The tee is not just for tee-ball. Hitters at every level, all the way to the major leagues, use one every day. For a young hitter, it is the easiest way to get lots of good swings at home. The trick is where you put it.
Set the tee about belt-high for most swings, and place it out in front of the plate so contact happens slightly in front of your child’s front hip. Move it for inside and outside pitches: inside pitches are hit farther out front, outside pitches a little deeper. Do short sets of 5 to 10 swings with one goal each.
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How to set up the tee
- Height: start about belt-high. That is a pitch your child can hit hard and will see often.
- Out front: the ball should sit a little in front of the front hip when your child is in their stance, not even with their belly button. That is where good contact happens.
- Distance from the body: when your child touches the bat to the ball in their stance, the arms should have a little bend. Not jammed, not reaching.
- Safety: hit into a net, a fence or an open field, and keep everyone else well clear of the swing.
Move the tee to match the pitch
Real pitches don’t all come to the same spot, so the tee shouldn’t stay in one spot either.
- Inside pitch: move the tee closer to your child and a bit farther out front.
- Middle pitch: the starting spot.
- Outside pitch: move the tee away from your child and a little deeper, back toward the middle of the stance.
The free Contact Point! game shows your child where to hit each pitch and where the ball goes.
Four tee drills for kids
- Line-drive target: hang a towel or set a bucket in the net about chest-high. Points for every line drive that hits it.
- Three spots: five swings inside, five middle, five outside. The goal is a solid hit at each spot.
- Balance finish: after each swing, freeze and hold the finish for a count of three. If they fall over, the swing was too wild.
- High and low: raise the tee to the letters for five swings, then lower it to the knees for five. Short, quick swings for the high ball; stay down on the low ball.
Keep it short and fun
Ten focused tee swings beat fifty sloppy ones. Give each set one goal, count the wins and stop while your child still wants to keep going. Our guide to how many swings a day has more on that.
One thing to remember
Where you put the tee matters as much as how many swings your child takes.
What to do this week
Set the tee belt-high and slightly out front. Do the three-spot drill for five minutes, three days this week.
Parent questions
What height should a batting tee be for a kid?
Start about belt-high, then move it up to the letters and down to the knees to practice different pitches.
Is hitting off a tee too easy for older kids?
No. Hitters at every level use tees. Older kids can make it harder with targets, different spots and higher and lower tee heights.
Where should the tee be placed?
For a middle pitch, slightly in front of the front hip. Move it farther out front for inside pitches and a little deeper for outside pitches.
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This article is part of the 46/60 parent guide How to Teach a Kid to Hit. Start there for every related article and game.