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Most baseball coaches will teach their hitters to swing down on the ball.  When you watch professionals in the batting circle, they are swinging down towards the ground.  This helps prevent swinging upwards and creating fly balls.

What you need (set up):  Tee (or pitchers) and a batter with an infield. 

How this drill works:  Either with a tee, or with a pitcher, in this coach pitch baseball drill balls are hit downward into the infield.  Each time a batter hits a grounder they get a point – up to 10 points.  If they hit a line driver they get zero points, if they hit a pop up, they lose all of their points and must start again.

Results:  This drill will help people to swing down at the ball, to reduce the number of times the ball pops up in the air.  Pops up are easier to defend and play for the defense, and ground balls are going to be hit with regularity by players who utilize this drill.

Often times during a game, players will be called upon to get a runner around the bases with a fly ball or a bunt.  This is one of the baseball plays used to teach this.

What you need (set up):  A full infield, a batter and a runner on first, second or third.

How this drill works:  The batter must get the runner to the next base, but only using one of two plays:  a bunt, or a sac fly.  The fly ball must be deep enough to advance the runner and the bunt needs to be effective enough not to be a double play ball.

Batters should work on hitting a fly ball on purpose and also bunting to the best areas to avoid outs.  These skills are important in this game situation.

Result:  This is one of the most common plays in baseball.  If you can get your team to execute sacrifice plays with regularity, then you will notice your overall run total increase considerably.

Watching what the base coach wants the runner to do is important in making sure that you don’t get unnecessary outs.  It’s a good idea to practice the communication between runners and base coaches using youth baseball coaching drills, and you might be able to save yourself a few outs.
What you need (set up):  A full infield and outfield, a couple of runners, and a first and third base coach.

How this drill works:  Have the coach hit the ball to certain areas of the field and the players need to make the plays.  Once runners reach the base, the coaches need to instruct them on what to do.  For example if the coach hits a shallow fly ball to right field, he or she will instruct the runner to take a slight lead and just as the ball is caught, tag up at first and wait to see if they should run.

The coach will go through many different scenarios in this baseball drill to make sure that the runners and the base coaches are on the same page.

Result:  Good communication is going to reduce the number of outs that occur because of bad baserunning.  When players listen to the coaches, they are a team, and it is like having a set of eyes watching the play for the player and then using them to get around the bases.

Sometimes the only way to break up a double play is by running towards the player rather than the base.  Baseball running drills are a great way to teach this.

What you need (set up):  You need a shortstop, second baseman, a runner on first and second base secured in the infield. A player running from home plate to first is also needed. The coach will stand in the middle of the infield and roll grounders to the second baseman and shortstop.

How this drill works:  The runner at first must understand that they need to try to disrupt the flow of the double play at second base.  To do this, they must anticipate which side the infielder will execute their throw to first at.  Therefore, they must choose the left side or the right side of second base.

Usually, if the second baseman is throwing to first, the runner should slide to the left of the bag as the infielder goes over the bag as they run to it.  If the shortstop is throwing, his or her momentum is usually taking them to the right side of the bag, so that’s where the break up should occur.

The coach will roll the grounders to the infielders and the runner must then decide which side to break the play up on.  The infielders try to make the double play on the runners.

Result:  Your baseball players should be able to anticipate the side of the throw to first, and slide accordingly to break up the double play.

Note:  Make sure the runners don’t stray too far from the bag, and don’t go into their teammates too hard, as it can cause injuries.

Stealing bases at the right time can put your team in a position to win a game.  Learning to do it effectively will separate your team from the rest.  This is one of the little league baseball practice drills that teaches this skill.

What you need (set up):  Pitcher, catcher, second baseman, runner.

How this drill works:  The idea behind this baseball drill is for runners to identify the best time to run against a pitcher.  When they are in their wind up, some pitchers can still make a move to first or second and catch you trying to steal too early.

In this drill, the pitcher will go into their windup, and throw the ball to home plate. The runner will have taken off and run towards second at some point during the wind up.  The coach will help the players identify that ‘move’ towards home plate that signifies the delivery of a pitch, and the time to run to second.

If the runner gets a good jump they should make it to second every time.  Safe runners score one point, runners tagged out – score one for the defense.

Result: Your team’s stealing percentage should rise by doing this drill as your little league players will learn the best time to get a jump on the pitcher.

This is one of those drills for baseball that everyone should include in their practices. Having the right lead off and then taking off to the next base when the ball is hit can give a runner the extra they need to make it safely to the next base.
What you need (set up):  A runner on first base, a pitcher, batter and a full infield.

How this drill works:  Although not stealing, the player on first wants to get a good jump, without it seeming like a hit and run.  This baseball drill helps the explosiveness of a player from the base they are on by help to anticipate and then react to the ball being hit.

The runner should lead off, and be ready to spring into action when the ball is hit.  The runner will get one point for leaving right at the crack of the bat, zero points for leaving early and the hitter making contact, minus one point if they are caught leaving too late after the ball is struck, and minus two points if they leave too early and the batter misses the ball, and they are left running to second.  That should be an easy out for the defense.

Result:  Your players will soon be able to react instantly to when the ball is hit, giving them a great jump on the defense trying to put them out.

Having the proper footwork and range to catch fly balls that are not hit directly at the player is important.

What you need (set up):  Line up the fielders in all three of the fields.  Coach will hit the balls to the players. 

How this drill works:  Prior to doing this coaching baseball drill the players should understand the fundamentals of catching high fly balls that are not hit directly to them.  They should understand the proper ‘stalking’ of a fly ball.  The coach should stress that the player take the first step with their glove side foot, and move quickly to anticipate the direction of the ball, and then get under it.

Dropped balls are usually caused by improper approach to the ball and then a lack of concentration.  This drill emphasizes those areas and helps a player to learn by repetition.

You can also use this baseball drill to help players adjust to high fly balls.  Many times players can misjudge these balls.  Constant repetition and is important in gaining an understanding of how the ball is going to travel.

Results:  Players will be more responsive and more confident when they are able to accurately and effectively track down a fly ball.  This drill also helps prepare them for catching the ball under control and then making the throw.