Batting ·
best pitcher ·
fastpitch ·
hitting ·
inside ·
Insider ·
Performance ·
pitch ·
pitcher ·
Skills & Drills ·
Softball ·
5 Tips: Hitting Inside The Pitch
Good pitchers know how to work the corners and edges of the plate. Great pitchers know how far they can push the limits of the strike zone based on how the umpire is calling the game. As a hitter, you have to be ready to swing away on those close inside pitches when the umpire is calling them strikes. To help you make better contact on inside pitches here are a few tips:
When hitting an inside pitch it is important to keep your hands inside and your swing compact. This will prevent you from hitting the ball foul. It will also get your hands to the ball quicker. By keeping your hands inside on an inside pitch it will set you up to make good contact and keep the hit in fair territory.
To also ensure that you make good contact and to boost your chances of a fair ball, it is important that you keep the ball in front of you. As soon as you know an inside pitch is coming, you are going to want to pull the trigger on your swing early. This will help you keep the ball out in front of you instead of waiting until last minute to hook the ball. If you wait to hit the ball when it has already started across the plate, then you are most likely going to foul it off.
Keep your legs and feet lined up in a straight line. Do not cheat your front foot back just because you think an inside pitch is coming. You do not want to position your body open to the pitch. Keep your body in the correct batter's stance with the lower half of your body lined up as if you are standing on a straight line.
As a softball player, it is always necessary to keep your weight back onto your back leg and foot in the batter's box. You should not, however, lean back in your swing. This can be a common occurrence with softball players when they are hitting an inside pitch because they are trying to keep the ball in front of them. When you lean back, you lose all the power in the upper half of your body. Always keep your weight on your back -side when you are in your batter's stance. Shift your body weight forward once you make contact, do not lean back and lose that power.
Never forget to rotate your back leg, especially when hitting an inside pitch. Rotating your hips during your swing for an inside pitch will get your hands to the ball, fast. If you fail to rotate your hips, your arms will also not be tucked tight enough to hit anything on the inside of the plate. Rotate your hips so you can attack the ball the right way.
1) Keep your hands inside
When hitting an inside pitch it is important to keep your hands inside and your swing compact. This will prevent you from hitting the ball foul. It will also get your hands to the ball quicker. By keeping your hands inside on an inside pitch it will set you up to make good contact and keep the hit in fair territory.
2) Keep the ball in front of you
To also ensure that you make good contact and to boost your chances of a fair ball, it is important that you keep the ball in front of you. As soon as you know an inside pitch is coming, you are going to want to pull the trigger on your swing early. This will help you keep the ball out in front of you instead of waiting until last minute to hook the ball. If you wait to hit the ball when it has already started across the plate, then you are most likely going to foul it off.
3) Keep your lower half in a straight line
Keep your legs and feet lined up in a straight line. Do not cheat your front foot back just because you think an inside pitch is coming. You do not want to position your body open to the pitch. Keep your body in the correct batter's stance with the lower half of your body lined up as if you are standing on a straight line.
4) Do not lean back
As a softball player, it is always necessary to keep your weight back onto your back leg and foot in the batter's box. You should not, however, lean back in your swing. This can be a common occurrence with softball players when they are hitting an inside pitch because they are trying to keep the ball in front of them. When you lean back, you lose all the power in the upper half of your body. Always keep your weight on your back -side when you are in your batter's stance. Shift your body weight forward once you make contact, do not lean back and lose that power.
5) Rotate your back leg
Never forget to rotate your back leg, especially when hitting an inside pitch. Rotating your hips during your swing for an inside pitch will get your hands to the ball, fast. If you fail to rotate your hips, your arms will also not be tucked tight enough to hit anything on the inside of the plate. Rotate your hips so you can attack the ball the right way.