Pitching and Pitchers Discussion What Pitch Do You Want

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This question is going out to Hitting Coaches (not the pitchers - question is to the hitters)...



Here is the situation... your student, player, daughter, is up to bat... she is down in the count... 0-2. This pitcher has not bothered wasting pitches and has come after the batters on 0-2. So as a hitter, she can expect something in the strike zone... The pitcher has better than good speed (can throw it pass the batter if not prepared) and has effective off-speed and has used both efficiently throughout the game.


If the pitcher can pitch to any location on the plate (up / down, in / out)... Where as a hitter DO YOU WANT it to be.


I have an opinion but would be interested in hearing others...

 

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I asked my dd this question and she tells me nothing. I just track the ball a little harder to foul it off.

 

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I know DD's hitting coach helps each girl figure out what "their" pitch is and how to foul until you get it. Each girl figures out their own strength.

 

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I want the one she hits

 

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You have to look for not what you want, but what you can reach in the strike area, I say area, because at that juncture odds are if it's close, it's a strike. Right, wrong or indifferent of not in the zone. They have to be prepared to make contact on those close ones and not watch it go by. Contact to foul it off or put it in play. If you wait for what you want, you'll be waiting on the bench for the next time.

 

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With 2 strikes on the batter (and a pitcher with a good change up), I instruct my daughters to think opposite field. They are not looking to go yard but to take the pitch and find some grass. They want the pitcher to throw them away. It works into their mindset. It allows them that brief moment to confirm it is not an off-speed pitch and then throw their bat at it and send it into the grass.

So for them they would prefer the outside pitch. The inside pitch is a little more difficult to go backside with. We do a lot of T-Work with inside pitches deep in the zone and driving them backside but they normally just keep fouling it off until they can get the pitch away to drive.

So with 2 strikes... throw the ball on the outside part of the plate.