Hitting Drill: Hips Fire First Tee Drill (Softball)

1. Walk the athlete through the stride-and-stop move: have them stride out, pause before their hands move, and feel you lightly hold the bat in place while their hips start the swing. 2. Demonstrate the correct hip rotation yourself, pointing your belt buckle toward the pitcher or second base while keeping the hands back, then let the athlete repeat the move. 3. Cue the athlete to keep the nose over the front foot line, feel the stretch through the torso, and fire the hips forward while the hands stay loaded. 4. Transition into the "Big Papi" position: start with the chest facing the pitcher, belt toward the catcher, and require the athlete to pull the hands back as the hips fire forward into contact. 5. Add the bat sensor and have the athlete record 8-10 swings, aiming to reach 8+ G of hip acceleration while logging best scores in a training notebook.

• Hips lead the move—hands stay back until the belt turns.
• Keep the nose above the front foot to maintain balance.
• Coach provides gentle resistance so the athlete feels the stretch.
• Track hip speed and celebrate new bests to build intent.