Input on teaching hitter how to read pitches

[kgertie]

The first thing is to pick up the change up. This would have no spin, less spin, or back spin typically. The hand may have the palm towards second and back of the hand towards the hitter if a flip. Many pitcher overdo the follow through way up but the key is no snap.
On the shove you will see the palm up facing the sky.

For the screwball, the pitcher will typically step more to glove side and then fall off to the arm side. For the curve you will see the palm up and hand go across to the opposite 'pocket.' Many step to the arm side and close the body to glove side so the hand can go across. These have the horizontal spin.

The rollover drop is quite obvious with the hand going up and over and down. The peel (see Hollowell) may have a quick short follow through up, that is almost a hello elbow but not closed to the extent on is. You can recognize the vertical spin, then you know drop or rise. The rise has an up and under follow through up with the hand cocked out to the side and finishing up in front of the body typically.

You can pick up some of the pitches because they are thrown too much to predictable places. Some pitchers hide everything well. What is interesting is these pitchers often have truncated follow throughs.

We write things on the balls and ask hitters to read what it says and then hit it. Only works a few times because they know what it says!

Screwball, thank you for the tips. This information is what I was looking for in addition to any clips.

So many times on this site people indicate that reading the pitch movement is important. I agree that catchers and pitchers are trained to pick up spin, movement, etc... and I do believe they have an advantage as a hitter at least initially. That is the purpose of the post to ask for advice for my non-pitcher/catcher player.

She does a fairly good job of watching the pitcher and does note patterns that she sees. She picks up the change quite well and her timing is pretty good. I am just trying to give her some extra tools for the 2 strike pitch that she has to go get if it is close whether it is a rise, drop, curve or screw. She has worked on how to hit a rise but I still think she has trouble reading the movement of the pitches and struggles a bit on how to anticipate what adjustments need to be made to hit a certain pitch.

I also agree that standing in the box during practice while the pitcher is pitching is great advice too. However DD is starting high school ball season in Iowa so practice structure doesn't allow this to take place.

Any other comments appreciated.

 

[Dtwn92]

What a great thread! I've often wondered the same thing. I agree with most things said here.

For the most part, travel ball is GO GO GO or GO GO NO...etc. The reason being is that players are still learning how to hit and worrying about where a ball is going to curve can overwhelm them fast.

Screwballs post is very nice help, because once the batters get confidence in hitting they can then learn to read fingers, how the pitcher falls, arm muscles and more. They need to have confidence and know they can hit before you start the overload thou.

My point in a nutshell: When Micheal Jordan had his stint with the Chicago White Sox, the minor league trainers stated he was the quickest adjusting athlete and caught on to pitch recognition faster than anyone they had worked with. Yet he never really hit like a AAA or big league player. He stated a few times he never really got comfortable hitting. So if one of the greatest athletes we have ever seen can read a pitchers grip, arm, how they fall off and still adjust and not hit, my guess is our 12-17 y/o girls might not either.
Just get them hitting, comfortable and confident, mix in a few of these ideas and learning will take place.

 

[coachdan]

The first thing is to pick up the change up. This would have no spin, less spin, or back spin typically. The hand may have the palm towards second and back of the hand towards the hitter if a flip. Many pitcher overdo the follow through way up but the key is no snap.
On the shove you will see the palm up facing the sky.

For the screwball, the pitcher will typically step more to glove side and then fall off to the arm side. For the curve you will see the palm up and hand go across to the opposite 'pocket.' Many step to the arm side and close the body to glove side so the hand can go across. These have the horizontal spin.

The rollover drop is quite obvious with the hand going up and over and down. The peel (see Hollowell) may have a quick short follow through up, that is almost a hello elbow but not closed to the extent on is. You can recognize the vertical spin, then you know drop or rise. The rise has an up and under follow through up with the hand cocked out to the side and finishing up in front of the body typically.

You can pick up some of the pitches because they are thrown too much to predictable places. Some pitchers hide everything well. What is interesting is these pitchers often have truncated follow throughs.

We write things on the balls and ask hitters to read what it says and then hit it. Only works a few times because they know what it says!

I agree with most of this post......My only concern is if you are watching the follow through then you are not watching the ball that has already been thrown and traveling toward the hitter. I just don't think a hitter can watch the follow through and still hit the ball....If you are watching the follow through then you are not watching/tracking the ball to the hitting zone.