Staying "Inside" the ball/Rotating on Axis

I never thought that particular key was important. No kid I ever taught lit up with it or even understood "stay inside the ball". However, my son says it does help him.

Here's what I see in games.
1. A ball tailing towards the right field line for a right handed batter hitting opposite field. The barrel made contact on the inside part of the ball to cause that spin.

2. A ball traveling somewhat straight and sometimes even knuckling to center field. That would be center contact and up the middle.

3. A right handed hitter pulling the ball with a tail to the left field line. He hit on the outside part of the ball. I also see little tail on the pull hit (center contact) and sometimes a tail to center off the handle area of the bat.

The spin gives you feedback on the contact.

Shep, how's it going? Nice start to a fun post. I'm hoping someone jumps on me and tells me I need to take up another sport. It gets more interesting with a little spice in the posts.

quote:

basically the same premise and action as a hitter rotating around his axis or coming forward by turning staying connected to the ground at least with the back leg which also will eventually include front leg upon touchdown

Shep, staying connected has nothing to do with keeping the foot on the ground. You might be able to name one H of F who did this, MAYBE.

I agree that staying inside the ball gets over used. But again is a good "CUE" for a kid who cast his hands out over the plate. If the swing is done correct the hands are always inside the ball. The problem is that most young hitters pull the backside elbow inside the hands and they do it because they are always hearing stay inside the ball. They think this is the proper way to slot. But its not. The backside elbow should keep some height and is slotted because of the shoulders rotating. Thats what connection is. Its keeping the proper relation between the hands and shoulders as the shoulders rotate. Its matching the plane of the bat to the same parrallel plane as the shoulders.

Good topic.

Hey papa!

Been grilling out with the site minimized while the Mrs was playing computer games-lol She loves those computer games, especially pin-ball and crossword puzzles.

Well, anyway, please accept this belated response to topic at hand.

Keeping the barrel inside of the ball and rotating around the axis of your body as hitter.

I feel like these are vital components of an effective swing and recently discussed this very point with a group of advanced professional scouts between games of a AA double-header in a ballpark setting at pro game. The discussion was initiated by Major League Advanced Scout(Usually Big League Coverage Only) who wanted to hear what we all thought about staying inside the ball. This spring-boarded into a full-blown intelligent discussion involving hitting cues and swinging around axis. What are some others thoughts? Peace, Shep

Vance34

Been zoned in on your posts of late and you definitely know what your talking about. Just saw your post after I had already written response to baseballpapa who has a son, Casey, who was drafted by the DBacks this past draft. Question just between you and me Vance and I swear I'll not say who you are...Did I see you in JAX and Daytona in the past few days at pro games? If you are indeed this Vance I am referring....YOU ARE DA MAN! I learned a great deal from you if you are that Vance. Thank you, Shep

Shep, no your the man. That wasn't me! I just saw one of the dbacks young clubs, who is Pappas son. But I do know you!!

Casey Whitmer. Send me a PM bro. Peace, Shep

he's not in the system. Did he just sign? Guess I didn't see him.

He's a draft and follow who will be pitching for Skip at Navarro this fall.(Casey Whitmer)

Are you a scout? Did you send PM?

Brad Penny was throwing some serious heat the first inning? Reminded me of Matt Lindstrom or Pappelbon or even Jose Diaz this time last year for LAD. Peace, Shep

Coaches will use phrases to accomplish certain things...the bottom line is if he's getting the desired result it's effective. However, phrases should not always be taken in a literal sense and some are even fallacies.

Telling a kid to "stay inside the ball" is a popular way of reminding the kid to not let the hands drift out in keeping them quicker to contact area as the hands/arms/shoulders should stay connected.

One thing I tell my son is to "stay thru" which is my way of reminding him to hold his swing plane and maintain his posture thru contact.

Telling a kid however to sit on his back leg is a fallacy....although it may appear to be the case, his weight should actually be suspended against his front side into contact at which time the front leg will firm up with weight then falling to the back side as the hands work around front leg.

quote:

Shep, no your the man. That wasn't me! I just saw one of the dbacks young clubs, who is Pappas son. But I do know you!!

Do you really pal? Humbled myself and sent you PM. Haven't posted too much lately but tonight is All-Star night and nobody's playing other than GCL game this morning which I did attend. Preston Mattingly looked good swinging the wood as well as Met LHH prospect, Ben Saylor. Good to get a break. Back in the grind manana hombre.
Peace, Shep

Great stuff by Shep as usual, Vance and NyDad. I try not to use too many catch phrases when I work with hitters. I try to take the time and actually break down what I'm splainin. Then I always ask my young hitter to splain to me what I just splained to them and see if they get it. Then we always work on them learning their own swing, and finding out how to make adjustments as they need. With all the technique we teach, I firmly believe that hitting is more about adjusting than anything else.

Coachric,

I would recommend any prospect serious about hitting and learning through practical application and trial-by-error to you. You get it Coachric! Every hitter is different and at his own level in becoming an improved hitter and this takes time. It has to be broken down for each individual and splained with feedback from each hitting candidate. It took me years with "many" great hitting instructors to achieve success personally and I am still learning to this day! Different strokes for different folks! What works for some, may not work for others. It is a matter of getting in the trenches and paying the price with long hours of sweat, sometimes tears(who say's there's no crying in BB ) and most importantly, desire and the will to succeed. If you want it bad enough and have a strong enough mind, you can will it to happen! Believe and you shall receive! Visualize it happening and know you can do it, just make sure the groundwork in preparation meets opportunity has been laid in advance in the cages, tee-areas, live batting practice on the fields as well as the videoanaylsis and filmimg which I am a firm believer in letting the hitting candidate see with his own two eyes in video session with feedback in the trial and error process.

Excellent Coachric! Midlodad, NYDad and Vance34, you guys are definitely on the same page. I have zoned in on all of your posts of late and you guys contribute some excellent hitting food for thought as well as absolutes of hitting!
Peace Brothers(&Sisters) Shep

The comments of all here are what inspire me to dig down deep and give my all to those I teach, so that they may be more than players, but future teachers themselves.