Coach Spotlight: How @d.r.hitting Fixes Youth Swings
If you spend any time looking for hitting help on Instagram, you have probably scrolled past a @d.r.hitting reel. His feed is a steady stream of short, no-nonsense swing drills, and the d.r.hitting drills in our index keep showing up as answers to the most common youth swing problems: casting, an arms-only turn, poor timing, and pulling the head off the ball.
Who is @d.r.hitting?
@d.r.hitting is a hitting instructor who posts drills and feel cues built for real players, most of them young. What makes the feed useful for parents is the format: every clip targets one flaw, shows the fix, and gives you something you can copy in a driveway or at the cage. There is no fluff and no thirty-minute lecture.
We are not affiliated with him. We index public coaching videos so parents can find the right drill fast, and his work earns its place because it is clear, cheap to set up, and repeatable. As always, this is information, not a substitute for a good in-person coach who can watch your player swing in person.
What do d.r.hitting drills teach best?
Two themes run through almost everything he posts. First, a tight and direct bat path: getting the barrel to the ball without casting, wrapping around it, or getting long. Second, turning with the body instead of the arms, so power comes from the core and lower half rather than a top-down arm swing. He also has a real gift for teaching young and t-ball hitters with cues they will actually remember. Here are five drills worth your time.
The light-ball squeeze, by @d.r.hitting
A lightweight ball is held up at the shoulder to teach the hitter to fire a quick, direct path straight to the ball. It kills casting and the long, around-the-ball swing that leaves youth hitters slow and weak, and it gives them an instant feel for a tight, fast barrel.
Watch @d.r.hitting's drill →The water-bag core turn, by @d.r.hitting
Using a water-filled bag, the hitter learns to drive rotation from the core rather than swinging with just the upper body and arms. The shifting water forces the body to lead the turn, which is exactly what an arms-only, weak-rotation swing is missing.
Watch @d.r.hitting's drill →The pump-fake load check, by @d.r.hitting
During front toss the coach throws pump fakes to check whether the hitter is already loaded and ready at release. It exposes hitters who try to see the ball and load at the same time, which shows up as a late load that strips power and leaves them behind the pitch.
Watch @d.r.hitting's drill →The planted-feet oppo tee drill, by @d.r.hitting
Off the tee, the hitter keeps their feet planted and works the ball to the opposite field. Staying grounded stops the spinning out and flying open that cause rolling over and weak pull-side ground balls, and it teaches a young hitter to use the ground instead of pulling off the ball.
Watch @d.r.hitting's drill →"Weight scale and flex your biceps," by @d.r.hitting
For t-ball and young hitters who cannot hold a mechanical cue in their head, he uses two simple pictures off the tee: a "weight scale" for weight shift and "flex your biceps" for loading the hands. The cues are fun and sticky, so kids actually repeat the right move on their own.
Watch the cue →Run one drill per practice, ten focused reps at a time, and rotate through them over two to three weeks. A swing changes with accumulated reps and feedback, not one magic session. And credit where it is due: every drill above belongs to @d.r.hitting. Go follow him.
When to see a coach in person
Video drills are a great starting point, but they cannot watch your player swing. If something is not improving after a few honest weeks, or if your hitter is dealing with any pain, get eyes on it in person and consult a physician for anything physical. Use these drills to know what to work on and what questions to ask.
Get the 3 best drills for your player.
The d.r.hitting drills above are a small sample of a much deeper index. Tell us your player's exact situation, their age, their level, and what you actually see at practice or in games, and we will email the 3 best drills for that hitter, within minutes.
Find your drills → Coaching a team, or want a full weekly plan for your player? See Fungo plans.