Touching the Bases With Nate Eastman: Tire Drill

Today I would like to share a hitting drill that I have been doing for the past couple of weeks to help me with hip rotation and bat speed. For this video I had a special guest, the Oneonta Outlaw’s hitting coach Lance Rachford who introduced me to this drill. All you need is an old tire, your bat and someone to hold the tire. You can also bolt the tire to a wooden post if you don’t have someone to hold the tire for you.

You start the drill by using your top hand only chocked up on the bat. When your hitting the tire, you have to find the right path to the inside part of the tire while still making sure you pivot your back foot. This is to simulate hitting the inside pitch to make sure you can clear your hands through the zone.

After 20 reps of that, I switch right to my bottom hand for 20 more hacks trying to keep my hands inside hitting the inside art of the tire.

Once I’m done with that I have the burn out where you take a half speed swing, then keeping your hands extended, with your forearms tapping the bat to the tire as fast as you can until you can’t do any more. The set of 20 reps of the top hand, 20 reps of the bottom hand, then finishing up with the hand extended burnouts all count as one set.

I have been doing this tire drill about 3-4 times a week and I have noticed myself being able to gain better rotation in my back foot and I have been able to hit for more power in just a matter of weeks.