HIT WITH YOUR HEAD SOME MENTAL ASPECTS OF HITTING

PART II

I. LOOK FOR A FASTBALL:

• To prevent the pitcher from throwing the fastball by the hitter the hitter must be mentally set to hit the fastball.
• The hitter can make an adjustment from the fastball to a slower pitch such as a curveball or changeup; however, it is extremely difficult if not impossible to look for a curveball or change up and then react to the fastball.
• As a rule � a curveball will be 15 mph slower than the fastball and a changeup will be 20 mph slower than the fastball. These slower velocities allow the hitter enough time to adjust from the expected fastball to the slower curveball or change up.
• The hitter must not guess what the pitch will be! Look fastball! Adjust to the curveball or changeup!
• Guess hitting, looking curveball, or change up, could result in a hitter being unable to get out of the way of the pitch, should the pitcher throw a fastball.
• ALWAYS LOOK FASTBALL! Be aware of the curveball or change up.

II. OFF SPEED PITCHES:

• The pitcher's job is to disrupt the hitters timing! This is done by changing speeds on his pitches. Curveballs, change ups, and split-fingered fastballs are examples of "off speed pitches."
• Speeds are relative! A pitcher with a mediocre fastball may appear to have above average velocity on his fastball after giving the hitter a "diet" of off-speed pitches. Smart pitchers understand this concept.
• When mentally set to hit the fastball the hitter must have a way to compensate for "off-speed" pitches should the pitcher choose to throw them.
• Remember! A curveball is usually thrown 15 mph slower than a fastball and a changeup is 20 mph slower than a fastball.
• To compensate for this change in velocity the hitter must understand the concept of: Off Speed = Off Field
• By thinking "OFF FIELD", the hitter is forced to wait on the pitch allowing it to get to home plate before swinging at it.
  1. "OFF FIELD" does not mean hitting the baseball down either foul line.
  2. Rather it means, right-handed hitters should hit the ball to the shortstop's left.
  3. Left-handed hitters should hit the ball to the second baseman's right.
  4. How far to the shortstop's left or second baseman's right the ball will be hit will be determined by the location of the pitch and its velocity.
  5. Because the majority of curveballs thrown to right-handed hitters break away from them, the concept of hitting the ball to the shortstop's left, is an invaluable teaching concept.
• Off Speed = Off Field is the hitter's counter to the pitcher's attempt to disrupt his timing.

III. LOOK FOR A FASTBALL ON THE OUTSIDE PART OF THE PLATE:

• The hitter should mentally look for a fastball away from him on the outside part of home plate.
• The hitter can adjust from there (outside) should the pitch be inside; but he cannot adjust to there (outside) if he looks inside first and pulls off the pitch.
• This mental approach, "I can adjust from there, but not to there" has several advantages.
  1. The front side of the hitter's body stays closed, maximizing his power.
  2. It makes it easier for the hitter to make good contact and to hit to all fields.
  3. It prevents pulling off the ball, dissipating his power and hitting routine ground balls to shortstop (RHH) and second base (LHH).
  4. It makes it easier to hit off speed pitches.
  5. It makes it easier to hit pitches on the outside part of the plate.

COACHING POINT: YOU CAN ADJUST FROM THERE, BUT NOT TO THERE!

CONCLUSION:

The hitter should look for a fastball on the outside part of home plate. If the pitch is on the inside half of home plate, the hitter can adjust. Any other approach will result in the hitter only being successful on inside pitches.

Good Luck!