Baseball season is just around the corner, and it can’t come soon enough. If you’re looking for some tips to fine-tune your youngster’s swing, check out these drills you can do at home.
It’s often said that hitting a baseball is the hardest thing in sports. Hitting the ball requires not only swinging a bat with proper technique, but also seeing the ball and reacting in a fraction of a second. Hitters will always seek an edge to make the challenge less daunting.
Training for such a task is challenging, but it's not impossible. Even though a baseball game requires several people, it only takes one person to improve your swing in the backyard: you.
While there might not be any better way to improve as a hitter than facing live pitching, finding a live pitcher with command or even a pitching machine isn’t always feasible. When these are not an option, here are five youth hitting drills worth trying.
Solo Drills
High Tee, Low Tee
What you’ll need: two adjustable tees, baseball, baseball bat (note: if you do not have an additional tee, find an object to use in its place—a chair or stool 6 in. taller than the tee will do)
Many times, young hitters’ swings are too long and uppercut like a golf swing. Here’s a simple drill to fix that issue: Set up a tee as usual, then take another tee and put it about a foot-and-a-half behind the other one. This back tee should be about six inches higher than the front tee. The goal is to swing over the back tee and hit the ball on the front tee and nothing else.
Practice swinging until your little slugger consistently swings over the back tee and connects with the ball on the front tee. If the swing follows the correct path, it will result in solid line drives.
Footy It Up
What you’ll need: baseball bat, tee, soccer ball/basketball, (soccer net would be a bonus)
Hitting a soccer ball sounds easy enough, right? The point of this hitting drill is not just to make contact with the ball, but to drive through it and work on hitting for power. Since it’s a bigger ball with more recoil, the key is to swing and drive through the ball rather than just striking it.
Having a soccer net is a bonus because it gives hitters a target as they try for line drives up the middle. If you can't find a soccer net, a large, sturdy wall will work as well. Make sure to stand back far enough so the ball won't bounce back off the wall too fast for you to react.
Stuck in the Bucket
What you’ll need: two tires, baseballs, baseball bat, tee
To stay balanced and be in a position to make contact, it’s important that batters don’t step out of the batter’s box when swinging. To ingrain the habit of staying in the box, try this drill: align the two tires side by side and have the batter stand with one foot in each tire. This helps the batter gets the feel of being in a batter's box. Hitters can either hit off a tee or out of their hand by tossing the ball into the air. The key is for both feet, specifically the front foot, to stay in the tire while hitting.
It can be frightening for young ballplayers to face live pitching with the fear of being hit. But if they learn the proper technique in practice, it increases the chance they will use it in games. Doing this drill will get the player comfortable in the proper position at impact and lead to more confidence in the box.
Don't Hit the Fence
What you’ll need: baseball bat, fence
The point of this drill is to build young hitters' confidence in hitting inside pitches. The batter should stand about one bat length away from the fence, no further. They should be close to the fence, but not close enough to actually strike it.
The batter should envision an inside pitch coming at them, then swing the bat. Their swing should drag the head of the bat behind their hands until the bat reaches the front of their body, then quickly extend the head outward at the "ball." Repeating this practice will help young hitters perfect a short, quick swing for those real-life inside pitches.
The Rocky Balboa
What you’ll need: heavy bag (punching bag), baseball bat
No, you’re not going to bust through a heavy bag like it’s a piñata. Instead, take swings at the heavy bag, and at the point of contact, instead of recoiling, continue to drive through the bag. Essentially, you want the bat to be stuck to the bag with your hands out in front at contact.
The goal here is improving torque, as it would be tough to drive through a heavy bag. It also helps strengthen the hands and develops power.
Batting Practice Makes Perfect
Ultimately, there is no true substitute for live pitching, but not having a live pitcher doesn't mean you shouldn't practice. The more time you spend perfecting your batting technique—even without a live pitcher—will only benefit your performance.
Continued use of these practices in combination with actual game play will certainly improve your line drives, balance, power, and overall results. So get outside, get to swinging, and work on a victorious trot for when you hit your first grand slam!
Need a good bat to practice your drills? Shop youth training bats here.
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