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Review the fundamentals of hitting and encourage
proper form at all times!
Drill # 1 Top-Hand Drill (Hit-N-Stik
Drill)
The top hand on the grip is the hand that
takes the bat to the ball. It is important to develop
strength and skill with this hand. To do this we do a
one-handed isolation drill. The batter uses just the top
hand. Gripping the bat at the top of the grip and using the
bat like a tomahawk, the batter tries to get over the top of
the ball and hit it into the ground. The batter has a coach
or player soft toss the ball above the waist. The batter
hits the ball from the top and drives its straight into the
ground. Suggested - 25 Swings - 3 Times a week.
Drill # 2 Power Hand Drill (Hit-N-Stik
Drill)
A hitters power comes from the bottom or
pull hand. This drill develops bottom hand strength. Have
batter, using only one arm at a time, take stance, inward
turn, stride and full cut at balls off of a tee. Emphasize
"staying back" on the ball. Batter will need to choke up a
lot, and initially need to place the unused hand under the
armpit of the swinging arm for additional support. Take
about 20 cuts at a time with each arm, making sure to keep
the barrel higher than the hands, and follow through. At
first, most players will find their top arm to be stronger;
therefore, requiring more reps with the bottom arm. The
objective is to reduce the gap between the ability of each
arm, ideally becoming equally adept with both. (Many players
suffer from a weak lead hand!) You can soft toss to older
players.
Drill # 3 Multiple Location Contact Drill
(Hit-N-Stik Drill)
The hitter is given three pitch locations to
practice hitting; inside, away and middle. On the inside
location, the batter must learn to involve the hips and turn
on the pitch, pulling it. On the middle pitch the batter
hits the ball dead up the middle. On the away pitch, the
batter makes sure to take the ball to the opposite field.
The coach may want to put spots on the ground showing where
the batter attacks each pitch location. The inside pitch is
attacked on a spot located in front of the plate. The middle
pitch is attacked on a spot located just behind the instep
of the hitters front foot. The away strike is attacked on a
spot located just inside of the hitters back foot. Suggested
- 20 At Each Location - 3 Times Weekly.
Drill # 4 Colored Ball Soft Toss (need
two different colored balls)
The hitter learns to concentrate and keep
the weight back. The coach tosses the two balls at different
heights. The coach calls the color to hit after the balls are
released. The hitter hits the called ball into the fence or
screen. This drill can be done from different locations. The
coach should also fake toss and change the release points as
well as vary the speed of the balls.
VARIATIONS:
1.) Once you've mastered the first
version of this drill, try three balls. Or allow your
partner to call out colors that
aren't being tossed.
2.) You might even try to write
numbers on the ball with a magic marker -- simply have
your partner call out the number to hit, just like you
did with colors.
3.) Instead of coloring the balls,
simply use regular baseballs and have the tosser call
out "high" or "low." By switching between the high and
low ball, the hitter learns to adjust to high pitches
when he was expecting a low pitch and vice versa.
Drill #5 Long Toss BP
One of the best misconceptions in baseball
is that to benefit from batting practice the pitcher must be
at regular distance and throw game speed. Much more can be
accomplished when the pitcher throws from half the regular
distance. At this distance the pitcher has better control
and more work is accomplished. The ball is thrown at a steady
appropriate speed. The speed at this distance should make
the batter develop a quicker bat and great skill. The coach
should never do this drill without a L-screen. This drill
can also be performed with regular or golf-ball sized
wiffles.
Drill #6 Bring-By Drill
The purpose of this drill is the increase of
bat speed. The batter hits a ball that is coming from his
back side going toward the pitcher. The hitter must see the
ball and catch-up with it before it gets by him. The speed
of the ball is increased to challenge the hitter more and
more.
Drill # 7 HitnStik Closed Eye Drill
(Hit-N-Stik Drill)
This is one of my favorite drills. I
developed this drill in the late 80s. The hitter assumes a
comfortable and correct stance each time. Then the hitter
closes the eyes. The coach or stik holder will change the
strike height and location each time. A verbal command is
given, the hitter opens the eyes and hits the ball correctly
wherever it is located. The batter must use the correct
swing to hit inside, middle, and away pitches. The holder
will also locate the ball out of the strike zone. Any ball
above the hands or on the ground is a ball and should not be
hit. Suggested - 15 Swings - 3 Times a week.
Drill # 9 Step in Drill (Hit-N-Stik
Drill)
One of the most common faults with young
hitters is stepping out. This drill is used to combat that
bad habit. The hitter sets up to start the drill one step
behind where he should be when he hits the ball. The hitter
will step toward the plate with the back foot first then the
front foot. When the front foot hits the ground the batter
will attack the ball. There should be no hesitation. Step,
step, HIT! The hitter will develop the habit of stepping
into the ball when he attacks it. His momentum is going
toward the plate during this drill so it is very difficult
for the hitter to step out.
Drill #10 Bunt Pepper
This is a great drill to develop bunting
skills. The drill involves 5 players in each group. The
players may use the pivot or square around bunt technique.
The batter must bunt the ball to each of the four fielders.
The hitter bunts one to each and then takes the left
fielders (facing the batter) place. The right fielder comes
to bat and the other move over one place. The coach should
emphasize that the batters bunt the ball softly to the
fielders. The bat should be keep at a 45 degree angle and
the batter should change height by bending the knees.
Fielders should catch the ground ball, bare-handed, out
front, then square the feet around and throw the next strike
to the hitter. This makes a great warm-up drill for the
beginning of practice. Defensive skills should also be
stressed.
Drill # 11 Full Count Game
This is a great game simulation drill that
teaches hitters to be aggressive and to hit under pressure.
Two teams face off in a 7 inning game with each batter
coming into the box with a full count. Action is quick and
players must be alert both offensively and defensively. The
count may also be changed to 2-2 and each team can be given
one out to start the inning.
Drill #12 Hit-n-Stik Bat Speed Drill
(Hit-N-Stik Drill)
The drill begins with the drill stik ball on
the ground. The holder will raise the ball to the batters
numbers. The batter will hit the ball when it gets to
certain called spots, eg. knee, belt, numbers. The speed
that the ball is raised is varied to make the batter wait
sometimes and react quickly at other times. The drill is
great for developing concentration, bat speed, and patience.
(note-wouldn’t this work better if you lowered the
hit-n-stik? like a ball coming in from the pitcher from high
to low?)
Drill #13 HIP TWISTS:
Hitter places bat (stick, broom handle,
etc.) behind back on waistline. With hands gripping the bat
from behind, get in stance. Take inward turn, stride and
stop. Keeping the bat horizontal to the ground, bend your
arms and keep the bat in the space between your biceps and
forearms. Look out at where the pitcher would usually be and
imagine him winding up and pitching. Rock back as you would
in a game, step, and pivot your back foot. Then forcefully
pull bat around waist, rolling up on back foot (squishing
the bug) with head down, toward imaginary ball. Knees and
belly button should then be facing the "pitcher." Go back to
normal stance and repeat. Doing this 10-20 times a day
programs young hitters to get that lower body working
correctly without conscious thought (Muscle Memory).
THE RESULT: By isolating your lower body,
you are allowing yourself to work only on your hips and
legs. Make sure to get a good "explosion from your back leg
while keeping your front leg straight. This is a very good
drill to do in the on-deck circle, especially when your
facing a particularly hard thrower.
VARIATIONS:
1.) Set up a tee and practice the drill
while actually hitting the ball with the exposed part of the
bat. You may not hit the ball at all or you may lightly tap
it, but this variation makes it easier to see exactly how
much the hips must rotate during a swing.
Drill #14 WIFFLE GOLF BALL SOFT
TOSS:
Do this in groups of 3 or 4, with the coach
soft-tossing; one player batting and the rest fielding the
balls and returning them to the bucket. Have the hitter take
their normal stance, inward turn, and stride, and then hit
the wiffle golf balls as you toss them. You can make it more
challenging by having your hitters use a 1.5 foot broom
handle instead of a bat. This forces the hitter to really
"SEE" the ball, by keeping their head (both eyes) down on
the ball, in order to make contact. Really emphasize the
"head down" aspect by making them keep their heads down,
even after completion of a proper follow-through.
Drill # 15 CHAIR DRILL: (Good drill
for Uppercutters.)
Place a batting tee on home plate, with a
folding chair behind the tee, with the seat part closest to
the tee. Make sure that the tee is just slightly lower than
the back of the chair so that the hitter must swing with a
slightly downward angle through the ball. If the hitter
uppercuts, they will only hit the back of the chair (again,
providing instant feedback). Metal chairs seem to be very
effective in teaching the proper bat angle during the swing.
This drill can be taught relatively easily and is excellent
for developing the necessary "line drive" stroke.
Drill #16 ARM ISOLATION DRILL: (Used
to develop equal strength in both top and bottom arms.)
(Hit-N-Stick drill)
Have batter, using only one arm at a time,
take stance, inward turn, stride and full cut at balls off
of a tee. Emphasize "staying back" on the ball. Batter will
need to choke up a lot, and initially need to place the
unused hand under the armpit of the swinging arm for
additional support. Take about 20 cuts at a time with each
arm, making sure to keep the barrel higher than the hands,
and follow through. At first, most players will find their
top arm to be stronger; therefore, requiring more reps with
the bottom arm. The objective is to reduce the gap between
the ability of each arm, ideally becoming equally adept with
both. (Many players suffer from a weak lead hand!) You can
soft toss to older players.
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