How to Start a Private Baseball and Softball Hitting Instruction Business

A lot of coaches start giving baseball hitting lessons the same way they start helping a kid after practice: “Sure, let’s meet at the cages.” Next thing you know, you’ve got 12 kids texting you, parents asking about refunds, and you’re trying to remember who paid you on Venmo.

That’s the moment you realize: you don’t just need a swing plan. You need a simple business plan.

This guide will walk you through how to start (and actually run) a batting training business that’s safe, legal, organized, and profitable—without turning you into a full-time admin person. And yes, tools exist to make this easier. Platforms like AthleteCollective handle your scheduling, payments, and client management so you can focus on what you do best — coaching.

What a private hitting instructor business really is (and isn’t)

A private hitting instructor business is not just “I know hitting.” It’s:

A clear offer (what you teach and who it’s for)
A safe place to train (and permission to be there)
A repeatable lesson format (so every session has purpose)
A way to book, pay, and communicate (without chaos)
Basic protection (insurance, waivers, and smart policies)

It’s also not always full-time. Plenty of great coaches run softball hitting coaching on evenings and weekends and do very well.

Who hires private hitting instructors (and why)

Most of your clients will be one of these:

8–12U parents who want confidence and contact (less strikeouts, more fun)
Middle school players trying to make the A team or move up in the lineup
High school players chasing varsity, travel, or recruiting stats
Softball families who want a coach who understands the fastpitch swing (not baseball copy/paste)

Parents aren’t usually buying “exit velo.” They’re buying:

A coach their kid trusts
A plan they can see
Progress they can feel

For more on what families care about, read what parents actually look for when hiring a private coach.

Pick your niche so your baseball hitting lessons sell themselves

You can coach everyone… but you’ll grow faster if you’re known for something.

Here are a few niches that work great for a batting training business:

Age-based niche (simple and profitable)

“8–12U hitters: contact, timing, confidence”
“Middle school tryout prep”
“HS hitters: approach, power, game planning”

Problem-based niche (parents understand it fast)

“Fixing timing and late swings”
“Breaking fear of the ball”
“Softball slappers and leadoff hitters”
“Two-strike approach and competing”

Format-based niche (helps your schedule)

“Private lessons only”
“Small groups (2–4 hitters)”
“Cage club membership (monthly)”
“Video swing reviews (remote)”

You can still coach other hitters. The niche just makes your marketing clear.

Set up your batting training business legally (without overthinking it)

This is the part many coaches skip… until something goes wrong.

Coaching insurance: what you need and what it costs

At minimum, most private coaches should look at:

General liability insurance (slip/fall, facility issues)
Professional liability (claims about your coaching advice)

Real-world cost: often $200–$800/year depending on coverage and your setup.

Start here:

If you rent cages or use a facility, they may require you to list them as an “additional insured.” Ask before you start.

Waivers and working with minors (don’t wing this)

If you coach kids, you need:

A solid waiver (with the right clauses)
A clear emergency plan
Parent/guardian consent

Use a real template and customize it:

coaching waiver clauses that matter

Also: background checks are becoming the norm, especially if you’ll ever partner with teams or facilities.

Should you form an LLC?

An LLC can be helpful, but it’s not magic. Insurance and good paperwork still matter.

If you’re unsure, read: should you form an LLC for your coaching business?

Where to coach: cages, fields, facilities, or mobile setup

Your location changes your costs and pricing.

Option A: Rent indoor cages (most common)

Typical cage rental: $25–$75 per hour depending on your area and time of day.

Pros:

Weather-proof
Easy to use machines and nets
Looks “professional” fast

Cons:

Your margin depends on rental cost
Prime hours can be hard to get

Option B: Partner with a facility

You may pay:

A flat hourly rental, or
A revenue split (example: you keep 70%, facility gets 30%)

This can be a great deal if they also send you clients.

Option C: Outdoor field sessions (lower cost, more variables)

Pros:

Cheap
Game-real reps (front toss, live looks, situational hitting)

Cons:

Weather cancellations
Field permits can be a pain

Option D: Mobile hitting setup (net + tee + L-screen)

Starter equipment budget:

Net: $100–$250
Tee: $30–$100
Balls: $50–$150
L-screen (optional but smart): $200–$500
Pocket radar (optional): $300–$400

You can start for $250–$600 and upgrade as you grow.

Build a lesson plan that gets results (and keeps parents coming back)

A good session has a flow. You’re not just “getting swings.”

Here’s a simple structure that works for both baseball hitting lessons and softball hitting coaching:

Warm-up and quick assessment (5–8 minutes)

2–3 movement drills (hips, thoracic rotation, shoulders)
8–12 dry swings
5 easy tosses to check timing

One main focus (15–20 minutes)

Pick one theme:

timing (load/stride)
barrel path
contact point
posture and balance
approach (what pitch are we hunting?)

Keep it simple: one change, lots of reps.

Constraint drill + game-like swings (15–20 minutes)

Constraint drill = a drill that forces the right move
Example: “walk-through swings” for timing, or “high tee” for barrel control.
Then go to front toss or machine and “compete”
Example: 10 swings, goal is 6 line drives.

Wrap-up and homework (2–5 minutes)

Tell the parent and athlete:

what you changed
what to practice at home
what you’ll do next session

That last part is what sells packages. People stay when they feel a plan.

Pricing baseball hitting lessons (with real numbers)

Pricing depends on your area, your experience, and your costs (like cage rental). But here’s a simple way to set rates without guessing.

Start with your target hourly take-home

Let’s say you want $60/hour take-home after expenses.

Example:

You charge $90 for a 60-minute lesson
Cage rental costs you $35
You net $55 before taxes

That might be fine early on, but as you get better and busier, you raise rates or shorten sessions.

Common pricing ranges (realistic starting points)

30 minutes: $35–$70
45 minutes: $55–$95
60 minutes: $75–$140

Softball and baseball are similar. The bigger difference is your local market and your results.

For a deeper breakdown, use our private training pricing guide by sport and the mindset piece in how to set your coaching rates with confidence.

Packages (where the real money is)

Packages help in three ways:

Parents commit
Athletes improve faster
Your income becomes predictable

Simple package examples:

5-pack (30 min): $250 (=$50/session)
10-pack (45 min): $800 (=$80/session)
10-pack (60 min): $1,100 (=$110/session)

Want more package ideas? Use session packages that sell (5/10/20 packs).

Your schedule and systems matter more than your logo

Most coaches don’t fail because of coaching. They fail because of the mess:

double-booking
late payments
no cancellation policy
40 text messages per day

Booking, payments, and communication (keep it simple)

You need:

online booking
a clear cancellation policy
automatic invoices/receipts
one place for parent communication

Instead of juggling Venmo, texts, and spreadsheets, AthleteCollective lets parents book and pay online while you manage everything from one dashboard. That’s a big deal once you have more than 5–10 active families.

Helpful reads:

A simple cancellation policy that protects you

Here’s a coach-friendly policy that works:

Cancel more than 24 hours ahead: free reschedule
Cancel within 24 hours: session is charged (or counts as used)
Weather: coach decides by X time, reschedule offered

You can soften it for great families, but you need a default rule.

Marketing for private hitting instructors (that doesn’t feel salesy)

You don’t need to “go viral.” You need trust in your local area.

The fastest way to get clients: one great referral loop

Here’s a simple loop:

Coach 3–5 hitters and get results
Ask for a short parent review
Post 1–2 clips per week (with permission)
Partner with 1–2 local teams for a clinic
Offer a “new hitter evaluation” intro session

If you want a bigger playbook, use:

What to post that actually brings in baseball hitting lessons

Post things parents understand:

“3 cues to stop dropping the back shoulder”
“Softball timing drill for late swings”
“Before/after: same hitter, 4 weeks apart”
“What we did today: one focus, one drill, one win”

Keep it simple. Parents don’t want a PhD breakdown. They want clarity.

Scenario 1: Part-time private hitting instructor (evenings + weekends)

Let’s say you have a day job and you coach 3 days/week.

Tue/Thu: 4 sessions each night (45 min)
Sat: 6 sessions (45 min)
Total: 14 sessions/week

Pricing:

Charge $85 per 45 min Weekly revenue: 14 × $85 = $1,190

Expenses:

Cage rental: $35/hour
45 min sessions usually require 1 hour blocks if you can’t stack them perfectly. Let’s estimate 10 hours/week of rental. 10 × $35 = $350
Balls, tees, small gear replacement: $20/week average Weekly expenses: $370

Weekly profit before taxes: $820
Monthly (4 weeks): $3,280

That’s real side income. And it grows fast once you tighten your schedule and sell packages.

Scenario 2: Small-group softball hitting coaching (higher hourly pay, less burnout)

Now let’s say you run small groups: 3 athletes per group.

6 groups per week
60 minutes each
3 athletes per group

Pricing:

$40 per athlete per session
Group revenue: 3 × $40 = $120/hour Weekly revenue: 6 × $120 = $720

Expenses:

Cage rental: $40/hour
Weekly rental: 6 × $40 = $240

Weekly profit before taxes: $480

That’s fewer hours, less talking, and a lot of energy in the cage. Plus, athletes learn by watching each other.

If you want to go deeper on the math, read how to run group training and charge more per hour.

Common mistakes in a batting training business (I see these all the time)

Coaching every kid the same way

Baseball and softball swings have overlap, but athletes don’t move the same. Even inside baseball, a tall 14U kid and a small 10U kid need different feels.

Fix: coach the goal (timing, barrel, balance), not the “perfect swing.”

No plan for progress

If every lesson is random, parents feel like they’re paying for reps.

Fix: keep a simple note after each session:

focus
drill
homework
next step

Undercharging (then resenting it)

If you’re charging $40/hour while paying $35/hour for cages… you’re not running a business. You’re donating time.

Fix: price from your costs and your demand. Raise rates for new clients first if you’re nervous.

No waiver, no insurance, no policy

Most coaches don’t get in trouble… until they do.

Fix: get insured, use a waiver, and set policies before you get busy.

How to start your private hitting instruction business in the next 14 days

Here’s a simple “do this next” checklist you can follow.

Set your offer and pricing

Pick your main client (example: 10–14U baseball hitters)
Pick your session length (30/45/60)
Set a clear rate and one package

Lock in your training location

Call 2–3 cage facilities
Ask about: hourly rate, prime times, insurance requirements, and if you can market yourself there

Get protected

Buy coaching insurance
Set up your waiver and emergency contact process
Decide on your cancellation policy

Set up your systems (before you get busy)

Booking + payments + communication in one place
A simple client tracker (notes from each session)

If you want to avoid duct-taping tools together, set up your business on AthleteCollective to handle the admin side from day one—booking, payments, messaging, and session tracking.

Get your first clients

Text 15 people you already know (coaches, parents, friends)
Offer 10 “evaluation sessions” this month
Ask every parent for a review after session #2
Post 2 short clips per week (with permission)

Bottom Line: Key takeaways for starting a private hitting instructor business

A great private hitting instructor business is built on clear offers, repeatable sessions, and clean systems—not just good swing tips.
Price your baseball hitting lessons based on real costs (like cage rental) and aim for packages so income is steady.
Softball hitting coaching grows fast when you’re known for one clear problem you solve (timing, confidence, contact, approach).
Protect yourself early with insurance, waivers, and a cancellation policy.
The coaches who win long-term are the ones who stay organized—booking, payments, and communication can’t live in your text messages forever.