Posted by: Jeff M (arhmobile@yahoo.com) on Wed Oct 9 08:44:33 2002

There is no "key" to vision...you have it, or you don't. You can however, improve what you have by seeing thousands of pitches, and working on a few simple concepts. More on that later.

Vision is actually one of the most important elements of the swing package, yet the least talked about at the lower levels. Think about how much time and work goes into a pitchers motion to conceal the ball as long as possible. How pitchers are trained to deliver every pitch the same way...regardless of break. They do this because a hitter relies on vision as a signal to begin the whole swing process. Without having your eyes report to your body on the probable impact point, you are simply guessing, and more often than not, a victem of swinging strikes. Doc Gooden was the best at concealing ball location. In his early days with the Mets, most guys down at camp did not pick up the ball untill about 30-feet out. Coupled with his stuff, it was really frustrating to be a hitter when Doc was throwing BP.

A few years ago, I had a RH kid who seemed to have all the stuff needed to make an impact in college. What I saw though, was a hitter who guessed more at the location rather than "saw" the location. He claimed he just could not see the fastball when delivered by a RHP who hinged on the right side of the rubber. I asked him to grab a mitt, sit behind the plate, and tell me what he saw. He had no problems at all...picked the ball up, and even read the break. Difference was...he had two eyes on the ball. Turned out his right eye was dominant, and his left eye was weak. His normal stance had his left shoulder pushing his chin right, and he really only got a look at the ball with his left (weak) eye. We fixed him by opening his body up a little...not wide open, but 20 degrees more than his HS coach had told him. This really helped. Turned out to be a good player.

Jeff M...not Henry