Last month I talked about how good hitters build strength and exercises they can to do to improve themselves as hitters. I also shared some ideas for creating practices around this concept of batspeed and this month will dive into detail about which drills I suggest using to do this.

Drill #1
Dry swings - The fact is that a hitter will take hundreds more swings against an imaginary pitcher and an imaginary ball than she/he will against a real ball.  In the dry swing drills, the internal rhythm and balance necessary for game competitiveness can be developed using a wood or aluminum fungo. 

1. Wide stance, no stride - The hitter works from the stride position, driving the back knee toward the front knee, turning on the inside ball of the back foot, and firing the hands through nine contact points (i.e. high inside, high middle, high outside, middle inside, middle, middle outside, low inside, low middle, low outside).  If the hands stay inside the imaginary ball the necessary “bat lag” and barrel whip will be felt.  A variation on this drill is to swing with the eyes closed to better “feel” the rhythm and balance of the swing.
2. Wide stance, no stride - barrel stop - Similar to #1A except that the hitter attempts to stop the barrel at the nine contact points.
3. Game stance, stride & swing - The hitter takes a game stance and imagines the windup and            pitch “seeing” the ball out of the pitchers hand and “hitting” the ball at the nine contact points.
4. Perfect pitch, perfect swing - Similar to #1C, except the hitter takes ten swings at what they “see” as the perfect pitch.
   

Drill #2
Underhand toss (sometimes referred to as angle toss, soft toss or side toss) - The feeder stands at a forty-five degree angle to the hitter, shows the ball out front to the hitter, and rhythmically brings it back and tosses it softly toward the hitter’s front hip.  Repetitions should be a maximum of twenty five swings for any one of the drills. Regular softballs, baseballs, taped balls, polyurethane dimple balls, Decker cork balls (a small version of a baseball), whiffle balls, whiffle golf balls, or Kenko balls (a small version of an orange dimple ball) can be used. Smaller balls are good for concentration and improving eye-hand coordination.

1. One knee one hand - The hitter is on the back knee, with the front leg extended out front.  Start with bottom hand choked-up on the bat, the top hand on the chest.  As the ball is tossed to the hitter, the hitter uses the one hand to swing the bat working to keep the barrel of the bat through the ball and moving in the direction of the pitcher.  After approximately ten swings, use the top hand choked-up, working to keep the barrel through the ball and not rolling the hand over until after contact. After approximately ten swings, use both hands choked-up, again working to stay through the ball in the direction of the pitcher.  A key coaching point is this hand isolation drill is to make sure the hitter does not rotate the torso too early, but uses the hands to take the barrel through the ball, and then rotates the torso.
2. Standing one hand - Similar to #2A, except the hitter is in a game stance working rhythm and stride, back knee drive and hip turn.  Key coaching points in this drill are to use the back side predominately even when using only the bottom hand; and to emphasize proper spacing between the back elbow and hip when using only the top hand and when using both hands.  Setting a proper angle and releasing the barrel properly creates more force to the ball.  Example: Hammering a nail – don’t force the hammer into the nail but release the hammer into the nail
3. Straight on whiffle ball - The hitter takes a game stance with the back elbow against the cage net and closed at a forty-five degree angle to the net.  The feeder feeds whiffle balls at the hitter’s front side, varying the height of the pitch.  The hitter must get the bat to the ball as quickly as possible without getting the bat end hung up in the net.
4. Off set whiffle ball - Similar to #2C, except that the feeder stays in the same place and the hitter moves her feet so that the back elbow is still in contact with the back net, but now the feet are open at a  forty-five degree angle to the net.  The ball is fed toward the midpoint of the hitter’s body, varying the height.  The hitter must drive the whiffle ball into the opposite net without getting the bat end hung up in the net behind.  A key coaching point for drills #2C and #2D is not to allow the hitter to lunge their weight forward to avoid hitting the net behind.

Drill #3
Straight on toss - The feeder is behind a net about twelve to fifteen feet from the hitter.  The ball can be fed underhand just like a pitcher.  The feeder will show the ball to the hitter, then pull the arm back to feed the
ball at a speed that will not overwhelm the hitter.  This method allows for the necessary rhythm and timing to develop.  Again, a variety of different balls can be used. Repetitions should be kept at no more than twenty-five.

1. No stride quick hands - Similar to the dry run no stride drill, this drill is done from the stride position. The hitter drives the back knee toward the front knee, turns on the inside of the back foot, and fires the hands while keeping the back elbow close to the body.
2. Game stance, stride & swing - The rhythm and timing of a smooth game swing is developed in this drill.  A key coaching point is to watch for the barrel of the bat to consistently be  above the plane of the ball from the start to just before contact.

Drill #4 - Whiffle ball machine

1. No stride - Similar to #1A and #3A.  The hitter is in stride position, using back knee drive, back foot pivot and quick hands inside the ball to get the barrel of the Fungo on the ball.
2. Game stance & rhythm - The hitter uses her game stance and develops a rhythm with the feeder of the whiffle ball machine and the ball so that the barrel of the Fungo will consistently meet the ball out in front of home plate.

With the madness of the college season coming to end I didn't have time to do an audio podcast for you. But if leave me your feedback I hope to do another audio podcast next month when things are hopefully not as crazy!

Until next month,

Coach Candrea