How often do you do kickball drills? The truth is kick baseball or simply kickball has become very popular among kids and adults. However, just like any other game or sport, you need to practice regularly to get better. Failure to practice will mean that you’ll keep losing to your opponents or you as an individual might let down your team. Maybe you won’t run fast enough, or maybe you’ll be a bit slow on takeoff, or you might miss most balls. It’s also possible that you lack proper coordination and end up misjudging the ball’s speed when it comes to kicking. Or in case you pitch, you might roll the ball poorly. Fortunately, you can improve all of the above your skill by taking part in the following kickball drills. In addition to practicing remember that gear also plays an important role in your performance on the field as well. You can read about it here.

 

6 Basic Kickball Drills To Improve Your Game

1. Kicking

The secret to winning in kickball is knowing how to kick the ball and trying to maintain the momentum. The more accurate your kick the lower the errors and fouls. That is why one of the most important kickball drills is the following one. You can learn how to kick well by yourself or with a partner. If alone, look for a nice and solid wall that will serve as “your partner”. Take the ball and move at least 20 feet away from the wall. Place the ball on the spot and kick it aiming at the wall. You may begin by aiming at a specific zone to improve your accuracy. Thereafter, you can try to kick the ball without stopping as it keeps bouncing back to you from the wall. A good suggestion is trying to get a kicking-streak by kicking at least 10 kicks without stopping in between. When practicing with another person, he/she replaces the wall. And to add some fun, you can keep scores to find the eventual winner.

Another tip for practicing kicking is getting a special practice kicking ball from the Amazon. This will allow you to practice your kickball drills even in your own back yard. Every kick you throw will return your ball to you via the adjustable-length-extension-cord. You can practice for ages and improve with every kick you take. You will be able to see and test different trajectories, intensities and kicking techniques. Definitely a very good alternative for kicking practice.

 

2. Catching

Catching may look simple but usually, it is not. You may open your hands a bit early or too late and miss the ball. The first tip to making a good catch is maintaining the right body posture. Practice swinging your arms around, raising them up and keeping them wide open and not too close your body. You can also try forming a basket with your hands. The next step is timing the ball to make sure you don’t open your hands and palms too soon or too late. It’s best to practice with another person and let him/ her throw or kick the ball towards you, varying the speed, height, and distance. You can also throw or kick the ball onto a wall and wait for it to bounce back then try to catch it. This way you will hit two birds with one stone as you will be training both catching and throwing the kickball ball at the same time.

 

3. Throwing

Find a partner or wall and stand at least 10 feet apart or from the wall. Hold the ball in the right position, not too loosely and not too tightly. Throw it towards the wall or partner while maintaining flexibility and posture. If done right, the ball should land at the targeted area or almost near it. Vary the technique you use. For instance, you can use one hand, two hands, underarm motion, sidearm release, or up-arm motion. Gradually increase the distance by about 5 feet while still maintaining accuracy. Aim at making 10 throws without stopping to improve your agility and practice direct throws, grounders, and overheads.

You can also use the practice ball to train your throws in the comfort of your own back yard. The adjustable extension cord will return the ball to you after every throw allowing you to practice all your throws safely and on your own terms.

 

4. Pitching

Good pitching will help you win the game. And so this is one of the kickball drills which you should prioritize as well. Start by identifying an area where you will be rolling the ball and mark it in parallel lines using chalk dust, rope, or tape. Maintain a distance of 10-15 feet between you and the marked zone and start rolling the ball. Try to keep the ball within the specified region while varying the speed from low to high. You can begin from a shorter distance and increase it as your accuracy improves. After the normal rolls try using curved rolls or playing on a not-so-flat terrain.

 

5. Base Running

You need to increase your speed as this allows you to beat your opponent. It’s also important to take off as fast as you can. You can sprint on your own or with a training partner to have a feel of your speed. Start by marking the designated zone that you will be running. Use a timer or stopwatch to know how fast you are learning and always aim at beating your earlier time/mark. Practice your running and you will see improvements both during the kickball game and in your overall well-being. Also be sure to gear up with some proper kickball shoes during the kickball game in order to get the best performance.

 

6. Flexibility

Your flexibility influences how well you throw, catch, kick, or run. The more flexible you are the more certain you will be to catch balls even from tight angles or kick fast moving balls. You can start by doing the basic PE stretching such as bending over backward, turning sideways while standing upright, and stretching your legs. Another approach is making the turns, twists, and stretches while holding the ball with one or two hands. Incorporating a partner allows you to move the ball to each other and adding some fun.

 

Final Thoughts

While the above drills will help you become a better player, you need to understand that it takes time to learn everything. Trying to combine or learn everything all at once is usually counterproductive. The best way is to follow a schedule and always stick to it, religiously. You also need to focus on a specific drill or skill. For instance, you may decide to focus on your pitching or throwing today and in your next session, you will practice kicking or catching. It’s always advised to seek guidance from an experienced player or coach as he /she will not only guide you in the right manner but also pinpoints your mistakes and weaknesses. Follow the above kickball drills and become a better player. You can further improve at playing kickball by checking out our other guides here!