There may not be a more rewarding feeling in all of sports, than hitting a ball on the sweet spot. That moment where the barrel of the bat connects squarely with the ball is so pristine - that you often can’t feel anything at all.
In this particular drill we will be talking about producing those results with a pitch that can be very fruitful for a hitter - the belt high pitch on the inside part of the plate. We call this “Hammer Time,” because when a hitter sees a pitch in this location, that is exactly what they should do - hammer it!
First and foremost a hitter should always acquire their exact location in the batter’s box and assume a repeated batting stance. Using a hitting tee, the player should set up a belt high and inside pitch, on the front part of the plate - then blast off! Turn on that pitch, get the barrel of the bat out in front and drive the ball with authority.
The belt high inside pitch is a ball that requires the earliest contact and the most torque from the body. The hands have a difficult time instinctively knowing where to go, because the location forces such a drastic turn by the body. In other words, you can hit almost every single strike in the strike zone between left-center and right-center fields; however, the belt high and inside pitch should actually be pulled into left field. The term "keeping the ball fair" right down the line was derived from turning on a belt high inside pitch.
This is a great drill for athletes ages 13+ and requires a hitting tee, game bat, balls, and ideally a possible target or net for ball flight. This drill could be a challenge and tie a hitter up initially; however, after some hard work and dedication, that same pitch will be looking like a beach ball. Once a ballplayer masters hitting the belt high and inside pitch, they will love the results - likely a slow jog around the bases.
