Picking up rotation of pitch

There's probably visual training things you can do, but I'd just like to say nobody really taught me. I think most hitters can see the rotation and will eventually notice..o hey that's a breaking ball. I think for many even if you're not looking it can come naturally.

I'm surprised no one is chiming in here! Is it all an illusion? The ability to pick up rotational spin in order to judge the pitch and decide whether to swing or not? Is it as I suppose just a GOAL, forcing the hitter to really focus on the ball all the way in??? Anyone with any experience out there who successfully could pick up rotation and identify a pitch before deciding in that 2 tenths of a second whether to swing or not?

i remember i did not really pick up rotation on a pitch until sophmore year in high school... after seeing a steady dose of curveballs you learn to recognize. as for a person that can pick it up in 2 tenths of a second... any major league hitter... i believe as they get quicker and quicker with their swings they are able to sit back and recognize... develop a very quick bat and you will develop reading pitches thats my theory

Please check out our website for a lot of great information on visual training.

We have facilities in Rockwall, Texas and in Florida if any of you posters are interested call either place.

www.frozenropes.com

One thing you can do is to go to where your pitchers are doing their bullpens and just watch all the pitches. Get in there, don't swing, and just track the pitch coming in. Get used to the way the curveball looks, how it looks different than the FB. You can read descriptions of the rotation from the batters perspective in most good hitting books, and it's good background knowledge, but then you've got to go out and see the pitches in real life . . . . watching pitch after pitch after pitch, day after day, week after week and then you should get it.

This is one of the intangibles of baseball-- some hitters will never learn to pick up the rotation and this is where the separation begins.

There are some things in baseball that cannot be taught

I think there are some good points made here for training the eyes and preparing to see more pitches and rotation, but TR clearly makes the best point. Great hitters continue to advance thru the ranks because of their ability to read pitches, read the rotation and adjust accordingly. Some will never be able to and the most talented will shine thru.

I'll let yall in on something...there are a lot and I would say the majority of big leaguers that do not hit a pitch by picking up the rotation. Most of them are guessing at what pitch is coming. It is a knowledgable guess and the reason they are so great is because they can pound the pitch they are looking for but every big league player has a plan for every pitch, they are not just going up there and looking for the rotation.

one thing I try to do with my kids is have them pick up the rotation when they are warming up. I'm always emphasizing that they need to throw with a 4-seam grip, and feeling it coming out of the glove. I want them to get as close to a 12-6 rotation as possible, and try to get them to spot the rotation coming in to them from their partners. I think that helps when picking up rotation to the pitchers, and yes, I believe alot of hitters very capable of doing that.

We talk a lot about our focus and vision on pitches. In the past couple of years I have gone from focusing so much on the spin to seeing the hand at release. We work very hard at recognizing the pitch before it is ever released by the way it sits in the hand. It is not easy but with practice, the kids really get the hang of it. I saw a show a number of years ago (wish I could remember what it was) where major league teams were in a film room and they would show split second clips of a pitchers hand at release point. The hitters learned to recongnize the pitches by this hand location. I have found it to be much easier than picking up the spin myself but often as we concentrate on the hand we improve our ability to see the spin as well.

I've just been wondering, because I have always encouraged my sons to look for the rotation. I used to do soft toss throwing 2 seamer and 4 seamers having them call out the pitch (2 or 4 seam) after they swung. Both are good hitters who rarely strike out. Both say they can pick up rotation on the curve, but rely more on reading trajectory, and on fastballs, they are just comming on with out much break and that is how they pick up that pitch. I guess that it may be the more pitch variety they encounter as they continue to play, reading the rotation may become somthing they incorporate more in their decision making. Right now all they see are fastballs, change-ups and curve balls.

This is where being a ctahcer gives you such a huge advantage.I know the rotation,time,and grip coming out of a pitchers hand most of the time.The way the pitcher grips the ball in his glove,the amount of time it takes,etc can be give aways.But if you dont pick this up try this

You can tell the pitch by where he starts his arm.Also where he finishes with his leg kick.The ball will in most cases start in on you,unless its an 0-2count,and they throw you junk outside.

Those work for me,I hope they do for you!

First to Floridafan, I seem to recall that Frozen Ropes seem to have some Pitch Recognition systems developed. I am not sure that all of their franchises are prepared to teach it or not. Then again, I am sure there are other systems out there as well.

I have a related mechanics question to the ones here. My son is just turned 10, and big (5' 1/2", 140 Lbs.). He is hitting a 30/21 bat and up until the end of last year was hitting an Omaha 28/19.5. His coach says his current bat is too heavy. To an extent, I agree. He is having some trouble getting the barrel up for an up and in pitch to spank the ball.

At the same time, he is quick enough and probably at least the second best hitter on the team. He had a mid-700’s average last year playing underage and I suspect he will do about the same again this year. There are many reasons I think his numbers will be good again:

Although he could get beat on the up-and-in now, most Pitchers at this age are struggling to get the ball within the strike zone, let alone pitch constant up-and-in’s within the strike zone.

My son has a good eye and is usually not having any trouble with getting ahead in the count. Last year, his coach would have him wait on the first pitch to let base runners steal.

He is growing a lot right now and it’s early in the season. He may grow into this bat. In fact, any manufacturer’s bat sizing charts say that he is well within the size ranges for this bat.

It’s not like he doesn’t have a lot of strength/power/stamina/bat speed for his age. If he’s into it, he will do a thousand reps a week on an iron mike, along with tons more swings on tees and wiffle balls. A year ago, I would ramp him up and down from 40 to 54 mph on an iron mike at a distance of 33 feet (our reg. is 44 ft from the mound) and he would still make contact. In practices right now, he’s wailing balls.

He loves his bat and has a lot of confidence in it. He hit one of the most memorable hits in his life with this bat at the end of last year.

And that’s the rub. I am getting caught in the middle of an impending battle. My son (not really grasping the consequences of his actions) is saying he will quit the team if he is forced to change. I have told him the coach will have to choice but to “off” him if he does.

So here’s the question. Is there any real problem mechanically, at ten, with not being able to get the bat up and out for the odd pitch? How important is the confidence he has now in his current bat?

D

Vision, and to be a bit more specific, pitch recognition/reaction abilities can certainly be improved. I see it happen everyday.

This is one area of training that when done correctly can immediately improve ability as well as confidence. And as we all know hitting involves a great deal of confidence

I have 3 sons two who play well that are now 16 and 14. The 16 year old is about 5'11 and about 163. The 14 year old is about 5'7 and 130 pounds. Your son should have no problem with that bat. The 16 year old was swinging a 32 inch bat at your sons age. and the 14 was swinging a 31. Both quite effectively.