Here is a game called Half Rubber”¦.it is an actual game that began in South Carolina. Here is the short and sweet of how it is played. We use it to teach our older kids to learn to hit a Curve Ball.
Half Rubber Drill
The ball is half of a rubber ball, and your bat is the size of a broom handle. I know this sounds weird, but it’s a lot of fun. (FYI, They do make official Half rubber balls and bats.)
The game rules are as follows, you have a pitcher, a catcher and a batter (others can play the field if they like, but no one wears a glove). There are usually 3 to 4 people on a team.
The game is simple–if the batter swings and misses the pitch, and the catcher catches it (without it hitting the ground) the batter is out. However, the batter can swing 1 time or 27 times, as long as the catcher doesn’t catch the pitch. There is no running of the bases either”¦strictly pitching, and hitting.
If the batter hits the ball past the pitcher on the ground it’s a single, in the air is a double”¦then pick a line in the outfield to be the HomeRun line. Just like old school “Ghost Men” on the bases when you don’t have enough kids to have a full team!
The toughest part of the game is learning to pitch half of a ball. The ball is thrown side arm with the flat part toward the ground. The pitching motion resembles throwing a Frisbee side arm.
The more you angle the ball, the more it will curve. Now as the hitter–it’s hard enough hitting a curve ball, now try it with half a ball and half the bat!
This drill really teaches batters to hang in there and go with the pitch. Young players are not as intimidated with a rubber ball. Pitches can be as drastic as starting 5 feet behind the batter, and end up 5 feet on the other side of the plate.
Equally as hard to pitch the half rubber ball, is catching a half rubber ball with no glove and its drastic movements.