Baseball drill
Criss-cross tee drill
The hitter starts with the front foot crossed behind the back foot, then strides out of it and swings off a tee. Starting crossed puts the hips in a closed, coiled position and teaches the hitter to stay closed until the front foot lands.
At a glance
- Sport
- Baseball and Softball
- Skill
- Hitting
- Ages
- 10U to High school
- Players
- 1 hitter per tee
- Time
- About 10 minutes
- Level
- Intermediate
- Equipment
- Batting tee, A bucket of balls, Bat and helmet, A hitting net or cage
- Indoors
- Yes
A hitter who opens the front hip and shoulder too early swings around the ball. They lose power, pull off the outside pitch and often roll over into weak ground balls. Telling them to stay closed rarely helps, because they cannot feel when they open.
The criss-cross start puts the hitter in a coiled position before they move. To get out of it they have to stride forward, and the stride lands with the front side still closed, ready to turn. It is a tee drill for one player at a time, good for a cage station or a winter gym.
Setup
- Set the tee at belt height in front of a net.
- The hitter sets up at their normal distance from the plate, then crosses the front foot behind the back foot.
- The back foot stays planted, with the weight on the heel and inside of that foot.
How to run it
- From the crossed position, the hitter bends at the hips into an athletic posture and feels the stretch through the middle of the body.
- They stride the front foot forward and out of the cross to their normal landing spot.
- As the foot lands, the front shoulder and hip still point toward home plate, not toward the pitcher.
- They push into the ground with the back leg and turn, driving the ball up the middle.
- Take sets of 6 to 8, then a few normal swings to keep the same feel.
Coaching points
- Stay closed until the front foot is down. The turn starts after the landing, not during the stride.
- Keep the back foot planted at the start so the hitter has something to push against.
- Watch the front shoulder. If it pulls toward the pitcher during the stride, the hitter has opened early.
- Middle and opposite-field line drives are the sign the hitter stayed closed.
- Go slow on the first few reps. The crossed start feels odd and can cost balance.
Common mistakes
- Unwinding the upper body while the foot is still in the air.
- Losing balance out of the cross and falling toward the plate.
- Lifting the back heel early and spinning on the toes instead of pushing off the ground.
- Stepping toward the plate or away from it instead of toward the pitcher when coming out of the cross.
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.
Print the drill cardSmaller: half page or quarter page (PDF).
By age
10U and 12U
Start with dry swings until the hitter can come out of the cross in balance, then add the ball.
14U and up
Push for full-effort swings and check ball flight: a round of pulled grounders means the hitter is still opening early.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the front foot cross behind instead of in front?
Crossing behind turns the hips toward the catcher before the hitter moves, so the stride lands with the front side closed. Crossing in front would open the hips instead.
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