Softball speed and arm care drills
First-step starts, timed runs to first base and a band routine to warm up the arm.
How coaches assign drills- 3 drills
- All with no partner needed
- Every drill has a video clip
- 8–15 minutes each
3 softball speed and arm care drills
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
How to use these softball speed and arm care drills
What these softball speed and arm care drills cover
- Getting out of the box and down the line faster.
- Keeping the throwing arm healthy.
Speed: first-step starts and home to first
- First-step starts and home-to-first needs 60 feet of flat ground and a phone stopwatch.
- Short starts from a half-kneel train a low, explosive first three steps.
- Timed runs to first base give the player a number to beat. Players should compare times only to their own best.
- Rest a full minute between sprints so every run is at full speed. Two days a week is enough.
Arm care: the band routine
- The band arm care routine is about eight minutes of light resistance band work: flies, rotations, rows and slow throwing motions.
- Do it before every throwing, pitching or catching session.
- Use a light band (a youth band for players 12 and under), do 10 to 15 slow reps of each exercise and stop if anything hurts.
- It pairs with the throwing drills and pitching drills.
Softball speed and arm care drills FAQ
How can softball players get faster home to first?
Work on the first three steps. From a half-kneel, sprint 10 yards, three on each side. Then time full runs to a line 60 feet away, driving the back foot first and running through the finish without slowing down. Rest a full minute between sprints.
What arm care should softball players do before throwing?
A light resistance band routine of about eight minutes: forward and reverse flies, external and internal rotation, rows, curls and slow throwing motions, 10–15 reps each. Do it before every throwing session.
What baserunning drills can softball players do at home?
First-step starts and timed home-to-first runs need only 60 feet of flat ground and a phone stopwatch. Wear sneakers, warm up first and walk back between runs.
More softball drills by skill
- 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.
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.
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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 softball speed and arm care 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.
