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Softball drill

Random location tee game

A partner moves the tee to a new height and spot over the plate before every swing, and the hitter scores a point for each hard line drive hit to the right part of the field. It turns tee work into a game and trains the hitter to cover the whole strike zone.

A youth softball hitter in a helmet loaded to swing at a low ball on a tee on the plate as a seated teammate with a bucket of balls looks on
Video by Coach Dan Blewett on YouTube. The write-up below is ours.

At a glance

Sport
Baseball and Softball
Skill
Hitting
Ages
10U to High school
Players
2 (a hitter and a partner who moves the tee)
Time
About 10 minutes
Level
Intermediate
Equipment
A batting tee that adjusts in height, A home plate, A bucket of balls, Bat and helmet, A hitting net or cage
Indoors
Yes

Tee work goes stale when the ball sits in the same place for fifty swings. In a game, every pitch is somewhere new. Moving the tee before every swing makes the hitter reset, look at where the ball is, and adjust the swing to it.

Keeping score turns it into a game. The hitter gets a point for a hard line drive hit where that pitch should go: pulled if it is inside, up the middle if it is down the middle, the other way if it is away. It is a good competitive finish to a tee station, indoors or out.

Setup

  • Set a home plate in front of a net, with the tee on it.
  • The partner kneels or sits safely behind and to the side of the plate with a bucket of balls.
  • The hitter stands ready, bat in hand, outside the box.

How to run it

  1. The partner moves the tee to a new height and spot over the plate and sets a ball on it.
  2. The hitter steps in, sets their feet for that pitch and takes their stance.
  3. They take a full swing, trying to drive a line drive to the right part of the field for that location.
  4. The partner calls a point or no point, and the hitter steps out to reset.
  5. Play 10 swings, then switch roles. Try to beat your last score.

Coaching points

  • Put the tee where that pitch is hit: farther out in front for inside, deeper for outside.
  • Treat each swing like a new pitch: step out, reset, step back in.
  • Score the ball flight, not how hard the hitter swung.
  • Keep the tee inside the strike zone. The game is about hitting strikes well.
  • The partner moves only when the hitter is out of the box.

Common mistakes

  • Setting an inside pitch deep, which jams the hitter in a way no real pitch would.
  • The hitter staying planted in the box and never resetting.
  • Pulling every pitch, including the ones away.
  • Arguing about points; decide what counts before the round starts.

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 card

Smaller: half page or quarter page (PDF).

By age

10U and 12U

Keep the height changes small and call the location out loud ("inside", "middle", "away") as you set the ball.

14U and up

Use the edges of the zone, high and low, without calling the location, and make it a contest between hitters.

Next: Free lineup card generator.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you score the random location tee game?

One point for each hard line drive hit to the right part of the field for that location. Play 10 swings and try to beat your own score or a teammate's; seven or more is a good round.

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