|
I have had so many hitters tell me the same thing:
“I can’t hit slow pitching.”
"It's so hard to hit!"
“I’m always so early.”
It’s an epidemic.
I then thought, if it was that hard, wouldn’t MLB pitchers just lob every ball in there?
Maybe, but in case it is that hard...
Here are 6 tips to help hitters hit slow pitching:
1. Expectations
You expect to do well, so if you don’t, you are left disappointed.
"The desire for more positive experience is itself
a negative experience. And, paradoxically, the
acceptance of one's negative experience is itself
a positive experience"
Even if you’re hitting .499 off of a bad pitcher, statistically… he still has the advantage over you.
So don’t pretend it will be an automatic line drive in the gap.
Facing a slow pitcher is the same as facing a fast pitcher; the harder you try, the worse it gets.
If anything, you should lower your expectations.
2. Shrink The Zone.
Every ball that the slow pitcher throws looks good because it’s slow.
Because of this, you now expand your zone and swing at pitches you normally wouldn’t against a regular pitcher.
So, you have to be more disciplined against a slow pitcher.
There will be several balls that you could hit but are better off taking.
Real Life Example:
If you want to talk about slow pitching, this is it.
Notice what A-Rod does:
He takes the first pitch.
As mentioned earlier, the key is to be more selective against slow pitching.
It’s tempting to swing at a close ball when it’s this slow, but it's important to trust yourself.
Because he lands in a balanced position and his hands are back, he can land his front foot early and still be in a position to do damage.
3. Perspective
Part of the problem when facing a slow pitcher is feeling like you’re in a lose-lose situation.
“Great, I got a hit against a bad pitcher.”
“Wow, I can’t believe that terrible pitcher just got me out.”
You’re not in a lose-lose situation; pretend it’s normal.
Your brain wants to tag every situation you’re in.
4. Past Experiences
We started this off with the most common quote you’ll hear from players facing slow pitching:
“I can’t hit slow pitching.”
It’s a built-in excuse, so when they fail, they can tell everyone:
“I told you I can’t hit slow pitching.”
Since you’re programming that negative situation constantly into your mind, chances are you won’t feel better the second you suddenly get into the box and face a slow pitcher.
5. Exaggerate Your Approach
For something to show up, you may need to exaggerate.
This could mean your approach in the box:
Normally, if you think up the middle, you might now think ‘hit a nice, easy opposite-field ground ball’
Some other cues that could help you over exaggerate.
- Hit it out of the catcher’s glove
- Try to get jammed
6. Be Specific
Telling yourself to "wait back" isn’t specific enough for most hitters.
- Wait back where?
- What does that look like?
- How does your body know what that means?
It’s important to get specific.
Hopefully, a few of those resonated with you, and you can now start raking against slow pitching.
Until next time,
Patrick Jones
Whenever You’re Ready There’s 1 Way I Can Help You
In-person hitting: I work with hitters in Cincinnati, Ohio.
If you want to come to Cincinnati to work with me, please fill out the form on this contact page.
|
