Posted by: grc () on Sat Dec 9 08:19:43 2000

I think now may be a good time to bring the discussion back to what the board was designed to accomplish - "A frank and open-minded discussion of the baseball/softball swing." It seems clear to me that discussing personalities can make little advancement to our understanding of the swing.
> >
> > So, I will ask a question about a batting principle that has bothered me for some time. -- Why is hitting the "inside of the ball" called GOOD while hitting the "outside of the ball" is Taboo?
> >
> > I am thinking of adding an article to my "Truism or Fallacy" list on the subject of hitting the outside pitch. Your input would be most helpful.
> >
> > Jack Mankin
> >
>
> jack,
>
> i can't see how anybody could consider hitting the outside of the ball - "taboo", BUT for those that do:
>
> two questions,
>
> aren't all hitters striving to hit the ball to ALL fields?
>
> how can a hitter (RH) hit a ball to left if he DOESN'T hit the
> outside of the ball???
>
> ray porco
>
>
>exactly....i think someone already made the comment (here or at setpro?) that if the ball is a "clock" with 12 o'clock being the middle of the ball facing the pitcher & 6 o'clock the middle of the ball facing the catcher, for a right handed hitter to pull the ball to left he clearly needs to hit the ball at about 4:30 or so, which is clearly the OUTSIDE part of the ball........and if you strike the ball at 7:30 or so the ball goes to right, and requiring an "inside-out" swing"......in fact, i have frequently argued that if we are to use labels such as "inside-out" swing, then striking the ball at 4:30 would be an "outside-in" swing.........respectfully, grc.....