Posted by: Teacherman () on Wed Jan 29 17:22:26 2003

What do hitters mean when they refer to staying "inside of the ball" and how does that apply to rotational mechanics.
>
> Phil-
> great question. Any baseball 'insider' will throw this phrase around. If you don't act as if you know, understand and have pity for anyone who doesn't understand this, you will be treated like somebody's poor cousin.
> If you get an explanation, it will include phrases like 'not having a long swing', 'short to the ball', and other vague phrases.
> Ask them to show you and you start getting knob to the ball cues, fence drills, etc.
> One thing is probably true. The higher level guys: scouts, college coaches, etc. know it when they see it, even if they don't really understand it. If you don't stay inside the ball, they don't want you.
> Beyond that you're on your own.
>
> I have my own opinion of what it means but lets here from some other contributors first. This is a good topic.

I'll take the first shot at it. To me, hands inside the ball is easiest to understand by looking at the opposite, which is out and around. Out and around is a long, slow, casted swing, where the only hard hit ball is pulled. To get to that position the barrel is actually ahead of the hands at contact. If inside the ball is the opposite then quick, short and connected would be the words that may apply. And, if the barrel is ahead of the hands at contact when you are out and around, then the barrel is behind the hands in an inside the ball swing. One of the key differences is the cast v no cast.