Hitting Drill: Hips Fire First Tee Drill (Softball)
Hip-separation hitting drill that teaches athletes to fire the hips before the hands while a coach provides light hand resistance.

How to Run This Drill
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Coaching Points
- 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.
Quick Actions
At a Glance
Categories
Hitting
Focus Areas
Mechanics
Age Groups
11-1213-1415-1617-1818+9-10
Players
1-99 players
Difficulty
intermediate
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