By: Cindy Bristow Provided by: Softball Excellence Pressure turns coal into diamonds and often turns our good players into mush. Uncover 3 ways some top players have helped themselves stay focused under pressure. There’s no […]
Throw the Bat Drill with Mary Jo Firnbach – Southern Illinois Univ. Carbondale
Watch as Coach explains, and batters demonstrate this throw the bat drill. The drill works on extension, getting the barrel release at the right time during the swing. Each batter will take three swings to […]
Being Liked vs. Being Respected
By: John Klessinger Originally Published in: A Coach’s Manual BEING LIKED V. BEING RESPECTED “I firmly believe that respect is a lot more important and a lot greater than popularity.” – Julius “Dr. J.” Erving, […]
Pitching: Wrist Snap with Lonni Alameda – Florida State Univ.
Watch as Coach explains, and a pitcher demonstrates the wrist snap in this spinning series. The fingertips are what makes the ball move and with a fast ball/drop ball, the ball needs to be spinning […]
Outfield Play
By: Bill Gray and Melissa Chmielewski Originally Published in: Practice Perfect Softball – NFCA Provided by: Human Kinetics Outfield play can be broken down into several vital areas – speed, arm strength, ball recognition, angles, […]
Knob to Knee Hitting Drill with Leslie Huntington – Univ. of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Watch as Coach explains, and a hitter demonstrates this knob to knee hitting drill. The drill works on improving the hitter’s balance and developing a slow and deliberate coil. The hitter wants to see the […]
Using Strengths to Develop Coaching Resilience
By: Wade Gilbert Originally Published in: Coaching Better Every Season Provided by: Human Kinetics When coaches recognize their strengths, they build coaching confidence and mental toughness. The ability to overcome performance failures and emotionally difficult […]
Infield Practice Sequence with Larissa Anderson – Univ. of Missouri
Watch as Coach explains and shows video of her infield practice sequence. They always start the sequence with a runner on 3rd so that when it happens in the game the players will not panic […]
What Makes a Good Coach
By: John Klessinger Originally Published in: A Coach’s Manual “A good teacher creates an environment that allows the student to succeed.” – Bill Parcells, 2x Super Bowl Champion Football Coach, New York Giants Disclaimer – […]
Touch Touch Infielders Drill with Colleen Powers – St. Catherine Univ.
Watch as Coach explains, and infielders demonstrate the Touch Touch Drill which emphasizes quick hands and quick feet. An infielder will approach the bag from behind, catch the ball, separate while keeping the ball high […]
Batting Lineup: Runs Scores is the Bottom Line with Scott Whitlock – (Retired) Kennesaw State Univ.
Watch as Coach explains the importance of where you place players in your batting order so that you score runs. The 6-hole hitter leads off more innings than anyone in the lineup other than the […]
4 Keys to Improving Pitching Warm-Ups
By: Cindy Bristow Provided by: Softball Excellence Warming up is something that all pitchers have to do, but something that we don’t put enough thought or purpose into. Discover 4 keys to making sure your […]
Change Up Tips with Beth Torina – Louisiana State Univ.
Watch as Coach explains that every pitcher is different and there is no cookie-cutter approach to the change up. She recommends playing catch as much as possible with your pitcher and experimenting with different grips […]
Defining Mental Toughness with Jack Clark – Univ. of CA, Berkeley
Watch as Coach discusses mental toughness and how the term is valued and used a lot but has no clear definition. He states how critical it is that definitions are consistent within an organization so […]
Great Fielding Drill Under Pressure
By: Cindy Bristow Provided by: Softball Excellence Having great infielders during practice isn’t enough to help us win games – we need those players to play great under pressure and this drill really helps with […]
Angle Tee Work with Jeff West – Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Watch as Coach explains, and hitters demonstrate these angle tee drills. The 1st drill works on the hip coil and when the batter snaps the lower half, it brings her around. The 2nd drill has […]
Doing All the Little Things to Accomplish the Big Things with Larissa Anderson – Univ. of Missouri
Watch as Coach explains that everything that is taught in their program is based on the foundation of doing all the little things to accomplish the big things. The players need to understand the “why” […]
Keep Your Garden Free From Weeds
By: John Klessinger Originally Published in: A Coach’s Manual Provided by: Championship Productions “A bad putter is like a bad apple in a barrel. First, it turns your chipping game sour. Then it begins to […]
Infielder Reaction Drill with Colleen Powers – St. Catherine University
Watch as Coach explains, and infielders demonstrate this reaction drill for corners. The drill simulates a hard-hit ball with a lot of velocity coming down the line. The infielders line up in the back stop […]
Effective Velocity Increases a Pitcher’s Weapons with Melyssa Lombardi – Univ. of Oregon
Watch as Coach explains and shows a diagram of the strike and pressure zones. Pitchers want to pitch in the pressure zone as much as possible. Pitchers now have more weapons regarding effective velocity and […]
Modifying and Adapting a Philosophy
By: Dan Gould & Cliff Mallett Originally Published in: Sport Coaches’ Handbook Provided by: Human Kinetics Thus far we have examined the importance of developing a philosophy and putting it into action. The final step […]
Chop Slap Drills with Donna J. Papa – Univ. of North Carolina
Watch as Coach explains, and slappers demonstrate drills to work on chop slapping. The first drill is working on skimming the top of the ball off a tee trying to get that 6/12 spin. The […]
7 Keys to Mastering Mistakes!
By: Cindy Bristow Provided by: Softball Excellence Here’s a question for you – Would your players consider you a Confidence Maker or a Confidence Breaker? Uncover seven things that will help everyone better deal with (and hopefully even […]
Altering the Self-Esteem Syndrome
Originally Published iGame Ready – 52 Takeaways for Winning There is no question that a team is made up of individuals all trying to accomplish a common goal. It stands to reason that a player […]
Hitting: “B” Hack Drills with Danielle Zymkowitz – Univ. of Wisconsin
Watch as Coach explains and shows clips of these “B” Hack hitting drills. “B” Hack situations are when the batter is in the fighting mode usually against two strikes. The Knee Drill involves taking the […]
Teaching Leadership: This Is What Most Coaches Do with Joseph Hoedel – Character Development & Leadership
Watch as Joseph Hoedel explains the different methods and approaches that coaches use to teach leadership to their athletes. He will discuss in detail eight approaches but realizes there are many more. The objective is […]
Working with Administration and Staff
By: John Klessinger Originally Published in: A Coach’s Manual Provided by: Championship Productions A cooperative relationship with your principals, athletic director, and teachers is crucial. The school staff is equally a part of your program, […]
Catchers: Low Pitch Receiving Drills with Leslie Huntington – Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Watch as Coach explains these low pitch receiving drills for catchers. The catcher always starts low and works high. When the catcher catches the ball they must make sure to keep the glove above the […]
Coaching Is a Noble Profession with Jay Bilas – ESPN Basketball Analyst
Coaches hold a lot of power and influence over their players and have a responsibility to make sure the entire team has a great experience. It is not only about winning and losing. The overall […]
Practice Plan
By: Wade Gilbert Originally Published in: Coaching Better Every Season Provided by: Human Kinetics The best coaches invest their time by planning every minute of their practice sessions. Each practice has a logical sequence and […]