By: Greg Scott
Equipment:
JUGS Lite-Flite Balls or Tennis Balls and Bats
Purpose: Stress the importance of protecting the plate with two strikes.
This is a great drill when stuck inside on a rainy day an especially so, if you have a team that is racking up on strikeouts looking.
On the wall/bleachers of the gym in which you practice (or against the
fence outside), make an exaggerated strike zone with medical
tape/anything that will work. Players go to the plate (in front of this
strike zone) with a two-strike count. Lite-Flite balls and tennis balls
work best for this drill, and get the pitcher a short distance (30-45
feet) away with the ability to throw fastballs and off-speed pitches.
The hitters each get five pitches. If they foul the pitch off, take a ball, or put it in play,
there is no penalty, but if they swing and miss – we add one lap for
the team. If they take a pitch that lands in the strike zone, we add
three laps for the team.
In doing this, we stress widening the hitter’s stance, choking up on
the bat, and focusing on any pitch that could be called a strike. This
really focuses on protecting the plate with two strikes.
top