THE OUTSIDE PITCH DRILL

By Charles "Popcorn" Thompson

The outside pitch drill is great for teaching hitters how to control there hands during the swing. The drill should be performed as in the picture to the left.  The tosser should be about 15 feet away from the batter and to the side as in soft toss either sitting or standing (I prefer standing).  Toss the ball to the center of the batter's body which is the same as the hitter allowing the ball to get deep in the zone.  

Three things should be emphasized in this drill.  

1.  Bat lag.  
Bat lag is when the barrel follows the hands to the ball.  Most young hitters have the tendency of "rolling" the top hand on an outside pitch which causes the barrel to get in front of the hands too soon.  This usually results in a weak ground ball to the pitcher or an infielder.

2.  A Strong Top-Hand.  
A strong top-hand is when the barrel does not drop too soon during the swing. When the barrel drops too soon the result is usually a pop-up.  

3.  A Tall Backside.  
Notice that the batter in the picture is not collapsing his backside. This is what I mean by having a tall backside. The batter's upper body is centered with his feet at contact. The tall backside helps to decrease the hitter's chances of poping up.