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Reply to "Achieving Greater Consistency"

3and2Fastball posted:

As a coach myself, I have to agree with his coaches in wanting him to use the whole field.  I agree with only swinging at strikes, however he should be driving the ball into the oppo gap on fastballs on the outer half of the plate.

If he can hit anyone's fastball, he shouldn't get too picky with fastballs early in counts that are hittable, oftentimes those are gonna be the best pitches he gets in an at-bat.   Since he's playing college, I would imagine that teams are starting to "scout him" and the book is to get him to try to pull outside fastballs (often resulting in ground-outs) or strike him out with offspeed.  He has to adjust, otherwise that is all he is ever going to get (except for occasionally pitchers making mistakes).

Baseball is a continual game of adjustments for hitters, especially at levels above high school.  If he shows that he will drive outside fastballs oppo, and lay off the junk that isn't a strike, he will be more consistent as a hitter and will get better pitches to hit.

From you mouth to god's ears. IMHO he lays off way too many pitches on the outer third early in the count cause he's looking for something to yank early in the count.  

I tell him he should be trying to hammer those pitches  oppo.   

I also tell him that at college, unlike in HS or Travel, they will build a book on you.  And if you lay off outside pitches in the zone, you'll be sitting 0-2 every AB and the pitcher will almost always win -- especially if he has a nasty off speed pitch. 

(But I'm a Dad, what I say doesn't count. Coaches, though, are a different matter.   They always win.)

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