How High Should A Hitting Tee Be For Softball?

Since the early 1950s, when former minor league baseball player Claude Christie invented the hitting tee, baseball and softball players have been using the equipment to tone their hitting, bunting, contact and fielding skills. The tee has changed over the years from a metal post to a plastic piece of equipment adjustable to varying heights. Choosing the proper height to set your softball tee largely depends on what you are using the tee for.

Significance

If your goal is to work on hitting low and inside pitches, you should set the tee at a lower height and place it on the inside portion of the plate; if your goal is to to hit high and outside pitches, increase the height setting and place the tee on the outside of the plate. The adjustable tee height allows you to work on hitting any pitch --- inside or outside, high or low, anywhere in between --- by simply adjusting the height setting and positioning.

Considerations

Just because you're practicing with a tee doesn't mean you need to try to knock every ball out of the park. Indeed, a common drill for softball players is bunting off of a tee. Because in bunting you aim to make soft but controlled contact with the ball, practicing on a tee is ideal. Adjust the tee to varying height and practice bunting the ball down each baseline.

Defense

A tee isn't only for offensive drills in softball --- you can use them for defensive practice, too. For example, a bunting drill can easily be turned into a reaction drill for your team's infielders. With the ball teed high, the batter can bunt the ball high into the air as an "accidental" pop-up bunt, forcing the pitcher or catcher to catch the ball. Likewise, balls bunted low, inside or outside from the tee can be used to train the infielders on which base they should be throwing to during a game situation.

Warning

Working on your hitting for an extended period can be taxing on your body. The amount of torque and energy you put into each swing with your shoulders, wrists and abdominal muscles is immense. Whether you're hitting high tees or low tees, use caution when swinging so you don't strain a muscle, and stop when any of your muscles starts feeling overly fatigued.