High school
Hitting
All positions
Beginner
Smother Drill for Swing Path
Tee placed in front of the stride foot at waist height forces hitters to keep the barrel working through the zone instead of cutting across and smothering the ball.
- Skill:
- bat path extension
- Equipment:
- Bat / tee
- Duration:
- About 6 min
- Setting:
- Indoor or outdoor
- Players:
- Solo
Coaching notes
Place the tee just in front of where the front foot lands and roughly waist high. A correct path clears the tee on the follow-through; a steep or outside-in path contacts the tee.
Objectives
Correct steep or cutting bat path, promote level-to-slightly-up path and better extension.
Coaching cues
Start the barrel inside; work through the zone; finish above the tee; feel the hands staying above the path of the ball.
Common errors
Dropping the hands early; cutting across the ball; finishing low and to the pull side.
Steps
- 1. Take normal stride and mark the landing spot
- 2. Place tee just in front of that spot at waist height
- 3. Return to stance and swing
- 4. Correct path clears the tee; incorrect path hits it
- 5. Repeat focusing on inside path and high finish
Source:
Antonelli Baseball
