• Proper baserunning is an important part of a softball team's offense.girl playing softball image by pixelcarpenter from Fotolia.com
  
  There's plenty more to a good softball offense than just hitting the ball and sprinting to first base. An elite softball team will be loaded with batters who can place the ball anywhere they like, and make good decisions on the base paths that translate into extra bases and runs. Going over some basic offensive drills is a good way to enhance a team's fundamentals while improving its trips to the plate.
  
  

Hitting For Power

• Deep, well-placed fly balls will send the defense scrambling, leading to extra-base hits and even an occasional home run. Coaches should work to identify each player's optimal power zone (it will vary according to height and strength) and have the practice pitcher aim to hit that spot consistently. Batters are encouraged to hit the ball as far as they can without over-swinging or reaching for bad pitches. Players should only be encouraged to swing for the fences if the ball is in an advantageous position in the strike zone. Attempting to muscle out pitches off the plate often results in the batter not generating enough power, leading to fly outs or pop-ups. Each hitter should spend approximately three to five minutes hitting practice pittches before ceding to the next hitter.
  
  

Hitting For Contact

• Batting drills designed to put runners on base are the most important ones a coach can run, since scoring runs is the main offensive goal in softball. For this drill, batters are attempting to hit the ball into open spaces in the field rather than swinging for home runs. Coaches should teach hitters how to hit the ball to all three fields, and batters should practice doing so during this drill. Successful types of hits include ground balls through gaps in the infield, fly balls that fall between the infield and outfield and line drives down either of the base lines. Teams should also practice bunting strategy and other fundamentals, with an emphasis on when and how to bunt. Each player should be given roughly five minutes of hitting time and three minutes of bunting time.
  
  

Baserunning Drills

• Evenly matched teams can often be separated by their ability to run the bases. A coach should have players practice this, with each runner keeping track of how many steps it generally takes to get from one base to another. Knowing this will allow the players to adjust their baserunning path so that they can round the bases more efficiently by beginning their turn to the next base one step before they reach the current one. A good coach will also encourage his players to step on the corner of the base, since touching the middle of the bag can take a runner out of stride and slow her down considerably. Players should also run drills that will teach them how to properly slide into bases, a skill that can help elude tag attempts while reducing injury.