Thirty baseball drills for rec and travel teams, with video, setup and coaching points. Grouped by throwing, fielding, hitting, pitching and baserunning so you can build a station plan in minutes. For tee ball to 12U.
3 drills · 22 minutes if you ran them all
Line the team up and lead them through arm circles, cross body shoulder stretches, and a sleeper stretch on each side. If you have light bands, add external and internal rotation for ten reps each, then move straight into playing catch.
Keep every movement slow and controlled, no bouncing. The goal is warm and loose shoulders, not a workout, so stop before anyone is tired.
Watch on YouTubeSet up a short line of cones or a ladder and run the group through fast feet, lateral shuffles, and quick in and out steps, two trips each. Finish with a short sprint out of the last cone so they learn to go from quick feet to running.
Stay on the balls of the feet with knees bent and arms pumping. Quick and light beats big and slow.
Watch on YouTubePair players up about 20 feet apart and start with easy wrist flips and one knee throws, then stand up and add a step. Back the pairs up every eight to ten throws until they are at a normal infield distance. Finish with a few throws at full effort to a chest target.
Build intensity slowly and never let kids air it out cold. Watch for fingers on top of the ball and a good follow through on every throw, even the easy ones.
Watch on YouTube5 drills · 38 minutes if you ran them all
Set a target such as a glove on a bucket, a net, or a chalk square on a fence and have players throw at it from a set distance. Rotate through throws with the eyes closed at release, throws after a shuffle, and throws with the glove held still as a target. Count hits and let partners compete.
Pick a small spot and stare at it until the ball is gone. Direction comes from the front side, so the glove and front foot must point at the target.
Watch on YouTubeHave each player start with the throwing arm already loaded, elbow at shoulder height and the ball facing away, with the front shoulder pointed at the partner. From that frozen position they rotate and throw, then reset and repeat for ten throws before they add a normal arm swing.
Elbow at shoulder height, not dropped by the hip. Lead with the front shoulder and let the chest finish over the front leg.
Watch on YouTubePartners stand about 40 feet apart and throw the ball so it bounces once a few feet in front of the receiver. The receiver works through the hop with soft hands and throws a one hopper back. Go for ten rounds and then move back.
Getting the elbow up and throwing on a line is what makes a clean one hopper. Receivers field the hop out front with the glove open, not scooped at the body.
Watch on YouTubePartners start close with wrist snaps, move to a kneeling throw, then a standing power position throw, then add a crow hop. Spend about two minutes at each step and back up a few feet as the arms loosen.
Four seam grip and fingers on top every rep. The progression is about rhythm, so keep the tempo relaxed and the misses small.
Watch on YouTubeRun partners through a three stage progression: throws from one knee to isolate the upper body, standing throws with feet set and no step, then full throws with a step toward the target. Give each stage eight to ten reps before moving on.
Each stage should look like the last one with one more piece added. Front shoulder closed, then open the hips and finish with the throwing hand toward the partner.
Watch on YouTube7 drills · 56 minutes if you ran them all
Fielder kneels on both knees with the glove out front and a partner rolls firm grounders left, right, and at them from about 12 feet. The fielder catches with glove only and shows the ball, alternating forehand and backhand. Ten reps, then switch.
Glove fingers down and out in front of the knees. Watch the ball all the way in and give with the hands, do not stab.
Watch on YouTubeRotate small groups through three quick stations: rapid fire short hops from a coach on a knee, forehand and backhand rolls where the fielder shuffles to the ball, and a race where the fielder must field and flip to a bucket before a partner can run a set distance. Two minutes per station, then rotate.
Field the ball out front and work through it toward the target. Keep the stations fast so nobody stands in line.
Watch on YouTubeSet two cones about eight feet apart and roll grounders the fielder must keep from getting through, like a goalie, using a glove or bare hands. Then run the recovery drill where the fielder bobbles on purpose, picks it up, and resets the feet to throw. Close with two cone kick overs where they shuffle wide and kick a cone, then field.
Low butt, wide feet, glove out front. On the recovery, calm feet beat a rushed throw.
Watch on YouTubeFielders kneel on the throwing side knee with the glove side leg out and glove on the ground out front. A partner rolls grounders they field with both hands and bring to the chest, then roll it back. Ten reps each, then switch, then do it standing to connect it to a real grounder.
Glove flat on the ground and throwing hand on top like an alligator mouth. Watch the ball all the way in.
Watch on YouTubeCoach rolls slow dribblers from the plate area and the fielder charges hard, breaks down the last two steps, fields with the glove and throwing hand together, and throws on the run to first. Five reps each, then switch sides of the infield.
Charge in a straight line, field it off the glove side foot, and throw from where you catch it. Stay low through the throw.
Watch on YouTubePlayers stand 10 to 15 feet from a wall or rebounder and throw the ball off it so it comes back as a grounder, then field it in a good position and repeat. Mix in forehand, backhand, and short hops by changing where the ball hits the wall. Great for a station or a rainy day inside.
Set the feet before every throw so the ball comes back cleanly. Glove out front, eyes on the hop, soft hands.
Watch on YouTubeRun three outfield stations: drop step and go on a thrown fly ball, charging a ground ball and coming up throwing with a crow hop, and a pop up where the fielder settles under it and catches above the head with two hands. Three or four reps each, then rotate.
First step back on anything over the head, never in. Catch fly balls above the eyes on the throwing side so the transfer is quick.
Watch on YouTube6 drills · 58 minutes if you ran them all
Use a tee and have the hitter swing, then freeze and point the nose at the spot where the ball was. Add soft toss with two different colored balls where the hitter calls the color at contact. Ten swings each, then rotate.
Eyes to contact, chin stays over the plate. If the head flies, the barrel follows, so praise the freeze finish.
Watch on YouTubeOn a tee or with soft toss, the hitter strides and pauses with the front foot down and hands back, then swings on the coach's command. Do five with the pause, then five at normal tempo, and repeat.
Foot down early with the hands still back is the whole point. Soft front foot, then turn the back hip hard.
Watch on YouTubeMove the tee to three spots: inside and out front, middle, and outside and deeper. Hitters take five swings at each spot and try to drive the inside pitch to the pull side, the middle pitch up the middle, and the outside pitch the other way. Finish with five rounds of soft toss mixing the locations.
Let the tee location change the contact point, not the swing. Inside is early and out front, outside is later and deeper.
Watch on YouTubeRun three tee or soft toss stations: a balance drill where the hitter holds the finish for two counts, a bottom hand or top hand only drill with a light bat, and a normal swing where they call out where the ball went. Three or four hitters per station, rotate every four minutes.
Balance first, then bat path. Light bats and short swings on the one hand drills so kids are not muscling the ball.
Watch on YouTubeFirst drill is a no stride tee swing with the feet set wide so the hitter learns to rotate rather than lunge. Second drill is a bat behind the back hip turn where they rotate the hips to face the pitcher with no arms involved. Alternate five reps of each for three rounds.
Back heel up and back knee turned in at the finish. Hips lead and the hands come along for the ride.
Watch on YouTubeSet up a tee station and run a short circuit: five swings with the stride already taken, five swings with normal timing, then five swings into a net focusing on hitting the back of the ball. Rotate hitters every 15 swings so the line keeps moving.
Stay balanced start to finish and keep the head still on the ball. Hands take a short path to contact and the barrel finishes long through the ball.
Watch on YouTube3 drills · 22 minutes if you ran them all
Pitcher goes through the windup and freezes at the top of the leg lift for a three count, then finishes the pitch to a partner. Do eight with the pause and then eight at normal speed. Works great in pairs with no mound needed.
Lift the knee, do not swing it, and keep the weight over the back leg. If they wobble, slow it down.
Watch on YouTubePitchers work from a flat spot with a partner or net. Start with a one knee drill for arm action, then a balance point hold where they lift and hold for two seconds before delivering, then a stride drill where they start with the front foot down and just rotate and throw. Ten reps each.
Head stays over the belly button through the balance point. Land soft and slightly closed, then let the chest come over the front knee.
Watch on YouTubePitcher holds a small towel and goes through the full delivery, trying to snap the towel against a partner's glove held about five feet in front of the stride foot. Ten reps, then move the glove six inches farther to encourage a longer finish.
Finish out front with the chest over the front knee. Rushing the lower half makes them miss short, so stay tall and then drive.
Watch on YouTube3 drills · 22 minutes if you ran them all
Walk the team through running through first base, rounding first on a hit to the outfield, and taking a lead or secondary off a base as your league allows. Then run it live: each runner starts at home and the coach calls the situation as they approach first.
Run through first on a grounder and touch the front edge of the bag. On a ball to the outfield, swing out early and hit the inside corner.
Watch on YouTubeHitters take a dry swing and sprint to first base, with a coach timing or racing them in pairs. Alternate between a straight run through and a round where they pick up the first base coach and decide whether to go to second.
First step out of the box is toward first, not a pause to admire the ball. Eyes up and listen for the coach's call.
Watch on YouTubeOn grass or a wet tarp with shoes off, have players jog and drop into a figure four slide with one leg bent under and hands up. Start from a short jog and build to a run, then move to a real base and slide into it.
Start the slide early and keep the hands up and off the ground. Sit down into it, never dive at a base feet first from a standing jump.
Watch on YouTube3 drills · 32 minutes if you ran them all
Split into two teams at short and second with a coach hitting fungo. Each clean field and accurate throw to first scores a point and an error or bad throw gives a point to the other side. Mix in slow rollers and balls to the glove side and play to 15.
Set the feet before the throw even when the clock is in your head. Reward the clean fundamental play, not the flashy one.
Watch on YouTubeCoach front tosses balls one after another with just enough time for the hitter to reset the stride, usually eight to ten balls in a row. Count solid hits into a target zone and have hitters compete against their own score or a partner's.
Reset the feet and hands between every ball, no lazy swings. The player who stays balanced wins this game.
Watch on YouTubeCoach pitches wiffle balls from close range and hitters get swings in quick succession while the rest of the team plays the field. Score points for line drives or hits to a target area and rotate every five swings so everyone hits and fields.
Wiffle balls move, so this is a tracking and timing game. Keep the swing short and let the ball travel.
Watch on YouTubeVideos are linked, not hosted, and belong to their creators: Ultimate Baseball Training and Baseball Tutorials. Drill write-ups are by Cheat Code Coaching. Durations are what we run them at with a youth team; adjust for your group.
Every drill here is already in the Cheat Code Teams Practice Builder for Youth Baseball. Drag them into a plan, tap Start practice, and the clock, the whistle and the next drill are on your phone and your lock screen.