Softball drills
Free softball drills with video clips that players can do at home, with steps and a rep count for each.
How coaches assign drills- 32 drills
- 6 skills
- 21 with no partner needed
- Every drill has a video clip
- 5–15 minutes each
Showing all 32 drills
Softball hitting drills
Tee and front toss work for a short, level swing that drives the ball. Most of these need a tee, a net and a bucket of balls.
Hitting0:39Tee Line Drives at a Target
FixesAimless tee swings
- 10 min
- Ages 8–18
3 sets of 10 swings, 3–5 days a week
Hitting1:14Stride, Pause, Swing
FixesLunging and rushing
- 8 min
- Ages 7–18
2 sets of 10 swings, 3–4 days a week
Hitting1:14Connection Ball Swings
FixesCasting and long swings
- 10 min
- Ages 9–18
3 rounds of 5 swings with the ball and 5 without, 2–3 days a week
Hitting1:03Two-Tee Extension Drill
FixesRolling over and pulling off the ball
- 8 min
- Ages 10–18
2 sets of 10 swings, 2–3 days a week
Hitting0:49Parent Front Toss
FixesGreat off the tee, lost against live pitching
- With a partner
- 15 min
- Ages 7–18
3 rounds of 10 swings, 2–3 days a week
Hitting0:58High Tee Drill
FixesSwinging under high pitches and popping them up
- 12 min
- Ages 9–18
3 rounds of 10 swings, 3 days a week
Hitting1:25Two-Tee Bat Path Drill
FixesDropping the hands or back shoulder and popping the ball up
- 12 min
- Ages 9–18
3 rounds of 10 swings, 3 days a week
Hitting1:10One-Hand Tee Drills
FixesA long swing and a barrel that dips
- 10 min
- Ages 9–18
15 swings with each hand, 2 days a week
Hitting1:25Launch Angle Ladder
FixesPop-ups and no feel for where the barrel meets the ball
- 15 min
- Ages 11–18
24 swings up and down the ladder, 2 days a week
Softball fielding drills
Ground balls off a wall, short hops, quick transfers and fly ball footwork. A glove, a wall and a few tennis balls cover most of it.
Fielding1:13Wall Ball Ground Balls
FixesStabbing at the ball and hard hands
- 10 min
- Ages 8–18
3 sets of 20 reps, 3–5 days a week
Fielding0:54Knees Short-Hop Drill
FixesPulling the head and flinching
- 8 min
- Ages 8–18
3 sets of 10 reps (middle, glove side, backhand), 4–5 days a week
Fielding0:57Quick Hands Transfer
FixesDigging for the ball in the glove
- 5 min
- Ages 9–18
5 rounds of 30 seconds, 4–5 days a week
Fielding0:49Drop-Step Fly Balls
FixesBackpedaling on fly balls
- With a partner
- 10 min
- Ages 8–18
2 sets of 10 (5 each side), 2–3 days a week
Fielding0:44Outfield Ground Balls: Block or Charge
FixesGround balls rolling past outfielders and slow throws on plays at the plate
- With a partner
- 15 min
- Ages 9–18
10 blocks and 10 charges, 2 days a week
Fielding1:10Pick a Hop Drill
FixesSidestepping hard grounders and getting caught on in-between hops
- With a partner
- 15 min
- Ages 9–18
3 rounds of 10 ground balls, 2 days a week
Fielding0:52Two-Hand Catching for Beginners
FixesDropped balls, turning away from the ball and one-hand stabs
- With a partner
- 10 min
- Ages 6–10
3 rounds of 10 catches, 4 days a week
Softball throwing drills
Arm path and release work that fits in a living room or backyard.
Throwing0:49Towel Throwing Drill
FixesPushing the ball and a short arm
- 5 min
- Ages 8–18
3 sets of 10 reps, 4–6 days a week
Throwing0:49Crow Hop Throws
FixesFlat-footed, arm-only long throws
- With a partner
- 15 min
- Ages 8–18
4 sets of 5 throws, 2 days a week
Throwing0:51Right-Left-Throw Footwork
FixesStanding still after the catch and throwing with only the arm
- 10 min
- Ages 8–18
3 sets of 10 throws, 3 days a week (2 sets for players under 10)
Throwing0:56Long Toss Program
FixesThrows that run out of steam before they reach the base
- With a partner
- 15 min
- Ages 11–18
One session of about 20–35 throws (by age, warm-up included), 1–2 days a week with a day off in between
Softball pitching drills
Windmill mechanics and strike throwing into a net or to a parent catcher.
Pitching0:54K Drill (Half-Circle Pitches)
FixesPushing the ball and an inconsistent release
- 10 min
- Ages 9–18
3 sets of 10 pitches
Pitching1:10Walk-Through Pitching Drill
FixesA weak push off the rubber and a stiff, arms-only motion
- 10 min
- Ages 9–18
12 walk-throughs after your K drills: 6 at about 80% effort, then 6 at full effort
Pitching1:0230-Pitch Strike Challenge
FixesWildness and aimless bullpens
- 15 min
- Ages 8–18
30 pitches, 2–3 days a week
Softball catcher drills
Blocking balls in the dirt with a wall and tennis balls.
Catching1:09Tennis Ball Wall Blocking
FixesReaching with the glove on balls in the dirt
- 5 min
- Ages 8–18
25 blocks, 2–3 days a week
Catching1:10Soft Hands Receiving with Tennis Balls
FixesStabbing at pitches and a glove that drifts out of the zone
- With a partner
- 10 min
- Ages 9–18
4 rounds of 10, 3 days a week
Catching1:12Catcher Throw-Down Footwork
FixesA long first step and slow throws to second
- With a partner
- 15 min
- Ages 10–18
10 shadow reps and 10 throws, 2 days a week
Catching1:11Catcher Pop-Up Drill
FixesLosing pop-ups behind the plate and tripping over the mask
- With a partner
- 10 min
- Ages 9–18
3 rounds of 5, 2 days a week
Softball speed and arm care drills
First-step starts, home-to-first sprints and a band routine to warm up the arm before throwing.
Conditioning1:16First-Step Starts and Home-to-First
FixesA slow first step and slowing down before the bag
- 15 min
- Ages 8–18
6 starts and 4 home-to-first runs, 2 days a week
Conditioning4:13Band Arm Care Routine
FixesThrowing hard with a cold arm
- 8 min
- Ages 10–18
About 8 minutes before every throwing session
Conditioning0:52Dynamic Throwing Warm-Up
FixesCold, stiff arms on the first throws of the day
- 10 min
- Ages 8–18
About 10 minutes before every practice, game or throwing session
More softball drills
Game IQ1:02Rocker Start: Leave on Release
FixesLate jumps and getting called out for leaving early
- With a partner
- 10 min
- Ages 9–18
10 starts with a partner as the pitcher, 2 days a week
Game IQ1:09Rounding First Base
FixesWide, slow turns at first and stopping on the bag
- 15 min
- Ages 7–18
8 runs with a full minute of rest, 2 days a week
How to use these softball drills
What each softball drill includes
- A short video clip.
- Step-by-step instructions.
- What good looks like.
- How many reps to do.
What you need at home
- Hitting, fielding, throwing, pitching and catching drills a player can do in the backyard or the garage.
- Most need only a tee, a net, a glove and a wall.
- Turn on "No partner needed" to see the drills a player can do alone.
How often to practice
- Ten to twenty minutes, three or four days a week, is plenty for most youth players.
- Every drill lists the time it takes and how many sets to do, so a player can finish two or three drills in a short session.
Softball drills FAQ
What are good softball drills for beginners?
Start with tee line drives at a target for hitting, wall ball ground balls for fielding and the towel drill for throwing. All three can be done alone, take about 10 minutes and work for players as young as 8. Beginning pitchers can start with the K drill.
What softball drills can players do at home?
Tee work into a net, front toss with a parent, ground balls off a wall, short hops on the knees, the towel drill, the K drill and strike challenges for pitchers, and blocking tennis balls off a wall for catchers. Most need only a tee, a net, a glove and a wall.
What softball drills can you do by yourself?
Almost all of them. Turn on the "No partner needed" filter to see drills a player can do alone, like tee line drives, wall ball ground balls, the towel drill and the 30-pitch strike challenge. Front toss and fly balls need a parent or teammate.
How often should softball players practice at home?
Ten to twenty minutes, three or four days a week, is plenty for most youth players. Every drill lists the time it takes and how many sets to do, so a player can finish two or three drills in a short session.
What softball drills are good for 8U and 10U players?
Stride, pause, swing and front toss start at age 7. Tee line drives, wall ball ground balls, the knees short-hop drill, the towel drill, drop-step fly balls and wall blocking start at 8. The connection ball, quick hands transfer and K drill start at 9, and the two tee drill and band routine at 10. Pitchers 8–10 should keep it under 50 pitches a day.
How do coaches assign softball drills to players?
In Bravara Reps, part of the Bravara app, a coach picks drills or videos, assigns them to the whole team or to certain players and sets how many days a week. Players check in with a count when they finish and log one result, like strikes out of 30, and the coach sees who has done it.
Where do the drill videos come from?
The clips come from softball coaches on YouTube. Each drill plays only the parts of the video that show the drill, credits the channel and links to the full video.
Softball drills by skill
Each skill page lists its drills with what they fix, who they are for and how many reps to do.
- Softball hitting drills9 drills
Tee and front toss work for a short, level swing that drives the ball. Most of these need a tee, a net and a bucket of balls.
- Softball fielding drills7 drills
Ground balls off a wall, short hops, quick transfers and fly ball footwork. A glove, a wall and a few tennis balls cover most of it.
- Softball throwing drills4 drills
Arm path and release work that fits in a living room or backyard.
- Softball pitching drills3 drills
Windmill mechanics and strike throwing into a net or to a parent catcher.
- Softball catcher drills4 drills
Blocking balls in the dirt with a wall and tennis balls.
- Softball speed and arm care drills3 drills
First-step starts, home-to-first sprints and a band routine to warm up the arm before throwing.
Assign softball drills to your team
Use the drills in this library or make your own. Coaches assign them as homework between practices, and players open each drill on their phone, do it and check in when they finish.
Get the Bravara app- 01
Pick drills or make your own
Start from the softball drills in this library, copy one and change it, or write your own with steps, a YouTube video, your own photos and videos or a link to read. Then assign it to the whole team or to certain players and set how many days a week.
- 02
Players do them at home
Players open the drill on their phone, watch the video or read the steps, do the drill and check in when they finish. They can upload a video of their work too.
- 03
Players log a result
A drill can have one result to track, like strikes out of 30. Results stay private to the player and their family, and players earn XP and levels as they keep checking in.
- 04
The coach sees who did it
Coaches see who has checked in on each drill and can react or reply to a player's check-in.
Assign these softball drills with Bravara Reps
Coaches assign drills to the team or to certain players. Players check in from home, log a result and earn XP as they go.
