Best Baseball Batting Tees

The batting tees on this page are the ones I have personally used, and are used frequently by other pro players, and I recommend after testing them with thousands of swings.  I hope this article on best baseball batting tees helps you find the one best for you.

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.

The NOT-top-5 tees.  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.

Thankfully, there are better quality ones out there!

The GOOD news, is that “better” doesn’t always mean “more expensive”

Criteria for the Best Baseball Batting Tees

Quality, “best batting tees” are very simple.  They need to…

  1. Be durable and low maintenance
  2. Not damage your baseball bats
  3. Not interfere with your swing
  4. Not interfere with visibility of the baseball

I recently tried a VERY expensive, very popular batting tee that did 3 of the 4 no-no’s.  That’s why I’m saying expensive doesn’t always mean better in this category.

(If you are extremely budget conscious, skip down to batting tee #4, for the best price.)

After you get your tee, click here if you’d like to know 20 of the batting tee drills I use (with videos), as well as what tee drills other Major Leaguers are using regularly.  These are 20 tee drills that you can use too to develop a more powerful and consistent swing.

PS – If you find this article helpful and are looking to buy a tee, I would appreciate it if you could click on the links provided throughout.  It won’t cost you anything, but these affiliate links are part of what helps us keep the 100’s of pages of baseball instruction from pro players on PBI free for everyone!  So here’s a sincere THANK YOU for your support.

Best Baseball Batting Tees – Top 5

Professional baseball players tested and review the best batting tees

Newest addition to our “Top 5 batting tees” list

1.  Tanner Heavy

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:

  1. Use on home plate or flat ground – This is genius.  Simulating pitch-placement around the strike zone is an essential part of a good batting tee routine.  Without an actual home plate, it can be difficult to visualize properly (especially true for younger hitters).  The new base design gives the Heavy Tee crazy stability anywhere on the baseball field or batting cage.
  2. No “tee walking” – You know that annoying tendency for batting tees to inch forward each time you take a swing?  Not a problem for this one.  The base weighs 10 lbs…  that plus the 3 points of ground contact means it doesn’t move around when hitting; no need to add an extra weight
  3. Incredibly durable – No surprise there, a hallmark of a Tanner Tees… and the new Tanner Heavy is even more so than the previous version, due to design and materials improvements such as the addition of weather resistant properties.
  4. Adjustable height – The telescoping stem allows for different heights
  5. Interchangeable stem – If you need even more height flexibility – having different age baseball players or want a short stem for a particular drill (or need a replacement part) you can easily swap out the stem.  Compatible with any Tanner Tees stem made after 2010.

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, Hitting World, or Amazon Prime

Tanner Tee, top 5 pro batting tees

2.  PV Tee by ProMounds

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)

3.  G Tee

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.  Top 5 best batting tees - Pro baseball players share about their favorite gear

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.  It can be purchased from our affiliates Hitting World or Amazon, or from theGtee.com

 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.  Just send an email to Sarah(at)probaseballinsider.com & 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 for batting tee drills (beginner to Major League).

4.  Tanner Tees

This one gets the “BEST VALUE” award, since it’s the lowest price of our top 5 Best Baseball Batting Tees.

By far, the most used batting tee in professional baseball is the original Tanner Tee.

Best batting tee for baseball

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.  Both sizes are available at Tannertees.com or Hitting World.  Or Amazon Prime.  If you want a custom height, they’ll work with you at TannerTees.com

5. Jugs T

More specifically, the Jugs T – Pro Style Batting Tee

  • They claim “It Will Not Tip Over”- The base is 11′ by 14″ solid 1/4″ steel
  • Adjustment for high and low tee drills, range of 24” to 45”.
  • Base has a built in handle for carrying
  • Top is rubber, just like the Tanner Tees and other great tees.  This is VERY important so it doesn’t damage your bat
  • 1-Year Guarantee
  • The Amazon reviews for this thing are really high, 4.9 out 5 stars on 870 reviews!   Very impressive.

Jugs pro style batting tee is the newest addition to our best batting tees list

The only con worth mentioning is that they don’t seem to sell replacement tops.

With Tanner Tees, it’s easy to get a replacement top, which could save you a ton of money in the long run.

Summary of Best Baseball Batting Tees

BEST OVERALL

I have LOTS of batting tees at home, and the one I always grab for myself is the Tanner Heavy (f0r the reasons I listed above).

It’s BY FAR my favorite one to use.

BEST VALUE

This one is the best price of our Top 5 best batting tees.  It meets all 4 of our essential criteria, and it will last forever.

Just keep in mind, if you have a very powerful swing, you may need to add some extra weight to the base.

It’s beloved by professional players and youth players alike, so if you’re extremely budget conscious, go with the Tanner Tees original.


product review for schutt swing rite dual swing tee

Schutt Swing Rite Dual Tee

Honorable mention batting tees

Schutt Swing Rite Dual Tee

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.

Batting tee

Jugs 5-Point Hitting Tee

We looked around, and you can buy the Schutt Swing Rite Dual tee from Amazon

Jugs 5-point hitting tee

Jugs 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 Amazon.


Looking for Batting Tee Drills?

I put together a collection of the best batting tees for youth players (which are all drills that pro players also use), including….

Best batting tee DRILLS from the pros

Click here for youth batting tee drills 

 


About Author

Avatar für Doug Bernier

Doug Bernier, founder of Pro Baseball Insider.com, debuted in the Major Leagues in 2008 with the Colorado Rockies, and has played professional baseball for 5 organizations (CO Rockies, NY Yankees, PIT Pirates, MN Twins, & TX Rangers) over the past 16 years. He has Major League time at every infield position, and has played every position on the field professionally except for catcher. (You should click to watch this great defensive play by Bernier) Where is he now? After 16 years of playing professionally, Doug retired and took a position as a Major League scout with the Colorado Rockies for 2 years. Currently Doug is the Data and Game Planning Coordinator with the Colorado Rockies

32 Comments

  1. Avatar für JP Pero

    Not sure if you have tested one of my favorites, the Advanced Skills Tee aka AS Tee.
    I gravitate towards training aids that can give feedback and this tee does that, especially for younger players. I even know of a great place to buy it baseballtips.com (why yes, it is my business…lol).
    Hope you will have a look, it certainly is unique and darn near indestructible… this link might make it easy! http://baseballtips.com/training-aids/as-tee.html

  2. Avatar für Coach K

    I’ve used most of them and the same part always fails when you allow a team who really could care less what makes a good solid batting tee. Which is why I have been making my own and they are indestructible and I would put them up head to head with any tee on the market to outlast (even with abuse)!

    • Avatar für Ket

      Do you have a picture of yours? Would you make to sell? I am trying to help my son with batting. He is not so confident with batting during games. He does great at practice. Thank you.

  3. Avatar für Bill adkinson

    I was looking at a Maxover tee for my son since it is 4 inches shorter than the Tanner. But I have seen very little information about their quality. Obviously you place Tanner higher, but I was wondering if Maxover is a reasonable option?

    • Avatar für Sarah Bernier

      Hi Bill, Sarah Bernier here. I just asked Doug about the Maxover tee and he’s never heard of it. I just wanted to mention that the Maxover tee and the smaller Youth sized Tanner tee are the same price. The reviews on the MaxOver seem very positive. However we can only recommend the Tanner Tees from the personal experience of Doug and many, many pros. We have the youth sized tee. We use it for our 5 year old daughter, and Doug uses it for himself when doing low tee drills, and also for baseball camps. Good luck to you!

    • Avatar für STEPHEN YOUNG

      Hey Bill,

      I can also speak from personal experience as a former college and pro baseball player that I love the tanner tees. And the one that’s currently rated #1 is particularly great mainly for one of the reasons Doug mentioned which is that every few swings, the tee inches forward.

      Now, it doesn’t seem like a big deal especially if you have a partner to adjust it but much of my training and preparation actually happened when I was by myself… so anything that makes my training less annoying was a help.

      Thanks for the list Doug and Sarah!

  4. Avatar für Jennifer Mulvey
    Jennifer Mulvey on

    My son 13 year old son wants a Backspin tee. Do you recommend that or stick with your top 5 picks above. Thank you. I appreciate your feedback

    • Avatar für Sarah Bernier

      We don’t like to talk bad about products, but Doug made a pretty careful review of the backspin tee and didn’t like it. Also, we asked several other pro guys to try it and they didn’t like it either. They felt like it interfered with the swing. That was our experience, so we’ve chosen not to include it on the website. Hope that helps!

      • Avatar für Bob

        How did the backspin tee interfere with swings? I am weighing my options on tees and was thinking backspin but not sure now.

        • Avatar für Sarah Bernier

          Hi Bob. We try to keep things positive on this website. I respect the folks at Backspin Tee and what they’ve accomplished. Send me a message to Sarah (at) probaseballinsider.com and I’ll tell you more. Regards

          • Avatar für Scott Siano
            Scott Siano on

            Hey, I understand that you don’t want to be negative but this is why people come to these websites. Please explain why your experience with Backspin was negative. The Tee is very expensive and people would like to know more about it. You can preface your comments with “this was your experience and personal opinion” but I’m assuming you want to help the consumers of these products.

  5. Avatar für Jennifer Mulvey
    Jennifer Mulvey on

    My son 13 year old son wants a Backspin tee. Do you recommend that or stick with your top 5 picks above. Thank you. I appreciate your feedback

  6. Avatar für Kevin Reeves
    Kevin Reeves on

    I have been a hitting instructor for over 13 years and I’ve used every tee imaginable, Tanner Tee included, and I’ve never seen a better tee than the MaxOver Tees. I love the MaxOver tee because it’s light weight yet very stable. A lot of research and design has went into the construction of these tees. As a hitting instructor, my tees take a beating, but they still look and work like they are brand new!

  7. Avatar für David Joseph

    Hi Doug,
    I am happy to have found your web site about hitting and the use of tees. I am 63 and enjoy playing softball and I am a big believer in tee work. I have a Skilz V-Tee and like it because the ball sits in a sling.
    They no longer make this model and I am looking for a replacement. Thanks for your helpful info and reviews on tees.

  8. Avatar für dar cox

    Hey Doug, i just read the new Reader’s Digest article about you. It was great. You are what baseball is all about. You are a rare breed. I always loved your passion to play. Bless you and your family. Dar Cox Rockies (1991-2011)

    • Avatar für lauraplas@msn.com
      lauraplas@msn.com on

      would you be interested in looking at a prototype of an awesome batting tee? I have never seen anything like this and it is literally not destructible! Please phone me at 303-517-2137 or email me. Thank you in advance for your time. Laura

    • Avatar für Sarah Bernier

      That is certainly a possibility. You are welcome to send Doug a tee to try out. Every batting tee on this page has been tested extensively by Doug and other pro players. I’ll contact you at the email you provided so we can talk more.

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