Hitting The Inside Pitch

Jan 16, 2024

How to help hitters hit the inside pitch

Hitting a FB on the inside part of the plate can be a challenge for hitters.

The hitter has less time to react than a pitch out over the plate, causing them to be often late and get jammed or panic and have their front shoulder spin out of the zone early.

Unless they have the movement capability to handle the inside FB.

Today, After reading this, you'll have a plan to help your hitters combat the inside pitch.

"Unfortunately..." most coaches don't show the hitter the how and 'why' they need to work on hitting the inside pitch.

Most of the time, you hear a coach say to a player:

"You'll just react to the inside pitch."

Are late and spin off the ball
Bat path works around the ball
Hitters only try to pull pitches inside
Movement quality limits their efficiency

Here's how step by step:

Step 1: Contact Point

When coaches explain how to hit the inside pitch, they usually give generic advice to the hitter.

"You hit the inside pitch in this specific spot."

They need to consider where the hitter is standing in the box.

Here are a few examples

Look at how far up in the box Austin Hays is here

Here is the data showing where all of the pitches were hit over 95 exit velo and between a 10-35 launch angle.

Some of these aren’t tagged correctly but you get the idea that it's a range, not one specific point.

You probably would only tell a hitter to make contact with the pitch out in front of the plate a little, but with how far up in the box he's standing, it would make sense for him to hit this pitch out there.

Step 2: Reacting to the inside pitch

Most hitters should be looking for something other than a pitch on the inside part of the plate.

Why?

Because their perception of the zone is going to be completely different.

Michael Cuddyer talked about this when he was on the podcast.

He said that if he looked for a pitch on the inside part of the plate, he became susceptible to swinging at pitches outside of the zone because his perception of the zone had changed.

That's one player, but I have yet to meet many successful players who were only looking inside.

Step 3: Movement Progression

How do we help 'teach' hitters to hit the inside pitch?

Get them uncomfortable

1. Start with tee behind the front knee.