Plate hitting position opinions?

[BillyB]

Nobody is saying there is a magical breaking point or late break, it's all about getting ahead of the max movement when that ball starts to move off a straight path...the earlier you can make connection, the less the ball has moved to it's max drop, rise, or curve path...It's about hitting the ball at it's earliest position change as it's coming in, when you are belly button to front of plate area. The point is the more distance you give a ball to break, the more change in elevation you need to compensate for as a hitter.

 

[BillyB]

The strike zone might be technically at the front of the plate, but umpires don’t call it that way in reality. If the catcher catches a ball 6 inches off the plate that’s getting called a ball every time no matter where it crossed. The Atlantic league had robot umpires calibrated to call strikes at the rule book written location and had to quickly change it to middle back of the plate for this very reason.

There’s a reason you don’t find pros at the front of the box.

Belly button at front of plate, not so much max front of box per say...vs. back foot on back chalk line.

 

[ArmWhip]

Nobody is saying there is a magical breaking point or late break, it's all about getting ahead of the max movement when that ball starts to move off a straight path...the earlier you can make connection, the less the ball has moved to it's max drop, rise, or curve path...It's about hitting the ball at it's earliest position change as it's coming in, when you are belly button to front of plate area. The point is the more distance you give a ball to break, the more change in elevation you need to compensate for as a hitter.

This all true but you are overlooking the fact that hitters are frequently fooled by breaking pitches, they don't recognize the break or the amount of movement in time to correct. Change ups don't break but they are effective because hitters don't recognize them in time to adjust. Pitch recognition comes first, then adjustment. You have to recognize that it's not a fastball before you can calculate the point of contact.

 

[Towny9]

This all true but you are overlooking the fact that hitters are frequently fooled by breaking pitches, they don't recognize the break or the amount of movement in time to correct. Change ups don't break but they are effective because hitters don't recognize them in time to adjust. Pitch recognition comes first, then adjustment. You have to recognize that it's not a fastball before you can calculate the point of contact.

Which is why farther back in the box gives you more time to recognize the pitch

 

[_MIA_]

Which is why farther back in the box gives you more time to recognize the pitch

Right.Any reasonably sized person can easily cover the whole plate if they have decent mechanics. They are not barreling up breaking pitches not because the break is too much but because they don’t know it is a breaking pitch..especially in softball where the actual amount of break is small compared to baseball.

 

[Towny9]

Right.Any reasonably sized person can easily cover the whole plate if they have decent mechanics. They are not barreling up breaking pitches not because the break is too much but because they don’t know it is a breaking pitch..especially in softball where the actual amount of break is small compared to baseball.

I think I have found the real answer to this question. Jessica Mendoza. She found a way to hit simultaneously from both the front and back of the box.

 

[_MIA_]

I think I have found the real answer to this question. Jessica Mendoza. She found a way to hit simultaneously from both the front and back of the box.

Dustin Pedroia-esque

 

[Towny9]

Dustin Pedroia-esque

Huge stride

 

[radness]

This all true

With these additional facts

the fact that hitters are frequently fooled by breaking pitches, they don't recognize the break or the amount of movement in time to correct. Change ups don't break but they are effective because hitters don't recognize them in time to adjust. Pitch recognition comes first, then adjustment. You have to recognize that it's not a fastball before you can calculate the point of contact.

=Up in box less to be fooled by.
Back in box more adjustment & chasing as pitch moves further out of zone/breaking.

Timing is timing no matter where the batter stands.

 

[Towny9]

With these additional facts

=Up in box less to be fooled by.
Back in box more adjustment & chasing as pitch moves further out of zone/breaking.

Timing is timing no matter where the batter stands.

I respectfully disagree with the bold statement above. If the pitcher could pitch from second base then timing would be much easier and no one should be fooled by offspeed because you have so long to see the ball. You have eliminated the need to be quick and have given yourself plenty of time to recognize the pitch. The closer the distance the harder it becomes to wait on offspeed because you are now under pressure to be quick.

Similarly, the harder a pitcher throws the less difference in pitch speed they need between their fastball and change up to be effective.

When softball went from 40 feet to 43 feet offence dramatically increased because of the extra time the hitter now had.

When I watched the women’s College World Series I did not see pitchers dominating with these magical pitches that nip the corners and break way off the plate. I did however see pitchers blowing gas by hitters. I know you hate comparisons to baseball, but there is a reason you will never find them at the front of the box.