Hitting the Outside Pitch

Hitting the Outside Pitch

By Jim Morris, Head Baseball Coach University of Miami

The most important hitting zone to learn to hit is the outside zone. 75 out of every 100 pitches, or 75% of the pitches that a hitter sees are on the outside part of the plate or off the plate away. Most breaking balls and change ups are away from the hitter. Every hitter should concentrate on the outside pitch!

The contact point for the hitter on an outside pitch is much closer to the catcher, or deeper over the plate, than other pitches. Contact for the low-and-away pitch is opposite the the back knee. The middle-away pitch is contacted opposite the mid-line of the hitter's body. The up-and-away zone is met even with the front shoulder. The lower the pitch, the deeper you let the ball get in the zone. The more the pitch is away, the deeper you must let it get. If the hitter makes contact too far out in front, the angle of the bat causes the outside pitch to be pulled. Unless the hitter is extremely strong physically, he will end up pulling many weak ground balls or soft fly balls to the left side.

Hitting the outside pitch out front means the hitter has expended most of his power by the time he makes contact with the ball. Hitting the ball deeper in the zone enables the hitter to drive the ball with authority to the opposite field. The bat is angled toward the opposite field when contact is made at the proper point. The hands lead the barrel or are in front of the barrel at contact.

Most hitters stride at about the point of the pitcher's release. The hitter must get the stride foot down early because he doesn't know what type of pitch it will be nor does he know the speed. When the hitter strides, the weight is transferred to the back foot. To compensate for off-speed pitches (curve balls and change ups) there is a pause between the stride and the swing. The hitter must pause longer for pitches that are outside or low, because those pitches must be hit deeper in the zone.

In order to keep from pulling off the outside pitch, the hitter must stay closed with his front side. If the front hip, shoulder and then the head pulls off the ball, chances of hitting the ball solidly are remote. The hitter either pulls of the outside pitch, hits it off the end of the bat or swings and misses.

The back hip is extremely important when hitting the outside pitch. The front hip stays closed. Then, the hitter really pops the back hip into the outside pitch. Driving the back hip into the ball provides the power to drive the ball hard to the opposite field.

Every swing starts inside out. That is the hands stay inside the baseball at contact. This means the arms do not extend too early. Getting outside or around the ball makes a hitter pull the outside pitch. Staying inside the ball allows the hitter to drive the ball to the opposite field. At the point of contact on the outside pitch, the arms are extended.

Every hitter should look for the outside pitch first. If you start looking for the inside pitch initially, you open up to early with front side. By look away first, you stay closed with the front hip, shoulder and the head/eyes stay on the ball. Then, if the ball does stay inside, the hitter can adjust to the pitch and turn on it. Look outside-in, but swing inside-out.