Throw Softball

Equipment

How to Set It Up

• Walk through:
  Show the players a proper grip in a huddle.
• Visual markup:
  Draw thick lines over the C-shaped seams with a marker beforehand.
  This helps young players spot the correct finger placement.
  Younger kids will not be able to place their pinky on a seam.
• Player layout:
  Place them in a line about 3 feet apart each with a ball.
• Ball placement:

How to Run the Drill

• Horseshoe identification:
  Tell players to pick up the ball and find the seam.
• Three-finger placement:
  Have players lay index, middle, and ring fingers across the top seam.
  Young 6U players need three fingers across the seam for proper control.
• Thumb positioning:
  Place the thumb directly underneath the ball on the bottom seam.
• Palm gap check:
  Verify there is space between the ball and the center of the palm.
  The ball should rest on the pads of the fingers, not flat in the hand.
• Show and check:
  Have players hold the ball high in the air.
  Walk the line to inspect and adjust grips for each player.
• Repeat:
  Have players place the ball on the ground, then pick it up and quickly find the grip.
  

Coaching Tips and Variations

• Three-finger modification:
  Use three fingers on top for small 6U hands.
• Toss and grip game:
  Have players toss the ball short into the air and catch it.
  Challenge them to adjust to a four-seam grip as fast as possible.
• Eyes-closed feel:
  Ask players to close their eyes and rotate the ball in their hand.
  Teaches players to feel the seams without looking down during games.
• Color visual cues:
  Mark the top seam red and the bottom thumb location blue.
  Simplifies instructions to put red on top and blue on bottom.