One of the biggest problems when trying to create a good practice environment for youth players is keeping them focused for the entirety of the practice time. One of the best ways to help keep your youth players interested and focused is to implement some fun and basic drills. We’ll take a look at three drills youth players can do to help their bat path, rhythm, and power at the plate, while having fun and staying focused.
Written By: Chas Pippitt
Create More Power By Loading Through the Back Heel
Many articles have been written about loading into the back hip and activating the posterior chain when hitting. I wanted to show a quick drill that will add more power to your hitter’s swing instantly when executed and cued properly.
The Problem: Early Plantarflexion of the back ankle (pushing off back foot)
Many hitters have been taught drills like this which crush a hitter’s ability to stay away from calf and quad activation and deactivate the hamstrings, glutes, and lower back.
The problem here is the early calf activation that pushes my body forward and into my ‘pushing muscles’ in front of my body. I cannot ‘pull’ my hips into rotation anymore and I now have to ‘push’ my pelvis forward into the turn.
The Fix: Toes off the Ground Drill
Recently, the heel plan of the back leg and keeping it planted as long as possible has become a hot topic here a baseball rebellion. Eric and I specifically have gone back and forth on the best ways to teach it and get hitters to ‘feel it’. My favorite way and the fastest way we’ve found is the toes off the ground drill.
This forces the hitter to make sure they push their back heel down into the ground and hold their hinge into the rotation of the pelvis in the swing. Some hitters even do this drill barefooted to make sure they can really feel their heel in the ground. Remember: if you hold up your toes, you know where the weight goes!
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How To Hit Off A Tee
Many little league coaches and parents love coaching and working with kids, but don’t have a ton of experience teaching hitting. This article points out the key points that will help your young players who are beginning their journey in baseball or softball. It is super important that every player has a solid base and a good turn so that they can develop properly and have more fun in the sport!