Anticipating Pitches

HasBeenorNeverWas · Jul 31, 2018

When I played ball, the only thing on my mind when I stepped into the batter's box was to get a hit.....I ran across a video the other day talking about trying to anticipate pitches and figure out what the pitchers next move is. At what level would you start teaching this (if you do)? I always felt like if I tried to anticipate something, (maybe other than a change up) and the pitch was something else I would be caught off guard, where as if I wasn't anticipating I would just be ready for any pitch. Thoughts?

canyonjoe · Jul 31, 2018

When you get to a level where pitchers hit spots. It's almost impossible to be able to drive any pitch at any time so early in the count I say look for a pitch and hammer it. If you are looking for one one the outside at the knees and they happen to bust you on the inside corner for strike one so what. Good hitters can put almost any pitch in play, but great hitters get the pitch they want and hammer it. As you get deeper in the count you need to get more defensive, but never hit something weak on the first pitch.

mmeece · Aug 1, 2018

It's not too early to begin discussing and implementing at 14u, aiming at improving it in 16u. For me (in baseball) the key was to never look for something I didn't want to hit. For example, why look for a curveball early or ahead in the count if I don't like to hit one? Look for your pitch in your spot until you're even or behind in the count, then get more defensive and look to hit everything up the middle. If you have reason to look for a certain pitch in a certain count (pitcher's tendencies), then be disciplined enough to let anything else go. With 2 strikes I almost never tried to look for a certain pitch, just looked to hit the fastball up the middle and adjust to anything else.

JAD · Aug 1, 2018

Pitchers like to pitch ahead, so step into the batters box looking for a strike. A batter needs to know their "sweet spot" and be ready to drive any mistakes a pitcher makes in that location.

grcsftbll · Aug 1, 2018

We just finished first year 12U and my DD knows watches for tells and grip and that kind of thing. I don't think anyone taught her, but she's a pitcher so she knows what to look for. She's gotten some really great hits off change ups she knew were coming from watching the pitcher. I would think if she can learn it most kids can at about the same age. But I do think it was much faster and easier for her because of understanding pitching so well.

Anticipating Pitches

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HasBeenorNeverWas

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mmeece

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