Although baseball is a sport that takes years to truly perfect, there are drills and exercises you can do as a youth to help improve your game. In this blog post, we’ll outline some Fun Hitting Drills for Youth Baseball that will help players of all skill levels improve their batting skills. So, whether you’re just starting in the sport or looking to take your game to the next level, be sure to check out these helpful tips!
10 Fun Hitting Drills for Youth Baseball
Do what you love! Here are 10 fun drills that any baseball player can try to improve their batting skills.
1) Soft Toss Hitting Drill
One of the easiest ways to become a better hitter is by being able to make connections with the ball on off-speed pitches. By using a soft toss machine, pitcher, or teammate, you will be able to sharpen your hitting skills by hitting the ball on its way down. This drill is great for players at all levels of play, but especially for players who are new to the game.
Here’s how to do it:
a. Set up a pitching machine or choose a pitcher to toss the ball at varying speeds, and distances from you. Try and hit the ball as it comes down to practice making contact with all types of pitches.
b. Line up five to six balls in a row – this will simulate base runners – and run through your hitting progression.
c. Try to hit the ball where you want it to go instead of just swinging at anything in your path.
d. Make sure you take note of what type of pitch you’re hitting well, and which ones require more practice.
e. Try this drill anywhere from five minutes to half an hour depending on your practice needs that day!
2) Ladder Drills
All position players should be able to hit off of a tee, but some drills are better for certain positions than others. One of the best ways to improve at any spot is by taking advantage of the team’s hitting practice as much as possible. When it comes to first basemen, a ladder drill is one of the best ways to improve your footwork and set up for hitting.
Here’s how it works:
a. Set up a series of three tees in a line – with each about a foot apart – and make sure they are about shoulder height when you are in your normal batting stance.
b. Start at the tee on the left, and work your way towards the right by hitting each ball back to where it came from without crossing over the other tees.
c. Keep this drill going for about 10 minutes before switching to another drill or resting up if needed.
3) Bunt Drill
While bunting isn’t a necessity for baseball players at any level, it’s still one of the best ways to pass downtime during practice or while warming up before a game. Most players will work on their bunting skills alone, but if you have another player who can catch for you, try having them place the ball in random, inconsistent locations to make it harder for you.
Here’s how the drill works:
a. Set up a tee about shoulder height in front of you and practice your bunting motion by making contact with the center or bottom part of the ball. The best way to do this is to set up like you’re getting ready to steal a base, but make contact with the ball instead of sliding your hands towards it.
b. Keep this drill going for about 10 minutes before taking a break or moving on to another drill.
4) Batting Cage Drill
If you’re having trouble making solid contact with the ball, take some time to work on your mechanics in the batting cage. You can usually find a batting cage at most baseball or softball fields that are open to the public, but if you don’t mind investing in something of your own, there’s nothing wrong with setting up your batting cage at home.
Here’s how to do it:
a. Keep the pitching machine set at a consistent speed, and work on hitting line drives into or near the netting of the backstop. If you’re having trouble making contact with anything but high pitches, use either an arced swing or a quick, compact swing to make it easier on yourself.
b. Keep this drill going until you feel confident in your ability to hit the ball where it’s pitched at any speed.
5) Line Drive Drill
One of the most common mistakes players make in their swing is to aim for the fences every time they hit the ball. While hitting the ball “DEEP” is important, it’s even more important to make solid contact most of the time. If you’re having trouble with making consistent contact with the ball, try this drill that requires very little effort, but still helps you to focus on where your hands need to be throughout your swing.
Here’s how it works:
a. Find a flat-surfaced wall and take ten swings, focusing on making contact with the middle of the ball before you move on to another drill or workout session.
b. Repeat this process until you feel comfortable with your ability to make consistent line drives towards that wall before going back to hitting in the batting cage or taking a round of live batting practice.
6) Another Drill for Home Plate
If you’re looking for another drill you can do at home, try setting up a tee in front of your normal batting position and doing some dry swings while focusing on lining the ball up perfectly with that tee. You’ll find that players tend to follow their hands through the zone when they swing correctly, so you’ll want to keep a nice, level swing from the ground up to ensure that your hands are in the proper position throughout your entire batting motion.
Here’s how it works:
a. Practice about 20 swings by moving from an athletic stance up towards home plate while keeping your eyes focused on the ball and making contact with the tee. Keep from “casting” your hands at the ball, and instead move them towards the bottom of the ball as it approaches you.
b. Keep this drill going for a few minutes before taking a quick break or moving onto another drill that fits your current needs.
7) Another Drill for Home Plate Part Two
After working on dry swings with a tee, you can take some time to focus on pre-pitch positioning by setting up in front of the batting cage with all your gear on and getting yourself ready for the ball. You’ll probably find that you step too far or not far enough away from the plate, so it’s important to practice this drill until you get comfortable with where your feet need to be to get yourself ready for the pitch.
Here’s how it works:
a. Set up your batting stance with your feet shoulder-width apart and practice adjusting them until you can move them both forward and back, left and right without stumbling or taking an awkward step. Keep practicing this drill until you feel comfortable with where your feet need to be.
b. Now, get ready for the pitch by moving your hands up and down in an arcing motion while you wait for the ball.
c. Throw some pitches towards the area where you want the ball to land, and practice hitting line drives directly at that target until it becomes easy for you to hit balls right where you want them.
8) Ground Ball Drill
If you’re struggling to get solid contact on the ball or your ground balls aren’t traveling very far, try this drill for keeping yourself focused on hitting the bottom half of the ball and making solid contact with it whenever possible. The idea is to keep your eyes on the ball throughout your swing, so you will find yourself being able to hit the ball out in front of you easier when you’re keeping your eyes on the bottom half.
Here’s how it works:
a. You can do this drill either inside or outside, though it may be done at a batting cage with a pitching machine that throws consistent pitches for best results.
b. Go up to the plate and look at the ball as it’s coming towards you, but only focus on the bottom quarter of the ball. If you need to, step out and adjust your stance until you’re looking at that bottom portion of the ball. Keep practicing this drill until hitting feels easy for you again.
9) “L” Drill
If you find that your top hand is causing some problems with your swing, try this drill to fix the problem. The idea of this drill is to have both hands work together during the same motion, so if you’re having trouble making contact because of the position of your bottom hand, then this drill will help.
Here’s how it works:
a. Start by gripping the bat with both hands and placing it on your shoulder, pointing straight upwards. Now place your bottom hand directly below your top hand and point the bat at the pitching machine or target that you’re using for this drill.
b. Practice swinging without letting go until you feel yourself hitting the ball consistently. If you find that your hands are separating when you swing, take a break and work on keeping them together before practicing more.
c. Once you’ve mastered keeping your top hand in place, add in a slight motion from the bottom hand and practice swinging.
10) “C” Drill
Have trouble making contact with pitches? This drill can help fix that problem by forcing your eyes to stay focused on the ball throughout the entire swing. With both hands on the bat and your eyes on the ball, you will find that it’s much easier to keep your eyes focused and make consistent contact as a result.
Here’s how it works:
a. Have both hands on the bat and place it behind your head, pointing down towards the ground. Keep watching the ball as it comes towards you, and swing at it while keeping your eyes on it.
b. If you find that your head moves too much when you swing, practice this drill with your eyes closed to get yourself used to swinging while still being able to see the ball. Once your head stops moving so much, open your eyes and keep practicing until you feel comfortable hitting the ball with both eyes open.
It’s important to note, however, that none of these drills are meant to replace regular batting or working out at the gym. For best results, be sure to do both if you want to see results faster.
Final Thought
There are many helpful relaxing techniques that you can use whenever you feel yourself getting too nervous or anxious to perform at your best. Remember that baseball is a relaxed sport and that the most successful players of all time were able to stay calm and play their best game, regardless of opponent or circumstance.
With the right mindset and the right approach, you can achieve your goals and make baseball a stress-free game again.
