Hitting to the opposite field

Yes! Sometimes I wish people would teach kids how to hit the other way first and then let pulling the ball just happen naturally.

Not a fan of that philosoophy. Why look for balls you can go oppo on for a double or a single when you can be looking for balls you can knock out of the park?

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Originally posted by Doughnutman:
Not a fan of that philosoophy. Why look for balls you can go oppo on for a double or a single when you can be looking for balls you can knock out of the park?

With that theory, you're either taking away half of the plate or you're hitting into a lot of double plays.

Doesn't a lot have to do with the pitch location and count? Look to crush something early in the count, then take what you get with 2 strikes.

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Originally posted by Doughnutman:
Not a fan of that philosoophy. Why look for balls you can go oppo on for a double or a single when you can be looking for balls you can knock out of the park?

No offense but if you know how to hit opposite field you can knock those out of the park as well. A good hitter has to be able to cover the plate. He's still going to get fooled and swing and miss but if he can cover the plate then he has a much better chance of getting on base.

Should you just go up there looking only for outer half stuff just to go outside? No not at all. You need to pay attention to how the pitcher is trying to pitch you and the rest of the team. If you notice he's staying outside then you need to look for that opposite field opportunity. If all you do is wait for something inside to pull it's going to be a long day. If you notice he's trying to stay inside to tie your hands up then look to pull.

But if he's able to hit both spots then you need to learn to read / react to be a good hitter. Read the outside pitch and be patient OR react to inside fastballs.

One dimensional hitters get found out pretty quick and their weaknesses are attacked.

. TThe three best hitters on our HS team all drive balls to both sides of the field equally. Their coach has worked with them for several years to learn how to read the pitch and hit it where it is pitched. If one were to just look at the math of bat plane along with the plane of the pitch it is not hard to understand that a player who puts his bat path in the direction of a pitch is more likely to get a base hit rather than someone who only wants to pull a ball. The odds decrease substancially for a batter who trys to pull an outside pitch. The amount of time his bat path plane and the plane of the pitch are significantly reduced. That is precisely why a person will get a pop up or weak ground ball when trying to pull an outside pitch.

A good philosophy is to stand just a hair farther from home plate and look to pull only inside pitches. Everything else, including ones down the middle are sent straight back or oppo.

I'm with coach on this one. Being able to go the other way makes you a much more dangerous hitter. It's up there with being able to hit the curve. If you can't do it that's what you'll get until you prove you can.

batters that can take the 1-2 outside at the knees pitch and hit it hard the other way and not just stare at it or roll over on it for a slow roller are much harder outs.

A couple of thoughts that I have preached to my son for the past couple of years:

- Hit it where it's pitched

- Look away, react in

I am thinking that biggerpapi meant - don't go up to the plate ONLY looking for balls to hit other way. I agree - not a fan of that philosophy.

You should go up to the plate looking to hit any pitch that you can hit hard (less than 2 strikes). If its outside - go opposite field. If its in and you rip it pull side - then rip it.

My son and I practice hitting outside almost exclusively. Probably spend 30 minutes hitting opposite way to every 5 minutes spent hitting inside pitch. All of his doubles and triples this year are center to right field (bats right).

I think its difficult when a coach says- I would rather see you hit 4 doubles the other way than 2 bombs pull side. As mentioned above - you have to go with where they pitch you. Don't want the hitter thinking anything other than "see it - hit it".

I agree with the philosophy - you have to learn to hit opposite field. I don't agree you should be at bat specific with it.

Opposite field is especially important as a 2 strike approach. Also it’s a good approach against off speed pitches.

There have been many MLB star players who are strictly pull hitters and very seldom hit a ball the opposite way. Most of these type are power hitters. Some of these pull hitters face defensive shifts to the pull side and still do very well. One of the greatest hitters of all time who some claim knew more about hitting than anyone, was a pull hitter and very seldom hit any7thing to the opposite field. Anyone remember the (Ted Williams shift?) It is still used today against some hitters.

That said, for most hitters, the ability to use the whole field is valuable.

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Originally posted by jhelbling:
I think its difficult when a coach says- I would rather see you hit 4 doubles the other way than 2 bombs pull side.

The upside in son's case is it results in fewer attempts to pull outside corner pitches ... and grounding out. So at this point in his development, I think it's sound advice.

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Anyone remember the (Ted Williams shift?) It is still used today against some hitters.

Every time I see the defense put the shift on, I can't help thinking about how much better even great pull hitters would be if they could go the other way. Can't argue with success, of course, but it does seem like there are missed opportunities.

Question for you, PG: Do scouts at your showcases react positively to boys who are almost-strictly pull hitters?

I agree with hitting where it's pitched. Some hitters do this naturally others do not.

Most importantly for the two son's has been hitting the inside part of the ball, which will allow you to better use the middle of the field. Also, this creates backspin and loft.

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Question for you, PG: Do scouts at your showcases react positively to boys who are almost-strictly pull hitters?

jp24,

That really all depends on which hitter we are looking at. For the most part we like to see hitters able to go opposite field and even better go that way with power.

But we do react positively when we see a Prince Fielder cranking them over the RF wall. I would like to think we would react positively had we seen Ted Williams hit at one of our showcases. Same goes for David Ortiz.

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Originally posted by PGStaff:
Opposite field is especially important as a 2 strike approach. Also it’s a good approach against off speed pitches.

There have been many MLB star players who are strictly pull hitters and very seldom hit a ball the opposite way. Most of these type are power hitters. Some of these pull hitters face defensive shifts to the pull side and still do very well. One of the greatest hitters of all time who some claim knew more about hitting than anyone, was a pull hitter and very seldom hit any7thing to the opposite field. Anyone remember the (Ted Williams shift?) It is still used today against some hitters.

That said, for most hitters, the ability to use the whole field is valuable.

Isn't Pujols problem right now that he is hitting it to one part of the field (opposite) and they are ready and waiting?

I think there are other considerations as well.

1. In HS and even in college due to aluminum bats, and yes that means BBCOR, pitchers tend to stay to the outside part of the plate. If I am attempting to pull this pitch I will be out.

2. Who is the hitter? Is he a power guy, a gap to gap guy, or a singles guy. A singles guy does not want to look to pull.

3. The concept itself, IMO, is a lot of time misunderstood. We preach in our program the mentality of opposite field. If my mental approach is right center, from a right handed hitter, my barrel will not be out in front. If the pitcher misses will will drive it to the big part of the field. If I am trying to pull I will pull the same pitch foul and if it is offspeed my barrel will miss it.

I tend to subscribe to the philosphy of hitting where the ball is pitched. However, I beleive there are times when a hitter should look for an outside pitch or if possible inside out the pitch when the pitcher is trying to get the right handed hitter to hit into a double play by pitching him inside.

I would agree with those who prefer and teach using the opposite field. I think everyone here understands the value in using the whole field. I certainly agree with having an opposite field mentality in certain situations. This becomes even more important for hitters that don’t hit for a lot of power.

The only point I’m trying to make is there are always exceptions. Most hitters have more power to the pull side. The spray charts don’t lie, there have been some great hitters who could be described as dead pull hitters. Some of them have been very successful. They all would be considered power hitters.

There is a lot of truth to hitting the ball where it is pitched. But most dead pull hitters are able to pull most pitches that are in the strike zone (obviously some better than others. Good opposite field hitters can hit (inside out) pitches on the inner half the other way. Pull hitters are looking for pitches they can pull and they are able to pull most anything over the plate with power. Where the oppo field hitter might hit strikes down the middle the other way, the pull hitter will always pull that same pitch. It's too bad that Bonds had the PED issues, because he actually mastered the ability to find pitches he could pull better than anyone. It got to the point where pitchers would never make two mistakes to Bonds. That's because the first mistake was all it took.

So for most it is a big advantage to hit to all fields, but there have been some great hitters who pretty much pulled everything.

Off the top of my head, here are a few guys I would consider to be pull hitters and rarely hit to the opposite field. If someone made a list of the best opposite field hitters… Carew, Boggs, Jeter, etc., it would be a great list, but with less home runs. Most long balls are to the pull side, I think most people would agree with that.

Players I would consider pull hitters...

Barry Bonds
Jason Giambi
Ted Williams
Gary Sheffield
Babe Ruth
Roger Maris
Jose Bautista
David Ortiz
Harmon Killabrew
Darryl Strawberry

When/if I have a son, I will first really try to teach him to hit to the opposite field. It's fairly easy to get an opposite field hitter to get more aggressive and pull the ball, but much harder to do the reverse.

Obviously extremes are not needed, IMO the best hitters can do both. Paul Konerko from the White Sox is a great example of this. He's hit over 400 home runs but he gets a good deal of hits on line drives over the second baseman. My dad and I have noticed for years that whenever he is slumping, he always busts out with a few singles the other way.

It's all about counts. You can't go wrong per se with a single to the opposite field, but there are counts to really try to yank a ball. With two strikes in particular, it is often best to look the other way. With a tough pitcher, it is good to look the other way. Maybe the pitcher that always sneaks a ball over the outside corner for a free strike in a certain count should have a few singles in a row hit off of him to teach that lesson, etc etc

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With a tough pitcher, it is good to look the other way.

That's why I think it's a great time -- just before HS -- to focus on being able to hit the other way consistently. Pulling is GREAT ... and a joy to watch when it towers over the fence ... but the better the pitching, the more necessary it seems to be that even natural pull-hitters be able to truly hit it where it is.

btw -- could NOT believe the Blue Jays are putting the switch on Pujols. Gotta believe that's temporary.

as far as bonds goes,he hit home runs to the oppo side quite often. Other power guys who hit opposite or rather use the whole field are A-rod and Howard. The first guy to jump in my mind when discussing using the whole field to hit is George Brett. And i don't think anyone would say he was without power, pull side or not. The whole point of using the whole field is to counter pitches on the outside third of the plate. Sorry,rare is the individual who can pull with any consistancy a pitch on the outside corner. It will usually result in a pop up to 2nd or right, or a ground ball to ss,right handed batter. Going oppo is the best slump buster of them all. Start there and start to bring yourself around.

I m all about the scouts. They would rather draft a kid who hits 450 foot pull HR's than an oppo guy. Good enough for me.

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Originally posted by Doughnutman:
I m all about the scouts. They would rather draft a kid who hits 450 foot pull HR's than an oppo guy. Good enough for me.

Really, you know that to be gospel? I think perhaps during the last decade or two, of steroid usage, that may have excited scouts. When you listen to knowledgeable pros talk about hitting you always hear how the great ones came up using the entire field and learned later, at the big league level, to pull with the sole purpose of hitting home runs.

Certainly, that was the case with hitters like Thome, and Aaron as well as numerous others we can all name. The thing is, pulling an inside pitch is an instinctive reaction for good hitters. Falling in love with that movement to the point that it leaks over into every placed pitch is what gets them into trouble. Learn first to stay on the pitch and drive them gap to gap and turn on inner half balls you can pull and loft out of the park. That ability to discern the difference is what makes great power hitters that hit for respectable averages.

Wow,thank you Prime. Someone has finally addressed the 800lb gorrilla in the room. As we come out of the steriod era, which there was one, alot of younger scouts who cut their teeth in that era have re-calibate. Just as fans and parents of aspiring athletes have to. And let me say that I am not one to hold it against a player as far as the HOF is concerned, but there was an era where a lot of players were using. And to be honest some still do, even at the high school level. But more and more scouts are putting the ability to hit line drives, not neccessarily out of the park a bit higher now, along with overall playing abilty.

Just one more word on using the whole field. The great Charlie Lau Sr. taught using the whole field but to react and pull the inside pitch for power. That was one of Charlies big teachings. Just ask Reggie Jackson, who no one doubts his power credentials, who had his best season with Charlie and reccomends his approach.

Very good points, but steroids has very little to do with pull or opposite field. Outside pitches are still outside pitches with or without steroids.

One more thing to consider... the pitch on the outer half is not the same distance away for every hitter.

PGStaff you are absolutly right. My comments were more in response to previous posts. But it is ironic that i just watched Eric H. try to pull an outside pitch and bounce weakly to short. And he is a very,very,very good hitter. That is what happens over the long haul trying to pull that pitch. Does it happen?yes but not to the point of not teaching how to hit opposite field.

oldmanmoses,

You are absolutely right, too.