Hitting Drills
High Tee Drill
Players need to have the tee set at a chest-high level.
This drill will help players feel comfortable hitting the ball in the entire strike zone. The tee should be set at the top of the strike zone, and players need to be encouraged to hit line drives up the middle.
Players tend to swing under the ball on high pitches, and this drill will force them to use their top hand to drive the baseball. This is a great warmup drill and one to add to their daily routine.
Back Leg Drill
This drill will get players to focus on using their legs through their entire swing.
To develop more power and to be able to drive the ball more consistently, they need to feel their back leg/hip more in their swing.
The players should take a normal swing, and after contact, they should drive their back knee through their swing.
Walk Up Tee
Players start behind the tee with the shoulders squared up towards the pitcher. They take ONE step forward to gain momentum thru their swing.
They should step with their back foot forward then continue with their stride and swing to feel their whole body engaged in the swing.
Flamingo Tee
Players start in their stance and take an extended high leg lift and hold at the top. They then need to land and pause before their swing. They should not stride again when they begin their swing.
This drill makes them feel that their stride does not pull them forward, but they need to drive with their lower body.
Too many times, players float forward with their lower bodies because of their stride, and they lose their lower half. This will allow them to feel the separation between the two and create better habits.
Stride Early Tee
This is a straightforward tee drill. Players load and stride like normal.
Once they stride, they need to count to 1 before taking a swing. This is another drill to separate their stride from their hands coming forward.
If players need help keeping their hands back and are not using their lower half, this is a simple way to get them to feel what we want them to do.
Shoulder Swing Tee
Players should start in a launch position, meaning they have already taken their stride.
They start with the bat on their back shoulder, and the bat slides forward but stays on the shoulder.
They do that two times, and on the third, they take a swing. This drill keeps their hands inside the ball and stops them from casting their hands to start their swing.
Front Plate / Back Plate Drill
The coach will flip underhand from 10-15 feet in front of the hitting. You want to have two home plates.
One is already on the turf batters box, and we will have an extra plate in the cage. Put the extra plate 3-5 feet in front of the turf plate, and the players will start at the front plate. The velocity from the coach remains the same regardless of where the player is standing. The players hit three at the front plate and then take three at the back plate.
This simple drill teaches them to adjust their timing and trust their eyes on when to load and swing. The ball will be harder at the front plate and slower at the back plate, which teaches them how to adjust when seeing different velocities in a game.
Front Toss | Bounce
The L-screen is set up in front of the hitter. The thrower bounces the ball off the turf, and the hitter swings as the ball enter the zone.
This drill helps players work on off-speed or slower pitchers as the ball slows down on the hop. It forces them to keep their weight back and make sure their hands stay in a good launch position to accelerate through the hitting zone.
Front Toss Angled
This drill can be used to simulate either pull-side or oppo hitting.
You set the L-screen up at the same distance you would for front toss straight ahead, but for this drill, you simply move the L-screen to either side to give an extreme angle to work on the pull side or oppo.
The thrower tries to hit the front corner of the plate on whichever side they are on to give the hitter a different look. Players need to let the ball get deep if they are going oppo or keep their hands inside if they are working on the pull side.
Front Toss | Tee Timing
This drill is likely for older hitters or more advanced younger hitters.
A tee is placed on the outer part of the plate with a ball on it. The thrower tosses the ball like a regular front toss on the inner half of the plate. If the ball is thrown, the hitter hits it, coming at them. The thrower can also fake the toss, and if they do that, the hitter has to adjust and hit the ball on the tee set on the outer half of the plate.
The biggest thing here is ensuring players keep their weight and their hands stay in the hitting position. This is a great drill to work on hitting off-speed.
Front Toss | Red/White
This drill will help players track the ball longer and work on timing with active takes. The tosser should have a regular baseball, and a red smoosh ball in their hand. You toss like usual but only throw one ball. The players should hit the regular baseball and take the red smoosh ball.
When you toss, you should be closer than usual since this drill is not about velocity. It's simply about pitch recognition. It also doesn’t matter if the red ball is not a perfect strike since they are taking that pitch. Please ensure the players understand they need to feel comfortable taking and swinging with the same mechanics. We want active takes with them using their legs and being ready to hit.
Bunting Basics
Players need to get into a good athletic position with their knees bent.
They must have a firm grip on the bat and get their bat position into fair territory. Coaches need to emphasize not to have players stab at the ball, but they need to keep their eyes behind the ball and not run too quickly after a bunt.
Once players are in a good position, you can work with the players and angles to the first and thrid base side if they are comfortable.
Est. 1987
