Posted by: FFS () on Sat Sep 27 19:09:44 2008

> LRS … thank you for pointing out these posts.
>
> I found Rql’s following comments informative.
>
> To hit the outside ball …
> · You prepare for a higher deeper load
> · Your lead arm straightens more.
> · As you swing your rear elbow slots away from your ribs more than an inside pitch.
> · Your lead arm stays straight and the inside of the lead bicep stays attached to lead chest muscle thru contact, hips and shoulder rotation.
> · Start a little deeper and end a little earlier on this pitch.
>
>
> Other interesting comments from Rql.
>
> For an outside pitch
> · Knob normally starts out pointed back toward catcher
> · It will be turned and pointed toward the oppo base before any lead shoulder turn really begins
> · Example: http://www.teachersbilliards.com/Hitzone/Guillen1.gif
>
>
> Rql:
> Now the inside pitch, or ball to be pulled, the outward rotating of the knob gets aborted and the knob is worked more down to get quicker inside the ball before shoulder rotation begins.
> Example: http://www.teachersbilliards.com/Hitzone/Guillen2.gif
>
>
> Tom:
> It as if the same loading path is always started, then interrupted early to turn more/sooner on inside and continued longer
>
> Rql:
> It is the ability of the bottom hand to prepare for that pattern then abort it and quickly.
>
>
> Rql:
> Same loading path is started then aborted for inside when read. This means to me that you must be loading for the away pitch 1st, you cant have load intent away and be looking inside, you must look away and adjust inside as you have said here, this has been my contention all along.
>
> Rql:
> Look away react in was my key swing thought when I was trying to cover both sides of plate.
>
>
> - FFS

Fiveframes,

Well we are opening a can of worms for the logic of looking in and adjusting out and vice versa.

I have lots of fastpitch players to post who completely break down on the outside pitch, and can do nothing but use the hands/arms and wave at the pitch. This was shown to be the case in almost every CWS game and every Olympic and Team USA game. Very few good swings on the outside pitch.

Although in fast pitch, you don't have to take a great swing to hit the ball 200 ft or in-front of the right fielder, or left.

The reason so few hit the outside pitch well is because they only know how to spin, or they force rotation on every swing, and then just stop the lowerbody and wave at the outside pitch.

I teach to read angles of the pitch. I would rather discuss that rather then looking away and adjusting in or vice versa. Epstein, who has experience in the matter says not to do either, you look inside or you look outside, but you don't try to cover both sides of the plate.

You can adjust the player or the plate, so your plate graph will work fine, if I'm looking at it correctly. I like to adjust the plate and I like the player to move. If we are going inside and then outside. then leave the plate with the machine throwing it right down the middle. You might do 5,4,3, or 2 inside and then do the same outside. And if your doing a certain amount of reps to get the feel for the location and then switching, it is just easier for the player to move while doing low reps. If you doing higher reps then moving the plate works well, in this case the player sets up to the plate in their normal distance. And if you are letting them move and not adjusting the plate, you can't let them cheat to much.

Fastpitch is more challenging, because of the screw ball being the main pitch thrown inside. Baseball hitters might see a few pitchers who can make the ball cut in or out, although at the college level the screwball is widely used. And then you have the curve ball, that baseball players call the slider. Fastpitch is very challenging because of these two pitches alone, and you want to discuss looking in and adjusting away or vice versa.

If anything, the best way would be to look down the middle, read the angle of the pitch and adjust a little outside or a little inside. This makes the adjustment less for either pitch. The other ways you are talking about making big adjustments.

And in fastpitch, with decent pitching you seldom see something down the middle. They are closer to the plate and have better control. In baseball you see the ball drift over the middle way more times, because of the distance they throw the ball.

Shawn