Why You Should Be Careful With “Target” Drills

One of the most common drills I see coaches doing with their students (or drills that students choose to do on their own) is the target drill. I’ve seen this done several different ways; some coaches will put a ball on a tee and have their girls try to hit it. Others will get a circular target on a stand and put it behind home plate. I’ve also seen those vinyl screens with numbers painted all across them to represent different parts of the strike zone. The concept of target drills sounds great in theory, but you will never see me doing a target drill with my students. I know a lot of girls consider these fun and challenging, but for most girls (not all) they can actually be more detrimental than helpful. Again, I am not saying this applies to every pitcher, and Coach Phil disagrees with me on this topic, however it has been my experience that target drills do more harm than good.

We spend so much time teaching our girls the correct mechanics, and one of the most important parts of pitching is being completely relaxed and really firing the arm and hand down the throw zone with maximum whip and smoothness. Good posture with a fast arm and drive through are also extremely important.

When throwing to a catcher, I’ve found that my students do this very well. Their mechanics look solid and they fire the ball with good speed and command. Every so often I’ll get a video (or see a video online) of a pitcher trying a target drill, usually hitting a ball off of a tee or trying to hit a round target. I watch these videos and see their mechanics go out the window. They become so focused on trying to hit the target that they slow down their entire motion and try to aim the ball. Instead of snapping and firing they start pushing with their palms out and their arms look stiff. A lot of girls start bending and completely forget about their drive through because they’re so determined to just knock that ball off of the tee, even if their mechanics aren’t correct.

I know what you’re thinking, “just tell them not to do that!” Trust me, I have! And I’m sure other coaches have given that instruction as well. But for whatever reason, when you put some kind of target in front of them that is not a catcher, their mechanics start to break down. It becomes more about hitting that ball off the tee than staying relaxed and focused on good mechanics. As pitching coaches, we spend so much time doing meaningful drills that help solidify good muscle memory. So to watch those mechanics go out the window simply because the pitcher is trying to hit a ball off of a tee is very concerning.

In my opinion, having a catcher give spots is always better than a target drill. It is a more realistic target and simulates game situations. One of my favorite spot drills is the 3-spot inside/outside drill. This involves having the catcher give low, middle, and high inside spots as targets to hit and then the same three spots on the outside of the plate. The pitcher has to hit at least 4 out of the 6 spots before she can move on! It simulates real game situations and allows the pitcher to focus on her mechanics and relaxing. I use this drill very frequently with my students. You’ll never see me use a “false” target drill.

Again, I want to reiterate, I know this is not true for every pitcher. I know there are plenty of girls out there who can put that ball on a tee, keep their mechanics solid and knock that ball right off with great speed and command. It has just been my experience that many pitchers (especially younger pitchers who are just starting to learn the correct mechanics) will stiffen up, slow down, and start aiming instead of focusing on the mechanics and staying relaxed. This can definitely slow down the process for building the correct muscle memory.

What has been your experience with target drills? Do you like them? I would love to hear your opinions!