Front toss hitting behind a screen

Setup

1. Set an L-screen about 5–6 m in front of home plate. The feeder sits or kneels behind it on a bucket, fully covered by the screen.
2. The batter wears a helmet with a face guard. The on-deck batter waits well away from the box, out of swinging range, with a helmet on.
3. Two or three fielders shag balls in the infield, wearing face masks if you have them. In a cage, hit into the net instead.
4. Nobody walks in front of the screen while a batter is in the box.

How it runs

1. The feeder tosses underhand from behind the screen to the front edge of the plate, at about waist height.
2. The batter hits the ball back up the middle as a line drive. The feeder tucks behind the screen as soon as the ball is released.
3. Each batter takes rounds of 8–10 swings, then swaps with the on-deck batter.
4. Fielders collect balls into the second bucket. When the feeder's bucket is empty, stop, collect, and swap jobs.
5. Round 1: middle of the plate. Round 2: inside (pull). Round 3: outside (opposite field).

Coaching points

• Balanced stance, hands back by the back shoulder, eyes level on the feeder's hand.
• Short stride, landing softly with the front foot closed, then the hips fire.
• Hands take the shortest path to the ball. Knob of the bat to the ball, then the barrel through it.
• Hit inside pitches out front, middle pitches over the plate, outside pitches deeper.
• Feeder: toss firmly and consistently. A bad toss is a ball, so let it go.

Common mistakes

• Feeder tossing from beside the screen and staying exposed after the toss.
• Casting the hands away from the body, so the swing is long and loopy.
• Lunging forward with the head and upper body on the stride.
• Uppercutting every ball into a lazy fly.