Fielding Drills

[32's Dad]

Hello Everyone, I came across this forum to help educate myself and become a better coach. This forum has been very informative!

I have 2 DD's who are playing 8 and 10u, I have coached and assisted all of their teams since 6's and didnt think I would be coaching a 10u team. But as luck would have it we are short coaches and they needed someone.

We have a pretty good routine for each practice. Starting with catching and throwing for 10-15 min, Pop fly's, and grounders for 10 min. Then into batting- warming up off a T, wiffles, bunts, and live, etc.

I am looking for some recommendations on additional drills for the girls to include everyone. Players hitting off their pitcher and running bases as if they are playing. Trying to get the most out of them and make the most of our time together.
Would greatly apprecaite any addition input on drills to help optiminze and have efficeent practice.

Thank you

 

[WPACoach]

I recommend following Morgan Stuart for defensive-specific drills and instruction. There are tons of videos online but you can also buy this book of drills. Instructional videos are included with the purchase as well. https://morgan-stuart.com/drills/black-book

 

[Gags]

That's a really broad request, which may be why there hasn't been much in the way of a response.

Assuming this is rec level?

My initial feedback is to ditch the idea of players hitting off their pitcher. Unless you have a unicorn that can throw strikes 4 out of 5 pitches, this is possibly the least efficient way to use your practice time. I'm AC for a 14U team, and even then, if we hit off live pitching, there's way too much standing around. I understand the need to get "live reps", but really think about limiting it to only a handful of batters each time. OR - after each pitch that doesn't result in contact, a coach will be standing off to the side and hitting a fungo, so that a ball is in play (and fielders are doing something) every pitch. Otherwise, it's really just a practice for the pitcher and catcher.

[Edited to add links - b/c when you have 2 hours to watch volleyball practice, you think about softball!]
For drill ideas - follow Megan Remblack (MegRem Softball) on instagram - she's been putting out free drills for a few years now. The great thing about her videos is that she explains it well, gives some good reasoning as to WHY you want to do "X" in "Y" situations, and ends it with a demonstration, either herself or showing an actual youth player executing the drills. I really liked her discussion on the importance of backhands vs. the mantra of "always get in front of the ball".

Nate Trosky has some great fielding drills. (Since you’re a coach and a dad with clearly all the time in the world - here’s a four hr video - sounds crazy - but really worth the watch! https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HgHY4WW71VM
Watch the Ron Washington youtube video https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vDlnzZs4DUU.
Matt Antonelli has some great hitting and fielding drills.
This goes back a few years, but Justin Stone put out several hitting videos that I used often with my 6-10U teams, especially the "feet together" drill. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vLbpAoG_dgQ
Watch the Mike Candrea IF technique video https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XDwFdR4gluQ- made me appreciate the importance of quality reps, and that sometimes (especially @ the younger ages) - rolling the ball can be more effective and efficient than using a fungo for everything.

If you join NFCA (National Fastpitch Coaches Assoc.), you get access to their drill book. While some of the drills are more advanced (HS/College level), there's very few that you wouldn't be able to modify to make it age appropriate.

Good Luck!

 

[32's Dad]

That's a really broad request, which may be why there hasn't been much in the way of a response.

Assuming this is rec level?

My initial feedback is to ditch the idea of players hitting off their pitcher. Unless you have a unicorn that can throw strikes 4 out of 5 pitches, this is possibly the least efficient way to use your practice time. I'm AC for a 14U team, and even then, if we hit off live pitching, there's way too much standing around. I understand the need to get "live reps", but really think about limiting it to only a handful of batters each time. OR - after each pitch that doesn't result in contact, a coach will be standing off to the side and hitting a fungo, so that a ball is in play (and fielders are doing something) every pitch. Otherwise, it's really just a practice for the pitcher and catcher.

For drill ideas - follow Megan Remblack (MegRem Softball) on instagram - she's been putting out free drills for a few years now. The great thing about her videos is that she explains it well, gives some good reasoning as to WHY you want to do "X" in "Y" situations, and ends it with a demonstration, either herself or showing an actual youth player executing the drills. I really liked her discussion on the importance of backhands vs. the mantra of "always get in front of the ball".

Nate Trosky has some great fielding drills.
Watch the Ron Washington youtube video.
Matt Antonelli has some great hitting and fielding drills.
This goes back a few years, but Justin Stone put out several hitting videos that I used often with my 6-10U teams, especially the "feet together" drill.
Watch the Mike Candrea IF technique video - made me appreciate the importance of quality reps, and that sometimes (especially @ the younger ages) - rolling the ball can be more effective and efficient than using a fungo for everything.

If you join NFCA (National Fastpitch Coaches Assoc.), you get access to their drill book. While some of the drills are more advanced (HS/College level), there's very few that you wouldn't be able to modify to make it age appropriate.

Good Luck!

Thank you, I appreciate your feedback I will check out the videos you mentioned above!

 

[Cornbread]

Pour into this thread

Ten most important things for an infielder to do

Getting started

www.discussfastpitch.com

 

[Gags]

Wow - I remember that thread - some good stuff in there. Can’t believe it’s been four years already!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ArmWhip]

I always like to play 'workup' with my teams, usually as the last thing we do in practice. The kids like it because they get to play different positions and I like it because it teaches situational awareness. Like a real game things happen that you can't replicate in practice. You designate a couple of hitters to start and put everyone else at positions. A coach pitches to the hitters. Batters hit and run the bases, if they make it around they hit again. When an out is made that hitter goes to right field, the 1st baseman goes in to hit, 2nd goes to 1st, SS to 2nd, 3rd to SS, LF comes in to 3rd, CF to LF. One key is to keep it moving, so the coach has a bucket of balls that he pitches and another coach catches and puts the balls in his bucket. Whenever the situation changes I go over the options with the fielders, and after a play is made I can critique what happened, if necessary.
And for young teams if an outfielder catches a fly ball she comes in to hit right away, and those behind her 'move up'.

 

[bjenkins24]

That's a really broad request, which may be why there hasn't been much in the way of a response.

Assuming this is rec level?

My initial feedback is to ditch the idea of players hitting off their pitcher. Unless you have a unicorn that can throw strikes 4 out of 5 pitches, this is possibly the least efficient way to use your practice time. I'm AC for a 14U team, and even then, if we hit off live pitching, there's way too much standing around. I understand the need to get "live reps", but really think about limiting it to only a handful of batters each time. OR - after each pitch that doesn't result in contact, a coach will be standing off to the side and hitting a fungo, so that a ball is in play (and fielders are doing something) every pitch. Otherwise, it's really just a practice for the pitcher and catcher.

[Edited to add links - b/c when you have 2 hours to watch volleyball practice, you think about softball!]
For drill ideas - follow Megan Remblack (MegRem Softball) on instagram - she's been putting out free drills for a few years now. The great thing about her videos is that she explains it well, gives some good reasoning as to WHY you want to do "X" in "Y" situations, and ends it with a demonstration, either herself or showing an actual youth player executing the drills. I really liked her discussion on the importance of backhands vs. the mantra of "always get in front of the ball".

Nate Trosky has some great fielding drills. (Since you’re a coach and a dad with clearly all the time in the world - here’s a four hr video - sounds crazy - but really worth the watch! https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HgHY4WW71VM
Watch the Ron Washington youtube video https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vDlnzZs4DUU.
Matt Antonelli has some great hitting and fielding drills.
This goes back a few years, but Justin Stone put out several hitting videos that I used often with my 6-10U teams, especially the "feet together" drill. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vLbpAoG_dgQ
Watch the Mike Candrea IF technique video https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XDwFdR4gluQ- made me appreciate the importance of quality reps, and that sometimes (especially @ the younger ages) - rolling the ball can be more effective and efficient than using a fungo for everything.

If you join NFCA (National Fastpitch Coaches Assoc.), you get access to their drill book. While some of the drills are more advanced (HS/College level), there's very few that you wouldn't be able to modify to make it age appropriate.

Good Luck!

I think one of the best uses of time in practice is hitting off a live pitcher even if they can't throw strikes. Kids ESPECIALLY at the rec level have to be in game like situations and actually try new things. Have them learn to load even on a ball. They should always be thinking SWING SWING SWING, then stop with a ball. This type of stuff is hard to simulate with a coach pitching or especially off a tee.

I agree having all the kids sitting on the field waiting for a hit is a waste of time, so don't do that. I don't get why this is such a common refrain. You don't HAVE to have everyone else on the field, have them doing something else! This is what I do:

Pitcher, Catcher, Batter - 3 players using the field.

2 nets with tees side by side in left or right field, those two nets are providing protection from hit balls for the rest of the girls. The tees will have another girl loading the tee for them. That's 7 players accounted for doing something. Then I like to use heavies to get lots of swings in a small area off of as close to live pitching as possible. I try to tell my coaches/parents that they should be throwing the ball underhand hard, close and hit the fence behind them. They usually aren't super accurate which is great. Teaches the kids to wait for good pitches. Also being close imitates real speed better. Hopefully I have 5 parents/coaches helping that takes care of 12 players that all are doing something all the time. Each player rotates to a different coach/tee every so often (one of the coaches controls this), I'm usually helping with the live hitting. No one rotates into the live hitting, I just call over specific girls and spend as long as I think they need. Sometimes there's a player that just needs 12 real live pitching at bats. They might get 18 in an entire rec season. I can get them 12 in one practice. I'm telling you these girls start hitting the ball. I always tell the parents before the first practice the girls need to have batting gloves for practice, otherwise they always leave with a blister. They swing a lot. I do this for about half the practice.

Altogether that's 12 players accounted for all of them doing something all the time AND I get live hitting. So yes do live hitting, just don't throw everyone on the field doing nothing at the same time. On occasion if I want to practice infield I'll have two girls on the field during live hitting. Every pitch regardless of whether it's hit or not I'll throw the ball. But I try not to do this too often unless there's something specific I want to work on.

I have some very specific fielding drills we work on for the entire season. One of my pet peeves is coaches introducing some new drill to work on some part fielding mechanics then they never do it again. I have 3-5 drills we do all season. Every practice, every warm up before games. By the end of the season, my rec girls have some basic fielding mechanics. If you're just hitting grounders to kids and then pop fly's without much instruction, or even with instruction, it's really hard for the kids to know what they should be doing. If you break down one skill at a time for these drills, they can learn them well, then they can combine them into actual fielding.

I send them a 3 minute video for all these drills, so parents/coaches and kids all know what we're doing and I find people trust a video from a pro player more than they trust their coach. Which kinda sucks, but every season I have someone questioning me. "I never learned that way, I don't think that's right" and crap like that. So videos help everyone. I spent a long time editing youtube videos to make sure they were under 3 minutes, so I can require players to watch before practice, even in the parking lot before practice.

If you're interested in the fielding drills I do, DM me I'll send you the youtube links.