Drills to Improve Fastpitch Softball Hitting

Softball as a sport is a direct derivative of baseball, and has become increasingly popular in recent times. There are some drills to improve one's technique and skill. These hitting drills for help a batter get more power, and also help them control the general direction that the ball travels in.

There are two main differences between softball and baseball. The first one is that a softball is bigger than a baseball, and the more important difference is that in softball the ball is pitched underhand. Due to this, softball is a game played by girls.

In order to achieve a smooth and powerful hit of the softball, a player should practice a variety of exercises. These drills are designed to improve the overall technique of an individual, and the sooner they are practiced by a child, the better it is.

Some of these drills need to be practiced on the softball field with a proper hitting bat and a softball, while some drills require absolutely no equipment at all and can be practiced from just about anywhere. These drills also help one learn the hitting mechanics at an early age, and hence considerably improves the player's skill level.

There are tips that are developed by coaches themselves, and the fundamental aim of all these exercises is to increase the hand-eye coordination of the player, improve the player's swing, and teach them how to keep the barrel of the bat pointing upwards.

If all these tricks can be learned, the hitting skills of a softball player will be infinitely stronger.

• A very useful drill for a coach or a person is to stand in front of a batter and then drop the ball from shoulder height, before stepping back. The batter then attempts to hit the ball with a full swing.

• A batter must learn the importance of hitting an outside pitched and an inside pitched ball. For a right-handed batsman, an outside pitch will imply a shot towards the right side, and an inside pitch will swing to the left side.

• In order to ensure that a batting swing is parallel to the ground and not perpendicular to it, a batting tee must be placed behind the home plate to the thigh of the batter. He must attempt to hit the ball without touching the batting tee. A swing that comes perpendicular to the ground is also referred to as a 'golf swing'.

• Another useful drill is to have a player stand at a distance of a bat's length from a net and then attempt to hit the ball. If the player touches the net then the hitting action is wrong as the elbows are getting bent during the swing.

Every coach must give enough time and attention to each player individually, and then try to improve that player's game. General tips are well and good, but each player has his own strengths and weaknesses and these need to be focused on individually.

These exercises ultimately improve a player's technique and performance. The natural ability to hit a softball hard is not something everyone has, but the right manner of hitting can only be developed over a period of time.