The ability to hit a round baseball squarely with a round bat as it travels at a high speed from varying angles can be challenging for anyone. Teaching kids the fundamentals of hitting a baseball is frustrating at times, but essential to their development as complete baseball players. Once a kid catches on to the basics of hitting a baseball, he can take that knowledge with him as he progresses in the sport.
Step 1
Choose a proper size bat that is not too heavy for the child to swing. Have him place his thumb and index finger around the bat just over the knob, with the rest of the fingers covering the knob. Instruct him to lift the bat up to chest level with one stiff arm. If he has trouble, the bat is too heavy.
Step 2
Set up a batting tee in front of a net or screen. Have the kids practice the basic baseball swing without having to worry about a moving baseball. Instruct the hitters to keep their eyes on the ball until they make contact.
Step 3
Instruct players to get in their batting stance about 10 feet in front of a screen or fence. Kneel 5 to 10 feet in front of the player and toss the baseball underhand into the hitting zone for players to hit into the fence.
Step 4
Instruct kids to stand with feet about shoulder width apart in the batting stance. Have them hold the bat vertically about 6 to 8 inches from their chest with the bat angled slightly over the back shoulder.
Step 5
Exercise patience as you try to teach kids how to hit properly. Treat each child as an individual and modify your teaching technique if necessary. Some kids may benefit from a slightly open or closed stance, or with hands held a little higher or lower than normal.
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