When on the field during a game there is no way to tell what kind of ball is going to come at the team. It could be a ground ball, a bunt, a line drive, a fly ball or a pop up. With this Softball Fielding Reaction Time Drill you can be the one to decide which type of ball they are going to receive. You can modify the drill in any way depending on the experience of the team or based on what you know about the next team you will be playing against.
Softball Fielding Reaction Time Drill
Set the team up so that there are 3 lines that face 3 coaches or volunteers who will hit or throw the ball. The player at the front of the first line receives a ball from the coach in front of her then after throwing it back, immediately moves to the next line and receives a ball from that coach. After that, they immediately move to the third line and receive a ball from that coach. She then jogs to the end of the first line.
Once the player gets to the second line, the coach hits a ball to the next player in the first line. Keep the drill moving to improve the pace and to keep the players reacting to the ball. The coaches who hit the balls can hit any type of ball so that the player does not know which type is coming at them.
You can modify the distance between the coaches and the lines based on the experience level and the proficiency of the players. You can even stagger them so that lines can either receive a hit or thrown ball as they arrive at the next spot. By keeping a good pace, the players have to focus on the task at hand in front of them and can not afford to watch what is going on beside them.
