Softball drill
Front toss
A coach sits or kneels behind a screen in front of the plate and tosses balls underhand to the hitter. Done at a steady pace with a clear arm motion, it teaches timing and repeats the swing against a ball coming from the front.
At a glance
- Sport
- Baseball and Softball
- Skill
- Hitting
- Ages
- 6U to High school
- Players
- 2 (a tosser and a hitter), with the next hitters waiting outside the cage
- Time
- About 15 minutes
- Level
- Beginner
- Equipment
- An L-screen or protective screen, A bucket of balls, Bat and helmet, A batting cage or a net behind the tosser
- Indoors
- Yes
Front toss sits between the tee and live pitching. The ball comes from in front of the hitter, like a pitch, but the coach controls the speed and the location and can feed a lot of balls in a short time. It is the workhorse of most batting cage sessions.
How the coach tosses matters as much as how the player hits. A tosser who fires balls as fast as they can pick them up teaches the hitter to rush. A steady rhythm with a clear arm motion gives the hitter something to time, the way they will time a pitcher.
Setup
- Put an L-screen in front of the plate, about 15 to 20 feet away for most ages, closer for young players.
- The tosser sits on a bucket or kneels behind the screen with the balls within reach, tossing from the side the screen protects.
- The hitter takes their normal stance in the box, with a helmet on.
How to run it
- The tosser shows the ball, then takes the arm back in a smooth, unhurried motion.
- The hitter starts their load as the tosser's arm goes back.
- The tosser releases a firm underhand toss on a line into the strike zone.
- The hitter gets the front foot down while the ball is on its way and drives it back up the middle.
- The tosser waits until the hitter has reset their feet and hands before starting the next toss. Rounds of 8 to 12 swings, then rotate.
Coaching points
- Pace the tosses. Give the hitter time to reset between swings; this is not rapid fire.
- Keep the arm motion the same every time, so the hitter can use it like a pitcher's windup.
- Toss firm and fairly flat. High, floating tosses teach an uppercut.
- Get behind the screen after every release. Safety comes before speed.
- Look for line drives back toward the screen; a lot of pulled grounders usually means the hitter is early or opening up.
Common mistakes
- Tossing too fast, so the hitter never loads and just slaps at each ball.
- Jerking the arm back quickly, which makes the hitter jump at the ball.
- Lobbing tosses with a high arc.
- Tossing from outside the protection of the screen.
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
Move in to 10 to 15 feet, toss softly to the middle of the plate and talk the hitter through the rhythm: load as the arm goes back, step as it comes forward.
10U and 12U
Work the middle first, then call a round inside and a round away so hitters practice where to meet each pitch.
14U and up
Toss firmer, mix locations without calling them, and add situation rounds such as driving the ball to the opposite field.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How far away should front toss be?
About 15 to 20 feet behind an L-screen works for most youth and high school hitters. Move closer for young players and tosses that would otherwise float.
How many swings should a hitter take in a front toss round?
About 8 to 12 good swings, then rotate. Short rounds keep the hitter's effort and focus up.
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