Coaching Self-Education: I want to know more

alright I'm showing how new I am to Softball, being a baseball guy (yes I'm one of those, where I grew up softball was for fat old men over the hill or girls fast pitch and I had no sisters. I love being around it with my daughters now, and even prefer some of it's subtleties) but who is Kobata? Defense subtleties is what I need to study most after pitching. Hillhouse video is good for pitching but the building the house is basics and not real deep, I'm looking at advancing thru the series may each fall/spring season acquiring a new one. with beginning pitchers I think that will pace the budget with their skills, and mine as well. I've read on here a 100 times he's the best, any other thoughts for pitching? and I always loved the "small ball" mind set in baseball, I was the slowest Player on my High School Varsity team but set the stolen base record because I could read the pitchers pay attention to the catchers abilities and capitalize for SB's I have tried to teach the softball equivalents to the girls I coach. but in softball you guys use many more weapons, slapping for example. I had 3 lefties this year unforinatly all slow, but I need to learn not just the bunt and drag bunt but slapping. watched a You tube video on bumper base hits, back 20 years ago we called this a slap hit it's a fake bunt with a pop like you'd do with a game of pepper. Is their a video or series that covers this subject for softball well?

Zoomy, Google search Howard Kobata. His defenensive style and teaching methods are considered by most to be the "Gold Standard". His video series is well worth the money.

I have coached rec, travel, and high school for many years and this is my suggestion to you. Since you didn't give us what age or level, I am going to make this suggestion to 14U and above. You have a vast library of technical and fundamental resources, now it is time to work on the largest muscle and the most important. The brain!

What truly separates a good player from a great player is what happens between her ears. Sports psychology would be my next area to learn about. A great book called The Mental Game of Baseball is amazing. It has taught me how to get my girls to goal set, to understand that failure is learning, that hard work (with purpose) amounts to something, and that everything needs a focus, be it a drill or play in a game. Lastly, there are very good visualization techniques in it. The book is an easy read with a lot of anecdotal examples.

I feel that anything having to do with the mental aspect of the player is essential to a coach's kit.