This is a great at bat

[PEPPERS]

That is interesting. Note how easily and smoothly she gets to toe touch in plenty of time and makes a major adjustment in the stride. It diviates as much as a foot. On the curve/curve drop she steps on the chalk. On some pitches working middle/in she tries to "turn and burn' and adjusts 15" or more away from the inside of the box. This is a unique example to going with the pitch. This pitcher was really lucky that the gapper she hit didn't fall because she was all over this pitcher.

When I was 13, 44 years ago, I played for a coach who taught to step with the pitch, into the plate on outside pitches, away from the plate on inside pitches. He called it stepping with the pitch, the coach played minor league ball. The current thought as I understand is step toward the pitcher and allow the ball to travel deeper for outside pitches and inside pitches contact at or slightly in front of front foot.
What do some of you think of her stepping with the pitch in this at bat?

 

[Chris O'Leary]

I s this method something to consider or is restricted to only the most skilled?

If you read the pitch wrong, you're cooked.

 

[lawdawg]

I agree with CO for the most part. However, my better and more experienced hitters step in the box looking for 1 pitch to drive. I have a couple of LH hitters who are looking for a fastball down and away 1st pitch (seems to be where pitchers like to start lefties if they don't see many and don't know who they are seeing). They will step to that pitch and drive to LF - if they don't get that pitch to drive they lay off. The rest of the at bat is typically neutral step or toe touch in neutral position.

I try to instill that offensive attitude towards each at bat. Namely, until you get 2 strikes - look for a pitch you want to hit and if you get it attack. We work on 2 strike hitting as well. However, that skill or attack mindset seems to be developed over time and comes with my more confident and cagy hitters.

 

[PEPPERS]

Being LH myself I know most LH batters love the low ball!

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

Agree with LD .... there was one pitch in particular that it looked like Charlotte was anticipating.

 

[lhowser]

If you read the pitch wrong, you're cooked.

I think she is one of the finest hitters I've ever seen in college ball. Someone to study and emulate.
Chris is right though. I think it happens in the sequence. Watch pitch #4 at about 1:35. I think she guesses out and gets jammed by something high and in which is where the catcher sets up. Great reaction to battle that pitch foul.

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

Here she is at roughly toe-touch for various pitches ... the announcer had 11 pitches, so I missed one in the sequence ... also possible that I may have duplicated one. Observation is that she is varying the position that she arrives at toe-touch.

Pitch-1:

Pitch-2:

Pitch-3:

Pitch-4:

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

Pitch-5:

Pitch-6:

Pitch-7:

Pitch-8:

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

Pitch-9:

Pitch-10:

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

Here's a pitch where she touched down inside. Looks to have initiated a stride inside prior to the pitcher's release.