Hitting tees are interesting because this is one area where you don’t always get what you pay for. It seems that for such a simple piece of equipment, any baseball batting tee would work. However, that is definitely not the case.A very popular batting tee that I do NOT endorse is made from a hard yellow plastic. These will chip your wood bat, are expensive, and create so much flex that they fly all over the place after every swing. They are more annoying than functional. Other practice tees are made from really cheap rubber that can crack and fall apart even after the first days use. However, there are better quality ones out there.Quality, “best batting tees” are very simple. They need to beI recently tried a VERY expensive batting tee that did 2 of the 3 no-no’s. Expensive doesn’t always mean better in this category.This new addition is a major upset. We’ve had the same tee in the #1 spot for several years now, and I really didn’t think it would change any time soon.
The Tanner Heavy tee may look a little strange, but that’s part of it’s genius. Without getting complicated, the guys at Tanner Tees managed to fix a few of the problems that most batting tees struggle with.Here are a few reasons the Tanner Heavy is PBI’s new pick for #1 best batting tee:As a side note, this tee isn’t made to be a so-called “travel tee.” However, I found it quite easy to travel with. Just unscrew the stem and throw it in your bag. The base is 10 lbs, but still easy to easy to get a grip on thanks to it’s design.Available from Tanner Tees or Hitting WorldBy far, the most used batting tee in professional baseball is the original Tanner Tee.For that, I credit the quality/durability. I still have mine from 8 years ago. It’s seen thousands of swings and still looks barely worn.For Tanner Tees’ popularity with youth teams, I credit the very reasonable price. While there are other tees on this list that are comparable for quality, the price tag for those tees is usually quite a bit higher.
It is lightweight, extremely stable, telescoping shaft, and unscrews from the base which makes it very east to travel with. It will fit in any bat bag and will last for many years.There are several options for size. Both size tees telescope and are capable of placing the ball in any spot of the strike zone.I do recommend that you put a 5 or 10 pound barbel weight over the rubber so it sits on top of the base, or the tee weight Tanner Tees makes to go over the base. This will help keep the it in place when you hit.Where to get it. There’s only a few places you can buy this tee. I’ve recently come to learn of and try the PV Tee, and I really liked it. I first encountered it at the baseball facility I workout at in the off season, and then when I got to spring training with the MN Twins, I found they and 20 other Major League teams have started using it too.The stem pulls away from the base for easy traveling or replacing (see the video). I’m not sure if it’s magnetic or what, but it’s very easy and works well.
Also the base is already weighted, so you don’t need to add weight like many other tees.Where to get it. Click to buy the PVTee from Hitting World (use the discount code HW0110 to get $10 off)The G tee is fantastic. I am always skeptical of the rubber part that holds the baseball. This is usually where batting tees break down, and after many weeks and thousands of swings on the it the rubber looks the same as it did when I took it out of the box. The G tee is an extremely durable and practically made product. The construction makes this hitting tee about as tough as any I have seen.With a slide of a pin, it breaks down easily making it travel well, and has a notch for placing a 5 pound barbell weight over the top to prevent it from moving around. This actually works very well.The telescoping body allows for hitting low balls (doesn’t get as low as the Tanner Tee) and can get taller than the leading telescoping tees. You will not be disappointed with this batting tee.
It is ideal for all levels of baseball players, from tee ballers to professional players. This has my ultimate endorsement and finds itself on the “best baseball batting tees” list. Announcement*** A 2nd edition of Baseball Hitting Drills for a Batting Tee has just been released. If you purchased the 1st, we’ll send you an eCopy of the 2nd for free. & include the free video code from the book.Don’t have your copy yet? This book of batting drills includes full color illustrations, free video to demonstrate each drill, and the Personal Drill Helper to help you diagnose and fix swing problems. Click here to learn more.This hitting tee is big and bulky and not ideal for traveling, but it has some unique features that the others don’t offer.You get two tees that have plastic nob bottoms and you have a base that has 48 holes to place these tees. This lets you work on inside and outside pitches without having to re-adjust anything.This large base has a home plate painted so you can work on hitting pitches all around the plate.
It’s a middle-of-the-road tee that’s good to have if you have a batting cage at your house or you don’t travel too much with it.One downfall is that the rubber part that holds the baseball is a little large so it swallows half of the baseball.We looked around, and you can buy the Schutt Swing Rite Dual tee from AmazonJugs 5-point tee got bumped out of the “best baseball batting tees” list top 5, but we’re still giving it an honorable mention. It is made from heavy duty rubber that can take a beating. It’s convenient to move the position of the ball without having to move the plate. Pulling out the tee and placing it in one of the anchors is a plus. This tee can be found at Baseball Express and Amazon.The Rawlings, Travel Tee Pro is a nice practice tee, light and good for travel. This is an upgrade from the quick tee. The tripod base makes for a stronger unit. The rubber where the ball sits is pretty durable.The Rawlings Travel Tee Pro can be found at Amazon