Baseball drill
Feet together tee drill
The hitter starts at the tee with the feet together, strides out into their stance and swings. It builds rhythm and a balanced move forward, and it stops both lunging and hanging back.
At a glance
- Sport
- Baseball and Softball
- Skill
- Hitting
- Ages
- 6U to High school
- Players
- 1 hitter per tee
- Time
- About 10 minutes
- Level
- Beginner
- Equipment
- Batting tee, A bucket of balls, Bat and helmet, A hitting net or cage
- Indoors
- Yes
Young hitters tend to go wrong in one of two directions. Some lunge, throwing their whole body at the pitcher before they swing. Others never move forward at all and swing with all their weight stuck on the back foot. Both lose power and both miss a lot.
Starting with the feet together makes the hitter move to get into their stance, so they have to learn a controlled stride that lands in balance. It is a simple tee drill that fits any station rotation, and it works indoors in a cage or gym.
Setup
- Set the tee at belt height, in front of the plate where the hitter would meet a middle pitch.
- The hitter stands where their back foot would normally be, with both feet touching and the bat up in their normal hand position.
- Check that a normal-length stride will land them in their usual stance next to the tee.
How to run it
- The hitter starts with the feet together and the hands set.
- They stride out with the front foot toward the pitcher, landing with the front foot a little open.
- As the front foot lands, the weight stays on the inside of the back foot and the hands stay back.
- For the first few reps, freeze at foot strike and let the coach check balance and hand position.
- Then put it together: stride and swing in one smooth motion, driving the ball up the middle. Take sets of 8 to 10.
Coaching points
- The head and body move forward together with the stride; the front foot does not reach out alone.
- Feel the pressure on the inside edge of the back foot when the front foot lands.
- Hands stay back as the foot goes down. The stride and the swing are two parts of one move, not one lunge.
- Land in the same width the hitter uses in a game, balanced between both feet.
- Finish balanced, able to hold the follow-through for a count of two.
Common mistakes
- Lunging, with the head and chest going past the front knee before the swing starts.
- Reaching with the front foot while the body stays back, so the hitter swings from a stretched-out base.
- Hands drifting forward with the stride, which leaves nothing to swing with.
- Opening the front shoulder during the stride and pulling off the ball.
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
Coach pitch
Split it in two: stride and freeze for a coach check, then reset and swing. Keep the tee at the belt and praise balance more than distance.
10U and 12U
Do a few freeze reps, then go to smooth stride-and-swing reps. Watch that the stride lands the same length every time.
14U and up
Use it as a rhythm warm-up, then move the same start to front toss once the stride is consistent.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Should the hitter pause at foot strike?
For beginners, yes: a short freeze when the front foot lands lets the coach check that the hands stayed back and the weight is centered. Older hitters can do a few paused reps, then go to one continuous motion.
Can the feet together drill be done with front toss?
Yes, once the hitter strides the same way every time on the tee. Start the stride as the tosser's arm comes forward.
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