Bill Hillhouse talking about softball hitting

[riseball]

Why is it we can't stick to a discussion on hitting on a hitting forum?

I can think of over 10,000 reasons.

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

LOL ... it does seem to be the way.

Then come the complaints by some of having to read 1000s of posts to get a morsel of useful information.

 

[goosesdad1]

Another great example would be the Tennessee vs Arizona 2007 WCWS where Monica Abbott seemed dominant until Arizona AC Alica Hollowell started throwing riseballs to the Wildcats in BP. In the final, winner-take-all game they feasted on Abbott for 10 hits and 5 earned runs. Some of the Wildcats were sitting on Abbott's riseball.

Hmmmm, wonder why more hitters haven't sat on Abbot's riseball ; ). That can happen when a pitcher is so dominant they don't need another pitch and then suddenly find themselves having to throw another pitch. Most of the time, though, it's a whole lot of K's.

At D1 level now, assuming the same strike zone established last year, a pitcher must be able to throw a strike in the zone. Living on the expectation of a swing and miss on a pitch that can't be thrown for a called strike is the pitcher being behind in the count all day and then having to come with something in the zone. Not a good position to be in unless you are a hitter. If a pitcher is only throwing a riseball that is not called for a strike, and not mixing in one that is called for a strike they will struggle with the smaller strike zone, as expected. Hitters last year in D1 could be way more choosy and lay off anything high until strikes were called. I'm just saying things really changed when the strike zone shrunk. Not saying that sometimes the high rise can't be hit, just saying most of the time hitters will struggle to do it when the pitch is going out of the zone consistently. High, fast pitches are just harder to catch up to, unless you know it's coming. So, if it's not a strike why try it? That's my take. Pun intended.

 

[JJsqueeze]

Keep squawking FFS. This is about my tenth attempt at dropping it but you keep it going. Then you accuse me of being argumentative. you are a piece of work.

 

[JJsqueeze]

LOL ... it does seem to be the way.

Then come the complaints by some of having to read 1000s of posts to get a morsel of useful information.

I almost pity you. You didn't even get the joke. He was talking about your post count genius.

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

Keep squawking FFS. This is about my tenth attempt at dropping it but you keep it going. Then you accuse me of being argumentative. you are a piece of work.

This here is an attempt to drop something?

You drop something by doing just that. Not by repeatedly posting that you are going to drop something.

 

[JJsqueeze]

But you keep squawking every time I give it a rest? Why don't you just STFU and let it drop? If we were face to face I don't think you would be so mouthy.

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

But you keep squawking every time I give it a rest? Why don't you just STFU and let it drop? If we were face to face I don't think you would be so mouthy.

You've given it a rest? And that should be evident by your continued posts?

STFU?

Face-to-face?

 

[Rampage]

But you keep squawking every time I give it a rest? Why don't you just STFU and let it drop? If we were face to face I don't think you would be so mouthy.

Word........

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

Increasing the probability for squaring a ball pitched high in the zone, and all pitches for that matter, comes from developing a solid hand path.

A drill I have hitters perform frequently is what I refer to as a “top hand drill”. I’ll front-toss pitches high in the zone and have hitters swing with just their top hand on the bat … i.e., one-arm top-hand swings. The goals are to have a swing path that has the an upright power-vee passing through the RVP-connection-point position … i.e, “short-to”, as well as a swing that transfers the energy down the rear arm … i.e., “long-through”. I’ll have them perform three such swings, then three swings with two hands, where they now have an active force couple (due to having two hands on the barrel), and attempt to give me the same top hand rear arm action … short-to through an up-right power vee & long-through with energy transfer down the rear arm. I repeat this ... but now have them perform one top-hand only swing, followed by three two-hand swings where they attempt to replicate the rear arm action. Will repeat this 10 or more times.

Another drill I'll use, is pretty much a “high tee” drill, but with the ball front-tossed high in the zone. Balls should be line-drives, or even down, NOT up. On occasion I’ll use the cue of having the top hand (knuckles) brush the side of the cheek … i.e., encouraging having the swing pass through an upright power-vee. Another cue used is to see the hands go out eye level (it’s a cue to get the path started correctly … tends to work well with boys … and those that realize that it is a “get started” type cue, and not a “realize the act” type cue). Another cue that has worked for some is to have the ‘feel’ of the hands passing above the rear shoulder … see Pujols swings below.

Basically drills that encourage a good hand path for staying above the ball … attacking from the top … on all pitches.

Regarding the “up-right vee” … that’s ‘up-right’ relative to the torso. In other words, if you were to freeze your swing at the RVP-connection-point position, and then stand straight up, then the “power-vee” would be “up-right”. Pujols is a decent example of this …