by Richard Todd, with contributions by Paul Bearmon and others

Despite the casual, lazy routine you often see in pre-games, soft toss can be an extremely valuable training and prep technique. But it's often done poorly and understood less. The reason for citing pre-games is that most soft-toss done on the field during those precious 45 minutes is a complete waste of time - it is unfocused, lacking in real effort, and even counterproductive. It doesn't help players dial in, it can mess up their swing mechanics, and it slows down their bats.

So why do we still recommend soft toss?

Because when it's done properly - with purpose - it can be extremely valuable to your offense. This page pulls together ideas from many sources (see side note), including recommendations and reasons for techniques and training aids.


Soft Toss done right can improve ball tracking, hand-eye coordination, reaction time and swing quickness.

Whether a coach or another player is helping the hitter, both need to understand the importance of the feed and the feeder - distance, timing, direction, number of reps - are all factors.

Remainder of this page - with drills explained and illustrated - available to Team Players only. Please login or join.