Your plan must have both a short-term solution (during a game) and a long-term solution (to prevent this problem from surfacing too often).
Problem 1: "I strike out too much."
The first thing that you should consider is the possibility of poor eyesight. Athletes should have their eyes checked once a year. Second, if you seem to lose your balance after your swing, you can bet that you are swinging too hard. Overswinging is a problem for all hitters at all levels. Third, adjust your thinking: try to hit the ball back through the middle and not out of the park.
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"If you want to cut down on your strikeouts, quit trying to hit the ball so hard."
Sparky Anderson
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All hitters must develop a two-strike approach in order to guard against the strikeout. This adjustment can be as simple as choking up an inch or two on the bat to cut down on your swing. Some hitters spread out their stance three or four inches, and some even eliminate their stride altogether.
Another possibility is that your bat may be too heavy, which will cause you to pull off the ball with your front side. When a hitter is overloaded, even a little bit, his upper body does too much and his head and front side move early. Poor vision is the result.
Begin on the tee with the Go-to-the-Ball Drill. Do it daily during the season and at least three times a week in the offseason. Also try the Soft-Toss Drill and be sure that the feeder moves the ball around on you. In both of these drills, keep the ball out of the air and try to hit hard grounders up the middle from left-center to right-center.
Problem 2: "I have trouble with the inside pitch."
When you start getting jammed on the inside pitch, real problems can develop. You start coming off the ball in order to get your bat head on the ball; before long, you can't hit the outside pitch either.
It might sound too simple, but many young hitters stand too close to the plate, and after they take an aggressive movement toward the pitcher, the thin part of their bat is over home plate.
Begin with the Inside-Pitch Drill to attack this problem. Be sure you understand the entire drill before you begin. To avoid creating what we call "inside habits," never do this drill more than three times a week.
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"The best hitting coaches don't just solve problems- they prevent them."
Bob Skinner
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Another drill that can help with this problem is the One-Arm Drill. Using your bottom arm and with the tee set up for the inside pitch, do this drill three times a week in order to help you get your bat head to the ball properly.
Many hitters who have trouble inside are simply aggressive hitters who dive in, or go to the ball. This is a positive trait, and coaches and hitters should be careful not to destroy it. If you are getting jammed just once in a while, don't overreact and change your mechanics. Try backing off the plate two or three inches first. Getting jammed is a sign that you are staying on the ball a long time - it happens to all good hitters. Don't panic and make changes too quickly. Remember that 70% of all pitches are either down the middle or away, so don't be preoccupied with the inside.
Problem 3: "I have trouble with the outside pitch."
Welcome to the club. Most major leaguers have trouble with this pitch. Pitching away is still number one for most experienced pitchers because it works. Some work in this area is good for every hitter, for good habits can result from working on the outside pitch.
The Go-to-the-Ball Drill and the Two-Tees Extension Drill are the answers here. With these and the Soft-Toss Drill, you should hit at least 100 balls a day on the outside corner. There are no shortcuts; you simply need to adjust the path of your body and your swing. Somewhere between 500 and 10,000 swings, you will begin to make a real change in your approach, and the hits on outside pitches will begin to come in bunches.
Problem 4: "Curveballs give me lots of trouble."
The change of speed is the cause of much of the difficulty in hitting the curve. You may be pulling off the ball and not giving yourself a chance to stay in long enough to hit the curves.
Since most good curveballs are low pitches, begin with the Hitting-the-Low-Pitch Drill; after 15 or 20 swings, switch to the Change-Speeds Drill and use it daily for a week to 10 days. If possible, have the coach or teammate throw at least half curves and half straight pitches.
You might just be coming off the ball with your front side, so the Go-to-the-Ball Drill might help you with this and many other problems.
Problem 5: "I swing at too many bad pitches."
Many aggressive hitters have this problem. Some of the best hitters swing at bad pitches. Who wants to wait for a walk, anyway? Swing the bat! That's how you learn to hit. This is a positive sign but obviously needs to be controlled.
Most hitters who swing at really bad pitches are not seeing the ball clearly. Have you ever been given the take sign on a 3-0 count? Didn't that ball look good to hit? Every ball can look that clear if you keep your head still.
Another reason that you swing at bad pitches is that you are guessing. Try looking for every pitch away. This will make you go to the ball with a positive approach. Trust yourself. You must develop the ability to adjust to the fastball if it comes in on you and still protect the outside half of the plate.
Set up the Change-Speeds Drill and concentrate on hitting only strikes. Don't guess-see the ball and react.
