An Outstanding Hitting Drill No One Knows About
By: Tim Thoreson
Has your child every played in a ball pit? Little did I know that using the balls that fill these pits that provide young children with hours of entertainment is a super effective way of taking batting practice. A few years back I was racking my brain to come up with ways to take indoor batting practice while instructing a hitting clinic. I went to a store and came across a giant bag of plastic balls that are used to fill ball pits. I decided to purchase these balls with the hopes they could be used for batting practice, when I found out how effective they were I was ecstatic!
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They Reinforce One of the Key Element to Hitting
Staying back and allowing the ball to travel to the hit zone as opposed to lunging out at the ball is crucial to being a good hitter. These balls help reinforce this because as they come out of the pitcher's hand, they instantly decelerate, which forces the hitter to stay back and wait. Hitting these balls will also enhance player's ability to wait back on off speed pitches.
Staying back and allowing the ball to travel to the hit zone as opposed to lunging out at the ball is crucial to being a good hitter. These balls help reinforce this because as they come out of the pitcher's hand, they instantly decelerate, which forces the hitter to stay back and wait. Hitting these balls will also enhance player's ability to wait back on off speed pitches.
They can Easily Simulate a Curveball Learning to hit a curveball can be very challenging for developing players, especially since it is so difficult to replicate this pitch in practice. Because of the makeup of this ball, it is so simple to make it curve. Coaches just slightly spin the ball as they release it, and players will have the opportunity to practice hitting curveballs. |
They Enhance Concentration
These balls move like crazy, as mentioned above they are easy to simulate a curve ball with, but they can also rise, drop, etc. Players really need to focus on tracking the ball, making sure it is in the strike zone, and making good contact. When players can successfully hit these balls hard, it will seem quite easy to hit straight pitches.
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They Can be Hit Indoors and in Small Areas
Because these balls are made of thin plastic, they can safely be used indoors in a gymnasium or maybe even a garage without the worry of breaking anything. Since they are so light, they do not travel very far so they also provide an opportunity for batting practice before a game when space and time are limited. One drawback however, is that they are very difficult to use on windy days.
These balls move like crazy, as mentioned above they are easy to simulate a curve ball with, but they can also rise, drop, etc. Players really need to focus on tracking the ball, making sure it is in the strike zone, and making good contact. When players can successfully hit these balls hard, it will seem quite easy to hit straight pitches.
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They Can be Hit Indoors and in Small Areas
Because these balls are made of thin plastic, they can safely be used indoors in a gymnasium or maybe even a garage without the worry of breaking anything. Since they are so light, they do not travel very far so they also provide an opportunity for batting practice before a game when space and time are limited. One drawback however, is that they are very difficult to use on windy days.
They are Affordable
A coach can buy 100 of these balls for a relatively cheap price. Since they come in such a large quantity, one bag, and you should be good to go for the season. Sometimes they do break in half, but the majority of the time they stay in tact. I bought my ball pit balls 4-5 years ago and have not had to buy another bag since. I have found that using these balls has been a very effective way of allowing players to work on their hitting skills. These balls are versatile and help hitters in many different ways. Kids absolutely love hitting them. Check out Ball Pit Batting Practice for more information on utilizing these balls as a |
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training method. I also recommend using these balls occasionally during the 2 Strike Hitting Game because they allow hitters to see curveballs with 2 strikes. If you are looking for more indoor hitting drills, check out Birdie Batting Practice.
Good Luck Coaches!
Tim Thoreson
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