drills? Comment below and let us know! If you have questions or need clarification, reach out at coach@elitesoftballdrills.com.

Get out there and play ball!

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Fun Softball Drills – Hitting, Fielding, Base Running

Posted on April 2, 2017May 8, 2025 by Coach

Elite Softball Drills - Fun Softball Drills — Elite Softball Drills – Fun Softball Drills

As all coaches and players know, running drills is an important part of leading an effective practice. However, rote pitching, fielding, and running drills can quickly become monotonous and lead to player apathy and disinterest. Having players perform the same motions in a new way or with a new twist will keep players on their toes and provide them with fun and innovative ways to practice essential skills. Incorporate these fun softball drills into your practice and watch enthusiasm soar!

Hitting – Fun Softball Drills

Batters must be able to discern in a split second if they should swing at a ball and what placement of their bat they need to use. The two-ball drill can help players with these vital skills. For this drill, two different colored balls must be used. The coach or a drill partner should kneel on the side of the batter. They will toss the two balls in front of the batter as they call out a color. The batter must swing and try to hit the correct ball.

This drill allows for multiple skills to be practiced. Batters practice their quick reasoning and judgment when determining which ball to swing at. They also work on bat placement. The balls will be in two different areas, one towards the outside of the plate and one towards the inside. The batter must attempt to hit only the called color and try to keep the ball in fair territory. To turn this drill into a competition, have students work in teams, scoring a point for each correctly hit colored ball.

Fielding – Fun Softball Drills

Everyone knows the classic fielding drills. The players field a ball and throw it to the correct base. These skills are essential for any defense. However, practicing them the same way endlessly can be monotonous. Instead of having a player stand at first base (or whichever base), place a stool with a stuffed animal on top. As players field the ball, they attempt to knock the stuffed animal off the stool. This helps practice throwing to different areas of the base. Once familiar, turn it into a team competition at each position.

Base Running – Fun Softball Drills

Running laps around the bases can seem tedious but can be turned into a fun and competitive activity. Set up two sets of bases around the diamond, ensuring enough room between runners. Divide players into two even teams. If there’s an odd number, choose a player to sit out or run twice. Players run relay-style races in different configurations, starting with singles (running through first base), doubles, triples, and home runs, including sliding into the finishing base.

The Final Inning – Fun Softball Drills

There are many ways to make regular drills fun and exciting. Tap into players’ competitive spirit! The more passion and creativity you bring, the more effort players will give. If you have questions or need more ideas, reach out to us at coach@elitesoftballdrills.com.

Get out there and play ball!

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Softball Hitting Drills – 5 Ways to Up Your Game

Posted on December 1, 2016May 8, 2025 by Coach

Softball Hitting Drills - SBBL Fastpitch Softball - 16U - Lady Saints v. Diamondbacks - Photo by Steven Pisano — Softball Hitting Drills – SBBL Fastpitch Softball – 16U – Lady Saints v. Diamondbacks – Photo by Steven Pisano

Many people think that the best way to practice softball hitting drills is to simply to do it over and over again. While going through the motions can certainly help, there are specific drills to target different aspects of hitting. These can include strengthening and focus drills, contact drills, upper body form and strength drills, and ball placement drills. Use the following five drills in practice to help batters be more prepared for any pitcher they may come up against.

1: Bat Zones – Softball Hitting Drills

This drill specifically targets the focus of a batter, encouraging them to keep their eye on the ball through contact. For this drill, you will need a bat and three colors of electrical tape. Tape the bat into three zones: the end, the sweet spot, and the lower half. As the ball is pitched, the player must watch the ball connect with the bat and call out the color of the tape the bat hit.

2: Hit & Run – Softball Hitting Drills

This drill focuses on stamina and focus. Often when a player comes up to bat they are not in prime condition. Therefore, having batting practice when players are in top condition is not always effective. This drill is done in a soft toss situation with a net.

There should be 3 players in each group. With no time in between pitches other than to reset, the coach will feed the player 20 pitches. As soon as the twentieth pitch is hit, the batter will take off for two laps around the field. The coach will begin pitching to the next batter while the first player is running. The goal is for the batter to finish their laps and have a short time to rest before it is their turn again. Batters should run between six and eight laps before the coach switches to the next group.

3: Knee Hitting – Softball Hitting Drills

This drill targets upper body strength and follow-through. Set up a net as though for a tee drill, but use an orange cone instead of a tee. The batter should kneel on their back knee with their front foot extended straight out in front toward the net. The batter will hit off the cone into the net, focusing on proper arm and wrist movement. Another player should reset the ball so the coach can provide feedback.

4: Target Practice – Softball Hitting Drills

It’s not always enough to just get a hit; sometimes we need to put the ball in specific areas, whether to advance other baserunners or exploit a weakness in the opposing team’s fielding. The batter will hit off the tee, which can be set up in a strike zone area where the batter needs work. Cones should mark areas of the field where the batter should aim. This can be combined with the two-tee target drill as accuracy improves.

5: Two Tee Target – Softball Hitting Drills

This drill focuses on contact point and ball placement. Set up one tee directly on home plate. Set up the second tee at the same height about two feet in front of the plate. Begin with the tees aligned. When the command is given, the batter should hit the ball off the first tee and attempt to hit the ball into the ball off the second tee. Adjust the tees to work on different pitches as accuracy improves.

Try out some new drills and rotate them into batting practice. Sometimes thinking outside the box or going back to basics can yield impressive results!

If you have any questions, please email us at coach@elitesoftballdrills.com. Check out our other articles on softball pitching drills and softball fielding drills!

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Softball Pitching Drills: Accuracy, Speed, Endurance!

Posted on November 21, 2016May 8, 2025 by Coach

It is important to practice different movements and skills as you are learning new pitches. Simply standing there doing the same pitch over and over does not target any of the fundamentals of pitching. Rather, specific and targeted softball pitching drills and movements can help improve accuracy, speed, and endurance. Endurance drills are important too! No one wants to be the fabulous pitcher that can only last 2 innings of the big game! Choosing the best drill for the skill you are focusing on can be as important as doing the drills themselves. The following drills are for pitchers that already have the basic movements down and are either looking to develop new pitches or are looking for ways to improve the pitches they already throw.

Accuracy:

When learning new pitches or working on accuracy, having a visual of the perfect strike zone is crucial for development. However, having a batter stand in position for that length of time is often a wasted training session for the batter and can result in injury as the chances of getting hit with a wayward pitch increase exponentially. For this, a dummy batter training tool is a wonderful investment. If creating one on your own, make sure to include a line with a good visual target for the pitcher. Essentially this is their bull’s eye.

The goal here is to work on accuracy and aim. A great way to do this is to combine the dummy batter with a 20-4 drill (this can be modified to a 10-3 drill for younger pitchers). The goal here is to pitch 20 strikes before you pitch 4 balls. If a pitcher reaches 4 balls before 20 strikes, they must start the drill over again. This drill can be especially helpful when learning new pitches. Remember, however, this is not an endurance drill! Keep the total pitch count in mind as you work through these, it is important to allow enough rest so as not to create injury. To combat the sheer number of pitches that are to be thrown, encourage pitchers to bring down their force and speed to about 60% and focus their attention on accuracy, aim, and technique.

Speed: Softball Pitching Drills

The best drill for speed surprisingly asks pitchers to not think about speed as they throw at all! It is often helpful to use a soft training ball in this drill as it will bounce off the wall and the pitcher stands at a very close distance. Standing as close to a wall as possible the player will pitch into the wall with as much force as they can. Again I stress, do not think about speed!

The speed will come as a result of the force, but focusing on speed will actually slow down your movements! The focus of this drill is 100% power. After 10 or 15 pitches (depending on the age of the pitcher) at full power, back up 5 feet. Repeat these steps until pitching at full power from a normal pitching distance. If at any point the pitcher is losing power at a distance bring her back to the wall and have her pitch at 100% again. Remember, this is a speed drill, the focus is not on accuracy or control but rather on completing each pitch with the proper form and at full power. This is also not an endurance drill, be careful not to overwork a pitcher during this drill without giving proper rest.

Endurance: Softball Pitching Drills

A great endurance drill is a variation on the speed wall drill. Pitchers will stand in the same spot next to the wall, as close as possible without restricting movement to pitch. They will complete as many pitches as they can, using full movement and focusing on putting 100% power behind each pitch. They will throw for one minute with no breaks in between pitches. After one minute of rest, the drill is repeated. This drill focuses on endurance; players should not back up to normal pitching distance, they should instead focus on throwing each pitch with full force and completing the pitching motion properly.

There are many more pitching drills focusing on these three areas. If you need clarification or have questions, reach out to us! Be sure to check out our other articles on catching and fielding drills!

Get out there and Play Ball!

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