Posted by: Joe D () on Mon Jul 2 20:48:48 2001

I'm a very good fastball hitter. I have hit some balls that have been absolute shots (well over 350', im 14). Now that I'm getting older though, some pitchers have very good number two pitches such as a curvball. When this happens I'm pretty much dead, even if they throw me a fastball. I'm thinking, o no, this could be a curve, and when I think that the ball is already in the catchers mit.
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> > > > Has anyone else ever had this problem? How did you fix it?
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> > > Scott,
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> > > Try to go to the plate with your only thought being to focus on the ball. (As a way of teaching this, I tell hitters to try to hit the center of the ball.)
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> > > Do you have an all out power swing? This can cause your problem. Maybe you have to use a little less power to gain some control.
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> > > Do not to the plate anticipating a pitch. Focus on the ball and react to what you see. Rely on your ability.
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> > > Good Luck
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> > > Joe uh, uh A, no I thinks its B this time
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> > > scott.....of course, your obvious option would be to get live batting practice against curve balls.....and easier said than done....my son had a problem hitting the curve ball...his particular problem was mot being able to quickly recognize the curve ball.....his friends couldn't throw him b.p. because they had to save their arms for the games.....but what he did was to go to a number of games he wasn't involved in, amd just stood behind the backstop studying the various pitches.....he got to the point where it helped considerably...........some of the pros claim that you can read the spin of the ball almost immediately out of the pitcher's hand...i know that you can at least get a clue based on how he delivers the ball.....and there is a lot of info out there on what to anticipate depending on the count.....for example, at your age level, if the count is 2-0, 3-0 or 3-1, you can be fairly certain you will get a fastball.....and if you anticipate the fastball on these counts nad it's curve, take it.....and if the count is 0-2 or 1-2, it is almost guaranteed you will get a curve ball.........2 books well worth reading anyway come to mind that covers this topic: mike schmidt's "the mike schmidt study" and ted williams' "the science of hitting".........but two things for sure: (1) to advance to higher levels of play you will need to be able to hit a curve ball and (2) a big part of hitting is anticipating what kind of a pitch you will get.....respectfully,
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> Scott,
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> Be carefull of advice based on what the pros do. Isn't it silly to think that professional players go to the plate and just "guess" at what the pitcher is going to throw. So, if they can do it, you can do it, right?
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> Pros don't go to the plate and just anticipage what the pitcher is going to throw. Teams have people who chart the situational pitching tendancies of every pitcher. The hitter has a chart of every pitch he got the last time he faced this pitcher. Some teams study tapes of the pitcher to learn if he tips of the pitch. Hitters study these tendancies before the game. During the game someone is chartting each pitch. Hitters are told how the pitcher is pitching that day, that he has his curve ball. Or his fastball isn't popping or whatever the chart and other hitters tell him. Then he goes to the plate and "guesses" what the pitcher is going to throw. Its silly to think other wise. Its the pros and these guys make their living hitting. Don't take too much advice from people who learn the game from TV anouncers.
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> Pro baseball players are are the strongest, fastest, quickest men playing the game. They are in their twenties and thirties and have been playing since they were 5 or 6. Your a 14 year old kid. Even the pros couldnt do what they are doing now, when they were 14. Isnt it silly to tell you that you can do what the pros do?
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> Stick to the basics. Every good player must learn the basics before they add their own personal twist to the game. When you master the basics you can move to the next level, if you have the talent. But thats not now. Stick to the basics.
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> Good luck
> Joe A.
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> Scott.....this is a very good site for seeking advice.....you can get some very good advice from tom.guerry, rql, tim olson, ray porco, joe hernandez, major dan, mr. batspeed himself, jack mankin, shawn bell, Joe E, just to name a few......but also check out mikeepsteinhitting.com......he can provide you with excellent info regarding selectivity of pitches.....respectfully, Joe D......