Baseball is a Game of Movement
Batting Practice
Dynamic Batting Practice - a 12-Player Drill
All players are active and building skills during this 12-player drill. Five players are swinging a bat at all times. This is a modified version of batting practice used at the college and pro levels.
This page is close to being completed. Some formatting needs to be addressed, a couple of diagrams replaced, and some final editing. Should be pretty solid in a couple of days.
Batting Tee - #1 Tool
Foundations
Options for Delivering the Ball
Batting Practice Structure
Batting Tee - #1 Tool
Batting Tee #1 Tool
The quickest and most efficient way to develop (and maintain) swing skills is using a tee. Leagues should keep at least two tees in the equipment box at each field.
More important than any other aspect of developing a good swing is repetition. Tee work provides an environment where a player can get a lot of swings in a short period of time. Another important aspect of developing a good swing is having a good pitch to hit. When using a tee, the batter gets a strike every time.
The video below shows former AL MVP Josh Hamilton working off a tee. You do not need to watch the entire video; watching the first 20-30 seconds is enough. The objective of presenting this video is for kids to see that Major League All-Stars players use a tee to work on their swing. Use of a batting tee is part of ‘practicing batting’ throughout one’s playing career.
Points to Look for in the Video:
- He does not stride—watch the majority of successful college and pro players, and you will notice they don’t stride (striding is a 20th Century thing).
- His feet remain in place at the conclusion of his swing. Foot movement following the swing is a very common flaw in youth batters. ("Keep Your Feet in Place")
- His torso and shoulders are relaxed through the entire swing. The movement in his torso and shoulders is a result of his lower body turning and his hands/bat accelerating through contact. He is not using his torso and shoulders to swing the bat. A very common flaw in youth batters is initiating their swing with their shoulders (this problem persists up to the high school level and is found in struggling college players as well).
Foundations
Wiffle Ball Batting
Wiffle Ball Batting
Wiffle ball batting is a staple for any youth baseball or softball practice that maximizes the skill building of its players during practice. This is an activity performed prior to each practice. We set out objects (cones, t-shirts, bucket lids, etc.) to serve as home plates and set wiffle balls approximately 12'-18' from the home plates for the adult/coach doing the pitching.
Early arrivals grab a bat and helmet (for safety in case of getting hit by a bat) and jump in to start batting. Other kids retrieve the batted balls. The adult/coach who is pitching rotates kids in and out of batting every 8-10 swings.
This is also the core activity of the 'Skills Station' portion of 'Batting Practice: A 12-Player Drill'.
Using wiffle balls for working with a batter has many advantages:
- No field required
- More reps: It is safe to pitch from a short distance; the shorter the distance, the higher the percentage of strikes.
- Easy pick-up: The balls travel, at most, 50'-60'.
- Multiple batters can hit simultaneously: These balls have a minimal safety risk, so more than one can be flying around at a time. Also, a pitcher can throw to two batters at a time (and after the pitcher gains more experience, they can pitch to three and maybe four batters at one time).
- Can be done in wet weather.
Pitching a Wiffle Ball
Watch 0:40-2:00 of this VIDEO, which shows how to pitch a wiffle ball to kids in Softball & Baseball. See 'Live 5' below, which outlines instruction limitations anytime a player is batting against live pitching.
We do not pitch a wiffle ball while standing (for baseball). Wiffle balls are thrown from a knee at a distance of 15'-20' from the batter (maybe 25' when throwing to a big 12-year-old).
The primary reason for throwing from a short distance is that our pitching accuracy increases a great deal. The most important thing for a player working on their swing is to see a high percentage of strikes.
We do not want to use a full long-circle motion with the arm as if we were actually pitching. The throw from shorter distances is very similar to throwing a dart. If a little more arm is needed to get the ball to the batter, the elbow and hand can be brought back to the shoulder/ear/head area. Good wiffle ball pitching technique relies a great deal on the wrist snapping through the ball at release. The wrist snap supplies a lot of force and is the key to accuracy.
Do not lob the ball or throw it in an arc. Often, with younger players and players still developing their swinging skills, the tendency is to throw the ball slower with a big arc. This type of pitch, in most cases, is more difficult to hit than a ball thrown a bit firmer and more on a line to the strike zone.
Note: When pitching to two batters, position them about 10' apart so they are safe from the swing of the other batter. Position yourself 12'-18'' away, centered between the batters; envision a tall triangle. Whenever there are multiple batters, they must always wear a helmet. The helmet is to protect them, not from the ball, but in case they get hit by a bat.
Live 5
Five verbal prompts can be used when a batter is taking swings at live pitches. We don’t want to ‘instruct’ a batter during team batting practice. We want a player to rotate in, get their swings, rotate out, and keep this team activity moving. These prompts do not reference mechanics; they address the most fundamental aspects of the swing. The objective, when giving these prompts, is to ‘remind’ the batter. The first two points reference timing; the final three points reference the swing.
Timing
- See Ball, Turn Back (Load)
- Let the ball get your feet (The ball is contacted when it reaches the front foot; a few inches before for pitches on the inner part of the plate; a few inches past the front foot for pitches on the outer part of the plate)
Fundamental Points
- Switch Heels (LEGS power the swing)
- Head in Place (No reaching - for poorly located pitches)
Feet in Place (BALANCE; maximizing power of the Legs)
NOTE 1: Live batting is not a time for in-depth instruction. This is a chance for kids to get reps and adapt timing to their swing. Instruction is to be limited to the above key points. The points above are also followed when ‘instructing’ the live batter and the batters in the extra hitting group during batting practice.
In-depth batting instruction is done outside the team environment, in an organized group situation where the focus of every player is learning the swing, or when working with one or two players and there is time to really work on what is being taught. In a practice where the kids are only working for five or ten minutes trying to make changes on the fly, this generally leads more to confusion than improvement.
Ideally, some instructional understanding has been established between the coach and batter prior to hitting live pitches. The talk during the live session is limited to quick, simple reminders ('Live 5') of fundamental parts of the swing.
NOTE 2: A tee gives the batter a guaranteed good pitch to hit 100% of the time. Getting a good ball to hit as often as possible is the most important factor in developing the swing. Many leagues now keep a tee(s) in each field’s storage bin. Push your league to increase the number to two per field. Also, purchase your own (that your child can use at home). A good tee can be found for $40.
Options for Delivering the Ball
Short Distance Live Pitching
Short Distance Live Pitching
Coaches throwing consistent strikes is a must. Our ability to consistently throw strikes increases significantly the closer we are to home plate. The standard distance for throwing batting practice is about two-thirds of the regular pitching distance, as seen in this picture of a Major League batting practice setup. At the youth level, we want to pitch from 25’-30’.
In most instances of kids’ batting practice, the coach is quite a bit taller than the kids. To maintain a realistic angle of the pitch, we want to pitch off a knee. If a pitching screen is not available, a garbage can is an example of a makeshift barrier to protect the pitcher.
When working with kids ages 9 or under, it may be possible to throw live batting practice without a screen.
Short Front Toss
Short Front Toss
Delivering firm, level, underhand tosses from 12’-15’ increases the percentage of hittable pitches. For the same reason stated above, this is not ideal for team batting practice, where fielders getting balls hit to them is one of our prime objectives. However, batting practice moves along quicker and more efficiently with a high percentage of strikes thrown by the batting practice pitcher.
When our focus is entirely on giving a batter a good round of work, this is the way to go. Also, from this distance, and with some practice, a coach (or parent) can do a decent job of hitting locations in, out, up, and down within the strike zone.
Again, what a batter needs in live batting is strikes, strikes, strikes.
Soft Toss (Flips)
Soft Toss (Flips)
Toss balls from a 45-degree angle (not from the side—90 degrees), from about 5’-6’. This is a staple for batting development. With a bit of practice, a coach or parent can not only consistently deliver hittable pitches, but also be fairly consistent in locating the ball in different parts of the strike zone.
Soft Toss (Flips)
Toss balls from a 45-degree angle (not from the side—90 degrees), from about 5’-6’. This is a staple for batting development. With a bit of practice, a coach or parent can not only consistently deliver hittable pitches, but also be fairly consistent in locating the ball in different parts of the strike zone.
Always use a slight backswing of the arm prior to delivering the ball to allow the batter to time their load ("Turn Back"). Toss the ball so it reaches the top of its arc at the intended contact point. This is ‘even with the front foot’ for pitches in the middle of the strike zone.
NOTE: Always tell the batter where you will locate the pitch—inside or away, up or down. Important: when working on outside pitches, for safety reasons, adjust the tossing position to be close to 90 degrees in relation to the batter.
Don’t be shy about using Soft Toss during batting practice or scrimmage. This approach gets a lot of well-hit balls to the players in the field. If the person tossing is able to locate, they can toss a pitch so the ball is more likely to be hit in the direction of a player who is ready to make a play.
For example, if a right-handed batter is up and just hit a ball that the second baseman is fielding, on the next toss we go to an inside location (we always tell the batter in advance). This toss is likely to be hit to the shortstop or third baseman (or left fielder). In this scenario, while our batter is getting a lot of good pitches to hit, we are also giving our fielders a pot of productive work as well.
Batting Practice Structure: 3 Groups of 4 Players
Batting practice, for a kids’ team, when structured correctly, is run as a drill. This is a multiple-activity routine in which each player on the field is active and developing skills at all times. In addition to the player batting live on the field, four other players are swinging the bat. Other players are working on base running, fielding and making throws, and pitching. Catchers get work at the Skills Station.
The most important aspect of the on-field batting portion is that the batter is given a high percentage of ‘good pitches to hit’ (by the batting practice pitcher). If we are unable to provide a high percentage of strikes, using a tee for the ‘live’ batter is an acceptable solution. Using a tee is reasonable when we consider the live batter in the context of being just 1 of 12 players in the drill. Also, recognize that the defensive players and base runners count on the batter getting strikes and putting the ball in play in order for them to get their work in.
Offense Group
Part 1 - Offense Group
Group 1: Offense: Live Batter, on deck batter(s) hitting off tee(s) & Base Runners
Batting Drill That Can Be Incorporated Into the Tee Station
The 'Switch Heels' Drill
The 'Switch Heels' drill trains one of the most fundamental parts of the swing—the turn of the legs/lower half of the body. This drill can be executed 10 times in about 20 seconds to prep the batter for their swings off the tee.
Switch Heels – Videos: Pujols, Zunino, ‘About Face’
A fundamental action in the swing is to ‘Switch Heels.’ All batters, when initiating their swing, drive their front heel back and down. While this takes place, their back heel turns up.
The result of these combined actions is energy from the legs pressing against the hip girdle, forcing rotation of the lower half of the body (legs).
For a few batters, it may be difficult to see this action in the front foot/heel. Some have a more subtle movement. In those swings, the rotation and driving back against the front hip takes place in the ankle and knee joints (which have some laxity and capability to rotate).
Regarding the small percentage of batters who stride, there are two ways they execute the ‘heel drop’ in the front foot: some rotate the heel back just before landing the stride; others finish their stride on their big toe, then drive the front heel back and down from there.
The first two videos below illustrate the ‘Switch Heels’ action used by Albert Pujols and Mike Zunino. The third video shows a soldier performing an ‘About Face.’ The soldier employs the same technique as the batters to turn his legs and body. The purpose of including the third video is to point out that this action is not unique to swinging a baseball or softball bat; it is basic body mechanics.
Base Running
Base Running
Reacting to balls off the bat – (1-2 players)
Runner(s) work behind the first baseman/infielders. There is no need for them to be in the baseline in order to react to balls off the bat. Leave infielders space to work.
Ground Ball: Take three or four hard steps, then go back and read the next possible pitch.
Line Drive: Freeze; follow the ball until it is caught or hits the ground. Run 3-4 steps if the ball is not caught.
Fly Ball: Come ‘half-way’ off the base; determine if the ball will drop or be caught.
Note: After reacting to a batted ball, allow the base runner a pitch or two to return to the base and prepare to react to the next batted ball. If each player can react to 3-4 balls per session, it is a good day for ‘reading balls off the bat.’
Tee Work
On-deck batters hit wiffle balls into the backstop/fence. Ideally, there is room at your field outside the backstop/fence. In some urban settings, this is not possible. If the tees must be placed inside the perimeter fence of the field, do so as far away from the live batter as possible. You will need to have an adult wearing a glove standing between the live batter and the players working on the tees to protect them from balls off the live bat.
Some kids may not understand why they are practicing on a tee since they ‘already played Tee-Ball.’ It is important for them to understand that batting off a tee is something players do throughout their careers, including time spent at the Major League level. Many Major League players hit off a tee each day
when they get to the park. This daily tee work gets their muscles prepared for the live batting practice they take on the field prior to the game.
Please watch the very short video below ('Josh Hamilton Working off a Tee') with your child. You do not need to watch the entire video; in fact, watching it for just 20-30 seconds is enough. The objective is for your child to see a Major League All-Star player, Josh Hamilton, batting off a tee. Through watching this video, your child will become educated on the fact that using a tee is part of ‘practicing batting’ throughout one’s playing career.
Defense Group
Part 2 - Defense Group: Group 2 – Defense: Playing Each Ball Off the Bat ‘Like It’s the 6th Inning of the Championship Game’
Ready Position EACH Pitch: React to and play each ball off the bat as if it’s “The 6th inning of the Championship Game.” This means no 'waving' at balls hit a few feet to their side. When a fielder bobbles a ball, they recover it and finish the play by throwing to first. If they have to dive to stop a ball, they dive. We want an absolute 'game' mindset from the kids on defense.
Have an adult at first base to take throws from the infielders after they field a ball (occasionally, the adult can be at second base to take throws). If a kid is playing the first base position, they play a bit further off the line than normal, and when fielding balls, they throw to the adult at the bag and work on their underhand toss technique.
If no adult is available to catch throws, still have the kids go through their throwing footwork after fielding the ball.
NEVER have a kid catching throws at a base during batting practice. Soon they are not paying attention to balls coming off the bat and are in danger of getting seriously injured.
When an infielder gets a line drive or pop-up, they still throw to the adult at the base—take advantage of every opportunity to work on throwing skills.
After fielding and throwing, that particular player will be out of position for the next pitch to the batter. That player keeps an eye on the batter while returning to their position. They do not play a batted ball while jogging back. We want kids playing balls as if it’s a game—from a position, not while moving across the diamond.
Note: No shagging by players—ever. Use parent helpers, siblings, etc., to shag. If the ball is not playable, let it go and prepare for the next pitch. Players need to spend every possible moment developing their skills. Shagging is a terrible waste of valuable time for a player.
As the defensive group rotates out to the right-field Skills Station, they can pick up stray balls along the way.
Alignments:
- Four infielders
- Three infielders and a center fielder or corner outfielder
- Two infielders and two outfielders
Have a coach at first or second base taking throws from infielders.
Note: Put players in positions where the batter is most likely to hit the ball. Positions are adjusted for each new batter. Also, be sure kids switch up with each other and play more than one spot each day.
Skills Group
Part 3 - Skills Group: Group 3 – Skills Station: Wiffle Ball Batting; Extra Work with Pitchers and Catchers
Wiffle Ball Batting: Two kids batting, one chasing balls; eight swings each, then rotate the other kid(s) in.
Pitchers*: Work with a coach (if a second coach is available for this station). Work with one pitcher for 3-4 minutes (allowing for 20-25 pitches), then work with another pitcher.
Catchers*: Instead of working with a second pitcher, working with a catcher is an option: receiving, blocking, throwing, recovering balls in front of the plate, etc.
Note*: When setting up groups, place the pitchers who need work in different groups, since not every player at the side station will have an opportunity to work with the extra coach. Also, consider your catcher(s) when setting up your groups so they can get work at the Skills Station.
Another option at the Skills Station is to have a pitcher throw to a catcher, giving two kids specialized work at the same time.
Coaches with Less Experience: Make this station batting only. Later, when the entirety of Batting Practice is running smoothly, add the pitching aspect. When doing batting only, have two kids bat while two kids chase. Switch after 3-4 minutes.
