I would say that there's a few staples in speed work with softball that can make immediate impacts on players. The ability to have an aggressive first step out of the box is one of them. I typically see players trying to drive off of their front foot after their swing. I have a few words for that NO, no and no. Players will get a ton of acceleration if they push and drive off of their back foot.

Check out these two videos. The BOTTOM video shows Sarah's normal drive out of the box with her front (left) foot accelerating during her first step. The TOP video shows my way; her back foot( right, or dominate) driving through her swing and into her stride. You can see the difference in that first initial drive, more importantly she can feel it. And players retain skills they associate and feel much more quickly. Her time was also faster by a tenth of a second, and her stride count to first was 1 stride less than her original motion. So what does this mean for players? It means the difference between being out and being safe. That is huge. And a girl that quick out of the box makes the defense play tighter. They know they can't make a mistake.