Hitting at Waist Height🎾
Equipment: Footballs/ Tees / Rackets / Balls / Targets (cones, tubs, etc.)
🧸 Activity Instructions
Children working with parents (or pairs if appropriate) parents throwing balls at different heights for children to catch/hit at waist height.
🟢 Key teaching points:
Start in a ready position
Turn sideways to the ball
High balls; move back and let drop
Short balls, move forward/bend your knees
Swing from low to high (if hitting)
Encourage control and follow-through
🪶 Start simple (focus on ball perception and footwork):
🪶Young Tots can start with scarves and catching nets, progress to balloons
Progress to parents throwing football in air at different heights, the now has to let it bounce and catch it at waist height, can also use catching nets
Progress to faster balls, moving in different directions, still letting ball bounce
âš¡ Progressions (for older or more advanced children):
Pick up rackets
Parents again throw the football in front of the child at waist height after one bounce
Encourage kids to move into position and strike the ball from low to high after one bounce.
Bring in Hitting Tee’s, child hits one off the Tee, then parent throws ball at a different height
Height Variations
Parents begin mixing up their throws:
High – child must adjust and wait for the ball to drop to waist height.
Low – child must bend knees and stay under the ball.
Short – child steps in and reaches forward.
Wide – child moves laterally with small steps.
Speed up the balls switch to foam/ mini red balls to speed up (NB: careful with red balls to make sure you position the pairs so they are not going to hit someone)
NB 🪶 if the child is still struggling, use the tee to place the ball at the perfect height; then progress with one from the tee, to one thrown.
Backhand Practice
Switch to the backhand side and apply the same throw variations
Emphasise footwork and early preparation
Add a serve. Get the child to serve first, then throw balls at varying heights.
Add a target. Place a traffic cone in the distance to give extra target for hitting
Introduce Scoring
Add a scoring system: 1 point for hitting the ball, 2 points for hitting the target.