Posted by: RQL () on Wed Aug 22 14:36:14 2001

Anyone know some sites that talk about the mental side of hitting? I know hitting is more than mechanics and I feel I don't have a good mental plan when I go up.
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> > > > > > > Maximum,ask me what you want to know.
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> > > > > > rql, I can't seem to focus when I go up. The only reason I can hit is cause the pitchers throw slow enough that I can read fastball, curve or whatever they throw. I'm hitting just over 300. I should be hitting close to 500 in this league.
> > > > > > When the pitcher throws, I can't see the ball too well. He throw it, I lose it until it gets in front of the plate.
> > > > > > I've been invited to tryout for a top competition team in my area and I know if I don't focus, I'll suck for this team.
> > > > > > By the way, how the heck do you read a change-up?
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> > > > Maximum,this is a problem I have heard many times,however I never had this particular problem but lets work on it.Think about what you do when you get ready for a pitch.are you using macro and micro focus properly ,do you know what that is.do you try to pick the ball up out of the box by the pitchers ear.is your neck tense do you get tight and squint your eyes with the read,have you had your eyes checked there is a type of vision that deals with a moving object and your eyes may have trouble in this area,you may need to see an optomitrist but weed out other things 1st.Just vision the ball coming out of the hand in slow motion off the finger tips and see a spin in your mind coming slowly at you then slowly speed it up till you vision a full speed pitch in your mind.The change up if its a good one is a tough pitch to hit.However few at your age throw it well.Watch for changes in the wind up while in the dugout on the bench see if he holds it differently or slows his arm up when throwing it.Seldom well pitchers that are young throw it in a fast ball count so if he throws it in a curve ball count you should be staying back a little already,
> > > Will that mental "Reading the pitch" drill really work? When should I do this, right before a game? I got 20-20 vision and I could pick out Skydome from across the lake even on a foggy hazy day. But I can't seem to clearly see fast moving objects. Well Ok I can see em well, but I can't focus on it properly. It's a mental thing not an eye thing.
> > > When I go up, I study the pitcher carefully, try to see if and how he grips the ball before he puts it back in his glove and see if he tips of the next pitch any other way. Just before he releases the ball, I move my eyes to where his release point will be. What else am I doing wrong?
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> > ,,Maximum,I used the mental pitch reading and my friend Wade Boggs said he would use it on the way to the park for the pitcher he was facing that night if he had seen him before.Maybe you are focusing to hard to early do you know of macro focus.Also try to focus hard on an object like a light switch in your home from across the room and nothing else for 5 seconds ,see if your eyes start noticing anything else .Othewise ask yourself if my decision to swing is taking concentration away from the ball,it seems like the middle part of the balls travelis when your losing it.
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> > No I've never heard of microfocus or whatever before.
> Some days I can read pitches well, some days I can't. One game I'd blow a pitch past the outfielder, next day I'd pop up or ground out.

>>Maximum,macro focus allows is a general focus on a larger area that is relaxing,micro focus is 100% focus on a small area for a short time.Micro focus can only be held for 3-5 seconds before the eye starts picking up surrounding areas,this has all been studied by doctors.So you should know as a hitter o start with macro while pitcher is on the rubber but once he starts his wind up go to micro.Many times you seepro hitters call time in the box ,often its because they started focus to early and then lost concentration,they know to call time and start over.Try to strengthen your focus by zooming in across the room at a light switch or something 20-30 feet away and hold it ,do it over and over and get acquainted with it.Remember consistency is what makes great hitters.Try having someone throw to you even if there bad ,and you don't hit,you just follow the ball over and over all the way past you,if it is a weakness work harder on it,they can throw tennis balls or wiffle balls but identify your problem ,find a solution then practice it till you get the desired outcome.