Shonda Stanton's Drills and Strategies for Offense 3-Pack

with Shonda Stanton,
Indiana University Head Coach;
2023 ATEC/NFCA Midwest Region Staff of the Year;
2023 was Indiana's first 40+ win season since 1994;
Marshall University Head Coach from 1999 to 2017;
winningest coach in Marshall softball history;
2x Conference Champions;
2017 Conference USA Regular Season Champions;
2017 Conference USA Coach of the Year;
2017 Conference USA Staff of the Year;
2013 Conference USA Tournament Champions;
4x Conference champions;
Akron Racers (National Pro Fastpitch League) Head Coach in 2007, 2008;
IUPUI Head Coach from 1998 to 1999;
Ashland University GA from 1997 to 1998;
1998 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Coaching Staff of the Year;
played professionally in Women's ASA Fastpitch Summerball for Chet Smith Lady All-Stars and Buckeye Slammers;
1994 Class B National Champions;
played college softball at UNC Greensboro

Becoming a great hitter isn't an easy task. In addition to having solid swing fundamentals, good hitters need to have great timing and a plan for which pitches they want to hit. Shonda Stanton teaches you how to build a fundamentally-sound swing by using specific, yet simplified swing cues, progressions, and drills. She also addresses ways to help a hitter practice rhythm and timing of the pitch as well as drills to work on mental approach and situational hitting.

Coach Stanton builds from the ground up, stressing a few important aspects of hitting while keeping the batter comfortable while in the box. Her drill progression allows for players to develop an effective swing and then, more importantly, a great ability to execute at game speed.

Swing Mechanics

Make hitting a little easier to understand for your athletes. Coach Stanton uses a simplified approach to teach the mechanics of the swing by breaking it down into manageable parts, including:

• Stance
• Rhythm
• Negative move
• Stride
• Contact
• Finish

Learn the key points for each part of the swing and what to look for in each segment. She also discusses problematic areas of the swing and potential causes and cures.

Progression Drills

Coach Stanton demonstrates 16 drills that progressively increase in difficulty, building into the ultimate challenge of live hitting. Learn how to warm-up properly and prepare the body to swing ferociously with six bat calisthenics. Coach Stanton accentuates the phases of the swing while implementing a series of drills that build hitters from their foundations, including:

• No ball drills
• Still ball drills
• Tossed ball drills

with Shonda Stanton,
Indiana University Head Coach;
2023 ATEC/NFCA Midwest Region Staff of the Year;
2023 was Indiana's first 40+ win season since 1994;
Marshall University Head Coach from 1999 to 2017;
winningest coach in Marshall softball history;
2x Conference Champions;
2017 Conference USA Regular Season Champions;
2017 Conference USA Coach of the Year;
2017 Conference USA Staff of the Year;
2013 Conference USA Tournament Champions;
4x Conference champions;
Akron Racers (National Pro Fastpitch League) Head Coach in 2007, 2008;
IUPUI Head Coach from 1998 to 1999;
Ashland University GA from 1997 to 1998;
1998 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Coaching Staff of the Year;
played professionally in Women's ASA Fastpitch Summerball for Chet Smith Lady All-Stars and Buckeye Slammers;
1994 Class B National Champions;
played college softball at UNC Greensboro

Learn from the master of small ball herself, Shonda Stanton. Speed can be a game changer in softball games, as fast batters apply pressure to the defense. Coach Stanton opens up her playbook to introduce ways that will allow your team's offense to overpower your opponent. From bunting and slapping mechanics, to small ball for right-handed batters, Coach Stanton covers everything you need to know about playing small ball for big results.

Bunt and Slap Mechanics

Coach Stanton runs through the mechanics of bunting and slapping from the left side, and shows you the footwork that will get your slappers out of the box and down the line faster. It's vital for coaches to have a solid understanding of bunting technique. Coach Stanton breaks down the sacrifice bunt, bunt for hit, split bunt and the two-hand drag so that your team will understand not only when to use them, but the proper form as well.

It's nearly impossible to defend against a great slapper. This video will help you teach your slappers how to be most effective with the power slap, soft slap, regular slap and bouncers. Coach Stanton also teaches how to hit in motion and swing away. When your slappers become a triple threat, they'll become the most dangerous players on the field.

Small Ball for Right Handers

Lefties aren't the only ones who get to have fun with small ball - right-handers can join in too! Teach your right-handed hitters how to lay down a bunt, slap the ball, or bunt for a base hit to make them harder for defenses to defend.

Small Ball Drills

Coach Stanton believes in teaching in progressions, starting a drill out small and gradually building up in difficulty. Learn five bunt progression drills and five slap progression drills that take your lefties from a basic, stationary position and build to them running full speed through the box. In the One Glove Drill, batters wear their fielding glove on their back arm and catch the ball with their glove instead of a bat to practice bunting the ball. Push your lefties to become triple threats with two hitting away drills.

It's essential for players to work on fundamentals in batting practice, but they need to perform under pressure in practice before they can be successful in a game. Coach Stanton introduces you to several mini games that your team can play to prepare them for the stress of the game.

Defense vs Small Ball

Great teams know how to play small ball and they know how to find weaknesses in the defense. At the same time Coach Stanton teaches your offense, she will show your defense how to counter. When your defense is prepared, there are minimal holes for the offense to exploit.

Any coach who wants multidimensional athletes climbing into the batter's box will benefit from Coach Stanton's approach. There's a logical progression of teaching combined with effective skill development drills that are sure to make a positive impact on your team. Open up the options in your offense by using these small ball tricks to generate big results!

66 minutes. 2017.

with Shonda Stanton,
Indiana University Head Coach;
2023 ATEC/NFCA Midwest Region Staff of the Year;
2023 was Indiana's first 40+ win season since 1994;
Marshall University Head Coach from 1999 to 2017;
winningest coach in Marshall softball history;
2x Conference Champions;
2017 Conference USA Regular Season Champions;
2017 Conference USA Coach of the Year;
2017 Conference USA Staff of the Year;
2013 Conference USA Tournament Champions;
4x Conference champions;
Akron Racers (National Pro Fastpitch League) Head Coach in 2007, 2008;
IUPUI Head Coach from 1998 to 1999;
Ashland University GA from 1997 to 1998;
1998 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Coaching Staff of the Year;
played professionally in Women's ASA Fastpitch Summerball for Chet Smith Lady All-Stars and Buckeye Slammers;
1994 Class B National Champions;
played college softball at UNC Greensboro

The offensive and defensive options of the first and third situation in softball present one of the most complex and nuanced situational decision-making environments for both players and coaches. Strong teams know how to handle the first and third situation on both offense and defense. With this video, you'll learn how to incorporate each phase of the first and third into a practice setting.

Shonda Stanton details many base running options at both first and third base, the purpose of each option and when a coach would want to use each option to put pressure on the defense and create run scoring opportunities. She also discusses defensive options to shut down aggressive teams' first and third opportunities, including essential rundown principles.

First and Third Base Options and Commands

The more runners you put in scoring position, the more runs you'll score. Coach Stanton defines four different options for safely getting a runner to second base, and explains ways to pressure the defense into making mistakes. She also expands on the benefits of each option and when teams would best use each of them.

The defense will implement many plays to prevent the runner from scoring and to get runners out. Coach Stanton covers six options at third base, including commands that a coach would use based on how the defense is trying to execute its strategy. She thoroughly explains when and why you would use each particular strategy.

Coach Stanton shows you how to prepare your runners to make their own decisions about when to go. Teaching your athletes to read and react on the base paths makes them more unpredictable, putting even more pressure on the defense.

Defensive Strategies for First and Third Situations

All too often, defenses give up second base to keep a runner from scoring, or they give up the run to get an out. Coach Stanton breaks down your defensive opportunities, allowing you to determine the defensive set up that suits your team best. She gives you a glimpse of the 12 different defenses employed by Marshall University and shows drills to train your players. Your defense will be prepared for anything your opponent throws at you.

Simplify the Rundown

Effective execution of the rundown is essential to to first and third defense. Not only is it important to get the out, but the defense needs to be able to hold the runner or get the second out. Coach Stanton explains the run down from when to throw, when and where to run, how to communicate, how to place tags, and how to finish the play. These are demonstrated with simple drills and appropriate cues.

Coaching First and Third

One of the most important players in the first and third situation is the coach, but many don't focus on the correct responsibilities. Your job is to keep your runners safe, and Coach Stanton shows you how. With these tools, you will be able to identify pick-off plays and keep your runners safe from the dreaded out.

Coach Stanton gives you an efficient and effective practice plan that provides athletes confidence in both offensive and defensive first and third base scenarios.

66 minutes. 2017.