Tee Ball Skills

tee ball set up

Tee Ball, Baseball and Softball are bat-and-ball sports where players hit the ball and score runs. Tee Ball is a beginner version where the ball is placed on a tee and hit. Baseball involves hitting a pitched ball, and Softball is similar but with a larger ball and usually played on a smaller field. Fielding can be introduced in Foundation and Year 1, focusing on stopping a rolling ball and underarm throwing. Striking is a complex skill that can be introduced in the Foundation year, and by Year 2 most children should be able to demonstrate a two-handed strike. 

Teaching cues

Fielding 

  1. Ready position – knees bent, hands in front of the body, open glove, pointing to the ground 
  2. Eyes on the ball 

Striking 

  1. Grip – Hold the bat with both hands together, your dominant hand (the one you write with) on top.  
  2. Stand - Stand sideways with knees slightly bent and keep the bat near your shoulder. 
  3. Swing – Keep your eyes on the ball and swing the bat smoothly to hit it. 
  4. Follow Through – Let the bat continue swinging around your body after you hit the ball.
Teaching strategies

Fielding 

  • Focus on the ready position - teach knees bent, hands low, eyes on the ball.
  • Practice stopping rolling balls with two hands and body behind - known as ground fielding. 
  • Start with underarm throws, then progress to overarm throws.
  • Play games like Catch Me If You Can to develop basic fielding skills, Rapid Fire Throwing to build throwing confidence, or Race the Ball to practice throwing and catching under pressure. 

Catching 

  1. Eyes on the ball
  2. Soft fingers
  3. Butterfly hands: thumbs together and fingers pointing up for balls being caught above the waist
  4. Wriggly worms: fingers pointing down for balls being caught below the waist
  5. Move hands to the ball
  • Use soft balls to build catching confidence. 

Introducing the Tee Ball Glove

  • Wear It Right: Make sure the glove fits and fingers are in the right spots.
  • Crocodile Chomp: Practice opening and closing the glove like a crocodile’s mouth to catch the ball.
  • Fingers Up or Down: Fingers point up for high balls and down for ground balls.
  • Two Hands: Use the free hand to trap the ball in the glove to "trap the ball like a sandwich".
  • Body Behind the Ball: Always get in front of the ball to stop it, even if it doesn’t go in the glove.
  • Catch, Take it Out, Throw: Teach kids to quickly take the ball out of their glove and make a throw.
  • Use cues like "glove ready" and "watch the ball all the way in". 

Striking 

  • Stand side-on to the ball, eyes on the ball.
  • Emphasise hitting for distance over accuracy.
  • Play games like Noodle Run or Striking Zone to build striking confidence. 

Equipment 

  • Start with hands, hitting balloons or large, soft balls hanging from trees.
  • Use pool noodles as bats to hit large, soft balls. 
  • Progress to using dome cones or tall cones as tees
  • Use foot markers/flat markers to encourage proper stance.
  • Progress to hitting soft balls off small cricket tees.

Fielding 

  • Emphasise quick reactions and balanced movement in the ready stance.
  • Introduce Ground Ball Fielding Drills: Practice one-handed pickups for faster throws and accurate scoops under pressure.
  • Challenge children to catch balls thrown at a greater speed or distance. 
  • Focus on selecting the appropriate type of throw (underarm or overarm) for game situations and hitting targets consistently. 
  • Play games like Triple Tee Dash or Cricket Baseball to allow children to practice their fielding skills in fun games. 

Ask questions:

  • How do you get ready to catch the ball? 
  • What’s the best way to watch the ball as it comes towards you? 
  • How should your hands be when you're about to catch the ball? 
  • What should you do if the ball bounces before you catch it? 
  • How can you stay balanced when you're fielding the ball? 
  • What’s the fastest way to throw the ball after you catch it? 
  • How do you make sure you don’t miss a ground ball? 
  • When should you get low to the ground when fielding? 
  • How do you make sure you’re ready to catch a fly ball? 
  • What do you do if the ball is coming really fast toward you? 

Striking 

  • Encourage children to step towards the target with their front foot, use markers to help with this (step & squash the cone). 
  • Focus on striking the ball as hard as possible and following through with bat around the body. 
  • Use small balls (such as tennis balls).
  • Use a tee ball tee.
  • Play games like Rapid Fire (Striking), Speedy Strikers or Triple Tee Dash.

Fielding 

  • Practice catching on the move and diving when needed.
  • Game Awareness: Teach positioning, backing up throws and anticipating where the ball will go.
  • Progress to playing games like Mini T-Ball or Soccer Softball to practice fielding skills while under pressure in game situations.

Striking 

  • Try hitting a moving ball (ball is thrown to the striker) 
  • Introduce accuracy targets with games like Precision Strike. 
  • Place targets further away. 
  • Introduce game strategies and tactics for striking with games like Striking Tunnel Relay or Mini T-Ball.
Skill criteria

Fielding 

  1. Ready Position: Stand with your knees bent, feet shoulder-width apart and your glove out in front, ready to react to the ball.
  2. Tracking the Ball: Eyes on the ball, whether it’s rolling, bouncing or in the air.
  3. Fielding Ground Balls: Use two hands to scoop up or stop a rolling ball, making sure your body is behind it to block it.
  4. Catching: Use soft hands with your glove open—fingers pointing up for fly balls and down for ground balls—letting the glove absorb the impact.
  5. Throwing: Choose the best throw for the play:
    1. Use an underarm throw for short, quick passes.
    2. Use an overarm throw for longer, stronger throws to a base or home plate.
  6. Team Support: Always back up teammates by being ready to stop the ball if they miss it to prevent extra runs.
  7. Decision-Making: Reacting quickly to decide the best action—whether to catch, stop, or throw—and executing it accurately. 

Striking

  1. Stand side-on to target
  2. Eyes on ball
  3. Hands next to each other, bottom hand matches the front foot
  4. Step towards target with front foot
  5. Hips then shoulders rotate forward
  6. Ball contact made on the front foot with straight arms
  7. Follows through with bat around body
Common errors

Fielding 

  • Ready position - not staying ready to move quickly to the ball.
  • Dropping catches - hands or glove in the wrong position or not watching the ball closely.
  • Missing rolling balls - forgetting to get your body behind the ball.
  • Throwing - not aiming properly or choosing the wrong type of throw for the situation. 
  • Not backing up - forgetting to help teammates by stopping overthrows.
  • Tee Ball Glove - not wearing the glove correctly. 

Striking 

  • Incorrect grip – hands apart or the wrong way around
  • Standing front on to the target
  • Not stepping
  • No weight transfer
  • No follow-through
  • Not watching the ball

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