3-Day Softball Practice Plan (12U)
Looking for a structured practice schedule for your 12U softball team? Here’s a 3-day plan designed to balance fundamentals, reps, and fun while keeping players engaged.
Day 1 – Defensive Focus
Goal: Build strong fielding habits, improve throwing accuracy, and practice team defense.
Warm-Up (10 min)
Dynamic stretches: high knees, butt kicks, lunges, karaoke, arm circles.
Partner catch progression: wrist flicks → one knee throws → standing throws → long toss.
Drills (60 min)
Ground Ball Progression (15 min)
Roll short hops with tennis balls (barehanded) to improve glove angles.
Progress to ground balls with gloves, focusing on staying low and “funneling” the ball.
Emphasize step-throw mechanics.
Infield Stations (20 min)
1st Base Station: Receiving throws, stretch footwork, short-hop scoops.
Middle Infield Station: Working on double play feeds (flip vs. throw).
3rd Base Station: Quick reaction drills with short, hard-hit balls.
Outfield Drills (15 min)
Drop step & angle work for fly balls.
Crow hop into throws, hitting the cutoff accurately.
Team Defense (10 min)
Practice bunt defense and cut-off communication.
Rotate positions so everyone gets reps.
Wrap-Up (20 min)
Competition: Around the Horn – time how fast the team can throw around all bases. Repeat to beat the time.
Team talk: highlight energy, hustle, and focus.
Day 2 – Hitting & Base Running
Goal: Improve swing mechanics, situational hitting, and aggressive base running.
Warm-Up (10 min)
Jog poles or baselines.
Dynamic stretches.
Sprint starts: working on explosive first steps.
Drills (60 min)
Tee Work (10 min)
Inside pitch → pull to LF.
Outside pitch → drive to opposite field.
Emphasize hitting the ball “where it’s pitched.”
Front Toss / Soft Toss Stations (20 min)
Station 1: Quick-hands drill (short bat or choke up).
Station 2: Opposite-field hitting.
Station 3: Contact-point drill (hitting balls off front vs. back of plate).
Live Hitting Stations (20 min)
Coach pitch or machine pitch.
Rotate players through hitting, fielding, and shagging.
Focus on quality at-bats: line drives, not pop-ups.
Base Running (10 min)
Reads on ground balls: runner on 1st → force vs. tag situation.
Reads on fly balls: tagging up vs. halfway.
First-to-third drill with coach fungo to OF.
Wrap-Up (20 min)
Competition: Divide into teams. Score 1 point for a hard line drive, 2 points for opposite-field hits, 3 points for a ball to the fence.
Quick huddle: highlight approach at the plate.
Day 3 – Game Situations & Scrimmage
Goal: Apply fundamentals in game-like scenarios and emphasize communication.
Warm-Up (10 min)
Dynamic stretches.
Quick reaction game (coach points left/right and players shuffle, then field a surprise ground ball).
Drills (45 min)
Situational Defense (20 min)
Coach sets up base runners (e.g., runner on 1st, 1 out).
Hit fungo balls and have defense call out & execute the correct play.
Rotate players through multiple positions.
Game-Like Hitting (15 min)
Coach signals bunts, hit-and-runs, or situational hitting (runner on 3rd, less than 2 outs).
Players practice executing the right approach.
Quick Relays (10 min)
OF to cutoff → cutoff to base.
Time each relay. Compete to beat previous times.
Scrimmage (25 min)
Split squad or coach-pitch scrimmage.
Emphasize calling the ball, knowing the number of outs, and making the “smart play.”
Wrap-Up (10 min)
End-of-week review: What did we improve on? What do we need to keep working on?
Team cheer and energy finish.
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