Does anyone know any drills I can use to learn how to hit an Inside Pitch. For some reason I am struggling with this pitch. Thank you. 
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BP with inside pitches is the most important, unless you have trouble w/ mechanics. Rotate the hips in order to hit the ball solidly, otherwise pitchers will jam you all day.
Use a Tee to work the right mechanics first.
The key is to keep the arms bent and compact, especially the lead arm and make contact further out in front of the plate that you normally would.
Then maybe use a batting cage/pitching machine set up for very very inside pitches. If you can start hitting pitches aimed at your stomach you are OK.
The key is to keep the arms bent and compact, especially the lead arm and make contact further out in front of the plate that you normally would.
Then maybe use a batting cage/pitching machine set up for very very inside pitches. If you can start hitting pitches aimed at your stomach you are OK.
Best advice..talk to your coach. Ask him what's wrong because he's the only one out of anybody who sees you swing everyday.
Z-dad
Im sure you mean well, but this is not good advice.......Chameleon, be nice
quote:The key is to keep the arms bent and compact, especially the lead arm
Im sure you mean well, but this is not good advice.......Chameleon, be nice
So I suppose Ortiz is doing it all wrong then?
Looks like pretty sound advice to me.
Looks to me like Ortiz let himself get jammed. Happens to everyone from time to time.
The key to hitting the inside pitch is to initiate the swing earlier, making contact when the ball is ~18" in front of the plate. Then no mechanical adjustments are required.
The key to hitting the inside pitch is to initiate the swing earlier, making contact when the ball is ~18" in front of the plate. Then no mechanical adjustments are required.
if i was u i would hit about 50 to 100 balls off the tee with it set up for an inside pitch
quote:Originally posted by Texan:
Looks to me like Ortiz let himself get jammed. Happens to everyone from time to time.
The key to hitting the inside pitch is to initiate the swing earlier, making contact when the ball is ~18" in front of the plate. Then no mechanical adjustments are required.
He hit that for a homerun, if he was jammed I'd like to jammed like that all the time. No, he swung like that on purpose.
While it is possible to hit inside pitches by swinging earlier you will either hit it foul or you will need to setup further from the plate to make it work like Ryan Howard used to do in the minors.
Ryan Howard made it into the big leagues by mechanically adjusting his swing for inside pitches as I described. This allowed him to crowd the plate and get better plate coverage.
Other than extending or contracting the arms more for outside and inside pitches I would agree that no other mechanical adjustments are needed.
Im sure that isnt ortizs best swing nobody wants to have alligator arms when hitting and inside pitch,,the guys such a brut he could probably muscle that ball out if he gets it sweet,,but lets face it thats not a picture perfect cut for ANY pitch
If anyone doesn't understand the meaning of staying inside the ball... Watch the video above!
Some of the best hitting coaches I've known teach exactly what Ortiz is doing. Clear the front elbow on the inside pitch! Get hands in, it keeps top hand palm up and you can square up on the inside.
It also helps to be as strong as a horse when you are getting jammed!
Some of the best hitting coaches I've known teach exactly what Ortiz is doing. Clear the front elbow on the inside pitch! Get hands in, it keeps top hand palm up and you can square up on the inside.
It also helps to be as strong as a horse when you are getting jammed!
quote:Originally posted by Z-Dad:
While it is possible to hit inside pitches by swinging earlier you will either hit it foul or you will need to setup further from the plate to make it work ...
Incorrect. Make contact with the inside pitch 18" in front of the plate and you will hit it to left, not foul.
No early extension is required (or would even be conceivably desirable). The hitter will still be "staying inside the ball" for those who use that verbal cue.
quote:Originally posted by Texan:quote:Originally posted by Z-Dad:
While it is possible to hit inside pitches by swinging earlier you will either hit it foul or you will need to setup further from the plate to make it work ...
Incorrect. Make contact with the inside pitch 18" in front of the plate and you will hit it to left, not foul.
No early extension is required (or would even be conceivably desirable). The hitter will still be "staying inside the ball" for those who use that verbal cue.
Again, that will only work consistently if you maintain a larger distance from the plate. A batter who chooses to crowd the plate must make the adjustments that Ortiz does.
...if you maintain a normal distance from the plate.
Take a tee out to the field & try it. That will settle the question very quickly.
Take a tee out to the field & try it. That will settle the question very quickly.
Z-Dad,quote:Originally posted by Z-Dad:
He hit that for a homerun, if he was jammed I'd like to jammed like that all the time. No, he swung like that on purpose.
Actually that swing(s) resulted in a double off the right field wall. How do I know this? Well, because I made both clips. They are replays of the same swing from the ALCS back in 2002 against the Angels. If you look at the properties of both clips you'll see that they say "Double". I typically include the result of the swing in the name of the clips I make.
Just thought I'd let you know.
Jason
Hey hey FlippJ, a big thanks for making the clips and the explanation. Sorry, I saw someone who posted it claim it was a HR and assumed it was true. Awesome that it is a front and side view of the EXACT same swing, you rarely get that in a vid.
Still, a very nice hit.
Still, a very nice hit.
A nice hit indeed! You're welcome.quote:Originally posted by Z-Dad:
Hey hey FlippJ, a big thanks for making the clips and the explanation.
Jason
I really think you have to keep it simple, hand inside, swing the hips, think, think think in what .2-.3 seconds. I don't know, the simple approach to me is fence drill,fence drill, fence drill and always think hitting the ball up the middle, the rest takes care of itself.
Maybe I should expand on that, for our young contributor, The fence drill keeps your swing short and compact,(Go to a fence or any vertical plane, get as close too it as you can, usually the length of your bat from your belly to the fence, take your normal load and swing without the bat hitting the fence.This may take some time so use a cheap or used bat)You will automatically adjust to the outside or inside pitch by always thinking hitting the ball up the middle. That is a great video of Ortiz, but if you really look at it, the hands come in, the barrel is at an angle and plane to hit the ball up the middle, it is inside and he pulls it some, that reaction is a direct result of the hitting to the middle approach. He does not adjust his swing, the placement of the pitch determines when he hits it. The plate is only 17" wide. Meatball down the middle great but why do we all have to think the this major adjustment has to be made for the 8 inches on either side of that. Middle, middle, middle. You know you can think yourself into a terrible slump. Do your drills, pay attention to the game, work as hard as you can but the bottom line is be an athlete!!! Don't think so much!!
Middle. middle, middle lol
