Coach Gerald Bautista
Professional Baseball Veteran | Hitting & Fielding Coach
Gerald Bautista spent nine years in professional baseball — including time in the Cleveland Guardians organization and independent leagues — competing at levels most players never reach. That career gave him a firsthand education in what separates athletes who advance from those who plateau: efficient mechanics, a confident plate approach, and the mental edge that holds up under pressure. He now brings that knowledge to the coaching box, working with catchers, infielders, outfielders, and hitters to build the complete player — one who is ready for the next level before they get there.
Credentials & Experience:
- ✓9 years of professional baseball, including Cleveland Guardians organization
- ✓Independent league experience at the highest non-MLB level
- ✓Specializes in swing mechanics, fielding fundamentals, and plate approach
- ✓Works with athletes from youth travel ball through college-bound players
Soft Toss Proper Technique: Feeding and Hitting
Soft toss is the bridge between tee work and live pitching. When done correctly, it develops timing, barrel control, and rhythm. When done incorrectly, it is a waste of everyone's time.
Soft toss occupies a unique space in the hitting development progression. It adds the timing element that tee work removes, but in a controlled enough environment that the hitter can still focus on mechanics. The ball is moving, so the hitter must track it. But the ball is not moving fast or unpredictably, so the cognitive demand stays manageable.
The problem is that soft toss is deceptively simple. Two people, some balls, and a net. How hard can it be? The answer: harder than most people think. Bad feeding ruins the drill. Bad positioning creates dangerous situations. And bad hitter approach turns it into mindless repetition rather than focused development.
This guide covers the technique for both sides of the drill: the person feeding and the person hitting. Because soft toss is only as good as its weakest participant.
Feeding technique: the overlooked half of the drill
A bad feed produces a bad swing. If the feeder is tossing balls inconsistently, too high, too low, too fast, or too far in front, the hitter is reacting to bad feeds rather than grooving good swings. The feeder's job is to deliver the ball to the same spot, at the same speed, with the same trajectory, every single time.
Proper feeding position and mechanics
- 1.Position: Kneeling on one knee approximately 5-7 feet to the front-side of the hitter, at a 45-degree angle. The feeder should be protected by being inside the hitter's front hip, not directly in the swing path.
- 2.Toss height: Release the ball at the hitter's waist height and let it arc gently to the contact zone. The ball should arrive at the same height it was released. No rainbow arcs. No bullets.
- 3.Timing: Develop a consistent rhythm. Count: one-thousand-one, toss. One-thousand-one, toss. The hitter should be able to predict the timing without watching the feeder.
- 4.Arm action: Use a smooth underhand flip from the wrist and forearm, not a full arm swing. The shorter the arm action, the more consistent the feed.
- 5.Target zone: Feed the ball to the front hip of the hitter. This is the natural contact point for a well-timed swing. Adjust forward or back based on whether you want the hitter to pull or go the other way.
Safety Note:
The feeder must be protected. Use a screen or net between the feeder and the hitter whenever possible. If no screen is available, the feeder should be positioned far enough to the side that a pulled ball cannot reach them. Never feed from directly in front of the hitter.
Related Reading:
Hitter technique during soft toss
The hitter's job during soft toss is to use the controlled environment to groove timing and barrel accuracy. Here are the keys:
Load timing
Begin your load as the feeder's hand starts to move. This syncs your timing to the feed and creates a consistent rhythm. The load should be complete and the stride should land by the time the ball enters the hitting zone. Practice getting the timing right until it becomes automatic.
Track the ball
Even though the ball is moving slowly, track it from the feeder's hand to the contact point. This develops the visual tracking habits that transfer to live pitching. Do not cheat by timing the feed without watching the ball. The tracking habit is one of the main benefits of soft toss over tee work.
Swing with intent
Do not soft-swing at soft toss. The ball is soft. Your swing should not be. Swing with the same intent and bat speed you would use in a game. The controlled environment allows you to swing hard while focusing on mechanics. If you ease up on the swing because the ball is slow, you are training a slow swing.
Directional focus
Give yourself a target for each swing. "Drive this ball up the middle." "Pull this one." "Take this one the other way." Having a directional intention prevents the mindless repetition that makes soft toss unproductive. The cage-to-game transfer improves when every practice swing has game-like intention.
Soft toss variations for advanced development
Standard side-toss is the foundation, but variations add training stimulus that keep the drill productive as the hitter advances:
Front toss
Feeder positions directly in front of the hitter behind an L-screen. This more closely simulates a real pitch trajectory. The ball travels toward the hitter rather than across them, adding a pitch-tracking element that side toss does not provide.
Two-ball color recognition
Feeder holds two different-colored balls and tosses one. The hitter must call the color before swinging. This adds a decision-making element that trains pitch recognition. If the hitter calls the wrong color, they take the pitch. This simple addition dramatically increases the cognitive demand.
High-low variation
Feeder alternates between feeding the ball at the top and bottom of the zone. The hitter must adjust to each location. This trains the ability to adapt the swing to different pitch heights, a critical skill that standard soft toss at one height does not develop.
Rapid fire
Increase the tempo of the feeds so the hitter has less time between swings. This forces a quicker reset and develops the ability to recover and be ready for the next pitch. Keep this to short bursts of 8-10 feeds to maintain quality.
Frequently asked questions
Where should the feeder sit during soft toss?
For standard side toss: 5-7 feet away, at a 45-degree angle to the hitter's front side, kneeling on one knee. For front toss: 15-20 feet directly in front behind an L-screen. The feeder should always be protected from batted balls.
How many soft toss swings per session?
40-60 quality swings per session. Divide into rounds of 10-15 with short breaks between. This volume is enough to groove timing patterns without fatiguing the hitter to the point where swing quality degrades.
Is front toss better than side toss?
Front toss more closely simulates a real pitch trajectory and is generally more valuable for advanced hitters. Side toss is easier to set up, requires less equipment (no screen), and is appropriate for younger players. Both have value. Use side toss for mechanical work and front toss for timing and tracking development.
Can a parent do effective soft toss?
Absolutely. The feeding technique is learnable in 10 minutes. The key is consistency: same spot, same speed, same rhythm. Practice the feed without a hitter first until you can land the ball in a consistent zone. Once your feeds are reliable, you are as effective as any coach or teammate.
Build the focus that makes practice productive
Mind & Muscle trains the mental focus and intention that separate productive practice from mindless repetition. Every swing with purpose is a swing that builds your game.
Download Free TodayFrequently asked questions
Soft toss is fed from the side at a 45-degree angle. Front toss is fed from directly in front behind a protective screen. The ball trajectory in front toss more closely mimics a real pitch because it is traveling toward the hitter rather than across them.\n\nFront toss is generally considered more game-like and is preferred by advanced hitters. Side toss is simpler to set up and appropriate for younger players or when a screen is not available.
Real baseballs when possible. The weight, feel, and feedback from real baseballs develop a more realistic swing. Wiffle balls and foam balls are useful for indoor work, young players, and certain drill variations like rapid fire where ball retrieval is a concern.\n\nIf you are hitting into a net, real baseballs are fine. If you are hitting in a confined space, softer balls prevent damage and injury.
The most common feeding problem is inconsistency. Fix it by practicing the feed alone first. Set a bucket at the target zone and flip 50 balls into it without a hitter. Focus on the same arm action, same release point, and same trajectory every time.\n\nOnce you can consistently land the ball in a one-foot target zone, you are ready to feed a hitter. If your feeds are still inconsistent, the hitter is not getting productive reps.
As soon as they can consistently hit a ball off a tee, usually around age 7-8. Start with large balls (tennis balls or training balls) and gradually progress to regulation baseballs as their hand-eye coordination develops.\n\nThe feeding needs to be very consistent and slow for young hitters. The goal at this age is building the tracking and timing habits, not power or mechanics.
No. Soft toss is one component of a complete hitting development program. It bridges the gap between tee work and live batting practice but does not replace either. A complete program includes tee work for mechanics, soft toss for timing, front toss for tracking, and live BP for game-speed integration.\n\nPlayers who only do soft toss miss the mechanical precision of tee work and the competitive pressure of live BP.
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