How far off the plate should a hitter be. Ted Williams said about a foot or so.
What's too close? What's too far ? What's average for HS/College ?
CV
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If you swing with the hands and arms (linear type), the farther away from the plate the better.......
If you swing rotational, the closer the better.......
If you swing rotational, the closer the better.......
You just want the batter to be comfortable
Being comfortable and relaxed is key- the batter can readily see if he has plate coverage
And the location of the batter may vary from pitcher to pitcher and what he is throwing
Being comfortable and relaxed is key- the batter can readily see if he has plate coverage
And the location of the batter may vary from pitcher to pitcher and what he is throwing
TRHIt, be careful. Someone is going to tell you that hitters are not relaxed.
Blue Dog said it best. Stretched muscles are not relaxed.
I hope I get to pitch to your unstretched hitters.
I hope I get to pitch to your unstretched hitters.
Oh the planning period must be over.
I pity those souls who don't have freedom.
I pity those souls who don't have freedom.
"And the location of the batter may vary from pitcher to pitcher and what he is throwing"
TRhit, can you explain?........
TRhit, can you explain?........
BLUEDOG
Examples:
If the pitcher has a ball that drops at the front of the plate and he is not overpowering I want my hitters up in the front of the box--otherwise they will be topping the ball not hitting thru the ball
If the pitcher is continually working the outside corners we want our hitters up on the plate a bit more than usual
Examples:
If the pitcher has a ball that drops at the front of the plate and he is not overpowering I want my hitters up in the front of the box--otherwise they will be topping the ball not hitting thru the ball
If the pitcher is continually working the outside corners we want our hitters up on the plate a bit more than usual
TRHit, do MLB hitters do these things?
Agree with BlueDog,
The closer the better, there is an advantage to pulling more pitches and the outside pitch will look like it's down the middle compared to hitters that can't get their hands through and have to back off the plate.
For especially high school age and above, I would always stay in the back of box. Do you want more time to see the ball or less. If you are worried a pitcher is going to drop one off the front of the plate, at that age he'd have to throw so slow they're not worth worrying about.
So the answer is as close as their mechanics allows them and of course within the rules.
PS Sammy stands too far off.
The closer the better, there is an advantage to pulling more pitches and the outside pitch will look like it's down the middle compared to hitters that can't get their hands through and have to back off the plate.
For especially high school age and above, I would always stay in the back of box. Do you want more time to see the ball or less. If you are worried a pitcher is going to drop one off the front of the plate, at that age he'd have to throw so slow they're not worth worrying about.
So the answer is as close as their mechanics allows them and of course within the rules.
PS Sammy stands too far off.
SBK
at the HS level what do you do with your batters when the pitcher is throwing 70 to 75 and dying by the time it gets to the plate?
Do you stay back in the box or do you adjust?
at the HS level what do you do with your batters when the pitcher is throwing 70 to 75 and dying by the time it gets to the plate?
Do you stay back in the box or do you adjust?
I have them count one thousand one one thousand two.........swing. 
Teacherman
Again I was not asking you--I was directing my post and questions to SBK
I know what answers to expect from the "ALL KNOWING" !!!
Again I was not asking you--I was directing my post and questions to SBK
I know what answers to expect from the "ALL KNOWING" !!!
"PS Sammy stands too far off."
SBK, absolutely........And, as a result he is reaching and disconnecting.....Part of why his hitting is in the dumps these days......
SBK, absolutely........And, as a result he is reaching and disconnecting.....Part of why his hitting is in the dumps these days......
Get in the back of the box, and as close to the plate as you're brave enough to do so, and stay there...........MLB hitters don't make adjustments as to where they stand in the box.....
TR, I would prefer they stay back and learn the zone from one position. I would also suggest that they take advantage of the extra time and stay back and realize that they need to match the plane of the ball coming in which would mean they will be swinging up more than normal, of course by using solid mechanics, not upper-cutting with the arms.
Regardless of where they stand, they should still be able to get under the ball and drive it if their mechanics are solid. Continually hitting the top of the ball against slow pitching is probably exposing faults such as extending arms too far, rolling the wrists, or too much weight out front.
Regardless of where they stand, they should still be able to get under the ball and drive it if their mechanics are solid. Continually hitting the top of the ball against slow pitching is probably exposing faults such as extending arms too far, rolling the wrists, or too much weight out front.
As far as Sammy, Blue Dog, me, and it seems everyone but Sammy sees this. He is going to struggle even more as his bat speed starts slowing down because of age or other factors. He sure has had his moments of rage last year. I wish the Cubs could unload him.
SBK
If you have a HS pitcher whose pitch dies and almost lands on the back of the plate you are saying you stay back in the box where you cannot get a good swing at the meat of the pitch and hit on top of the ball not thru it.
I am not talking MLB hitters here but HS hitters. How many HS hitters can stay back in the box and squarely hit pitch that is fading down to their ankles by the time it gets to back of the plate?
No physics equations needed here-- just simple logic
Call it adapting to the baseball environment !!
If you have a HS pitcher whose pitch dies and almost lands on the back of the plate you are saying you stay back in the box where you cannot get a good swing at the meat of the pitch and hit on top of the ball not thru it.
I am not talking MLB hitters here but HS hitters. How many HS hitters can stay back in the box and squarely hit pitch that is fading down to their ankles by the time it gets to back of the plate?
No physics equations needed here-- just simple logic
Call it adapting to the baseball environment !!
SBK, yeah, I hear you...........Too bad Sammy couldn't be like Bonds and develop his technique to hold up in his old age.......He won't do it with his swing, though......
I'm with TR on this one. In the Show, you are dealing with athletes whose talent and ability are so much beyond our players that it is scary. What they can do, and what MY 3-4-5 guys can do, is a BIT different. MLB pitchers don't throw 75 and their pitches don't die due to simple gravity, so the situation is not the same as what H.S. coaches face at times. If facing a great H.S. pitcher that can really bring it, we have our hitters do as suggested at one point in this thread: back in the box, near the plate (if they have the cojones to do it!). However, some pitchers in H.S. rely on trickery more than talent...and I think that requires a coach to either adjust or make excuses why their players couldn't hit some punk kid who couldn't break glass.
I just happened across Epstein's opinion on this topic. Here is what he said in his forum.
"You say that you are not concerned with whether they stand up in front of the batters box or not. You should! Once hitters get more time through good hitting technique and a sound mental plan when they go to the plate, why give it back to the pitcher? It makes no sense to move up in the batters box! Sure, we often hear “cues” like, “Get the breaking pitch before it breaks,” “Hit the sinker before it sinks” or “Hit the rise ball before it rises.” Don’t fall for it; all you’ll be doing is giving the pitcher an advantage."
His whole post can be found at
http://www.mikeepsteinhitting.com/cgi-bin/dcforum/dcboard.cgi?az=show_thread&om=2968&forum=DCForumID2&omm=1&viewmode=threaded
I am not posting this because I think he is all knowing, in fact there are several things we do not agree. In this instance we do.
"You say that you are not concerned with whether they stand up in front of the batters box or not. You should! Once hitters get more time through good hitting technique and a sound mental plan when they go to the plate, why give it back to the pitcher? It makes no sense to move up in the batters box! Sure, we often hear “cues” like, “Get the breaking pitch before it breaks,” “Hit the sinker before it sinks” or “Hit the rise ball before it rises.” Don’t fall for it; all you’ll be doing is giving the pitcher an advantage."
His whole post can be found at
http://www.mikeepsteinhitting.com/cgi-bin/dcforum/dcboard.cgi?az=show_thread&om=2968&forum=DCForumID2&omm=1&viewmode=threaded
I am not posting this because I think he is all knowing, in fact there are several things we do not agree. In this instance we do.
TR,
I don't believe that being a foot or two further back in the box is significant in terms of handling the fastball. I do believe your scenario of the HS pitcher whose stuff drops strongly is valid. My response (depending on the hitter's stride) would be to have the hitter's lead foot aligned with the middle of the plate against all pitchers so that the zone remained constant. Being a bit further up in the box will help you hit an occasional ball fair that would have dropped foul if you were back in the box.
In other words they'd start just far enough up in the box to handle the soft throwers and wouldn't move back for the flamethrowers.
I don't believe that being a foot or two further back in the box is significant in terms of handling the fastball. I do believe your scenario of the HS pitcher whose stuff drops strongly is valid. My response (depending on the hitter's stride) would be to have the hitter's lead foot aligned with the middle of the plate against all pitchers so that the zone remained constant. Being a bit further up in the box will help you hit an occasional ball fair that would have dropped foul if you were back in the box.
In other words they'd start just far enough up in the box to handle the soft throwers and wouldn't move back for the flamethrowers.
