Pull hitters get pitched outside until they learn to hit the ball where it’s pitched. The opposite field hit goes to the side of the field opposite the batter’s pull side (right field for a right-handed batter). It requires a slightly later swing and a different bat path. This is the skill that makes hitters hard to pitch to.
What you need: A bat, 15 baseballs, a coach to pitch from 30 feet, a fence, and ideally a few cones to mark the opposite field.
Setup: Coach pitches outside half of the plate. Cones in the opposite field at 30 and 60 feet.
How to run it:
- Cue: Set, Load, Step, Swing. The Swing aims at the cones.
- Coach throws every pitch on the outside half of the strike zone.
- Batter waits a beat longer than usual and hits the ball to the opposite field.
- Goal: 6 of 10 hit toward the cones.
- Last 5: mix in a few inside pitches. Batter takes the inside ones, hits the outside ones.
What to watch: The bat path. Pull hitters bring the bat around early. Opposite field hits need the bat to stay inside the ball longer. If every ball is going to the pull side, the swing is too quick.
If they’re struggling: Use a tee with the ball positioned outside. Build the feel before adding a moving ball.
If they’ve got it: Add pitches at different speeds. Same approach, different timing.