Hitting Outside vs. Inside Pitches

Being able to hit outside and inside pitches is critical in order to become a great hitter. For those of you that might not know, an outside pitch is a pitch that is over the plate away from you. An inside pitch is a pitch that is over the plate and close to you. If you are still confused, the images I provided should be able to make it more clear. Outside and inside pitches are different because it depends on whether the hitter is a right-handed hitter or a left-handed hitter, like myself.

These two different pitches require, "the hitter to have two different swings to the ball" (Silva 1223). Troy Silva, the author of my book 9 Innings of Hitting, suggests that differences in the swings include posture and contact point. They may be minor differences, but Silva says it is important that the hitter understands their swing mechanics shouldn't be the same when trying to hit balls on opposite sides of the plate (Silva 1223).

First, I'll start with the inside pitch. The inside pitch isn't my favorite pitch to hit but in order for me to improve as a hitter, I have to be able to crush this pitch so it has been something I've been working on throughout the practices in the winter. Silva says that on an inside pitch, "the hitter must stay stacked or upright with little to no body weight movement created in toward the plate" (Silva 1223). As far as contact point on an inside pitch, contact on inside pitches must be out front somewhere close to the hitter's stride foot (Silva 1223). In order to practice these suggestions from Silva, I used a batting tee because it is a very helpful tool in order to develop a consistent swing. As you can see below, my body is stacked with little movement and I moved the tee so that the contact point is close to my stride (front) foot.

Next, I will talk about the outside pitch. The outside pitch has always been my favorite pitch. In contrast to the inside pitch, Silva says that hitting the outside pitch, "should create a little postural momentum leaning over the plate that will help the hitter reach the pitch and stay through it more easily" (Silva 1223). Another difference from hitting an inside pitch is that the hitter must allow the ball to travel farther and contact should be made somewhere between the front knee and the middle of the body (Silva 1223). Below, you can see that my body is slightly leaned over the plate and contact with the ball is being made between my front knee and the middle of my body just like Silva suggested.

Pitchers are only going to get better as they get older and they will be able to identify weaknesses in their opponents' swings so hitters need to be able to hit pitches that are located on both sides of the plate.

Q: Do you prefer hitting the inside pitch or the outside pitch?
Citation: Silva, Troy. 9 Innings of Hitting. Indiana: Dog Ear Publishing, 2013.