How do you use your tees?

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Jul 29, 2013
6,781
113
North Carolina
Before we do front toss, every girl's tee work consist of getting to contact, getting to extension, and then full swings. The first two are all about feel and making the girls find the sweet spot of the barrel every swing and knowing where their hand and body position should be. A full bucket for both contact & extension together, and a full bucket of full swings, then move on to front toss.
 
Dec 11, 2010
4,711
113
We do a constantly changing rotation. Usually do full swings first, sometimes regular bats sometimes with a Pro-Cut knob weight, a wood bat, a cam wood bat or a Swing Mechanic bat. Then walk throughs, tip and rips are pretty much a staple. Might do one more drill per session before machine and or front toss. Usually about 12 balls each drill some times as few as six. Because we hit a couple times per week I try to mix it up constantly so they don’t get bored or start going through the motions.

I think one of the most important part of using a tee is to have it set up correctly and to practice hitting line drives either by hitting in an open area or cage or by marking high and low targets on the net you are hitting into. I see way too many players hitting the ball down swing after swing into nets.

I also have an Oscar Miller Swingright tee. We do inside/outside on that. It would be easy to use two tanner tees instead but its just so easy to monitor locations with that tee.

Some people love tee work, some have come up with reasons they don’t. Just remember that too much of anything is a bad thing. Anything that you use improperly is a bad thing. That goes for tees, pitching machines or heck even front toss.
 
Feb 13, 2018
161
28
We do a constantly changing rotation. Usually do full swings first, sometimes regular bats sometimes with a Pro-Cut knob weight, a wood bat, a cam wood bat or a Swing Mechanic bat. Then walk throughs, tip and rips are pretty much a staple. Might do one more drill per session before machine and or front toss. Usually about 12 balls each drill some times as few as six. Because we hit a couple times per week I try to mix it up constantly so they don’t get bored or start going through the motions.

I think one of the most important part of using a tee is to have it set up correctly and to practice hitting line drives either by hitting in an open area or cage or by marking high and low targets on the net you are hitting into. I see way too many players hitting the ball down swing after swing into nets.

I also have an Oscar Miller Swingright tee. We do inside/outside on that. It would be easy to use two tanner tees instead but its just so easy to monitor locations with that tee.

Some people love tee work, some have come up with reasons they don’t. Just remember that too much of anything is a bad thing. Anything that you use improperly is a bad thing. That goes for tees, pitching machines or heck even front toss.

West wind, can you elaborate on tip and rip? Thanks for your response
 
Dec 11, 2010
4,711
113
There is a video that used to be all over the place shows the right way to do it- I poked around and can’t find it. Think it is the same young guy that does a walk through demo too. It was on a driveway by a open garage door if I remember right. I bet someone will post it, maybe RDbass. I have also heard the drill called “free and independent hands” way back in the day.

We probably call it the wrong name and /or do it wrong, lol! I will try to describe it. RH hitter flattens bat out parallel to the ground, about chest high, end of bat is pointed at where shortstop would be on field. Hitter draws bat back across chest and when hitter feels the stretch in her back and then launches the barrel that is still flat and kind of pointed forward. The bat sort of flips over on its own, it should feel whippy. I think they can also feel the hand swivel. It takes them awhile to get the hang of it and they usually hit the tee at first. NBD.

I personally really like that drill. I also think it is closely related to the feel they get from the pvc “wall” tees.

I hope this helps, I’m not very good at describing this stuff.
 
Last edited:
Jul 14, 2018
982
93
We probably call it the wrong name and /or do it wrong, lol! I will try to describe it. RH hitter flattens bat out parallel to the ground, about chest high, end of bat is pointed at where shortstop would be on field. Hitter draws bat back across chest and when hitter feels the stretch in her back and then launches the barrel that is still flat and kind of pointed forward. The bat sort of flips over on its own, it should feel whippy. I think they can also feel the hand swivel. It takes them awhile to get the hang of it and they usually hit the tee at first. NBD.

I personally really like that drill. I also think it is closely related to the feel they get from the pvc “wall” tees.

I hope this helps, I’m not very good at describing this stuff.

DD's coach runs this drill at every batting session. She's an old-school coach, and I sometimes worry that some of the things she's working on don't mesh with the more modern approach to hitting. Glad to see an endorsement of this drill on DFP.

I still have a tee set up at home with a deflated soccer ball to build strength through resistance. Am I the one being too old school?
 
Dec 5, 2012
4,143
63
Mid West
I have a really short tee and a standard tee that I like to use. I'll set up the low tee inside and out front, then set the regular tee outside and deep. Place both balls on and take two cuts. This will reinforce how ball location determines torso rotation. (Turn on it!!)
 

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