Posted by: mjb (Berg@pop.ctctel.com) on Wed Feb 6 22:36:26 2002

There are diehards who insist their players choke up with two strikes, but I don't think it is a good strategy anymore. The strike zone seems to have moved down and outside over the years. Pitchers will aim for that spot with two strikes. Why shorten your reach?

Also, any extra speed you get will probably be offset by the shorter bat. Think of this extreme example: How far do you think you could hit a ball with a a bat where you choked up so much that only about one foot was left, or if you just used a one-foot long bat, even if it weighed as much as a longer one?


Will choking up on the bat increase chances of contact and increase your batspeed?
>
> It shouldn't have any effect on contact, why would it?
> It could increase your batspeed, due to the counterweight effect but not significantly.
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> Often choking up is used to punch at the ball with 2 strikes and hit defensively. This could increase contact but drop batspeed and is a change in mechanics.
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> Bonds hits pretty well choking up but he swings hard. What does choking up do for a hitter?