Hitting Drills: Look For Location Drill

Focus To teach hitters to look for pitches in different areas of the strike zone.

Setup Set up home plate at one end of the cage. A coach stands and throws from 45 feet away, or closer, if necessary, to locate each pitch accordingly. He can sit in a chair 20 feet away and overhand toss or sit even closer and underhand toss-whatever works best.

Procedure Instruct the hitter in which area of the zone he’s looking for a pitch to drive. If he gets a pitch in another area, he’ll let the ball go by. For example, if you say, “Inside,” the hitter prepares the timing of his load and stride to drive an inside pitch. If he gets an outside pitch, he takes the pitch.

Coaching Points A hitter should learn to choose his approach depending on the count and situation. He must learn which areas of the strike zone he handles best. It’s nearly impossible for hitters to handle the entire strike zone in and out, up and down, but this drill helps them learn their best zones while significantly improving their discipline. There are all kinds of situations in which hitters look for location. If a hard-throwing pitcher likes to work inside, hitters can learn how to “sit on” a pitch in and drive it. Many pitchers prefer to stay away, so hitters should also learn to look for the outside pitch and drive it the other way. Hitters must develop the confidence to take a pitch they’re not looking for, even if the pitch is a strike. This drill also helps hitters learn to study pitchers and determine their best plan for each at-bat.

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