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Situational Hitting Drill

Hitting with a specific job — move the runner, hit behind the runner, avoid the double play — is a different skill than simply hitting the ball hard, and it wins games.

Age RangeAges 11+
Duration12 minutes
Group Size3+ players
SportBaseball

Equipment Needed

  • Balls
  • Bat
  • Bases (optional)

A tee makes situational work repeatable

A sturdy batting tee lets hitters isolate a specific situational swing without needing a live pitcher every rep.

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Setup

  • A hitter faces live or soft-toss pitching; a coach announces a game situation before each at-bat.
  • Optional: place a runner or cone at second base to represent the situation.
Situational Hitting DrillR2Bmove him overRunner on second, no outs — hit to move the runner over

Instructions

  1. Coach announces the situation (e.g. "runner on second, no outs — move him over").
  2. The hitter adjusts their approach to accomplish the specific goal, not just to hit the ball hard.
  3. Take the at-bat to completion, then discuss whether the situational goal was accomplished regardless of the outcome.
  4. Rotate through several different situations over the session.
Coaching Points
  • Success in this drill is defined by the situation, not just contact quality — a productive ground ball to the right side can be a "win" even if it's an out.
  • Teach hitters to recognize which situations call for pulling the ball versus going the other way.
  • Two-strike situational hitting (shortening up, protecting the plate) deserves its own specific reps.
  • Debrief after every at-bat — understanding WHY a particular approach was called matters as much as executing it.

Variation

Add a defense to make the situation fully live, or run a full mock at-bat with a count and pitch-by-pitch situational thinking.

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