Baseball drill
Two tee drill
Two tees in a line toward the pitcher, at the same height: the hitter drives the back ball into the front one. A tee drill for a short path to the ball and long extension through it, built for a cage or a gym in the winter.
At a glance
- Sport
- Baseball and Softball
- Skill
- Hitting
- Ages
- 10U to High school
- Players
- 1 hitter per station (a partner sets the balls)
- Time
- About 10 minutes
- Level
- Intermediate
- Equipment
- Two batting tees, A bucket of balls, Bat and helmet, A net or a cage, Home plate (optional)
- Indoors
- Yes
Many young hitters swing around the ball: the hands go out away from the body, the barrel sweeps and the bat leaves the hitting zone early. The two tee drill makes that easy to see. With a second ball sitting in front of the first, a swing that stays through the zone hits both; a swing that comes around hits only the back one.
All it takes is two tees and a net, so it fits in any cage or gym, and a partner can reset the balls while the next hitter waits.
Setup
- Set one tee where the hitter normally makes contact, about even with or slightly ahead of the front foot.
- Set the second tee about a foot in front of the first, in a straight line toward the pitcher, at the same height.
- Put a ball on each tee. The hitter takes their normal stance at the plate, facing a net.
How to run it
- The hitter takes a full, normal swing at the back ball.
- The goal is to drive the back ball straight into the front one, so the bat stays on the line between them.
- If the hitter misses the front ball, the partner resets both, and they try again.
- Sets of eight to ten swings, then switch with the partner.
- Move the tees up for a high pitch or down for a low one, keeping both at the same height.
Coaching points
- Hands stay inside the ball and go forward toward the pitcher after contact.
- Extend through the zone: the barrel should still be on the line of the tees after the back ball is gone.
- Hit the back ball hard on a line, not up and not down.
- Front shoulder stays closed until the hands come through. Opening early pulls the bat off the line.
Common mistakes
- Casting the hands away from the body, which sweeps the barrel and misses the front ball.
- Pulling the front shoulder open too early.
- Cutting the swing off after contact instead of finishing.
- Setting the tees at different heights or out of line, which makes the drill impossible to do right.
By age
10U
Spread the tees a little closer and use a lighter bat. Hitting the back ball solidly comes first; the front ball is a bonus.
12U and 14U
Run it as written, and move the tees around the zone: inside, middle and away, high and low.
High school
Move the front tee farther out, to 18 inches, and count only swings where the front ball is hit cleanly on a line.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How far apart should the two tees be?
Start with about a foot between them, in a straight line toward the pitcher, at the same height. Bring them closer for young hitters and spread them out for older ones.
Is the two tee drill for baseball or softball?
Both. The swing it teaches is the same, and fastpitch hitters use the same set-up, with the tees adjusted to the height of the pitch.
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