What are some of your thoughts on Successful Approach to Hitting?

Leave the on-deck-circle eager to hit.
Fine-focus on the ball center.
Let the ball travel.
Expect to hit line drives.
Expect a good pitch and "explode" to it.
Fear not two strikes.
Don't strike out looking.
Don't give away AB's.
Forget the failures, don't reflect too long on successes!

Everybody has their 'spot'.

With less than two strikes, look for a ball in that 'spot'.

With two strikes, protect the plate.

Try this hitting system from former Tualne head coach.

== Link Deleted - Sorry, but you can't post a Clickbank link here to sell product. MN-Mom ==

Truly a complete sytem for hitting.

http://baseballtips.com/sales/quality.html
Cost $20 dollars but totally worth it.
I listen to this everyday during the season pre game or on the bus ride to the game. It really gets you focused and this guy knows what he's talking about. Also always remember batting average is satan. Never worry about your avg. going to the plate. Your mind set should be look fastball enless your down in the count. But if your down in the count and hes been missing alot of his off speed stuff he may try to muscle one up and throw it by you. Just really pay attention to the pitcher from the get go so you know what he likes to throw and what counts he likes to throw that particular pitch. You should also have enough confidence to not be afraid to go 0-2 and protect until he throws you the pitch your looking for. Another thing if you ground out or fly out protecting the plate on a curve ball or any other off speed stuff so be it you did what you could do let it slip right off your head and keep playing. Here is a article by Steve Springer the same guy that made that CD I posted at the top of my reply: http://www.beabetterhitter.com...attingAvgisSatan.htm
and heres another great article for your mental approach at the plate: http://articles.sma****s.com/a...ys-have-a-plan-.html

I love the Steve Springer cd.

When you go up to the plate you can't be thinking too much. Every time i go to hit, i am saying to myself, "attack the inside". This is my cue to react to the right pitch, and attack the inside half of the baseball.

Throughout the season, don't take a batting average, take a Q average. The Q stands for Quality at bats.

so if one day you get 4 at bats, and 1 at bat you hit a line drive for a basehit, the next at bat you strike out, the next at bat you hit a sac fly, and the next at bat you hit a hard ground ball to the pitcher and he makes a good play and gets you out, you would be 1-3 in batting average terms, and 3-4 Q's. (quality at bats). You see what I'm saying?

Also, after every game, when i take my cleats off, it symbolizes that I have learned from my failures that game, and it is time to move on. So after i take of my cleats and shake the dirt off, I am shaking my strike outs and pop ups off me, I simply forget them.

I suggest: The jaeger sports Visualization and Relaxation Book, The steve springer cd, and the Brian Cain baseball cd+Dvd.

Thanks!

Bluedog,

Explain to the young man WHY it is bad advice...and what you believe he should do different in his approach. Share with him the approach you used in HS and college baseball against top level competition during your playing career.

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Originally posted by BlueDog:

quote:

You should also have enough confidence to not be afraid to go 0-2.....

This is not good advice.....

This advice always worked for me because I knew I had a quick swing and I was a contact hitter.

quote:

Originally posted by JimmyPBaseball:
http://baseballtips.com/sales/quality.html
Cost $20 dollars but totally worth it.
I listen to this everyday during the season pre game or on the bus ride to the game. It really gets you focused and this guy knows what he's talking about. Also always remember batting average is satan. Never worry about your avg. going to the plate. Your mind set should be look fastball enless your down in the count especially if you have seen him missing with his off speed stuff. You should also have enough confidence to not be afraid to go 0-2 and protect until he throws you the pitch your looking for. Another thing if you ground out/fly out protecting the plate on a curve ball or any other off speed stuff so be it you did what you could do let it slip right off your head and keep playing. Here is a article by Steve Springer the same guy that made that CD I posted at the top of my reply: http://www.beabetterhitter.com...attingAvgisSatan.htm
and heres another great article for your mental approach at the plate: http://articles.sma****s.com/a...ys-have-a-plan-.html

Jimmy, can you s p e l l the letters in your 3rd link that was blocked out with the ****? It wouldn't work like it was.

That was not good advise? Alot of kids get down on there selfs, worry, or panic in a 0-2 count and this is when you really need to just trust your hands and go with the baseball. Heres a little backround so maybe Good-eye will trust what I am trying to explain. Im a great hitter I started varsity as a sophmore in one of the toughest conferences around. Been tought by top coaches in Ohio all my life. Struck out only 3 times out of 48 at bats (Would have had more if I didn't walk 13 times.) led the team in rbis batting avg and least strikeouts and on base percentage and not to mention walks and 3rd in Slug%, and now going into my junior year ready to work even harder. But hey next time you post something like that try to explain why or maybe give him what you think is better advise. I am not doubting you, you probly have more expierience in the game than me so please tell us what you think is best for him "HSBBWeb Old Timer". To td25: http://articles.sma****s.com/a...ys-have-a-plan-.html it should be sma****s.com gahhh! it keeps blocking it cause it has the S word in it but thats just how they spell it smas hits.com no spaces and remember its not smashhits its sma****s

quote:

Originally posted by JimmyPBaseball:
Im a great hitter I started varsity as a sophmore in one of the toughest conferences around in Ohio. Been tought by top coaches in Ohio all my life.

Where's Ohio?

I am in a city close to Cleveland in SWC high school conference it's a real tough conference, Brecksville, Holy Name, Padua, Amherst, Olmsted Falls, Westlake, and Avon Lake those are the ones worth mentioning that is. Wheres Baseball Heaven I wanna go!

quote:

Originally posted by JimmyPBaseball:
I am not doubting you, you probly have more expierience in the game than me so please tell us what you think is best for him "HSBBWeb Old Timer".

Out of the mouth of babes Blue Dog.

quote:

Originally posted by BOF:

quote:

Originally posted by JimmyPBaseball:
I am not doubting you, you probly have more expierience in the game than me so please tell us what you think is best for him "HSBBWeb Old Timer".

Out of the mouth of babes Blue Dog.

I'm confused what do you mean by that post ? Sorry.

A few things I've found are important to a youth player's mental approach:

1. Aggressive mentality: Assume you are attacking the ball unless and until you see it leave your zone.

Your zone is a subset of the strike zone early in the count, as you try to get a pitch to drive. With 2 strikes, you must cover the entire zone or else you put yourself at the mercy of the umpire. I don't know Bluedog's reasons for his comment, but I agree that INTENTIONALLY going to 2 strikes is a terrible idea. Still, we all have to hit with 2 strikes with some regularity.

The problem you see is that if you tell kids to swing only at strikes, you get the "paralysis of analysis" that leads kids to have that mental debate of "to swing or not to swing" going on in their heads until it's too late and the ball is in the mitt. The approach here is to speak to it from an affirmative position -- instead of saying "don't swing at bad pitches", say "assume you're swinging until it goes bad."

The other aspect of this is to be in attack mode. If you're going to swing, swing. No point in swinging half way. I hate check swings -- a sure fire way to give up a strike with no chance to speak of of getting a hit. That's a great way to throw away your at bat. When it becomes apparent that a pitch is going to leave the zone, the trigger action stops, at a time when the hands are still back. Once you trigger, may as well let 'er rip.

2. Put the barrel on the ball. No matter how much you work on swing mechanics, and no matter how pretty your swing gets, if you don't put the sweet spot on it, you ain't doing spit. This tends to lead the young hitter to keep his head down and his eye to the ball, without your having to go into micro detail about those things in particular. Also it results in the outside pitch going the opposite way, the middle pitch going up the middle, the inside pitch going to pull side. All without worrying about those things specifically. It also helps players adjust if they move from metal to wood, e.g., in summer events like WWBA tourneys.

Midlo I would never intentionally go 0-2 I'd definately take a cut at a first pitch fastball thats within the zone which is the way I get 70% of my base hits. All I was trying to imply is if I can see the spin on a curveball or recognize hes throwin off speed when I'm ahead in the count I will take the pitch because I am a fastball hitter. Through my expierience of ball I have always been very successful this way.

JimmyPBaseball,

Midlo is correct and so are you.

While "intentionally" going down 0-2 isn't very smart, a good hitter is never "afraid" of going down 0-2. Stay with your approach; seems to be working well for you. No, you never say anything about trying to go down 0-2 but Midlo is making sure you understand his point.

Your advice was sound as to a hitting approach. You very well may have more "baseball" experience than some of our "Old Timers". Any advice here you recieve filter it and use what works for you. Nothing wrong to doubt any advice/source you see here if no explaination is given.

Good luck.

"when I'm ahead in the count I will take the pitch because I am a fastball hitter."

Jimmy .......... this is a moot point, but hitters and ALL pitchers know that batters average over .100 points higher when "ahead in the count." That being said, the "point" is that when the Pitcher is winning, and you are "down in the count," (0-2 ex) hitters need to be able to perform then, as well.

Your above quote is a good hitting strategy at any level. For the record, as you progress you WILL need to learn to hit that off-speed pitch in the zone. Pitchers at the next level can throw off-speed pitches for strikes on any count and soon identify hitters who can't adapt. They know All good hitters can hit fastballs!

Yes I completely understand that they will at upper levels be able to throw any pitch consistantly in the zone or even maybe where ever they want in the zone. I can also go with the off speed pitches. I don't know about you but all fastballs ranging from 75 Mph - 95 Mph is as easy as hitting s****r balls thrown at me. But think of the chances that someone is going to throw you a fastball in an at bat on ANY level its probly around 70% in a 0-0 count. Up in the count 3-0 its probly 90%. Then like 0-2 it really depends if you are late on the swing or early, if early on the fastball you know off speeds comming, if late you know hes gonna try muscle it up and throw it by you. Any other count it really comes down to what the pitcher has seen you do in previous at bats, or what pitches hes throwing consistantly and what he is not (like for example the pitchers change up may come up in the strangest counts if hes confident with his change up) and thats also what you have to pay attention too. But you are right you do need to learn how to adjust and thats just the bottom line. EDIT: It starred out s****r no clue why though. RE-EDIT: GRRRRR.... soc cer

quote:

But you are right you do need to learn how to adjust and thats just the bottom line.

So, Jimmy, since, by your own admission, you are a great hitter, just how do you adjust?

This is what I look for in a pitcher during his warmups/teamates at bats
First the pitcher needs to prove he can throw off speed, second needs to prove he can throw it for strikes third when does he like to throw them. But if I'm in a count when I am thinking fastball and the pitcher throws a breaking ball you can instantly see the ball looking different out of his hand and the realease point is more out front than a fastball but in the BIGS this significantly gets harder to read I guarentee it. The physical part of adjusting is actually hard to explain because you just kind of react to the pitch. I just sit back and just let my hands go. Sometimes I think it's not mechanical but more so of a athletic trait you even see it in the pro's either some pro's can hit the curveball, and some can't. Bluedog may I ask, how do you adjust?

quote:

I don't know about you but all fastballs ranging from 75 Mph - 95 Mph is as easy as hitting s****r balls thrown at me

Jimbo .... got to be honest here. "Any fastball would overmatch me these days!"

I enjoyed your video and it sounds as if you have a good head on your shoulders!! Keep working and best of luck in the coming Season. Let me know how the season unfolds for you. Where do you hit in the lineup?

I too, wonder why when you try to type S****r, you get hyroglypics???

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Bluedog may I ask, how do you adjust?

I wasn't born being a great hitter like you, so, I can't just trust my hands........

Hitting the fastball is not what separates hitters. What does? Sitting on a dominate fastball and still being capable of hitting a mid 80's slider will. Sitting on an offspeed pitch and still being capable of hitting a dominate fastball will.

Simply sitting on a fastball and being capable of hitting it will put you in the category of many.

Prime9: I like to see you enjoyed the vids, I'll keep you updated with season info. I hit usually in the 3 hole.

Look bluedog I'm not trying to sound cocky or arrogant sorry if you took it that way, I was asking a legitament question, because I don't understand how to explain "how to adjust" on a piece of paper I just react to the baseball.

Coach May I like that philosophy it makes alot of sense because everyone should be a fastball hitter but the adjust part is the tough one.

Jimmy:

It is refreshing to have you here so keep it up. You will learn some things and I would not be surprised if a few “old dogs” here learn a couple of things from you.

Speaking of old dogs, if you have not figured it out by now Bluedog will not contribute anything other than posting riddels and criticisms, giving little in return. You’ll get used to it.

For background he has a unique hitting theory developed long ago by Moses. Moses as you know wandered in the desert for 40 days and 40 nights and came back to his people with the 10 commandments, which they were to live by.

Bluedog on the other hand wants his students to figure it out all by themselves, so he puts out in the wild for 40 days and 40 nights with only a loin cloth and a bat. They come back masters of their craft, no one knows what they are masters of just yet, as it is a deep dark secret….ssshhhh don’t tell anyone though. (between you and me they are probably pretty good at hitting rocks over bushes)

BOF.

You mean to tell me that Moses not only brought down the Ten Commandments but...

actually invented slow pitch softball.

No wonder Bluedog says for us to read The Bible often. Who knows, Bluedog may be one of the chosen that Moses led out of captivity.

I will say their softball team had one heckuva of a sponsor.

quote:

Speaking of old dogs, if you have not figured it out by now Bluedog will not contribute anything other than posting riddels and criticisms, giving little in return. You’ll get used to it.

BOF, you and Abrams are both "witty" and generally right on the mark! Thanks. As for BLUEDOG .....

I'm new here but was wondering if his "cantankerousness" isn't being caused by a bad "TICK" infestation?

Prime9,

You're probably right with your "tick" diagnosis.
I thought it might have been rabies...

But that usually proves fatal, and Bluedog is still here.

Whatever it is, he also has a case of distemper.

**Keep up the postings. Being new doesn't mean you don't know what you are talking about.

Prime9,

Just caught up to you......he's a Bluetick hound.

And you call me witty.

quote:

Originally posted by JimmyPBaseball:
That was not good advise? Alot of kids get down on there selfs, worry, or panic in a 0-2 count and this is when you really need to just trust your hands and go with the baseball. Heres a little backround so maybe Good-eye will trust what I am trying to explain. Im a great hitter I started varsity as a sophmore in one of the toughest conferences around. Been tought by top coaches in Ohio all my life. Struck out only 3 times out of 48 at bats (Would have had more if I didn't walk 13 times.) led the team in rbis batting avg and least strikeouts and on base percentage and not to mention walks and 3rd in Slug%, and now going into my junior year ready to work even harder. But hey next time you post something like that try to explain why or maybe give him what you think is better advise. I am not doubting you, you probly have more expierience in the game than me so please tell us what you think is best for him "HSBBWeb Old Timer". To td25: http://articles.sma****s.com/a...ys-have-a-plan-.html it should be sma****s.com gahhh! it keeps blocking it cause it has the S word in it but thats just how they spell it smas hits.com no spaces and remember its not smashhits its sma****s

Thanks Jimmy, got it. This communist server here at work won't allow me to access that website anyway, but I'll check it out when I get home.