Posted by: JLB (oz2009@verizon.net) on Wed May 21 14:08:11 2008

> I always hear people teaching batters drills to keep their hands inside the ball.
>
> What does hands inside the ball look like? What does that mean?

Different coaches might attribute different meanings to this cue but basically it means having your swing short and compact. A compact swing means keeping your hands and bat close to your body until contact so that the energy that is built up and transferred with your rotating hips and shoulders is extended efficiently to the bat head. Characteristics of staying inside the ball include a slotted rear elbow after heel plant and a circular hand path. You cannot stay inside the ball with a linear A to C swingpath or a swing with the barrel above the hands.

JLB