Preseason Fielding Practice

with Bob Ligouri,
Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) Head Coach;
Iowa Girls Coaching Association (IGCA) Hall of Fame;
7x NJCAA World Series appearances (in 8 years);
over 1,000 career wins;
8 Consecutive NJCAA Top Ten Nationally-ranked teams;
finished 100-10 in last two years (2018-2019);
has coached 15 All-Americans;10 former players currently playing at the NCAA D1 level;
2x State Champions and 2x State Champion Runner-up as a High School coach (Dowling Catholic HS)

Softball practices look different depending on the time of the year. The preseason is a particularly difficult phase of the season, as the coach must prepare their team for as many of the challenges they expect to face during the season as possible. Combine that with cold temperatures and bad weather in most parts of the country, and you have a big coaching/practice dilemma!

Luckily, DMACC's Bob Ligouri shows how he prepares his team indoors in the preseason within this video.

Throwing and Infield Drills

Prepare your infielders for any type of throw they may need to make with Coach Ligouri's four corner throwing drills. From flips to pivots, Ligouri's exercises will have your players ready to play lights out infield defense on game day. He also shows how to use combo drills to efficiently get your infielders many repetitions in a short amount of time.

Outfield Drills

You'll learn an everyday outfield routine to get your fielders ready for game day by stressing fundamentals. Prepare and strengthen outfielders' arms with a band work routine and long toss. The DMACC coaches show how to prepare outfielders to the max even if you aren't able to hit them fly balls indoors.

Practice Rituals

Coach Ligouri showcases practice rituals for each position group. Put pressure on your outfielders by having them practice throwing home with the game on the line, get catchers ready to throw out potential base stealers, and prepare pitchers for balls hit back at them, bunts, or squeezes. Additionally, you'll see how to get your infielders ready to defend against the short game with Ligouri's infielder bunt ritual.

Coach Ligouri opens the doors to one of his preseason, indoor practices in this video. You'll walk away with helpful tips and various drills you can plug into your practice plans right away!

97 minutes. 2020.