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Many hitting drills are available. The key is to identify a specific problem and prescribe the right drill. A coach
also needs drills to help his hitters execute skills that they will need in the game. The first three drills are drills used
to correct common hitting problems. The next three drills address common hitting skills needed in game situations.
One-Knee, One-Hand Purpose. The purpose of this drill is to put the hitter in a position where he can focus only
on his hands getting into and through the hitting zone with flat wrists.
Procedure. In this drill, the hitter should
have his front leg extended out and his bottom hand on the bat handle. A coach on one knee should soft toss the ball to the
hitter, who should try to keep his hand inside the ball with a short swing, with his wrist flat and palm down (see figure
7.8). If the hitter's swing is too long or he rolls his wrist, the coach should spot the problem easily. By having the hitter
on one knee, he does not employ the hips or stride and he can focus entirely on using the proper technique with his hands.
A good drill to help keep the wrists flat and build strength in the wrists and forearms is to have the hitter, on one knee
and using only one hand, swing with a shorter, smaller bat than he normally uses. After 10 swings with the bottom hand, the
hitter should do 10 with the top hand.
Front Inside Soft-Toss
Purpose. Another soft-toss drill to encourage a fast bat, this drill trains the hitter
to increase his hand quickness by shortening his swing. At the same time, this drill will make him use the proper technique
of having flat wrists in his swing.
Procedure. With the hitter standing, both hands on the bat, the coach feeds pitches
from behind a screen, trying to keep the ball on the inside half of the plate. This pitch placement forces the hitter to be
quick with his hands as he attempts to hit the inside half of the ball. If the hitter drags the barrel of the bat with slow
hands, the pitch will jam him. The hitter needs to work not only on having quick hands to hit the inside pitch but also on
getting the bat in a power position with flat wrists so that he can hit the ball on the fat part of the bat. The feeder in
this drill makes sure that the hitter does not roll his wrists or jam himself with a long swing. A good coaching point for
this drill is to hold the ball on every fourth or fifth pitch. By doing this, the coach can observe whether the hitter is
on balance and not stepping away or opening up his stride too soon. The swing should be short and powerful to the ball with
good technique to achieve good contact on the fat part of the bat.
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