- 1). Start by getting the boy's grip right. The hands are the foundation for an even swing. The boy should hold the bat with his fingers, as opposed to back in the palms. The dominant hand should be the top hand. Make sure the knuckles on both hands are in a straight line when holding the bat. When ready to swing, have the boy hold his back elbow (right elbow for righties) high, at shoulder level and his hands at ear level. This will help keep the swing level and smooth. Have the boy take a few practice swings to get accustomed to the feel and weight. When following through on a swing, the palm of the right hand should face up and the left palm down for a right-hander.
- 2). Make sure the feet are a little more than shoulder-width apart. The knees should be slightly bent in an athletic position with weight on the balls of the feet. The feet should face home plate, parallel to the pitcher. When ready to swing, the boy should transfer his weight to his back leg, then take a small stride toward the pitcher with his lead leg, foot still parallel to the pitcher. This will transfer the weight and builds momentum to meet the ball.
- 3). Begin using a T-ball set so the boy can concentrate on honing his swing without worrying about swinging at a moving ball. Even though the base of the tee will most likely be in the shape of home plate, place the tee so it lines up with the boy's front foot. This will get him used to hitting the ball in the proper location when taking live pitching.
- 4). Use soft toss to get the boy used to swinging at a moving ball. Have the boy stand about 5 feet away from a chain link fence and kneel a few feet to the side, outside of his hitting zone and slightly in front of him. Toss a baseball at waist level in his hitting zone, approximately where the ball would be if on a tee. Have him hit the ball into the fence until he consistently makes solid contact.
- 5). Start tossing easy pitches to the boy. The goal is to have him make solid and steady contact. Progressively add velocity to the ball as the boy becomes comfortable hitting. Make sure the hands and footwork remain fundamentally sound. Before muscle memory takes over, bad habits can set in and hinder his ability to hit. The better he does, the more willing he will be to keep practicing.
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