HITTING Series

Welcome to my Hitting Series and congratulations on your commitment to improving your skills! Here you’ll find my hitting drills and secrets broken down into short step by step episodes, along with drills to reinforce proper mechanics. The episodes build upon one another, so be sure to spend some time focusing on 1 or 2 episodes at a time and mastering that skill before you move onto the next concept. Our minds and bodies are wired to focus on one or two concepts at a time and success is in the details.

Every hitter has their own uniqueness to their swing and no two hitters are alike. That being said, there is a certain foundation of skills each hitter much develop in order to be successful in the box – these fundamentals are taught and reinforced at the Division I level! 

Put in work every day, take one step at a time and focus on progress NOT perfection!

Hitting is as much mental as it is physical – on a good day, you will fail 7 out of 10 times! How you handle failure, train yourself to focus on the positives and learn how to control your thoughts will determine your ultimate success in the box. Keep an eye out for the 7 Mental Stations of Hitting!

Step-by-Step Instruction

Episode 1 - Grip

  • Line Up the Door Knocking Knuckles
  • Relax the Hands & Fingers
    (choking the bat to death does not help you hit the ball harder – in fact it slows down your bat speed)
  • Relax the Wrists & Elbows
 

Episode 2 - STANCE & WHERE TO STAND IN THE BOX

  • Study the pitcher from the dugout – What are her tendencies? How hard is she throwing? What is her best pitch?
  • Make sure your back foot is solid & comfortable in the box.
  • Stance should balanced & solid – Feet wider than hips. 

Episode 3 - TIMING & WHAT TO LOOK FOR

  • Study the pitcher from the dugout – What are her tendencies? What is her go to pitch?
  • Velocity of the pitcher will determine where you set up in the box.
  • ALWAYS set up in the front of the box for a sacrifice bunt!

Episode 4 - LOAD

  • Hands – Start by your ear & trigger from the bottom up.
  • Weight – Transition from 50/50 on set up, to 60% (back)/ 40% front.
  • Load into your back hip and inside of back knee.
  • Step – Front foot MUST be down before hands start to the ball!

Episode 5 - STRIDE

  • Less is more,
  • Front foot MUST be down before your start your hands to the ball.
  • Each hitters stride will be unique to them.

Episode 6 - Hand Trigger/ Upper body

  • A trigger with the hands is part of your load.
  • Hands load up and back.
  • Relax the arm/ elbows.

Episode 7 - POWER : Where does it come from?

  • Top hand extension through the pitcher.
  • Load into back hip/knee.
  • Drive the back side through the ball.
 

Episode 8 - Body position at contact

  • Palm Up/ Palm Down
  • Straight line shoulder/hip/knee.
  • Back knee to the pitcher.
  • Head and chest over the ball.

DRILLS for application

Tee work 101 - contact points

  • Inside Pitch Contact Point – 4-6 inches out front of front foot.
  • Pitch Down the Middle – Even with front foot.
  • Outside Pitch – Between front foot and belly button.
  • Hit the inside seam.

PATHWAY DRILL - Draw A line across your chest

  • DRILL FOCUS – Short to contact, long through extension.
  • Front Arm/ Bottom Hand = Steering Wheel
  • Draw a line across your chest without your shoulders moving!

PATHWAY DRILL - ELBOW TAP

  • DRILL FOCUS: Short to contact – Trigger front elbow FIRST!
  • Arms move independently of shoulders – they are NOT tied together. 
  • Relax Arms!

PATHWAY - BALL THROW

  • DRILL FOCUS: Throw the ball back up the middle. 
  • Hands stay in a straight line through the pitcher as long as possible.
  • Pathway = Inside & through the ball.

Insider bat - bottom hand

  • DRILL FOCUS: Bottom hand inside and through the ball.
  • Hit the ball back up the middle.
  • Drive the front elbow to the ball and extend the front arm through the pitcher.
  • Inside seam is the contact point.

insider bat - top hand

  • DRILL FOCUS: Top hand stays inside and through the ball – palm up through the pitcher. 
  • Hit the ball back up the middle.
  • Hand triggers to the ball BEFORE the shoulders!
  • Inside seam is the contact point. 

1 Arm/ bottom hand TEE DRILL

  • DRILL FOCUS: Trigger bottom hand/ elbow to the ball first (and separate from shoulders).
  • Bottom hand stays inside and through the pitcher through contact & extension.
  • Front foot MUST be down before elbow/ hand triggers to the ball. 

1 arm/ top HAND TEE DRILL

  • DRILL FOCUS: Trigger the top hand to the ball BEFORE the shoulders. 
  • Top hand stays palm up, inside & through the ball as long as possible through extension.
  • “Punch the pitcher in the stomach”

Bottom hand double tee drill

  • DRILL FOCUS: Short to it – long through it!
  • Hit the inside seam – Elbow triggers to the ball w/out shoulders.
  • Extend back up the middle as long as possible!

TOP HAND DOUBLE TEE DRILL

  • DRILL FOCUS: Top hand triggers to the ball BEFORE the shoulders. 
  • Hit the inside seam.
  • Stay palm up through the pitcher – ‘punch the pitcher in the stomach’.

DOUBLE TEE

  • Reinforces and teaches pathway to the ball.
  • Short to contact, long through extension.
  • Instant feedback if a hitter is pulling off of the ball.
 

DOUBLE TEE - INSIDE PITCH

  • DRILL FOCUS: Forcing the hands to extend back up the middle through the inside pitch.
  • Always have the approach of hitting the inside pitch back up the middle. 
  • Palm up/ palm down as long as possible though the pitcher.

double tee - outside pitch

  • Extend your top hand in the direction you want the ball to go.
  • Hitters should have the approach of hitting the outside pitch to the opposite field gap.
  • Hit the inside seam – hands inside and through the ball.

HIGH TEE DRILL

  • Stay down through the ball.
  • Keep your hands short to contact – redirect the spin on the ball.
  • Forces hitters to stay compact. 

POWER DOUBLE TEE

  • Short to contact with the bottom hand.
  • Reinforces power through the ball with the top hand.
  • Palm up/ palm down through contact.

LONG DOUBLE TEE

  • Focus: Hit the ball back up the middle.
  • Keeps hitters hands inside and through the ball as long and possible.
  • Refines focus and provides a visual for hitters. 

hAPPY GILMORE LOAD DRILL

  • Feel the movement of keeping your weight back while getting the front foot down.
  • Teaches hitters to load into their back leg. 
  • Soft front step.
 

1, 2, 3 DRILL

  • Keep it simple.
  • Great for warm ups & teaching hitters separation of load and hands.
  • Can do from a tee & soft toss. 

SOFT TOSS - BOUNCE DRILL

  • Great for working on change ups.
  • Forces hitters to stay back & set.
  • Focuses hitters to see the ball off the bat.

soft toss - double ball drill

  • Refines focus to see the ball out of the pitchers hand and off the bat.
  • Forces a short pathway to the ball.
  • Forces hitters to minimize movement in the swing.

soft toss - flash # Drill

  • Forces hitters to keep their head down through contact.
  • Forces hitters to get the front foot down before their hands start to the ball.
  • Reinforces seeing the ball out of the pitchers hand. 

extension - top hand power drill

  • Creates awareness how much power hitters have in their top hand.
  • Teaches hitters to be strong through contact.
  • Reinforces palm up through the pitcher with the top hand. 

soft toss 101

  • Allow hitters to load & get the front foot down before you toss.
  • Establish a rhythm with the hitter.
  • Do NOT go too fast – this will create bad habits!
 

Heavy Bat Drill

  • Work on getting the bat head out front at contact.
  • Focus on short to contact with the bottom hand and strengthening the top hand through contact.
  • Whip the bat head out front/ through the ball.

Load/ plant drill

  • Emphasis on a strong front leg and getting your front foot down.
  • Feel strong in your legs.
  • Find a good load rhthym.
 
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