Youth Baseball Hitting Drills

Dusty Baker, a former professional baseball player and manager as of 2010 of the Cincinnati Reds, breaks the baseball swing into four phases: the stance; the inward turn, which prepares the muscles to swing powerfully; the stride, or short step forward toward the pitcher; and finally the swing itself. If you coach youth players who are just learning the game, you need to teach them how to perform each phase correctly. Drills give them the repetitions necessary to groove a fundamentally sound swing and increase their chances for success at the plate during games.

Slow-Motion Swings

Having your players swing in slow motion can help you identify problem areas and help them understand the phases of the swing. Kneel down close to each player and hold a ball in various parts of the strike zone or place a ball on a tee and move it after each swing. Have each batter visualize a pitch coming in and swing in slow motion, stopping at contact. Pay attention to how they execute each phase of the swing and give them constructive feedback when they make mistakes. Guide their bat or body, if necessary, to help them feel the proper movements.

Soft Toss

Soft toss provides players with a lot of cuts in a relatively short amount of time and allows them to practice hitting balls in all areas of the strike zone. Sit in a chair next to a bucket of balls angled to the side and slightly in front of home plate. Do not sit too far forward to prevent getting hit by a ball. Place a catch net five to 10 feet in front of home plate if desired. Toss several balls to each player, randomly tossing them in different areas of the strike zone. Alternatively, to make sure your players are focused, toss two balls at once and tell them which to hit by calling out "top" or "bottom." Give each player encouragement and feedback about his swing mechanics as he participates in the drill.

Fence Drill

When baseball batters rotate their bodies forward during the swing, they need to keep their arms flexed and hands close to their back shoulder until just before contact. Extending the arms too early, which drastically reduces power, is one of the most common mistakes youth batters make. If any of your players have this problem, the fence drill can help. Have them get in their batting stance facing a fence or net, about a bat's length away. Tell them to practice swinging without hitting the fence. If the end of the bat touches the fence, they extended their arms too early.