Today's Drill: Soft Toss From Behind

Purpose: This drill helps develop a short, compact swing.

Set-Up: The tosser stands behind about 10 feet behind the batter, about twice as deep as the umpire would be stationed.

The Drill: The tosser underhands pitches through the strike zone from behind. The batter swings when the ball reaches the hitting zone and drives the pitch up the middle.

Coaches' Corner: A hitter with a long swing will be unable to catch up with a pitch from behind. The more compact the swing, the more success the hitter will have.

Today's Drill: Low Tee Basketball

Purpose: To make the batter forcefully hit through the ball.

Set-Up: Set a basketball on a batting tee set about knee height.

The Drill: The batter takes a regular swing at the ball and hits it into a net.

Coaches' Corner: The drill makes the batter incorporate the lower body to generate power and a strong wrist snap through contact. For younger hitters, use a water polo ball or volleyball to lessen the effort necessary to hit through the ball correctly.