Be a Better Softball Player

Improving your skills to become a better softball player requires practice, focus and continued learning. It's also about maintaining a good attitude towards your coach, your team and losses.

Steps

Understanding the game

  1. Know what the game is about.
    • Softball is a game of repetition and mental toughness. To become better, it's practice, practice, practice.
    • Softball is all about the rules. Make sure you know the rules, because with knowing the rules, the steps of becoming a better softball player will be much easier.

Improving your game skills

The grip

  1. Get used to keeping a firm grip on the ball, enclosing it tightly in your glove. The softball itself is a lot bigger than the baseball. If you do not hold the ball tightly, it will fall out of your glove.

Determining Your Position

  1. If you're just beginning, focus on one main position before being able to switch between positions.
    • If you have a long throw, your best options are first base and third base, along with catcher.
    • If your throw is short, short stop is your calling.
    • If you can catch and have a good arm, catcher is your position.
    • If you can run fast and catch, along with a good arm, outfield should be in your mind.

Pitching

  1. Get assistance with learning to pitch well. Pitching is something that should be coached, along with trying it on your own. If you show interest, bring it up to a coach and work with a pitcher and try to get lessons.
  2. When pitching, don't swing your arm like crazy. Swing your arm in a quick circle but only after you learn how to control the pitch. If you are just starting out, don't try any fancy stuff. Just pitch and keep in mind at all times that your release point is at the base of your hip.
    • When you are throwing the ball snap it off the end of your fingers. It will give the ball speed and you can throw farther.
    • When pitching, don't focus on speed; focus on accuracy.

Batting

Batting is very important in both baseball and softball.

  1. Find your batting style. There are many ways that work for individual batters, not just a big universal one, although they all are alike.
  2. Use a good stance in batting. Make sure your stance is shoulder-length apart to get a steady base along with your knees bent. Keep your arms behind your shoulder.
    • You should be driving your hands and elbow to the ball and coming along with a full follow through.
    • Keep your head down at the ball. Bringing your head up can cause a complete change in your batting.
    • If you need a confidence boost, jump up and down like the pros do in baseball.
  3. Grip firmly. When you bat, grip the bat firmly. Wear batting gloves, so that if you hit it at the end of the bat or too close to your fingers, it won't sting.
    • When you are batting, keep your eye on the pitcher's hip. This is her release point. When she lets go of the ball, this is where it's coming out, so you will automatically have your eye on the ball to hit it.
  4. Swing hard and deliberately with your eyes on the ball. The softball needs to be hit hard. Have an attitude when you step up to the plate. It's softball, for crying out loud, not a beauty pageant. Get spittle mad, but not too mad that it's unsportsmanlike.
    • Always follow through with your swing. If you stop the bat at the point of collision, you've actually had to slow the bat significantly before ever reaching the ball, which takes a lot of power out of your swing.

Practice

  1. Practice at home, as often as you can. Go the extra mile, you will see great improvement.
    • Just throwing for 15 minutes a day with a partner(s) will have such a large improvement on your skill level.
    • Along with throwing, bat as often as you can. Many professional players still use tee's. Use a tee against a wall, fence, net, anything, just make sure you're getting hitting time as often as possible.

Increasing comfort and confidence levels

  1. Keep your hair up in a braid or ponytail so it's off your neck. You will get hot if its not.
  2. Remain mentally tough. You need to have confidence on the field. Keep a positive attitude. Above, softball is mentioned as being a mental game. You cannot give the other team your mind.
    • Make sure you vision yourself doing whatever you do in a game.
    • Take a deep breath and do not get stressed over one mistake, because one can turn into six, and so on.
    • Concentrate, no matter who is watching or what someone is saying.
  3. Stay strong and never give up. No matter what, don't lose your confidence. You will have bad days, bad games, bad pitches and bad moods. None of those are a reason to forget all the good days, good games, good pitches and great moods! Try to stay even keel and see losses as learning experiences to help you improve.

Getting and staying in your coach's good books

  1. Ask and learn. If you don't know how to do something ask a coach, or a team member. Your coach will help if you ask but will likely be really annoyed if you assume to know everything but are just making it up as you go.
    • When coaches try to talk to you, let them. They may teach you something that could help out a lot. They'll certainly notice if you're unwilling to listen and learn; that can be a sign of being a poor team player.
  2. Be ready to play. Right when you step on the softball field, it is game time! Hustle on and off of the field.
  3. Don't have a bad attitude. This can infect you, the team and your coach. Stay positive, even when the chips are down.
    • If the coaches see you working really hard they will have a positive attitude about you.
    • If you see someone else down, cheer them up and be someone that people look up to.
  4. Don't strike out looking! At least get your three cuts in, and swing the bat.

Tips

  • Always keep your eye on the ball, even when you are not up to bat. That way, you know what is going on.
  • For catchers, when a runner is on first, open your legs at an angle where your right foot is slightly titled out, so when they steal, you can quickly throw them out.
  • When playing on first base, be sure to remove your foot off the base after you've caught the ball. Foot-offs are very common mistakes.
  • Rub petroleum jelly into your glove before every season. That makes it softer, and balls are more likely to stay in there.
  • When batting, keep your knocking knuckles lined up while gripping the bat. It helps you snap your wrist more and gives a lot of power.
  • When your batting wait for the ball don't rush anything, and you'll realize that the ball travels slower than you first thought.

Warnings

  • You will not always win. Part of being a softball player is being able to take a loss without sobbing.
  • Do not be afraid of the ball. Keep your eye on it.
  • If a pitcher is repeatedly throwing inside to you, it's usually to make you back out away from the plate.

Things You'll Need

  • A practice ball
  • A bat
  • A visor/baseball hat
  • A glove
  • Cleats
  • A mouthguard; this is important so that you don't shatter your teeth

Related Articles

  • Catch Fly Balls in Softball
  • Play Left Field in Softball
  • Pitch in Slow Pitch Softball
  • Drop Curve in Softball

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