Baserunning Drill by Pete Sprenkle

This is a great drill for a warm up for practice. Use it both to teach and to practice.

We do three cycles:

1. Run through the base as if beating out an infield hit. Stress running through the base to the “X”. Also, have a coach with a ball down the RF line. If the runner sees the ball continue on to 2B. If the runner doesn’t see the ball return to 1B. (Pick up an overthrow)
2. Run to 1B, take a turn and pick up the ball in the outfield. (Coach holds the ball)
3. Running to 1B, coach points to 2B and runner runs hard to 2B.
4. After each cycle runners return to the end of the line at home plate.

(This relates to the image)
RUNNING TO FIRST BASE

1. RUN THROUGH THE BASE TO TEN FEET BEYOND (X). PICK UP THE BALL OVER YOUR RIGHT SHOULDER ON AN OVERTHROW
2. IF THE COACH POINTS TO 2B TURN TO SECOND BASE USING AN ANGLE TURN.

Pete Sprenkle has been involved in softball for over thirty years. He has coached girls fastpich teams at every age group up to 18-years old and is a former President of the Colorado Girls Softball Coaches Association. Sprenkle has organized his experiences into a book, called A Softball Coaches Tool Kit,that is the ultimate resource for any new or seasoned softball coach. Retired from IBM, Pete now devotes much of his time to youth sports in his hometown of Boulder, CO.