Hitting a baseball is a challenge. You're responsible for hitting the ball in, away, up and down. You're expected to handle pitches that curve, sink, are slower and of course get faster and faster. Of all the pitches that a hitter could see, one of them determines the success that a player will ultimately have. It's the fastball up. And, if you want to get really specific "up and in."
The fastball up is the pitch that requires the quickest timing. It doesn't allow for any bat drag at all. A little slow to the ball? You're beat.
A slightly poor swing can still get to the ball down. The barrel loops a little bit and the bat can still make consistent contact with that ball down in the zone.
However, the fastball up and in requires an extremely short swing to get the barrel to the ball. This short swing is paramount to being an effective hitter as you climb the baseball ladder. The short swing allows players the ability to look away and handle the ball on the outside corner. The short swing also enables hitters to be good breaking ball hitters. Hitters with these swings allow the ball to get deep and can drive it to the opposite field.
A long swing will cause players to pull off quickly so they don't get jammed and can put the barrel on the inside pitch.
It's important to understand that hitting an inside fastball well doesn't mean you're hitting it correctly. One way of knowing if you're handling the inside pitc h correctly is if you can stay on the ball away. If you can drive the ball that is away and also handle the inside pitch- well, you got it.
All swings should begin and end with the ability to hit the up and in inside fastball. This short swing makes teaching the other zones of the plate managebale. Without this short swing, you're spitting into the wind.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment