365 Days to Better Baseball - Learning the Old Fashioned Way

Tuesday Tips to Tattoo the Ball Teaching Bat Control

Of course, things were not always done better years ago, as many baseball fans often think. For example, kids do not play baseball in the neighborhoods, as in years past. However, many baseball schools and travel teams across the nation have filled that playing void.

However, a common practice drill from an earlier era has not returned to much extent is the pepper game, which is a great way for players to learn to control the bat.

Baseball positions (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Pepper is a hitting (and fielding) drill where one player bats while the other players stand fifteen to twenty feet in front of the batter. One ball is used as fielders throw balls semi firmly, or slower, to the batter. Batters hit the pitched ball with half swings to the fielders, who are about three feet away from each other. Batters learn to control the bat because the bat must be angled correctly to hit it to the fielders and without popping it over their heads.

Usually, players hit for a designated time, until they miss a pitched ball, or until they do not hit it to the fielders. Players take turns hitting. Many variations of the pepper drill are possible by making it a little competition for hitting and fielding. Most of all, players learn to control the bat better by learning to angle the bat correctly at contact to place it to the desired fielder.