Hitting off a tee is good. Hitting a moving ball is better. Front toss is the bridge between the two: the ball moves but slowly and predictably, and the coach controls the spot. This is the most efficient hitting drill in baseball.
What you need: 15 baseballs, a bat, a tee for backup, a protective screen (or stand behind a fence), an open field or batting cage.
Setup: Coach kneels behind a protective screen 15 feet in front of the batter. Bucket of balls next to the coach.
How to run it:
- Cue: Set, Load, Step, Swing.
- Toss the ball underhand on a slight arc so it crosses the front hip at belt height.
- Batter swings. Don’t talk between tosses. Just feed the next one.
- Do 10 tosses, then a 30-second break. Then another 10.
- Last 5: vary the height (some at the knees, some at the chest) so they have to adjust the swing path.
What to watch: Are they still using Load? Most kids stop loading after a few tosses and just slap at the ball. Reset between rounds: “Hands back.”
If they’re struggling: Slower tosses. Or back off and let them hit off the tee for a few reps to reset the swing.
If they’ve got it: Move further back to 25 feet for more realistic timing. Or add a target zone in the field they have to hit.