How to hit a rise ball?

[radness]

As for hitting pitches that are not strikes or hitting pitches that are in the river.
YES that can also be neccessary especially when the umpires strikezone dictates controlling the game
(so to speak)

Pitches in the river, or two softballs off the plate are catchers strikes aka=framing.

Successful hitters can hit those!

Low rise is an excellent mix in pitch with a drop.
Can keep both pitches in or out as needed.
Never extending batters hands , or forcing then too.

 

[julray]

LOL, No I know you as well as I do that your not referring to Chopping down, but most whom you say are down to, view it as getting on top, staying on top etc. Do they not? I know I have heard many pro's say that.

If my goal was to stay on top I would be in a much better position to hit a rise ball.. vs a path which results in "up through". Regardless.. I don't want to make this into another TTB vs Down to thread . This is about pitch selection, not chasing pitchers pitches.. and looking for hitters pitches. Hitting a true rise ball above the letters is difficult.. hitting high heat period is difficult. So going up to the plate looking to hit a rise ball is a bad approach IMO.

 

[radness]

Back in the day I use to pitch.. FTR I wasn't very good, lol. However there's nothing more frustrating then a hitter who won't chase.. those are the toughest outs. Yep a hitter every now and then may make contact with a perfect pitch out of the zone.. but BA goes way down when hitters start to chase. A rise ball can be thrown for a strike.. some pitchers naturally throw a partial rise. Personally I tried to veer away from throwing a pitch in the strike zone with a flat trajectory.. another name for that.. batting cage ball

When you say chasing,
I think of certain hitting mechanics.
But not all!

Also identifying height of pitch is essential.

Throw riser's at
Knee
Thigh
Hip
Elbow
Shoulders
Head
Even waisted further.

 

[_MIA_]

As for hitting pitches that are not strikes or hitting pitches that are in the river.
YES that can also be neccessary especially when the umpires strikezone dictates controlling the game
(so to speak)

Pitches in the river, or two softballs off the plate are catchers strikes aka=framing.

Successful hitters can hit those!

Yes but (most) successful hitters won't be swinging at those pitches unless they have to, e.g. 2 strikes. There are some "bad ball" hitters which are the exception (in softball a recent example would be Sydney Romero) but they are not common. You don't go up to the plate swinging at everything you think you can hit..if that was the case Greg Maddux would have had a 0.10 ERA...

 

[radness]

Fair enough (that is why I asked ) , in which case with 2 strikes you need to expand your zone. My initial comment was also for a rise which starts at the letters, which is what I see most hitters swinging through and which will not be a strike when it crosses the plate since nobody calls a strike near the letters anymore...

Yeah, when conversation is detailing specifics like pitches.
My brain focusses on technical results of top tier softball. Goals right!?!

 

[Westwind]

As for hitting pitches that are not strikes or hitting pitches that are in the river.
YES that can also be neccessary especially when the umpires strikezone dictates controlling the game
(so to speak)

Pitches in the river, or two softballs off the plate are catchers strikes aka=framing.

Successful hitters can hit those!

Low rise is an excellent mix in pitch with a drop.
Can keep both pitches in or out as needed.
Never extending batters hands , or forcing then too.

Yes. Yes in BOLD, lol.

Great hitters are successful in part because they attack good pitches to hit. But they are also great hitters because they are “big zone hitters”. And they are big zone hitters because they have to hit a big zone because they are great hitters. And I hate the NFHS intentional walk rule that allows coaches to put runners on first without throwing a pitch, lol

 

[BigSkyHi]

Yeah that was 2015 numbers I think. Here is 2019, a bit better but still not something he excels at
View attachment 17325

Starting to feel sorry for Mr Trout. He can only hit .250 off you best pitches

 

[radness]

Yes but (most) successful hitters won't be swinging at those pitches unless they have to, e.g. 2 strikes. There are some "bad ball" hitters which are the exception (in softball a recent example would be Sydney Romero) but they are not common. You don't go up to the plate swinging at everything you think you can hit..if that was the case Greg Maddux would have had a 0.00 ERA...

To your point with 2 strikes...
Especially have to be able to hit everything...the pitcher is not looking to throw the hitters favorite pitch.

Pitch selection is a different conversation.

Identying hitting mechanics is critical to calling pitches!

 

[_MIA_]

Starting to feel sorry for Mr Trout. He can only hit .250 off you best pitches

The point was compared to other parts in the zone, the best hitter on the planet (or one of them) had a much harder time with pitches high in the zone...

 

[radness]

Yes. Yes in BOLD, lol.

Great hitters are successful in part because they attack good pitches to hit. But they are also great hitters because they are “big zone hitters”. And they are big zone hitters because they have to hit a big zone because they are great hitters. And I hate the NFHS intentional walk rule that allows coaches to put runners on first without throwing a pitch, lol

YES