Baseball Drills

Good baseball drills target one specific skill, give players enough reps to feel a change, and finish on a play that happens in a real inning. The most-used drills at every level are tee work, front toss, the four corner throwing drill, short-hop reps, the six F's walk-through for infielders, drop-step tracking for outfielders, and live BP with counts.

Travel ball and high school teams add situational defense and live at-bats on top of those staples. A drill that fails the three tests above usually drifts into busy-work. Twelve players standing in line for one fungo grounder is a queue, not a drill. Begin with the gap (the catcher whose throws to second arrive on the bag instead of in front of it, the second baseman who turns his shoulder on every double-play feed) and choose the drill that lets that player rehearse the contact that broke down in games. The USA Baseball Youth Skills Matrix(opens in new tab) publishes age-banded developmental progressions for throwing, fielding, hitting, and baserunning that match the drill list below, with video walkthroughs of each skill, so coaches working with 11U through 16U teams can match the drill to the stage of physical development.

Seven Skill Areas Every Drill Library Should Cover

Baseball is a seven-skill game on offense and defense combined. A balanced library covers each one, and most practices touch most of the seven in some form even when one skill takes the bulk of the floor time:

• Hitting. Tee work, front toss, soft toss, live BP, two-strike approach, hit-and-run reads.
• Pitching. Towel drill, balance point, bullpens, spot pitching, change-up progression, live at-bat reps.
• Infield Defense. Short-hops, six F's footwork, double-play feeds, slow-roller bare-hand, tag plays.
• Outfield Defense. Drop step, crow hop, do-or-die throws, pop-fly communication, wall reads.
• Throwing. Wrist flips, long toss, four corner, accuracy under pressure to a base.
• Catching. Pop-time throws to second, blocking, framing, communication with pitcher.
• Baserunning. Home-to-first sprint, leads, steal reads, first-to-third decisions, tag-ups.

Match the Drill to the Gap

Watch the last game film, or just the last close inning, and find the breakdown that cost the team a run. If throws to first kept sailing on routine grounders, run short-hop and throwing-accuracy reps next practice. If hitters kept rolling over outside fastballs, run inside-outside tee work and live BP with a pitcher who can locate. Avoid stacking three drills that attack the same skill unless that skill is the entire point of the session. Players need variety inside a session and consistency across the season, not the other way around.

What Is the 80/20 Rule in Baseball?

The 80/20 rule, drawn from the Pareto principle, is the idea that 80% of a baseball game's outcomes come from 20% of the activity. The practical version for youth coaching is that around 80% of game outcomes live in the pitcher-batter confrontation (every pitch produces either a ball, a strike, a swing-and-miss, or a ball put in play) while the other 20% lives in fielding, throwing, and baserunning combined. Most coaches split practice time evenly across the seven skills above, but the 80/20 lens argues for spending more time on hitting and pitching because those are the contacts that produce most of what happens in a game. Youth Baseball Edge breaks down the 80/20 rule(opens in new tab) with practice templates that weight pitching and hitting more heavily than the equal-time approach most coaches default to. The library below is sorted by skill, but the drills you run most often should track with the 80/20 weighting once the team is past the beginner stage.

Hitting wins close baseball games. A roster that can put the ball in play with two strikes scores more runs than one that can hit a fastball but folds against junk. The drills below build a swing in stages: tee work to set the path, soft toss for timing, front toss for pitch height, then live BP with a pitcher and a count.

What Are the 7 Steps for Hitting a Baseball?

Hitting coaches commonly teach the swing as a 7-step sequence: stance, grip, load, stride, swing, contact, and follow-through. Each phase sets up the next, and most swing flaws trace back to a rushed or missing step earlier in the chain. Tee work isolates the late phases (swing, contact, follow-through). Soft toss adds timing to the load and stride. Front toss adds pitch recognition. Live BP integrates the entire sequence under a real pitcher's read-and-react demand.

• Stance. Feet roughly shoulder-width, weight balanced, knees slightly flexed.
• Grip. Hands together, knuckles aligned, bat held loose enough to swing fast.
• Load. Hands and weight shift back to coil energy before going forward.
• Stride. Short, soft, and on time with the pitcher's release.
• Swing. Slightly upward path through the zone matching the pitch's downward angle.
• Contact. Front leg firm, hips rotated, hands inside the ball.
• Follow-Through. Full rotation, balanced finish, ready to release the bat and run.

Tee Work

Hitter sets a tee at belt height, takes ten swings into a net, then resets to knee height for ten more and letter-high for ten more. Belongs in every warm-up. Cue points: stride before the swing, top hand drives the barrel through the ball, finish with hands high. The simplest hitting drill in the library is the one that fixes a swing path the fastest, which is why every level from tee ball through varsity still uses it daily.

Front Toss

Tosser kneels behind an L-screen 12 to 15 feet in front of the hitter and tosses underhand into the strike zone. Hitter takes ten swings, then rotates. Faster than tee work because the ball is moving, slower than live pitching because the trajectory is predictable. The middle step of every hitting progression at every age.

Soft Toss

Tosser kneels six feet to the side of the hitter and tosses balls into the hitting zone. Hitter swings and drives the ball into a net. Twenty reps per hitter. Builds the bat path and the feeling of the barrel staying through the zone. A clean follow-up to tee work for hitters who roll over on outside pitches.

High-Tee Low-Tee

Two tees on the same plate, one at knee height, one at letter-high. Hitter takes a swing at the low ball first, then a second swing at the high ball without resetting feet. Builds adjustability inside a single at-bat, which matters once pitchers start working different eye levels intentionally at 12U and up.

Inside-Outside Tee

Tee placed on the inside half of the plate for ten swings (focus on pulling the ball into the left-center gap for a right-handed hitter), then moved to the outside half for ten more (focus on driving the ball oppo to right-center). Cones on the field mark the target zones. Builds plate coverage, which decides whether a hitter can punish pitchers who live on the corners or just chases the inside pitch and rolls over on the outside one.

Live BP With Counts

Pitcher throws live from the rubber behind an L-screen. Hitter steps in with a starting count (1-1, 0-2, or 3-1) and gets a single live at-bat. Use a rotation of pitchers if possible so hitters see different release points and pitch shapes. The closing block for any hitting practice once the team is past the tee-and-toss stage. Track contact percentage and quality contact (line drives plus hard ground balls) to decide which hitters are ready for full game speed and which need another front-toss block.

Two-Strike Approach

Pitcher delivers two-strike counts only. Hitter chokes up half an inch, widens the stance, and prioritizes contact over driving the ball. Goal: ten consecutive contact swings. Builds the discipline to give up some power for batting average with two strikes, which is a 14U-and-up adjustment that many high school hitters never make. The drill connects directly to the two-strike numbers tracked in our baseball stat sheet, where two-strike contact rate often separates league-average hitters from those who hit in the heart of the order.

Bunt and Hit-and-Run

Hitter shows bunt or hit-and-run on a coach's call with a runner taking off from first. Defense plays it live. Bunts work down the third base line for sacrifices and toward first to push the runner. The hit-and-run rep forces the hitter to make contact with the runner already moving, which is a different swing decision than a standard at-bat. A 12U-and-up drill that decides a surprising number of close games. For lineup planning that gets the right hitter up in those spots, see our baseball batting order template.

Pitching is the single biggest lever in any baseball game. The drills below build the delivery in pieces (towel drill for arm path, balance point for the leg lift, knee throws for arm slot) and add bullpens, spot pitching, and live at-bats once the base motion is stable.

Towel Drill

Pitcher holds a folded towel where the ball would normally sit and goes through the full delivery, snapping the towel through the throwing motion to a partner standing where the catcher would be. Twenty reps. Builds arm path, finish, and the feeling of full extension without the wear-and-tear of throwing a real ball. Belongs in every warm-up at every age.

Balance Point Hold

Pitcher takes the rocker step and lifts the front leg into the balance point (front knee at hip height, hips closed, weight loaded over the back leg). Hold for two seconds, then deliver a soft throw to a partner. Ten reps. Builds the feel of staying balanced over the back leg, which is the part most young pitchers rush through when they start trying to throw harder.

Knee Pickoff Throws

Pitcher kneels on the throwing-side knee with the front leg flat on the ground, ball in glove. Take the ball out, separate hands, and throw to a target 25 feet away. Twenty reps. Isolates arm action and finish without the lower body, which is useful for diagnosing a pitcher whose arm slot drops when fatigue sets in late in games.

Bullpen With Catcher

Pitcher stands on a regulation rubber, takes the standard delivery, and throws fastballs to a catcher 60 feet 6 inches away (or the youth distance for the age group). Run a bullpen of 30 to 40 pitches at the start of each pitching block. Cue points: stay tall over the back leg, drive forward off the rubber, finish balanced enough to field a comebacker. Belongs in every baseball practice that includes pitchers.

Spot Pitching (4-Corner)

Pitcher throws ten pitches to each corner of the strike zone (low-inside, low-outside, high-inside, high-outside) and tracks strikes. The drill rewards location over velocity, which is the difference between a pitcher who racks up walks and one who pitches deep into games. A 12U-and-up drill that scales to college bullpens.

Change-Up Progression

Three-stage progression: grip drill (the change-up grip held still while the arm moves through the delivery in slow motion), tossed change-ups from 30 feet to a catcher, then full-distance change-ups mixed with fastballs at a ratio of two fastballs to one change. Move on to the next stage only when the previous one is consistent. A change-up is the single most useful pitch a youth or high school pitcher can add because it disrupts timing without needing more arm speed.

Live At-Bat Simulation

Pitcher faces a hitter at the plate with a starting count and an imaginary runner on base. Catcher calls pitches; coach tracks balls, strikes, and contact quality. Run a simulated half-inning of 12 to 15 pitches. Builds the mental side of pitching (recovering from a 3-1 count, attacking with two strikes, varying patterns to a hitter you have already retired once) which a flat bullpen cannot teach. A high school and travel ball drill.

Infield defense rewards a low body, a quick first step, and a clean exchange from glove to throwing hand more than raw arm strength. The base paths are tight, the throws are short, and the difference between an out and an infield single often comes down to how cleanly the fielder gets the ball out of the glove.

What Are the 6 F's of Baseball?

The 6 F's of baseball are the six teaching points longtime MLB infield coach Perry Hill (a multi-decade fielding instructor with the Marlins, Tigers, and other clubs) uses to break down infield defense: Feet, Field, Funnel, Footwork, Fire, and Follow. Each F captures one phase of the play from the moment the ball is struck until the throw is released:

• Feet. Move the feet into a balanced ready position before the pitch, then take a small forward step on the swing so weight is loaded forward, not back on the heels.
• Field. Get to the ball and field it out in front, where you can see the ball and the glove in the same line of sight.
• Funnel. Funnel the ball back to the middle of the body or the chest. Catching the ball off to one side costs balance and accuracy on the throw.
• Footwork. After the catch, use a clean footwork pattern to create distance and direction toward the target without crossing the feet.
• Fire. Separate the hands into the throwing position with thumbs down, then release the ball with a clean arm slot toward the target.
• Follow. Take a few extra steps in the direction of the throw after release, which improves both carry and accuracy.

The 6 F's read as a checklist a player can run through on every routine grounder. The walk-through drill below turns the checklist into reps. Perry Hill's full 6 F's of fielding handout(opens in new tab) covers each phase in detail with diagrams and cue points for coaches who want to teach the framework directly.

Six Fs Walk-Through

Coach hits a slow grounder to the fielder. Fielder narrates each F out loud while moving through it ("feet, field, funnel, footwork, fire, follow") and finishes with the throw and follow steps to the target. Slow it down deliberately so each phase is felt, then pick up the speed across reps until the entire sequence happens at game pace. Twelve reps per fielder. Coaches who want to see the sequence at full speed can watch the slow-motion video clips inside the Skills Matrix linked above before running the drill cold. The single most useful infield drill at 10U through high school because it forces a clean sequence on every play instead of letting players paper over a missed step with arm strength.

Short-Hop Reps

Two players ten feet apart. One throws short-hops to the other from a kneeling position; the fielder works the glove out in front and absorbs the hop softly. Thirty reps each. Builds confidence on the tough hop, which is the single biggest fear at 10U through 14U and the difference between a clean play and a ball deflecting off a glove into right field.

Triangle Ground Balls

Three cones form a triangle. Coach hits or rolls grounders from the apex; fielder reads, fields, and throws to one of the two base cones. Rotate every five reps. Builds the field-and-throw rhythm without the chaos of a full infield setup.

Backhand and Forehand Range

Coach with a fungo bat hits balls to the fielder's backhand and forehand sides alternately. Fielder shuffles to position, fields the ball, and throws to a target. The drill matches a real-inning reaction to a mid-grounder and is the cleanest way to build lateral range without overcomplicating the footwork.

Double-Play Feed

Second baseman or shortstop fields a grounder and feeds the pivot man at second; pivot man turns and throws to first. Run from both sides. Cue points: glove-side feed for the second baseman who is moving toward second, inside-the-bag throw for the shortstop. Most coaches teach the play using its scorecard number sequence so fielders can call the read before the pitch. The most common combinations are 4-6-3 (second baseman feeds shortstop, who throws to first), 6-4-3 (shortstop feeds second baseman), and 5-2-3 (third baseman to catcher for the force at home, then to first). Builds the timing that decides whether a routine grounder turns into two outs or just one. The drill connects to the lineup decisions in our baseball lineup card when sorting middle-infield combinations that turn double plays cleanly together.

Bare-Hand Slow Roller

Coach rolls a slow grounder; fielder charges, fields with the bare hand, and throws on the run to first. Run from third base and from the pitcher's mound area. Builds the charge-and-throw rhythm that turns a slow rolling ball into an out, which a routine fielding play often misses. A 12U-and-up drill.

Tag Plays at Second

Middle infielder takes a feed at second base and applies a tag on a runner sliding in. Use a pop-up slide and a hook slide so the fielder learns to read both. Coach tracks tag application, not just whether the runner is out. Tag mechanics are one of the most under-coached parts of infield defense and decide more close plays at second than coaches usually credit.

Bunt Defense Coverage

Hitter shows bunt; coach calls the bunt direction (third, first, push toward the pitcher). Defense rotates: third baseman or first baseman charges, catcher fields anything in front of the plate, pitcher covers an unattended base. Run from a stretch motion at 12U and up. Bunt defense is one of the most common ways teams give up free runners at the high school level.

Outfield defense rewards a clean read off the bat and a fast first step more than raw speed. The fly ball that looks easy from the dugout often plays harder than expected because the fielder breaks back at the wrong angle. The drills below build the drop step, the crow hop, and the do-or-die throwing pattern.

Drop Step Tracking

Outfielder stands in shallow position; coach hits or throws balls over the head. Fielder turns the hips, takes a drop step in the direction of the ball, and tracks it over the shoulder. Run reps to both sides. The drop step is the single biggest difference between an outfielder who catches deep balls and one who breaks back at the wrong angle and turns triples into in-the-park home runs.

Crow Hop and Throw

Player fields a stationary ball, takes a crow hop (a small skip with the throwing-side foot to redirect momentum forward), and delivers the throw to a base target. Run from the warning track in to a cutoff. Builds the footwork that turns a fielded ball into a strong throw without losing the ball in the transfer.

Do or Die

Outfielder charges a ground ball that has gotten through the infield and throws on the run to home plate. Use a one-hop bounce throw at first, full-air throw once the player can hold form on the run. Builds the desperation throw that decides a tying or go-ahead run from second base on a single. A 12U-and-up drill.

Pop Fly Communication

Three players (a corner outfielder, the center fielder, and the middle infielder closest to the gap) stand in their positions. Coach hits a pop fly between them. Players call "mine" or "yours" loudly while the ball is in the air. Builds the verbal habit that prevents collisions on shallow pop flies, which is one of the most common ways teams give up free runs at the youth and high school level.

Wall Ball Reads

Outfielder plays a ball off an outfield wall (or any vertical surface for younger teams). Coach tosses the ball off the wall at varying angles; outfielder reads the carom, fields it, and throws back. Builds the read that turns a wall ball into a single instead of a triple. A 14U-and-up drill at fields with a real wall; younger teams can run the same pattern off a fence.

Throwing is what most coaches under-drill the most. Throwing problems show up in tiny ways: a half-second arm-drag from short to first, an off-balance crow hop from the outfield, a catcher whose pop-time sits at 2.4 seconds when the recruit cutoff is 2.0. The drills below build mechanics first, distance second, and accuracy under pressure last, with two catcher-specific drills at the end.

Wrist Flips

Pairs ten feet apart. Each player holds a ball at the ear with a four-seam grip and flicks the wrist forward to deliver the ball softly to a partner. Twenty reps. Builds wrist quickness, which decides how late a fielder can hold the ball before throwing on a quick play.

Long Toss Progression

Pairs start ten feet apart and back up five feet after every five throws until they are at maximum distance, then walk back in the same way. The progression keeps shoulders warm and builds throwing-arm endurance. Run for ten minutes at the start of every practice that includes throwing reps.

Four Corner Drill

Four players form a square at the bases. The ball moves from base to base in order (home to first to second to third and back to home), each player setting their feet and delivering a strong throw. Add a reverse rotation on the second pass. Builds throwing accuracy and footwork under a controlled pace, and works as a daily warm-up at every level.

Catcher Pop-Time

Catcher receives a pitch and delivers a throw to second base. A coach with a stopwatch times release-to-glove (called pop-time). Goal: under 2.0 seconds for travel ball, under 2.2 for high school. Track times across weeks. A foundational drill for developing a catcher who can shut down a running game.

Block and Recover

Pitcher or coach throws balls in the dirt directly in front of the catcher. Catcher drops to the blocking position (knees down, glove between the legs, chin tucked, body angled toward the plate to keep the ball contained). Recover, find the runner, and either tag or throw. Twenty reps. Builds the habit that a passed ball is a coaching failure, not bad luck. A daily catcher drill from 11U through high school.

Baserunning swings games on a single read: a runner who tags from third on a medium-deep fly, a hitter who hustles to second on a routine grounder that gets bobbled, a runner on first who pushes to third on a single to right. Most teams treat baserunning as a finish-of-practice block; programs that win close games drill it inside live situations during the week.

Home-to-First Sprint

Hitter swings off a tee or front toss, drops the bat, and sprints through first. Coach times every player. Track runners in three buckets (under 4.0 seconds for college-level players, 4.0-4.4 for travel ball, 4.4 and slower for development). Builds the habit of running through the bag instead of slowing down at the three-quarter mark, which is a 9U-through-high-school problem.

Lead and Steal Reads

Runner takes a primary lead off first base, then a secondary lead on the pitch. Coach calls "go" or "stay" based on a script the runner cannot see. Builds the two-step drop and the steal jump, which are the building blocks for a 12U-and-up running game where leadoffs are legal.

First-to-Third Read

Runner on first; coach hits a single to right or left field. Runner reads the ball off the bat and decides whether to round second hard and try for third. Coach gives feedback on jump, angle around the bag, and shut-down decisions. The first-to-third read is one of the highest-impact baserunning skills because every run it produces is a free run created without an extra hit.

Tag-Up From Third

Runner on third; coach hits a fly ball to the outfield. Runner tags the bag, reads the depth of the catch, and decides whether to break for home. Add an outfielder so the runner reads the throw shape, not just the catch position. A 12U-and-up drill that decides a surprising number of close games at the youth and high school level.

Rundown Pickle

Runner caught between two bases. Two fielders run a rundown trying to tag the runner before she reaches a base. Add a third fielder for a delayed cutoff. Builds the agility and decision-making that gets a runner out of a pickle, which happens more often in youth baseball than coaches usually drill for.

A drill library should serve every player on the roster, not just the ones who already make travel ball. Youth players need a different starting point than 14U or varsity, and the difference is mostly about ball-feel, contact confidence, and field dimensions, not completely different drills.

Baseball Drills for Beginners

A first-time baseball player needs ball-feel and contact confidence before any team play matters. Rolling ground ball (a coach rolls the ball from ten feet away and the player catches it on the ground in a glove) teaches the platform shape without a real hop. Toss-and-catch pairs builds the catch-and-release rhythm with a partner without the overhand throw. Tee-ball swings teach the swing motion against a stationary ball with a lighter baseball. Run-the-bases races teach base orientation in a low-pressure way. Use safety baseballs (the softer-core training balls) at the beginner level if any player is gun-shy, and the regular ball once contact confidence is built.

Baseball Drills for Kids (8-10) and 11-12 Year Olds

A kids-level practice (typically coach-pitch through 10U) runs 60 to 90 minutes and works best with eight minute blocks rotating through tee work, soft toss, short-hop reps, four corner throws, and a base-running game at the end. Pairs and trios keep everyone moving so no one stands in line. By 11-12, most leagues move to kid-pitch and the practice mix shifts to give pitchers and hitters more reps under live conditions: inside-outside tee work, two bullpens of 25-30 pitches with spot-pitching targets, the six F's walk-through, and a 15-minute game-situation block (live BP with counts or situational defense). This is the age where the 80/20 rule starts to bite, so weight hitting and pitching higher than fielding even though all three matter.

Fun Baseball Drills

The fastest way to make a drill more engaging is to add a score or a stake. Tee work becomes a ten-swing accuracy contest with target zones in the net. Short-hop reps become a clean-rep streak (most in a row wins). Live BP becomes a quality-contact tally where a line drive scores two and a hard ground ball scores one. The drill stays the same; the focus changes from running the rep to winning the rep. Pair that with variety (two short blocks of eight minutes instead of one long block of sixteen) and most kids push for a tenth round instead of asking when practice ends. For the broader practice structure, see our baseball practice plan template.

Advanced and high school players have already absorbed the seven core skills. The drills that move the needle at this level add constraints, decisions, and game-pressure stakes to drills they already know. The four below cover the situational defense, two-strike work, first-and-third plays, and inning-pace work that decide close games at travel ball and varsity levels.

Situational Defense

Coach calls a situation ("runner on second, one out") and hits a fungo to a fielder. Defense plays the ball, including the cutoff and the play at the appropriate base. Run ten or fifteen scripted situations covering bunts, infield flies, gap hits, and base-loaded plays. Position responsibilities reset every situation, which is where baseball position chart coverage maps help assistants run the same coverage as your starters.

Two-Strike Battle BP

Pitcher faces a hitter at 0-2 every at-bat. Pitcher attacks the corners; hitter has to put the ball in play in fair territory. A hitter who fouls off three pitches in a row earns a fresh count. Builds the two-strike grind that separates league-average hitters from a deep lineup, and pairs cleanly with the two-strike approach tee-and-toss work earlier in the hitting block.

First and Third Plays

Runners on first and third; first runner steals second. Defense practices three responses (throw through to second, fake throw and check the runner at third, look home and trail the runner to second). Decides a surprising share of close games at the travel ball and high school levels.

Inning Defense Race

Defense takes the field; coach hits a fungo simulating a routine inning (three batted balls, three outs). Stopwatch starts on the first pitch and stops on the third out. Goal: complete the simulated inning under 90 seconds for high school. Builds tempo, which is the difference between a defense that gets out of innings cleanly and one that lets innings drag while the pitcher gets cold. For tryout-day evaluation that uses the same skill categories as the drill library, see our baseball tryout evaluation form.

One practice plan covers Tuesday night. A drill library covers a full season. The reference below pulls every drill from this article into a single table you can scan, sort, or hand to an assistant coach. Download as an image, copy as a table into a spreadsheet, save it as a PDF from the print dialog, or print it straight for a coaching binder. Each row tags the drill by skill, equipment, group size, time, and difficulty so the right drill lands in the right block.

Building a Weekly Drill Rotation

Pick one drill from each major skill (hitting, pitching, infield, outfield, throwing, baserunning) for the week, then add a game-situation drill to close practice. That gives every session the same seven-block structure regardless of which specific drills you pull. Rotate the specific drills every two weeks. Across a 16-week travel ball season that produces about eight repetitions of each fundamental, enough reps for habits to form. For how motor learning research applies to drill sequencing, see our drill progression design guide.

Tracking Drill Effectiveness

Drills that earn the most practice time are the ones that move game-level numbers. Logging stats during drills (contact percentage on live BP, clean-fielding percentage on live grounders, strike percentage in bullpens, pop-time on catcher throws) shows the difference between drills that feel productive and drills that actually move the scoreboard on Saturday. The same hitting metrics carry into game-day measurement, where a player's on-base percentage calculator turns drill-stage gains into in-season output you can track against the lineup card.

When drills feed into a connected planning system, prep time drops and team-wide consistency rises. See how Striveon's drill library tags drills by skill, age, and equipment so assistants pull up the right session in seconds instead of digging through binders. When practice plans link to training events that schedule, notify players, and record attendance, the link from plan to session stays in sync without rebuilding the schedule each week. Coaches running a full travel ball calendar can connect drills to structured training sessions that record which drills you ran and who attended.