Softball Fielding Tips - How to Play Great Defense

Have you noticed that 75% of the information online related to softball techniques, drills and tips is either on hitting or on pitching? These two areas is the central focus of most softball coaches and players in training. Do you see a lot of softball fielding tips? Maybe I'm not looking at the right but I have not come across a lot of them.

That's why I have decided to offer you a few softball fielding tips.

- Keep low to the ground
- Balance weight on the balls of the fet
- Keep square to the ball
- Be "ready" on every pitch
- Be prepared to move when the ball enters the hitting area
- Maintain good balance
- Use two hands
- Field the ball at the "top of the triangle" (both feet are bottom, hands are the top)
- Position hands palm to palm
- Cradle the ball to the center of the body
- Develop soft hands
- Take a positive step to the throwing position
- Have quick feet
- communicate with infield teammates - call for the ball during double-plays and pop-ups
- Cultivate strong, accurate throw.

You could add a lot more softball fielding tips but this is a good list to start with.

While pitching and hitting are important areas, we need not to neglect the training of our individual defensive skills. Most teams and coaches spent a great deal of time on defense but that time is spent mostly rehearsing and practicing game situations and team defensive strategies while the training of individual defensive skills is a bit neglected.

Don't forget - it is a lot easier to control how many runs you give than how many runs you score. You might as well make sure that the other team scores as few runs as possible.

If you want more softball fielding tips and a great resource for learning more about  how to play aggressive defense, I suggest you get the video of Howard Kobata, one of the game's top defensive skills specialist at http://www.softballskills.com

 

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