Need ideas for Try outs

Welcome to Discuss Fastpitch

Your FREE Account is waiting to the Best Softball Community on the Web.

Sep 29, 2020
42
8
Our team is new, And am looking to have try outs next week, I had just a few ideas of setting girls up at 3rd, SS 2nd,etc... and hitting grounders to the players and make throws to 1st, then procced to outfield.
What type of drills do ya'll recommend for a try out session?
what type of stretching do ya'll also utilize?
 
Nov 18, 2015
1,585
113
Consider moving away from static stretching and look into dynamic warmups.

https://www.wassermanstrength.com/free-dynamic-warm/

If you watch soccer at all, look at the drills they do before subbing in, or the group warmups done before the match starts - there's really no standing around in a circle and trying to touch your toes - it's all movement based.

Easy on the shoulder stretches - you're more likely at that age to have girls with hyper-mobility in their shoulders than actual tightness. Too much mobility is a bad thing when it comes to throwing mechanics.

In short, we should warm-up to throw, not throw to warm-up.
 
Jan 24, 2020
70
18
Consider moving away from static stretching and look into dynamic warmups.

https://www.wassermanstrength.com/free-dynamic-warm/

If you watch soccer at all, look at the drills they do before subbing in, or the group warmups done before the match starts - there's really no standing around in a circle and trying to touch your toes - it's all movement based.

Easy on the shoulder stretches - you're more likely at that age to have girls with hyper-mobility in their shoulders than actual tightness. Too much mobility is a bad thing when it comes to throwing mechanics.

In short, we should warm-up to throw, not throw to warm-up.

Along these lines, the 3-man weave from basketball is a good warm-up as well. Especially with tryouts, you get to see the girls tossing and catching while moving and trying to learn something they haven't done before which gives you the opportunity to evaluate athleticism and coachability. You didn't mention which age group, this might be too much for a tryout for 8s or 10s.
 
Apr 20, 2018
4,581
113
SoCal
I have only seen it a few times but I like it a lot:
At one on the stations have a AC throwing the ball across the middle(think football) from east to west and then west to east. somewhere around 70 feet. (think throw down) You will soon see the studs.
 
Jun 11, 2013
2,619
113
Unless you have a ton of players do a star drill. You get a pretty good idea who can play just watching it.
 
May 6, 2015
2,397
113
at lower age groups, look for hand eye coordination and athleticism more than polished skills, if you have the former two, the latter will come with reps.

I always think it is critical to see them hit live pitching as well, players can look great on tee or soft toss, does not always translate to live pitching.

my biggest issue was always, in tryouts and practices, to avoid hitting balls directly at the girls. make certain you see them move for balls on defense.

my $0.02
 
Sep 13, 2020
63
18
For infield, hit one ball at the player (see if they charge the ball and set up right or if they're just waiting for it to come), one forehand and one backhand. Make it clear that you want to see the backhand play. Look for good footwork and no extra steps. Run them through a few times so they don't get killed by one stupid mistake. In the outfield, make them move for the ball. Regardless of whether or not they can get to it on the fly, look for effort, speed and ball flight recognition. At older ages, see how they set up the catch to make a quick throw.

I find that catchers are given mediocre tests of their skills. Coaches tend to watch receiving as a secondary piece of watching the pitchers and never really test athletic blocking behind the plate. Tell a pitcher to put some in the dirt on both sides of the plate. Yes, have the catcher make a few throwdowns, but give them pitches low, high, and across their body to see how those are handled.

I like to see speed tested in three ways. 1) Time to first on a hit ball ... have their last three pitches in batting eval be easy front toss that they can make contact with and time them from contact to 1st each time. Someone can be fast but they also need to be quick out of the box. 2) home to 2nd tells you how they take the turn. 3) home to home tells you about sustained speed.
 
Sep 29, 2020
42
8
For infield, hit one ball at the player (see if they charge the ball and set up right or if they're just waiting for it to come), one forehand and one backhand. Make it clear that you want to see the backhand play. Look for good footwork and no extra steps. Run them through a few times so they don't get killed by one stupid mistake. In the outfield, make them move for the ball. Regardless of whether or not they can get to it on the fly, look for effort, speed and ball flight recognition. At older ages, see how they set up the catch to make a quick throw.

I find that catchers are given mediocre tests of their skills. Coaches tend to watch receiving as a secondary piece of watching the pitchers and never really test athletic blocking behind the plate. Tell a pitcher to put some in the dirt on both sides of the plate. Yes, have the catcher make a few throwdowns, but give them pitches low, high, and across their body to see how those are handled.

I like to see speed tested in three ways. 1) Time to first on a hit ball ... have their last three pitches in batting eval be easy front toss that they can make contact with and time them from contact to 1st each time. Someone can be fast but they also need to be quick out of the box. 2) home to 2nd tells you how they take the turn. 3) home to home tells you about sustained speed.
Thank you so much man!I will utilize these ideas for sure
 
Feb 5, 2019
116
43
Run from home to second. See if they banana turn at first and touch the corner of the base.

Don't hit all the balls directly to them. Gotta see if they hustle.

When you hit slow grounder will SS round the ball to get a direct line to first base?

When they go get a drink see who hustles back first. See who hustles to their next drill and who walks slow.
 

NBECoach

Learning everyday
Aug 9, 2018
408
63
Look to see to see who is hustling, then look for players coordination, then look at skills, and finally potential.

When you think you may have a player or players before you offer a roster spot, talk to the parents. Their attitude could be a deciding factor.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
42,830
Messages
679,475
Members
21,445
Latest member
Bmac81802
Top