At 12U, some pitchers stop just throwing hard. The ball starts to move up or down late, and the pitcher has a plan for you. Your hitter needs one too.
The best 12U softball hitting drills train speed and movement: high-and-low tee work, front toss with rise and drop looks, faster machine reps from an adult-fed machine, and an at-bat adjustment game. Take 50 to 60 swings a session, about a quarter off the tee, 3 to 5 days a week.
Train it: Complete Contact Builder (Level 2 Hitting) → Free: Free Softball Practice Plans →What changes for a 12U softball hitter?
Most 11- and 12-year-olds can now hit a firm fastball if they're on time. What many can't do yet is lay off a pitch that looks like a strike and isn't, or change their plan in the middle of an at-bat.
Little League Softball's Major division lists a 40-foot pitching distance, and the pitchers are older and stronger. Your league may differ, so check your league's rules. Either way, she has less time to decide than she did at 10U.
That's where one of my 3 A's of hitting comes in: Angles. The bat has to meet the ball on its path, and at 12U the path starts to bend.
Rise ball and drop ball, explained for parents
- The rise ball: thrown with backspin, it stays up and finishes high in the zone or above it.
- The drop ball: thrown with forward spin, it dives down late, often at the knees or below.
- The change-up: looks like a fastball and shows up slower. Many 12U pitchers have one.
Here's a simple rule for 12U hitters: the rise ball is usually a ball. If it's at her hands or above, let it go. And on the drop, she needs to wait a beat and keep her eyes down with it, not lift her head.
Not every 12U pitcher has real movement. Many throw straight and hard, and that's fine. Practice for both.
Four 12U softball hitting drills
- High-Low Tee: one tee at her belly button, one at her knees. 5 swings high, 5 low, then alternate. The goal is a line drive off both. 2 rounds.
- Hands Line Front Toss: an adult behind a protective screen, 25 to 30 feet away, mixes tosses that finish at the knees with some that finish above her hands. She drives the low ones and takes the high ones. Score: a point for every good swing and every good take. 3 rounds of 10.
- Catch-Up Speed: an adult feeds a pitching machine set to a speed she can just catch up to. 5 swings at that speed, then 5 one notch faster. 25 swings. Helmet on, and nobody stands in front of the machine.
- Adjust Game: a full at-bat from front toss. After each pitch, she tells you one thing she'll change: "I was late, start sooner" or "It was low, stay down." Four at-bats. The answer matters more than the hit.
Her finish matters too: "Please DO NOT squish the bug." For a 12-year-old, that means her back foot comes up and her body moves toward the ball, instead of spinning in place and pulling off the drop.
How many swings, and what mix, at 12U?
| Type | Share | Swings per session | What it builds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tee | About a quarter | 15 | Contact at high and low heights |
| Front toss with movement looks | About a third | 20 | Reading high and low and deciding |
| Machine or live pitching | The rest | 15–25 | Catching up to game speed |
That's 50 to 60 swings in 20 to 25 minutes, 3 to 5 days a week, with team practice counting and at least one full day off. Stop if anything hurts.
You'll also see slappers at this age, mostly lefties who take a running step in the box and put the ball on the ground to use their speed. It's a real skill with its own footwork. Ask her coach if it fits her before you start.
How does she adjust in the middle of an at-bat?
- Step 1, after pitch one: was the pitcher fast or slow for her? If she was late, she starts sooner.
- Step 2, find the pitch: what's the pitcher throwing for strikes? Most 12U pitchers have one they trust.
- Step 3, move in the box: against a pitcher who gets the drop over, some coaches have hitters move up in the box to catch it before it dives. Ask her coach.
If you want four weeks of high-low and timing work laid out, our Complete Contact Builder is part of the $25/month 46/60 Academy membership: 16 short parent-guided sessions for ages 7–12, baseball and fastpitch softball. Lesson 1 is free. Our free softball practice plans fit these drills into a team practice.
One thing to remember
At 12U, the rise ball is usually a ball, so lay off what's at her hands and hunt what's at her belt and below.
What to do this week
Three days this week: 2 rounds of High-Low Tee and 3 rounds of Hands Line Front Toss. On the fourth day, play the Adjust Game for four at-bats and write down what she said.
Parent questions
Do 12U softball pitchers throw rise balls and drop balls?
Some do. Many 12U pitchers mostly throw hard and straight with a change-up, and a few have real movement. Practice for both.
How do I teach my daughter to lay off the rise ball?
Give her one rule: if it's at her hands or above, let it go. In front toss, score a point for every high one she takes.
Should my 12-year-old learn to slap?
Slapping can suit fast players, often lefties, but it takes many reps with a coach who teaches it. Ask her coach before you start.
SEE COMPLETE CONTACT BUILDER (LEVEL 2 HITTING) →
Sources: Little League: Softball Divisions (Major division pitching distance) · Bases Loaded Softball: How to Throw a Drop Ball (forward spin, late downward break)