Posted by: rql () on Mon Oct 20 07:06:38 2008

> five frame,I thought no one was reading,but I will throw a few more thoughts out there.If you want to be a complete hitter you need to hit a curve ball,but just as important you need to be able to lay off the curve.For me it was an easy pitch on the avg curve but a really good one can be tough even if you know it is coming.Depending on your vision you need to pick it up,unless the pitcher gives it away during the wind up which often will be a crooking of the hand as he goes down and then back with his hand then the 1st place to pick it up is at release.2 ways ,if your good you can either see the side of the pitchers hand at release or you can look for alittle hump as the ball rolls up over the top of the fingers as the thumb goes up from behind.You have to be good to do this most cant thats why there are few really good hitters.You can still be a good curve ball hitter by reading spin about 19 feet out of the hand and slow up your weight shift by sitting on your back inside leg longer delaying shift and or jambing your lead leg down bent as you sit stopping the drift of weight shift so your poised to hit from this position.
> Next you need to have in your mental plan the idea of when you will swing at spin and if so where will it start.if your in a position where you are looking fb in fb counts you need to know how to pick up spin if for no other reason than to let it go.So many coaches say I dont practice the players at curves because they cant hit them anyway so I tell them to just not swing at them til 2 strikes.Guess what kids never learn to pick them up until they have started their swing and the ball that looks like a strike will become a strike.Say your in a 1 or 2 strike count and you believe you can hit the guys curve then you have to make your mind aware of what to look for.Generally if I was going to look for both fb and curve Then I would concede thinking of pulling the fb and think up the middle or away in a manner some will call linear but a good option is the jeter oppo swing where it is rotational that incorporates some bat drag if necessary to hit inside of ball to oppo.Reasoning: 10 mph difference in most fb and curves which is enough to throw off timing so if you think of staying behind the fb,then your delaying just a little maybe 5mph delay and now if they hang the curve your still in a position to drive the curveball ,some may like keeping the barrel inside of all balls when looking for both others may say oppo fb /pull the curve.[Learn what works for you].My mental thoughts as a lefty if I was facing a righty pitcher and I was looking for both pitches was I knew the only spin for that pitcher that got over for a strike had to start up and away looking like a ball,so I would say to myself read fb /spin up and away,So if I saw the hump in the ball and it was coming thigh high down the middle then I instantly held up for a ball in the dirt.If I read the ball coming out of the hand with the wrist facing me and backspin I rode my fb rhythm but anything that immediately was up and away I delayed and did not give up on and if I read spin then I got ready to crush it.Opposite for a lefty pitcher against me his ball had to start at my shoulder or wherever I deemed his curve would start for a strike,here you have to say dont give up on ball at my shoulder ,be tough because if it is a fb your hit ,but chances are it will be a curve,the tough one is right down the middle breaking away ,here you must rhythm for fb and see spin coming down middle hold up it will break down and away.Games on gotta go
2 typos guys the 19 should be 10 and the sentence about a ball that looks like a strike will be a strike should be it will be a ball.hoping to give some insight into plans for handling different situations when you want to call on something besides 1 fb.