Softball correspondence course - Learn to play softball from your own home!

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Nov 22, 2019
194
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Minnesota, USA
Brand new 8u's, and we got 2 practices in before they shut the schools down for Coronavirus. Hopefully we'll get the season in, doesn't start until May, but we may not get any more practices before games start.
Sent this to the parents regarding how to practice at home; figured I'd share it here in case someone finds it useful.

  • Speed and agility!
    • Just run; try to push a little faster than you think you can go!
    • Jump rope
    • Set up obstacle courses around the house - shuffles, zig-zag, one legged jumps, squat jumps, crab walks, etc
  • Play catch underhand
    • When you play catch underhand, you get used to tracking a ball from that release point.
    • When you throw underhand, aim for shoulder height - discourage the basket catch
    • Scared of the ball? Use a foam ball or even socks.
  • When you catch
    • Softball Ready!
    • Keep the fingers pointing up
    • Avoid basket catching! (What is a basket catch? this)
    • Eyes on the ball - watch it all the way in to the glove
    • I teach the girls what the purpose of the glove is - it's
      1. To protect the hand
      2. To control the ball. Sometimes that means catching it, but not always
    • In the beginning, actually catching the ball is unimportant. Let the ball enter the pocket. Doesn't matter if the ball falls right out for now. Most important thing is that they learn how to maneuver the glove, and to trust the glove to protect them.
      • Two hands on the ball can be overdone - leads to turning the glove too soon, trapping between the hands, or actually catching with the bare hand.
      • Once they're reliably keeping the fingers up and using the glove to stop the ball, then work on soft hands/ funneling/ transfer to throwing position quickly.
  • Throw overhand
    • Set
    • Break
    • Twirl the Lasso! (Pretend to twirl a lasso once over their head - Puts them in an elbow leading position at ear height into the throw, avoids shot-put motion. It's easier to rein this in than to fix shotputting.)
    • Throw with intent!
  • Batting - Even if we were practicing regularly, they're going to make the most progress working with you! How deep do you want to get? Here are some resources to get you going in the right direction.
  • Pitching - If your DD is motivated, let the journey begin here.
    • (Stay away from Hello Elbow. First vid explains what Hello Elbow is)


Thanks! All organizations may have different methods but the end goals are the same. Some good info here, especially for parents new to softball that are wondering how they can help.
 

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