⚾ HITTING DRILLS

Ages 9-12
For coaching cues, common faults, and the universal "say this / don't say" cheat sheet, see the Tee Work Coach Card — laminate-friendly single page with the 6 fundamentals every modern hitting coach agrees on, a tee-positioning diagram, and an 8-row fault-and-fix table.
Stance & Load Check 3-4 min
Equipment
Bats only - no balls
Setup & Execution
Line up players facing coach. On "Stance!" players get in batting stance. Coach walks through and makes quick adjustments. On "Load!" players shift weight to back leg and bring hands back slightly. On "Swing!" players take dry swing. Reset and repeat 5-6 times.
Coaching Points
  • Feet slightly wider than shoulder width, knees bent
  • Weight balanced, maybe slight favor to back leg (60/40)
  • Hands near back shoulder, not wrapped behind head
  • Eyes level, both eyes on pitcher, chin near front shoulder
  • Load = small weight shift back, NOT a big leg kick at this age
Skills Focus
Stance fundamentals Balance Load timing
Tee Work - Basic 10-12 min
Equipment
Batting tees (2-3 if possible), buckets of balls, nets or fence, helmets
Setup & Execution
Set tee at front-center of strike zone (belt high, middle of plate). Player takes 8-10 swings focusing on contact point. Coach watches from behind or side. Rotate players through. Adjust tee height for each hitter.
Coaching Points
  • Contact point is out front - "hit the ball before it reaches your body"
  • Swing THROUGH the ball, not AT it - full extension
  • Back elbow stays close to body, hands stay inside the ball
  • Head stays still - watch the bat hit the ball
  • Finish high with hands near opposite shoulder
Pro Tip
Watch for "golf swings" (uppercut) and "chopping wood" (steep downswing). The bat path should be slightly upward through the zone to match pitch plane.
Tee Work - Inside/Outside 8-10 min
Equipment
2 batting tees, balls, net, home plate (or draw one in dirt)
Setup & Execution
Set one tee on inside part of plate (closer to hitter), one on outside part. Player alternates: 3 swings inside, 3 swings outside. Focus on different contact points - inside pitch is hit further out front, outside pitch is hit deeper.
Coaching Points
  • Inside pitch: contact way out front, pull the ball, quick hands
  • Outside pitch: let ball travel deeper, drive to opposite field
  • Don't reach for outside pitch - let it come to you
  • Hips clear faster on inside, stay closed longer on outside
Skills Focus
Pitch location Contact point adjustment Opposite field hitting
Soft Toss 8-10 min
Equipment
Bucket of balls, net or fence, helmet, bucket or stool for tosser
Setup & Execution
Tosser kneels/sits at 45-degree angle to hitter's front hip, 6-8 feet away and off to the side (not in swing path!). Toss ball underhand into hitting zone. Hitter drives ball into net. 8-10 swings then rotate.
Coaching Points
  • Tosser: consistent location and timing - match hitter's rhythm
  • Hitter: wait for the ball, don't lunge forward
  • Track the ball from tosser's hand to bat
  • Same swing as tee work - just adding timing element
Safety Note
Tosser must stay out of swing path! Use an L-screen if available, or position well to the side. Never toss from directly in front.
Front Toss / Flip Drill 10-12 min
Equipment
L-screen (strongly recommended), bucket of balls, net, helmets
Setup & Execution
Coach kneels behind L-screen, 15-20 feet in front of hitter. Flip ball underhand toward strike zone with arc. Hitter times swing and drives ball into net. More game-like timing than soft toss. 8-10 swings per hitter.
Coaching Points
  • This is about timing - seeing the ball come from in front
  • Load as the ball is tossed, swing as it enters zone
  • Don't overthink - trust your hands
  • Watch for hitters pulling off (stepping toward third/first base)
Variation
Call "inside" or "outside" as you flip to work on recognition. Or flip from different heights to simulate different pitch locations.
One-Hand Drills 5-6 min
Equipment
Light bats or training bats, tee, balls
Setup & Execution
Using a lighter bat, hitter takes swings off tee with only top hand, then only bottom hand. 5 swings each hand. Forces proper hand path and wrist action. Can also do with soft toss.
Coaching Points
  • Top hand (right for righties): controls bat angle and extension
  • Bottom hand (left for righties): pulls the bat through, creates power
  • Use a light bat - a regular bat is too heavy one-handed
  • Focus on bat path, not power - these are feel drills
Skills Focus
Hand path Wrist action Bat control
Live BP (Coach Pitch) 15-20 min
Equipment
L-screen, bucket of balls (30+), helmets, full field or cage
Setup & Execution
Coach throws from behind L-screen at ~35-40 feet (shorter than regulation to keep velocity manageable). Each hitter gets 8-10 pitches. Rest of team shagging in field or waiting on deck. Keep it moving - don't let energy die.
Coaching Points
  • Throw strikes! BP is about building confidence, not fooling hitters
  • Consistent speed and location lets them work on timing
  • Encourage swinging - don't let them take too many pitches
  • Have another coach give quick feedback after each round
Pro Tip
Structure the round: "First 3 pitches - focus on contact. Next 3 - drive the ball. Last 2-3 - hit it where it's pitched." Gives purpose to each swing.
Bunting Fundamentals 8-10 min
Equipment
Bats, balls, tee or soft toss setup, helmet
Setup & Execution
Teach square-around bunt: as pitch comes, pivot both feet to face pitcher, slide top hand up bat (behind barrel), hold bat at top of strike zone. "Catch" the ball with the bat - let it deaden. Practice off tee first, then soft toss. Aim: down third base line or first base line.
Coaching Points
  • Top hand slides up - fingers BEHIND the bat (don't wrap around)
  • Bat starts at TOP of strike zone - only bunt strikes
  • Bend knees to bunt low pitches - don't drop the bat head
  • "Catch" the ball with the bat - soft hands, absorb the impact
  • Angle the bat toward first OR third to direct the bunt
Pro Tip
At higher levels of competitive baseball, bunting is a real weapon. Even if your league rarely uses it, teaching bunting develops bat control and hand-eye coordination that helps hitting overall.
⬆ 12U / ADVANCED — hitting with a job: move runners, battle with two strikes
Sacrifice Bunt & Squeeze 8-10 min
Equipment
Bats, balls, bases, a runner; builds on Bunting Fundamentals
Setup & Execution
With bunt mechanics in place, add the situation. Sacrifice: runner on first or second, the batter gives himself up to push the runner into scoring position - bunt it firmly down the first- or third-base line, away from the pitcher. Squeeze: runner on third, batter MUST get the bunt down to score him. Walk through the safety squeeze (runner goes once the bunt is down) and the suicide squeeze (runner breaks with the pitch - bunt it no matter what).
Coaching Points
  • Square or pivot early so you're set before the pitch - don't rush it
  • Sacrifice: direction matters - down a line, away from the pitcher; deaden it, don't pop it up
  • A popped-up bunt is a double play - bat on top of the ball, soft hands
  • Suicide squeeze: once the runner breaks, you bunt ANY pitch you can reach - protect him
  • Get the out you're trading for: a successful sacrifice that advances the runner is a win, even though you're out
Pro Tip
For a competitive 12U team the safety squeeze is the higher-percentage play - the runner reads the bunt down before committing. Save the suicide squeeze for a confident bunter and a fast runner.
Two-Strike Approach 6-8 min
Equipment
Tee or front toss, bats; a strike-zone target helps
Setup & Execution
Hitters take their rounds, but every swing is "two strikes." That means a defensive, contact-first approach: choke up a half-inch, widen the stance slightly, shorten the swing, and battle - put the ball in play and foul off anything close. Coach calls borderline pitches "strike" so they learn to protect the zone instead of taking a close one for strike three.
Coaching Points
  • Choke up and shorten up - trade a little power for a lot more contact
  • Think "hit it back up the middle" - simplest, most repeatable contact point
  • With two strikes, anything close is yours to foul off or put in play - don't get rung up looking
  • Battling at-bats wear down a pitcher and his pitch count - that's a team win
  • Two-strike contact in play forces the defense to make a play - at 12U, that's where errors come
Key Phrase
"Two strikes: choke up, shorten up, battle - put it in play and make them earn it."
Hit-and-Run / Move the Runner 8-10 min
Equipment
Front toss or coach pitch, bats, bases, a runner
Setup & Execution
Teach hitting with a purpose beyond a base hit. Hit-and-run: runner goes on the pitch, the batter MUST make contact - ideally a ground ball, hitting it on the ground somewhere to advance the runner and avoid the line-drive double play. Move-the-runner: with a runner on second and nobody out, the job is to hit the ball to the right side so the runner advances to third. Set the situation, call the play, and reward contact that does the job over a hard out that doesn't.
Coaching Points
  • Hit-and-run: contact is mandatory - swing at anything you can reach to protect the runner
  • Stay on top of the ball - a grounder advances the runner; a fly or liner can become a double play
  • Move-the-runner from second: think "hit it to the right side" (second-base hole) to push him to third
  • A productive out that advances the runner is a success - praise it like a hit
  • This is a contact skill - simplify the swing, don't try to crush it
Skills Focus
Contact on demand Situational hitting Team at-bats
Hitting Drills