I was interested in some Tee drills for my son. He is a very good contact hitter at the moment but I was wondering if you guys have a certain way about going through some batting drills?
Any comments of Vid shots?
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my favorite tee drills.
1) set the tee up for a pitch right down broadway. drive 20 balls into the back of the screen(assuming your in a cage). count how many you get. only count those that hit the back next in the air. nothing that hits the top of the net, sides, or bounces counts. and try to get as many out of 20 as you can. eventually you'll be driving 20 out of 20 to the screen, and your ability to drive the ball will increase
2) one hand drills, preferebly done with softballs or softball sized dimple balls. swing with your bottom hand and attempt to hit line drives the opposite way.(so if you are a RH hitter, swing with your left hand and drive the ball to right field) then swing with your top hand and try to hit fly balls up the middle. if you hit ground balls with your top hand it means your rolling over the ball, so with your top hand you want the ball in the air.
my BP workout consists of driving 20 baseballs up the middle, then hitting about 20 one handed and 20 the other hand. if i'm continually doing something wrong i'll spend more time on it. then i go to having somebody throw either underhand or overhand short toss to me. those drills have helped me a lot.
1) set the tee up for a pitch right down broadway. drive 20 balls into the back of the screen(assuming your in a cage). count how many you get. only count those that hit the back next in the air. nothing that hits the top of the net, sides, or bounces counts. and try to get as many out of 20 as you can. eventually you'll be driving 20 out of 20 to the screen, and your ability to drive the ball will increase
2) one hand drills, preferebly done with softballs or softball sized dimple balls. swing with your bottom hand and attempt to hit line drives the opposite way.(so if you are a RH hitter, swing with your left hand and drive the ball to right field) then swing with your top hand and try to hit fly balls up the middle. if you hit ground balls with your top hand it means your rolling over the ball, so with your top hand you want the ball in the air.
my BP workout consists of driving 20 baseballs up the middle, then hitting about 20 one handed and 20 the other hand. if i'm continually doing something wrong i'll spend more time on it. then i go to having somebody throw either underhand or overhand short toss to me. those drills have helped me a lot.
I kind of came up with some tee drills working with my sons. I start by placing a thin rubber plate on the ground and have one of my sons take his normal stance. We mark the toe line with some tape or whatever is handy so he returns to the exact same spot in the box after each swing.
I start with some waist high, middle of the plate to get him warmed up. Then, I move the tee around the plate giving him some pitches on the outside corner, some a bit in front of the plate then moving deeper into the plate. He hits these balls up the middle or toward right center.
I then move to inside pitches which are much more difficult. I start with balls on the inside corner but I put the tee well out in front of the plate so he has room to clear and get the barrel on the ball (which will be pulled sharply so make sure you move your net). I then move the inside pitches deeper into the plate which is the toughest pitch to get the barrel on. I allow my sons to open slightly on their short stride but try to keep the hands in and get the barrel on the ball. If a pitcher gets a fastball in on you the only hope is to try to fight it off to get another pitch. And I talk strategy with my sons for each pitch location and give them different counts to think through.
I continue to move the tee around to high and low locations, etc. This has seemed to work for us.
Hope it helps.
Jon
I start with some waist high, middle of the plate to get him warmed up. Then, I move the tee around the plate giving him some pitches on the outside corner, some a bit in front of the plate then moving deeper into the plate. He hits these balls up the middle or toward right center.
I then move to inside pitches which are much more difficult. I start with balls on the inside corner but I put the tee well out in front of the plate so he has room to clear and get the barrel on the ball (which will be pulled sharply so make sure you move your net). I then move the inside pitches deeper into the plate which is the toughest pitch to get the barrel on. I allow my sons to open slightly on their short stride but try to keep the hands in and get the barrel on the ball. If a pitcher gets a fastball in on you the only hope is to try to fight it off to get another pitch. And I talk strategy with my sons for each pitch location and give them different counts to think through.
I continue to move the tee around to high and low locations, etc. This has seemed to work for us.
Hope it helps.
Jon
quote:1) set the tee up for a pitch right down broadway. drive 20 balls into the back of the screen(assuming your in a cage). count how many you get. only count those that hit the back next in the air. nothing that hits the top of the net, sides, or bounces counts. and try to get as many out of 20 as you can. eventually you'll be driving 20 out of 20 to the screen, and your ability to drive the ball will increase
My favorite drill and they told me I was stupid...they must like you
what is a good drill for going the other way with power? It doesnt matter if it is with a tee or not.
thanks
thanks
Next 1:
I'll copy a post I sent out to one guy who said he was opening up on everything. I think this would apply to you. One other general comment on Tee or soft-toss. Don't always just hit the ball 2 feet into a net. Get out on the field (or any grassy area) and hit the stink out of the the thing... My guys love to do this once in a while and i think they get good feedback... a net doensn't really tell you much but if you really rocket one out there, that feels pretty good...
When I have a kid (or last year it seemed like most of the team) that became "pull monsters" we played a little game in the cage. We called this game hockey. I placed an L-shape at the end of the cage with the end to the hitter (in other words you can't really see it, it's parallel to the netting) and it's off center on the oppo side. There is a little "doorway" if you will now open between the L-shape and the netting. Now sit in the cage with the hitter and throw soft toss. To get a point he's got to hit the ball thru the "doorway" (about 2 feet wide)... Then take it to the field by going out on a field (can be any grassy space) and place the L-shape or rectangle screen, whatever you've got, heck it could buckets or '68 Plymouth, anyway you've got to hit the ball oppo over that screen or bucket to get points (milkshakes, attaboys, whatever).
3rd: We do what we call the Nebraska drill because I heard they do it a lot at Nebraska (I don't know if that's true but that's what we call it). Get on the field with the L-shape up close (25-30 feet away) and position your L-shape halfway between the mound and the 1st base line. Have the hitter set up as if the pitch is coming from the mound (you'll have to stop and say "adjust to the mound" a few times) throw the ball right over the plate. the hitter's job is to let the ball get deep and hit the ball right back over the L-shape. You will see them get the hang of this and if they try to pull it's usually a real weak hit to the pull-side because of the angle of the pitch...
those are the 3 things I'd try: My high school guys like them (because they've gotten good results from them) and I think you would too. good luck
I'll copy a post I sent out to one guy who said he was opening up on everything. I think this would apply to you. One other general comment on Tee or soft-toss. Don't always just hit the ball 2 feet into a net. Get out on the field (or any grassy area) and hit the stink out of the the thing... My guys love to do this once in a while and i think they get good feedback... a net doensn't really tell you much but if you really rocket one out there, that feels pretty good...
When I have a kid (or last year it seemed like most of the team) that became "pull monsters" we played a little game in the cage. We called this game hockey. I placed an L-shape at the end of the cage with the end to the hitter (in other words you can't really see it, it's parallel to the netting) and it's off center on the oppo side. There is a little "doorway" if you will now open between the L-shape and the netting. Now sit in the cage with the hitter and throw soft toss. To get a point he's got to hit the ball thru the "doorway" (about 2 feet wide)... Then take it to the field by going out on a field (can be any grassy space) and place the L-shape or rectangle screen, whatever you've got, heck it could buckets or '68 Plymouth, anyway you've got to hit the ball oppo over that screen or bucket to get points (milkshakes, attaboys, whatever).
3rd: We do what we call the Nebraska drill because I heard they do it a lot at Nebraska (I don't know if that's true but that's what we call it). Get on the field with the L-shape up close (25-30 feet away) and position your L-shape halfway between the mound and the 1st base line. Have the hitter set up as if the pitch is coming from the mound (you'll have to stop and say "adjust to the mound" a few times) throw the ball right over the plate. the hitter's job is to let the ball get deep and hit the ball right back over the L-shape. You will see them get the hang of this and if they try to pull it's usually a real weak hit to the pull-side because of the angle of the pitch...
those are the 3 things I'd try: My high school guys like them (because they've gotten good results from them) and I think you would too. good luck
I just started using the ken Griffey Jr. tee called the Instructo swing tee or something like that. It really helped me level out my swing and have the bat in the hitting zone longer. It helps you hit the ball solid right in the middle. I really like it. It takes some time to get used to.
We also use the Instructo Swing and love it, though I must admit I think it's overpriced. But it is especially good at helping a player instantly overcome that "loopy" or "long" swing problem that afflicts so many hitters.
We also combine a second, ordinary tee with it, to work on hitting both balls -- focusing on not just making contact, but driving through the pitch. This really has gotten results.
We also combine a second, ordinary tee with it, to work on hitting both balls -- focusing on not just making contact, but driving through the pitch. This really has gotten results.
why would anybody want to swing level if all pitches travel down? the contatc area would be minimal. why not match planes (pitch and swing).
And how do you swing level at a pitch at the knees?
And how do you swing level at a pitch at the knees?
"Swing level" is not meant to be taken literally as a description of your swing from start to finish. If you start your hands at shoulder level, then obviously you have to have downward movement to hit any pitch in the strike zone. But lots of kids will develop a long, loopy swing and the admonition to "swing level" is meant to tell them to flatten their swing out a bit, especially when the bat head is moving through the hitting zone (since you usually lift the bat head in follow through).
The Instructo Swing is a good tee tool as it trains this movement with instant and consistent feedback.
The Instructo Swing is a good tee tool as it trains this movement with instant and consistent feedback.
yes, but any downward movement of bathead is going to happen behind the rear shoulder of hitter (relative to facing pitcher)...if there is a downward plane in front of rear shoulder - or level - then that makes no sense since the ball is traveling on a downward path.... i mean why would you swing down or level to a pitch traveling down...
one should have a slight upslope on swing to match path of pitch coming in... you do that by slotting front elbow, body lean (rearward) as swing begins...
what is Instructo Swing?
one should have a slight upslope on swing to match path of pitch coming in... you do that by slotting front elbow, body lean (rearward) as swing begins...
what is Instructo Swing?
My routine is pretty simple, but its very effective for me. I take 15 pitches inside and low, then another 15 inside and belt high, and then another 15 inside and high. Then I do 15 again at each level for down the middle and outside. Then I pick the spot I feel I need the most work at, and keep hitting till I feel I got it down. So I take around 150-200 cuts in a session.
