Longoria Drill

I suppose you could take it as I have thin skin, but that's probably not the case. This is a great place to hang out. But it's still just the internet. I won't tend to stomp my feet and cry about it, and I surely won't lose sleep about it.

You can just count me in the camp that reads the hitting forum often, and posts every once in awhile. I'm also in the camp that would love to see Blue Dog do something more than give tidbits of information indicating that he's got the code and we have to figure it out on our own.

There's no doubt in my mind he has an extensive knowledge of hitting, he just has trouble sharing it in a usefull manner.

I'm extremely impressed that you wayback, would go searching for something I said to use against me...how cool is that???

One more thing... I appreciate the fetch on the vision post, interesting reading.

Every student of hitting will respond differently to the variety of techniques used to improve a batters power and average. Different instructors have their favorite drills that they point to in order to prove their value to a player/team.

If a colored ball, or a numbered ball, help a player to focus better, then for whatever reason the drill may be viewed as a success. The key is obvious enough to all that post here, developing the ability to recognize and track trajectory and movement. Pitch Recognition.

To me it does not matter if there is a number or color on the ball, the key is to just focus.

Many years ago when I thought I knew more about baseball then my son (that changed after he was 11 or 12) I would do a drill with him where I would soft toss a 2 seam or a 4 seam ball to him and he would call out whether it was a 2 seamer or 4 seamer after each swing. This is perhaps the same drill at slow speed and encouraged him to focus on reading the pitch and looking at/for the seams. I believe that it was a helpul drill but have never seen it used by anyone else. Maybe that should indicate something to me...not sure...

Question...I'm assuming that the tennis ball machine doesn't impart very much spin on the ball, could that be the reason for the numbers and colors? Maybe it's supposed to simulate the concentration and focus required to see spin???

quote:

Originally posted by BlueDog:
Power, you gotta put "focus" in perspective.....

You see spin by not looking for it.....

So do you think the reason hitters have a hard time hitting a knuckle ball is because it is too easy to focus on just the ball? That it draws their attention?

quote:

Originally posted by LAball:
I still dont know if you can see the spin on the ball while waiting for a 90 mph. Power said he didnt. Anyone else able to see the spin on the ball when batting?

I saw spin on pitches, even at 90+.

quote:

Originally posted by redbird5:
I saw spin on pitches, even at 90+.

Do you see the spin on every pitch when your batting. More importantly - where you able to use the ability to see the spin on the ball to help you judge what kind of ball (fast, curve, slider)was coming at you? I truely am courious..

quote:

Originally posted by BlueDog:
Power, you gotta put "focus" in perspective.....

You see spin by not looking for it.....

Picking up spin is a relational thing. I agree that if you're looking at a specific spot "hard" you won't see it. If is spacial and so, that is how I believe I saw it. I believe I did see spin and "dots." (slider) However, I don't think I ever saw contact but once. I know they say you can't see contact which I agree with. However, one at bat sticks out in my mind and might have been the most focused I've ever been in my life. I'd just lost a close friend/teammate and was distraught I had a friend tell me I had to hit the big fly if we were going to win a crucial game. I did. However, that is the only time I think I ever did see contact.

quote:

Originally posted by LAball:

quote:

Originally posted by redbird5:
I saw spin on pitches, even at 90+.

Do you see the spin on every pitch when your batting. More importantly - where you able to use the ability to see the spin on the ball to help you judge what kind of ball (fast, curve, slider)was coming at you? I truely am courious..

EVERY pitch? I can't say I did every pitch but the majority of them? Yes. I looked simply for something that wasn't FB spin like sideways rotation or a dot for CB/Slider. It depended on the pitcher and our scouting report. Most of the time, I simply looked for FB to hit hard unless I knew I was in an offpeed count (via charts and tendency).

I saw contact quite a few times.

Thanks for the reply Red.

LAball,

You are welcome. One other thing as it relates to vision...I am left eye dominant. Most of the RHH I know are right eye dominant. Not sure how it relates butthought I would throw it out there.

Being honest, I don't see how anyone could pick up a number written on all ball traveling at a high speed that is rotating. I think I MIGHT be able to call out a number written on a ball if Tim Wakefield through it. Still doesn't mean I could hit it.

I dont believe that anybody has ever seen the ball at contact and keep it fair! I think I did see contact once and that was just because I let it get so deep and kept my head down. But of coarse I hit it way foul cause I let it get so deep....