Skills A Softball Athlete Must Have
Softball is the kind of sport that requires competence of multiple skills at one time. This is why athletes are trained to focus on more than one skill to have better performance. Anyone can play softball, but good experience and development of some necessary skills can make a huge difference.
Softball athletes are required to be mentally and physically fit, which is not possible without proper coaching or at the very least, player dedication. A skillful softball player can make a big impact, even if he is more talented than the rest of their team.
Softball is a highly technical and psychological sport, while at the same time, is easy to pick up the basics of. Softball requires various skills to play an elevated game.
The necessary skills for an athlete involved in softball are; running, catching, hitting for power, throwing, and hitting for contact. These skills are often referred to as the five tools because these are the five things that scouts and coaches look for in softball players.
Pitching is also one of the most critical skills needed to play softball effectively. Luckily, only one out of nine players needs to be a pitcher.
How to Get Better at Softball?
When we talk about the basic and necessary skills needed if you are a softball player, there are two different categories of skills. They are softball batting skills and softball fielding skills. Practicing and mastering these skills will help you to get better at softball.
Softball Skills- Batting
How to get better at Softball batting?
Softball batting skills are those that are required if you are at-bat.
One of the best things that you can do to improve your batting skills is wearing VukGripz softball batting gloves and using VukGripz softball bat grip tape. These award winning products will give you more control and grip over your bat, allowing you to make better contact with the softball.
Below are the essential things that fall in the category of softball batting skills. They include hitting for power, hitting for contact, bunting, running and slap hitting.
Softball Skills- Hitting for power
How to get better at softball hitting for power?
Hitting for power is a unique kind of skill that not everyone has. It is a skill that is very coveted in softball athletes. Hitting for power combines making contact with a ball and crushing it as much as possible.
Generally, only one or two athletes on a softball team are classified as power hitters. You can make yourself into a good power hitter by lifting weights and increasing your strength. This, combined with a good batting stance will ensure that you are hitting the ball well beyond what your teammates can do.
Softball Skills- Hitting for Contact
How to get better at softball hitting for contact?
Hitting for contact is another of the essential tools of softball gameplay. To put it in simple words, this skill is the ability of an athlete to make contact with the ball.
As a softball athlete, your goal is to strike out as few times as possible, and get on base as much as you can. Hitting for contact proves to be a skill that is much more important for hitters who are not that strong, as it is much more critical for them to get base hits.
Softball Skills- Bunting
How to get better at softball bunting?
Like hitting for contact and power, bunting is another important skill to learn as a softball player. Bunting can prove very beneficial for softball athletes that are not strong hitters. Instead of swinging at the ball when it is pitched, you maneuver your bat in front of you and tap the ball to the ground.
The catcher or pitcher has to scramble quickly to field the ball and try to throw to first base before the batter makes it there. This strategy works best in certain situations, so you should only attempt bunting if your manager recommends it.
Softball Skills- Running
Finally, is running, which is also the most simple skill required for softball. This necessary skill applies to both offense and defense. Outfielders mainly use this skill to cover more areas of ground to get to balls. The quicker that an outfielder can get to a ball, the faster he can make a play or even an out.
On offense, it is also imperative with base running to be as quick as you can be. The bases in softball are sixty feet apart, and it is hugely beneficial to be able to run fast.
Softball Skills- Slap hitting
Slap hitting is a technique used in batting, when you directly hit the ball to the ground. It helps you create a big bounce so a player has time to outrun the ground ball. This skill is not easy. Learning this skill requires a lot of hard work and dedication to get perfect. When mastered, it can be a very important tool for a batter to get on base.
Softball Skills- Fielding
How to get better at softball fielding?
Besides softball batting skills, fielding also requires some essential skills to play a good game. Such skills include pitching, throwing, and catching.
Softball Skills- Pitching
How to get better at softball pitching?
Pitching is one of the most essential skills which are required in softball. Softball pitching skills falls in the category of softball fielding skills. It is considered the most technical skill, which is only reserved for a single player on the field.
Pitching is a much different skill than just throwing the softball because it is more athletic of a motion and underhand. Unlike various other skills that can be picked up easily, you need a lot of dedication and hard work to improve your softball pitching skills. Different types of drills can also help you improve your softball pitching skills and the strength of your shoulder muscles on the same side.
Softball Skills- Throwing
How to get better at softball throwing?
To put it in simple words, throwing is a skill that sets softball apart as a sport. It is a skill that is key for every position on defense. Since a softball is heavier and bigger, having a strong arm is necessary to make long and accurate throws. If you wish to improve your skills in throwing, you need to play catch, exceptionally long toss, where you and your partner will throw the ball in back and forth directions further and further apart.
Softball Skills- Catching
Like throwing skills in fielding, catching is another essential skill that helps when playing defense regardless of what position you hold on the field. Catching high fly balls in the outfield is an important skill to possess to have success on the field. You should also be ready and able to catch short throws from first base and other in-fielders.
Softball Skills- Round Up
To hold a good command of any sport requires developing specific skills dependent on that sport or activity. When it comes to physical activities, you need to be very conscious about developing your skills. When we talk about softball, athletes should develop basic skills while also developing specialized skills that make their game successful.
