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Diamond Notes |
| ...the right way goes a long way |
| Hitting Philosophy |
Coaches and hitters can some times make hitting a ball more difficult than it really is. Too often trying to determine pitch selection is the chief strategy used by hitters while at the plate. Unless that particular hitter can read minds he/she will find it very difficult to swing at a fast ball when they anticipated a curve ball.
Generally, being a good hitter, other than having good mechanics, entails being able to execute two strategies:
"Read and react"and;
"Working the pitcher".
"Read and react" means exactly as it implies. The hitter must read the ball and react accordingly to it. First, the hitter must assume every ball pitched to him/her will be a fastball. The reason for this is the fast ball demands the quickest reaction speed as compared to curve balls or change-ups, which are off speed pitches.
By gearing up for the fast ball the hitter will be ready to "pull the trigger" in the event the pitch is a hittable strike. He/she will have "read and reacted" to the pitch accordingly. The only time this kind of strategy is flawed is when the pitcher has a 95 MPH fast ball. At this speed it is almost impossible for the brain to determine whether the ball is hittable and ask the body to swing before the ball is in the catcher's glove. That is why you will often hear Major League broadcaster's talk about pitch selection. When dealing with such velocity the hitter most definitely must attempt to determine what pitch he/she will be seeing. However, fast ball velocity should not be a problem for 99.5% of the amateur players.
Another reason it is beneficial for the hitter to assume he/she will be receiving a fast ball is if a change of speed pitch is thrown instead, the hitter will still have time to determine the type of pitch and get the bat on the ball. Even if the hitter is fooled by the change of speed pitch, if he/she keeps the hands back, even though they may have started their stride, they will still be able to hit the ball.
Therefore, in terms of "read and react" the hitter must expect a fastball, adjust accordingly if it is not (keep the hands back), and make a final decision as to whether or not to swing.
Just as important to the "read and react" strategy is "working the pitcher." Generally, the best hitters are aggressive and disciplined. Prior to getting into the batter's box a hitter should know which pitch (in terms of location) he/she wants to hit. For example, with a man on second base and less than two outs, the hitter will want to hit the ball to the right side. Therefore, a left-handed hitter will look for a pitch over the middle of the plate or inside so that he/she may pull the ball.
If a hitter gets the pitch he/she is looking for on the first pitch, then rip it. The only time this strategy changes is if the hitter has two strikes on him/her. At this point, they need to put the ball in play. Generally, the pitcher decides what field the hitter will hit the ball to when there is two strikes on the batter. For instance, an outsite pitch means the batter should be driving the ball to the opposite field.
With less than two strikes if a hitter does not get the pitch (in terms of location) he/she is looking for then they should not swing. Chances are if the hitter has learned his/her strike zone, the pitch will be called a ball. By using this strategy, hitters will find themselves with 2-0 and 3-1 counts more often than not. These are the hitter's counts. Once a hitter has a 2-0 or 3-1 count the pitcher is almost assured of throwing a strike the next pitch for fear of walking the batter.
In summary hitters will excel if they approach hitting with both an aggressive and disciplined nature. Further, they must execute both the "read and react" and "working the pitcher" strategies. |
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