Here is a 21 out softball drill that can be a great confidence builder, especially on a day before a big game if done well. It is a pressure packed, intense drill that involves the whole team. You can even add noise and fans to try to distract the team once they get good at it. It is one for a more advanced team because an inexperienced team might have more difficulty which will not help their confidence.
21 Out Softball Drill
Put a defensive team on the field and a runner at home plate who will go on the hit. The coach hit the ball and the base runner reacts to the hit, as the defense plays the ball correctly and flawlessly.
The object is to get 21 outs in a row WITHOUT mishandling the ball!!! Start at zero and when the ball goes from the bat, to the defense, and then gets thrown for an out, then relayed back to the catcher that is 1 out. There can be no mistakes, one out is recorded. All throws must be hard, accurate and handled with preciseness. If the ball is bobbled, misplayed, or an error is thrown, start again at zero. When the ball hits the catchers glove, everyone on the team yells the number of outs, or the game start over. If someone doesn’t hustle or run out a fly ball, we start over. If the runners don’t run the bases correctly, or the pitcher doesn’t back up a specific throw, then start over. Look for and expect perfection.
A variation of this, would be to have the defense switched every 3 or 6 outs. This can be a good conditioner if you can do it right. It is critical for this drill to be successful that your rules are strict and that the players have the awareness to stick with the process. If the drill is done one time and the team slacks off on the expectations, then the next time you do it, it will not be taken as seriously. Do this drill with extreme focus and game faces on, and it will more likely transfer into games. The closer the team get to 21 the more stress they will feel.
