Hitting the inside and outside pitch

Setup

1. Station 1 (tee): set two tees at a net. Tee A sits on the inside corner, level with the front foot. Tee B sits on the outside corner, level with the middle of the stance.
2. Station 2 (front toss): an L-screen about 5 m in front of home plate, with the feeder sitting on a bucket behind it.
3. Batters wear helmets at both stations. Keep the on-deck batter well outside the swing zone, and nobody walks in front of or behind a hitter.
4. Fielders shag at normal depth, or hit into a net in a cage.

How it runs

1. At the tee station, each batter takes 5 swings off the inside tee, then 5 off the outside tee, feeling the different contact points.
2. At the front-toss station, the feeder calls 'In' and tosses to the inside half. The batter turns on it and pulls a line drive.
3. The feeder calls 'Away' and tosses to the outside half. The batter lets the ball travel and drives it towards the opposite field.
4. After 6 called tosses, the feeder stops calling and mixes the locations. The batter reads the toss and hits it where it is pitched.
5. Swap stations every 8–10 minutes. Rotate batter, feeder and fielders.

Coaching points

• Inside pitch: contact out in front of the front foot. The hips turn hard and the hands stay inside the ball.
• Outside pitch: contact deeper, around the middle of the body. Keep the front shoulder in and the barrel through the ball towards the opposite field.
• Same stride and same balance for both. The location changes where you hit it, not how you load.
• For a right-handed batter, pulling goes to the left side and the opposite field is right field; it's the reverse for a left-handed batter.
• Feeder: toss firmly and consistently, and duck behind the screen as soon as the ball is released.

Common mistakes

• Getting jammed on the inside pitch by letting it get too deep.
• Pulling off (opening the front shoulder early) on the outside pitch, so it rolls weakly to the pull side.
• Stepping away from the plate (in the bucket) to make room for the inside pitch.
• Reaching for the outside pitch with the arms instead of letting it travel.