Less than a Month Before Tryouts: Essential Softball Preparation Tips

For those of you who have been busy playing other sports (yay for multisport athletes!) and are now just getting into the softball mindset, this post is for you!

I know how busy our lives can get, but the good news is that you still have a little over a month before most school tryouts start in the spring which gives us lots of time to get into shape for softball season!

One of the biggest things that parents and players ask me around this time of the year is ‘Amanda, what can I do to get ready for school tryouts when we have been so busy with X, Y, & Z this winter up until now?’

Well, I do have some advice and helpful tips for those of you trying to switch back into softball mode this upcoming spring.

Increase Throwing Volume

We all know that Varsity and JV ball you are throwing EVERY DAY. Going from throwing once a week (or less) to all of a sudden throwing 6 days a week can wreak havoc on your arm. Please start throwing NOW. 4 weeks out from tryouts start throwing 3 times a week, 3 weeks before tryouts start to throw 4 times a week and then add in some long toss in the 2 weeks before tryouts. Please plan ahead and start throwing NOW!

You don’t need to throw HARD EVERYDAY but you DO need to JUST PLAY CATCH. Make a logical progression from where you are TODAY to how much or how many times a week you’ll be throwing during the season!

Girls who prepare their bodies and their arms BEFORE the season are usually the ones who last longer and stay healthier throughout the entirety of the season!

PITCHERS – SAME LOGIC APPLIES – START PITCHING CONSISTENTLY ASAP.

So many players just don’t prepare their arms and then fall susceptible to injury early or midway through the season. Add in an arm care regimen if you want to be extra proactive.

Conditioning

Having a good cardiovascular base is huge when it comes to softball. Long-distance or endurance training is great but isn’t always effective for softball players. Just doing a 20-minute interval run or bursts of short sprints 2x a week before the season will put you head and shoulders above the players who don’t prepare.

As a coach, one of the first things that stand out to us at tryouts is footwork. If your legs tire quickly (we’ve all had cinder blocks for feet at some point in our careers) you know you wont be as quick to react or as fast on your feet the 2nd or 3rd day of tryouts.

Any sort of plyometrics or explosive leg exercises will help you create a stronger foundation so that the start of the season won’t be as much of a shock to your system or be as injury prone.

Hit off the Tee (A LOT)

So many kids start the first week of their season with about 8 blisters on their hands. Although it makes you look tough, typically it won’t help you hit the ball better if your hands are constantly in pain. I would recommend hitting off the tee a few times a week to work on your mechanics, and also toughen up your hands a bit before the blisters start to form.

I’ll admit that when I was a kid I used to HATE tee work. It was boring. I hated doing it by myself. And I didn’t see the value in it. Now that I have gotten older and see how much it helps to create good movements and habits I am a huge advocate for ALWAYS getting some GOOD reps on the tee. This is where you can IMPLEMENT all of the cool and fun stuff you learn from your hitting coaches, and make those tweaks HABIT.

I know tee work isn’t glamorous, but your swings off the tee should be focused and have good form. The better your cuts are ON THE TEE the better you’ll be able to hit off a live pitcher when the time comes (see below).

Hit Fast Pitching

Tee work definitely has its time and place (my players all know how much importance I place on tee work) but it unfortunately just can’t replace real game-time velocity or hitting a moving pitch.

Whether it’s off a friend throwing live, front toss, OR off a machine. PLEASE give yourself at least a few sessions of hitting a moving pitch before tryouts. Even if your mechanics are on point, your timing can ruin your tryout performance if you don’t practice it enough! Get adjusted to seeing velocity again, so that you can hit the ground running as soon as the season starts and you can adjust quickly to live pitching when you see it!

Also, I would strongly recommend that players find a way to hit off of a machine before tryouts. Most coaches use a machine at tryouts because it’s consistent and doesn’t get tired. I’ve seen too many players look terrible against a machine in tryouts because they haven’t used one in months and they can’t get the proper timing with the limited amount of pitches they get in a tryout.

Fielding Drills

Get your hand-eye coordination on point. Work on some ground balls and your footwork. If you live in a place where it’s extremely cold in the winter (hello Buffalo, NY) fly balls and drop steps may be tough to practice but go to your local gym or use your garage. You can always self-toss or do some Wall Ball to work on your bounces, scoops, forehands, backhands, etc.

If you can’t use a real softball because you don’t want to put any holes in the wall, grab a tennis ball. With or without your glove!

Get Stronger

If you play other sports or you don’t already have a consistent workout routine, trying to lift heavy for only 4 weeks may do more harm than good.

If you can make it a DAILY/WEEKLY habit, working out consistently can make you faster, increase your throwing and bat speed, and overall enhance your athletic performance. Maybe this will give you the competitive edge against a kid who doesn’t lift.

Staying in shape not only will help you on the field, but will also help you stay durable and injury free. Don’t overlook how important that is. You can’t try out or play if you are injured.

Every ounce of prevention is also an ounce of performance enhancement. The stronger your arms and legs are the harder you’ll be able to throw and hit!