Posted by: Scott W. (stwinton@netzero.net) on Mon Jun 26 07:55:13 2006

> I like the site also...although, I'm clearly not a true believer. I've coached travel team baseball for several years and my son had a rotational instructor in little league....it just didn't work once he left little league and had to hit real pitching. There are, I think, some real baseball people on the site...I usually agree with what Joe Hernandez has to say and there are a couple more guys I pay attention to when they post. By the way, my definition of a "baseball person" is one who teaches the whole game and understands why you have to move a runner with a hit to the right side of the infield...bat speed is nice, but it is just one variable to a great and complex game.

This is what i posted a few months ago, like to hear your take...imo bat speed is one very small part of the bigger equasion called hitting.

"Bat speed alone does not equate to good hitting...mechanics can be altered to generate increased bat speed however what does this get you...?

First off what are the components of 'good hitting?" these are some that I think are importent
-pre-pitch preparation
-game situation...understanding what the at-bat means in the scope of the game.
-mental readiness
-physical readiness
-coping with pressure
-coping with past success and failure
-being able to take a positive (consistent) approach up to the plate every time
-balance and RHYTHM, (pre-pitch rhythm and, when the pitch is coming)
-focus
-seeing the baseball out of the pitchers hand
-anticipating break
-adjusting to strike zones
-adjusting to change of speed
-adjusting and being able to hit when your fooled
-consistently being able to get the barrel on the baseball…squaring it up.
-adjusting with 2 strikes
-understanding the tactical advantage and disadvantages when your ahead or behind in the count.
-MECHANICS and bat speed…

In my opinion there are a lot of thing that go into ‘good hitting’, the Holy Grail in my opinion is not bat speed…its ‘showey’ and sure sounds great but that along will not make you a good hitter.


If 'good hitting' is a 100%...how importent (in a percentage) is bat speed?"