On behalf of the Amateur Softball Association, welcome to the April issue of the ACE Coach monthly email from ASA Director of Coaching Education and two-time Olympic Coach Mike Candrea: Candrea on Coaching. As a youth sports coach, you naturally want to prepare your team to win as many games as possible, and as a Responsible Coach, you want to prepare your players to win off the field, too. The Liberty Mutual Responsible Sports program is proud to bring you this series in which Coach Candrea will provide you with coaching tips and resources that you can use for the betterment of your youth softball team.

April 22, 2010
Volume II, Issue 4

I wanted to let you know that I've answered your questions you've submitted in a written PDF this month. Below are the topics I tackled: - Jill (CA): Pitch calling - Clint (NC): Coaching staff issues   - Javier (NV): Outfielders focus - Albert (TX): Hitters strategies Don't forget, when your done reading, submit your own question for me to answer in the upcoming months. Read and enjoy!

Offensive Strategies

As I promised last month, this article will cover some offensive strategies that can help your team manufacture runs and put pressure on the defensive team.  We all know the speed is a tremendous asset in the game of softball. One area you as a coach can improve your offensive output is by working hard on base running skills and short game skills. 

Speed is the key ingredient to an explosive offense that you can rely on each day, even against great pitching. Speed puts a lot of pressure on the defense and forces them to react quickly and make quick decisions.  Along with the element of speed is the ability of your hitters to make contact and understand the count and pitch selection.  A big part of making decisions offensively is your willingness to take chances.  Risk vs. Reward!  By understanding the favorable counts in an at-bat it allows you to make decisions that will give you the best chance to execute a play with high percentages. 

In softball, anytime you can start a runner and make the defense move laterally, you increase your opportunity to advance runners and create holes in the defense.  Along with this aggressive style of play is the need for your players to take their base running skills seriously.  Work hard on leads, awareness and anticipation!

We would all like to have a Caitlin Lowe or Natasha Watley on our team but in reality there are very few players who possess the speed and skills of those two great players.  We can utilize many short game skills to add deception and put pressure on the defensive player.  I would teach all of my slappers to utilize the following techniques:

• Fake drag & slap
• Fake drag, slap and the go back to the drag
• Show drag early and you are able to go to the slap or drag
• Soft slap, hard slap, power slap
• Push bunt towards shortstop or second

By perfecting these techniques, you now have the ability to keep the defense honest and guessing what you will throw at them. Situational strategies are based on the score, count, outs, field conditions and what the defense gives you.  With a runner at 1st base what are your options?

• Drag bunt
• Sacrifice bunt/ fake fake (Show bunt/fake slap/ go back to bunt)
• Slap & run
• Hit & run
• Straight steal/protect
• Push bunt
• Bunt & run

Another great situation is with a runner at 2nd base.  You have the standard options of moving the runner to 3rd base by using the bunt, fake bunt & steal or even a slap & run. The one situation that people sometimes do not utilize is with a single to the outfield and the runner at 2nd base is held up at 3rd.  The batter runner should be aggressive and if the opportunity develops, you now have a 1st & 3rd situation that the defense may not be prepared for.  Always look for the extra base!  Another situation is on a infield single with no one on base.  The batter runner must always look towards second base when walking back to 1st and if the middle infielders are not alert; this is a great time to take an extra base.  Make sure you go over the rule for the batter runner returning to 1st base.

1st & 3rd situations are great in softball to make something happen. A great time to squeeze bunt, slap & run, fake bunt & steal and another situation that you do not see utilized enough.  If the hitter pops up the ball with a runner at 1st & 3rd, this is a great time for the runner at 1st base to tag (unless the pop up is around second base), and now you have created a 1st & 3rd situation for the defense to defend.  We have scored a run on a pop up to the catcher, first baseman, third baseman and especially down the lines in foul territory.

One scenario when you have runners at 1st and 2nd with an aggressive catcher that likes to throw behind runners.  Have your runner at 1st base take a large lead and get picked.  Instead of returning to 1st base, continue to second because no one is covering.  Easy way to steal two bases and end up with runners at 2nd and 3rd.

These are just a few ways to expand your opportunities to score runs and put pressure on the defense.  All of these techniques take practice and confidence that they can be executed in game situations.  Best of luck!

Don’t forget to check out my written responses answering some of your questions. It's great to get all this feedback and interest. Read and submit your question for me to answer next month.

Until next month,

Coach Candrea