RIRLift app icon RIRLift

Exercises

Warm up for softball: a dynamic routine before the first toss

Published October 24, 2026

A quick warm up for softball takes about 12 minutes: 3 minutes of skipping, criss-cross jacks and high knees, 3 minutes of leg swings, arm circles and walkouts, 3 minutes of side leg raises, band pull-aparts and light external rotations, then quick feet, plank shoulder taps and overhead med ball throws at rising effort. Then begin your throwing progression short and build the distance, with pitchers starting from easy spins and dry reps.

  1. Skipping in Place Calves, Quads, Hamstrings
  2. Criss-Cross Jack Quads, Shoulders
  3. Leg Swings Hamstrings, Glutes
  4. Arm Circles Shoulders
  5. Walkout Abs, Shoulders, Chest
  6. Standing Side Leg Raise Abductors
  7. Band Pull-Apart Shoulders, Upper Back
  8. Fast Feet Calves, Quads

Raise: skips, jacks and knees

Softball is short bursts on a small field, so start bouncy rather than with a long jog. A minute each of skipping, criss-cross jacks and high knees raises your temperature and gets the arms moving with the legs. You should feel warm, not winded.

Raise, bounce

Skipping in Place

Calves, Quads, Hamstrings

Skipping gets you springy and warm in a small space, ideal on the side of a crowded field before a doubleheader.

How to do it

  1. Stand tall with your fists beside your hips as if holding rope handles.
  2. Circle your hands and bounce lightly from one foot to the other, as if skipping over a turning rope.
  3. Keep the bounces low and springy for the whole interval.

Cues

  • Bounce off the balls of your feet
  • Hands circle, elbows close
  • Relaxed shoulders

Common mistakes

  • Stomping on the heels: stay on the front of your feet.
  • Hopping high: a small bounce clears an imaginary rope.

Swap for: High Knees, Jump Rope, Butt Kicks

Build a session with Skipping in Place

Raise, arms and legs

Criss-Cross Jack

Quads, Shoulders

Crossing the arms and feet raises the heart rate and moves the shoulders across the chest, which is useful before throwing.

How to do it

  1. Stand tall with your arms out in front at chest height.
  2. Hop the feet apart while opening the arms wide.
  3. Hop back in, crossing one foot in front of the other and crossing the arms.
  4. Alternate which side crosses on top.

Cues

  • Open, then cross
  • Alternate the top foot
  • Bouncy

Common mistakes

  • Landing flat: stay on the balls of the feet.
  • Short arm movements: open and cross fully.

Swap for: Jumping Jack, Star Jump, Skipping in Place

Build a session with Criss-Cross Jack

Raise, hip flexors

High Knees

Quads

High knees wake up the muscles that lift the leg into a sprint out of the box.

How to do it

  1. Set up tall with a slight forward lean from the ankles.
  2. Pull one knee up in front of you while the other foot pushes off the floor.
  3. Alternate quickly with a short ground contact on every step.
  4. Hold good posture for the whole interval rather than chasing speed.

Cues

  • Push the floor away
  • Short contacts
  • Posture first

Common mistakes

  • Knees drifting low as you tire: slow down and get the height back.
  • Heavy heel strikes: stay up on the forefoot.

Swap for: Skipping in Place, Butt Kicks, Running

Build a session with High Knees

Mobility: legs, shoulders and the whole chain

Ten leg swings per leg and ten arm circles each direction loosen the hips and the throwing shoulder, and four walkouts tie them together through the trunk. About three minutes.

Hip and hamstring mobility

Leg Swings

Hamstrings, Glutes

Front-to-back swings loosen the hips and hamstrings for running and a long stride without holding a static stretch.

How to do it

  1. Stand side-on to a wall, fence or post and rest one hand on it.
  2. Swing the outside leg forward and back like a pendulum, starting small.
  3. Let each swing go a little higher as your hip loosens.
  4. Do all the swings on one leg, then turn around and do the other.

Cues

  • Pendulum from the hip
  • Start small, grow the arc
  • Stand tall

Common mistakes

  • Rounding the lower back to kick higher: keep your torso upright and let the hip do the work.
  • Flinging the leg as hard as possible on the first swing: build the height over the set.

Swap for: Standing Cable Hip Flexion, Walkout, Cossack Squat

Build a session with Leg Swings

Shoulder mobility

Arm Circles

Shoulders

Circles in both directions take the throwing shoulder through its full range. Many teams start their warm-up here for good reason.

How to do it

  1. Stand tall with your arms straight out sideways at shoulder height.
  2. Make small forward circles, then let each circle grow larger.
  3. After half the set, reverse and circle backward.
  4. Keep your neck relaxed and your ribs down.

Cues

  • Small to big
  • Forward, then back
  • Shoulders away from ears

Common mistakes

  • Shrugging your shoulders up: keep them low.
  • Arching the lower back on the big circles: keep the ribs tucked.

Swap for: Band Pull-Apart, Plate Halo, Dumbbell Around the World

Build a session with Arm Circles

Full-body mobility

Walkout

Abs, Shoulders, Chest

Walkouts stretch the backs of the legs and warm the shoulders and trunk in one move, a quick way to cover a lot.

How to do it

  1. Stand tall, then hinge and reach your hands to the floor, bending your knees as much as you need.
  2. Walk the hands forward one at a time until you reach a push-up position.
  3. Hold the plank for a breath with your hips level.
  4. Walk the hands back toward your feet and stand up. That is one rep.

Cues

  • Hands walk, feet stay
  • Level hips in the plank
  • Bend the knees if you need to

Common mistakes

  • Letting the hips sag at the front: squeeze your glutes in the plank.
  • Locking the knees and straining to touch the floor: bend them; this is a warm-up.

Swap for: Bear Crawl, Plank to Push-Up, Leg Swings

Build a session with Walkout

Activation: hips and the throwing shoulder

Fielding and hitting push from the side of the hip; throwing and the windmill pitch depend on the back of the shoulder. Ten side leg raises per leg, a set of pull-aparts and a very light set of external rotations per arm switch on both. Hold long stretches until after the game.

Side-of-hip activation, standing

Standing Side Leg Raise

Abductors

Lifting a straight leg sideways works the outside of the hip, which keeps the pelvis level and the knee in line when you land on one foot or cut.

How to do it

  1. Stand tall, hands resting at your waist.
  2. Keep the leg straight and the toes facing forward as you lift it sideways.
  3. Lower it with control, finish the reps, then switch legs.

Cues

  • Toes point forward
  • Torso stays upright

Common mistakes

  • Leaning away from the lifting leg: a lower lift with a still torso works better.

Swap for: Clamshell, Lateral Band Walk

Build a session with Standing Side Leg Raise

Upper-back activation

Band Pull-Apart

Shoulders, Upper Back

Pull-aparts wake up the muscles between the shoulder blades that steady the throwing arm.

How to do it

  1. Hold a light band at shoulder height with straight arms and hands about shoulder width apart.
  2. Pull the band apart by sweeping your hands out to the sides until it touches your chest.
  3. Squeeze your shoulder blades together for a moment.
  4. Let the band come back slowly and repeat.

Cues

  • Arms long
  • Squeeze the blades
  • Slow return

Common mistakes

  • Shrugging as you pull: keep the shoulders down.
  • Bending the elbows to cheat the band apart: use a lighter band.

Swap for: Band Face Pull, Band Scapular Retraction, Dumbbell Rear Delt Fly

Build a session with Band Pull-Apart

Rotator cuff activation

Dumbbell External Rotation

Shoulders

A very light set of rotations warms the muscles that slow the arm after release, before the first throw.

How to do it

  1. Hold a very light dumbbell with your elbow bent to 90 degrees and tucked against your side.
  2. Keeping the elbow pinned, rotate the forearm outward away from your belly.
  3. Go as far as you can without the elbow leaving your side.
  4. Return slowly and finish all reps before switching arms.

Cues

  • Elbow glued to your side
  • Rotate, don't lift
  • Very light

Common mistakes

  • Swinging the elbow away from the body: keep a towel tucked under it if it drifts.
  • Picking a weight that needs momentum: go lighter.

Swap for: Dumbbell Lying External Rotation, Band Pull-Apart, Band Face Pull

Build a session with Dumbbell External Rotation

Primers: feet, trunk and throws

Climb to game speed with quick feet, a set of plank shoulder taps to brace the trunk, and a few overhead med ball throws that put the legs and trunk behind the arm. Rest a few breaths between sets, then go throw.

Primer, quickness

Fast Feet

Calves, Quads

A few seconds of fast feet prepare you for the reaction a hard ground ball asks for.

How to do it

  1. Stand in an athletic stance with feet about hip width apart and knees bent.
  2. Rapidly pitter-patter your feet on the balls of your feet, barely leaving the ground.
  3. Keep your chest over your knees and your hands ready in front of you.
  4. Go as fast as you can for the set time.

Cues

  • Low and quick
  • Barely off the floor
  • Athletic stance

Common mistakes

  • Standing up tall as you speed up: stay in your stance.
  • Lifting the feet high: tiny, fast steps.

Swap for: Agility Ladder Drill, High Knees, Skater Hop

Build a session with Fast Feet

Trunk bracing

Plank Shoulder Tap

Abs

Shoulder taps make the trunk resist twisting while one arm moves, the same job it does when you throw and swing.

How to do it

  1. Get into a high plank with your feet a little wider than hip width.
  2. Lift one hand and tap the opposite shoulder.
  3. Put it down and tap with the other hand.
  4. Keep your hips as still as you can the whole time.

Cues

  • Hips don't rock
  • Wide feet help
  • Slow taps

Common mistakes

  • Swaying side to side with each tap: widen the feet and slow down.
  • Piking the hips up: hold a straight line.

Swap for: Plank, Bear Crawl, Plank to Push-Up

Build a session with Plank Shoulder Tap

Primer, whole-body throw

Medicine Ball Overhead Throw

Shoulders, Abs

An overhead throw with a step uses the legs and trunk to move the ball, a good bridge into throwing with a softball.

How to do it

  1. Hold a light medicine ball with both hands and stand facing a wall or open space.
  2. Take the ball behind your head while stepping forward with one foot.
  3. Throw it forward hard, finishing with your arms pointing at the target.
  4. Retrieve or catch it and reset.

Cues

  • Step and throw
  • Whip from overhead
  • Light ball

Common mistakes

  • Throwing only with the arms: let the step and trunk start the throw.
  • Using a heavy ball: light enough to move fast.

Swap for: Medicine Ball Slam, Med Ball Chest Throw, Wall Ball

Build a session with Medicine Ball Overhead Throw

Put them together: example sessions

Each session below picks from the exercises above for one situation, with the sets, reps, rest and RIR filled in. Open one in the session builder to change a pick, price it from a recent set, and add it to RIRLift.

Session 1

Pregame, before the team throws

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets26 a week
  • Per workout~15 min
  • EquipmentResistance Bands, Dumbbells, Medicine Ball

You have about 15 minutes before the team starts its throwing progression.

This is the page in order, every block at 3 to 5 reps in reserve. Shoulder activation sits right before throwing so the arm is warm when the first toss goes, and the throws at the end bring the whole body up to a hard effort for a few reps.

Pregame Warm-Up
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Skipping in PlaceSeconds. 1 × 60 4 0 s
Criss-Cross JackSeconds. 1 × 45 4 0 s
High KneesSeconds. 1 × 30 4 10 s
Leg SwingsPer leg. 1 × 10 5 0 s
Arm CirclesEach direction. 1 × 10 5 0 s
Walkout 1 × 4 4 0 s
Standing Side Leg RaisePer leg. 1 × 10 4 10 s
Band Pull-Apart 1 × 15 4 15 s
Dumbbell External RotationPer arm. Very light. 1 × 12 4 15 s
Fast FeetSeconds. 2 × 8 3 15 s
Medicine Ball Overhead ThrowLight ball. 2 × 4 3 20 s
How to run it
Run it straight through, then throw from 25 to 30 feet and build out to full distance.
How to progress
Keep the routine the same all season; on cold days double the raise.
Open in the session builder

Session 2

One-hour practice

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets14 a week
  • Per workout~10 min
  • EquipmentResistance Bands

Your team has an hour and wants the warm-up done in about eight minutes.

Short practices cannot spend 15 minutes warming up, so this version keeps one move per stage and drops the throws, because throwing drills follow straight away. The shoulder block stays, since it is the part that matters most before throwing.

8-Minute Warm-Up
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Criss-Cross JackSeconds. 2 × 45 4 0 s
Leg SwingsPer leg. 1 × 10 5 0 s
Arm CirclesEach direction. 1 × 10 5 0 s
Standing Side Leg RaisePer leg. 1 × 8 4 10 s
Band Pull-Apart 1 × 15 4 10 s
Fast FeetSeconds. 1 × 8 3 0 s
How to run it
Run it as a team, a coach calling time, then move into partner throwing.
How to progress
Once players know it, they can do it on their own while the coach sets up stations.
Open in the session builder

Session 3

Second game of a doubleheader

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts1× a week
  • Working sets6 a week
  • Per workout~10 min
  • EquipmentResistance Bands, Dumbbells

You have played one game and have 30 to 60 minutes before the next.

Between games you are not cold, but you have stiffened up sitting. This rewarm skips most of the raise and spends its minutes on mobility and the shoulder, at 4 to 5 reps in reserve, so the arm is ready without adding fatigue.

Rewarm
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Skipping in PlaceSeconds. 1 × 45 5 0 s
Walkout 1 × 4 4 0 s
Arm CirclesEach direction. 1 × 10 5 0 s
Band Pull-Apart 1 × 12 5 10 s
Dumbbell External RotationPer arm. 1 × 10 5 10 s
Plank Shoulder TapTaps per side. 1 × 10 4 0 s
How to run it
Start 10 minutes before the second game. Follow it with a short throwing progression.
How to progress
Use the same rewarm for every second game in a tournament.
Open in the session builder

Make it fit you

Questions

What are good softball warm-up exercises?

Skipping, criss-cross jacks, high knees, leg swings, arm circles, walkouts, side leg raises, band pull-aparts and overhead med ball throws. They cover warm-up, mobility, activation and a hard effort before throwing.

What is a good pregame warm-up for a 12U softball team?

Keep it to about 12 minutes and run it as a group: a few minutes of skips and jacks, leg swings and arm circles, a set of hydrants and pull-aparts, quick feet, then a throwing progression at short distance.

How long should a softball warm-up be?

About 10 to 15 minutes before throwing. For a one-hour practice, eight minutes is enough if throwing drills come next.

Do you need to warm up before throwing in softball?

Yes. Get the body warm and the shoulder switched on first, then start throwing short and easy and build the distance.

Should softball players stretch before games?

Keep it to moving drills before the game. Long holds belong after.