06 Feb How To Hit An Inside Fastball
Coaching Tips
“Regarding youth players, prior to coaching a leg kick and raising the back elbow, one must learn to hit with minimal movement; the logical sequence of events, serving as the foundation during clutch situations. If one disagrees with the concept, one doesn’t understand the nature of hitting mechanics, nor is one logical; at the detriment to the future development of youth players.”
Clinton Balgera
Inventor: Exoprecise – the driving force of our Laser Power Swing Trainer.
Founder: Multi-Swing Method, Sport Precise, and Exopower Methodologies.
Fastball Hitting Tips
Baseball And Softball
- Beginners start with belt-high and middle location.
- Advanced hitters challenge yourself with an up-and-inside location.
- Track the ball, allowing it to travel closer to your body. Otherwise, you’ll swing or miss, or hit a groundball.
- Swing using your core and attack the ball with your hips. Rotate your back foot from your core aim to be spinning fast on the toes of your back foot. Your back foot is a key performance indicator for correct rotation.
- Avoid overswinging. Try to hit the ball in the pull-side alley, helping you to “stay back” and keep the ball in fair territory.
- Keep the bat barrel flat as possible at contact, and hit the ball with backspin. If you drop your barrel, you’ll hit a pop up or swing and miss.
- Ensure you don’t roll over at the point contact, as it causes the barrel of your bat to rise, hitting the top of the ball; triggering a topspin line drive, or groundball.
- Utilize a short swing path, 2-hand grip follow through. Beyond the point of contact whip the bat around your body and roll the wrists on the follow through; as you feel pressure on your rear shoulder. Failure to whip the bat around your body reduces your bat speed, causes you to fall off balance, and knock your head off the ball; as you fight against your natural swing path. Rolling over after contact does not affect the lift of the ball.
- Avoid trying to lift on your follow through and don’t release your top hand as once again; you’ll fight your natural swing path, causing you to over-rotate on your back foot, pull off the ball and fall off balance.
- Minimize head movement and contact and on the swing follow through.
- Once you hit ten balls off the middle of the bat, you’ll notice an improvement in your bat speed, power and inside fastball swing mechanics.