How to Improve Your Fastpitch Softball Skills: 10 Tips

Fastpitch softball is a very enjoyable game to watch, especially when you are the ones playing it. We always think that it is the ideal mix of an individual and team sport, where both aspects depend on each other for ultimate success.

What does this mean? It means that every softball player has to be responsible to their teammates for how they perform on (and off) the field. The game requires both mental and physical skills, and today - we give you 10 suggestions for your fastpitch softball players to help them improve their abilities as a player, and as a teammate!

How to Improve Your Fastpitch Softball Skills: 10 Tips

1. Focus on the Ball! 

In life, as in softball, priorities are crucial. We have to make the best of our situation, and in fastpitch defense or offense, it means your main priority is the ball. If you are always moving towards the ball, always tracking the ball, keeping your eye on the ball, it will guide you to where you need to be. So don't complicate things, and keep saying BALL FIRST in your mind while you are playing. And remember the ball is your friend...it's one of the main reasons you are on the field. So don't complicate things. Focus on the ball.

2. More People Want You to Succeed than Fail.

As a young ball player, it's easy to feel bad about yourself, or to think that you are not good enough, or to think that people are angry or disappointed with you. The real truth is...most of the people that you are around want to see you do well and have fun doing it! The coaches, the umpires, the parents, the tournament organizers, they all spend their time on YOU because they trust in YOU, and because they LOVE TO WATCH YOU PLAY! They're only tough on you because they know how awesome you are and want you to realize it too.

3. Your Last Play Doesn't Define You.

What does this mean? It means don't get too comfortable, it means forget your mistakes quickly, it means whether you make a game winning play - or strike out looking with two outs and the tying run on 3rd in the last inning of the championship game...it's what you do NEXT that really matters.

4. Confidence is Modest.

In sports, and in life - confidence is essential. But confidence is not noisy, or arrogant, or rude. Confidence doesn't brag. Confidence doesn't bully, or put down others. Confidence - the real kind of confidence that will help you achieve great things in life, comes from hard work, perseverance and is built by success and effort.

5. Your Team is Only as Strong as Your Weakest Teammate!

Have a teammate who is having trouble? Making errors? Maybe a teammate doesn't seem to be working as hard as everyone else and you are annoyed with them? It's your duty to help them out! It's your obligation to make every member of your team feel valued and important and to be a friend. It's easy to sit back and blame others, but that doesn't solve anything and it won't help your team.

6. Train like you play!

What you do in training is what you will do in games. And that's the truth. This doesn't mean you can't have fun and enjoy yourself with your teammates. Training should be fun. But the hard work in training is what will lead to success when it really matters and teams and players that train hard...make it happen on Game Day!

7. Don't overthink things.

One minute you miss a ball that bounces weirdly, and then suddenly you make one mistake after another, or three, and then you're in a slump. Overthinking! If you have trouble forgetting your errors, or are too hard on yourself, go to a song. (YES REALLY) Pick a song that makes you happy, and sing it in your mind. (Or out-loud, or hum) When you catch yourself falling into the trap of over-thinking - go to your song.

8. Learn from those who are better than you! 

Yeah, it's hard sometimes to accept that people are better than us, but the reality is that these are the people in life and on the field that we SHOULD LEARN FROM! Observe them, copy their work ethic, learn from them...Surround yourself with people who share your goals.

9. Say thank you! 

To your coaches, to your parents, to the umpire who gave you a high 5, to the mom from the other team who complimented your hit, to your teammates. Be a thankful person.

10. Have fun & Smile. 

Listen, sometimes that's all you can do in life. And if you can't find anything to smile about, and you aren't having fun...then by all means move on - because YOUR ATTITUDE IS CONTAGIOUS!