I thought I'm sharing some work I was doing with some hitters.
My focus is a lot on mechanics and movement work but I feel practicing more game like stuff is also quite important.
So I was doing two rounds of cage work.
First round was early count approach.
I would throw about 75% fastballs and 25% breaking balls.
I put 3 balls next to each other in the middle of the plate like 5-6 inches in front of it.
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The hitter is told to only hit fastballs over those 3 balls, take edge fastballs and all breaking balls.
Fastballs should be hit in front of the plate to center field to pull gap hard as a high line drive with the goal to hit a double.
I found the hitters would initially often waste at bats early in the count. They either chase a breaking ball and even if they didn't they often where tardy on the next fastball and fouled it back. With one hitter this especially got into his head, he was late on almost any fastball after a breaking ball.
I told him to do not let the breaking ball get into his head and stay on the fastball. That was mentally very tough for him but in the end it did get a little better, but more work is needed.
At better levels this nowadays is a super common pitching pattern:
1st pitch: fastball
2nd pitch: breaking ball
3rd pitch: fastball
You can easily waste the AB by chasing the breaking ball but they second way of wasting it is maybe even more overlooked, if you take the breaking ball and then foul back or even take the fastball.
Last year in mlb breaking balls where in the zone just 44% of the time, chances are in amateur ball only like 1 in 3 breaking balls is in the zone, so by taking then crushing the next coming 1-1 fastball you probably have the best chance.
Obviously some pitchers might be able to adjust to that and then throw hangers down the pipe and then you need to adjust to that but I would say early in count the pitcher has to prove to you that he can throw more than 1 in 3 breaking balls into the zone before you get off the fastball and attack the hangers.
But most important is to not miss the fastball over the plate, do not chase the change of look breaker early in the count and still be ready to hit the fastball after you take the breaker.
Generally never be late on the fastball early in the count and catch it out front.
I even had a guys swinging and missing early Intentionally after being late so he knows he can wait a split second on the fastball.
The second round then was two strike approach.
I told them to get to toe touch early but still feel the weight loaded in the back foot/hip. I was throwing 50% fb and 50% breaking balls.
Hitters where instructed to take the high fastballs and bouncing breaking balls but hit everything close, only called k that is acceptable is very up or very inside if it is extremely close, you want to look a little bit down and away as many pitches are going to be there.
Try to be a little bit late on the fastball and hit it low on a line the other way or slightly foul and then try to hit the breaking ball avoiding a pop up. By being a little late on the FB you are leaving a bit of room to stay on the breaking ball.
One thing a hitter struggled with was staying back. He was getting to toe touch but loosing his load thus hitting the ball weakly. When I instructed him to feel the weight in the rear him and some pull back of the rear elbow it got better and he hit the balls a little harder.
Still obviously batted ball quality was worse than in the early count round but at least you are avoiding to whiff.
Ideally the hitter should want to avoid the two strike count and put a fastball over the plate in play hard but he also should be confident he can put the ball in play with 2 strikes so he doesn't get over anxious in the 1 strike count.
