Drills at Home

Tee Setup & First Swings

1. Set the tee so the ball sits between the front knee and the front hip — that's the contact point we want.
2. Stance: feet a little wider than shoulders, knees soft, weight on the balls of the feet, eyes on the ball.
3. Grip: line the door-knocking knuckles up loosely. Bat rests in the fingers, not jammed into the palms.
4. Take 5 slow swings, freeze at the finish — check that the belly button has rotated to the pitcher and the back foot is up on the toe.
5. Take 5 more swings at normal speed. Aim for the ball, not at it — drive through it.

Cue: "Quick hands. Short to the ball, long through it."

Soft Toss from the Side

1. Hitter sets up at a tee-less spot in a safe direction (open backyard, net, or fence).
2. Partner kneels about 6–8 feet to the side and slightly in front of the hitter — out of the swing path, with a bucket of balls.
3. Partner underhand-tosses one ball at a time to the hitter's front-hip contact point.
4. Hitter waits, tracks the ball with the eyes, takes one short swing per toss, then resets.
5. 10 reps. Reset and do another 10 if there's time. No rushing — see it, hit it.

Cue: "See it in. Don't lunge — let it travel."

Mirror Swings (no ball)

1. Stand in front of a mirror so you can see your full swing — face the mirror at a 45° angle.
2. Take a balanced stance. Check feet, grip, hands.
3. Take 10 slow swings, watching yourself in the mirror. Look for a level, short path through the zone and a balanced finish.
4. Take 5 more at game speed — but only if the slow ones look clean.

Cue: "What you do slow, you'll do fast. Make it look right first."

Triangle Ground Balls

1. Start in an athletic ready position: feet wider than shoulders, knees bent, glove out front.
2. Partner rolls a grounder right at you.
3. Field the ball out in front so your two feet and your glove make a triangle.
4. Use two hands — "alligator" the ball, top hand covering it — and funnel it to your belly button.
5. Toss it back and reset. Aim for 10-15 clean reps.

Short-Hop Soft Hands

1. Kneel or stay low about 10-15 feet from a partner (or a wall).
2. Partner throws short hops — balls that bounce just in front of your glove.
3. Catch the ball right as it comes off the bounce ("short hop"), giving softly with your hands.
4. Keep the glove out front and watch the ball all the way in.
5. Do 15-20 reps; this builds confidence on tough in-between hops.

Wrist Snaps

1. Stand about 10 feet from a partner, ball in your throwing hand.
2. Hold your forearm steady (you can brace it with your glove hand).
3. Snap only your wrist to flip the ball with backspin into your partner's glove.
4. Listen for the ball to "zip" — that's good spin.
5. Do 20-25 snaps to wake up the release.

Single-Knee Arm Circle

1. Kneel on your throwing-side knee, glove-side knee up.
2. Make one smooth, full arm circle close to your ear and hip.
3. Finish with a strong wrist snap toward the target.
4. This takes the legs out so you can feel a clean arm path.
5. Throw 15-20, resetting your grip and balance each time.

Walk-Through Power Line

1. Pick a straight line (chalk, a seam in the driveway) pointing at your target.
2. Slowly walk through the pitch: step, arm circle, stride, snap, finish — staying on the line.
3. Keep your stride foot landing on the line, not across it.
4. Repeat slowly for control, then add a little speed once it feels smooth.

Run Through First

1. Start at "home" and sprint to first base.
2. Run all the way through the bag — don't slow down or jump.
3. Hit the front edge of the base and keep going a few steps.
4. Peek to your right (toward foul ground) for an overthrow.
5. Reset and repeat 5-6 times at full speed.

Banana Turn

1. Sprinting toward a base you'll round, drift slightly outside in a small "banana" curve a few steps before it.
2. Touch the inside corner of the base with either foot.
3. Lean your shoulders in toward the next base as you push off.
4. Practice home-to-second and first-to-third turns.

Leadoff Timing

1. Stand on the base in an athletic stance, eyes on the pitcher.
2. As the pitcher's hand releases the ball, push off and take 2-3 hard steps off the base.
3. Stay low and balanced, ready to go on a passed ball or to get back.
4. Repeat so leaving "on release" becomes automatic (you can't leave early in fastpitch).

Four-Seam Grip Catch

1. Grip the ball across the wide part of the seams ("C" or horseshoe) with two or three fingers.
2. Every time you catch, find that grip before you throw.
3. Throw with backspin so the ball stays straight and true.
4. Play catch for 15-20 throws, re-gripping each time.

"T" Power Position

1. Stand sideways to your target, arms in a "T": throwing hand back with ball, glove pointing at the target.
2. Lead with your glove, then pull it to your chest as your throwing arm comes through.
3. Finish with your throwing hand past your opposite hip.
4. Start close, then take a step back every few good throws.

Distance Ladder

1. Start close and make 5 accurate throws on a line.
2. Take a few steps back and make 5 more.
3. Keep stepping back only when throws stay accurate.
4. Then walk it back in, finishing with crisp, easy throws.

"Before the Pitch" Call-Out

1. Before each pretend pitch, the player says the number of outs out loud.
2. Then: "If it's a grounder, I throw to ___." and "If it's a fly ball, I ___."
3. A parent calls a new situation (runners/outs) each time.
4. Repeat until the answers come quickly and confidently.

Hit the Cutoff

1. One player plays "outfield," one is the cutoff, one covers a base.
2. Roll a ball to the outfielder; they field and throw chest-high to the cutoff.
3. The cutoff catches, turns glove-side, and relays to the base.
4. Emphasize a quick, accurate, low throw — not the longest throw.

Know Where to Throw

1. Set a situation: "Runner on first, one out."
2. Roll or hit a ground ball; the fielder makes the smart play (often the lead-runner force or the sure out).
3. Talk through why that was the right base.
4. Change the situation and repeat — outs, runners, score.