"Eye on the Ball - Head Steady" Drill

This drill comes from Cliff Boyce our September 2004 Drill of the Month Winner.

Equipment: Bats, Balls, and Helmetst

This a great drill and will work well with all ages, especially the younger ball players right out of Tee-Ball going into the minor leagues.

One of the hardest things to teach young players is to keep their eye on the ball and to keep their head steady. This drill takes this concept to a completely new level.

Prior to practice take about eight (8) baseballs and number the balls accordingly 1 through 8 (e.g., Ball One is numbered 1; Ball Two is numbered 2, etc.) Write the number about 5 or 6 times around the outside of each ball.

To start, have the hitters stand in the batter's box with a bat. Alert the catcher to which number is being thrown. After each successful hit, the batter must tell the pitcher (coach) which ball number they just hit.

The players will improve with each practice session. To increase the difficulty of the drill write the numbers smaller on the ball after several practice sessions. This will help the players stay alert and their focus on the ball remains high.

Good Luck.