Description: This drill can be done in a cage if using a baseball. But, using a tee AND a MaxBP machine you have set up to target the inside pitch, as with so many great lessons that used to require a partner, you can practice this all on your own, almost anywhere. One batting tee AND one MaxBP machine set to soft toss required unless you have another person and an L screen to perform, as we just mentioned.  You will achieve your proper stance, as always. This drill is as much about your feet as it is about your hands and mechanics. You will take your stance and get ready for the pitch. Please remember this is not a race. If the soft toss interval outpaces you, set it to a slower interval or take any pitch you are not ready to swing. Put a helmet on even though you can’t get hurt with our small Wiffle balls. Wear safety goggles. Just kidding. In all seriousness, do not forget your throw down plate. Always knowing where you are in relationship to the plate (and keeping it the exact same) is critical. It is critical and so often overlooked that half of us didn’t even realize we were taking different swings to the same pitches half our lives. And the other half of you all made it to the big leagues! See what we mean? It’s not an easy game folks. Keep it fun by at least standing in the same spot in the box to keep your odds high that you will at the very least know what is hittable and what is not as it relates to what the umpire should and should not call a strike. We’ll beat that point home until you bring a home plate with you wherever you go.

Set the tee on the outside corner to contact just barely off the front knee. Set the machine to the inside corner, strikes or just a bit inside.  Set the interval to the slowest speed. Set the machine to soft toss. In between swings to the inside half from the MaxBP machine, hit the ball off the batting tee and off the outside corner to the opposite field.

Yardstick: Helps hitters track different pitch locations. Helps hitters take the same stride to the plate. Helps hitters who are stepping in the bucket to realize that can’t happen. You will feel natural and each swing will feel as similar as possible. That is the yardstick.

Notes: If you try to set the tee up to the inside corner and have the machine set up to the outside corner thinking that will work, or actually make it work somehow by not knocking over the tee, then your swing has more issues than our machine can help you with and you need to seek a private tutor to get started. That was another joke. The point being, this drill is so great because you can have a ball on the outside part of the plate and not knock it over while you hit the inside pitch. It doesn’t work the other way around.

Equipment: Bat, helmet, batting tee AND a MaxBP machine, throw-down plate under tee as always, and balls placed on the tee and in the bucket. Optional equipment is another bucket or chair to raise the MaxBP machine as needed for soft toss, depending on height and distance to plate.