Hitting Drill: Soft Toss (Baseball & Softball)
Fundamental hitting drill for all ages to work on swing mechanics. Coach or player tosses ball up to player in the strike zone from just a few feet away. Good warm up for older players that is a little more advanced than hitting off a tee.
How to Run This Drill
- Teammates can toss to one another, or a coach can toss to a player.
- Tosser kneels across from the hitter, slightly in front of home plate in foul territory - not directly across.
- Toss the ball underhand so the batter can hit it out in front of the plate.
- Focus on a loose grip with the door-knocking knuckles lined up - this unlocks the wrists for quicker bat speed.
- Verbal cue: "Loose hands, quick bat."
- Works best into a screen with a target. Never hit baseballs into a fence.
Coaching Points
- Verbal cue: Loose hands, quick bat
- Tosser should be slightly in front of home plate, not directly across
- If getting jammed, check toss position - ball should be hit in front of plate
- Door-knocking knuckles lined up unlocks the wrists
- Can use tennis or plastic balls into a fence
At a Glance
- bucket of balls
- net or screen or fence
- coach or partner to toss
Quick Actions
Similar Drills You Might Like
Explore more drills to build your practice plan and develop well-rounded skills

Forearm Roller
Forearm strengthening with rotation using a pipe roller. Mimics rotational demands of baseball and blows up the forearms.

Zottman Curls
Curl with rotation targeting the brachioradialis and forearm. Strengthens grip for better bat control and ball command.

7 Ball Front Toss
Front toss drill using numbered zones (1-7) to develop plate coverage and understanding of pitch locations, building strike zone awareness.
Add This Drill to Your Practice Plan
Use our free Practice Planner to build complete practice plans with this drill and 100+ others. Drag and drop to customize timing and order.
Try the Practice PlannerFree forever - No account required