When you ask any little leaguer what their favorite part about baseball is, most of them say they like to HIT.
I know my sons love to bat (all of them have to hit left-handed by the way).
I try to keep it very simple when teaching kids how to hit.
Put them in the right positions and give them two jobs: 1) watch the ball and 2) swing as hard as you can! One great drill to teach young baseball players is by using soft toss.
Contents
So how do you soft toss a baseball?
The best way to soft toss in baseball is to keep it simple, get yourself and player set up properly, and then deliver a good toss to your player. Below is a step-by-step guide on how to set up and execute the soft toss drill. How do you soft toss in baseball? Kneel down on a knee or sit down and lightly toss the baseball upward with a underhanded motion towards the batter.
YOUR SETUP
Having a plan is very important. It’s important to make sure you are tossing the ball from a low angle so the ball is traveling up slowly to the hitter. This would require you to take a knee or sit down, maybe on a bucket or chair. You also need to be about 45 degrees in from the athlete, you don’t want to toss the ball from the side as it will make it difficult for them to succeed or you risk getting hit.
I’d recommend having a bucket or chair to sit on if you are planning on doing this drill for any length of time. Sitting on your knee for 1-2 batters isn’t an issue, but if you are cycling through your whole team you will become super uncomfortable.
YOUR PLAYERS SET UP
It’s a good idea to make sure you have a home plate down or something that acts as a home plate. That way the player knows where to stand for each pitch that will come his way. For younger players this is KEY! If they don’t know where to stand, they will be all over the place. Even if you initially put them in the right position, over time they will move out of position. If I don’t have their spot lined out clearly, I’m constantly directing them to back up, move forward, this way, that way.
Remember the idea is to keep it simple. If the kids don’t need to think about where to stand, then its 1 less thing for them to worry about. Remember you want their attention to be on watching the ball, and swinging as hard as they can.
THE TOSS
When you are tossing the ball to the athlete, make sure they are in a good hitting position. It’s your job to put them in that position and try not to verbally give them advice or directions. If you want their hands higher, physically move their bat up. Remember the less instruction you give them the better.
ALSO, PLEASE STOP TELLING YOUR KIDS TO PUT THEIR ELBOW UP!!
Toss the ball into the hitting zone just inside the players front foot. If the ball were to land, you want it to land just to the inside of their front foot. This will give your athlete the best opportunity to make contact with the ball. As they start improving on the drill, you can start having them work on hitting to the opposite field by throwing the ball more toward their back foot.
Here is a great video that breaks down both soft toss and then adds a front toss application:
Why should we do the soft toss drill?
Soft toss is a great drill for kids starting to hit. It allows them a quick easy way to feel some success. Soft toss is also used at the high school and college levels. It it a good way for athletes to continue to sharpen up their swing with a lot of repetition, much like hitting off a tee, but the added element of a moving ball (or pitch)
Is soft toss a good drill for baseball?
YES! Not only does it help a baseball player feel success, but soft toss also is a good drill for baseball because it allows the hitter to work on his swing and get a ton of repetition.
Baseball is a game where you need to practice a TON. Getting your players to hit off a tee can get boring, and at some point they will be looking for more. Soft toss is a great way to get a player a ton of swings, without burning out the coach’s arm. Once the kids get a little older, they can also easily help be the ones to toss the ball.
Soft toss can be a great drill for kids to hit hard balls into a net, or even use wiffle balls to hit into the outfield before a game. The more swings a player can take the better, and soft toss allows you to practice with very little space.
Do MLB players use the soft toss drill?
100% yes. Even major league players will get tee work and soft toss drills incorporated into their work outs.
They may use a soft toss or front toss drill to warm up before they start hitting live batting practice. They also may use the soft toss and front toss drills when they are trying to break down and work on a specific part of their swing. Again, baseball is all about repetition and the more you work on a specific part of your game, the better you will be in the actual competition. It will start becoming second nature, and your ability to perform under pressure will be greater, the more you practice.
Final Word
Coaching kids has always been a passion of mine. Every kid on my team when asked “what is your favorite part about baseball” always says HITTING. Soft toss is a building block to help an athlete become a great hitter. It really simplifies the swing, allows the player to feel some success, and is a great tool to use to build a great hitter.
Baseball is a game of repetition, and the more you can get a player to work on his swing, using different drills, the more success they will have. Soft toss is one of the many hitting drills you can use to help your player reach his full potential.
If you have any questions about hitting, or how to incorporate soft toss into your practice plan please reach out to Coach Scott at Legionreportnews@gmail.com