Connection ball drill

At a glance

Sport

Baseball and Softball

Skill

Hitting

Ages

6U to High school

Players

2 (a hitter and a tosser), or 1 hitter at a tee

Time

About 10 minutes

Level

Intermediate

Equipment

A connection ball or a small, soft, partly deflated ball, A bucket of balls, Bat and helmet, An L-screen or a batting tee, A hitting net or cage

Indoors

Yes

A lot of young hitters swing with their arms alone. The hands leave the body early, the barrel sweeps around, and the swing gets long and slow. The connection ball drill gives them something they can feel: a small ball held against the chest by the front arm, which falls out the moment the arms disconnect.

In the video the hitter starts with a dry swing and then hits front toss with the ball in place, holding it until after the finish. It works off a tee too, and it is a good station for hitters whose swings look long or loopy.

Setup

• Use a connection ball, or a small soft ball such as a mini playground ball, a little deflated so it is comfortable to hold.
• Tuck it between the front upper arm and the chest, then take a normal grip.
• Set up front toss from behind an L-screen, or a tee at belt height.

How to run it

1. The hitter takes a slow dry swing with the ball in place to feel the arm stay with the body.
2. They take their stance, load and stride, keeping the ball pinned.
3. They swing at the toss by turning the body, with the knob of the bat leading to the ball.
4. The ball stays in place through contact and only falls once the hitter is past extension.
5. Take sets of 6 to 8, then a few swings without the ball to keep the feel.

Coaching points

• Hold the ball lightly. Squeezing it hard tightens the whole upper body.
• The body turn swings the bat; the arms do not push out away from the chest.
• The knob leads toward the ball before the barrel comes around.
• Keep the back elbow close to the side as the swing starts.
• Full-speed swings once the dry swings are clean. Slowing down just to keep the ball defeats the purpose.

Common mistakes

• Dropping the ball right at the start of the swing, a sign the hands cast out.
• Tucking the ball under the back arm instead of the front arm.
• Swinging slowly and carefully to keep the ball in place.
• Using a hard or heavy ball that is uncomfortable to hold.

Printable drill card

Take this drill to the field: the setup, steps, coaching points and equipment on one card, with the video's address to find it again. Free, no account needed.

Smaller: half page or quarter page (PDF).

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Frequently Asked Questions

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