Battling Zone Within a Zone Hitting

Let’s start by saying — this is my first-ever blog post, and I’m completely new to publicly expressing my coaching philosophies.

For years, I’ve felt passionate about keeping my developmental thoughts to myself, hoping that one day I could “recreate the wheel” from a coaching perspective. I’ve since learned that, as a coach, leader, and hopeful mentor, these ideas, beliefs, and practices might benefit others — coaches, players, scouts, parents, student-athletes, travel ball coaches, and more. (You get the point!) My goal is to help others better understand the game and all its complexities.

Before I dive deeper into this first post, let me introduce myself.

My name is Matt Swiderski. I’m in my seventh year coaching college baseball and my second full year as an Associate Scout for the Cincinnati Reds. I’m also a husband to a beautiful wife, a father to my amazing son, and a son to my dad — who loves seeing me chase these passions in the baseball world. Most coaches know this sport can either strain or strengthen those relationships, depending on the people around you. I am forever grateful for the ones who continue to stand by my side.

Now that that’s out of the way — let’s dive in!

What Is Zone within a Zone Hitting?

Many of you might recognize “zone within a zone” hitting from coaches yelling phrases like “ONE SPOT,” “PICK YOURS OUT,” or “SHORTEN THE LOOK” from the third-base box — or even from fans in the stands. And honestly, they’re not wrong. But the real question is: how do you actually apply that kind of language in a meaningful, consistent way?

Below is a visual of a strike zone, like what you might see during an MLB broadcast or in the MLB The Show video game.

The dark inner square is considered the official strike zone. It’s further divided by four lighter grey lines, forming nine smaller boxes — your “zones within the zone.”

We’ll reference this graphic a lot throughout the article. It was taken from Synergy Baseball.

So, when we talk about “zone within the zone” hitting, it means picking one of those nine boxes and committing to it when applying this approach.

One Zone Hunt

Now that we understand the layout of the strike zone and its internal zones, let’s explore the concept of the “One Zone Hunt.”

This is a phrase I use often as a verbal cue for hitters, helping them clear their minds before the next pitch — depending on the count. But this cue isn’t used every pitch or with every hitter. It must be applied strategically.

“One Zone Hunt” should only be used in optimal counts.So, what are those counts?

Think: 0–0, 1–0, 2–0.These are your “attack counts” — situations where you should be ready to punish the baseball.That doesn’t mean you’re guaranteed to get a hit, but it does mean you’re prepared to take your “A” swing at a pitch in your “Go Zone.”

The hitter in the box also plays a role in what pitch is thrown. You must know yourself and begin building a mental log of pitch patterns based on counts and situations. You can also study hitters with a similar profile to yours at your level to gain more insight into what pitchers may try against you.

Let’s break this down with a personal example:

I’m a left-handed hitter, standing 5’9” (on a good day), hitting in the 8-hole, and playing first base at the collegiate level. I’m not considered a “scary” power guy. I’m more of a scrappy, situational hitter who rarely strikes out and grinds out at-bats. I’m also a threat on the bases and have a high baseball IQ.

Now stop for a second. Based on that info, what pitch and zone do you think I would be hunting in a 0–0 count?

Hint: I’ve already told you one of the answers.

• If you said fastball middle/in, you’re wrong.

• If you said fastball middle/middle, you’re not right — but you’re not wrong either.

• If you said fastball middle/away, you are correct!

• 
  

Wait — what?You’re probably asking, “Matt, how could you not take your ‘A’ swing at a middle-middle fastball?”

Well, that’s exactly what I’m saying.

Knowing myself as a hitter — and as I just described — I recognize how well I handle middle-away pitches. I also have the discipline to identify balls vs. strikes in that zone.

That’s the essence of one zone hunting. As hitters, we make decisions every pitch. And often, after the pitch, we’re filled with frustration:

• “Why didn’t I swing?”

• [shakes head toward the dugout]

  
  

I started using this approach in advantage counts as a way to predetermine what I was hunting. This eliminated hesitation and negative self-talk, freeing me to focus on one pitch in one location.

I often felt pitchers and coaches were trying to induce weak contact — ground balls or lazy fly balls — by expanding the zone, especially to the outer half. Their goal was to get me extended early. One zone hunting gave me a plan to fight that approach.

Pitch Consistences

Let’s also talk about pitch percentages.

The graph below illustrates first-pitch percentages from a sample of 88 pitches in a game. The second image is a Synergy Baseball chart showing pitch locations in 0–0, 1–0, and 2–0 counts to a left-handed hitter over the course of a season.

The point here isn’t that you must hunt middle/away to succeed in these counts. The point is that when you understand who you are as a hitter, you can be more selective in advantage counts and give yourself the best chance to make hard contact.

How Do We Apply This In Practice

I believe there are multiple ways to integrate this concept into a hitter’s overall approach. While it’s not a revolutionary method that will overhaul your entire philosophy, it provides a simple and effective strategy for being consistently on time with the fastball in advantage counts.

In today’s highly mechanics-driven baseball environment, this approach stands out because it requires minimal physical tools — relying instead on pitch recognition, timing, and zone awareness.

The main drill I have used to apply this method is by using a nine pocket. There is a picture below for reference.

By placing a nine-pocket target in the center of the hitting zone and positioning a larger net behind it, hitters can stand in and consistently visualize their strike zone as it appears from the batter’s box. This visual reference enhances zone awareness by helping hitters recalibrate their perception — for example, recognizing that pitches they previously considered “up” may, in fact, fall closer to the middle of the zone.

A more advanced (and more costly) training method involves the use of TrackMan. TrackMan provides a nine-quadrant strike zone overlay that allows hitters to see exactly where pitches are located — both on takes and on balls they make contact with — when paired with a pitching machine.

This type of feedback is particularly valuable during on-field or cage batting practice, as it allows hitters to make real-time adjustments based on accurate pitch location data.

Overall

In a game increasingly dominated by biomechanics and swing mechanics, it’s easy to overlook the mental side of hitting. A hitter’s approach is inherently twofold: one part physical, one part mental. To build true consistency, both components must be developed in tandem.

Let me be clear — this isn’t a magic fix that will instantly transform you into an elite hitter. However, it will help simplify your approach at the plate, keeping you from over-swinging or hesitating on pitches you should be attacking.

At the end of the day, if you take a pitch — whether it’s called a ball or a strike — and it was outside of your predetermined zone, you’ve executed your approach. You’ve bought into a process that, over time, will lead to more success than failure.

Finally, know who you are as a hitter. Are you, like me, someone who’s not going to hit 20 home runs a year, but can grind out at-bats and produce quality contact? Or are you a middle-of-the-order bat hunting for a breaking ball in your damage zone to drive it out of the yard?

Understanding your identity at the plate is essential for building an approach that works for you, not against you.