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Diamond Nine

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Tee 5-Ball Progression

HittingCage / Gym10 minAges 6-8, 9-12, 13-151-4 playersIntensity: lightPitch Smart OK

Five tee swings per round with one cue rotation. Logs hard-hit rate.

Your job today

Five swings off the tee. Each round you only think about ONE thing — load, see contact, or finish — then we score how many are hard-hit.

What good looks like: Hit at least 3 out of 5 on the barrel. Loud sound, ball jumps off the tee, you finish balanced.

Why it matters: Your body learns one cue at a time. In a game your brain only has time for one thought before the pitch — this is how we practice that.

How it works

Hitter takes 5 swings off a tee per round, rotating one cue per round (e.g., 'load', 'see contact', 'finish'). Coach or partner logs each ball as hard-hit, soft, or miss. Two rounds = 10 swings.

Reps / rounds
2 rounds x 5 swings
Rest between sets
45s
Space needed
15x15ft
Coaches
0-1

Equipment

  • tee
  • 5 baseballs

If you don't have it

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

Setup

  1. Place tee at hitter's front hip
  2. Set 5 balls in a bucket within reach

Run the drill

  1. Hitter takes 5 swings using the round's single cue
  2. Partner logs result of each swing

Coaching cues

  • One cue only
  • Reset between swings
  • Finish balanced

Common mistakes

  • Multiple cues at once
  • Rushing through reps

Scoring

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

Adjust it

Make it easier

  • easier: 3 swings, focus on contact only

Make it harder

  • intro: stationary tee, 5 balls
  • intermediate: moving target / weighted bat warmup
  • advanced: tee + front toss combo round

Variations

  • Cue ladder: Each round adds a different cue

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: Published · Last reviewed 2026-05-26