Posted by: Joe Hernandez (coach2hit@yahoo.com) on Tue Jun 20 14:14:25 2006

> > > > > my coaches always tell me to "hit the ball where it is pitched" meaning pull an inside pitch and go opposite on an outside pitch. i have a habit of trying to pull everything, even outside pitches and that makes for an easy grounder. any suggestions or tips?
> > > >
> > > > John,
> > > >
> > > > Why not follow your coaches advise? Learn to hit on the "impact line"...as a general rule, this is usually your best point of contact. That is not to say that you must always hit the outside pitch to the opposite field. There are many situations and conditions that will allow you to hit the outside pitch up the middle or even pull it. Much will depend on your swing and your timing. If your approach is "sound" and your swing is equally sound, then doing so is possible and can be quite effective. However, I beleive your approach should be the same for every pitch. Make sure you are seeing the ball with both eyes, stay on top of the baseball with your front shoulder and focused on hitting the ball as hard as you can while maintaing bat control.
> > > >
> > > > Joe Hernandez
> > >
> > > "There are many situations and conditions that will allow you to hit the outside pitch up the middle or even pull it."
> > >
> > > I understand if you’re talking about a LF hitter, but what are the situations where a righty should come around a middle away FB?
> > >
> > > "I believe your approach should be the same for every pitch."
> > >
> > > As far as seeing it and hitting it yes, as far as situational hitting, absolutely not. What approach do you take when you have a runner at 3rd less then 2 out with the middle inf back vs the middle inf's in? What approach do you take with a runner at 2nd and no outs? How about nobody on, bottom of 9 down by a run?
> > >
> > > The truly great hitters will have an at bat that is warranted by the game...there are a variety of situations and modes that good hitters will need to adapt to. Get on base mode, move a runner over mode, a drive them in mode…just to name a few..
> >
> > Scott W.,
> >
> > My response to "John" was meant for you. Try reading his question correctly as well as my response. Your comments are not relative to the discussion...no one is even remotely discussing whatever you have misread.
> >
> > Staying "focus" on the topic is key to having a good dialogue. If you want to bring something else to the forum then raise the issue. But going into the bleaches when the subject is in the field helps no one.
> >
> > My Best,
> >
> > Joe Hernandez
> >
> > Joe Hernandez
>
> Take another pill joe...i'm responding to YOUR advise regarding hitting a ball on the outer half up the middle? You're giving out advise that makes no sence and would like a simple explanation...


Young grasshopper(Scott W.),

Why your need to get personal? It's a sign of immaturity. I think it is you that have been on too many pills! I realize that you need simple explanations...you don't seem to read or write too well. Do you think Jeter has never tried to hit an outside pitch up the middle? For the most part, the location of the pitch usually determines a hitters best point of contact. What part of this you don't understand? But there are exceptions...that was all that was written.

Regarding situations, suffice to say that the great Hank Aaron (a right-handed hitter) was a dead pull hitter early in his career...so much so, that the opposing team would "shift" to the left. He says so himself in his book, "Hitting The Aaron Way"(!) He was able to pull just about anything. As he got older and was not as fast with his bat, he learned to go the other way.

In hitting there are exceptions and opinions from the great hitters to every conceivable rule or theory. Ted Williams writes "swing slightly up at a pitch" and Hank Aaron says the exact opposite, "swing down on the pitch". Are they on too many pills as well?

By the way, sence is spelled s-e-n-s-e...If I were you I would concentrate more on reading, writing and spelling than on writing about things you don't seem to know. You are just out of your league. Why not take a pill of "let me learn" 3 times a day...it would do you good!