Posted by: rql () on Sat Mar 29 15:56:24 2008

> > First, I would like to thank Jack and the folks at Batspeed for helping us understand what had previously been incomprehensible. It has totally changed my son's performance at the plate. It has also contributed to his being able to play elite baseball.
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> > Over the last 1.5 years he has done very well developing his swing and approach according to the principles laid out in the Final Arc 2. He is a 13YO RHH. He is now playing freshman high school baseball and is feeling challenged by the curveball. Any advice on how to improve his reaction and ability while facing pitchers with better stuff, especially curveballs? Thank you.
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> Richard,
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> There's 2 major aspects to the situation. There's the whole mental side to the problem. Pitch recognition, knowing the pitcher's tendancies, the count, when you need to be swinging at the curve, when you can take it, etc. Then there's the mechanical aspect of hitting the curve. It's really discipline that you need to keep your good rotational swing intact. Don't go out and get the ball. The ball is breaking away from you on an angle, therefore you have to concentrate extra hard on letting the ball come to you, pushing back and sitting, getting behind the axis of rotation and thus getting behind the ball so that you can drive it, probably to the opposite field. Remember, the pitcher's trying to get you out on your front foot, in front of your axis of rotation, where the best your likely to do is a weakly hit ball for an out. The reaction that you need to learn is to get back behind the ball and not go out to meet it. It's easier said than done, just watch how often major leaguers get fooled. So that brings us back to the other aspect. It's alot easier to hit in a hitter's count than a pitcher's count!
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> Chuck
>pitchers try to make balls look like strikes and strikes look like balls.That said there are 2 basic curve to deal with,for a righty righty situation, the ball that starts at your shoulder that puts you on your heels will break for a strike and is often taken,2nd the ball starts thigh high down the middle you set to pull it and it breaks down and out of zone as you lunge forward to swing.In 2-0 /3-1 counts you can decide not to swing at curve but you better practice learning to pick up spin or you will be swinging at the bad ones thinking it is a fb.In counts that you are willing to swing at it or 2 strike counts you may have a mental cue you keep saying right up until he starts to wind up look fb dont give up on ball at my shoulder,see you have to fight the urge to bail by training your mind to make the body prepare to hit that pitch at your shoulder because it will be a strike,also any good looking strike that is down that you prepare to hit as soon as you read spin layoff,it will break down and away.You must train your self your strike zone and where a ball starts is critical to if you will swing.The problem is that the ball coming at you is the one you must swing at ,usually if you learn to stay on it like you should once in a while it will be a fb and you will get hit,in order to overcome this dilema you must be very tough which you will have to be if you want success in the sport up the ladder,and tell yourself if they hit me I dont care they cant hurt me and I will get 1st base after being down in the count,psych out your mind to remove fear,dare them to hit you and expect all balls at you to be curve strikes.Now lefty pitcher ,righty hitter,use the cue look fb dont give up up and away.This is the pitch that you give up on early thinking it is a ball then it breaks for a strike.Timing,big part.Think about hitting the fb away deep in zone and just put a good swing on the curve depending on how you adjust.1 ML hitter told me I try in those counts to hit fb away and pull the curve it is hanging in middle of plate.The idea is this lets say 90mph fb 80mph curve,if you time to hit fb away your timing may be at 85,a little late for pulling that 90 fb but if it is a curve you only have to adjust 5mph to stay back for curve and if your a little early you pull it hard.These are just some suggestions,trial and error at practice will build your own style