Fun Hitting Drills for Youth Baseball Players – Boost Their Skills and Enjoyment

Coaching youth baseball can be a wonderfully rewarding experience, but it can also feel overwhelming when striving to guide your players effectively. Here, we present three engaging hitting drills that can elevate your youth team’s abilities while ensuring they have a blast along the way. Subscribe to our newsletter for a continuous supply of fun baseball and softball drills!

1. Rapid Fire Drill: Elevating Body and Barrel Control

Among the youth players we work with, the Rapid Fire Drill is a definite favorite. Its objective is straightforward: swiftly return the bat to its starting position. Here’s how it works: a coach rapidly tosses baseballs to the player. Their challenge is to hit the ball and promptly return the bat to the starting point for the next hit. This drill spotlights body and barrel control – two vital aspects of hitting success.

Pro Tips:

• Ensure the bat returns fully to the starting point. Players often have a tendency to pull the bat back to their side, below the shoulder, which disrupts their swing’s flow.
• Emphasize maintaining control of the bat throughout the drill. Players should maintain tension in their arms to prevent the bat from tapping them during their swing.

2. Kyle Tucker Hitting Drill: Harnessing Energy Conversion

Take inspiration from Kyle Tucker’s walk-off home run for the Houston Astros. Observe how he turns when facing his teammates in the first base dugout. Tucker’s energy and tightness in his fascia dictate his movement – instead of turning to the pull side, he turns back the way he came, toward the catcher. This energy conversion is a hallmark of elite hitters.

Pro Tips:

• Encourage players to execute the same principle in tee work and front toss: hit the ball and immediately turn backwards along the same plane.

 3. Hitting a Kickball: Adding Resistance for Better Extension

Hitting a kickball offers an instant hit with players. What young baseball enthusiast wouldn’t want to connect their bat with a larger-than-life ball? Various versions of this drill can be explored – placing the ball on a tee, bouncing it, tossing it in the air, or even having players shuffle before striking.

Pro Tips:

• Hitting a larger ball requires driving through the point of contact, enhancing extension – a critical aspect of hitting success.
• Offer a range of kickball-related drills to help your players develop a solid connection and extension through the ball.

As the realm of baseball training evolves continually, staying updated can feel overwhelming. At Exhibition Athletics, we’re dedicated to keeping you informed and empowered. Don’t miss out on our articles and videos – subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Facebook and Instagram to stay in the loop! Your youth team’s baseball journey is about to get more exciting and rewarding than ever before. Thank you for reading our article, “Fun Hitting Drills for Youth Baseball!” I hope you enjoyed it and gained something from it!