9 Hitting Drills to Stay Connected

Hitting Drills to Stay Connected

In this article, I show you 9 hitting drills to stay connected with balance and rhythm. Learn to gain control and improve your softball or baseball swing mechanics.

Often times, hitters lose control of their swing by swinging too hard or over-swinging resulting in many common hitting problems.
Furthermore, players focus on fixing the bad swing mechanics caused by not staying connected rather than the root cause.
My 9 hitting drills prevent incorrect movements and force players to have balance, rhythm, and timing.

Baseball Training Equipment Used

I listed the gear I used in these hitting drills below.

Players, coaches, and parents ask for my advice regarding softball and baseball equipment.
As a result, I compiled a list of the baseball, softball, and coach’s equipment I recommend below.

Video Tutorial

There are many hitting drills and swing mechanics which are difficult to explain with words and images.
So, checkout the video tutorial below.
Subscribe to my YouTube channel and ring the bell to get notified when I release new content.

Introduction

Over-swinging, or swinging too hard, causes hitters to not stay connected.
When I begin to work with new hitters, the first obstacle to overcome is to get their swing under control.

Slow It Down & Gain Control

Think about a hitter swinging so fast, everything breaks down and they skip parts of the swing.
Over-swinging is an unstable foundation and needs to be fixed before anything else.
Swinging too hard is number 1 on my list of the 10 most common hitting mistakes.

bad hitting mechanics swinging too hard
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Ultimately, I help players slow it down to speed it up to gain control and stay connected.
More specifically, I use 9 hitting drills which force players to stay connected and under control.
If not, they won’t be able to complete the drill.

how to stop swinging too hard
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Swing on Platform Hitting Drill

Training gear I recommend for this hitting drill:

The exercise/aerobic platform serves as a great training aid to help hitters stay connected and under control.
When hitters swing while standing on a raised platform, it forces them to stay balanced.
Consequently, they temper their swing to remain on the platform.

In my experience, this simple hitting drill to stay connected and under control helps young hitters the most.

swing on platform hitting drill
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Spot Across the Way Hitting Drill

Training gear I recommend for this hitting drill:

My golden rule for hitters of all ages is Keep Your Head Down.

Sammy Sosa would say regarding his swing, “As hard as I can go without my head breaking down.”
At the end of the day, hitters give themselves a chance to be successful if their head is in good position.
If a hitter’s head is out of position, they should just go sit back in the dugout – cancel Christmas.

The ‘spot across the way’ hitting drill helps hitters keep their head in the correct position by visualizing a mark.
Essentially, the mark sits at 45 degrees between the opposite batters box and the pitcher.

head spot across the way hitting drill
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Stop at Contact

Training gear I recommend for this hitting drill:

Next on the list of hitting drills to stay connected is the stop at contact hitting drill.

I require my hitters to stop their swing as soon as they contact the ball.
Obviously, they must stay under control in order to stop their swing with their arms bent.

Furthermore, this hitting drill prevents spinning-out and straightening of the arms.
Remember, arms extend after contact.

stop at contact hitting drills to stay connected
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

One Hand to Pitcher

Training gear I recommend for this hitting drill:

The one hand to pitcher hitting drill forces players to keep their front shoulder in and not fly open.

Also, this hitting drill helps players feel extension after contact and staying linear.
If the hitters swings too hard or doesn’t stay in control, they won’t be able to stop swinging.

one hand to pitcher hitting drill
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Leg Swings

First, this drill requires no training gear or aids outside of the hitter’s focus.

Leg swings are a vital part of my hitting foundational program.
They teach hitters load, line, and rhythm.
Additionally, it helps hitters keep their head in good position.

If a player over-swings or goes too hard during leg swings, they will quickly break rhythm.
Most importantly, leg swings can be incorporated into nearly all of my hitting drills to reinforce the importance of balance, rhythm, and staying connected.

leg swings hitting drills to stay connected
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Palm Up Palm Down Drill

Training gear I recommend for this hitting drill:

The palm up, palm down hitting drill works best with a light bat off a tee, soft toss, or front toss hitting drills.
I review many of these drills in my advanced hitting drills article, so be sure to check that out.

Palm up, palm down prevents players from rolling over as it allows shoulders to get through the ball.
For a RHH (Right Handed Hitter), the left hand is palm down while the right hand is palm up.

Quick Tip: hitters should focus on getting their bottom elbow to the opposite infielder.
In other words, the right elbow should go towards the short-stop and the left elbow should go towards the second baseman.

palm up palm down hitting drill
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Shoulder to Shoulder Hitting Drill

Training gear I recommend for this hitting drill:

The shoulder to shoulder hitting drill helps head position and posture.

More importantly, this prevents early hips.
When hitters perform this drill, the back shoulder knocks the front shoulder off.

shoulder to shoulder hitting drill
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Hand Toss

Training gear I recommend for this hitting drill:

The hand toss hitting drill allows hitters to get repetitions and practice at home or before the game.
Essentially, this drill is an extension of the shoulder to shoulder hitting drill but without a bat.

All the hitter needs is a partner to toss them the ball, similar to soft toss, and they toss the ball with 2 hands.

hand toss hitting drills to stay connected
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Heavy Bat Hitting Drills

Training gear I recommend for this hitting drill:

Last on the list of hitting drills to stay connected is sort of a drill, but more of a tip.

Hitters should use a heavy bat while performing drills as it will quickly expose early hips.
Conversely, a light bat exposes when hitters roll over.

hitting drill use heavy bat
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Final Thoughts

In summary, over-swinging is the hardest thing for me to deal with as a hitting instructor.
Why is the hardest thing to fix? Because the hitter won’t progress or get better until they gain control and stay connected.

how to stop swinging too hard
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

As players get older, pitching gets better and hitters get stronger.
So, hitters swing harder and batting averages drop as a result.

My hitting foundational course gives hitters of all ages the drills they need in order to slow it down to speed it up. They slow it down, get it together, and then speed it up!


I hope these 9 hitting drills to stay connected help improve your balance, rhythm, and timing while preventing incorrect movements.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you keep your head down while hitting?

The best way to keep your head down while hitting is the ‘Spot Across the Way’ hitting drill.

How do I get my child out of a hitting slump?

Hitting slumps can be mental or the result of an incorrect swing mechanics. The best way to get your child out of a hitting slump is to focus on the fundamentals and help them gain confidence.

How to stop casting hands during a baseball swing?

The best way to stop casting hands during a baseball or softball swing is to create lag. This allows the hands to get through the strike zone before the barrel.

What hitting drills improve swing mechanics?

All hitting drills are designed to improve swing mechanics. The best hitting drills are those which can be repeated many times to program muscle memory.

Send a tip so we can continue to provide free online tips and drills to you.
Thank you in advance for your support!

You May Also Like…

Coach Eddie Cardieri Interview

Coach Eddie Cardieri Interview

In this interview, I sit down with legendary college baseball coach Eddie Cardieri. In this interview, Coach Cardieri...

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Support our Free Content

Scott Hemond Baseball Hitting Instructor

Hemo's Hitting Foundation

Get 20% Off 

Success! Check Your Email to Get the Code

10 Things Hitters Do Wrong

FREE GUIDE

Get my FREE solution Guide to the 10 THings Hitters Do Wrong

Thank You! Check Your Email to Confirm Your Subscription and Get Your Free Download!

Scott Hemond Baseball Hitting Instructor

Hemo's Hitting Foundation

Get Code for $199.00

Success! Check Your Email to Get the Code

Scott Hemond Baseball Hitting Instructor

Hemo's Hitting Foundation

Get Code for $299.00

Success! Check Your Email to Get the Code

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This