When my youngest son started developing some poor habits with his swing, I began searching for baseball hitting drills for 8-year-olds to find some corrective measures.
But I knew the drills had to be equal parts instructional, easy to do at home, and fun.
Luckily, I found plenty and wanted to share some of my favorites.
Maybe one of these will be just the thing to help take your little slugger's hitting to the next level!
Bash the boulder
How to do the drill:
- Have your player get in a batting stance with a tee.
- Place a large, heavy ball on the tee – this could be a soccer ball, volleyball, basketball, etc.
- The player goes through their natural swing making sure to follow through.
What it helps: Swinging at a heavier target helps hitters focus on their follow-through and finishing their swing.
Make it fun: Challenge your player to see how far they can hit the “boulder” off the tee.
Kneeling good
How to do the drill:
- Have your player get in their batting stance.
- The player drops their back knee to the ground. Tip: The player can extend their front knee to help with their balance.
- Set p four feet to the side of the player with some balls. Tip: If you're using real baseballs, be sure to use a net. Or Wiffleballs or smush balls work great for the backyard, too.
- Toss the ball "over the plate" to the player. Tip: It might help to use an actual home plate if you have one. When you toss it, aim for the player's front hip.
- Your player should take full, smooth swings at the ball, trying to hit it "up the middle."
What it helps: Keeping a controlled top half of the swing.
Make it fun: Keep track of how many times in a row your player gets a hit. Encourage the player to try to break their previous record.
Make it challenging: Have the player grip the bat with one hand. Make sure they hold the bat near the top of the bat grip. First, try the bottom hand, making sure the player leads with their front elbow. Then, try the top hand, making sure the player follows through all the way.
Soft toss
How to do the drill:
- Have your player get in their batting stance.
- Set up four feet to the side of the player with some balls. Tip: If you're using real baseballs, be sure to use a net. Of Wiffleballs or smush balls work great for the backyard, too.
- Toss the ball "over the plate" to the player. Tip: It might help to use an actual home plate if you have one. When you toss it, aim for the player's front leg.
- Your player should take full, smooth swings at the ball, trying to hit it "up the middle."
What it helps: Soft toss is a great way to just get in some practice swings and focus on swing mechanics.
Make it fun: Keep track of how many times in a row your player gets a hit. Encourage the player to try to break their previous record.
Make it challenging: Vary the location of your toss. Toss some higher, lower, "inside" (closer to the player), and "outside" (away from the player).
Knob drill
How to do the drill:
- Have the player get in their batting stance with a tee.
- Raise the tee to about chest high on your player.
- Put a ball on the tee, preferably one larger than a baseball for younger players: softball, soccer ball, basketball -- anything will work.
- The player goes through their natural swing but makes the flat part of the knob of their bat hit the ball.
What it helps: Proper swing mechanics, specifically ensuring the hands lead the barrel to the ball.
Make it fun and challenging: See if your player can perform the drill with their eyes closed!
Connection ball
How to do the drill:
- Have your player get in their batting stance with a tee.
- Place a "connection ball" -- this could be a soccer ball, volleyball, basketball, etc. -- in between the player's back arm, resting between the forearm and bicep. Tip: The player's top hand should be resting on top of the ball.
- The player goes through their natural swing while trying not to drop the ball for as long as possible.
What it helps: Developing a quick and compact swing.
Catch Drill
How to do the drill:
- Have your player get in their batting stance without a bat.
- Stand in front of the player and toss a ball toward them.
- The player rotates their shoulders and catches the ball. Tip: Emphasize the rotation of the shoulder as the player catches the ball. Avoid "reaching" for the ball; the player's hand and arm should move in unison with the shoulders and torso.
What it helps: Improves vision and head movement during a baseball swing.
Make it challenging: As the player advances, vary the location of your tosses.
Closed 45-degree Drill
How to do the drill:
- Have your player get in their batting stance next to a tee with a bat.
- The player places their front foot in line with the tee, but moves their back foot backward, creating a 45-degree angle away from home plate.
- The player goes through their natural swing making sure not to move their front foot. Tip: The player should only swing hard enough to maintain their balance.
What it helps: Prevents players from "flying open" or losing direction in their swing.
Make it challenging: As the player starts to master the drill, challenge them to swing a little harder and a little harder while still maintaining their balance.
Open 45-degree Drill
How to do the drill:
- Have your player get in their batting stance next to a tee with a bat.
- The player moves their front foot back to "open up" their stance at a 45-degree angle. Tip: Right-handed hitters will be pointing toward third base. Left-handed hitters will be pointing toward first base.
- The player goes through their natural swing making sure to roll the body back toward their original stance. Tip: You may need to scoot closer to the plate to perform the drill effectively.
What it helps: Develop separation between the upper and lower body during the swing, which helps generate more bat speed and power.
Fence Drill
How to do the drill:
- Have your player stand next to some kind of tall barrier -- it could be a next, fence, etc.
- The player moves into position by placing the knob of the bat on his belly button and the end of the barrel of the bat touching the barrier.
- The player gets in their batting stance.
- The player takes a swing, making sure the bat doesn't come into contact with the barrier.
What it helps: Keeping the hands "inside" the baseball.
Make it fun: Instead of just "dry" swings, hit balls off a tee.
Make it challenging: Have the player move closer and closer to the barrier while still making sure the bat doesn't touch the barrier. See how close to the barrier they can get!