The Baseball Fence Drill

The baseball fence drill is an easy drill for any baseball player. This drill develops bat speed while teaching the hitter to keep his hands inside the baseball. By keeping his hands inside the ball, he is able to hit the baseball to all fields.

If a hitter doesn't keep his hands inside the baseball, he will primarily be a pull hitter. If he can only pull the baseball, the pitcher has a great advantage over him. The batter holds the advantage if he is able to spray the baseball to all fields.

As with all baseball drills, it is always best to get feedback from someone. A knowledgeable player/coach/parent should be watching the young hitter and giving feedback to him.

Here is a list of the equipment you will need for this drill:

• Baseball Bat
• Wall or fence

Here is how you do the baseball fence drill:

1. Get into batting stance while facing a fence
2. Hitter should be a bat distance away from the fence
3. Take a normal stride straight at the imaginary pitcher
4. Swing the bat
5. Freeze the finish with his head directly over his belly button

If a player does this drill correctly, he will take his NORMAL swing with his NORMAL short stride and his bat will NOT hit the fence. If he hits the fence, his swing is too long. He needs to shorten his swing and take a direct path to the ball. To shorten a hitter's swing and gain bat speed, tell him to keep his hands inside more. He should be able to consistently swing the bat without hitting the fence.

SIDE NOTE: Be sure that the hitter is striding straight at the imaginary pitcher. If he strides away from the fence, he is creating a big problem for himself on an outside pitch. This is called "Stepping in the Bucket." Stepping in the Bucket is a common problem for many youth baseball players.

Video Demonstration of the Fence Drill

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