TEE WORK — COACH'S CARD

CUES, CHECKS, FAULTS
WHAT TO COACH — The 6 Things
universally agreed
1
Athletic stance, balanced "Feet shoulder-width, knees bent, on the balls of your feet."
2
Hands relaxed, bat at back shoulder "Loose hands. Bat off the shoulder, not on it."
3
Small load — no big stride "Weight back, then forward. Toe tap is fine."
4
Knob first, hands inside the ball "Lead with the knob. Stay short to it."
5
Contact out front, eyes still "See the bat meet the ball. Head doesn't move."
6
Swing through, balanced finish "Swing through the ball, not at it. Hold your finish."
TEE POSITIONING
where to set it
TOP-DOWN VIEW (right-handed hitter) HOME ↑ pitcher batter (RHB) IN INSIDE MID MIDDLE OUT OUTSIDE HEIGHT HIGH = letter MID = belt LOW = knee

INSIDE pitch — tee toward the front-batter side. Contact well out in front. Pull side.

MIDDLE pitch — tee at front-middle of plate. Contact at the front edge.

OUTSIDE pitch — tee deeper, away from batter. Let it travel — drive the other way.

Height: match the tee to where the pitch lives — high (letters), middle (belt), low (knee).

WHAT TO LOOK FOR — Faults & Fixes
spot it, name it, cue it
What you seeWhat it isWhat to say
Hands push out before bat comes throughCasting / long swing"Knob to the ball — stay inside it."
Hands lead but bat lags, late contactBat drag"Knob first, then barrel — get the bat out."
Front foot lands hard, weight forward earlyLunging"Stay back, then go forward."
Front shoulder opens early, ball pulled foulPulling off"Front shoulder closed to the ball."
Steep downward chop, weak ground ballsChopping"Swing slightly UP through the zone."
Big uppercut, ball under the barrelGolf swing"Direct to the ball — short path."
Top hand rolls before contactEarly rollover"Palm up / palm down THROUGH the ball."
Head snaps off the ball at contactEyes pulling"See the bat hit the ball."
SAY THIS
universal cues
  • "See the ball, hit the ball."
  • "Short to it, long through it."
  • "Hands inside the ball."
  • "Hit it where it's pitched."
  • "Quality reps, not 50 swings."
DON'T SAY
outdated
  • "Squish the bug." Overteaches back-foot spin; modern coaching is back-hip drive.
  • "Swing down on the ball." Outdated — bat path should be slightly upward.
  • "Take a big stride." Too much movement at this age; small step or toe tap.
Tee work is the foundation. 10 quality swings beats 50 lazy ones — and aligns you with every other hitting coach in earshot.