I just started reading The Science of Hitting by Ted Williams. He gets into anticipating pitches. From a 12U standpoint, if all you generally see us fastballs and change ups, would it be an idea to anticipate change ups all the time, then adjust to the fastball? I ask because it always seems like change ups make girls look silly, since they are always expecting fastballs. Just trying to figure these things out.
The mental part
- Thread starter MichiDad
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What he said. Always think fastball and when possible lay off the change up. If you foul a ball straight back, then a change up is possible coming. A ball fouled straight back pitcher/coach believes the hitter is almost right on your fastball. Most/some will call a change up.
- Oct 10, 2011
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Most girls this age are also "arm swingers" so once they commit...well you know what happens.
Correct. It is next to impossible to sit off speed and adjust to the fastball. ( good pitching anyway )
- Apr 1, 2010
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I usually try to remind DD to look out for a change-up when she's in a battle with the pitcher and has fouled off several in a row. It seems to happen a lot at her age that they'll throw a CU then, knowing she's got two strikes and is going to be swinging.
For me I always teach hitting compared to what I'd do/did as a pitcher. Reverse psychology so to speak.
As for DD we do sit on certain pitches, maybe a better explanation is we sit zones to make any minor adjustments easier than covering the whole strike area.
I believe a good hitter must study the art of pitching to a degree. You don't rush into battle without knowing something about your enemy. Pitchers study batters, there are "cues" the batter gives away just from dry swings, placement in the box, open/closed stance, body/facial reactions to certain pitches. ( pitchers give cues too, you'd be surprised what they "say" if you'll just watch )
Read and reverse the information to the mental state of your batting approach in the box. All good hitters step in with a plan.
Now were down to the level of a hitter stepping in the box. How do you go about pitching to him? First, use what you know about the hitter to try and give you an advantage. If you've never faced him before, watch his practice swing. The practice swing will tell you what location he likes the ball. If a left-handed hitter comes to the plate and he takes a practice swing at what would be a low inside pitch, you can bet that's the pitch he likes to hit and will be looking for. Try to start him out with a fastball out and up.
When you have faced the same hitter more than once, you will have some experience to draw from. How does he handle my fastball? Does he have trouble adjusting to off-speed pitches? Does he have a tendency to chase pitches out of the strike zone?
Good hitters adjust very quickly to a pitcher. If you always throw your fastball with 2- seams and it always breaks down and in to a right-handed hitter, you may get the good hitter to miss it once or twice, but he will learn the action on the pitch and adjust to it. It's much more effective to have a 4-seam fastball, a 2-seam fastball that breaks in and a 2-seam fastball that breaks away, and be able to use them all. That way you can give that hitter 3 different looks with just your fastball.
Goal: Make the hitter uncomfortable. Approach:
• Change speed
• Change location
• Change the break on the ball
• Find out if he can handle the inside fastball. There is nothing that makes a hitter more uncomfortable than knowing he can't handle the inside heat or that he has to commit himself early to hit this pitch. We're not talking about knocking the player down or brushing him back, but establishing the inside part of the plate and letting the hitter know that you will throw there.
• Make the hitter change some aspect of his swing from the pitch you just threw. You throw and inside fastball just above the belt and the hitter fouls it off and was a little behind. What is the hitter thinking when he is getting ready to get back in the box? Most likely he is thinking that he needs to be a little quicker. If you come back with the same pitch in the same location, you have given him the edge because that is the pitch he is prepared for. Given that situation, you could:
o Throw a fastball outside and down.
o Throw a curveball outside and down.
o Throw a low inside changeup.
o Or you could throw something else, remember you don't want to be
predictable.
In all these cases you have changed speed and/or location from what the hitter was prepared for. Strive to work inside and outside along with up and down. If you can do this while changing speeds effectively you'll have a hitter that doesn't know what to expect and that will make him uncomfortable.
With all strategies, there are exceptions to the rule. If a hitter looks completely uncomfortable with a pitch, don't be afraid to throw it again. The thing to remember is to try and make it more difficult than the time before. For example, if you get a hitter to swing at a high fastball and he didn't even come close, you may want to come right back with it but try and throw it an inch or two higher.
As for DD we do sit on certain pitches, maybe a better explanation is we sit zones to make any minor adjustments easier than covering the whole strike area.
I believe a good hitter must study the art of pitching to a degree. You don't rush into battle without knowing something about your enemy. Pitchers study batters, there are "cues" the batter gives away just from dry swings, placement in the box, open/closed stance, body/facial reactions to certain pitches. ( pitchers give cues too, you'd be surprised what they "say" if you'll just watch )
Read and reverse the information to the mental state of your batting approach in the box. All good hitters step in with a plan.
Now were down to the level of a hitter stepping in the box. How do you go about pitching to him? First, use what you know about the hitter to try and give you an advantage. If you've never faced him before, watch his practice swing. The practice swing will tell you what location he likes the ball. If a left-handed hitter comes to the plate and he takes a practice swing at what would be a low inside pitch, you can bet that's the pitch he likes to hit and will be looking for. Try to start him out with a fastball out and up.
When you have faced the same hitter more than once, you will have some experience to draw from. How does he handle my fastball? Does he have trouble adjusting to off-speed pitches? Does he have a tendency to chase pitches out of the strike zone?
Good hitters adjust very quickly to a pitcher. If you always throw your fastball with 2- seams and it always breaks down and in to a right-handed hitter, you may get the good hitter to miss it once or twice, but he will learn the action on the pitch and adjust to it. It's much more effective to have a 4-seam fastball, a 2-seam fastball that breaks in and a 2-seam fastball that breaks away, and be able to use them all. That way you can give that hitter 3 different looks with just your fastball.
Goal: Make the hitter uncomfortable. Approach:
• Change speed
• Change location
• Change the break on the ball
• Find out if he can handle the inside fastball. There is nothing that makes a hitter more uncomfortable than knowing he can't handle the inside heat or that he has to commit himself early to hit this pitch. We're not talking about knocking the player down or brushing him back, but establishing the inside part of the plate and letting the hitter know that you will throw there.
• Make the hitter change some aspect of his swing from the pitch you just threw. You throw and inside fastball just above the belt and the hitter fouls it off and was a little behind. What is the hitter thinking when he is getting ready to get back in the box? Most likely he is thinking that he needs to be a little quicker. If you come back with the same pitch in the same location, you have given him the edge because that is the pitch he is prepared for. Given that situation, you could:
o Throw a fastball outside and down.
o Throw a curveball outside and down.
o Throw a low inside changeup.
o Or you could throw something else, remember you don't want to be
predictable.
In all these cases you have changed speed and/or location from what the hitter was prepared for. Strive to work inside and outside along with up and down. If you can do this while changing speeds effectively you'll have a hitter that doesn't know what to expect and that will make him uncomfortable.
With all strategies, there are exceptions to the rule. If a hitter looks completely uncomfortable with a pitch, don't be afraid to throw it again. The thing to remember is to try and make it more difficult than the time before. For example, if you get a hitter to swing at a high fastball and he didn't even come close, you may want to come right back with it but try and throw it an inch or two higher.
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Greenmonsters
Wannabe Duck Boat Owner
Back in my playing days I found that TW's book helped me much more catching/calling pitches than it did hitting. IMO, SOH is a good read for coaches but shouldn't be offered to a player until they are advanced (i.e., have solid mechanics and a good understanding of the game) or else it can lead to paralysis by analysis.
I agree GM.
Greenmonsters
Wannabe Duck Boat Owner
And after establishing unpredictable, reverting to predictable is equally unpredictable and effective.
