- Ehren Earleywine, Head Coach at University of Missouri
- Howard Dobson, Assistant Coach at Louisiana State University
- John Tschida, Head Coach at University of St. Thomas
- Christina Sutcliffe, Head Coach at Northern Illinois University
- George Wares,Head Coach at Central College
- Gordon Eakin, Head Coach at Brigham Young University
- Craig Nicholson, former head coach at Arizona State University
- Randy Schneider, former Associate Head Coach at University of Wisconsin
- Tim Walton, Head Coach at University of Florida
- Margie Knight, Head Coach at Salisbury University
Becoming a successful hitter takes time and dedication. Because the swing happens in a fraction of a second, it's often difficult for a hitter to feel and adjust certain critical parts of their swing.
Championship Productions has compiled the best hitting drills in its video library from 10 of the top hitting coaches. Each section provides a variety of drills that will help your hitters build championship-caliber swings.
Legs
Work on the proper linear drive and rotation to put your hitter's body in a strong position to deliver power into the softball. The lower body sets the tone for the swing and is critical for producing power. This section includes 12 drills to develop and improve a strong base and get the most leg drive out of your athletes.
Upper Body
Help your hitters become more consistent by developing a bat path that keeps their bat in the hitting zone longer. A proper bat path is determined by how the hitter moves her hands and arms. The coaches offer seven drills to isolate and develop the hands of the hitter, and 10 arm drills to put the hitter's upper body in the correct position.
Hand-Eye Coordination and Timing
As the phrase goes, you have to see the ball in order to hit it. Learn three drills to improve vision and seven drills to use that vision to teach the eyes to stay on the ball longer.
Full Swings
Finally, put it all together with 11 full swing drills. Develop balance throughout the swing and put your players in position to hit pitches to different locations.
From mechanics to timing, this video offers drills to work on every aspect of the swing and hitting a softball. You'll learn the art of hitting from 10 of the most successful hitting coaches in the game.
53 minutes. 2016.
SD-04983: featuring:
- Sharonda McDonald, University of Florida Assistant Coach; 2012 NPF Golden Spikes Award, ÿ2005 NCAA Division I Softball Golden Shoe Award, All-Time Leader in stolen bases and runs scored at Texas A&M
- Stacey Gemeinhardt-Cesler, Iowa State University Head Softball Coach, 2 time Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association Coach of the Year, 2 time MVP for Missouri earning all-region honors three times
- Kyla Holas, University of Houston Head Coach, 2x Conference USA Coach of the Year, Holds the record for most wins in conference history at 475, 3x All American at Louisiana-Lafayette
- Christina Sutcliffe, Northern Illinois University Head Coach; back-to-back MAC Tournament runners-up (2013-14)
- Ehren Earleywine, University of Missouri Head Softball Coach; 3 WCWS appearances; his teams ranked in top 10 for the last 7 seasons; a career winning percentage of .743 making him the 13th-winningest coach in NCAA Division I historyÿ
- Yvette Healy, University of Wisconsin Head Coach; 2013 Big Ten Tournament Champions; four straight 30-win seasons (2011-14); 2007 Horizon Coach of the Year; 2x All American at DePaul University
The slap is a powerful weapon in softball, and great slappers can leave even the strongest defenses scratching their heads.
Championship Productions has complied the best slap hitting drills in its video library into one great video featuring six of the nation's most respected instructors. This video provides drills to make your slappers more consistent and more dangerous to the defense.
Placing the Ball
To be effective at slapping, your players must be able to hit the ball in the proper direction with the right level of force. This section provides 13 tee drills to isolate different parts of the slap and perfect mechanics. Follow up with 11 front toss drills, where slappers can practice their mechanics with a timing component.
Getting Out of the Box
Slap hitting is predicated on speed. You'll learn how to gain first step quickness out of the box. The coaches will also teach you how to stay on the fastest path from home to first. These drills will get your slappers to base while giving the defense minimal time to react.
Power and Soft Slap
Great slappers keep the defense off balance. To do so, they utilize multiple hitting options. The more tools your slappers have in their tool box, the more successful they'll be.
Bunting
Bunting is an important weapon to have for a player with speed. Seven bunting drills will help your slappers place each bunt with perfect placement to confuse the defense.
From the mechanics of slapping to different kinds of slaps, you'll get the tools you need to effectively develop your slap hitters. The 50 drills in this video break down how to control placement of the ball and explosion from the box, allowing your players' speed to overcome even the strongest defense.
72 minutes. 2016.
SD-05014: Featuring:
- Jen Rocha, University of Florida Assistant Coach
- Boo Gillette De Oliveira, Purdue University Head Coach
- John Tschida, University of St. Thomas Head Coach
- Kyla Holas, University of Houston Head Coach
- Beth Torina, Louisiana State University Head Coach
- Melyssa Lombardi, University of Oklahoma Assistant Coach
- Barb Sherwood, Portland State Head Coach
Softball teams rely on the performance of their pitching staff to put them in a position to win championships. See how the nation's best pitching coaches get the most out of their pitchers and develop championship-caliber pitches.
The drills in this video offer a sampling from the best minds in pitching and cover the full range of mechanics, movement pitches, and building speed and power. These drills provide a solid foundation for coaches who aren't pitching specialists to establish regular workouts for their pitchers to keep them at the top of their game.
Everyday Drills and Corrective Action Drills
Pitching training is heavy on repeated drill work to maintain and perfect mechanics. These 10 introductory drills can serve as teaching drills for younger developing pitchers or reinforcement drills for advanced pitchers. The 9 corrective action drills are great tools for helping the developing pitcher correct flaws and reinforce proper mechanics for intermediate and advanced pitchers. Drills cover:
- Body and arm position.
- Proper footwork, timing and sequencing
- Use of the lower half to build speed
Drills for the Movement pitches
Movement is an important key to success in the pitching circle. You'll get several drills for every moving pitch to refine and enhance your pitcher's spin mechanics. body positioning and pitch performance. These drill are best suited for intermediate to advanced pitchers who know the basics of how to throw the pitch. Included are:
- Two drills that will develop a change-up that will make batters' knees buckle
- Four drills for a curve that will frustrate hitters
- Nine drills to develop the prized strikeout pitch - the rise ball
- Four drills to get more ground balls with the drop
- Four drills to keep batters unsettled with the screw
Drills for Speed and Power Development
Every pitcher needs to develop the stamina and conditioning to pitch their full allotment of innings while also enhancing the speed of their pitches. The coaches provide a variety of drills to keep your pitchers on their toes and developing without getting bored. Skills taught include:
- Leg strength and explosiveness
- Technique to capture the full power of the athlete
- Endurance and the explosive power needed to pitch
Through the fast-paced sequence of drills, you will jump from one expert coach to another and learn their differences in training style and communication to their pitchers. This can help you learn differing styles for dealing with your own pitching staff.
Your pitchers will benefit greatly from what these great coaches have to offer. From mechanics to executing specific pitches, this video offers drills to work on every aspect of pitching.
69 minutes. 2016.