- Baseball is a Game of Movement -

Day 3 - Tee Ball

(links to drills and explanations of teaching points, to be added soon [11/9/25])

0:00 - 0:05

Run Around the Bases

  • Remind the kids to watch their foot step on the bases. When their foot lands on a base they yell out the name of the base: ‘First Base!’, ‘Second Base!’, etc.

  • Put 2-3 players at each base (no structure; not ‘lined up’)

  • Yell “GO!” ...Just let them run. They will be spread out within seconds. 3-4x around the bases.

 

0:05 - 0:20

Receiving Throws

  • Receiving: Arm Movement Drills (see Day 1: 0:15-0:30)

  • Fingers up

  • Thumb down

 

Move Feet to Catch Drills

 

Throwing

  • Arm Action Drills

  • Move Feet to Throw Drills

 

Players Play Catch with a Coach/Adult

One-Bounce Catch

Benefits:

  1. Makes playing catch (an Adult) with a player more doable.  Catching a ball off a bounce (fingers down) is easier for kids than catching a ball on the fly.  ‘One Bounce’ may end up being 2 or 3 bounces; perfectly fine

  2. More skilled players can receive a One-Hop throw a bit higher in velocity.  They learn to judge how the ball will bounce when it doesn’t reach them on the fly.

 

Zero throws straight to the player.  Coach/Adult makes throws ~5’ to either side of the player.  At first the player may be slow to react.  After a few repetitions they recognize they need to ‘Move Feet to Catch’.  (This is a critical skill for our kids to develop.  Many throws in games will not be straight to the receiving player.

 

Players Making Throws:

Two shuffles: “Shuffle, Shuffle, Throw” – Emphasis on Moving Feet (gain ground towards target) and Wrist Snap.

                                           

 

0:20 - 0:25

50’ Ground Balls

(Deliver the Ball to a point where the player fields it 30’-35’ from the Coach/Adult)

 

 

0:25 - 0:35

Teach: ‘Covering’ a Base  (we say “Stand ‘Next To’ the Base”)

 - Eyes on the Base Until You Get There

 - The Base is for the Runner

 

Ball or Base Drill (using Underhand Toss Technique)

(Give feedback based on good Actions: Running to the ball and the base, Ready Position at the Base, Running towards the target to toss, Guiding the ball (level); Not swinging the arm, Reach Forward to Catch.  Feedback regarding Actions allows us to praise the kids Every Play.  If we focus on Results, we won’t have many opportunities to praise the kids

 

 

0:35 - 0:40

  1. Batting Drills

  2. Stance

  3. Weight Shift Back^ (Hips ‘sink’ a couple inches) - getting some bend in the back knee is very important.  This action makes the batter aware of their Legs)

  4. Turn Back^ - NEW (Hold a ball up in front of the kids like you are a pitcher. When they finish the ‘Turn Back’ action we want them to still ‘Face the Ball’, meaning they have both eyes on the ball. Young players tend to Turn Back too far.)

  5. Elbow Drive (Hands don’t move.  They remain back near the shoulder/arm pit)

  6. Sideways Karate Chop - NEW

 

^ These actions prepare the legs to for the swing.  The Legs start and power the swing; Legs are the most important aspect of the swing.   Day 4 we introduce the actions of the Legs in the swing in more detail.

 

 

0:40 - 1:00

Batting Practice

Reminder: Bat by the Barrel

Focus/Teaching Points

  1. Turn Back (adding an action to ‘Weight Shift Back’) – New: Turn In is added to Weight Shift Back

  2. Sideways Karate Chop - New: the Forearm/Hand chopping Sideways to Contact Point^ is added to Elbow Drive

 

^ Contact Point: Even with the front foot (see Stance at a Tee Diagram). No concerns if the kids are not stopping the Sideways Karate Chop near the front foot.

 

 

 

Group 1: Batting  (in the outfield)

3-4 kids, depending on number of Tees available (see Overview), hitting off Tees at the same time (we use wiffle/squishy balls).  Spaced 10’-15’ apart, in a row, all hitting in the same direction.  Extra player(s) and adult(s) chase the balls and get them back into the Tees (Safety: players chasing balls keep a minimum of 30’ from the Tees). Each batter has a coach/adult setting balls on the Tee for them, so they can maximize the number of swings. 

Instruction points from the adults:

  1. Feet Wider than Your Knees (Stance) 

  2. Face the Ball

  3. Swing as Fast as You Can!^ …like a maniac!

^ YES!  We want our players using full effort, every swing.  The swing is smoother and more accurate at full speed …when the the batter Faces the Ball and Keeps Their Head in Place’. 

The muscles in the body work like rubber bands.  The more effort in the swing, the more the ‘rubber bands’ stretch.  The more a rubber band is stretched, the more accurate it shoots.

 

- The Tees will get blown up; that’s OK. It’s Day 1 of taking swings. Through repetition, the players’ muscles will learn to coordinate when swinging with full effort.

- Quick Fix: Limit Head Movement - ‘Face the Ball’ (Contact Point)

 

 

Group 2: Fielding (in the infield)

4-6/6-4  Plays

Teach players to Stomp^ on the base after they gain possession of the ball.

 

^ This is a fun way for the kids to tag the base.  This is for Safe way to tag a base.  During games, a fielder may have to run to a base to tag it; this creates the possibility of a dangerous collision between the fielder and base runner.  To Stomp on a base, the fielder has to come to a stop to lift their leg up.

 

Notes:

  • Use throw-down bases for ‘Second Base’.  Ideally we have multiple groups; 2 players per group, working at their own ‘Second Base’^.

  • De-emphasize throwing to First Base, except the Second Baseman and Pitcher.  Outs are made at all bases.  Later we teach the kids to throw to the nearest base; not necessarily first base.  There are a lot of base runners on base at the same time in Tee-Ball.  There will be opportunities for outs at all the bases.

^ Once coaches recognize they are not confined to working with bases in their regular spot on the diamond, but can drop a ‘base’ anywhere on the field for a drill, we create an environment where multiple activities can operate at the same time in close proximity of each other. We can work at multiple ‘Second Bases’ at the same time.

 

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