Category: Hitting
Type: Program
SOFT TOSS DRILLS
In my lessons I use four soft toss drills to focus on some key elements of hitting.
I usually use regular soft toss to warm the hitter up: 30 reps. First, I rotate my hands holding two balls and toss them in an inconsistent sporadic pattern. This develops bat speed upon eye contact. Eventually the more experienced hitter could be tossed fakes as well. While the tosser is spinning the ball he actually fakes twice and then releases one. The next he just tosses. 30 reps.
The second drill is motor skills and awareness. I hold two balls in one hand with two fingers separating the the two. I want to hold the balls as if they were stacked upon each other. Before I toss the balls I call out top or bottom. This forces the hitter to actually think about which ball to hit upon a command . This will also fine tune their concentration.30 reps.
The third is the most difficult and possibly the best. The tosser should stand up close to the plate but just out of bat distance. The tosser holds the ball high in the air above the front part of the plate and drops the ball. The batter depending on his eyes to initiate the swing has to hit the ball before the ball touches the ground. His technique is critical in this drill. Make sure his step, hips, balance, and head are all in correct form. 30 reps.
The last is where the tosser stands behind the hitter tossing the ball from his knee through the hitters strike zone. The batter has to excelerate his bat after the ball. This develops pull arm strength and overall power.15 reps.
P.S. Fatigue develops bad habits so make sure the hitter rests twice the amount of time spent hitting.
Submitted by: Chad Chenevert
|
|
|
