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Diamond Nine

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Swing-Plane Path Check

HittingCage / Gym15 minAges 9-12, 13-15, 16+1-4 playersIntensity: normalPitch Smart OK

Tee placed at three heights to groom an on-plane bat path. Logs hard-hit rate.

Use this drill in a practiceBack to library

Your job today

We move the tee low, middle, then high. Your barrel has to match each height with the same smooth path.

What good looks like: Square up every height — loud contact, ball on a line into the net. At least 3 of 5 hard-hit each round.

Why it matters: Pitches come at different heights. A barrel that stays on plane can cover all of them, so you square up more pitches in games.

How it works

Hitter takes tee swings with the tee set at three heights (low, middle, high) to train a bat path that matches the pitch plane. Partner watches for an on-plane barrel and logs each ball as hard-hit, soft, or miss. One round per height equals 15 swings, with a single mechanical cue per round.

Reps / rounds
3 rounds x 5 swings (low / middle / high tee)
Rest between sets
45s
Space needed
cage
Coaches
0-1

Equipment

  • tee
  • net
  • 5 baseballs

If you don't have it

  • No tee? Use cone stack at each height (moves to Backyard).
  • No baseballs? Use wiffle balls (moves to Backyard).

Setup

  1. Set tee at hitter's knee height for round 1
  2. Have net positioned for line-drive feedback

Run the drill

  1. 5 swings at the low tee with one path cue
  2. Raise tee to belt height, 5 swings
  3. Raise tee to chest height, 5 swings
  4. Partner logs hard-hit result of each swing

Coaching cues

  • Match the barrel to the tee height
  • Stay connected — no casting
  • Same on-plane path at every height

Common mistakes

  • Chopping down on the high tee
  • Uppercutting under the low tee
  • Changing the whole swing instead of just the path

Scoring

Track % hard-hit (percent). On-track when at or above 60.

Adjust it

Make it easier

  • easier: 2 heights (low + middle), 3 swings each

Make it harder

  • intro: middle tee only, groove one path
  • intermediate: three tee heights in sequence
  • advanced: partner calls a random height each swing

Variations

  • Inside/outside: Move the tee fore/aft to train path on inner and outer thirds

Safety

  • STOP_ON_PAIN: Distinguish acceptable muscle soreness from joint pain or severe muscle ache. Any pain, pop, or possible injury must be reported to a parent, coach, or trusted adult, and the activity stopped immediately. Any sign of illness or injury must be evaluated before returning.

Source

Author: platform · Status: Reviewed · Last reviewed 2026-06-03