Starting Off Strong: Baseball Drills for 6-7 Year Olds

The Short Answer: Teaching baseball fundamentals to 6-7 year olds is about more than skill—it's about building confidence and a love for the game. By introducing simple, fun drills for throwing, catching, hitting, and fielding, young players develop essential coordination and motor skills.

For 6-7 year old baseball players, building strong baseball fundamentals isn't just about creating future all-stars. It's also about developing confidence and nurturing a lifelong love for the game. Establishing a foundation of the basics of baseball helps young players grow in their basic coordination, spatial awareness, and motor skills. Celebrating the small achievements and implementing fun drills into practice sessions helps build important skills while keeping the atmosphere light and engaging.

Throwing Basics

For our young ball players, mastering the fundamentals with fun baseball drills can be both fun and rewarding with the right approach. Here are guides to some of our favorite drills for this age range.

Throwing Grip

Step 1: Give the player a baseball sized appropriately for their hand (safety or soft ball if needed).

Step 2: Instruct them to place their index and middle fingers across the seams of the ball.

Step 3: Make sure their fingers are spread comfortably apart, not too close together.

Step 4: Encourage a relaxed grip to avoid squeezing the ball too tightly.

Step 5: Remind them that this grip helps with better control and more accurate throws.

Purpose: This natural grip helps develop better control and prevents squeezing the ball too hard.

Make an L

Step 1: Ask the player to point their glove shoulder toward the target.

Step 2: Show them how to make an "L" shape with their throwing arm.

Step 3: Have them step toward the target with their front foot as they prepare to throw.

Step 4: Use the phrase “thumb to thigh, fingers to the sky” to guide their arm motion.

Purpose: By teaching young players proper throw mechanics, this helps build consistency, accuracy, and confidence in their throwing form.

Swing Disk Target Challenge

Step 1: Have the player take 5–10 dry swings without trying to hit the Swing Disk, focusing on smooth motion and balanced finish.

Step 2: Set up a Swing Disk and instruct the player to swing through the disk, trying to hit it squarely with the sweet spot of their bat. After each swing, the disk will move. Teach players to reset their stance and adjust rather than chase the disk.

Step 3: Set a goal (ex: "hit the disk solidly 3 times in a row") and award points for clean hits versus glancing hits.

Purpose: The Swing Disk provides instant feedback to naturally teach a flatter, more consistent swing. This drill encourages precision over power and teaches players how to reset and adjust after each swing to build better hitting habits.

Hitting Fundamentals Made Fun

Learning to hit a baseball should be an exciting adventure for every young player. At ages 6-7, we want to focus on making batting practice both fun and foundational, setting kids up for success without overwhelming them with too many technical details.

Ready, Turn, and Through

When it comes to swing mechanics for youth baseball players, break it down into a simple drill with three steps: 

Step 1: Ready

1. Step 1: Stand in your batting stance with eyes focused forward.

2. Keep hands up and balanced.

3. Stay relaxed but alert, waiting for the pitch.

Step 2: Turn

1. The player starts their swing by turning their hips.

2. Think of it like twisting your body to look behind you.

3. Remember that the hips lead, not the hands.

Step 3: Through

1. Complete the swing fully.

2. The player’s belly button should finish pointing toward the pitcher.

3. Remind players to keep their eyes on the ball and finish with balance

Purpose: This simple, rhythm-based drill teaches the fundamentals of swing mechanics in three clear steps to help young players develop proper form, balance, and timing in a fun and memorable way.

Hit the Target

Tee work is where the magic begins. We build hitting accuracy through this engaging drill, where players aim for specific spots in the field:

Step 1: Set Up the Tee

1. Place a Tee Popper in a safe practice area.

2. Set up colorful Agility Cones or targets at different spots in the field.
   

Step 2: Explain the Game

1. Each cone or target has a point value.

2. Players aim to hit the targets for points.
   

Step 3: Swing and Score

1. Let each player take turns hitting from the tee.

2. Add a layer of competition and fun by tracking points.

3. Emphasize hitting with control and direction.

Purpose: This drill uses engaging, game-like tee work to reinforce core hitting skills and build swing accuracy. 

Rainbow Hits

Soft toss drills naturally follow tee work. This helps develop hand-eye coordination while keeping young players engaged:

Step 1: Set the Tossing Position

1. A parent or coach kneels to the front and side of the batter.

2. Gently toss balls into the hitter’s strike zone.
   

Step 2: Create Colored Zones

1. Divide the field into zones using colored markers, flags, or Agility Cones.

2. Assign each zone a color and challenge the player to aim there.
   

Step 3: Swing for the Colors

1. Players try to hit into specific zones on each toss.

2. This helps with directional hitting and keeps the drill playful.

Purpose: This soft toss drill with visual targets enhances hand-eye coordination and hitting control to keep young players focused and motivated.

Creating success-oriented practice scenarios, like counting consecutive hits rather than focusing on power, helps young players build confidence. Small achievements lead to big smiles, and those smiles keep young players coming back for more.

Fielding Games and Activities

With the right approach, learning to field doesn't have to feel like work. For young players, mastering the basics of fielding starts with turning fundamental skills into exciting games and activities.

Rolling Rocks

Step 1: Begin by rolling Mini Impact Balls slowly toward the player from about 10 feet away.

Step 2: Encourage the player to get into their ready position before each roll.

Step 3: As their comfort grows, gradually increase the distance and speed of the rolls.

Step 4: Reinforce forming a “triangle” with their feet and glove, keeping their eyes locked on the ball.

Purpose: Through teaching young players to track and field rolling balls, this drill develops glove coordination and focus by teaching young players to keep their eyes on the ball from start to finish.

Alligator Catch

The alligator technique is one of the most common ways of teaching ground balls. In this analogy, the player’s glove is the alligator's lower jaw, and their throwing hand is the top jaw- young athletes understand how to effectively practice fielding ground balls. 

Step 1: One hop or roll Mini Impact Balls to the player.

Step 2: Instruct them to “chomp down” on the ball using both hands.

Step 3: Emphasize using two hands together to secure the catch every time.

Purpose: This reinforces clean two-handed catching by using a fun visual analogy that helps players understand how to secure the ball with both hands. 

Dancing Fielder

Step 1: Set up four Agility Cones in a diamond shape, each about two feet apart.

Step 2: Have the player start in their ready position at the center of the diamond.

Step 3: Call out different spots on the diamond for the player to shuffle toward.

Step 4: Ensure the player maintains their fielding stance while moving.

Step 5: Repeat in different sequences to build quick and controlled footwork.

Purpose: By encouraging controlled movement while staying in an athletic stance, this improves agility, balance, and fielding footwork to help players stay ready to field balls in any direction.

Hot Potato Field 

Step 1: Roll a React Baseball to a random spot around the player.

Step 2: The player fields the ball quickly and throws it back to you within five seconds.

Step 3: Award one point for each successful field-and-throw within the time limit.

Step 4: Repeat, varying the roll direction to improve reaction speed and fun.

Step 5: Track points for motivation and make it a game!

Purpose: This fun, fast-paced drill encourages quick, accurate fielding and throwing to boost reaction time and decision-making under pressure.

Remember, at this age, the key is keeping the energy high and the pressure low, and a 20-minute focused practice is often more valuable than an hour of unfocused activity. Celebrate their efforts and watch their confidence grow with every play.

Prepare Your Player with Plate Crate

Building a lasting love for the game starts with creating positive experiences both on and off the field. As parents and coaches, your enthusiasm and encouragement set the tone for their entire baseball journey. While drills form the foundation of baseball fundamentals, having proper training aids can make practice both more effective and more fun for 6-7 year olds.

That's where Plate Crate comes in. Whether your player is working on their throwing accuracy, developing the proper batting stance, or learning to field grounders, Plate Crate's training aids complement youth baseball drills and practice. With many options of age-appropriate tools designed to grow with the player, our equipment helps support proper technique development, keep practice sessions fresh and engaging, and maintain their enthusiasm and motivation to practice.

With consistent practice using proper training tools, your player will develop fundamental skills and the muscle memory needed to succeed on the diamond. Start their baseball journey off right with Plate Crate – because every young athlete deserves the tools to reach their full potential.