Main Body
3. Fundamentals, Skills & Strategies
Both throwing and fielding are essential skills in softball. You will learn about the general throwing mechanics, warm-up drills, throwing games/drills, general fielding mechanics, fielding warm-up drill, fielding to throwing position drill, other fielding drills, and infield play.
General Throwing Mechanics
Grip– a softball has four, lateral, somewhat-straight seams. With your throwing hand, take three fingers (excluding thumb and pinky) and place them across one of the lateral seams.
Throw– the overhand throw is the following sequence of steps:
- Square up shoulders with target
- Open throwing-hand- foot to a perpendicular position to other foot simultaneously with next step
- Hands break apart and thumb of throwing hand travels to thigh
- Thumb of throwing hand travels in backward arc up to the sky and balls is facing directly behind the thrower
- Simultaneously with previous step, thrower is stepping with non-throwing hand foot to target and pointing with elbow or glove to target
- Weight should be loaded up on the inside of back hip/foot
- Simultaneously pull front side in while rotating hips with arms fixed in “L” position
- Snap wrist towards target, release ball and follow through with arm across the body
Throwing Cues:
- Break apart
- Thumb to thigh, ball to sky
- Rotate
- Snap and Follow through
Throwing Warm-up Drills
Snap drill – isolate upper body by putting throwing hand -knee on ground, facing target, get in snap position with glove under elbow (elbow shoulder height)
Progressive Variation– this drill can also be backed up to thirty feet and incorporate: break apart, thumb thigh, rotate, snap, and follow through on cue by direct command. This helps students that are at a beginner level to understand what the upper body mechanics are without confusing it with the lower half of the body mechanics.
Command throwing – a leader of the squad calls out cues while throwers are about 40 feet apart. Throwers do mechanics in sync with cue calling. (Hands together, break apart, thumb to thigh up to sky, rotate, snap, follow through).
Free-style throwing – no cues, allow them to throw at 6o feet apart at their own pace.
Rapid throwing – with partners throwing and receiving as quickly as possible, having them catch and count as many successful throws/catches they make without an error.
Long throwing – have one partner back up at least 90 feet apart or more, progressively backing up in increments, until the ball starts to bounce). After throwing at least ten balls back and forth, having the partner come back closer in increments until at starting range.
Throwing Games/Drills
Star drill – set up one to two fields depending on number of people. Place people in all infield positions except for pitcher. Have the first person in line at the short stop position throw to the first person in the first base line. The first baseman throws it to the first person in the third base line. Then, the third baseman t