Posted by: S. Winton (stwinton@netzero.net) on Sat May 28 11:08:40 2005

You guys make no mention of WHY/WHEN you have to hit the outside pitch...When as a hitter do you have to cover both sides of the plate? When you DO cover both sides of the plate (2 strikes) are you attempting to hit with power or just put the ball in play?

The bottom line in hitting the outside pitch is you can mechanically make subtle adjustments when you are ahead in the count to give yourself a better chance at driving the ball with power to the opposite field (at the expense of giving up the in inner half…vice versa when ahead in the count and looking in).

Like I have mentioned before, you guys want to get so caught up in mechanical “X’s” and “O’s” of generating bat speed that you completely ignore the mental aspect of hitting. Dose bat speed have a factor in good hitting, sure, is it the “Holy Grail?” Certainly not! Most hitting coaches worth their weight will agree that the most important aspects of hitting is having a plan: knowing what you want to hit and in certain situations what you have to hit, and the real “Holy Grail”, how to do it!

I would love calling pitches against a team of “Bat Speed dot-comers.” No plan, just swing hard, swing long, and rollover…