Fun T-Ball Drills

By Kenny Buford

T-ball is a wonderful way to acquaint young children with the sport of baseball. Being so young, the most important aspect is making sure that the children are enjoying the experience while learning the basics. There are many fun t-ball drills that players will enjoy while learning and practicing the fundamentals.

Catch:

Catch is perhaps the most famous and basic of all t-ball drills. It is even used in the major leagues during pre-game warm-ups. Catch is one of the fun t-ball drills that is easiest for children to learn. Catch is the best way to learn the essentials of catching and throwing.

Bounce to the Bucket:

Bounce to the bucket is a fun t-ball drill that requires a large basket or a cooler, placed on top of a base. Outfielders then try to throw and bounce the ball into the open container. It's fun to make this game a competition by giving ten points for every ball that goes in, five points for hitting the bucket, and one point for bouncing the ball closest to the bucket. This drill is important because it allows players to practice throwing from the outfield to the bases.

Catching Contest:

The catching contest is a great drill to practice catching and throwing. Break the players up into groups of two and then have them throw the ball back and forth between themselves. The last two players that have not dropped the ball are the winners.

Catch the Coach:

Catch the coach begins by having the coach run from home plate to first base. After he starts running the coach should yell out "tag me," and the player holding the baseball should run after the coach and attempt to tag him out before he reaches first base.

Catch the Players:

Catch the players is a fun drill to practice base running. The coach lets four or more players begin running the bases, starting from home plate, each player separated by about seven seconds. The coach starts running last, attempting to catch the players and tag them out one by one by grabbing the cabs from their heads.

One and Two:

One and two is a drill which is good for practicing catching and throwing accuracy involving two players playing catch. The thrower is awarded two points if the ball is caught at or above the shoulders. One point is scored if the ball is caught between the waist and shoulders. No points are awarded if the ball if caught below the waist or not caught at all.

Track Meet:

Track meet is one of the fun t-ball drills that begins with two players at home plate. At the start, one runs to third base, the other runs to first base. They continue running in opposite directions around the bases, and the first player to return to home plate wins. In order to avoid collisions, instruct the runner that begins at first base to touch second base from the outside corner, and the runner coming from third base to touch the inside corner of second base.

Kenny Buford is a baseball and t-ball coach with over 20 years of experience. You can find more of his T-Ball Drills (along with practice plans) on his website:

T-Ball Drills and Practice Plans

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Recommended Tee Ball Coaching Stites:
Baseball 2Day Coaching Journal
TeeBall Parents Guide