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
Quick Actions
At a Glance
Categories
Hitting
Focus Areas
Soft TossGripBat Speed
Age Groups
4-67-89-1011-1213-1415-1617-1818+
Players
2-6 players
Difficulty
beginner
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