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Foam Ball Tee Hits

Hit a foam ball off a tee with a light plastic bat. Tee ball is how young players first learn to swing.

By Coach Evan Waechtler Youth coach (U11, Cache Valley, Utah) and founder of SSTracker Updated October 30, 2026

Set up

Set the tee at your child’s belly-button height and put the foam ball on it.

Ages
4 to 6
Time
3 min
Players
Just you
Space
Yard or field
Bring
Batting tee or a tall cone, foam or plastic ball, light plastic bat
Level · skill
Beginner · Hitting

The steps

How it works

  1. Set the tee at your child’s belly-button height and put the foam ball on it.
  2. Feet apart, side-on to the tee, hands together on the bat.
  3. Swing and hit the ball off the tee.
  4. Fetch the ball together. Do about 10 swings.

Coaching point

Praise the try: “Big swing! You kept your eyes on the ball.”

Safety: The tool stays low, and everyone else stands back, clear of the swing. A foam or plastic ball and a light plastic bat only.

Make it fun

Play it, don't drill it

Game version

Let the child be the coach for a turn: show the grown-up how to do “Foam Ball Tee Hits”, then swap.

Story

You are a superhero in training, and “Foam Ball Tee Hits” is today’s mission.

Practice makes progress

Print it now, or save it free

Free for families and teams

Save this drill to your child or team, free

Sign up and the free softball week for this age opens in your child's planner, kept to healthy limits. A coach can send this drill to the whole team as homework, and parents see every session logged.

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