It requires three baseball coaches to manage this high energy drill.  It creates game-like intensity while promoting an aggressive approach to hitting.  These fun baseball drills will become the favorite of every team you coach.

Coach #1 pitches from the front of the mound.
Coach #2 manages the hitters
Coach #3 manages the transition of hitters and fielders.

• With a 12 to 14 man roster, put a full defensive team in the field (minus a pitcher)
• Create a lineup of your remaining 4 to 6 players
• Coach #2’s job is to manage the dugout and lineup which without leadership can become chaotic
• With Coach #1 pulling balls from a bucket, pitch to the first batter.

• All batters start with 2 strikes on them
• A strikeout ends the batters term as a “hitter”
• Every hit is live and the defense is trying to end each batter’s term as a “hitter” by getting them out
• If the batter hits safely, he remains in the lineup at the end of the line
• Batters can stay in the lineup as long as they continue to hit safely

• If the hitter is out in any way (strikeout or in the field), he rotates back to the field (sprinting at all times)
• Coach #3 walks the field and upon any “hitter” getting out, he taps the next field on the head and they spring in to the dugout to get a helmet and a bat.  They then take their place in the end of the lineup.  They are replaced in the field by the baseball player that last got out.

This baseball drill re-creates “game like” intensity for both fielders and batters.  It also promotes a very aggressive mentality in your hitters while promoting a good eye and dramatically reduces your called third strikes throughout the year.

The batter should have someone pitch tennis balls to him/her by bouncing (one hop) the ball through the strike zone.   The idea is to get into your attack position (hands back and take stride) when the ball is pitched.  Then wait as the bouncing of the ball will simulate the same kind of wait period that happens when he/she is thrown an off-speed pitch or curve ball.  It sounds simple but it is a hard drill and works great.

Split your squad into two teams.  One team takes the field (infield only – I use a baseball coach to pitch, but have a pitcher player standing next to him).  The other team is bunting.  The bunting team gets one point for safely reaching first base, a second point for reaching second base, and a third for reaching third.  That team is up until three outs are recorded.  The fielding team must use the proper bunt defense based on where the runners are (i.e. if there is a runner on second the third baseman needs to hold).  The bunting team is pressured to make good bunt to advance runners.  This baseball drill/game has been a player favorite for the last two seasons.

Here’s something that has really helped my hitters grasp the idea of starting your swing with your hips.  It’s not as much a baseball drill as an illustration.  I simply call it “eye balls”.

Place a small piece of athletic tape on both of your knee caps and one on your belt buckle.  Draw an eye ball (a black dot) in the center of each piece of tape.  When you’re in your hitting stance, your “eye balls” face home plate.  When you take your stride, your “eye balls” face home plate.  Then at the moment you begin your swing, all at once, all 3 of your “eye balls” turn and look at the pitcher.

Stand up and try it.  It just seems to help with the concept of starting your swing with your hips.

Hitting the cut-off man is real important. This is a baseball drill we use often to reinforce this skill.

I string guys out in teams of four from the first base line to the fence in center and left field. Each team member is about 90 feet apart. Spread the teams out far enough that an errant throw doesn’t kill anybody. They all start on my signal and relay the baseball to the next man all the way to the end and back.

Each player must make accurate throws to the glove side so the relay man can turn that way and not have to turn awkwardly back to the wrong side. They also must give the relay man a target and catch the ball with both hands so the throwing hand is already at the ball.

I good-heartedly rag the slowest teams to finish and most of the time they rise to the challenge with accurate throws, clean catches, and pride that they don’t have to run an extra lap or two for not performing to team standards. Make the players rotate in their line so the same players are not always on the end of the line.

If there’s a bad throw or a missed catch, the ball goes back to the point of the screwup before that team can proceed. It creates competition and teamwork. The kids (middle school) love it, but I wouldn’t overdo it; 10-15 minutes, maybe once or twice a week.

We have an indoor facility where the nonbatting cage portion of the facility is a little larger than the size of an infield. We split the team into two groups and have one group on each end of the facility going width-wise.