Introduction: Hitting a Baseball Off a Tee
Hitting a baseball is one of the hardest things to do in all of sports. Baseball players can fail 70% of the time and be considered at the top of their game. Hitting off the tee is widely used by players at every level and it is a great hitting tool. Additionally, it is an excellent tool for creating muscle memory. This is a simple instruction on getting you started with working with a tee.
Disclaimer: Ensure everyone stays clear of a swinging bat as this may save someone from a painful injury. Also, prior to hitting baseballs ensure that the area is safe and no one will be hurt by flying baseballs and your batted balls will not hit anything.
Attachments
Step 1: List of Materials
- Baseball Bat
- Baseballs
- Tee
- A SAFE place to hit baseballs
Step 2: Tee Set Up
Set the tee up anywhere around or on the plate as this lets the hitter work on inside and outside pitches. This is set up for hitting a pitch right down the middle of the strike zone. This is where you want to make contact with the ball.
Place the tee height at waist level for this exercise however performing this drill in multiple levels is recommended.
Step 3: Athletic Stance
Take an athletic stance (knees slightly bent and loose) when you are at the plate. Line up your door knocker knuckles while holding the bat.
Load your hands and stride simultaneously. Basically hands back and front foot forward a little.
Tip: Do not stare at the ball and hit it. Envision the pitch coming in from the pitcher and follow its path down to the ball on the tee.
Step 4: Ball Contact
At the ball contact, your hips should explode toward the ball; back elbow should be L-shaped and close to your body and throw hands toward the ball. The bat head must be just in front of, or even with your hands preferably near the ball of your front foot. Notice, the shoulders are not even they are dipped and the back shoulder is now down, this is ok. Your back hand should be palm up and the wrists are not rolled over.
Step 5: Extend and Follow Through
Do not stop the bat after contact. Extend and follow through. Perform this correctly about 50 times a day and maybe you can fail 70% of the time and be considered successful.
