The Softball Drill Book - Kirk Walker

The Softball Drill Book

by Kirk Walker

NEW, 280 pages

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About The Softball Drill Book

Packed with 175 drills straight from the practice sessions of the game’s most successful programs, The Softball Drill Book will add variety to your practices and precision to your game-day performances.

The comprehensive collection covers every aspect of the game. From warm-up to conditioning, throwing to hitting, bunting to base-running, you’ll find drills to improve position skill and team execution - all from college coaches and programs that have won 13 NCAA Women’s College World Series titles and dozens of NCAA regional tournament titles.

Contributors include:

• Louie Berndt, Florida State
  
• Carol Bruggeman, Louisville
  
• Yvette Girouard, Louisiana State
  
• Michelle Gromacki, Cal State Fullerton
  
• Deanna Gumpf, Notre Dame
  
• Carol Hutchins, Michigan
  
• Kelly Inouye-Perez, UCLA
  
• Jay Miller, Mississippi State
  
• Jennifer Ogee, Nebraska
  
• Kim Sowder, Long Beach State
  
• Heather Tarr, Washington
  
• Michelle Venturella, Iowa
  
• Kirk Walker, Oregon State
  
• Margie Wright, Fresno State

About Kirk Walker

Kirk Walker has been a coach at the NCAA Division I level for more than 20 years. Since his tenure as head softball coach at Oregon State University began in 1995, Walker has accumulated more wins than any other coach in program history. He led the Beavers to eight NCAA tournaments between 1995 and 2006, including the program's first-ever Women's College World Series appearance in 2006. Walker was named the 1999 and 2005 Pac-10 Coach of the Year, the same years his OSU softball staff was named the Speedline/NFCA Pacific Region Coaching Staff of the Year. Walker was a member of the USA Softball National Team coaches pool through the 2004 Olympics. He has served on the executive board of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association since 2003.

Walker came to Oregon State after spending 11 seasons at national powerhouse UCLA as an assistant coach, where he helped lead the Bruins to six NCAA titles and 10 appearances in the College World Series. In the off-season, he also has served as the head coach of the California Commotion, which won the women's major fastpitch national title four consecutive years from 1996 to 1999. He currently resides in Wilsonville, Oregon.

ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTORS
Louie Berndt was promoted to associate head coach of the Florida State softball program in 2004. First hired as an assistant in 1989, Berndt served one year before becoming head coach at Marshall University. Six years later she returned to Florida State. She has helped lead the Seminoles to seven straight NCAA regional tournaments, including six regional finals and two Women's College World Series appearances from 1999 to 2006. At Marshall, Berndt guided the then-reinstated program to its first-ever Southern Conference Tournament title and first NCAA tournament. She was named the 1996 Southern Conference Coach of the Year. Berndt was a two-time All-American at Western Michigan University.

Carol Bruggeman has been associate head coach at Louisville since 2005. She was an integral member of the 2006 BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year, helping guide the Cardinals to a program-best 45-11 record, the regular-season conference title, their first national ranking, and their first appearance in an NCAA regional final. Bruggeman spent 12 years at Purdue, starting the program in 1994 and compiling a 380-304-2 career record. Bruggeman served as an assistant coach at Michigan from 1989 to 1993, during which time the Wolverines won the Big Ten championship and advanced to the NCAA tournament both seasons. Bruggeman began her coaching career as graduate assistant at her alma mater Iowa, where she earned All-Big Ten, All-Mideast Region, and Academic All-America honors as an infielder. She was elected president of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association in 2006.

Yvette Girouard has headed up the Louisiana State University softball program since 2000. She ranks fifth all-time on the NCAA Division I lists for wins and winning percentage, and in 2005 she became the sixth coach in NCAA history to record her 1,000th career victory. Girouard made a clean sweep of the three major Southeastern Conference titles (SEC Western Division, SEC overall, and SEC tournament) in three of her first five seasons as a Tiger, becoming the first coach in league history to lead a team to back-to-back tournament championships. During her two decades as head coach at University of Louisiana at Lafayette (then Southwestern Louisiana), she was named the National Coach of the Year in 1990 and 1993. Girouard was inducted into the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2005 and the Louisiana Softball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2002.

Michelle Gromacki assumed the role of head coach of her alma mater, Cal State Fullerton, in 1999. From 2000 to 2003, she guided her teams to four consecutive Big West Conference championships, bringing the program's total to seven league crowns overall—more than any other school in the history of the conference. The Titans reached the NCAA regional tournament in each of Gromacki's first four seasons and finished in the top 20 in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association's poll in four of her first six seasons. She has been head coach on Speedline/NFCA West Region Coaching Staff of the Year three times and was an assistant coach for the USA Blue Team in 2001 and the U.S. Elite National Team in 2002 to 2004. As a player, Gromacki helped lead the Titans to a combined 170-19-1 overall record from 1985 to 1987 and to the 1986 NCAA National Championship.

Deanna Gumpf has been the head coach of Notre Dame's softball program since 2002 after serving as an assistant since 1998. From 2002 to 2006, the Irish claimed the BIG EAST Conference regular-season crown four times and the BIG EAST Conference tournament championship three times, and posted a 219-90 record. During that same period, six players earned All-America honors, 24 earned all-BIG EAST recognition, and two were named academic All-America. Gumpf notched her 100th career victory in 2004, reaching the plateau faster than any previous Irish head coach. As an assistant, Gumpf helped the Notre Dame pitching staff post a 0.89 team ERA in 2001, good for seventh in the nation. Gumpf and her staff were named the conference coaching staff of the year in 2002 and 2004.

Carol Hutchins, the most victorious coach in Michigan Athletics history, has been head coach of the Wolverines softball program since 1985. In 2005, the Maize and Blue became the first program east of the Mississippi River to claim the NCAA championship, and Hutchins was chosen as one of the pool of coaches for USA Softball's Summer Tour. After helping select both the National and Elite Teams for USA Softball in 2005, Hutchins was named head coach of the Elite Team at the Canada Cup and assistant coach of the National Team at the Japan Cup. Hutchins ranks among the top 10 NCAA Division I active coaches in career wins and winning percentage. She was named the 1995 NFCA National Coach of the Year and was a member of the 2005 Speedline/NFCA National Coaching Staff of the Year. Her teams have earned 10 Big Ten Conference regular season titles, seven Big Ten Conference tournament championships, and 13 NCAA tournament appearances, including eight trips to the NCAA Women's College World Series.

Kelly Inouye-Perez became the third head coach in UCLA history on January 1, 2007, after spending 17 years in the dugout as a player, assistant coach, and assistant head coach. Inouye-Perez worked with pitchers and catchers since 1993, when she graduated with a psychology degree after leading the Bruins to three NCAA titles (1989, 1990, and 1992) from behind the plate. The three-time All-Pac-10 selection and member of the 1992 Women's College World Series all-tournament team also was on four national championship teams during her Amateur Softball Association career, and she competed internationally in the Pan American Games in Japan in 1985 and in Peru in 1987.

Jay Miller has been Mississippi State University's head softball coach since 2002, leading the Bulldogs to the NCAA tournament in his first three seasons. In 2005, he became one of only 14 active Division I coaches to reach the 800-victory milestone. Previously, Miller spent 15 seasons as the head coach at Missouri, where he guided teams to five NCAA tournament appearances, three conference titles, and two trips to the Women's College World Series. Miller is a member of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-American committee and a lead instructor for the NFCA Coaches College. He also was a member of the national team selection committee that formed the team that won gold in the first-ever softball competition in the Olympic Games in 1996.

Teena Murray, director of Olympic sports performance, is in her third year at the University of Louisville. She oversees the strength, conditioning, and performance nutrition programs for all U of L Olympic sports, and works directly with women's soccer, women's basketball, and softball. Murray was named as director of strength and conditioning for the United States Women's Ice Hockey Team in 2006. She also has worked as a consultant for the NHL's Florida Panthers and Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, the Hartford Wolfpack of the American Hockey League, and USA Hockey. Prior to Louisville, Murray was an assistant strength and conditioning coach at the University of Connecticut for four years and at Cornell University for four years. She is certified by the National Strength and Conditioning Association and United States Weightlifting.

Jennifer Ogee has been an assistant coach at Nebraska since 2001, serving as the hitting coach, working with the catchers and infielders, and coordinating Nebraska's recruiting efforts. From 2002 to 2006, the Cornhuskers' offensive productivity has seen marked improvement and unprecedented consistency in almost every statistical category, and NU advanced to the Women's College World Series in 2002. Formerly Jennifer Cline, Ogee spent four years as an assistant coach at her alma mater, the University of Washington, helping the Huskies advanced to the NCAA College World Series every year. Ogee was the first catcher in UW history, earning All-American and All-WCWS honors and leading the team to a runner-up title in 1996.

Kim Sowder became head coach at Long Beach State following the 2006 season after serving 11 years as assistant and associate coach. Working with hitting and defense, Sowder helped the 49ers post the four highest team batting averages in the history of the program in the 1990s. The 49ers also led the Big West Conference in team fielding percentage for three straight seasons. The former All-American shortstop (1989 to 1992) was inducted into the Long Beach State Athletics Hall of Fame in 1998. Sowder earned her undergraduate degree in marketing in 1993 and then went into the coaching ranks, serving two years as an assistant coach at Pacific before returning to her alma mater.

Heather Tarr was named head coach at her alma mater, Washington, in 2004 after a six-year stint at Pacific as an assistant and then associate head coach. The Huskies were 70-47 and advanced to the NCAA Super Regionals in her first two years at the helm. In her tenure at Pacific, she was part of the 2001 NFCA West Region Coaching Staff of the Year after guiding the Tigers to within one win of the Women's College World Series and a No. 18 final national ranking. Tarr joined Pacific prior to the 1999 season after an outstanding playing career as a Husky. A four-year letterwinner, Tarr helped lead UW to a second place finish at the Women's College World Series in 1996 and a third place finish in 1997.

Michelle Venturella became the first associate head coach in Iowa softball history in 2004. In her first year, Venturella helped the Hawkeyes compile a 44-15 record and win the Big Ten regular season and tournament championships. As a player, Venturella was one of the best catchers in the country, holding a spot on the U.S. National Team from 1995 to 2000. Throughout her career with USA Softball, she earned four gold medals, including Olympic gold in 2000. She also helped the United States to gold at the 1998 World Championships, and she was an alternate on the 1996 Olympic team. A 1996 graduate of Indiana University, Venturella still ranks among its top five in eight offensive categories and remains Indiana's all-time leader in RBIs and walks.

Margie Wright was the first softball coach to amass 1,000 NCAA Division I career victories, 950 of which have come at Fresno State University. Her remarkable 27-year career includes a national title, six more top-three finishes, 10 regional championships, and 16 conference titles. She has guided the Bulldogs to 10 of the programs 12 NCAA Women's College World Series appearances. Wright also led the USA Softball National Team to a gold medal at the 1998 ISF World Championships. Wright has coached 13 Olympians, 51 All-Americans, 15 academic All-Americans, and two NCAA Top VIII Award Winners. She has been named National Coach of the Year once, Regional Coach of the Year seven times, and West Coast Conference Coach of the Year eight times. Wright is a member of the NFCA Hall of Fame and the Women's Sports Foundation International Hall of Fame.

Reviews

"This book's outstanding drills will take your practice sessions to the next level. I wish I'd had this resource when I started my coaching career. It has great explanations and illustrations!"

Mike Candrea
Head Softball Coach
University of Arizona
USA National Team

"A drill book like no other! This inside look at what the best college programs do every day will help any player or team improve."

Lisa Fernandez, Pitcher, USA Softball
Gold Medalist at 1996, 2000, and 2004 Olympic Games

About Softball

Softball is played between 2 teams on a large field, with nine players from one team on the field at a time. The field is usually composed of a dirt or brickdust infield which contains the quadrilateral shape and running areas, and a grass outfield. However, the field also can consist of all dirt, grass, artificial turf, or, in areas such as New York City, asphalt . There are 4 bases on the infield (first base, second base, third base,and home plate); the bases are arranged in a square and are typically 45 to 65 feet (13,7 to 19,8 meters) apart. Near the center of this square is the pitcher's circle, and within the circle is the "rubber", a small flat rectangular area. The object of the game is to score more runs (points) than the other team by batting (hitting) a ball into play and running around the bases, touching each one in succession. The ball is a sphere of light material, covered with leather or synthetic material. It is 10 to 12 inches (or rarely, 16 inches) (28 to 30.5 centimeters) in circumference. The game is officiated by one or more neutral umpires. Players and umpires are generally free to ask for a brief stoppage at any time when the ball is not in play, or immediately following a play once its outcome is clear.

The game is played in a series of innings, usually seven. Youth leagues sometimes have 6 innings. An inning is one series of both teams playing offense and defense. Each inning is divided into a top half and a bottom half indicating which team is playing which role. The offense bats and attempts to score runs, while the defense occupies the field and attempts to record outs in a variety of ways. After the defense records 3 outs, the half inning is over and the teams switch roles.

To start play, the offense sends a batter to home plate. The batting order must be fixed at the start of the game, and players may not bat out of turn. The defense's pitcher stands atop the rubber and throws the ball towards home plate using an underhanded motion. The batter attempts to hit the pitched ball with a bat, a long, round, smooth stick made of wood, metal or composite. A pitch must cross within a small area known as the strike zone, which is determined by the umpire behind home plate, and primarily ranges from the knees to just below the shoulders the ball must cross over the plate, and it must be within a certain height restriction. A pitch which does not cross the strike zone is a ball, and if the batter reaches 4 balls, the batter is awarded the first base. A pitch which crosses the strike zone is a strike, and a batter who reaches 3 strikes is out (a strikeout), and the next batter in the order comes to bat. A strike is also recorded on any pitch that the batter swings at and misses entirely, and also on a pitch that is hit foul (out of play), a foul ball may or may not result in a strikeout dependent upon what association and local league rules. However, bunting a foul ball does result in a strikeout. Bunting is not allowed and results in an out in some associations and leagues.

The batter attempts to swing the bat and hit the ball fair (into the field of play). After a successful hit the batter becomes a baserunner (or runner) and must run to first base. The defense attempts to field the ball and may throw the ball freely between players, so one player can field the ball while another moves to a position to put out the runner. The defense can tag the runner, by touching the runner with the ball while the runner is not on a base. The defense can also touch first base while in possession of the ball; in this case it is sufficient to beat the batter to first base and an actual tag of the batter is unnecessary. A runner is said to be thrown out when the play involves two or more defensive players. Runners generally cannot be put out when touching a base, but only one runner may occupy a base at any time and runners may not pass each other. When a ball is batted into play, runners generally must attempt to advance if there are no open bases behind them; for example, a runner on first base must run to second base if the batter puts the ball in play. In such a situation, the defense can throw to the base that the lead runner is attempting to take (a force out), and the defense can then also throw to the previous base. This can result in a multiple-out play: a double play is two outs, while a triple play, a very rare occurrence, is three outs. Runners with an open base behind them are not forced to advance and do so at their own risk; the defense must tag such runners directly to put them out rather than tagging the base.

A ball which is hit in the air and caught before hitting the ground is an immediate out, regardless of whether the ball would have landed fair or foul. A fly ball is a ball hit high and deep, a pop fly is a ball hit high but short, and a line drive is a ball hit close to the horizontal. In any such situation, runners must remain on their bases until the ball is touched by a defensive player or hits the ground. If a runner leaves the base before a fly ball, pop fly, or line drive is touched or contacts the ground, the defense can throw the ball to that base, and if the base is tagged before the runner returns, the runner is out as well, resulting in a double play. If the runner remains on the base until the ball is touched, or returns to the base after the catch but before the defense can put him out, he is said to tag up and may attempt to advance to the next base at his own risk. If there are less than two batters out and runners on 1st and 2nd bases and the batter hits a pop fly in the infield, the batter is automatically out to prevent unfair play by the fielders. Unfair play may result from infielders deliberately dropping the ball to try and achieve a double play. This rule is called the infield fly rule.

Offensive strategy is fairly straight forward, revolving around hitting the ball to let the batter reach base safely and to advance the base runners towards home plate to score runs. Defensive strategy can be more complex, with particular situations calling for different positioning and tactical decision making. For both sides, there can be a trade-off between outs and runs: the offense can sacrifice a batter to advance runners, while the defense may allow a runner to score if the remaining runners can be put out in a double play.

The Softball Drill Book