Backyard baseball practice setup: the tee, the net and the bucket, and a 15-minute routine a kid will actually do

The three things

1. A tee. One with a minimum height the kid can use: 18–20 in for a tee-baller, 24 in for a 9-year-old. The tees page ranks them by height range and base.
2. A net. 7×7 ft is the size: PowerNet lists 49 sq ft, a weighted steel base, a sub-two-minute no-tools setup and a carry bag with stakes for the 7×7 PRO. Without a net, the tee gets used twice. The nets page has the 8×8 for older hitters.
3. A bucket of balls. Two dozen is one round of tee work. Rawlings sells 24 R8U recreational baseballs in a bucket that doubles as a seat and the ball caddy. For a kid under 7, a dozen soft training balls (real size, reduced weight) instead.

Where to put them

• Net against a fence or a garage door, so a miss has a second backstop. Stake it; PowerNet ships stakes with the 7×7.
• Tee eight to ten feet in front of the net, centered. Closer and balls rebound at the kid; farther and misses clear the frame.
• Ball out in front of the plate. Put a base or a piece of tape where home plate would be; set the tee a foot in front of it, not on it. Kids learn to hit the ball out front.
• Bucket beside the tee, opposite the hitting side, so the kid reaches for the next ball without stepping off.
• Parent's spot for soft toss: kneeling to the side and slightly in front, tossing underhand to the front hip, with the net behind the kid. Never toss from in front.
• Driveway: fine for the tee and net; a sock over the tee base if it scratches. Rubber balls on concrete for the youngest.

The 15-minute routine

By age

What to add in year two

• A second tee height or a 5-point tee (JUGS) for inside/outside work at 10+.
• A pitchback for the kid who wants to throw when nobody is home (8–9+).
• A pitching machine with lightweight balls, at 8 or 9, if he hits a lot; the machines page has the speed-by-age table and the honest “not yet”.
• A strike-zone target hung in the net for pitching days. Free with painter's tape.
• A second bucket. Forty-eight balls is a round of everything.

What to skip

• A machine in year one. Tee first. Always.
• Weighted balls and training bats for a kid under 12. They are for swing speed work later; a 9-year-old needs contact, not load.
• An 8×8 net for a 7-year-old. The 7×7 is plenty and easier to move.
• The premium composite bat for the backyard. Tee work with real balls on cold mornings is exactly what the makers' break-in pages warn about; use the alloy bat (alloy vs composite).

The kit