Master the Swing: 4 Essential Softball Hitting Drills from Top Coaches

As a coach, the search for the new softball hitting drills never ends. We know that mastering the swing involves continuous refinement, from rotational power and connection to timing and approach. Whether you coach high school, travel ball, or college, you know implementing high-quality drills is essential for developing powerful, consistent hitters.

That never-ending search we mentioned? We're giving you a glimpse into the NFCA's library of member-exclusive drills by sharing four dynamic hitting drills from some of the game's top coaches. These drills offer a fresh perspective and are pulled directly from our members-only NFCA Coaching Tools Package presented by USSSA. Ready to get to work? Let's go! 

 Unlock Power & Consistency With These High-Level Hitting Drills

1. Multi-Faceted Slapping Drills with University of Tennessee's Karen Weekly & Aubrey Leach  

This one's for the slappers in your lineup! University of Tennessee alum and Athletes Unlimited player, Aubrey Leach, walks you through two slapping drills focused on hitting targets.

Aubrey shares the importance of a strong barrel, even with a soft slap. Walking you (the hitter) through the bat path on a soft slap to beat the defense. She shares, "bring your knob of the barrel to the inside of the ball, hit contact, and roll through to allow for top spin, and a couple of bounces through the infield.".

To become a triple threat, mastering the hard slap is key and Aubrey takes you through how she refines her hard slap with targets. As a stationary hitter, pick three points/targets for a one hop hard ground ball out of the infield, a line drive to the outfield, and a sac fly in the air with back spin. Take several reps aiming for each target and work on your bat speed.

Even with stationary drills, Coach Weekly shares the importance of staying in a game-like posture. Remember, it's always better to have quality over quantity.

Why this drill works: When athletes narrow in and focus on hitting a target, this helps the mechanics take care of themselves. 

2. Road Map Drill with University of Georgia's Tony Baldwin & Danielle Gibson

The Road Map drill is all about finding your contact spot and determining how to get there consistently. Use a marker on the ground (a ball or some type of object) to determine where your ideal contact spot is as a hitter. As you're taking reps off of front toss, stay grounded in that spot and continuously feel what it feels like to make contact at your spot.

Why this drill works: "If you don't know where you're going, any road will get you there," shares Head Coach Tony Baldwin. "Determining your best contact spot will set you up as a hitter to be a stronger competitor when you step into the box." 

3. Sequencing Drill with University of Michigan's Amanda Chidester & Faith Canfield

Sequencing is what needs to go next after loading and getting your foot down. Coach Chidester identifies this sequential order for a hitter, starting with the hips, core, shoulders, and then hands and barrel.

To practice this sequence in slow motion with body awareness, use a PVC pipe in slow motion, focusing on the body vs. the bat, to feel the sequence and positioning at various pitch heights.

After your slow motion reps, grab your bat, take reps off the tee and continue to feel that same sequencing and positioning to hit all parts of the strike zone.

Why this drill works: Taking the time to slow down allows for greater body awareness and positioning to be able to hit all levels of the strike zone.

4. Tracking & Timing Drill with Boise State's Fran Strub

Coach Strub introduces the two-plate drill, which can be done with BP or off live pitching. The goal of this drill is to help hitters understand they are in charge of their own timing. The back plate simulates a slower pitch, while the front plate simulates a faster pitch. Have your hitters start at the front plate, then move to the back plate, this can be done in rounds or several pitches at a time, with the end goal of being able to switch pitch-to-pitch and be on time.

Why this drill works: "Sometimes hitters can have a great swing, but bad timing," shares Coach Strub. "With this drill we're looking for hitters to understand how to make quick adjustments. This drill will help not only pitch-to-pitch in an at-bat, but over the course of a season where you see different pitchers."

Ready to Build a Championship Hitting Lineup? 

Your journey to becoming a better hitting coach starts here. Access the full Coaching Tools Package, containing over 12 unique hitting drills by becoming an NFCA member. As a member, you will gain full access to these drills and other essential Coaching Tools, covering topics like pitching, defense, strength & conditioning, and so much more.

That's not all, explore additional hitting content in our Digital Downloads library. You can purchase additional instructional material focusing on the offensive side of the game by clicking the button below.

The NFCA (National Fastpitch Coaches Association) is the professional organization for fastpitch softball coaches. Known for its highly-regarded Leadoff Classic tournaments, the NFCA also educates and supports softball coaches on a variety of different levels: from webinars to awards, to in-person and virtual events, and a National Convention.

Learn more about the NFCA and consider joining our lineup of 7,100 coaches today!