Posted by: Jimmy () on Thu Nov 29 20:24:44 2007

Graylon,

Sure the ball can be struck outside of this optimum area. The reason the hitters try to stay in this zone for the full 12 inches or so is because their timing isn't always perfect.

If they make contact at the point this optimum zone starts, they make solid contact. If they make contact at the point that this zone ends, they make solid contact.

The times that the timing is so far off that it gets way deep is when you see the dramatic "lean" back move in a last ditch effort to get the barrel to the ball.

Occasionally a ball will fly out of the park that got deeper than the optimum hitting zone but it has much to do with the strength of the hitter and field conditions (ballpark dimensions and wind). If the same hitter hit that pitch out front in that optimum zone, the ball will fly much further.

Jimmy