SOFTBALL 2DAY COACHING JOURNAL

Fastpitch Softball Coaching Tips/Links of The Month
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New Articles I
New Articles II
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Fastpitch Softball Articles: Suggested Reading
Fastpitch Softball Coaching Tips/Links of The Month
3 Great Fastpitch Softball Pitching Drills
Base-Running: Coaching Tips and Drills
Coaches: Suggested Reading and Links
Catchers: Coaching Tips and drills
Fastpitch Softball Vocabulary
Fastpitch Softball Parents Page
Our Top 10 Recommended Books For Softball Coaches
Top 10 Fastpitch Softball Video Review
Top 10 INSTRUCTIONAL Fastpitch Softball Websites
Fastpitch Softball Coaching Newsletter - Past Issue Archives
Miscellaneous & General Interest Links
Fastpitch Softball Tips: Source Baseball Canada
Parents: Suggested Reading
Fielding: Coaching Tips and Drills
Hitting: Coaching Drills and Tips
Pitching: Coaching Tips and Drills
Throwing: Drills and Workouts
3 Recommended Fastpitch Softball Hitting Drills
Recommended Fastpitch Softball Defensive Drills
Better Fastpitch Softball Practice Scheduling
Physical Fitness and Nutrition
Motivational and Psychological
NCAA Fastpitch Softball Polls
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Softball

        Coaching Tip Of The Month     
 
MAKE A PRACTICE SCHEDULE & KEEP RECORDS - Always make out a daily practice schedule. Properly label each practice session, drill, task or play that you cover. Make sure to post this schedule before practice and that each of your assistant coaches have a copy. Make sure to stick to the schedule. Organization is a sign of discipline and also emphasizes the value of practice time. Players pick up on this very quickly. KEEPING RECORDS is important in long-term practice scheduling. Keep your practice schedules in a folder, in order. You can then go back to see when you last covered a task or practiced a skill or play. This record keeping also makes it easier to make out future practice schedules.

UMPIRE NAME CALLING - It is important to build a good rapport with the umpire or umpires working your game. Calling them "blue" often does not help in this endeavor. I suggest that you address them by their names. I am not good at remembering names so I always write their name in my left palm. I will always address them by their first name when I ask a question or have conversation between innings.

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Hitting Tip of The Month

PROBLEM:
The batter "locks" or straightens out the front arm when it is taken back to the "power" or "trigger" position. This flaw causes the batter to be late starting th swing, the bat speed to slow, increases the bats distance to the ball, and often causes premature wrist roll.
SOLUTION:
Keep a bend in the front elbow. Keep the hands together and working together. Keep the hands close to the body and do not take them back so far that front arm flex is lost.

Things Every Batter Must Be Remember:

1. "Think YES, YES, YES, On Every Pitch" Prepare yourself to hit every pitch. Convert to no or "hold off" only when you see that the pitch is a ball.
2. Track the ball from the pitchers hand to the cather's mitt.
3. Expect the fastball, adjust to off speed pitchers. Expect the ball away, adjust to the ball on the inner half.
4. With a runner in a "steal situation" get depth in the box.
5. Move up in the box when the bunt might be on.
6. Never look back at the umpire after a "called" strike.
7. Never speak or exchange words with the catcher.
8. Know the speed and tendencies of the pitcher. They will determine whether you are up or back in the box.
9. Be ready to attack a first pitch fastball. It may be the best pitch that you get.
10. If the color is "green" attack the first pitch that you like. If the coloe is "red", do not swing
until the pitcher throws a strike. "Red" is called when baserunners are needed badly or when the pitcher has walked two of the last three batters.

Pitching Tip Of The Month

SETTING UP PITCHES

Make sure to teach young pitchers the value of pitch placement or location. Velocity is important, however, equally valuable is the ability to hit your "spots". Young pitchers should scout their opposition in batting practice or when hitters are ondeck. It is often best for coaches to scout batters and deliver information to the catcher or pitcher using signs. Such information maight be whether the hitter tends to have a uppercut, turns on everything, chops the ball, or has a good level swing.

Young pitchers need to develop strategy for working away to get ahead in the count and then coming back inside to get the out or to setup the "out-pitch" on the outside of the plate. Pitchers must learn to change speeds, vary location, and "stay away" from the middle until they are in a "must be a strike" situation. Pitchers ahead should be careful to not give batters a hittable pitch unless that particular pitcher has overpowering stuff and can go right at hitters.
We all know that several things affect the attitude of the coach and pitcher; the score, the inning, and the place in the opposition's lineup.

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Recommended "Coaching Tips" Links:
 

Practice Tip Of The Month

Baserunning Drill - One of my favorite ways to teach and develop great baserunners is to incorporate baserunning into batting practice. This can be done very easily by dividing your players into groups of four to take batting practice. One player will hit. The next hitter will warm-up on deck. The 3rd and 4th players will run "circuits" on the bases. These circuits are designated circuits that are listed and attached to the firstbaseman protection screen. Players will always run after they hit. We normally hit three times with at least 10 swings each.
The circuits are:
Circuit #1 - @ 1st base - Fake steal and read the contact to get to 2b
@ 2nd base - Get a two-out lead and score on a base hit.
Circuit #2 - @ 1st base - Hit & Run. Stop at 2B.
@ 2nd base -Regular lead-read contact to get to 3B
@ 3rd base - Call for a Squeeze by the batter.
Circuit #3 - @ 1st base - Straight steal 2b.
@ 2nd base - Fake steal and read contact.
@ 3rd base - Tag and score on a fly ball

Player should take their actions serious. They should wear helmets. They must go back to the bag after each pitch to simulate getting the sign and taking a new lead. If they need to they can skip a couple of "BP" throws to catch their breath and get ready for their next move. The two players running the bases should make sure to "stagger" themselves so that they will not run up on the next runner. This is a great drill to teach baserunning savvy, awareness, and alertness. It is also a great way to condition. Make sure that each player stretches and warms up before doing this drill. Another thing you might consider is those young players that need additional baserunning work may be ran extra during batting practice if they need it. Teach them to be aggressive. Another great point is to teach them to anticipate the "pitch in the dirt". If they get a "dirt ball read", they should break. They should develop confidence in their own decision making ability and learn to "trust their eyes".

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