In these uncertain times, it can be hard to find time to conduct team training. That’s why finding drills that you can do at home are so important to keeping your skills sharp. Here are some of the best hitting drills that you can do at home.
1. Soft Toss / Batting Tee Into Net
Hitting into a net is one of the best ways to sharpen your timing and hand-eye coordination. It’s equally beneficial to hit from a tee and to hit soft toss. Every pro player incorporates tee drills into their training.
If you’re short on space, you can set up a net behind your garage or in your basement and hit from a tee. The great thing about hitting from a tee is that you can position the tee wherever you need extra practice. Inside, outside, high, low, the options are endless.
Duration: 10-20 minutes
Frequency: Daily
2. Weighted Bat Swings
Better bat control in the zone results in better contact and more hits. One of the best ways to increase bat control is by taking swings with a weighted bat. This builds up the muscles used in your swing; muscles in the wrist, forearm, biceps and back. The result is more control when you swing your unweighted bat. 12 ounces is the standard weight for a bat weight.
Duration: 5 minutes
Frequency: Daily
3. Practice Stick Stance Drill
If you need to tweek your stance slightly, this drill is perfect for you. For this drill you’ll need a batting net, a practice stick, a practice ball, and a tee. Place the tee in the middle of your strike zone and practice hitting the ball with your practice stick. First try a stance that feels natural. As you swing, try and find a stance that generates the most solid contact. Using a practice stick allows you to take more swings than a regular bat before muscle fatigue sets in. It also forces you to zero in on the ball and work harder to produce solid contact.
Duration: 10 minutes
Frequency: Daily
Timing Drill
I’m sure we’ve all done this drill in the backyard as kids. It’s as simple as throwing a ball up in the air and hitting it on the way down. You can use a batting net or a brick wall to stop your hits. This is great to hone the timing of your swing as well as keep your hand-eye coordination sharp. To vary the drill you can toss the ball higher to create a pause in your swing timing, or toss it lower to hurry up your swing.
Duration: 5-10 minutes
Frequency: Daily
Forearm Drill
The final drill is less of a drill and more like weight training. All you need is your regular bat (and a bat weight if you want). This drill will strengthen your wrists and forearms which produces better bat control. Start by holding your bat in a good two handed batting grip. Extend both arms holding the bat in front of you. Then rotate your wrists to the left, lowering the bathead to shoulder level. Hold it there for several seconds and then raise it back up to 90 degrees. Then slowly rotate it to the right in the same manner. Do this back and forth for 10 minutes and your forearms will be sore the next day.
Duration: 10 minutes
Frequency: Every Other Day
If you are looking for a baseball coach in Michigan, All Fields Hitting Baseball Academy is located in Metro Detroit Area in Southfield, Michigan. Click here to contact us. Call us for more information 248-430-0588
