we have 2 coaches in our organization (I am one) that played college baseball, switched to fastpitch and would never go back to baseball. We talk about this stuff alot. This story happened the year before i took over as pitching coach. We had a coach, nice lady, that taught HE, arm swing back and everything change your step, your stride, everything for each pitch. We had talked to her about picking pitches and she laughed it off. One night he stood in the rh batter's box and i in the left. Both of us called every single pitch before she released the ball. We laughed, she didnt and neither did the pitcher.
Reading spins
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we have 2 coaches in our organization (I am one) that played college baseball, switched to fastpitch and would never go back to baseball. We talk about this stuff alot. This story happened the year before i took over as pitching coach. We had a coach, nice lady, that taught HE, arm swing back and everything change your step, your stride, everything for each pitch. We had talked to her about picking pitches and she laughed it off. One night he stood in the rh batter's box and i in the left. Both of us called every single pitch before she released the ball. We laughed, she didnt and neither did the pitcher.
Similar to Hawkeyes comment - I coached this summer with a guy who grew up playing FP in Wisconsin, who also pitched, and whose sister pitched at (IIRC) an Olympic-caliber level. When he would face her in their local leagues, he could pick up her changeup from the grip. And as mentioned, he made it sound like it was fairly common in the men's game to be picking (or trying to pick) pitches based on grips and motions, again, for any advantage you could get.
Fine/narrow focus: look specifically at one point
Soft/open/relaxed focus: see everything
Imagine driving on a crazy, multilane road during rush hour with narrow focus--just staring at the details of the license plate of the car in front of you. Even if there was only one car on the road, you might fail to judge a corner or miss a key road sign. You might miss a person walking in front of the car ahead.
With open focus, you see all the cars, lanes, signs, congestion ahead, etc.; all at the same time and can adjust--almost without thinking and with plenty time to react.
Try this with a partner and a bucket of whiffle golf balls: From about 5 feet apart, your partner quickly and randomly tosses balls to the right and left of your body. Anything on the right is caught with the right hand and tossed to the side. Same for the left side. For the first set, use narrow focus--watching the ball into the hand and count how many successful catches you get. For the second set, use a relaxed focus--seeing the whole environment at once. Compare the count.
Soft/open/relaxed focus: see everything
Imagine driving on a crazy, multilane road during rush hour with narrow focus--just staring at the details of the license plate of the car in front of you. Even if there was only one car on the road, you might fail to judge a corner or miss a key road sign. You might miss a person walking in front of the car ahead.
With open focus, you see all the cars, lanes, signs, congestion ahead, etc.; all at the same time and can adjust--almost without thinking and with plenty time to react.
Try this with a partner and a bucket of whiffle golf balls: From about 5 feet apart, your partner quickly and randomly tosses balls to the right and left of your body. Anything on the right is caught with the right hand and tossed to the side. Same for the left side. For the first set, use narrow focus--watching the ball into the hand and count how many successful catches you get. For the second set, use a relaxed focus--seeing the whole environment at once. Compare the count.
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Thanks. We worked on reading the fingers. I can't speak for the other players but I could always see the SS and 2nd baseman. I assume that condensed as the pitcher started moving but can't say for sure. Never really thought about it and now wondering what everyone else on our teams did. If the pitcher didn't give away the pitch from their forearm angle or elbow pointing in or out after they got their grip. I would read the forearm and fingers to detect the pitch. Helped me to become average.
FiveFrameSwing
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- Dec 11, 2010
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I have two daughters. Both play at at a fairly high level. One sees the ball much better than the other. The one that sees the ball better says she never sees or tries to see spin. I'm sure she uses soft focus. The other says she sees the laces when she is seeing the ball well. I think she uses sharper focus.
Also we go to hit with a guy who played on the U.S. Men's team who throws bp to dd. He is very big on picking pitches like someone mentioned above. He is also very big on pitching situations with counts and imaginary runners and goes so far as to say things to his imaginary fielders that are clues to what pitch he will throw. It's really fun and engaging.
Also we go to hit with a guy who played on the U.S. Men's team who throws bp to dd. He is very big on picking pitches like someone mentioned above. He is also very big on pitching situations with counts and imaginary runners and goes so far as to say things to his imaginary fielders that are clues to what pitch he will throw. It's really fun and engaging.
- Oct 19, 2009
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Article on reading pitches, I used the same techniques when I coached, IMO it helped the kids when they faced better pitching. Remember to win a championship you will need to be able to hit the best pitching you will face. I learned it from the hitting coach for the Chattanooga Lookouts.
https://www.quora.com/How-do-I-read-what-pitch-is-coming
https://www.quora.com/How-do-I-read-what-pitch-is-coming
Good stuff. I remember one of the Mets rising players doing something similar awhile back. I can't remember his name but played 3rd and 2nd. He also fielded ground balls in parking lots with the numbers and colors on them if I remember correctly. I played around with this a little when I was coaching. Back in the day I taught science and would have one of my baseball players do science fair projects using a methods close to the above. Also, did projects using front eye dominance compared to back eye dominance.
Mark McGuire was doing some cutting edge training to help stabilize his eye muscles. His eye sight was very poor. Also used steroids. Lol
Mark McGuire was doing some cutting edge training to help stabilize his eye muscles. His eye sight was very poor. Also used steroids. Lol
- Oct 19, 2009
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DD had poor vision which included a stigmatism, in 4 years she hit for over a 400 average every year she played in college and she hit over 500 2 years, her lowest average in college was 415 as a junior where she played through a sever ankle injury she suffered before the season falling in a hole while running on our farm. We worked a lot on vision training, such as in the article and others.
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