Hitting the outside pitch without trying to pull the ball

tmolina · Jul 27, 2015

Mostly all the girls that swing away on DD team are having trouble hitting the outside pitch to the opposite field during games.
They can do it in practice and we do it on a regular basis. We have discussed the importance of being able to hit balls to the opposite field, but in games they either don't swing at it or they try to pull it. Any advise?

Cowdogz · Jul 27, 2015

My guess is that in the game they are getting fooled one way or the other. IME as a hitter, when I am early on the outside pitch, I wind up "wrapping the bat" around the ball and grounding weakly to short just to prevent a swing-and-miss. I am not trying to pull the ball, it's just what happens under those circumstances. More work on pitch recognition, outside vs. inside, with live pitching.

canyonjoe · Jul 27, 2015

More live pitching in practice

marriard · Jul 27, 2015

This is from who my DD's hitting coach uses as a reference/guru: It is how my DD has success. Changed her approach to outside pitches:

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=844455438949501&set=vb.612734575454923&type=2&theater

You need to read this, watch the video and look at the first few comments.

Basically she doesn't use the cues to 'let it travel' or 'get deep' - she hits it off the front foot and extends through the 2B

guero_gordo · Jul 27, 2015

With respect to Coach Lisle's branding strategy, DD hits oppo well and was taught to do tee work with the tee closer to the plate for outside pitches. So far, what video I have seems to support that placement.

rdbass · Jul 27, 2015

marriard said:
This is from who my DD's hitting coach uses as a reference/guru: It is how my DD has success. Changed her approach to outside pitches:

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=844455438949501&set=vb.612734575454923&type=2&theater

You need to read this, watch the video and look at the first few comments.

Basically she doesn't use the cues to 'let it travel' or 'get deep' - she hits it off the front foot and extends through the 2B

casedawg51 · Jul 27, 2015

I think if you teach the proper hand path and keep the hands "inside the ball" so to speak, a lot of this takes care of itself. I like to tell my hitters to look for a pitch middle-out and react to the inside pitch by turning on the ball. Most hitters want to pull the ball and react to an outside pitch by throwing the barrel around it with their hands.

softballphreak · Jul 27, 2015

All one has to do is have a practice devoted to outside pitch hitting to see the results of trying to hit an outside pitch out front. There will be times when it will get outfield but most of the time it will be weak grounders to second.

IMO, one of the most important things to practice is opposite field hitting. Not just a taste or two but significantly more time spent than other hitting practice. It not only rewards the batter with opposite field skill, it adds significantly to power drives to all fields.

Individual opposite field practices should be 3 buckets (about 25 balls per bucket) of pitched balls hit to opposite field with nothing allowed left of second base—not even on inside pitches. They will hate it before they love it!

Biggest failure in practicing opposite field hitting is the coach giving up before the player experiences the success that they inevitably will have after only a few 3-bucket practices.

Best role model I've seen for opposite field hitting and staying inside the ball is Miguel Cabrera.

rdbass · Jul 27, 2015

softballphreak said:
All one has to do is have a practice devoted to outside pitch hitting to see the results of trying to hit an outside pitch out front. There will be times when it will get outfield but most of the time it will be weak grounders to second.

IMO, one of the most important things to practice is opposite field hitting. Not just a taste or two but significantly more time spent than other hitting practice. It not only rewards the batter with opposite field skill, it adds significantly to power drives to all fields.

Individual opposite field practices should be 3 buckets (about 25 balls per bucket) of pitched balls hit to opposite field with nothing allowed left of second base—not even on inside pitches. They will hate it before they love it!

Biggest failure in practicing opposite field hitting is the coach giving up before the player experiences the success that they inevitably will have after only a few 3-bucket practices.

Best role model I've seen for opposite field hitting and staying inside the ball is Miguel Cabrera.

IMO, one of the most important things to practice is opposite field hitting

I agree with this.

not even on inside pitches. They will hate it before they love it!

Not agreeing with this so much.....hit the ball where it is pitched

Best role model I've seen for opposite field hitting and staying inside the ball is Miguel Cabrera.

I agree.....

softballphreak · Jul 27, 2015

rdbass said:
I agree with this.

Not agreeing with this so much.....hit the ball where it is pitched

I agree.....

Definitely hit the ball where it is pitched—in real life. I only make it a part of my opposite field practice to emphasize I don't want anything left of 2nd. I get all kinds of criticism during these practices about my pitches not being outside when they hit 'em right by right ear. Therefore, ALL my pitches are outside—if you know what I mean. They gotta get inside of it.

Hitting the outside pitch without trying to pull the ball

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tmolina

Cowdogz

canyonjoe

marriard

Not lost - just no idea where I am

guero_gordo

rdbass

It wasn't me.

casedawg51

softballphreak

rdbass

It wasn't me.

softballphreak

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