Not sure where to put this, but I wanted to share in case there were parents out there with kids just learning the game. In particular, i want to give some tips that might helps you teach your kid how to hit in a one-on-one setting. These are aimed at brand new players, not your select crews or experienced little dudes, so keep that in mind.
Picking out a bat.You don't need a $200 bat. You probably don't need a $100 bat, but it's hard to find one for much cheaper. Make sure your player can old it out at arm's length without a problem. If they waiver too much, it's probably too heavy. Depending on the size of your kiddo, anything in the 24 to 26, -10 to -12 is probably going to work. Make sure the kiddo likes the color and thinks it is cool. That'll get you halfway there when it comes to practice.
Buy a tee.I don't care if your kid is in tee ball, coach pitch, or kid pitch, get them a tee. Tee work is the only way to teach swing plane. It's the best way to work on weight transfer. Good players from youth and into the pros train on tees for a reason. I like the
Tanner Tee. Yes, it is 3x as expensive as the plastic Franklin youth tee you can get everywhere, but it'll last 10 times as long, especially with a young player that is learning and probably prone to smashing the thing. Invest here and it'll last you years.
Buy a hitting/pitching net.Get a practice net. You don't need anything overly fancy, but pick something with a pocket. The pocket helps minimize bounce back and makes collection after the fact much easier. It'll double later on when you're working on pitching/throwing. Having a net and a tee also opens up the possibility for solo practice. I like this model by
Go Sports.With a bat, a tee, and a net, you can practice pretty much anywhere, no matter your space limitations. Hell, you could probably run these drills in an apartment if you had to. You don't need a cage and an l-screen to practice hitting.
Now onto some starter drills...
These are my go-to tee drills, and the order in which I do them. Personally, I believe these drills work for pretty much any age, but they are very effective and teaching young guys how to swing with more than their arms. I use alliteration/rhyming a lot with kids to help them remember things. It makes reminders easier as well. "Spring and swing, buddy!"
#1 Hip hittingThis is a great drill to teach hip firing and rotation to a young kiddo. Get the tee set up with the ball about waist high on the player. I tell my kiddo to make a triangle with the ball and each foot making the points. Put them in an athletic position. Feet shoulder width apart, knees slightly bent, weight on the balls of the the feet. The player then holds the bat in front of them across their waist, hands spread apart with their palms towards their body. Without moving their arms, I have the player rotate back and swing through the ball using only their hips to twist through the ball. Have them try and hit it as hard as they can, getting the barrel on the ball. Eventually, we'll move to a PVC pipe with this drill held across the chest when the focus is more on swing plane and tilt.
#2 Wind the spring and swingThis one is about getting into that launch position. Make the triangle and then get back into the athletic position. Now we bring the bat up. Bend at the waist and stick your rear out. Back elbow up. Now we wind the spring by pulling the bat back behind them and up off the shoulder. Have them hold that position and feel the stretch. They hold until I say "fire" and then they swing from that spot. No weight transfer, no step. This is purely a launch drill. What I want to see is the bat in a good position with a stretch, the motion to start with the hips firing, and the arms following through the ball.
#3 Stand tall and step into the ballThis drill adds weight transfer. I have them make the triangle, then draw the lead foot back so they are standing feet together. This is a tall stance. The bat is up, but the "spring hasn't been wound." When I say go, they take a slide step with that lead foot back into the triangle. That foot is their trigger. When it lands, they replicate the launch position and swing through the ball. When it's perfect, the step starts but the back stays back, getting you the "wound spring" position. When the foot lands, the hips fire and the hands follow.
I've also heard this called the "Griffey Drill" because that's how he hit. Tall and to the ball.
We'll do 10-20 swings on each drill before we move to soft toss or live pitching, depending on the kiddo's attitude.
The more you run these, the more you can tweak. I like to have my guy swinging with a purpose and up on the ball. Keep it in that swing plane as long as possible. Helps a ton with timing too off live pitching.
