Softball Practice Drills – Head-First Sliding Drill

Purpose: To improve the head-first softball sliding technique.

Procedure: All the players are at home plate and the manager is in the left field on the edge of the outfield grass. The coach has a full bucket of balls and the head coach is near the second base, and the assistant coach is in the coach's box at first base. The first runner has to run to first base and gets a signal by the assistant coach to turn and look to see if it's possible to move to second base. As the runner rounds first base, the runner spots the manager in left field. The manager is holding a ball. If the manager drops the ball, the runner moves to second base and does a bent-leg slide but if the manager brings the ball back in a throwing motions and acts like the ball is actually going to be thrown to first base, the runner hurries and returns to first base and does a head-first slide.