Hitting drills are very important for young players and one of the best hitting drills a coach can use to teach plate discipline. It’s very important for a hitter to learn how to get closer to the plate, rather than just away on every pitch, so this drill is vital to the overall composition of the hitter.
This drill begins with the screen close enough to home plate that the hitting coach pitcher can have excellent control. Each batter can then throw up to ten pitches, although only three strikes will be allowed. Before the batter steps up to the plate, he will be told how many strikes he currently has, as this will directly influence how the batter handles pitches.
If the batter approaches the plate with a new count, he will start by showing the pitching coach where he likes the ball. If the pitch is in the batter’s hitting zone and he or she swings, the pitch count is reduced by one. If the pitch is outside this hitting zone, but the player still swings, the batter misses not only that pitch, but an additional pitch. If the pitch is outside this hitting zone and the player does not swing, the pitch does not count at all. However, if the pitch is outside the strike zone and the player takes a swing, he will lose half of his remaining swings.
If there is a strike, the penalty for swinging a pitch outside the strike zone is less strict, as the player will only miss that pitch plus one more. This is because when there is a strike, pitchers will tend to chase the batter down a bit more, making these pitches a bit harder to dismiss.
Finally, when there are two strikes, the hitter’s goal is to be as tough as possible. If the player swings at a pitch that is in the strike zone, he only misses that pitch plus one more. If a pitch is taken that is around the strike zone, it is an additional pitching penalty because umpires tend to call boundary pitches strikes when there are already two strikes. If an obvious strike is called, that player is completely done because it’s never a good idea to take a third strike.
The goal of each batter doing this drill is to ensure that he or she goes through all ten pitches without striking out. Also make sure your players know that every strike he calls will be a judgment call, which is exactly how an umpire will make the call. By teaching your players to have a strike-counting approach at the plate, you can make them smarter hitters. You’ll also be giving them a better idea of where the strike zone is, so they know which pitches to take and when to take a cut.
