by Tim Covey
Each month, thousands of travel ball coaches scan the internet for fastpitch softball drills for 10U and 12U players. And thousands more for 8U, 14U, 16U and 18U.
While we often like to lump groups together into broad categories (travel ball, high school, rec league, etc.), the reality is that each group has subcategories with very specific needs. While many parts of the game apply for all age levels, an 8U or 10U player is much different than an 18U player.
And as a result there are certain skills and drills that are great for an older, more experienced 18U player that may not be so good for the 10U girls (as an example).
I would encourage every coach that attends a conference to listen to each speaker through the “filter” of “does this apply to my team?” College coaches will be your typical speakers. While they nearly always deliver great information, they aren’t always teaching with the 10U, 12U, or 14U player in mind.
Continue reading to learn about four great fastpitch softball drills for 10U or 12U teams. If you would like to receive four additional 10U/12U drills you can click this link:
10U/12U Softball Drills Handout
The truth is that these drills are good (and recommended) for ANY age-group, including your 8U players. However, they will specifically help a 10U-12U player with her fundamentals.
And with young travel ball players laying a great foundation of proper fundamentals is essential for future success!
This first of my four fastpitch softball drills for 10U and 12U is a throwing drill. Proper throwing mechanics is one of the biggest challenges I have experienced with this age group. Some of this is arm strength, while some is simply reinforcing proper fundamentals.
This drill will not fix all of your teams throwing woes. But it will help your players develop some body awareness for proper weight transfer during the throw.
In this drill, the player rocks back and forth with a ball in the middle of her body. You can see the video of the drill below:
A couple of important notes as you watch the drill:
The second drill is a hitting drill that I call the “Jump Back Drill.” Once again, developing body awareness is the critical element for this drill.
Much like with the pendulum drill, this drill will help a player feel their weight transfer from the “back side” to the “front side.” This drill can help players develop proper weight transfer with their lower body. It can also (when done correctly) help develop smoother upper body movements as the hitters hands separate from her body during the stride phase.
This may be a little awkward for the 10U player initially, but she will improve with practice and time. And as she gets into the 12U “phase” of playing she will have this mastered. Just be sure to watch her upper body to make sure it isn’t “flailing around” during the drill.
Below are pictures that give you an idea of the drill from start to finish. You should take note of a couple of important things:
At the 10U (and 12U) levels, teaching and reinforcing proper infield fundamentals is critical. Which is why I love using soft-hands paddles for this age group. This “drill” should progress from rolling grounders to your players, to possibly hitting grounders at them.
You do not need a lot of paddles to make this work (although it is easier with one paddle for each player). If your budget is tight, you could purchase 2-3 each season. If you do not have many paddles, simply have the players share.
A couple of important notes:
If you want to coach fastpitch softball, you NEED to do some team building with your girls. If you neglect this area, you will lessen your impact and the desire of your players to stick with softball.
A very simple team building drill is using a “buddy system.” This is something that one of the coaches in the SCO Community shared with me a while back, and I love it. In a nutshell, here is how it works (and you can EASILY tweak this):
There you have it. Four different fastpitch softball drills for 10U and 12U coaches to use in practice. Nothing overly complicated…but for the 10U-12U players keeping it simple is important.
December 29, 2020
Looking forward to ebook. Thanks
December 04, 2020
I am starting my first year as a travel coach. While I have coached before Travel is a way different case. Would love to have some drills to help.
December 04, 2020
Thanks for the tips!
December 04, 2020
Great tips
June 06, 2020
Thanks for the tips!
June 06, 2020
Looking forward to ebook
June 06, 2020
Look forward to your shared information. I transitioned from baseball to softball coaching 2 years ago so i am always eager for new input.
June 06, 2020
Looking forward to the ebook.
June 06, 2020
Great first steps
June 06, 2020
Can’t wait to see ebook.
March 04, 2020
Looking forward to the ebook.
January 25, 2020
Good stuff look forward to the ebook
November 13, 2019
Would love 10U and 12U drills for our teams!!
September 14, 2019
Looking forward to the ebook
September 14, 2019
I am coaching a 10 U travel team, interested in some drills for my practices
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Tim Covey
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