Choking up for the inside pitch?

[Mclovin07]

hello everyone!

I was practicing my swing today and I noticed that I was having some trouble getting good contact with inside pitches. I remember watching the USA Softball team this summer and one of the ladies (I forget who it was!) immediately choked up on her bat when she recognized the inside pitch so she could make contact with the ball right at the sweet spot. I think that this is a really good idea and it ended up working really well for the player on the USA team. Do you think that this is a good idea? or should i just try to stick with the normal method for hitting inside pitches? Any other thoughts?

Thank you!

 

[Chris O'Leary]

hello everyone!

I was practicing my swing today and I noticed that I was having some trouble getting good contact with inside pitches. I remember watching the USA Softball team this summer and one of the ladies (I forget who it was!) immediately choked up on her bat when she recognized the inside pitch so she could make contact with the ball right at the sweet spot. I think that this is a really good idea and it ended up working really well for the player on the USA team. Do you think that this is a good idea? or should i just try to stick with the normal method for hitting inside pitches? Any other thoughts?

This is a bad idea, because it takes too long.

 

[ifubuildit]

Its also a bad idea because it wont work. You need to learn to get the hands in tight to the body for the inside pitch then bring them around the front hip in a tight radius. Some call this "Fish Hooking" the hands. This movement also puts the sweet spot of the bat on the ball instead of the handle when pitched inside. The other thing you need to realize is that when you set up your focus should always be on the middle inside. Why? Because that is the pitch that will be on you the fastest. Look inside and adjust out. Once you get those movements down then you will be able to drill the inside pitch with confidence.

Hope this helps.

Dana.

 

[Chris O'Leary]

Its also a bad idea because it wont work. You need to learn to get the hands in tight to the body for the inside pitch then bring them around the front hip in a tight radius. Some call this "Fish Hooking" the hands. This movement also puts the sweet spot of the bat on the ball instead of the handle when pitched inside. The other thing you need to realize is that when you set up your focus should always be on the middle inside. Why? Because that is the pitch that will be on you the fastest. Look inside and adjust out. Once you get those movements down then you will be able to drill the inside pitch with confidence.

The only way i can see this working is if...

1. You steal signs or location.
2. You are sitting on a pitch and accept that you're out of luck for anything else.

 

[SBFAMILY]

To hit inside pitches you must challenge yourself by moving in towards home plate and pulling the ball. Think in, in, in and adjust away and remember you catch the ball in front of the plate and release your wrists later and rotate the belly button as a right handed hitter towards the shortstop or third basemen. If you chock up you lose power. Simple drill chock up on a bat and hold it out and see how easy it is to push the bat back. Then try the same thing with the bat not chocked up. You will feel the difference.

 

[ifubuildit]

Chris

The only way i can see this working is if...

1. You steal signs or location.
2. You are sitting on a pitch and accept that you're out of luck for anything else.

Works well for all my hitters. Its something we practice on the tee on a regular basis. With the correct set up you can challenge you students to see how deep they can let the tee get into them and still try to get the sweet spot of the bat on the ball. I get surprised often by my students on how close they can get that tee to them and still manage to work the hands around the hip to make solid contact with the ball.

Once they can do that then catching an inside pitch out in front is cake.

 

[starsnuffer]

I have a sneaking suspicion that a top level softball hitter is choking up for reasons not related to hitting an outside pitch. Were there runners on? She was probably choking up to hit the ball into a very specific location, not just to hit an inside pitch.

-W

 

[kls_hittingacademy]

Are you sure it wasn't a slapper going from the left side?

 

[bosoxfan]

Are you saying to choke up after the ball is released and you see it as an inside pitch? I'll have to try this because I can't believe you would have the time.

 

[InsidePitch]

I throw a modified front soft toss to DD and aim for her hip. This causes her to hit the ball in front and keep the hands in and on the sweet spot. If you stand at about two feet to the side of the plate and 5 feet in front, toss and step forward you won't be hit even if she is late. Use whiffles if you are nervous about getting hit.