Posted by: Coach C () on Tue May 6 16:34:34 2003

I have not yet read or heard of a lucid approach to adjusting swing timing or teaching how to hit the off speed pitch. Statements such as “stay back” or “wait longer” or “keep you hands back longer” just don’t make much sense to me as a teaching tool. Not swinging at the curve works in Little League and maybe through High School ..but doesn’t cut it at the Collegiate or Pro levels. Some one said in the April discussions that maybe some “new adjustment on the fly” is what may be needed. So…hitting guru’s what do we teach?

Hitting off-speed pitches effectively comes from a few things in my opinion when talking about a pure rotational swing. 1)pitch recognition 2) Not trying for extension (Hitting with short arms or staying connected) during a well timed swing....this will leave something left in the swing for when one is fooled. 3) Personally I won't swing at a curve with less than two strikes, unless it's hanging. I would never swing at a curve with less than one strike. Train to hit good pitches effectively. I do a drill for hitters called 1..2..3. In the drill the student is taught to only hit the perfect pitch (it may be the 1st, 2nd or 3rd pitch, they never know). This drill will definitly increase their perception of what the ball is doing as well as keeping them agressive for their perfect pitch. If you find that your hitters keep swinging at bad pitches and seem to miss the good ones then I would suggest that they are too long in their swing and probably not rotational at all.

One last thought.....If the pitch is inside, don't say keep your hands inside the ball, but rather, hit with shorter arms. The hands should not be directive in nature. Hitting with the hands leaves the most important part of the bat ("the barrel") dragging.

If you need more ideas let me know.

Good Luck,

Coach C