Question on the mental approach to hitting

TW344,

Real quickly here are some answers IMO. It would take a long time to completely answer all the questions. Here is condensed version.

Your question followed by reply:

What do you want your players to be doing/thinking in the following game situations? [I invite others to add more] Assume that your players have never faced this pitcher before.

1. Watching the opposing pitcher in warmups.

Look for type of pitches and command of each pitch. Detect flaws ie. Slowing arm on changeup or curve ball. Changing angle (dropping arm on breaking ball)

2. Watching the opposing pitcher pitch to other hitters.

Find his control pitch ASAP (usually fastball) then find his best out pitch and his best strike out pitch. Always know count and see what he uses in each count. Watch downward angle of all pitches. Visualize timing. Check for faults in stretch position (base running purposes) Look for trends. Try to figure out umpires zone.

3. On deck preparation to hit.

Same as from dugout with more emphasis on timing.

4. Upon entering the batter's box.

Know the situation and your job, have a plan. Visualize what you plan to do. Get comfortable. Check 3B coach. This could take a long time to go over completely here.

5. Take the first pitch regardless or not?

Depends on situation (see #4 above), but normally look for fastball in your power zone. The small zone that would make up the area where you would most like the pitch to be. If you see anything other than fastball in that zone… take the pitch. Expect the pitch to be the one you’re looking for.

6. Should a hitter change his mental approach based on the count? If so, what should his approach be on the various counts [1-0, 0-1, 1-1, 2-1, 2-0, 1-2, 0-2, 2-2, 3-1, 3-2, 3-0]

All the above counts could result in different thinking depending on the situation and the pitcher’s ability, but as a general rule…

0-0 … Look at # 5 above

1-0… same as 0-0

0-1… hit strikes, think up the middle, be ready for best out pitch (see # 2 above)

1-1 … same as 0-1, but more likely to see fastball depending on pitcher. This is a pitch that is most likely to be located. Think outer half, but be ready for inner half might be a decent thought.

2-1… same as 1-1 except even more likely to see fastball over the plate

2-0… same as 0-0, look for fastball in your zone only. Do not chase!

1-2… Use 2 strike mental approach, think about using the whole field, think about spoiling border line pitches. Be ready for best strike out pitch (see # 2 above)

0-2… Same as 1-2, do not get caught automatically thinking waste pitch. Do not be surprised on called strike 3. Spoil border line pitches. Use the whole field.

2-2… Same as 0-2 and 1-2 except most pitchers are likely to throw fastball in this count not wanting to go full. Especially if pitcher has shown trouble throwing other pitches for strikes.

3-1… Same as 0-0 and 2-0 look fastball in your zone. Do not chase!

3-2… Same as 0-0, 2-0 and 3-1 depending on situation. Do not expand the strike zone and chase. Make sure the pitcher throws a strike. Borderline pitches you might spoil on other 2 strike counts now become high on base % pitches. If swung at the same border line pitches will yield very low on base % and Batting Average.

3-0… If you have the green light you’re more than likely a power hitter or have a runner or two in scoring position with a bad hitter behind you. Look for a fastball that is in the best spot to get your job done. If it’s a power situation look for the fastball in the spot that allows you the best chance to really drive the ball. Don’t get anxious and miss-time, be ready for a fastball with a little something taken off of it. Pitch needs to be in your wheel-house, do not make adjustments to other locations.

7. Should the hitters mental approach change in subsequent at bats?

Yes, if you are leading off an inning vs having a runner in scoring position with 2 outs. If you’re AB with 2 outs and no one on base or a runner at 1B your goal should be extra base hit. Runner at 2B no outs, you might look for the best pitch to hit to the right side. Many situations would change your job thus change your mental approach and even sometimes your physical approach slightly.

Would your answer be different if he was successful in earlier at bats [a hit or good contact] than if he was not [stuck out or hit weak ground balls].

As a coach you might feel different based on previous performance and how dominant the pitcher is, but for the most part the hitter needs to do his job and forget his past at bat. (easier said than done)

8. Should a hitter make a guess about the next pitch [location, off speed, etc.] at any time and, if so under what circumstances?

Yes, educated guessing is part of hitting successfully. In fact,the pitchers ability, the pitchers chart, the count, the entire situation will help a hitter make excellent guesses. The best educated guess is fastball in fastball counts. This covers 90% of all pitchers. There are other situations ie. (behind in the count) where guessing becomes a negative.

Guess that wasn't "real quickly" afterall, but it could have been much much longer.

Nice topic! I’m sure others will add their thoughts. Thanks for bringing it up!

Nice job PGStaff. You know your game. You've played this game or coached at the pro level I would guess. You usually don't know that kind of stuff unless you've been in the trenches.

quote:

Nice job PGStaff. You know your game. You've played this game or coached at the pro level I would guess. You usually don't know that kind of stuff unless you've been in the trenches.

Jody,

I'm honored to receive that compliment from someone like you who has been at the VERY highest level. I'm just a former Scout and college coach who has been around baseball for 40+ years. (or has it been 50+ years)

Thanks for taking the time to post that.

By the way, if you have the time it would be great if you helped give some advice on this site. Not many would be better qualified to help young infielders and hitters.

Thanks

WOW. What a great post PGStaff. Thanks for the detail and keeping it simple enough for high school hitters to understand. To the comments and questions.

2. Watching the opposing pitcher pitch to other hitters. Though I did not include this in the question, speaking with the earlier hitters about anything that confused you or you might have missed during the observation phase is, of course, a good thing to do.

3. On deck preparation to hit. Go through the at bat with each pitch. Swing the bat at each pitch making the adjustment as you see the release and/or pick up the flight of the ball. Is that what you mean by timing or something less or more? Form your plan [now knowing the exact situation you are facing] as you stride up to the plate.

4. Upon Entering the Batters box. Check the fielders. Have they made any adjustment that might interfere with your plan. You are right in that much more could be said here. One question, if I may? For high school hitters, once all that preparation is undertaken and they are 'set', should they try to clear their mind to a "see the ball, hit the ball" mentality or what? In somewhat different words, should the hitter trust that his body will do what his mind has planned or should he be, like Crash Davis, saying to himself, "give me the cheese, meat" or such to remind himself of the plan or the pitch? Or does it depend on the player?

5 & 6. i have no comment other than IMHO I think your analysis is absolutely right on and have never heard it said or written better anywhere. Excellent analysis.

7. Should the hitters approach change in subsequent at bats? Would your answer be different if he was successful in earlier at bats than if he was not? I completely agree with your point on what is the hitter's job in this [later] at bat and if it is different from the first at bat he must plan accordingly. Especially if he has had success against the pitcher in the earlier at bats. But if he has not had success, at some point should he consider going to a 2 strike mental approach right of the bat [no pun intended], look for a bunt opportunity, etc. or is the possible loss of confidence by going into that mind set potentially more damaging than the inability to find success against this pitcher with his previous plan(s) of attack?

Thanks for the excellent input and thanks for the kudos on topic selection. I think this is something that high school students don't get a lot of and need to. I hope that others submit their ideas.

PG, absoultely great stuff. This game is about adjustments in situations. Do your thinking and planning before getting into the box. Then its time to execute.

There is also the mindset of the player who enters the game with nothing in his mind succeeding at the plate.

Agreed great post PGstaff.

In addition, on deck visualization is a must IMO. Teach the hitter to close his eyes and "see" the swing he wants to put on the ball. The more detailed the better including sound and smell.

This is very hard to teach and to understand at first, but when the hitter becomes proficient at visualization he will notice a large jump in confidence and therefore, performance.

When a hitter masters this task he will be able to do it in a split second on demand and can even do it between pitches.

In addition, this skill will also lower heart rate and allow the true skill of a player to shine and not be altered due to nervousness or uncertainty.

I know PGstaff covered this quickly in his post, I just wanted to expand on it as I think it is vital to a successful hitter.

I love the tip on looking for one pitch and one pitch only until the situation or count calls for something else.

PG great post.

Jon also a good post.

Both make sense and when this infomation is applied to some who doesn't have it their hitting will improve vastly.

See ball...hit ball>Shep's motto

Just Kidding guys and have nothing to add since it has all been covered by PG TW TR Coachric Jon and Jody.

Next...1, pay attention to these guys when we are fortunate enough to get their precious insight.

Tough acts to follow but would also like to request posts from JR3 if PG Jerry says you know, then you must know and have been in the training trenches. No substitute for experience. Besides, I already knew that because I have your baseball cards Shep

Quote of the Day: "You can observe a lot just by watchin' " - Yoggi Berra

tw in response to question number 5. I never will automatically take the first pitch. i am always looking for a fastball or a hanging curveball that i can drive with power. anything i cant hit over the fence i wont swing at. also when new pitchers come in they almost always throw a first pitch fastball. i can remember a time where i came in to pinch hit against a new pitcher. first pitch was a fastball. single to left and an rbi. first pitch is key to your at bat. it dictates everything when you think about.

quote:

anything i cant hit over the fence i wont swing at

Atl bjs

Why wouldn't you swing at pitch you can hit over fence??? Shep's confused by that statement or is it a typo???

Shep

wait lol now im confused. i meant it as in this..i swing only at pitches that i can hit strong and with power. like doubles to gaps and home runs. does that make more sense?

Atl bjs

You mean like this

Hank is definitely taking advantage of these two pitches he can drive. What a great hitter!
Had the privilage of shaking Hank's hand in 1989 and let me tell ya, those are huge hands that are made for a woodbat. Also had the privilage of having a seat in nosebleed upperdeck section of ole former Fulton County Stadium and HOMERUN 715. That night changed my life and the lives of all my younger brothers who were also there with me along side my Padre. Shep

atl bjs:

Agree with you wholeheartedly. What PG and the rest are saying is LOOK for that pitch with 0-0 count. Don't swing unless you see it. Taking a pitch for the sake of taking it is sometimes taught as a way to judge the movement on the fastball which is usually the first pitch in high school. But if you look only for that pitch that you can bust, and take anything else [even if it is a strike] the pitch will look like a bowling ball coming in there [well, at least a softball].

Good luck.

.

.

PG's list is super. I'd offer this in regards to tipping of pitches. PG mentioned arm position tipping the curve ball.
This can also be true with the pitcher's front leg lift and when middle infielders try to cheat in response to pitch type, or when reacting to the catcher's set-up.
If the SS leans left for every breaking ball away, its a clue, and you dont have to look directly at the SS to pick it up. You can pick it up in the background, especially with a RH pitcher.

(Please pardon the two periods(.)above. The software wouldn't accept my delete command.)

quote:

Originally posted by TW344:


1. Watching the opposing pitcher in warmups.
Looking for Arm Slot, Pitch Location, Subtle Tips (As PG Mentioned), and Timing

2. Watching the opposing pitcher pitch to other hitters.
Looking for same as above, plus tendencies in certain counts, (ie out pitch, waste pitch, etc), and how he pitches a similar hitter to me.

3. On deck preparation to hit.
Timing Him Out, anticipating situational hitting scenarios

4. Upon entering the batter's box.
Read the Ball, Hit it to the big part of the field

5. Take the first pitch regardless or not?
Depends on Situation and Hitter: Better, Stronger hitters (No Fastball Passes Go W/out collecting a free ride somewhere HARD), Smaller lead-off/9-hole types (Work the Count), First time to face a guy (Take if not 100% sure of movement/pattern)

6. Should a hitter change his mental approach based on the count? SomewhatIf so, what should his approach be on the various counts [
1-0 Aggressive/One Location 0-1I'll Give Pitcher one location/pitch, but anything else I am ripping.
1-1Same as 0-1...Going to get a good pitch here.
2-1Great Hitters Count...Be aggressive on whatever he throws in the zone.
2-0One Pitch/One Zone/One Result...Linea!
1-2Less Movement...Let Ball Travel...Work Outside/In
0-2Same as 0-2
2-2Coming with a hittable pitch. Little Movement, Let ball travel..Think up the middle.
3-1Same as 2-0
3-2Be Aggressive in the Zone. Regular Rhythm...Unlike 0-2/1-2/2-2
3-0Green Light? Please Give me Green Light!...See Ball Get Through Ball!

7. Should the hitters mental approach change in subsequent at bats? YesWould your answer be different if he was successful in earlier at bats [a hit or good contact] than if he was not [struck out or hit weak ground balls]. The Counts Stay the same, but you will look for certain pitches depending on how you did the AB before. (IE Fastball Inside {0-1}, Curve Ball{0-2}, Curve Ball {K}...Probably going with same sequence. Fastball{Bomb}, May lead off with something else or FB off plate.

8. Should a hitter make a guess about the next pitch [location, off speed, etc.] at any time and, if so under what circumstances? "Educated Guess" is how I would put it. Don't guess unless you are for certain the pitcher is in a pattern or you are in a count that you can afford to make a mistake (ie 2-0 count Bases Loaded or you were 2-2 (2HR) and they put a new pitcher in that throws good junk...you might sit CB)

Of course, you know I would respond before reading PG's response. Great response PG. You and I share a lot of the same philosophies. Nice job explaining it in detail.

Coach A:

Great Post. I would hope everyone with the expertise that you and PGStaff have demonstrated would approach this question brand new and give their detailed opinion. Yes, you and PGStaff agree on most things. But there are enough subtle differences that a high school student of hitting can read them over and over and experiment with each in the respective situation to see what his approach will be this upcoming season.

Thanks so much for your contribution. This will be printed off and given to my son to read immediately.

Chris A
PGStaff
jodyreed3
Coachric
TRhit
Jon Doyle
Shepster

Tremendous advice! Very refreshing and enlightening to hear you confirm that there is so much more to hitting (teaching & learning it) than just the physical swing mechanics.

You guys have obviously coached hitters that compete at 60/90!

THop

pgstaff, thanks for the reply I have it. Thanks again.

It is my pleasure. I have a passion for teaching the kids how to play the game the right way. I am just glad to be in company with so many other knowledgable coaches that share the same views and passion as well as hungry players and parents looking to improve their game.

Coach A and others,

I'm sure Coach A must have sent a copy of his post to lineshot. So did I per his request.

Just want to clearify that You and I are not the same person using different names. I do respect your opinions very much, though.

It's just that on this site I know of several people who have posted under different names for various purposes. Just want to make it clear that I do not do that.

Coach A, Once again I do respect everything you have to say.

I don't have the time to worry about keeping up with more than one identity, so I appreciate your comments as well and like I said earlier, I have a lot of respect for all of the coaches on here trying to help the kids. I can't see how someone would have the time to switch back and forth between names.

All said here is good advice, and hopefully read by our young players.

I'd like to focus on the pitcher assesment part. because I think this dictates most hitting and approach. Assesing the pitcher is relative to the batters skill and ultimately his confidence.

I doubt Ted Williams, Pete rose or Barry Bonds assessed pitchers the same way but they did something all good hitters do. They went up their with a good idea of how they matched up against a pitcher relative to their hitting style. Subsequently, their approach was more or less aggressive.

Ofcourse good team baseball requires situational awareness but the permutations of all that are too many to write in a thread.

That said, I'd like to concentrate purley on the beating the pitcher aspect - either getting a hit or walk or sac.

It's all about preparation which leads to confidence. I tell kids look at the pitcher and first ask yourself

1. is he likely to strike me out?
2. Does he have command?

If you know your relative ability and the answer to these two questions you pretty much have your hitting approach narrowed down about 75%.

1. If he is likely to strike you out and has command then be aggrssive looking to swing early and often. otherwise he's ahead in the count and Oops!

2. If he has the stuff to strike you out but has questionable command (these are often the toughest)- make an early decision on high/low and be controlled looking to get ahead in the count - then be aggressive. Bad swings are made at high or low pitches. In or out and knee to belly B can be hit.

3. If he's unlikely to strike you out - look for your perfect pitch on strike one and two and relax knowing you can put strike three in play.