• A softball is bigger than a regular baseball, but can still sting.Softball glove image by paolanogueras from Fotolia.com
  
  From fast-pitch amateur leagues and elite travel teams to high school squads and beer league games, softball is a recreational favorite. While there are a wide variety of skills involved, every team needs to work on several key drills in order to succeed.
  
  

Catching the ball

• One of the biggest adjustments that many players have to a softball is in fielding. A very basic drill focuses on catching the ball from various distances and levels. Start with two players on their knees throwing the ball back and forth from about 10 feet. Have them focus on using two hands to catch. After about 20 tosses, move them back to 15 feet. After 20 more, go to 25 feet while standing up. Keep increasing the distances to where the players are comfortable catching the ball.
  
  

Fielding the ball

• Fielding is a vital part of the game because players catch the ball in the air and on the ground. A good fly ball drill is the "blind" drill where the fielders start with their back to the hitter. The ball is hit or thrown in the air and the hitter yells "go." The fielder turns and has to run down the ball. A good ground ball practice is a wall drill in which the player or the coach bounces a ball off a brick wall. The player then reacts to the ground ball coming at them at various speeds and angles.
  
  

Hitting

• Put the ball on a tee and have the player hit the ball into the backstop over and over again. Focus on a straight, level swing. This drill builds up hand-eye coordination. An advanced version is to lob the ball in from an angle and have the hitter strike it into the backstop.
  
  

Running the bases

• Running the bases appears easy, but it takes a lot of practice and thought. In most softball leagues, players are not allowed to lead off the bag so they have to run at the crack of the bat. A good drill is to line up players on one base and have them focus on running to the next base in short, bursting steps. The key is to focus on footwork as opposed to times. Teaching a good leg-first slide is important as well.