Here's the deal with 8-year-old hitters. She can hit a ball sitting on a tee all day long. A moving ball is a whole new problem, and that's where these drills come in.
Good softball hitting drills for 8-year-olds are about half tee work, plus soft toss and a few coach- or machine-pitch reps: 30 to 40 swings in 10 to 15 minutes. Teach an athletic stance, getting ready early and swinging at strikes she can reach, and keep score.
Train it: Complete Contact Builder (Level 2 Hitting) → Free: Free Softball Practice Plans →What can an 8-year-old hitter do yet, and what can't she?
I want you to coach the kid in front of you, not the one on TV. Most 7- and 8-year-olds can hold a balanced stance, hit a still ball hard and square up a slow, straight toss.
What most can't do yet: stay locked in past about 10 minutes, control a heavy bat or time a fast pitch. Those come later. Don't force them now.
One of my 3 A's of hitting is Athletic, and my rule for it is "No robots allowed!" For an 8-year-old, that means she should look ready to field a ground ball, not stand there stiff as a fence post.
What pitching will she see at 8U?
- Coach pitch: a parent or coach tossing slow and close. Very hittable, if she's ready.
- Machine pitch: same speed, same spot, every time. Great for learning timing.
- First kid pitch: lots of balls. Some sail high, some bounce, and a few are strikes.
Little League Softball's Minor League division can use machine, coach or player pitch, with the pitching distance listed at 35 feet. Many local leagues do it their own way, so check your league's rules for what your daughter will face this season.
Against first-year kid pitchers, her job is simple. Swing at strikes she can reach. Let the ones over her head go by.
Four 8U softball hitting drills
- Jump-Jump-Set: she hops twice in place and lands the second hop in her stance: feet a little wider than her shoulders, knees soft, weight on the balls of her feet. Then one swing off the tee. 10 reps. Land stiff, hop again.
- Tee-Tee Train: two tees in a line, the back one about 12 inches behind the front one with no ball on it. She hits the ball off the front tee without clipping the back tee. 2 rounds of 10. Clip it and the train derails, so she resets.
- Feed and Go: for machine or coach pitch. The adult holds the ball up before each feed. "Ball up" means she starts her small load. When the ball drops into the machine or the coach's arm comes forward, she lands and swings. 3 rounds of 6.
- Three Swings to Fair: an adult tosses underhand from behind a protective screen about 15 feet away, using wiffle or soft balls. She gets three swings to hit one fair past a cone line 20 feet out. Fair ball is a point and a sprint to a cone. Five at-bats.
When her back foot turns, remember: "Please DO NOT squish the bug." For an 8-year-old, that means her back heel comes up and her weight moves toward the pitcher, instead of grinding the toe into the dirt and spinning in place.
How should I split tee, toss and machine at 8U?
| Type | Share of swings | Swings per session | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tee | About half | 15–20 | Builds the swing with no timing to worry about |
| Soft or front toss | About a third | 10–12 | A slow moving ball, the next step up |
| Coach or machine pitch | The rest | 6–10 | The look she'll get in games |
That's 30 to 40 swings in 10 to 15 minutes, 3 or 4 days a week, and team practice counts. Quit while the swings are still good, not when the bucket is empty.
Helmet on for any moving ball. An adult feeds the machine, every time, and waiting hitters stay behind a line in the dirt. Stop if anything hurts. Our free softball practice plans fit these drills into an 8U team practice.
How do I know she's ready for faster pitching?
- She lands balanced on 8 of 10 tee swings.
- Her load starts before the ball leaves the machine or the coach's hand.
- She lets the high ones go without you saying a word.
- She asks to hit. That one matters most.
If you want the next four weeks laid out for you, 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.
One thing to remember
At 8U, get her looking like an athlete in the box first, and the hits will follow.
What to do this week
Three days this week, 12 minutes each: 10 Jump-Jump-Set swings, two rounds of Tee-Tee Train and three rounds of Feed and Go if you have a machine or a patient arm. Count how many front-tee swings stay on the train.
Parent questions
Should my 8-year-old hit off a pitching machine?
Yes, in small doses, with an adult feeding it and a helmet on. Keep the speed slow enough that she's on time, and check your league's rules for the distance and ball they use.
How many swings should an 8-year-old softball player take?
About 30 to 40 good swings, 3 or 4 days a week, is plenty. Team practice counts toward that number.
My daughter swings at pitches over her head. What do I do?
Give her one rule: if it's above her hands, let it go. In soft toss, give her a point for every high ball she takes.
SEE COMPLETE CONTACT BUILDER (LEVEL 2 HITTING) →
Sources: Little League: Softball Divisions (Minor League pitching format and distance)