Slow Pitcher...and the batter

[Bouldersdad]

Thats ok everyone has their own opinion on the subject. The op did say slow I was remarking to another post as well as the op. If you are in front on a slow pitcher to me its a win for the batter. I do as you do and teach to hit at the front foot but I believe that using the plate as a reference point to a new batter is a valuable way for them to understand where those feet go when they hit. Its just a tool for understanding.

Tim

 

[Greenmonsters]

The pitcher was said to be slow not a flame thrower with movement and a change.


And I don't think it has anything to do with elite or not. I saw in person last weekend a college team all move in the box when a team threw a slower pitcher (with a change) for a game in a doubleheader when they were all not successful.

I think it is just plain stupid to do the same thing that struck you out in at-bat 1 (and than at bat 2 because you were stubborn) and for at bat 3 and 4. You are in a game and you need results. Work on the timing in practice.

(I have never told a player to use the plate as a reference; many fields and practices we did not even have plates, although I did go and buy some.)

What don't you get???? Look at the math in my earlier post, moving up in the box buys you an adjustment of only 3 mph so you still have to adjust your timing!!!

 

[CycloneSoftball22]

No moving around in the box. Just adjust your timing

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

No moving around in the box. Just adjust your timing

Not disagreeing with you that one should adjust their timing relative to pitch speed. Personally I believe if you build a swing with a proper sequence, inclusive of stretch, then one's ability to adjust is easier.

I disagree with using the plate as a reference point for how deep to let the ball get. Instead I believe the goal should be an "inside seam throw" ... have that as a goal and you won't be using the plate as a reference point for how deep to let the ball get.

There are advantages to moving up in the box. For starters ... it improves the odds of a ball being hit 'fair'. That might be important if you are facing a slow pitcher.

If you face a good screw-ball & curve-ball pitcher, that doesn't have a productive rise-ball, and if you can handle their speed ... then moving up in the box allows you to make contact when more of the ball is between the width of the plate.

There are other reasons to move up, or back, in the box. It's basically one tool to be employed in winning a game.

 

[Bouldersdad]

So if I understand the last few posts. No plate is necessary no frame of reference is needed? No visual with the plate on how far to let the ball come deep on down the middle. No starting point for our stance? Not being difficult folks just trying to understand how we are supposed to build the basics and then take one of the basic points out of instruction. Maybe someone can explain how they instruct their students and never use the plate as that point of reference.

Tim

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

I know this may seem relatively simplistic, but it works quite well from my perspective. I use the plate as point of reference when stepping into the batter's box. I do not use the plate after that as a point of reference in terms of "how deep to let an out side pitch come, or how far in front of the plate an inside pitch should be hit". Instead, for me anyway, the objective is more about making an "inside seam throw", with the mental goal of the rear arm passing through the "L" position at contact. I simply don't have time to be glancing at the plate as a point of reference ... instead, my focus is on performing an "inside seam throw", with the rear arm passing through the "L" position at contact.

 

[PEPPERS]

I done this for years, I would set a ball on the inside corner of the plate at slightly in front of where the front foot lands, then in the center of the plate about even where the stride foot lands, and on the outer proton of the plate about the middle of the straddle. We do dry swings for balls low, middle and high at each contact point. I start with the matrix, making sure mechanics are correct, then do half speed and finally full speed swings. Then we advance to hitting from tee and soft toss, and then front toss, at different pitch locations.

I will stand in front of a batter and do a pitching motion (no ball), and call a pitch location and have the batter swing to hit a ball in that location.