Soft Toss — Line Drives
Partner tosses from the side; hitter drives line drives into a net.
Your job today
Your partner kneels to the side and flips you the ball. You hit line drives into the net, reset, and go again.
What good looks like: Hard line drives — not pop-ups. Reset your stance every toss.
Why it matters: Soft toss gives you tons of swings fast. More good reps is how your swing becomes automatic in games.
How it works
Classic high-rep hitting drill from the Red Sox Foundation plan. A partner kneels slightly in front and to the side with 5-10 balls and tosses into the strike zone; the hitter drives line drives into a net, screen, or fence, resetting the stance between tosses. Great for grooving the swing and fixing small habits with lots of reps.
- Reps / rounds
- 2 rounds x 8-10 tosses
- Rest between sets
- 30s
- Space needed
- 15x15ft
- Coaches
- 0-1
Equipment
- bat
- net or screen
- 5 baseballs
If you don't have it
- No baseballs? Use wiffle balls (moves to Backyard).
- No net? Use fence or backstop (moves to Full field).
Setup
- Hitter 10 ft from a net
- Partner kneels to the side with 5-10 balls
Run the drill
- Partner shows and tosses into the strike zone
- Hitter drives a line drive into the net
- Reset stance and repeat
- Switch roles after the round
Coaching cues
- Line drives, not pop-ups
- Reset between tosses
- Hands inside the ball
Common mistakes
- Casting hands
- Swinging at bad tosses
- No reset between swings
Scoring
Track % line drives (percent). On-track when at or above 60.
Adjust it
Make it easier
- easier: choke up, wiffle balls, 5 tosses
Make it harder
- intro: slow tosses, focus on contact
- intermediate: game-tempo tosses
- advanced: top-hand / bottom-hand isolation rounds
Variations
- Top hand / bottom hand: One hand on the bat per round, then both
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