Things You'll Need:
- Bat
- Baseball
- Batting tee
- Helmet
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Step 1
Start by using a tee and emulate your batting stance on the other side of the plate. Most of us have a dominant side where we feel more comfortable throwing and hitting. Flip that side around and start by hitting a baseball off a tee. Don't let your dominant hand take over the swing. Instead imagine the opposite hand is the dominant one. Take practice swings using just the back arm of your batting stance. After you make contact with the ball on a consistent basis, add the other hand to the bat.
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Step 2
Play "soft-toss" with a friend or fellow player. Soft-toss is a game where someone stands to the side of you, and then tosses the ball to you. You then hit the ball into a fence. The purpose is to focus on hand-eye coordination. Continue this drill regularly until you are hitting line drives into the net or fence.
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Step 3
Face live pitching in a batting cage. This will allow you to work on hitting the same pitch over and over again from the opposite side of the plate. The great thing about a batting cage is that the pitch usually comes in a similar location and you know what pitch is coming. Start slowly and get the timing down. Then move to a fastball, then move onto curve balls and sliders. This will take several weeks to master.
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Step 4
Step-up to the plate against live arm pitching. It's probably best to first switch hit in practice rather than an actual baseball game. Give yourself the ultimate test by stepping up against a pitcher that uses different speeds, and who doesn't tell you what pitch is coming. Remember the whole point of switch hitting is to face a pitcher who is using the opposite arm to throw. Hitters see the ball better from a pitcher throwing from the opposite direction as their stance. Continue to hit from your "normal" side when appropriate.
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Step 5
Once you make a team, make sure you take extra batting practice from the right side to keep your swing fresh. You won't be batting righthanded in a game very often.
