Hurricane Hitting Machine - Step in and Hit Drill

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Drill: “Step-In-And-Hit”

Helps correct the “Stepping Out” hitting flaw.

Objective: This drill emphasizes “stepping into” the ball to generate power and bat speed. This is an excellent drill to help young hitters eliminate the bad habit of “stepping out” during the swing.

Procedure: The batter starts the drill by standing farther away from the machine than normal. This starting position allows the batter to take two steps inward before swinging the bat.

The batter will step first with the back foot and then with the front foot. When the front foot “lands” the batter attacks the ball.

The drill may be performed with a still or moving ball. The batter should take the time to set and observe all body movement before and after each swing. It is sometimes good to have the batter freeze after the swing to see if the proper finish position is reached after each swing.

The batter should make sure to make contact with the ball component and not the shaft.

Recommended Number of Swings: 10 Swings

Coaching Point: The “Step-In-And-Hit” drill is a drill that every coach and parent should be familiar with and know about. At young levels of play we often see a batter “step-out”. The batter may have a fear of being hit. This drill works great in helping break this bad habit.

Coaching Point: If you observe a batter that is popping the ball up or missing the ball completely, chances are good that the batter is “flying open” or “losing the front-side” during the swing. The batter should use a closed stance and make a special effort to keep the toes, knees, belly button, and shoulders square to the plate until contact is made with the ball.

Coaching Point: If you observe a batter that is hitting everything into the dirt with a weak ground ball, chances are good that the batter is attacking the ball too soon. The batter should never have to reach or move the back foot to make contact with the ball. The batter should allow the ball to “come-inside” the batters front foot before attacking the ball to insure that proper contact can be made. This attack timing allows the batter to use the front legs as leverage to generate maximum power. The bat makes contact with the ball on a level plane rather than after the bat starts “arching upward”. This level contact allows the batter to hit line drives.