What does the term "hit backside" mean?

[Whatagreatgame]

What does the term "hit backside" mean? What are everyone's thought on this topic? I have heard this so many times from coaches.

[randyc1]

Right hand batter hit to right field & left hand batter hit to left field.

[Whatagreatgame]

Would the phrase " hit frontside " mean to pull the ball. I have never heard that coached before but hear " hit backside " coached a lot. Does backside mean backside of the plate? Wait until the ball is on your backside? Can you explain? I don't understand the thought process.

[randyc1]

Yea your on target with your thoughts...hit opposite field to me would be easier terminology.

[diamondstud10]

Yea your on target with your thoughts...hit opposite field to me would be easier terminology.

 

are you sure that this does not mean drive off your backside and not pull off with your front hip? or hit the ball on your back hip when you are hitting opposite field (like letting the ball get deeper)

[Whatagreatgame]

I was watching a game last year and heard this phrase used quite a bit by the players on one of the teams. I started watching close and noticed that almost all of the hitters had an inside out swing and would pop up a pitch on the inside part of the plate. Wish I knew exactly what the term or phrase meant.

[chip10]

well technically back-side means opposite field. the other would be pull side. when you get deeper into it though when you hit off of your back hip there is no way to pull that ball.. to hit an outside pitch you let it get deeper in the zone and if you let an inside pitch get deep in the zone, then you're beat. so it can be used either way

[ksgovols]

It's more of a 'hit it where it's pitched' terminology and basically involves the same swing. For the same reasons you can't effectively hit an inside pitch oppo you also shouldn't try to pull an outside pitch. By definition, hitting backside involves letting the pitch get deeper into the strike zone before you can hit it with some pop into fair territory.

[Whatagreatgame]

Thanks for the replys. I'm still having trouble understanding the line of thinking when I hear high school coaches tell players to "hit backside". Exactly what are they telling the players to try to do? I ran this by a major league coach and he asked me " What are you talking about?" Now that I think about it I have never heard it mentioned in any major league situation. I know this is high school but teaching hitting is not really any different. Keep the replys coming!

[tnbigbear]

all of the reply you are getting are correct, hitting opposite field and deeper into the plate or more to your back hip are all true, it is necessary to be able to hit oppo to become a complete hitter but forcing the issue to much can be bad for players that have hit for power or been taught stroke the ball especially on there first two strikes and then shorten up for the third, this causes players to have a little longer swing, and the pressure of the "backside" issue will cause them mental issues at the plate and create some very unorthodox swings, and it seems to be more of an issue when the coach is barking this at the batter during game situations, usually this will make a hitter hit a weak ground ball to second base or shallow pop up, I had seen a very good school that is known for winning and had a very good coach, ground out to second base 9 consecutive times in a district game, because the backside issue was so pressed, and the other coach just kept feeding them slow and low junk on the outside of the plate, also when they faced pitchers with above average velocity they were lost because mental approach to the plate was clouded by all the pressure and they seemed to approach the plate with a lack of confidence. seen one kid that was a natural hitter, lefty pull a ball down first with two men on, score them, come in hard at third safe, when he stood up, as he was dusting off said to his coach how did you like that, and was replied to, would have been better backside, the kid went then went 0-4 two games in a row after that. man on first and second no outs, lefty at the plate I am hoping for a weak grounder to the third baseman. being able to hit oppo is absolutely needed to be a pure hitter especially in hit and run situations but when it is not, just hit the ball where it is pitched, outside/oppo - inside get it out front and let it rip, down the middle everyone knows what to do with that, but good pitchers will not give you that, so you need to be in command of the pitches on the edge, as long a this post is you can tell that I dont like the backside pressure, teach it in practice but when it is game time let them hit. I have gone to see kids that were natural hitters during their freshman years and before, come back and see them as a junior or senior and be very dissapointed, some of them even become what I like to call mechanical, like they are going through some kind of checklist. to much hitting instruction can destroy a hitter, teach it in practice, when it is game time the lessons are over, let them get comfortable and hit, you get your best focus in the on deck circle and it sure does not help coaching them on deck or when they are on their approach, and by all means every at bat that they reach base safely is a good at bat and should not be degraded in any way

[Whatagreatgame]

all of the reply you are getting are correct, hitting opposite field and deeper into the plate or more to your back hip are all true, it is necessary to be able to hit oppo to become a complete hitter but forcing the issue to much can be bad for players that have hit for power or been taught stroke the ball especially on there first two strikes and then shorten up for the third, this causes players to have a little longer swing, and the pressure of the "backside" issue will cause them mental issues at the plate and create some very unorthodox swings, and it seems to be more of an issue when the coach is barking this at the batter during game situations, usually this will make a hitter hit a weak ground ball to second base or shallow pop up, I had seen a very good school that is known for winning and had a very good coach, ground out to second base 9 consecutive times in a district game, because the backside issue was so pressed, and the other coach just kept feeding them slow and low junk on the outside of the plate, also when they faced pitchers with above average velocity they were lost because mental approach to the plate was clouded by all the pressure and they seemed to approach the plate with a lack of confidence. seen one kid that was a natural hitter, lefty pull a ball down first with two men on, score them, come in hard at third safe, when he stood up, as he was dusting off said to his coach how did you like that, and was replied to, would have been better backside, the kid went then went 0-4 two games in a row after that. man on first and second no outs, lefty at the plate I am hoping for a weak grounder to the third baseman. being able to hit oppo is absolutely needed to be a pure hitter especially in hit and run situations but when it is not, just hit the ball where it is pitched, outside/oppo - inside get it out front and let it rip, down the middle everyone knows what to do with that, but good pitchers will not give you that, so you need to be in command of the pitches on the edge, as long a this post is you can tell that I dont like the backside pressure, teach it in practice but when it is game time let them hit. I have gone to see kids that were natural hitters during their freshman years and before, come back and see them as a junior or senior and be very dissapointed, some of them even become what I like to call mechanical, like they are going through some kind of checklist. to much hitting instruction can destroy a hitter, teach it in practice, when it is game time the lessons are over, let them get comfortable and hit, you get your best focus in the on deck circle and it sure does not help coaching them on deck or when they are on their approach, and by all means every at bat that they reach base safely is a good at bat and should not be degraded in any way

 

I tend to agree with your thoughts. I wonder if some high school coaches just don't know how to coach hitting and use this theory? Like I said before go to spring training and watch what the big boys do in batting practice with an inside pitch or a pitch down the middle. There's nothing any sweeter than a drive into right field by a right handed hitter especially with runners in scoring position but there nothing wrong with a ball driven in the gaps either! There's a time for Quote" backside" , but I'd rather " go with the pitch". I guess I also just don't like that term, " hit it backside".

[MTCSFAN]

I will be honest with you, I think most coaches use this phrase to make you think they know what they are doing. I have studied hitting because my son is a pitcher and what all of the "professionals" tell you is that for the most part a high school player is just doing good to hit the the ball. When they start trying to place the ball their average goes way down. (which was stated by a previous post) If I was giving hitting advice I would tell my son to get up there, hit the ball somewhere, and have fun. We sometimes try to complicate this game too much at the high school level. I like it when my son is pitching and I hear a coach tell a kid to hit backside, I know that is probably an out. lol