Games for Helping Kids Hit the Baseball Better

Learning how to hit a baseball takes time and patience, but teaching kids how to do it takes even more of both. Remember, the greatest hitters in the history of baseball failed more times than they succeeded. Don't get frustrated, and don't let your kids get frustrated. Using some tips and techniques can help your kids learn how to hit the baseball better and have some fun at the same time.

  1. Starting Small

    • When teaching kids how to hit a baseball, it's best to start small. Try using soft foam or plastic balls. The easiest way for kids to get comfortable swinging a bat and a better feel for hitting the ball is to use a batting tee. You can purchase baseball hitting tees for as little as little as $15 to $30 or as much as $300, depending on your preference. The secret to helping kids learn hit a baseball better is practice and repetition. By using a hitting tee, you're giving them an easy target to hit, increasing their chance of connecting with the ball and building their confidence. More confidence means more hits, and more hits means having more fun.

    Soft Toss

    • When kids are comfortable hitting off a tee, you can progress to a technique called soft toss. Once again, the goal is plenty of practice swinging the bat. In soft toss, the batter faces the pitcher, who is kneeling in the opposite batter's box or on the other side of home plate. The pitcher then under-hand tosses balls into the hitting zone. The more balls you have on hand, the better. Soft toss works best by hitting into a net or a chain-link fence so you don't have to spend time chasing down balls. Official T-ball baseballs are perfect because they're a similar size and weight as official baseballs but softer. Make sure the pitcher isn't too close to the hitter and the hitter isn't too close to the fence in front of him.

    Batting Practice

    • After mastering soft toss, you're ready to move on to batting practice. The biggest mistake parents make when pitching to their kids is to throw from a standing position, making the pitches come in at too steep of a down angle. If you throw right-handed, kneel on your right knee and try pitching to your kids at a height closer to their own. Start by pitching from 20 feet away and move back as he gets more comfortable hitting. Be sure to wear a fielding glove to protect yourself.