Youth Softball Drills - Situation Hitting

Purpose: This drill dealing with softball hitting is to execute various offensive strategies and practice reading signals on offense; to execute various defensive strategies on defense.

Description: Play 4v10 or 4v9 on a field appropriate for the age group, with an entire defensive team set up in the field. One of the offensive players will be the hitter on each play, and the other players will be baserunners or waiting in the on-deck area to hit, depending on the play. A coach stands in the box at third base. To begin, call out a game situation and place a runner or runners on the bases accordingly (for example, one out, runner on first). The defense should position themselves based on the situation and what they think the batter will attempt to do (in this example, bunt); the third base coach gives the batter (and baserunners) the signal for the offensive play, and the batter gets three pitches to execute it. The offense gets two points if the hitter and baserunner execute the play correctly, one point if the hitter makes the correct play but the defense gets a baserunner out, and zero points if the hitter can't execute the correct play in three pitches. Switch teams after each player on the offensive team had two at-bats.