365 Days to Better Baseball Eyes Closed Hitting Drills

Tuesday Tips to Tattoo the Ball

Hitting Drills that Teach Visualization, Heightened Awareness and a Sense of Urgency

This may seem like an advanced hitting drill and it is, but it also works for youth ball players, because most kids enjoy a challenge. This drill is good for a couple of reasons. First, with eyes closed, players have to visualize their swing before swinging and second, they often get a better sense of what they are actually doing when swinging. When one sense (sight) is absent, players feel their body's actions more. Coaches should change the location of the tee ball placement once hitters begin to hit that location well.

Eyes Closed Hitting Drills

hitting drills

1. Set the batting tee anywhere in the hitting zone, have players look at the ball, close their eyes, visualize a good swing, and then fire away. I am often surprised how well players do with their eyes closed, as well as excited to see players' reactions when they see the good results.
2. Another similar hitting drill has players begin with their eyes closed as the coach sets the tee somewhere in the hitting zone, from high to low, before having players open their eyes, find the ball as quickly as possible and swinging. This eyes closed hitting drill gives players the concepts of a sense of urgency with having to find the ball quickly and swinging immediately as well as a heightened awareness, needed when hitting with two strikes

Hitting drills with the eyes closed are only for advanced hitters and for safe areas as in a batting cage at home or at a batting facility.

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