Start driving balls to all fields and improve your bat path on all pitch locations with the Barrier Tee drill series from Garrett Gordon.
Written By: Garrett Gordon
The 3 Tee Drill: Drive the Ball to All Fields
When you hit off the tee correctly you can help yourself create better movement patterns, especially if you are trying to work on something new. The 3 tee drill may seem excessive but when done properly it can help you develop a more consistent bat path through the ball. Understanding the different angles your body has to create to hit different pitch locations is crucial if you want to hit well.
How these Tee Drills Help Bat Angle and Contact Point
In the three videos below you will see three different MLB players hitting the ball three different places. From outside to inside and from up to down you will notice how it changes a hitter's shoulder angles. As the pitch gets lower it requires the hitter to side bend further. Creating a more vertical bat angle. Don't panic about your vertical bat angle score if you are using Blast Motion. The vertical bat angle is solely depending on the height of the pitch. The contact point also needs to be discussed here, the goal is to hit the ball out front. For outside pitches hitting it deeper can be ideal for maximizing contact on more pitches. Middle and inside pitches must be hit even more out front for the ball to be driven properly.
Opposite Field Homer
- Pitch Location: Low and away
- Contact Point: Deep, contact between back hip and front knee
- Bat Angle: More Vertical
Dead Center Bomb
- Pitch Location: Middle thigh high
- Contact Point: Out front, contact between front knee and front foot
- Bat Angle: Less vertical
Pull-Side Moonshot
- Pitch Location: High and inside
- Contact Point: Furthest out front, contact made at front foot or further
- Bat Angle: Least Vertical
3 Benefits to the 3 Tee Drill
- Deliberate Practice- This drill will force you to practice with more focus. If your bat path is inconsistent you will notice it immediately. Challenge yourself with this drill and spice up your tee work.
- Immediate Feedback- The best part about the three tee drill is that it will give you immediate feedback if your bat path is off. For example, if I don't stay through the outside pitch properly I will most likely pull across and hit the middle ball. The goal is to drive every ball off the tee hard making solid contact.
- Reinforces Correct Posture- Problems are caused when the chest and shoulders pull away from the ball. For this drill, you must maintain chest and shoulder position correctly to truly get the most out of your tee work. Check out the video below for further explanation.
3 Tee Drill
Be Careful
Often times when hitters are hitting off the tee they tend to change their stance, stride, and overall position at the plate. Wherever you want to stand is fine. You will have to adjust the tee's accordingly depending on your position in the box. The goal here is to stay consistent and mimic what would happen in the game. Practice better and you will become better.
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