Hitting · Quick guide
How to get more from tee work
Before you empty the bucket, know what you’re working on.
You set the ball on the tee, swing, and reach for another one. Before long, the bucket’s empty. But what did you work on? Let’s make your next round easier to explain. Pick one thing, pay attention to the result, and give yourself time to learn from it.
1. Give the round one job
Before the first swing, finish this sentence: “This round, I’m working on…” Keep the answer simple enough that you can remember it while you hit.
Maybe you and your coach want firm line drives toward the middle of the net. Maybe you’re working on a ball on the outside part of the plate. Choose one clear job together.
Little League’s practice guidance emphasizes quality repetitions and warns against giving players too much information at once. You don’t need five swing changes in your head for one round.
2. Check the setup first
Put a plate down, or use a safe marker for where the plate would be. That gives you a reference for your feet and the ball instead of guessing each time.
Ask your coach to help set the tee’s height and position for the pitch you’re working on. Don’t leave it wherever the last hitter had it. Your setup should fit you and today’s goal.
Use your normal batting equipment and follow your coach’s safety rules. Make sure the net is secure, the hitting area is clear, and everyone is outside the path of your bat and the ball. Stop swinging before anyone collects balls.
3. Take one swing at a time
Try this: set the ball, get your feet ready, look at the ball, and swing. Finish before you reach for the next one.
If you’re rushing, step out and start again. There’s no prize for being the first person to finish a bucket.
After a miss, don’t immediately change your grip, stance, and everything else. Check whether you followed the goal. If you’re unsure what’s happening, ask your coach to watch a few swings before choosing a correction.
4. Notice what the ball does
Once you’ve finished the swing, notice the result. Did the ball go where you intended? Was it a line drive, a ground ball, or a popup?
Those are useful things to tell your coach. “The last three went into the ground” is clearer than “My swing feels bad.” Ball flight gives you something to discuss; it doesn’t tell you every reason a swing went wrong.
Notice the good ones, too. Tell your coach which swing felt comfortable and matched the goal. You’re looking for something you can try again.
5. Move the tee with a purpose
Once you’ve finished the planned round, ask your coach what location to work on next. Change the setup deliberately instead of moving the tee after every swing you don’t like.
The Houston Astros MLB Youth Academy manual includes tee work at different heights and locations. It also uses front toss to bring earlier drill work into hitting a moving ball.
Carry one useful reminder into your coach’s regular toss or batting-practice session. Let the coach handle the setup and protective screen. Hitting a ball off a tee doesn’t ask you to judge a moving pitch’s speed or decide whether to swing.
6. Try a simple round
Use this example during your next planned hitting session. Your coach can adjust the number of swings to fit the practice.
- Choose one goal and check the tee’s position.
- Take five swings, getting ready again before each one.
- Tell your coach what you noticed about the ball.
- Keep one reminder for the next round.
Five is just an easy round to keep track of. You don’t have to keep adding swings until everything looks perfect. Finish by naming what you learned and what you’ll work on next time.
Know the job before you swing. Notice what happened before you swing again.