Hitting Drill: Change-Up Front Toss (Baseball & Softball)
Front toss drill mixing regular speed and change-up speeds to develop timing, patience, and the ability to adjust to off-speed pitches.
How to Run This Drill
- Screen set up 30 feet from the plate, hitter sets up even with the plate
- Coach underhand throwsthe ball down the middle of the plate on a line at a medium to fast speed from behind the screen
- Hitter hits the ball back up the middle of the cage
- Every couple of tosses, the coach throws a change-up at a slow speed
- The coach should check the position the player is in, making sure they have not started their swing before the change-up gets to them
- If the player has already started their swing, the player should focus on being under better control and not anticipating and jumping at pitches
- Partners switch after 10 swings
Coaching Points
- Coach mixes medium-fast and slow tosses
- Hitter must recognize and adjust
- Don't start swing before change-up arrives
- Stay under control, don't anticipate
- Weight stays back on change-up
- Teaches timing and pitch recognition
Quick Actions
At a Glance
Categories
Hitting
Focus Areas
Plate Discipline
Age Groups
11-1213-1415-1617-1818+9-10
Players
1-5 players
Difficulty
intermediate
Equipment Needed
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