Posted by: Jack Mankin (MrBatspeed@aol.com) on Fri Apr 14 00:56:15 2000

>>>Who is the "they" you say recommends an inside-out swing on outside pitches. I'm also a little confused on what you are trying to explain should happen on an outside pitch. Correct me if I'm wrong, but shouldn't the swing be the same on a pitch middle out as middle in? The only difference is letting the ball get deeper in the stance? Bat angle dictates where the ball is hit. That's the whole point of letting it get deep. Otherwise, hitters would (i know you hate this term but i'm going to use it anyway) roll-over or go around the pitch away from them. please clarify (and yes, i have read your posts in previous threads,truisms and fallacies, etc)

Josh<<<

Hi Josh

Josh, this is a topic that needs more discussion. So I am starting a new thread with it.

My interpretation of an inside-out swing is when the hands are leading the bat head through contact. Whenever a batter intends to hit to the opposite field, he has two options. One would be the inside-out swing. His second option would be, as you pointed out, to allow the ball to get deeper into the stance. --- The problem with letting the ball get deeper is that the batter must now develop bat speed in a shorter space and timeframe. If, as you stated, the mechanics were the "same on a pitch middle out as middle in " then bat speed would have to suffer if the mechanics and time applied were shortened by allowing the pitch to get deeper in the hitting zone.

This is not the case with your better hitters. He does not allow the ball to get deeper and some of the longest homeruns I have ever charted were on outside pitches. And, they were mostly hit from left-center to right-center not just the opposite field. This quality of hitter gets his bat fairly perpendicular to the balls line-of-flight on both inside and outside pitches (unless the pitch fools him to be earlier or late). His mechanics for the two pitches are not the same. The way he initiates the swing for inside pitches keeps the lead arm across much of his torso all the way to contact. This generates a very tight hand-path where the lead shoulder rotates so that at contact the shoulder is pulling back toward the catcher. For outside pitches, his initiation (more top hand torque) causes the lead arm to cast a few degrees away from the torso to reach the outside pitch. The hands take a wider arc and shoulder rotation is less at contact.

Josh, please clarify. "go around the ball". How would a "pulled ball" be different than "go around the ball?" Do you really believe the bat actually wraps around (or goes around) the ball. --- Please explain in as much detail as possible.

Jack Mankin