Customer Reviews

Defensive Softball Drills

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I coach girls 19u and used this book to set up my practices. I found the drills very good and helped to teach the girls ball control. I found that alot of the drills help shape the skills of the players. By the end of our season the girls were showing skills they themselves never knew they had. I feel this book made me an effective coach.

I bought this book to look for new and interesting drills for an 8 and under softball All-Star team and I was not dissapointed. This book is filled with great drills which are easy to apply to all ages. As you read and look at the drill illustrations you will repeatedly say "What a great drill" Many drills in this book can be directly applied to baseball. Everybody I have shown this book to wants one.

Where do you go for softball fielding practice drills when you're a coach trying to teach certain skills? After looking at many sources, my vote is for this book. Dozens and dozens of great drills for every position. The girls on my 10U team loved the drills, had fun and learned a lot.

A tremendous reference for anyone coaching softball or youth baseball, for fundementals, drills, and conditioning, often combining all three. Many fresh new drills that shouldn't be limited to softball.

Jacquie Joseph's Defensive Softball Drills is a compilation of some of the most basic skills necessary for development of a successful defensive player. The drills emphasize proper fundamentals and are adaptable to players of all skill levels. I use the drills in the book with my high school players as part of my defensive drill period, and our team is as solid defensively as any.

There are many softball drill books on the market, and "Defensive Softball Drills" by Jacquie Joseph is definitely one of the better ones. The 66 defensive softball drills included cover the gamut from fundamentals, infielder drills, pitcher and catcher drills, outfield drills, as well as team drills. Every drill includes brief sections on purpose, procedure, key points, and appropriate variations on the drill, all of which provide excellent detail. Drill pages also include diagrams and/or pictures to further illustrate how to conduct the drill.

The drill finder included in the front of the book is detailed enough so that the reader can quickly determine the specific drill that meets his/her needs, differentiated by categories of "workable indoors", "small group drills", "partner drills", "conditioning", "many throws" and "minimal throws". The drills are varied enough so that different skill sets can be developed depending on player level. The number of drills, 66, seems less than other drill books, but covers every major skill without much overlap.

There is also a chapter on practice organization and season planning, which covers the basics on practice preps every coach should use. Included are several detailed sample practice plans that can be used as is or as a templates, and defensive checklists for pitchers, catchers, infielders and outfielders.

I give this book 4 stars because it covers only individual defensive and team drills. I would love to see Jacquie Joseph author an offensive drills book that is as complete and useful as this book. One error that I found was with drill #32 on page 87. It teaches the catcher to block the plate, which is illegal for ASA games, though for high school and college it is legal. Still, it is a very valuable part of my coaching library and I recommend it for all coaches.