Purpose:  To develop the ability to recognize different pitch locations. This may a good mental training drill as well.

Procedure: The Pitcher will pitch to catcher. Hitter will stand in the batter's box. Watch the ball leave the pitcher's hand. Determine the type of pitch, as well as the location, as quickly as possible. Use one-syllable verbal cues to save time. As the ball approaches, call out the pitch and location. For example, you might say "fast strike" to indicate that the pitch selection was a fastball and the location was in strike zone. Similarly, "drop ball, 1" suggests that the pitch was a drop ball out of the zone. Shout these verbal cues as soon as possible.

Purpose: To develop confidence and comfort when diving for balls. It is important that the outfield practice on this more.

Procedure: The first player in line starts on her knees. The coach will bounce the ball slightly to her. She will dive to stop or catch the ball, and try to get to her feet and throw the ball back to the coach. After four or five attempts, the next player takes a turn. Once each player is done catching to her left (glove side), switch it up and throw to the other side.

Players will only get comfortable when they try an activity. By making them dive in a controlled environment, they are more apt and ready for such a play during the game. Getting started on the drill will help eliminate the fear of injury. Teach feet to get to the throwing position.

Purpose: To become familiar with the proper throwing position,achieve a good follow-through and develop an efficient hand break. This will help fielders lessen their errors. Teaching correct fundamentals is the most important thing to remember when coaching youth softball.

Procedure: Players set up with a partner or a target at a distance of shout 30 feet with one softball. Start with your toes about shoulder-width apart, pointing at the target and with your knees flexed comfortably, With your hands together, rotate your shoulders and assume the "T" or throwing position. Continue your arm action and throw the softball. Make sure that your arm and head are out in front of the body when you finish- Bend at the waist during the follow-through.Your feet will remain stationary through out the drill in order to isolate your upper body and your throwing-arm action.

Purpose: To improve the hitter's swing and sense of contact with the batting tee. This is one way of improving one's softball hitting technique.

Procedure: You will need a single batting tee, a plate, a bucket of softballs, and a batting cage or a soft toss hitting ares. Have the batter stand in the batter's box so that she stands in front of the plate, the batter should assume a proper batting stance and "measures up". To measure up, the batter reaches out with her bat and touches the opposite side of the plate. The bat hits the ball  of a batting tee that is positioned according to what hitting she is attempting to work on. The tee is positioned for an inside pitch by placing in front of the plate and on the inside corner. The tee is positioned for an outside pitch by placing it outside the plate, just off the back corner of the plate. To hit a pitch down the middle, the tee is positioned directly in front of the plate.

Purpose: To develop an infelder's hand-eye coordination. Starting with the basics is an important softball fielding tip to follow.

Procedure: Use softballs and  foam paddles. Have two players face each other a short distance apart. One player throws the ball in such a manner as to make the ball hop, simulating a ground ball hit to the infielder. The right-handed infielder assumes the ready position and awaits the throw, keeping his left foot slightly in front of the right. The ball is tossed directly toward the infielder who is holding a foam paddle in each hand. The infielder should use the funnel technique on regular ground balls and the push-through technique on short hop ground bails. The funnel technique involves the infielder cushioning the impact of the ball as it hits the hands. The push-through technique involves the infielder catering the ball by pushing his glove forward through the ball as he points the fingers downward.

Purpose: Mano y Mano, Spanish for "one on one," is a competitive game for the batting cage. This drill improves on your softball hitting technique as well.

Procedure: This drill will need a batting cage, pitching machine and balls, bats, helmets, and pitching screen. This game is best played with 2 to 5 players per cage. Three outs per hitter (use balls and strikes). There are foul balls. One person hits at a time. Use the pitching machine. See how many runs you can score in a seven or nine inning simulated game. Bunting, sacrifice flies, and hit-and-runs must all be verbally called out just before the pitch is released, The on deck batter sets as the umpire (i.e. determining singles versus extra base hits).

Purpose: This relay race includes the cutoff play into a running game. When coaching softball make sure to teach the cut-off person to do relays properly

Procedure: You will need cones, balls, and fielding gloves. Make equal teams. Place 1 cone and ball directly in front of each group (normal cutoff distance for age group). Teams should stand behind their own cone. At the starting signal, the first person in line runs to the cone. The next person in line throws the ball to his/her partner in  cutoff fashion. Fielders should yell, "Hit me!" with their arms up. On a successful catch the receiver then runs with the ball back to his or her team, and puts the ball back at the front of the line. The two partners must slap gloves with one person sprinting to the cone and the other returning to the back of the line. The rotation keeps going until every person has thrown the ball at least once.

Purpose: To reward a good practice. It is important to add variety and fun drills when coaching softball.

Procedure: You will need cones, two softballs per player, a few tennis balls and gloves. Divide the team into two groups. Set up cones in a rectangular shape to resemble a small football field. Four players on each team move to separate ends of the field. Each team has two substitutes. This game is similar to touch or flag football, except played with a tennis ball instead of a football. There are no kickoffs or extra points in this game. The coach starts the game at the estimated 20-yard line. The defensive team holds two softballs each in their gloves. The offensive team members gloves are empty so they can catch the ball. When a player on the offensive team completes a pass with the tennis ball the defensive players try to tag him with their gloves. If one of the softballs falls out of the defensive player's glove during the tag, the play continues until another player can make, the tag. The coach can determine whether teams have three or four plays to make a touchdown. There are no first downs. When a team scores a touchdown, the other team begins with the ball at the estimated 20-yard line. The coach is the referee and should have a whistle.

Purpose: To develop defensive strategies against a base runner advancing to second base on a steal. It is important to practice defensive plays when coaching softball.

Procedure: The team will need one softball, a bat, and gloves. A player stands on first base, and a batter is in the batter's box. As the pitcher releases the ball the base runner runs to second base. The catcher throws the ball to second base.

The shortstop covers the base and tries to tag the runner out.

Purpose: To test and develop a player's reaction time when fielding an oncoming ball. This is a good mental training drill as well.

Procedure: Place four cones in a square with 10 to 15 feet between cones. The coach stands in the center of the square, and the first player stands next to a corner cone facing away from the coach. The coach throws a tennis ball toward the player, then immediately gives the "go" command. On the "go" command, the player turns and reacts to the ball, trying to make the catch. After catching the ball, the player drops it on the ground next to him. The player runs to the next cone, turns toward the coach, who has already thrown a ball in his direction, and tries to react to the tennis ball in the air before making the catch. When the first player has been to all four cones, it is the next player's turn. Players should be ready to catch the ball as they turn around and should calch the ball with both hands. Players should concentrate on making sure they calch the ball before running to the next cone.