Front Toss

[Cornbread]

Just a tip that I’ve found to be helpful

If you do the basic pull the ball back and flip it (no arm circle or sling shot) I have found it more beneficial to wait until the hitter starts some sort of movement (load, knee lift) before tossing the ball. This will help provide the amount of time needed to match the front toss swing and game swing. The hitter will have time to stretch some.

If the tosser sets up close and rips it in there when the hitter is static, you are reinforcing a rushed swing (not enough time to stretch). Hitter can’t float or hover.

Thoughts

 

[Shawn]

Here’s a side toss I like, allowing the hitter to start the load before starting the arm forward.

 

[Towny9]

Just a tip that I’ve found to be helpful

If you do the basic pull the ball back and flip it (no arm circle or sling shot) I have found it more beneficial to wait until the hitter starts some sort of movement (load, knee lift) before tossing the ball. This will help provide the amount of time needed to match the front toss swing and game swing. The hitter will have time to stretch some.

If the tosser sets up close and rips it in there when the hitter is static, you are reinforcing a rushed swing (not enough time to stretch). Hitter can’t float or hover.

Thoughts

I agree for sure. I see so many rapid fire drills and bp where the kid has no chance to load. If I was going to work on being quick I would go ahead and preload. I do this with the drop drill for example.

 

[Cornbread]

We’ve gone to a few Juco camps recently with my 14yo dd. Front tosser was 10-15 ft from home plate and tosser was slinging it in there. That does not equate to live pitching with a premotion and full wind mill from 43ft away. “Most” want hitters to start early and be in control on live pitching, yet in front toss, we don’t give the hitter the opportunity to feel it. We just sling it at the hitter from a short distance. Rushed swing! So then we get to live pitching and front toss has reinforced a rushed swing. My point is that you want front toss to match live pitching as much as possible. The best way to do that is to wait on the hitter to move first, then go ahead with the toss.

 

[efastball]

I agree for sure. I see so many rapid fire drills and bp where the kid has no chance to load. If I was going to work on being quick I would go ahead and preload. I do this with the drop drill for example.

Please stop doing drop drills. They are poison for hitting. You don't want to be 'quick', you want to be fast - big difference.

 

[Towny9]

Please stop doing drop drills. They are poison for hitting. You don't want to be 'quick', you want to be fast - big difference.

Appreciate the advice, but I’m good with the way I do them and only use them for some kids for certain reasons. Most coaches just don’t do them right. I was taught the correct way by this guy.

 

[dmcwhinnie]

I don't like side toss because to me it doesn't really make sense they are never going to see a ball coming from that direction. We do front toss at about 15-20 ft. and I do try to shoot it in there with some speed not a lot, but enough that they have to be ready. I've notice that most of our girls time my arm when my arm starts back they load and then when they see the ball they stride and swing it works out pretty good for us. We don't have any coaches that can windmill so this is as good as it gets. When we are indoors we have front toss in one cage and then in the other cage they hit off a machine and that's where they get the sensation of speed, but a lot of the girls don't like the machine at first because there is nothing to time.

 

[Westwind]

@Cornbread i think you are on to something important. Sometimes you see people recommending that in camps, when the players have to get in front of a machine being fed poorly by another camper with no way to time the launch that the hitter load early or start from a stretched position. This is kind of like that.

Idk if this helps but I tended to throw short distance front toss way too hard. I throw 30-35 mph and was around 15’ away. I really had to work on throwing accurately from a little farther back.

I always do a windmill motion even though I can’t really pitch. (Obviously lol). I think that helps the hitter be “ready to hit”.

Correctly done, this is very valuable to hitters. DD’s college team is known for their hitting as a team and they do a lot of this.

 

[Rolling Hard]

My cue to hitters during front toss is " when i move, you move.". I start with ball out front, rock back and throw off right foot. So when i rock back the hitter should start loading.

"Start from a stretched position". I do this with DD during front toss when I see her being or looking rushed. I call it 1. It's basically toe touch, scap load position. She loses about 5 or 6 mph on exit velo but contact rate is about 100 percent. I have thought of having her trying it as a 2 strike approach against tough pitching in live play. I don't like (hate) the fake bunt, pull back 2 strike approach.

 

[BillyB]

I've always said to start your load as my arm goes back, and dial in timing from there.