Posted by: Matt (poster) () on Wed Aug 11 09:06:34 2004

> 1. Pitching Machine:
> Realize a pitching machine will (more or less) encourage you
to swing away, regardless of location. You may take
occasionally, but basically the machine does not enhance your
ability to judge close pitches - in fact, it diminishes it.

Sounds demonstrably logical to me, as well as to anyone
who's seen me hit this year.

> Also, a pitching machine causes a hitter to be tentative in
game situations. This is because the hitter has implied
confidence he will not be hit in a cage. The mere fact that you
*could* be hit in a game will cause tentative approach.
>
> Solutions include live pitching, or a higher-end machine which
can vary pitch speed and location according to programmed
input.

Agreed; unfortunately, neither solution is easy for me.

> 2. Batter's Box:
> This can be a problem if one is used to swinging in a cage.
This is particularly true for lighter batters, where less ground
friction exists to drive rotation. Adding 15-20 lbs muscle will
reduce this problem. Also, scout home plate beforehand to find
optimal footing.

Oh, okay, I'll just go add that muscle after work today.
Seriously, I don't think "I don't weigh enough" is a problem I'll
encounter. I don't think I'm "driving" enough where I'm "skidding".

> 3. Stance
> Stand close to the plate with confidence. A good rotational
swing will cause the sweet spot to make contact only about 1.3'
from your torso. By standing close, you will be able to:
>
> A. Handle middle-inside pitches with authority.
> B. Handle outside pitches without lunging.
> C. Judge pitch location better, and take more bad pitches.

I'll try to stand a little closer, I'd thought of that. I've been retired
on a couple of outside curveballs this year; I should either not be
swinging at them, or be able to reach them.

> 4. Pitch Speed Practice
> Many people will say one should not practice with high-speed
pitching because the correct mechanic can be employed on a
slower pitch by simply waiting longer. I completely disagree.
One should acclimate to conditions likely encountered. Try to hit
the fastest pitch you can, and work up from there. Mix in slower
pitches to retain timing on all pitches.

I'm seriously thinking I should just NOT go to the cages for a
while. One week I'll go five times before the weekend game,
another week I won't go at all. And then, one weekend I'll strike
out on 3 pitches and have no idea how I missed them, and
another weekend I'll take a guy to a full count and foul off four
good curveballs (before he gets me on a wicked change I hadn't
seen yet).

Is there a connection between the weeks I'd hit a lot in the cages
and the weekends where I couldn't hit the ball with a boat oar? I
don't know.

Is it plausible that I've just gotten screwed up as far as knowing
where to put the bat, because of the difference in the pitch arcs
between cages & live (and my own admitted inability to adjust to
things)?